Latest news with #Juggun
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Mehrbano 'Juggun' Kazim on finding fame and faith
In a refreshingly candid interview on Ahmed Fozan's podcast released this Saturday, actor and host Juggun Kazim began by pulling back the curtain on something deeply personal: her real name. Born Syeda Mehrbano Kazim, she shared how "Juggun", a childhood nickname, eventually became her public identity. "I remember when I did my first play, Sitam, someone said, 'You're Juggun!' and I had to tell them, 'Actually, my name is Mehrbano.' But the name Juggun stuck," she recalled warmly. While the stage name gave her a recognisable brand, Juggun confessed she sometimes missed the gravity and tradition attached to her real name. "It's not an industry name for me. It's my family name." Tracing her career path, Juggun emphasised that success didn't land easily. From starring in early TV dramas like Mano Salwa to hosting major morning shows, her journey has been stitched together by hard work, resilience, and a refusal to lose her sense of self. She joked about her initial projects, calling one a "very useless film" in which she had a dance number, but said such experiences were necessary learning curves. The Gunah actor credited discipline as her saving grace, particularly regarding health. She urged young listeners to prioritise routines: "Drink water, walk 10,000 steps a day, sleep 6-8 hours on time. It's not rocket science." Her remarks reflected a recurring theme in her career: progress built on discipline rather than viral fame. Speaking of mental health Perhaps the most stirring part of the conversation came when Juggun discussed mental health, a topic still considered taboo by many in Pakistan. "I realised much later that I am bipolar and have ADHD, moderate to high," she shared. "If I had known this younger, I could've avoided so much pain." For her, understanding mental health became a professional necessity. "Your brain is your CPU. If your mental engine fails, nothing else runs," she explained passionately. She urged young people to normalise therapy and mental health conversations: "Going to therapy doesn't mean you're crazy. It means you're taking care of yourself." On the state of TV today, Juggun had a pragmatic view. She acknowledged that while traditional television viewership is declining, TV content is thriving online. "People are not physically watching TV like before. But they're still watching, on mobiles, on YouTube," she explained. Platforms like PTV's digital channels are performing better than ever because of this shift. Importantly, she differentiated between mindless virality and meaningful content: "Viral content is like a viral disease," she quipped, "Sometimes you survive it, sometimes you don't. Good content lasts." Juggun stressed that her preference has always been for infotainment over mindless entertainment, ensuring that her morning shows combined health, education, and entrepreneurship rather than just "songs and spectacle." The Hadsa star also spoke candidly about the challenges of maintaining personal boundaries as a public figure. "If I have to wear a mic, I do it myself. I don't let a man do it," she revealed. She emphasised how sometimes fans unknowingly invade personal spaces, saying, "I took my kids to a mall, wore a mask to avoid recognition, just to be their mother." Ending on a personal note, the actor reflected on the cost of fame. "Fame robs you of your privacy. When I am with my kids or my mother, I'm not 'Juggun Kazim.' I'm just a mother or a daughter," she said. Still, she holds no bitterness, only a grounded sense of gratitude. "Celebrity status is for the public. If they give you love, it's a blessing. But you must stay anchored to who you are."
Express Tribune
26-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Walk away when it is time, advocates Juggun Kazim
In a recent appearance on Imran Ashraf's Mazaq Raat, actor and television host Juggun Kazim found herself on the other side of the questions as she opened up about her previous marriage and the importance of walking away at the right time. "I think I learned more from that experience than I ever learned at school or college," reminisced Juggun as she recalled her the trauma of first marriage. The Hadsa actor has previously shared painful revelations of how she remained a victim of domestic violence in that relationship for a year and a half until she walked out with her child in tow. "I had a lot of love for my son Hamza's father, but there came a point where I could not tolerate the violence and abuse," she reminded viewers and explained why everyone cannot choose to leave in such circumstances. "A lot of people do tolerate it, however, because that is their way of handling the situation." Having experienced the overwhelming feelings of a mother, Juggun explained that it was wrong for a woman to seek love only from a man. "We had a child together, I definitely had feelings for him," she recollected about her ex-husband. "But then I learned that if a woman does not get love from a man she is in a relationship with, she can get it from her child. The love you get from a child is enough. You do not need crazy infatuation to live your life and be happy; what you need is a love that is sustainable." Juggun went on to lament the ease with which some people allow themselves to be taken for granted and observed that some have a tendency to lose sight of what they have. "The people who have the biggest heart are valued the least because others always assume that they will be there," she rued. "Also, people only value what they don't have – which is why people change the minute they sign the marriage document." The actor insisted that it was not just men who took women for granted, or vice versa. "You will note that where they would once talk to their fiancée on the phone, boys suddenly start going on their boys' nights out," remarked the Agar actor. "And women do the same thing in their own way. The fact is, as soon as you get something, you lose the value of it. You should always fear you will lose the other person." As someone who has already been a victim of domestic violence once and found the strength to walk away, Juggun advised viewers to guard their boundaries, and warned of the dangers of letting anyone cross their limits. "If someone is taking you for granted, it is a full stop," she stated firmly. According to Juggun, no one else can help you know what your boundaries are, and that it is up to you to take a stand to take charge of your life. A firm advocate for agency, the host also reminded viewers that they did not have the power to change anyone else. Reiterating the importance of walking away once a line has been crossed, as she had once done, the actor added, "Ultimately, only you know how much you can tolerate it. You cannot change anyone else. You only know what your own limit is. You do not need to punish yourself. You can walk away."
