‘Truth syndrome’: Nadia Khan refuses to apologize for Sajal Ali jibe

Nadia Khan is once again facing backlash over her drama review segment, this time after she poked fun at Sajal Ali's performance in the HUM TV serial ‘Zanjeerain’.

Nadia Khan is once again facing backlash over her drama review segment, this time after she poked fun at Sajal Ali’s performance in the HUM TV serial ‘Zanjeerain’.

The controversy stems from an episode of the show ‘Kya Drama Hai’, which was aired on July 4. Nadia Khan took aim at Sajal’s acting in episode 18 of the drama, a chunk of which shows her character on the run, first fleeing the house she was staying in, and later escaping from armed attackers.

Nadia Khan seemed particularly bothered by the fact that Sajal’s character, Rabia, kept shouting “Koi hai? (Is someone there?)” even while being shot at. To drive her point home, she physically mimicked Sajal’s on-screen running for the audience, a moment that clearly amused show host Mukarram Kaleem. The bit has not set well with several people in the industry, who are now questioning whether she crossed a line between critique and outright mockery.

Actor Maya Ali was among the first to weigh in on Tuesday, drawing a clear distinction between genuine constructive criticism and mimicry meant to embarrass someone. She pointed out that Sajal has “done countless projects, represented Pakistan on international platforms and earned recognition for her outstanding performances.” Maya added that recognition aside, no artist should be treated this way, saying, “Every artist deserves respect for their hard work and talent. Chasing ratings should never come at the cost of someone’s dignity.”

Veteran actor Saba Faisal took an even firmer stance, questioning whether Nadia’s conduct was even suitable for a public platform. “Nadia, you are not in your living room, you are on social media. Why are you talking about artists like that and who are you to criticize an artist like the one and only Sajal Ali?” she said.

The sharpest response, though, came from writer Saima Akram Chaudhary, who suggested that Nadia might need professional help. Saima claimed she had disrespected “a script I had poured my heart into” and criticized her for being able to sit on television and mock other people’s work so freely. She went as far as comparing giving Nadia a platform to “giving a matchstick to a monkey.”

Nadia was not willing to let the criticism slide. She fired back with an Instagram story on Tuesday, joking that she had taken Saima’s advice and has been diagnosed with what she called “truth syndrome,” which she described as simply “practicing free speech and calling out bad writing.” Nadia further added that there was no cure for her honesty, but offered a solution for anyone bothered by her comments: “Write better scripts and fix your production errors.”

Saima was not done either, responding that playing an “honest critic” is the easiest role for anyone to take on, while the truly difficult part is accepting that same honesty when it is directed at your own work. She added that free speech, after all, cuts both ways.

This is not the first time Nadia Khan’s review show has stirred controversy. Her past critique of ‘Main Manto Nahi Hoon’ also drew questions, with the drama’s lead actor, Humayun Saeed, saying at the time that he does not take the show’s commentary too seriously.