The sun dips low over the ochre dunes and quiet waters as Yashma Gill stands in a gown that glints like liquid gold, poised, contemplative, and entirely sure of herself. Photographed against the serene backdrop of sea and sand for this cover, with makeup by Sarah’s Makeup Studio, she embodies an effortless duality: strength and softness, conviction and calm. It’s a fitting image for an actress whose journey has never been about perfection but evolution. With Behkaway marking her return to screens in 2025, Yashma reflects on the delicate balance between art and accountability and how storytelling, for her, has always been a matter of conscience as much as craft. “A green flag,” she says, “is when a story leaves a positive impact on society. A red flag is when it glorifies harm or portrays women only as victims.” It’s this awareness of the responsibility that comes with influence, that shapes her choices as she continues to push for narratives that heal, not harm.
A green flag is when a story carries meaning and leaves a positive impact on society. A red flag is when it risks promoting harmful ideas like glorifying suicide or portraying women only as victims.
“Yashma, 2025,” she smiles, “is a story of a woman who keeps evolving, learning, unlearning, and daring to choose herself.” Having navigated morally complex and ambitious characters in Pyar Ke Sadqay, Bebaak, and Khel, she finds excitement in roles that scare her. “I like conquering my fears that’s what truly satisfies my hunger for craft.” In Khel, she played against stereotype, portraying a woman living with mental health challenges yet leading a functional, fulfilling life, a quiet but powerful act of resistance in a medium that often oversimplifies such realities.
Yashma, 2025 is a story of a woman who keeps evolving, learning, unlearning, and daring to choose herself every single time.
When she replays her own performances, it’s not vanity but curiosity. “I look for micro-expressions, how else I could have played it, what new emotional shades I might’ve missed.” That pursuit of betterment, she says, is a constant, mirrored even in how she approaches faith. After facing criticism for offering prayers during a shoot, she reflects, “I’d feel far more guilty forgetting God entirely than remembering Him imperfectly. It’s about intention, not optics.”
I like conquering my fears and taking on challenges as an actor because that is what truly satisfies my hunger for craft.
Faith, for Yashma, has evolved from rebellion to reclamation. Once candid about her journey from atheism to belief, she admits she’s outgrown the idea that life is unfair. “The more you strengthen your Imaan through Namaz, zikr, and remembrance, the more your heart tunes into the right frequency.” That faith now guides her in choosing which public narratives to engage with. “If something carries social responsibility, I’ll speak. But when criticism stems from hate, silence is more dignified, your peace speaks louder.”
That women or anybody with a mental health issue cannot lead a normal successful functional life and I played against this stereotype in Khel.
This perspective came into sharp focus after the viral “Egypt dance” controversy, a moment she now views as proof of how easily context collapses in the age of social media. “I wish our media learned to frame women’s joy without attaching morality to it,” she reflects. “Let women be seen as humans first, not headlines.”
Completely forgetting the remembrance of God makes me feel far more guilty than doing it in a less-than-perfect way because at least I’m trying.
Off-screen, Yashma channels her creativity into Grub by Yashma Gill, her newly launched Karachi eatery. “Both acting and building a menu come from the same creative instinct storytelling. You think about balance, detail, and emotion, whether it’s a scene or a dish.” The first week of operations, she says, was a crash course in patience, teamwork, and humility. “Passion isn’t enough, you need structure and a strong team. Creativity needs discipline to last.”
I’ve outgrown the idea that the universe isn’t fair to us.
Her sense of style, both professional and personal, is equally considered. “On screen, it’s about character and direction. Off-screen, I’m all about comfort, simple, street, maybe even lazy sometimes. But when the camera’s on, presentation becomes part of storytelling.” That same authenticity extends to love, a theme she once believed might take precedence over her career. “Now I know love and work don’t have to compete,” she says with quiet certainty. “A supportive partner is one who doesn’t feel threatened by your independence but stands beside you through it. Support isn’t control, it’s compassion and understanding.”
Joy, confidence, and art shouldn’t be filtered through bias. If I could set a standard, it would be to treat women’s moments of happiness with the same dignity and neutrality that men’s joy often receives.
You don’t owe explanations to chaos; your peace speaks louder.
Twelve-hour shoot days, constant costume changes, emotional exhaustion, she admits it’s a demanding profession. “People often judge actors based on who they play, not how they work. I wish critics could spend a day on set, they’d see how much of ourselves we give.” Through her openness about depression and recovery, she’s also become a voice for emotional awareness. “Relapse prevention starts with awareness, checking in with yourself, grounding through small rituals like prayer, journaling, or quiet moments. Acting helps me release emotions I might otherwise bottle up, it’s therapeutic.”
Passion alone isn’t enough; you need structure, numbers, dedication, hard work and a strong team to turn creativity into sustainability.
Support, to me, is not control; it’s compassion, communication, and the freedom to keep being yourself.
As the evening light fades, Yashma stands calm and radiant, a woman who’s learned to turn contradictions into coherence. Between performance and prayer, screen and self, she continues to script her story on her own terms. Not waiting for roles to define her — but writing the ones that will.
Interview: @sublimerantr
Hair & Makeup: @sarahs_makeupstudio
Outfit (Gold): @hirahania.official
Outfit (Black): @haseensofficial
Photography: @nabeel_npm
Jewellery: @opalbymadihaihsan
Styling/Coordination: @stylebyhassan @hassanabdullahofficial
Travel sponsor: @theworld_expeditions