Durefishan Saleem’s English scene sparks online criticism

ARY Digital’s drama series Dar-e-Nijaat has been gaining considerable attention in recent weeks, with its storyline and performances keeping viewers engaged. Produced by Three’s Entertainment, the drama features a strong cast including Nameer Khan, Durefishan Saleem and Sheheryar Munawar. The story has been written by acclaimed writer Umera Ahmed.

However, while the drama has been attracting viewers with its developing plot, one recent scene involving Durefishan Saleem has become a major topic of discussion on social media. Instead of focusing entirely on the storyline, many viewers are now talking about the actress’s English dialogue delivery and accent.

So far, eight episodes of Dar-e-Nijaat have aired. The latest episodes follow Zamil and Zaryab as they travel to the United States and begin their university journeys. Their new environment has introduced several tense and emotionally charged interactions between the characters, adding another layer to the ongoing story.

Among the recent scenes, a conversation featuring Durefishan’s character has particularly caught the attention of viewers. The scene includes several English dialogues, but some audience members felt that the actress’s accent and delivery appeared unnatural. According to the criticism circulating online, her pronunciation sounded overly forced rather than conversational.

Several social media users questioned why the English dialogue was delivered in such a manner, with some describing the accent as artificial and difficult to follow. Others felt that the delivery did not sound natural for the character and appeared as though the lines had been memorized rather than spoken comfortably.

One viewer commented that it seemed as if Durefishan was simply “reading a lesson,” while another compared the way the English was spoken to the style commonly associated with Indian English. The comments quickly turned into a wider discussion about accents, pronunciation and the way English-speaking characters are portrayed in Pakistani television dramas.

Another viewer drew a comparison between Durefishan’s delivery and Bollywood actress Ananya Panday, describing the accent as “Ananya Panday-coded.” The comparison gained attention because of the way some viewers believe both actresses occasionally deliver English dialogue with an exaggerated or carefully constructed accent.

Pronunciation also became a major part of the criticism. One particular word used in the scene prompted viewers to question whether it had been pronounced correctly. A social media user pointed out the pronunciation of “faculty,” jokingly asking whether viewers had been saying the word incorrectly all along after hearing what sounded like “fakility” in the scene.

The criticism has not been limited to pronunciation. Some viewers have also complained about the use of shortened expressions such as “fab” instead of “fabulous,” while others said that the English conversations felt unnecessarily unnatural.

Despite the criticism, the discussion has also increased attention around Dar-e-Nijaat. Social media reactions have ranged from humorous comments and comparisons to more serious criticism of the drama’s dialogue and character presentation.

It is worth noting that accents can vary significantly depending on a person’s background, education and environment. However, viewers clearly expect television performances to sound believable within the context of a character. For some audiences, the recent English scene failed to meet that expectation and became more distracting than the actual conversation taking place.

As Dar-e-Nijaat continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether the criticism surrounding the English dialogues will fade or become another recurring talking point among viewers. For now, Durefishan Saleem’s performance has sparked a lively debate online, proving once again how quickly a brief television scene can become a major social media discussion.