During a recent Eid transmission, a segment intended as a lighthearted celebrity game went wrong when an incorrect childhood photo of Pakistani actress Yumna Zaidi was shown.
On the private channel, during an Eid show, celebrities were asked to guess identities from childhood pictures. The segment included photos of Mahira Khan, Iqra Aziz, Sajal Aly, Atif Aslam, and one claimed to be Zaidi’s childhood photo. Guests, including Yasir Hussain and Nausheen Shah, tried to guess the child in the photo.
The host, Javeria Saud, described the person as “among people who had been working since the Stone Age” before laughing. Some guests joined in.
The image, however, was not Zaidi’s. When Shah suggested it might be her, Saud confirmed it, continuing to laugh.
The Qarz and Jaan actress clarified the matter on Instagram. “This is not my childhood picture,” she wrote, calling it “identity-based disinformation” and emphasizing that television content should be verified before airing.
Other industry members also commented. Maya Ali questioned why the industry undermines its talent, writing, “When will we start respecting our own talent?” Hania Aamir reshared Ali’s statement, adding, “what she said!” Actor Nameer Khan highlighted the lack of respect within the industry.
Umair Nasir Ali, who directed Zaidi’s drama Rareshared an actual childhood photo of Zaidi, stating, “Respect begins with getting the facts right JS.”
Celebrities react to Yumna Zaidi photo:
Saud later apologized, and wrote,“Due to some online confusion and misinformation, our team came across this picture on social media and used it without proper verification. I truly regret this and sincerely apologize. Yumna, you have always been very close to my heart. I have immense love and respect for you and your work.”
“As for the age comment, it has unfortunately been misunderstood. I was referring to a different context about a time period of work, not about anyone’s age. It was a general remark and was never intended for anyone in particular,” she added.
The incident highlighted the importance of fact-checking for television segments. What could have been a fun game exposed issues with casual disrespect and poor verification. Zaidi handled the situation calmly, and her peers supported her.