Tabish Hashmi regrets on-air blunder for Mariyam Nafees

Renowned comedian and host Tabish Hashmi, who rose to fame through his YouTube show, To be honest, recently faced a heated controversy during his appearance on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast. During podcastTabish faced backlash for a joke he made about actress Mariyam Nafees.

In February 2024, during a live PSL show, a video clip showed Mariyam, who was paired with Tabish, answering a question about her favorite PSL team. The actor said, “I like Peshawar Zalmi, then other teams and Karachi in the last because they are not performing well.” In response, Tabish said suggestively, “Your husband is also from Karachi. Also doesn’t it perform well?’

The double was not lost on the audience who took to the internet to slam the comedian. Mariyam, on the other hand, seemed to take the comment in jest. Tabish deflected his remark by saying, “Your husband is a manager, of course. Why would he play?” prompting it Neem actor to say, “Nice cover.”

The joke, which many did not like, sparked criticism and appeared to be an embarrassing mistake for the comedian. Addressing the issue now on the podcast with Hafiz, Tabish clarified that the joke was meant to be lighthearted and emphasized his close relationship with Mariyam, stating that their mutual banter is a normal part of their dynamic.

Addressing the incident, the TV anchor clarified his stand on trolling Mariyam during live shows. “I said something to Mariyam Nafees during a live show jokingly. I shouldn’t have said that. Mariyam is a very close friend of mine. She is also very naughty. We have this mock. Off air, I also joke with her husband. He’s very nice and sweet,” Tabish explained.

He emphasized that their personal relationship includes such jokes and that no offense was intended. However, he admitted that some topics are best avoided on live TV. “But that was our personal joke. There are some things you shouldn’t discuss openly, let alone joke about,” Tabish said, expressing regret and apologizing.

That said, he admitted that in the heat of the show, jokes can sometimes slip unintentionally. Despite the chaos, the joke in question was not edited from the YouTube recording until much later. He expressed his frustration at the inability to completely prevent such slippages.

According to Tabish, he tried to talk about the joke publicly the day after the incident. However, Mariyam advised against it, suggesting that it would be better to let the controversy die out naturally. Despite the comedian’s insistence, Mariyam believed that fueling the fire would prolong the matter. “But I shouldn’t have made that joke,” Tabish said.

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