Actor Sabahat Bukhari shared her view that healthy flirting on set could help build self-confidence and on-screen chemistry.

Appearing on a podcast, Sabahat discussed the importance of building good relationships and complimenting one another on set which she said created a more comfortable working environment and improved on-screen performances.

“People have hit on me many times. I take it as a compliment,” she said, adding, “Healthy flirting can be a good thing.”

Speaking about the importance of creating comfortable sets, the actor said, “It is something we should have on sets. It is important to make work more comfortable, and you can meet people in a friendly way to develop chemistry. There used to be rehearsals for these kinds of things, but now there are not.”

“The best compliment I have received is that I am positive,” she added.

The actor also shared her views on the entertainment industry, including typecasting, delayed payments and social media.

She revealed that she was often cast in elite roles. “I enjoy being typecast because going to those poor neighbourhoods and being in those kinds of atmospheres is very difficult, especially when it is hot and you have to be in congested spaces with many people. So, I try to avoid those things,” she stated.

Further, the actor joked, “I also enjoy getting dressed up. Especially if it is hot out, I do not want to play a different kind of character. However, if the weather is nice, I’ll think about it.”

She also expressed gratitude for the opportunities she received, saying she was often offered the kinds of roles she wanted without having to ask for them. “Thank God, I don’t have to ask for it or say anything. I guess it is the image.” She added, though, that she wanted to try different roles. “I did a comedy-type role where I played a Punjabi khala for the first time, around the time I was also modelling,” she shared.

Discussing the industry, Sabahat addressed the lobby system and said she felt fortunate not to be associated exclusively with a particular group or brand. “No politics, no monopolies, nothing,” she said.

The actor also discussed payment delays in the entertainment industry. “I have been delayed by four to six months. The thing which I don’t understand is that if we work for the production, then we have no relation to the channel. Being the producer or financier, I question why they do not have the money on hand to make a drama. Why are they investing somewhere else? If the film is made, why do you not pay workers who have to support their homes?” she questioned.

Regarding the issue, she urged actors not to be afraid to demand what they deserved. “You deserve to get what you do, no matter how and at what cost. If you do not have that mindset, you will always be afraid,” she said.

Sabahat also touched on past traumas in her life, revealing that she used content creation as a way to stay positive. “I come onto social media to do things that make me happy in order to forget my past, the serious things in my life, or my traumas,” the actor shared.

On the professional front, Sabahat has appeared in Aakhir Kab Tak, Betiyaan and Sanam. Previously, she was an active fashion model and worked as a television announcer in the late 1980s.