Actress Saba Azad, known for roles in Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, Rocket Boys, and Ladies Room, has criticized the “patriarchal mindset” that has kept her from doing voice-over work, a career she loves, for the past two years. She recently took to Instagram Stories to share a series of videos and pictures. In one, she posted a photo of herself in a recording studio, captioned: “Back in my natural habitat – recording a VO…after more than 2 yrs?”
In further stories, Azad shared that she has been a voice-over artist for over 15 years, describing it as one of the most rewarding careers both creatively and financially. She also showcased some of the ads she has voiced and expressed confusion over why the work had stopped coming her way.
Azad recounted a conversation with a director friend, who revealed that people assumed she no longer wanted to do voice-overs. She quoted him: “Oh, we just thought you wouldn’t like to do something like a voice-over anymore.”
Reflecting on this, Azad wrote: “You can imagine what was implied. It’s important to share that this director is someone progressive and cool, the kind of person I enjoy hanging out with, so his assumption was surprising. Essentially, he said he didn’t think I’d want to do VO work given my relationship and status.”
Azad questioned the outdated mindset, asking: “Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer needs to support herself, pay her rent and bills, or take pride in her work? What an archaic assumption!”
She further lamented: “I lost a whole career I loved and appreciated because people thought I didn’t need to work anymore. This is a sadly one-dimensional, patriarchal, and regressive mindset.”
In conclusion, Azad emphasized that strong, independent individuals do not lose their identities or careers when they come together. They maintain their individuality, sharing from a place of freedom and strength. “I still need to put food on my table. Losing a career due to someone else’s presumptions is deeply hurtful. So, no, I haven’t quit. To all ad creators – I still do VOs. Please, let’s get recording already,” she urged.