YOUNG actress Alizeh Shah has had a rapid rise in a short time with winning performances in a host of popular TV drama serials that include Mera Dil, Mera Dushman, Ehde- Wafa and Hoor Pari.
The talented 20-yearold actress also stood out in 2020 anthology series Dikhawa and has one of the fastest growing fanbases in Pakistan.
The in-demand star looks like she will be shining brightly for many years to come and is becoming a powerful role model for a new generation of audiences.
Eastern Eye caught up with Alizeh Shah to talk about her action-packed career, inspirations and passions away from work.
What first connected you to acting?
(Laughs) Cartoons! I don’t know why, but I feel like cartoons have more emotions than real actors and that was honestly my first connection to acting.
Which of your roles is closest to your heart?
Each role becomes close to you because you learn something new. From the characters that I have played so far, Dua from Ehd-e-Wafa is closest to my heart.
Which of your characters was the most challenging so far?
Honestly, none of them were as challenging as I thought they would be.
How have you managed to do so much work in a short space of time?
Those looking in from the outside think I have achieved all this love and success in a short time, but only the person behind the struggle knows how long it took for them to achieve it. For me, it is just about working hard and then looking forward.
What’s your dream role?
I am open to well-written characters that test me as a performer. In that regard, I want to play the character of an ADHD patient, as well as of a blind person.
Who has been your own acting hero?
Robert Downey Jr for sure. I am greatly inspired by his struggles, acting and how positive he is towards everything.
What inspires you?
Faith inspires me. Having faith in yourself when times are hard. Faith that right will win and that no matter what is happening your life will move on and things will be okay in some way, somehow, even when it doesn’t seem like it at the time.
What kind of shows do you enjoy watching as an audience?
Lucifer! I love love love that series and can’t wait for the seventh season.
If you could master something new what would it be?
Singing! I think music is the greatest creation of mankind and it’s been playing a huge part in my life. Music is everything to me and my way to escape from any pain. It boosts my confidence when I’m feeling low and I love dancing to the beats when I’m happy.
What are your passions away from work?
For as long as I can remember I have had an innate passion for animals. I have three cats, parrots and various fish. I just love waking up every day, watching them play and feeding them; they are like a family to me.
Why do you love being an actress?
I just love living the life of the characters I’m not. I learn a lot from them.
So, Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s show, Two Much, is already near its fourth episode. And people keep asking: why do we love watching stars sit on sofas so much? It’s not the gossip. Not really. We’re not paying for the gossip. We’re paying for the glimpse. For the little wobble in a voice, a tiny apology, a family story you recognise. It’s why Simi’s white sofa mattered once, why Karan’s sofa rattled the tabloids, and why Kapil’s stage made everyone feel at home. The chat show isn’t dead. It just keeps changing clothes.
Why Indian audiences can’t stop watching chat shows from Simi Garewal to Karan Johar Instagram/karanjohar/primevideoin/ Youtube Screengrab
Remember the woman in white?
Simi Garewal brought quiet and intimacy. Her Rendezvous with Simi Garewal was all white sets and soft lights, and it felt almost like a church for confessions. She never went full interrogation mode with her guests. Instead, she’d just slowly unravel them, almost like magic. Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, they all sat on that legendary white sofa, dropping their guard and letting something real slip out, something you’d never stumble across anywhere else. The whole thing was gentle, personal, and almost revolutionary.
Simi Garewal and her iconic white sofa changed the face of Indian talk showsYoutube Screengrab/SimiGarewalOfficial
Then along came Karan Johar
Let’s be honest, Karan Johar changed the game completely. Koffee with Karan was the polar opposite. Where Simi was a whisper, Karan was a roar. His rapid-fire round was a headline machine. Suddenly, it stopped being about struggles or emotions but opinions, little rivalries, and that full-on, shiny Bollywood chaos. He almost spun the film industry into a full-blown high school drama, and honestly? We loved it up.
Kapil Sharma rewired the format again and took the chat show, threw it in a blender with a comedy sketch, and created a monster hit. His genius was in creating a world or what we call his crazy “Shantivan Society” and making the celebrities enter his universe. Suddenly, Shah Rukh Khan was being teased by a fictional, grumpy neighbour and Ranbir Kapoor was taunted by a fictional disappointed ex-girlfriend. Stars were suddenly part of the spectacle, all halos tossed aside. It was chaotic, yes, but delightfully so. The sort of chaos that still passed the family-TV test. For once, these impossibly glamorous faces felt like old friends lounging in your living room.
Kajol and Twinkle’s Amazon show Two Much feels like friends talking to people in their circle, and that matters. What’s wild is, these folks aren’t the stiff, traditional hosts, they’re insiders. The fun ones. The ones who know every secret because, let’s be honest, they were there when the drama started. On a platform like Amazon, they don’t have to play for TRPs or stick to a strict clock. They can just… talk.
People want to peep behind the curtain. Even with Instagram and Reels, there’s value in a longer, live-feeling exchange. It’s maybe the nuance, like an awkward pause, a memory that makes a star human, or a silly joke that lands. OTT gives space for that. Celebs turned hosts, like Twinkle and Kajol in Two Much or peers like Rana Daggubati in Telugu with The Rana Daggubati Show, can ask differently; they make room for stories that feel earned, not engineered.
How have streaming and regional shows changed the game?
Streaming freed chat shows from TRP pressure and ad breaks. You get episodes that breathe. Even regional versions likeThe Rana Daggubati Show, or long-running local weekend programmes, prove this isn’t a Mumbai-only appetite. Viewers want local language and local memories, the same star-curiosity in Kannada, Telugu, or Tamil. That widens the talent pool and the tone.
From White Sofas to OTT Screens How Indian Talk Shows Keep Capturing HeartsiStock
Are shock moments over?
Not really. But people are getting sick of obvious bait. Recent launches lean into warmth and inside jokes rather than feeding headlines. White set, gold couch, or a stage full of noise, it doesn’t matter. You just want to sit there, listen, get pulled into their stories, like a campfire you can’t leave. We watch, just curious, hoping maybe these stars are a little like us. Or maybe we’re hoping we can borrow a bit of their sparkle.
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