The Baaji actor who has found herself in hot waters over the viral clip asked Ayeza Khan why she had unfollowed her while responding to her comment on her video addressing the social media outcry
Over the past few days social media has been buzzing with model-turned-actor Amna Ilyas at the centre of a brewing controversy after a clip where she can be seen apparently body shaming one of Pakistan’s original supermodels Aaminah Haq went viral.
The clip from a two year old episode of the TV talk show Tonite with HSY shows Amna Ilyas along with model Sadaf Kanwal playing a game called ‘Guess the celebrities’. During the segment Amna had to describe Haq to Kanwal and make her guess to which the Baji actor in an exaggerated manner gestured to the fact that this particular person had gained weight to which Sadaf quickly identified the Chaandi Raatein starlet.
With the clip gradually becoming viral, Aaminah Haq who has since the past many years been off the fashion scene and has moved to USA took to her Instagram story to address the remarks about her.
“Truth be told, if body shaming me brought some small shred of joy in her life, then you’re welcome,” wrote Haq on her story after being tagged by a few people on the viral clip. “Unhappy people tend to gravitate towards hate, instead of kindness and compassion,” she added.
Haq’s comeback led to a sparked outrage among netizens who called out the Zinda Bhag starlet for fat shaming and hypocrisy after she had slammed a fellow actor Ayeza Khan for endorsing a whitening beauty cream and asked others to not promote such products. Amna had also recently posted a video spoofing the ad featuring Ayeza.
While responding to netizens’ claims, she posted a cryptic video maintaining that she never called anyone fat. However, as the video failed to diffuse the situation, Amna posted a 2 minute long video on Friday clearing her stance on the viral clip and claims of body shaming. The model reiterated that she didn’t call any one fat and urged people to not believe what the media and bloggers say — this being a bit strange as the same people praised Amna for her unapologetic stance on fighting colourism in the country and sharing her own struggles as a dark skinned girl in the modelling industry.
Moreover, she shared several instances from her childhood to teenage where she had called those around her with mean and derogatory terms right from her limping cook, to her lisping teacher, to her short heighted friend. She even admitted to calling chubby people ‘rhinos, elephants and bulls.’
Amna then stated that no one is born with ethics and like others she has called people names however she thinks it is unfair for people to not give a second chance and are bashing her for an old clip. “I am not the same person as that in the video,” she said.
“I cannot change what I did or undo the pain I might have caused you,” she said addressing Haq adding that each day she tries to make herself a better person. However she didn’t exactly issue an apology. The model-turned-actor then concluded the video by holding a ‘paratha’ describing it as fat and that it has been burnt black in a supposed jibe.
This video explanation has been met with a mixed response with some people praising Amna while others feel that she has not shown any remorse for her remarks, Ayeza Khan who Amna had previously mocked in her spoof dropped a message in the comments.
“You have worked so hard to build this career for yourself and there’s so much more waiting for you in the future. Don’t indulge in this mess. My best wishes and love will always be with you,” she said to which Amna responded by asking why she has unfollowed her on Instagram adding that she loves the actor too.
Although whitening creams are one of the biggest contributors to colourism and celebrities must refrain from endorsing such products, body shaming or passing crude remarks about someone’s appearance is as big as societal peril. It would have been nice had Amna simply accepted where she went wrong, apologised to Haq and stated how she was a different person back then and has since evolved like every other human being without the unnecessary wit and sarcasm.
