Nasir Khan Jan Speaks Up

Nasir Khan Jan is a prominent internet personality of Pakistan who was recently thrown under the bus by one of the hosts during an interview, on Samaa TV. Many came together in his support as a general human act and what transpired took over social media like a storm, eventually leading to an apology from the host.

We reached out to Nasir Khan Jan to with a few questions of our own.

What were you told when the channel invited you to the show as their guest?

Due to a busy schedule I was not available earlier, as I work as an actor on TV – shows, dramas and a film that will be coming soon. After 6 months of Samaa TV inviting me, I managed to take some time out and felt bad as I had declined on several accounts due to my schedule. The idea I carried with me going to do the show was people like me would be represented and promoted in the nicest, possible way and I went in feeling very optimistic – but what happened later is all in front of you. I understand that nobody’s perfect and that humans are known to be and can be weak. We all make mistakes in our respective fields and search for platforms to elevate our image positively.

Upon arrival what did you experience? Did the channel talk you through the material of the show or warn you about any of the questions that were later asked?

That would have been ideal and would’ve given me time to prepare myself and not be caught off guard. On reaching the studio, I was seated in the waiting room from where I went straight to the set unaware and where I started answering questions which I catered to, even after realising which way the show is headed. As hurtful as it was, I tried to maintain my composure and optimism for as long as I could. Until I couldn’t.

Did you at any point want to walk out of the show?

Yes, after experiencing such behaviour, I did think of walking out. But then I thought that would also not benefit my image. I was there to represent myself and I believe that every difficult situation should be faced and dealt with strength. So I decided to stay till the end of the show.

Did you do your research and watch a few episodes before accepting the invite to the show?

Yes I did, and I had an idea but based on their behavior prior to the show, which at that point seemed extremely sincere, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and accepted the invite.

Post show, when the cameras stopped rolling, did you confront the team and question them on the way you were belittled and spoken to?

After the show was over, the female host left and the male host and I exchanged words but he didn’t say anything hurtful and neither did I. I’m not confrontational that way. I never like to express my emotions so I kept it to myself.

How did you feel when the entire country spoke up in your defense?

It felt great. Celebrities also spoke up for me and that made me very happy. I manage my own social media and get trolled, receive countless abusive messages, face criticism and cyber bullying on a daily basis. But I always choose to ignore it all. After the Samaa TV incident, the same people who were against me, became my fans & spoke in my favour, and I still receive many positive messages from them. I feel very happy but also extremely sad to see that it took a rude host for everyone to be nice to me. Why can’t we be kind to one another in general? If we all respect one another in the first place, an anchor would’ve never had the audacity to speak to me the way he did.

What to takeaway from this interview? ALWAYS BE HUMBLE. It is not our job to point fingers at others or gain attention at others expense, but to just live and let live – This world is big enough for all of us to fit in just fine.