From not being allowed to talk to boys in her orthodox Muslim household to being told her career was ‘over' after motherhood: Aamna Sharif gets candid

Television actress Aamna Sharif, who became a household name with her iconic role as Kashish in the hit show Kahiin To Hoga, recently opened up about the painful struggles, emotional trauma, financial hardships and personal battles she faced throughout her life in a podcast with Hauterrfly. From losing her father at a very young age and growing up in an extremely protective environment to struggling financially for her first portfolio and later being told that her acting career was over after becoming a mother, the actress got candid about the darkest phases of her life. Here is everything you need to know.

Actress Aamna Sharif opened up about losing her father when she was just 10 years old and how the tragedy completely changed her life. Sharing how deeply attached she was to him, the actress recalled feeling completely lost after his passing.

Aamna shared, “I lost my dad when I was just 10 years old. I was very close to him, and I was completely lost after that. I think I was too young to even understand what was happening. I was only being told that my dad was not well and was being taken somewhere. It took me a very long time to process everything. Before that, I was in a very safe environment. My father was extremely protective. Suddenly losing him, and then seeing my mother bedridden for 30 years, made life very difficult for me."

Aamna Sharif also spoke about the financial struggles her family faced after her father’s death. According to the actress, her father had been cheated by several business partners, which pushed the family into a difficult phase.
Aamna shared, “My father was also cheated by many of his business partners, which caused my mother to go through a very difficult phase. There was a time when we didn’t even have enough money for her surgeries and proper treatment. So my biggest priority became giving my mother a good life and making sure her medical treatment was taken care of properly.”

Talking about her upbringing, Aamna Sharif revealed that she came from a very protective and orthodox environment where there were several restrictions during her growing-up years.
Aamna shared, “I came from a very protective environment, so I didn’t really know what the outside world was like. My world was limited to my relatives and family.” The actress further recalled how strict her family was, especially regarding interactions with boys. “As a child, you are taught many restrictions, you can’t do this, you can’t wear this, you can’t talk to boys. I remember we used to have slam books in school, and I had written about having a crush on a boy. My brother found that book, and I was completely grounded after that,” she said.

Aamna Sharif also recalled the struggles she faced at the beginning of her acting career when even arranging money for her first portfolio became difficult. The actress shared, “Since I wasn’t financially independent at that time, even getting my first portfolio made me struggle for nearly six months. I was told that I needed a portfolio, but we didn’t have the money for it. Every day, I would convince my mother and request her to somehow arrange it for me because somewhere I had understood that it was necessary for my career.” She added that even simple things like getting photographs clicked felt like a huge challenge during those days.

After facing years of struggle, Aamna Sharif revealed that one of her biggest goals was to provide her mother with a comfortable life. She also fulfilled her personal dreams one by one through hard work. Aamna shared, “After that, I bought my first car because I’ve always been passionate about cars. My first car was a Zen, and later I bought a Camry, which made me extremely happy. Then I decided I wanted to own a house. But I didn’t have the full amount, so I had to manage through loans and continuous work.” The actress added that she has always believed in living life in the present despite all the hardships she faced.

Aamna Sharif revealed that after taking a break from work and dealing with personal grief, she once approached someone from the industry to discuss returning to acting. However, the response shattered her confidence completely.

Aamna shared, “I went to him and asked how we could work things out because I genuinely wanted to come back and do meaningful work again. But he looked at me and said, ‘Now you have a child, your career is over.’ I walked out of that office crying. My confidence was completely shaken. I started questioning whether I would ever be able to return to the work I truly loved because acting was the only thing I was deeply passionate about."

The actress also opened up about disturbing experiences she faced while growing up and how those incidents still stayed with her. Aamna shared, “Someone tried to touch me inappropriately on a bus and on a train in Bombay. At that age, you don’t fully understand what is really happening to you. During our time, nobody really spoke about good touch and bad touch. You knew something was wrong, but you didn’t know how to stand up for yourself.” She further explained how these experiences eventually made her overprotective as a mother. “Sometimes I wonder why I become overprotective as a mother, and then I realize it’s because of everything I have gone through. I just want to protect my child,” the actress said.

Aamna Sharif also spoke about her marriage and motherhood journey, revealing how both experiences transformed her emotionally.
“We were best friends for three and a half years before getting married. We never really dated. We were such good friends for so many years that we eventually just got married,” Aamna shared.
Talking about motherhood, the actress said, “When you become a mother, you feel like you can fight the entire world for your child. That kind of strength is unimaginable. My husband Amit was extremely supportive throughout everything. I honestly don’t think that journey would have been possible without him."