Shafaq Naaz: I struggled so much to get a house on rent in Mumbai... it’s very frustrating

It is said that Mumbai accepts everyone with open arms. However,

TV

actress

Shafaq Naaz

would disagree. It took her two months of endless search and rejections — on religious, marital and professional grounds — before finally being able to rent a home in the city.
The ordeal, she says, has been an eye-opener.

Shafaq

shares, “I have been living in Mumbai for the past seven years. However, what I have faced in recent times is a shocker. With property rates skyrocketing, buying a home remains a dream for many of us, especially for those who migrate from other cities. So, rented properties are our only solution. However, in a city like Mumbai, even educated and so-called progressive people having reservations just because I am unmarried, a Muslim and an actor is beyond me. I must have finalised around 10 flats last month, but I couldn’t rent any of them because of my religion, profession and marital status. I struggled so much to get a

house

on rent in Mumbai... it’s very frustrating. What was I expected to do? Main dharam change kar leti ya shaadi kar leti? You are entitled to your reservations, but at least meet me before you decide to say a ‘No’, or run a reference check with my previous landlord.”
Shafaq says most people had reservations about her profession. “Many owners didn’t want to rent their flats to people associated with the media, as they felt that suicide rates are high among the latter. I got tired of explaining that we get written about more because we are celebs. What about other deaths or suicides, which go unnoticed and unregistered?” she asks. The

actress

is finally relieved that she has found a flat. “Though I wanted a house with a particular view, I had no option or choice but to settle for this one. It's ridiculous how some of us are treated in this city.”