Hajra Yamin is a force to be reckoned with.

Her acting prowess is compelling and irrefutable. All she needs to do is step into a frame and the eye is drawn towards her. She won’t be the loudest voice in the room. Nor will she court headlines with regular, viral social media content. She might not play the ‘main lead’, per se, in a project. But in spite of all this, Hajra always stands apart, on the basis of sheer talent.

“You know, some time ago, someone observed that I seemed very calm and asked if I was not as passionate about my work,” Hajra tells Icon. “I said no, I just know where I am going, and I know that what is to happen is unstoppable. No one can get in my way because the big guy at the top is looking after me. I am just, very patiently, looking forward to all the different pieces of the puzzle to come together.”

This was our conversation a few weeks ago. Today, her words ring true, with some of the pieces of the puzzle truly coming together neatly.

Whether playing the unwanted wife, a doomed girlfriend or another supporting character, actress Hajra Yamin has the rare ability to draw all eyes to herself. And it’s not because of her curly locks. As audiences celebrate her layered performance in Dr Bahu, she explains why she would willingly straighten her hair and trade her critical acclaim for commercial success…

In a recent episode of the currently on-air ARY Digital drama Dr Bahu, Hajra’s character, Minna, suffered a breakdown and, without too many words or theatrics, she made the audience cry with her. Social media has been flooded with praise for her performance, with many pointing out that they want to see an actress of her calibre in more dramas and in even better roles.

Throughout Dr Bahu, even though she is not playing the lead, Hajra has consistently delivered an outstanding performance. She expresses emotion and restraint through fleeting glances, pauses or a subtle squaring of her shoulders, establishing her character as a crucial linchpin of the storyline.

She is also starring in two other mainstream dramas: the top-rated Humrahi on Geo Entertainment and the long-awaited Aik Mohabbat Aur on Green Entertainment. Again, she may not be playing the archetypal lead, but when she comes onscreen, her impact lingers.

“I would, one day, like to be the main lead in a love story,” she says, “but as an actor, you have to make the best out of whatever comes your way. So, if what I am doing on-screen today is making the audience pause and feel that my performance is memorable, it is because, over these years, I have been preparing. All this love and attention will take me to better places.”

She adds: “Where I am right now is also a great place. If I had gotten everything early, then what I am doing right now would not have come to me. I did not have the same hold over my craft back when I first started out eight years ago. There were highs and lows but, looking back today, it was all fun.

“It’s so crazy, but when life gets difficult, one of the first things that comes to my mind is how I can translate the emotions I am feeling on to the screen. Ultimately, it is a luxury to get tired while struggling in a line of work that you love.”

She also has the audience’s love, I point out to her. She smiles. “This is something that I only realised recently. It is overwhelming.”

MAKING ‘SPACE’

The audience’s faith in her stems from the many different roles that she has played over the course of her career. Hajra has always tried to swim against the tide, opting for challenging characters rather than the usual commercially viable ones.

Having said that, with Dr Bahu, one wonders if she is getting pigeonholed into playing the unwanted wife? After all, she had played a similar role in her last memorable role in Noor Jehan. While both roles have been lauded, did she also sense the repetition?

“The basic crux is the same,” she agrees, “which is why I had initially refused to play my role in Dr Bahu. But then, Nadeem [Baig] bhai, who has produced the drama under the Six Sigma Entertainment banner, intervened and told me that he really wanted to see me in this role. I had played Sumbul in Noor Jehan and Ifra in Main Manto Nahin Hoon, and he said that Minna in Dr Bahu would depict me in a new light.”

But does it really?

“The thing is, when I read the whole script, I felt that Minna’s background was different from Sumbul’s,” she replies. “She is educated but lacks confidence. She is patient, but she will reach a breaking point and finally make a decision for herself. I was very focused on portraying Minna in a different way, and then, of course, she does reach a different conclusion.”

She continues: “I also have to give credit to Adeel Husain for giving me the freedom to perform. The first time I saw him act was in Daam. He had been incredible, and I was very excited to be acting with him in Dr Bahu. He is incredibly generous and secure as an actor, giving you room to play while, in a very raw, organic way, making sure that his own character is registered.

“You see, in Dr Bahu, Minna did not have as many nuances to her as Sumbul had in Noor Jehan. I learnt from Adeel how an actor needs to make space for themselves, shamelessly, passionately, regardless of the script. I love it.”

GRAVITATING TO DIRECTORS

It seems that Nadeem Baig was right: Minna has proven to be yet another feather in Hajra’s well-plumed acting hat.

“Nadeem Baig is someone that I can always trust to be fair with every single character in a story,” declares Hajra. “Although he is a male director, he has a well-developed female gaze. He knows how to tell a story in an extremely sensitive way, capturing details and nuances that even you sometimes don’t realise are there.”

Is this why she signed on to play the minuscule role of Ifra in the Nadeem Baig-directed Main Manto Nahin Hoon? “Yes,” comes the reply. “Ifra’s character on paper was far more limited than what Nadeem Baig made it appear on screen. I think if any director can pull off a script written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, it’s Nadeem Baig. He told me that my character will be loved, and I was on board.”

She adds, “The drama had such a great ensemble cast that I knew that, even if I was playing a small role, it would be seen, and that is exactly what happened — it was watched by a lot of people.”

We move on to her more recent characters. What inclined her towards Humrahi, which features Danish Taimoor and Hiba Bukhari in a romantic pairing?

“This was the first time that I was going to work with Babar Javed, and he’s a very respected name in the industry,” says Hajra. “I really enjoyed myself. I learnt how to channel my emotions without being allowed the luxury of time. As actors, we need to be flexible because, sometimes, there are lighting issues or outdoor shoots that need to wrap up by a certain time. Humrahi taught me that, with a good director of photography (DOP) and good production quality, a lot more work can be completed without compromising on the acting.”

And what prompted her to sign on to Aik Mohabbat Aur, co-starring Ahad Raza Mir and Maya Ali? “The director, Farooq Rind,” she says simply. “When I read the script, I didn’t see much room for myself, but my manager insisted that Dada [a popular nickname for Farooq Rind] would make something substantial of the role. When I started shooting for the drama, I clicked with him within a few days. He is such a pleasant, patient director to work with.”

She adds, “Usually on TV drama sets, there is this rush to get work completed. But with directors such as Nadeem Baig and Farooq Rind, the scenes being played out are the main priority. When you get a taste of sets like these, where the performance is everything, where you rehearse and where everyone on set is treated equally, you no longer want to settle for less.”

THE HAIR AND AFTER

Hajra has straight hair in Aik Mohabbat Aur, which I observe is a departure from her signature thick, curly mane. “Yes, I wanted to try out a new look, even though the director said that he was fine with my hair. However, I wanted it to be straight.”

In fact, Hajra’s curly hair is striking and unique — has she ever considered getting it permanently straightened to achieve a more conventional look? “I have thought about it and, if the director or a character requires it, I am willing to change my appearance,” she replies.

“I really love my hair, though. What irks me, though, is when people start talking about only my hair and not my performance.” I don’t think that’s possible, I tell her.

COMMERCIAL OR CRITICAL ACCLAIM?

Does she prefer commercial or critical acclaim?

“Commercial,” she answers promptly. “I love being critically acclaimed, but I have been there, done that, and I think that some people subconsciously have started thinking that I only want to work in certain genres. That’s not true. As an actor, I want to work in every genre and be seen in every type of project.”

She continues: “I am at a point in my career where I know what I bring to the screen and the impact that I leave. I am blessed that, even when I play a relatively small role, the response is always phenomenal.”

I tease her: some of her peers might find working with her intimidating. Her eyes widen, and she exclaims, “Yes, I have heard that!” She pauses. “It can sometimes lead to power struggles, when people register your talent but still don’t want to work with you. There have been times when actors and actresses have said that they don’t want to work with me because they feel that I will overshadow them.”

That sounds like a blessing and a burden, I comment. She agrees.

“Luckily, I have now found a selection of people who want to collaborate with me rather than dim my light. This is why I have become very selective about the work that I do — I want to only work with people who are secure and want to work collectively to make a project better.”

GARNERING PRAISE

It is a testament to Hajra’s talent that even when she is relegated to a comparatively small role — the unwanted wife, the girlfriend who gets murdered after four episodes and so on — the audience is riveted by her performances. Imagine the power that she could wield should channels, producers and directors sign her on for better roles and give her better placement in dramas.

At this point, though, when she is being showered with praise from around the world, social media is rife with comments on how the audience wants to see more of Hajra Yamin. That includes Indian writer, actress and producer Sutapa Sikdar, the widow of late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who recently praised her performance in Doctor Bahu online, calling her “an underrated gem.”

“It’s all upwards from here,” I venture.

Hajra smiles knowingly, as if she’s seen the highs and lows, understood her worth and is ready to take on the future.

“There can be no other way,” she tells me.

The writer is a fashion and entertainment journalist with over two decades of experience.

She can be reached at maliharehman1@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 14th, 2026