Emmad Irfani calls 'Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum' a career high

Express Tribune

20-04-2025

On Thursday night, Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum actor Emmad Irfani appeared on a talk show with host Waseem Badami and was candid, calm, and composed, especially when the conversation steered towards co-star Naeema Butt's recent comments about the hit drama.
"I don't know what her experience was like," Emmad said. "For me, Kabhi Mein Kabhi Tum was the highlight of my career. Whether it was Javed Sheikh, Bushra Ansari, Fahad Mustafa—who I was playing brothers with—our relationship began to resemble sibling relationships on and off-screen."
Emmad's words contrasted with the revelation shared by onscreen wife Naeema, who played the fierce and layered Rubab in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum. In a separate television appearance, Naeema had given her scathing views of the industry's "fake friendships" and lamented that her experience behind the scenes didn't match the warmth displayed online.
However, Emmad offered a different and more diplomatic perspective about the obstacles within the entertainment industry. "Every person has insecurities and fears. Our life's goal should be to overcome them," he explained.
Quick to note that this was a very personal view, the actor added, "I can't speak on behalf of anyone else. I can only speak for myself."
As for his experiences on the series itself, Emmad had nothing but praise for his colleagues and the material he was given to work with. "I had very challenging scenes with Hania Aamir and Naeema," he recalled, "But if someone asked if I would do it all over again, I absolutely would."
Naeema would disagree
During an appearance on Gup Shab earlier in the week, Naeema had struck a very different tone and did not appear to share Emmad's wholesome views of the entertainment industry. Opening up about what she described as the "not-so-glamorous side of stardom," she shared that much of the camaraderie audiences see between actors on Instagram was, in her words, "fake."
"I have seen that people are just being fake friends for Instagram—or at least that is what my experience was," Naeema remarked. She admitted to having naively believed the online support from her co-stars was genuine, only to feel sidelined during public appearances. "Some were actively trying to push me off the stage," she added with a half-laugh, half-grimace.
Naeema stopped short of naming names, but the implications were clear. And with fans already speculating about behind-the-scenes drama, her remarks only fanned the flames.
Despite the murky off-screen drama, Naeema's performance as Rubab remains a fan favourite, and her honesty has only earned her more respect. Online reactions have largely sided with her for being bold enough to speak out, especially as a newer entrant into an industry known for maintaining glossy veneers.
Other cast members, including Bushra and Hania, have not yet responded publicly to the growing conversation, though Hania previously praised Naeema's performance in an Instagram story during the drama's peak run.
Whether or not Naeema's experience was an isolated one or part of a larger pattern within the industry, her comments have clearly opened up a deeper conversation about what authenticity looks like behind the lights and camera.
As Emmad put it, perhaps each actor's truth is different—and both can coexist, even if uncomfortably. What's clear is that Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum didn't just leave an impression on audiences but left a legacy of questions behind the scenes too.