Durefishan Saleem is Pakistan’s most discussed actress right now, and it is not for one reason but three. A viral interview clip about her weight, a fierce defence against accent trolling, and her own surprising reveal about Zaryab’s ending have collided in a single news cycle.
Each thread on its own would trend. Together, they have made her unavoidable. Here is the full picture.
Quick Facts: Durefishan Saleem
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Actress | Dur-e-Fishan Saleem (also spelled Durefishan Saleem) |
| Breakthrough | Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi; Ishq Murshid (as Shibra) |
| Current drama | Dar-e-Nijaat (ARY Digital) as Zaryab |
| Co-stars | Sheheryar Munawar, Nameer Nawaz Khan |
| Trending now | Viral weight interview clip; accent-backlash defence; Zaryab dream-ending reveal |
| Defenders | Sanam Saeed, Hania Aamir, Umer Aalam |
| Debut | Dil Ruba (supporting role) |
Why Durefishan Saleem Is Trending Today
Three stories are running at once. First, an interview clip where she speaks openly about her weight and body image is circulating widely across social media.
Second, the accent row refuses to die. She was trolled for her English accent as Zaryab in Dar-e-Nijaat — and Sanam Saeed publicly called the trolling “very lame.”
Third, and freshest: on 6 October she revealed the ending she personally wished Zaryab had. It involves Harvard, vlogging, and choosing herself.
No other actress is generating this many simultaneous conversations. That is why she tops every trending discussion today.
What She Said About Her Weight
On the show Haute Talk, Durefishan spoke about body image with unusual honesty for the industry.
“I wouldn’t say that surviving in this industry with my weight has been the easiest thing or even the hardest thing for me,” she said. “But from day one, I was very clear — I’m going to be truly myself.”
Her stance is firm. “I just needed to be healthy. I have a broader body structure, that’s my build, and I’ll remain like this for the rest of my life.”
Then the line fans now quote back at her: “People often say, ‘You don’t look like an actress, you look like us.’ Love happens to people of every shape.”
The weight conversation is not new for her. Co-stars have commented publicly before — one gave her on-air dieting “advice” on a talk show in 2024, and netizens slammed him for it.
What is new is the clip’s reach. The interview excerpt is travelling far beyond drama fandom, pulling in wider conversations about body image in entertainment.
The Accent Backlash — and Who Defended Her
As Zaryab in Dar-e-Nijaat — a carefree younger daughter of a wealthy family, Harvard-bound, who speaks English with her sister and friends — Durefishan uses an English accent. Viewers pounced.
A clip of her pronouncing the word “fab” went viral as meme material. The mockery spread across pages and reels within days.
Sanam Saeed was having none of it. “It’s a bit unsettling and honestly very lame to see everyone so obsessed over an actor’s accent,” she wrote on Instagram.
She went further: “It’s downright mean and inconsiderate of someone’s feelings to have every page on social media bashing her.”
She was not alone. Hania Aamir posted “Eyes forward, honey” in support. Actor Umer Aalam joked that after hearing AI-generated audio everywhere, people now find a real accent strange.
One critic summed up the absurdity: speak in a Pakistani accent and there is a problem; attempt another accent and there is a problem too.
Zaryab’s Journey: The Debate She Answered Herself
The third thread is the most substantive. After Zamil — Zaryab’s childhood sweetheart — secretly married someone else, dismissing their years together as his “era of ignorance,” Zaryab broke down. Abu Bakr steadied her.
Viewers asked an uncomfortable question: is the drama saying a woman needs a man to heal?
Durefishan answered it herself on Instagram. The story, she said, is “less about telling women that they can’t or shouldn’t heal on their own, and more about questioning the double standard around redemption.”
Her point: “how easily a man can make mistakes, seek redemption and be given another chance, while women are often expected to carry the weight of their choices for much longer.”
She closed with a line that resonated widely: “Sometimes, finding yourself is the love story you needed all along.”
The Ending She Wished Zaryab Had
Then came the freshest revelation. On 6 October, Durefishan shared the ending she personally wanted for Zaryab.
Her version: Zaryab returns to Harvard, starts vlogging, casually flips her hair, gets even richer, leans into her girl gang, and travels the world.
The idea came from her sister. Durefishan said that in an ideal world, without dramatic license, she wants exactly that for her character.
Fans split instantly. Team Independent Zaryab cheered; Team Abu Bakr pushed back. Her own post poured fuel on the debate she had just tried to settle.
It is a rare thing — an actress publicly rewriting her character’s fate. And it gave the fandom its liveliest argument in weeks.
Why Fans Say “You Look Like Us”
Beneath the controversies sits the real reason for her popularity. Fans see themselves in her in a way they rarely do with television stars.
Her own quote captures it: “You don’t look like an actress, you look like us.” Supporters throw it back at trolls in every comment section.
That relatability is her armour. Weight critics, accent mockers — each wave of trolling meets a wall of fans who feel she represents them.
From Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi to Ishq Murshid to Dar-e-Nijaat, her rise has been built on that connection. The industry’s beauty standards never quite applied to her, and her audience loves her for it.
Related reading: our Dar-e-Nijaat coverage includes Dar-e-Nijaat Episode 19 and Dar-e-Nijaat cast. More trending coverage: Mohabbat Episode 4 and Feroze Khan’s Mohabbat comeback. For background on the actress, see Dur-e-Fishan Saleem on Wikipedia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Durefishan Saleem trending?
A viral interview clip about her weight, Sanam Saeed’s public defence of her against accent trolling, and her 6 October post revealing the ending she wished for Zaryab in Dar-e-Nijaat.
What did Durefishan Saleem say about her weight?
On Haute Talk she said: “I have a broader body structure, that’s my build, and I’ll remain like this for the rest of my life,” adding “you don’t look like an actress, you look like us.”
Why was Durefishan Saleem trolled for her accent?
Viewers mocked her English accent as Zaryab in Dar-e-Nijaat after a clip of her saying “fab” went viral. Sanam Saeed called the trolling “very lame” and “downright mean.”
What is the Zaryab debate in Dar-e-Nijaat?
Whether the drama implies women need a man to heal. Durefishan replied it is about “the double standard around redemption” — men are forgiven easily while women carry their choices longer.
What ending did she want for Zaryab?
Return to Harvard, start vlogging, get richer, lean into her girl gang, and travel the world — choosing herself over romance.
What are Durefishan Saleem’s famous dramas?
Dil Ruba (debut), Bhaaras, Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi, Ishq Murshid (as Shibra), Khaie, and currently Dar-e-Nijaat as Zaryab.