Singer and actress Saba Azad, known for starring in ‘Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge’ and ‘Rocket Boys’, recently took to Instagram stories to share how she stopped receiving voice-over roles after she began a relationship with Hrithik Roshan.

In a series of Instagram stories, Azad revealed that she had been in the voice-over industry for over 15 years, receiving 6-7 gigs every month. For Azad, being a voice-over artist has been one of the “most rewarding” careers, both creatively and monetarily. She noticed that the offers gradually decreased without any apparent reason, despite not announcing her departure or increasing her fee. Determined to uncover the cause, the ‘Rocket Boys’ actress decided to investigate.

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A post shared by Saba Azad (@sabazad)

To understand the sudden change, Saba reached out to a reputed director to discuss the issue. The director’s reply shocked her. In her Instagram stories, she recalled the “super progressive, chill” director saying, “Oh, we just thought you wouldn’t like to do something like a voice-over anymore.” Saba expressed her disbelief, writing, “Well, you can imagine what was implied… in short, he said he didn’t think I would do a job like a VO given where you are in life or who I am dating.”

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The actress questioned the mindset that assumes a woman in a relationship with a successful man wouldn’t want to work. She wrote, “Are we really still living in the dark ages where we assume a woman in a relationship with a successful partner no longer has to put food on her own table? Or pay her rent and bills? Or take pride in her work and take care of herself and her family? What kind of an archaic assumption is that?”

Furthermore, Saba wrote that she lost a significant portion of her cherished and appreciated career due to the assumption that she didn’t need to work. “This is sadly a one-dimensional patriarchal and regressive mindset,” she wrote.

Concluding her note, the actress and voice-over artist clarified that when two strong, independent individuals are together, they don’t relinquish their identities, lives, and careers. They maintain their individuality and share their lives from a place of freedom and strength.

Saba Azad expressed her anguish, stating that losing one’s career over presumptions is hurtful. Ending her outburst, the actress adopted a tone of optimism, expressing her desire to return to work: “So again, no, I haven’t quit. All ye makers of ads – I still do VOs. So please, for the love of god, undo your assumptions and let’s get recording already!”