Shaista Lodhi is an anchorperson who is popular for her morning shows and celebrity interviews, however, Shaista had made a few appearances in television dramas and was always well-received by viewers and critics. Her recent stint as Zubaida aka Zoobi in Pardes is a proof to her good acting skills as Zoobi and Ahsan’s (Shaista and Sarmad Khoosat) on-screen couple is one of the most popular TV joris these days.

In a conversation with Hassan Choudary of Something Haute, Shaista shared what attracted her to sign Pardes and how she approached the role.

“The reason that people see Zoobi in Pardes and not Shaista is because they were able to relate to her emotions; many saw themselves in her as well,” Shaista said, admitting that the role was very “taxing”.

“I became Zoobi for two to three months and I took Zoobi home as well. I had only heard this before, as I have only done two projects before and this never happened to me, but I felt and lived Zoobi’s emotions.”

Sarmad and Shaista is one of those joris that doesn’t sound convincing as a lead couple when you read on paper, but viewers are loving their chemistry. Was it challenging?

“It wasn’t challenging for me to work with Sarmad because he makes his co-actor so comfortable that you perform seamlessly. However, I think Sarmad must have dealt with some challenges,” she said cheerfully. “While I was doing it, I didn’t think it was turning out to be so special but it looked great on screen. Then, I started hearing about this ‘chemistry’ and realized that it actually translated very well,” she added.

What is that one message you think Pardes is putting forward?

“You can make a future, career or get materialistic or worldly pleasures anywhere, but you will only get happiness with the support and comfort that your family brings in your life. As a family unit, you are losing more than you are gaining when you leave home,” she concluded.

Watch the full interview here: