“I have been writing poetry since my school days and have been guided by people like Parveen Shakir, Ahmed Faraz, Iftikhar Arif and Amjad Islam Amjad,” she said as we chatted in her opulent drawing room. It is a side to her personality that only people close to Saadia know about. She plans to get her poems and short stories published as soon as she gets a break from her extensive shootings.

“I miss Parveen Shakir very much. She was extremely caring and sensitive, and she gave me a lot of ideas on how to improve my poetry.” She states rather proudly that one of her poems, Zindagi Safar Mein, has been sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for a Bollywood film.

Saadia Imam got into acting by fluke. Having topped intermediate from the Federal Board, she would probably have been a psychiatrist today if she hadn't been noticed by stylist Nabila, who also ran a model agency then. “It's like a typical filmi story,” she adds. Her sister Aliya Imam who assisted Jamshed Farshori was asked to round up college girls for a milad at PTV, Islamabad. Saadia and her friends duly assembled. Nabila happened to be in the editing room and spotted Saadia and later met her, saying she had the looks of a model and wanted her to do a commercial.

“After about a year Nabila called and told me about a tea commercial for a multinational. My father reluctantly gave permission and I came to Karachi from Islamabad, and have since stayed.”

Nabila then took Saadia to PTV, Karachi, where Zaheer Khan the then GM asked Kazim Pasha to audition her for a serial. “Kazim Sahab was upset as he had the whole cast ready, but as my audition was good he took me on to play the lead role. We didn't hit off well in the beginning because his style of talking scared me as if he was scolding all the time.”

Her parents allowed her to do the serial on the condition that she would continue her studies and she got admission in Karachi University. “Uljhan became a hit and I had the privilege to work with stalwarts such as Qurban Jillani, Zeenat Yasmeen, Behroze Sabzwari and Qaiser Naqvi.”

After the success of Uljhan there was no looking back and Imam became a full-time TV artiste. She was inundated with commercials and plays on the then only two channels, PTV and STN, and, as she puts it, her face was everywhere.Saadia Imam says she is happy with all the serials she has done so far but her favourite is Colony 52 written by Anwar Maqsood. “It was an era serial focusing more on expressions, and the female artistes wore burqas. S. Sulaiman's direction was fantastic.”

The other serial that she rates as outstanding was Anmol, again a female-oriented story, focusing on the feelings of women. Her current serial Ijazat has her playing a negative role.

Having exhausted the different genres of TV, has she thought about films? Her emphatic 'no' makes it clear that she has no near future plans. “My family will never allow it. I will not say that I have not had offers here and from India, but the decision not to do it sticks.”

She did waver when she received an offer internationally but dropped the idea due to her family's feelings. But then at the same time she says if there is a good offer in the future she would go for it after convincing her father. “Films here need to be overhauled. Humayun Saeed tried it as did Reema but both were unsuccessful.”

Saadia Imam designs her own clothes for all her serials, and also makes clothes for her clients here and abroad. She works online and holds exhibitions at home, “I had a boutique in partnership but it didn't work out. I'm into semi-formals mostly and formals by appointment only.” Her showbiz image has helped her tremendously in the business and she is toying with the idea of expanding it in the near future.

Due to her love for literature and her star status the National Book Foundation has chosen her as a goodwill ambassador. “I am outspoken and blunt and perhaps I speak well and the organisation wants known faces to encourage reading books among the masses. My job is to go to different places, one example being the local prison, and do reading of poems and stories wherever we go.”

She's into so many things it wouldn't be surprising if she revealed she was into singing as well. Again an emphatic no makes it clear that she isn't. “I'm a good bathroom singer and that's all and I don't plan to sing in the future either. I have so many other things to do.”

Every artiste usually has plans to do other things after the 'boom period' is over. Saadia believes hers will always remain because she plans to do characters according to her age. She quotes the example of senior and fellow actresses such as Saba Hameed, Bushra Ansari and Samina Peerzada who continue to work because they have adapted themselves to changes over time.

“I am not playing a 16-year-old now. I do negative roles and characters that have margin for acting, such as in Nijaat. I also plan to direct as I have directed in the past.”

The venture was a soap directed by her and Aliya Imam some months back. Written by Jawad Dawood, the storyline was Saadia's. It was a serious story similar to the Star Plus soaps, with lots of flashy jewellery and dresses.

“We had the whole wardrobe prepared for each actor. We had furniture from designers, jewellery, and everything was done in advance. We did 150 episodes and it certainly wasn't easy. We still haven't received payment from the channel, but that's the story of every producer these days.”

Having achieved so many things in life, the next step should be settling down in life. Celebrity activism is on the up in today's world. This is necessary, says the artiste.

“I go for telethons so that we can help as much as possible considering the kind of government we have. Celebrities need to do their part and help by participating in programmes to make money for the affectees. We have a group that is going to the camps of the IDPs regularly.”

Her sister Aliya recently got married and Saadia says she misses her sorely. “I'm very close to her because we share the same thoughts and views, and we get on really well.”

There is no dearth of friends as well as foes in Saadia's life. Surprisingly, she reveals that she made friends late as her father discouraged it. “In the media I don't have any friends, but

I do have lots of enemies as I work in such an industry, and ours is a cut-throat society.”

— Photos provided by Saadia Imam