Pakistani actress Zara Noor Abbas recently opened up about how major brands and advertising agencies refused to work with her during her first pregnancy.

Speaking on Faisal Qureshi’s podcast, Zara revealed that she had a contract with a brand at the time, but once they learned about her pregnancy, they terminated the deal.

“They told me I no longer fit their target market because of my pregnancy,” she shared. When Zara questioned whether pregnant women don’t wear makeup, the brand responded that she no longer looked as “smart” as before, leading to the contract’s cancellation.

Zara pointed out that while pregnant actresses in India are offered significant roles, in Pakistan, there’s hesitation due to concerns about their appearance during pregnancy.

She also shared that during her second pregnancy, her health didn’t allow her to continue working, which led her to step away from the industry temporarily.

Zara’s pregnancy journey followed the heartbreaking loss of her son, Aurangzeb, in 2021, who passed away six months into her pregnancy. She and her husband, Asad Siddiqui, welcomed their daughter, Noor Jahan, on March 27 of this year.

Earlier, Zara addressed her absence from the screen, stating, “Being temporarily away from the screen and leaving work are two different things.” This was in response to a newspaper article discussing her time away from the entertainment industry. Zara firmly added, “Stop portraying pregnant women as unable to balance family and work. Just because there’s no other example in your surroundings, doesn’t make it my responsibility.”