Mira Sethi

Mira Sethi (born January 12, 1987)[1][2] is a Pakistani actor and writer.[3][4][5] The daughter of journalists and politicians Najam Sethi and Jugnu Mohsin, Sethi attended Lahore Grammar School and Cheltenham Ladies' College. She graduated from Wellesley College 2010 and spent her junior year at the University of Oxford.[6] At Wellesley, she studied English and South Asian studies, and she was the student speaker at her commencement ceremony.[6] Sethi was a Robert L. Bartley fellow and an assistant book editor at The Wall Street Journal[7] for about two years[8] and also contributed political commentary for the newspaper, particularly on the subject of Pakistan.[7][9] In 2011, Sethi returned to Pakistan to pursue an acting career.[10] Her first role was playing Natasha in the ARY Digital serial drama Silvatein, followed by Mohabat Subh Ka Sitara Hai, which aired on Hum TV.

Mira Sethi
Sethi in 2023
Born
Mira Sethi

(1987-01-12) January 12, 1987
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
EducationLahore Grammar School
Cheltenham Ladies' College
Alma materWellesley College
Occupation(s)Actress, journalist
Parent(s)Najam Sethi (father)
Jugnu Mohsin (mother)
RelativesAli Sethi (brother)
Moni Mohsin (aunt)

Career

Acting career

Sethi made her acting debut in 2013 with her first appearance in a leading role in ARY Digital's Silvatein alongside Aamina Sheikh.[11] She then appeared in a supporting role in Umera Ahmad's written Mohabat Subh Ka Sitara Hai in same year.[11] In 2016, she received praise for her performance of a young dreamy painter in Momina Duraid's Dil Banjaara, where she played the leading role alongside Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik.[12] Sethi made her film debut in 2018 with Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi's 7 Din Mohabbat In as a British-Pakistani returnee.[13] Her performance as a controlling and cunning elder member of the family in 2021 Ramadan special Chupke Chupke was met with critical praise, and further praise came from her portrayal of a Punjabi househelp in Hum TV's Paristan in the following year.[14][15]

In 2023, Sethi starred in the Pakistani television series Kuch Ankahi, directed by Nadeem Baig,[16] where she essayed the role of Samiya, "an obedient daughter, but...also a strong woman with a logical mind."[17] Sethi received praise for her sensitive and relatable portrayal of Samiya.[18][19]

Writing career

Sethi first literary fiction work, Are You Enjoying?, was published by Vintage Books in 2021.[20] A collection of short stories based on life, identity, desire, power, and religion in contemporary Pakistan,[21] Are You Enjoying? was described as being a provocative and striking debut by Publishers Weekly.[22] In its review of the short story collection, The Hindu praised Sethi for her crisp writing style that "nudge[s] the reader into the everyday lives of the relatable protagonists."[21] Are You Enjoying? was longlisted for The Story Prize and was included in Vogue's 2021 'Best Books to Read' list.[23]

Activism

Sethi is a vocal advocate for women's rights in Pakistan and South Asia, stating in an interview: "I believe equal rights are the symbol of every successful society. The oppression of women in Pakistan is getting out of hand."[24] Sethi frequently participates in Pakistan's Aurat March[25][26] to express support for women's rights and call for greater accountability for violence against Pakistani women. Lending her support for the feminist slogan "Mera Jism Meri Marzi" popularized during the Aurat March, Sethi stated: "A lot of people said it should have been Meri Zindagi, Meri Marzi, (my life, my choice) or Mera Wujood, Meri Marzi (my existence my choice). The point is, the slogan was so triggering to men because of the word jism (body). When they think of jism, they think of all things sexual. Whereas Mera Jism, Meri Marzi is women fundamentally saying you don’t get to set the terms of my life, my body, my decisions, my agency, you don’t get to dictate."[27] In a 2023 op-ed published in The New Yorker, Sethi asserted: "To be a woman in Pakistan is to encounter...the cultural assumption that sexual assault can be prevented by dressing and behaving "modestly," no matter that [closed-circuit television] footage of busy streets in Pakistani cities routinely shows women in burqas being harassed."[28]

Filmography

Films

Television
Year Title Role Network Notes
2013 Silvatein Natasha ARY Digital [11]
2013 Mohabat Subh Ka Sitara Hai Rabia Hum TV [11]
2014 Jaanam Bushra APlus Entertainment
2014 Uff Yeh Parosi Aimen ARY Digital Telefilm
2015 Dilfareb Dr. Gul Bakht Geo Entertainment
2015 Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai Simaab Geo Entertainment
2017 Preet Na Kariyo Koi Mariam Hum TV
2016 Tujhse Naam Hamara Zoya Urdu 1 Telefilm
2016 Jhoot Sadaf Hum TV
2016 Khushboo Ka Safar Alia TV One
2016 Dil Banjaara Shama Hum TV
2019 Yeh Dil Mera Neelofer Farooq Hum TV
2021 Chupke Chupke Minto “Gul Aappa” Hum TV [30]
2022 Paristan Zubeida Hum TV [31]
2023 Kuch Ankahi Samiya Agha ARY Digital [32]

Personal life

In 2019, Sethi married her long-time boyfriend, Bilal Siddiqui in California.[33] She resides in Lahore, Karachi, and San Francisco.[34]

References
  1. ""Hello! Mira Sethi" – Good Times". www.goodtimes.com.pk. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  2. "Pakistan's Mira Sethi Chosen as 2010 Student Commencement Speaker". web.wellesley.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
  3. "Mira Sethi". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. "Mira Sethi has managed to stun audiences in 'Dil Banjaara'". Daily Pakistan Global. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  5. "FEATURE: The Pakistani Drama Serial in a Nutshell by Mira Sethi". Good Times. 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  6. "Pakistan's Mira Sethi is Chosen as 2010 Student Commencement Speaker at Wellesley College" (Press release). Wellesley College. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  7. "Mira Sethi". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  8. Maheshwri, Neha (20 April 2015). "Mira Sethi's connection with Hillary Clinton". Times of India. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  9. Sethi, Mira (14 March 2011). "Pakistan's Army Is the Real Obstacle to Peace". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  10. "Writer Mira Sethi on satisfying craving for acting through Zindagi's show 'Shikkan'". Indian Express. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  11. "Dailytimes | Mira Sethi charms audiences in new TV serial". dailytimes.com.pk. 24 October 2016. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  12. Sadaf Haider (15 October 2016). "TV drama Dil Banjaara shines a light on three young Pakistani dreamers". Dawn Images.
  13. "Mira Sethi signs on to 'Saat Din Mohabbat In'". Images by Dawn. 19 March 2017.
  14. The Haute Team (21 May 2021). "Video: "Gul in Chupke Chupke is quite a toxic character," admits Mira Sethi". Something Haute.
  15. "Mira Sethi as Zubaida sets the tone just right in 'Paristan'". Daily Times (newspaper). 11 April 2022.
  16. Buraq Shabbir (12 June 2023). "Kuch Ankahi star Mira Sethi says drama getting 'amazing' response from India". Arab News. Event occurs at 10:22.
  17. Qureshi, Sophia (2023-05-02). "Kuch Ankahi Episode 16: Mira Sethi's Samiya Emerges As a Strong Character". The Brown Identity. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  18. Mughni, Rabia (2023-01-08). "Kuch Ankahi – First Episode, First Review". FUCHSIA. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  19. Tayyab, Marsha (2023-01-23). "Here are 5 reasons why you need to watch Kuch Ankahi". Images. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  20. "Are You Enjoying? by Mira Sethi: 9780525434214 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  21. Krishna, Navmi (2021-09-04). "Review of Mira Sethi's 'Are You Enjoying?'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  22. "Are You Enjoying?: Stories by Mira Sethi". publishersweekly.com. 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  23. "Mira Sethi's debut novel among Vogue's 2021 must reads". The Express Tribune. 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  24. "Mira Sethi talks toxic masculinity, policing women's outfits". The Express Tribune. 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  25. Desk, Instep. "Lending their voice to the cause". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  26. Mossadiq, Zainab (2023-03-13). "Aurat March 2023: A celebration of womanhood and a demand for equality". Something Haute. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  27. Images Staff (2020-03-16). "Mira Sethi just explained Mera Jism, Meri Marzi better than you ever could". Images. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  28. Sethi, Mira (2023-03-21). "Pakistani Women Are Not All Right". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
  29. NewsBytes. "Mira Sethi on her British-Pakistani character in 7DMI". Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  30. News Bytes (12 March 2020). "Mira Sethi and Osman Khalid Butt to appear in a drama serial". The News.
  31. "YouTuber Mooroo To Star In Upcoming Ramazan Play With Mira Sethi". Something Haute. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  32. "Mira Sethi and Sajal Aly's upcoming drama Kuch Ankahi to release on Jan 15". DAWN Images. 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  33. "Mira Sethi marries Bilal Siddiqui in stunning California wedding". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  34. "Mira Sethi: books, biography, latest update". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
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