Born in London and raised in Karachi from the age of six, actress Sanam Saeed finds herself at the doorsteps of the 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival upon her third invitation, after previously being unable to make it the first two times due to life getting in the way. To her and the people back home in Pakistan, this is a proud and empowering moment. Sanam has acted in theatre for most of her life, starring in local productions like Chicago and Mamma Mia! She first started in television in 2010. Daam instantly brought her recognition, with Zindagi Gulzar Hai becoming her career-defining moment in 2014. Sanam has also starred in several films, with Cake being selected as Pakistan’s official submission to the Academy Awards. She is now starring in the first Pakistani Netflix original series, due to release early next year.
Acting has always been intrinsic to who Sanam is. She has never chased visibility and fame for the sake of it. Everything she does, both personally and professionally, comes from a real place of interest and care that allows her to feel at ease and stay curious about the arts. As an actor, she carries a quiet magnetism on screen. She can hold strength and vulnerability simultaneously in a way that feels incredibly human and relatable. Off-screen, she’s gentle, funny, grounded and empathetic. She cares deeply about storytelling and creating space for more layered narratives around women from her part of the world. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Cannes seems so meaningful to her. It feels aligned with who she is now.
We sat in the Uber with her team, ready for a photoshoot. They were all relaxed, and you could feel a tinge of excitement in the air. It was dark, so no one could see each other, but that only added to the atmosphere. We asked Sanam about her relationship with Cannes.
Sanam Saeed: My relationship with Cannes in general, as a child, has always been this fantasy festival that happens with all the cool films and the real actors not consumed by the glitz and glamour. That’s what I thought it was all about. In the south of France. It was this magical idea. As I grew up and became a part of this industry, I was almost this close to coming to Cannes, and then something would happen, and I couldn’t make it, so this was the third time that I was invited, and I said, okay, this time was meant to be. I haven’t come with a film, and I haven’t come as a brand ambassador. I’ve come literally to represent Pakistani culture. To walk for the women of Pakistan and walk for the unseen women who are behind the scenes, and then also be with my designer Hussein Rihar as his muse, where his work is focused on handcrafted designs made in Pakistan by women. I also want to reclaim our heritage and craftsmanship, and give the work that we are known for, to let the world know the source and the name. We’re here to remind people where it comes from, in case they were wondering. That’s our main aim this year in Cannes.
You mentioned that you come to represent Pakistan, an entire country of people. Do you embrace that challenge, considering that’s a huge weight on anyone’s shoulders, and how do you try to maintain your own individuality by doing so?
Sanam: By wearing Eastern clothes instead of something Western. Wearing traditionally handmade clothes in Pakistan, some of the work, the clothes that I was wearing, especially on the carpet, is called Mukesh. It’s silver threadwork. The clothes I’ve worn were made by women in Baharpur. They were embroidered by them, and then it was sent to the studio. It was designed into the outfit that he created. That’s my way of representing the country. Also, being a television actor, I think we, as female actors, become the sweethearts of Pakistan. It’s a really nice feeling, and it’s lovely how warm and safe we feel, as Pakistanis in Pakistan, as Pakistani artists, and just to be here, working for them, thinking of them, because of them, is the ownership I come with.
How would you define your artistic process?
Sanam: I’m a director’s actor. I like to observe people. I like to people watch. So I think all that people watching and observing different personalities and characters in real life helps me understand the world better. I think I like to draw inspiration from it. That, mixed with what my director says, and I’d say a fairly basic process of picking out from my memory box, my observation box, and reaching into that when the director asks me to.
As an actor, when you’re reading a script or following a director, do you focus on your own instincts first before anything else?
Sanam: Definitely. My instincts in terms of what is the message being portrayed in the script or not portrayed. What is the point of this story or this character? Does it have a pulse that I connect with and I know the audience will connect with? Mostly, I look for the pulse that will connect with an audience and has a message for them, and then there are some projects that I do for myself, because I disconnect them. I don’t take into consideration what the audience might think of it. If it connects with me and I love it, then I want to do it. Sometimes the stories that I connect with, I don’t necessarily love them. But I know that they would connect with audiences because we all come from different walks of life. Art connects to everyone.
What is artistic freedom to you?
Sanam: Being able to tell any kind of story that you want. Because there are so many stories to tell. There should be no agendas, no restrictions, no limited perspectives. I think that’s what artistic freedom is all about.
Credits:
Interviewer: Zakariya Ahmed @zakahmedfilms
Photography: Shakeel Bin Afzal @shakeelbinafzal
Designer: Hussain Rehar @hussainrehar.official
Hair & Make Up: @fleursdelys_beauty @caat_makeup_artist
Styling: @labgrownmeat_
Images courtesy of Sanam Saeed’s team.
