MUMBAI MIRROR (March 26, 2018)

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, who made her Bollywood debut with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees last year, says the Hindi film industry was never her aim. The film released in January last year, just a few months after bilateral tensions intensified following the Uri attack on September 18, 2016 which left 19 Indian soldiers dead. India retaliated on September 28 with surgical strikes on Pakistan terror camps. Raees did not release in Pakistan and Mahira was not allowed to promote the film in India as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena issued a ban on Pakistani artistes.

“At that time, I was sad and angry,” she admitted to BBC World News, saying today she’s come to a place where she believes anger doesn’t make her a better actor or do anything for her as a person, so she’s let go of it.

Mahira goes on to say that “Bollywood was never really the aim” and right after Raees, she started working on a Pakistani film Verna, even before all of this happened. “My focus was always Pakistan,” she asserted, adding that while people may perceive it as a “big jolt” to her career, she has moved on and she’s a part of a movement in the Pakistan film industry. “Because how I look at it, is that 20 years from now when either my son or kids from today want to become actors, we would have set this industry for them, where they won’t have to struggle so much.” The 33-year-old actress has a son named Azlan. Her film Verna, which is based on the rape culture and politics in Pakistan, has reportedly rubbed many in Pakistan the wrong way. With freedom of expression getting suppressed in her home country, has she ever considered shifting base to another country? “I don’t think that I can tell any story better than the story of my own country, than stories of my own countrymen. I want to be able to bring out stories like Verna, as well as stories which are of the modern and new generation like Ho Mann Jahaan on the youth of Pakistan. I want to be that person,” she asserted, adding, “Because we are artistes, I think that’s a problem we all suffer. We are dreamers, so we are constantly looking at what is going to happen. Honestly, that’s all I’m thinking about all the time, that one day I will go to a cinema house and there just won’t be enough space to fill it.”

Mahira is currently filming for Saat Din Mohabbat In and Maula Jatt 2.

MUMBAI MIRROR (November 9, 2017)

Mirror (September 22) had earlier reported that after meeting at a charity gala in Dubai, Ranbir Kapoor and Mahira Khan continued with their cross-border friendship. After pictures of the couple in New York went viral, the actor released a statement clarifying that he had got to know Mahira in a personal capacity over the last few months and he admires and respects her for her achievements, and even more for the person she is. “It is very unfair the way she is being judged and spoken about. What is also sad is the inequality in judgment just because she is a woman. I request you to stop the negativity and move on with your beautiful god gifted lives,” he asserted.

Mahira finally opened up on the subject to a Pakistani website, Something Haute, admitted that she had often thought of responding to the controversy too. “I’m a very strong woman but when all of this happened, I was completely shattered and broken. I would think about posting a statement every day. Then I would stop myself because I just wouldn’t know what to say,” the 32-year-old Pakistani actress who made her Bollywood debut in Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees, this year, was quoted as saying.

She added that she understands where all the criticism came from. “It didn’t come from a place of hate. I’m not talking about the trolls but those who were genuinely disappointed to see those pictures. It’s the same disappointment that my nani or my mamoo would have felt seeing that. So even now when I meet an older lady who says that she didn’t like the pictures, I’m quick to apologise,” she asserted.

Mahira stated that people often ask her if she is a good role model for her fans and her response is, “I am a good role model but I’m not the perfect role model. I am human, I make mistakes. And I was really happy to see that there were so many people who stood up for me. It goes to show that the narrative in Pakistan is changing, and if nothing else, I’m happy to have been part of that narrative,” she reiterated.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 7, 2014)

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, better known to the Indian audience as Khirad from the television series Humsafar, was in the country recently. Her show’s co-star Fawad Khan — who starred opposite Sonam Kapoor in Khoobsurat — has already made a foray into Bollywood, but Mahira, who is fond of Hindi cinema, prefers to be cautious. “I have grown up watching Hindi films. There is this image stuck in my head; the wind blowing, music playing and the heroine’s sari pallu flowing, but right now there is nothing on that front. There has been speculation about it as a lot of Pakistani actors are now part of Bollywood,” adds the actress.

As there was buzz about her Bollywood debut, the film circle conveniently assumed that Mahira was visiting Mumbai for film opportunities when she was primarily here for the promotion of Humsafar.

The Karachi-based, US educated Mahira began her career as a VJ. Later, she made a transition and debuted in the Pakistani breakthrough film Bol, which released in India in 2011. According to her, she prefers to be selective in her assignments so that she can balance her family life with her professional assignments.

Catching up with her at a suburban hotel in Mumbai, the actress admitted that she is indeed touched by the encouraging response Humsafar has received in the country. The show was initially aired in 2011 and has aired in various countries ever since.

Mahira had planned to arrive in India before Humsafar was aired here, but landed only post its telecast — for bureaucratic reasons. “There were visa issues. I wish art and artistes had no boundaries like birds who can fly anywhere without restrictions,” muses the beauty.

Interestingly, her family originally hails from India. “My grandmother would talk about Meerut, but now there is no family this side of the border. When I was leaving for Mumbai, I was told to meet someone’s aunt’s cousin uncle.... you get the drift,” she laughs.

The actress visited Mumbai over six years ago for a wedding, but this time, it was a different experience, thanks to her popularity as Khirad from Humsafar. Speaking of which, Pakistani shows have been giving a glimpse into the homes and lifestyles of our neighbours across the border; something Bollywood has been doing for Pakistanis all this while.

Decades ago, classic TV shows such as Dhoop Kinare and Tanhaiyaan aired and thus set a precedent of high standards in terms of television content. Although Indian soap opera have their share of critics, Mahira stays cautious about commenting about them. “I have not seen many Indian TV soaps except for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. This is because Bollywood films and music dominate. We have film music playing in the car, at weddings — it is all over the world.”

Her favourite B-Town star happens to be Shah Rukh Khan “simply because he is SRK and you can see that potential in Ranbir Kapoor,” she quips.

Mahira hopes she can be back in India in the future if not for her acting pursuits, then for the food at least. “I came with an agenda to gorge on street food, which is synonymous with Mumbai — from vada pavs to the dosas and the bhel.”

DNA (November 24, 2014)


Overjoyed with the response her serial has got here, Mahira said, “I can’t tell you how amazed I am. I recently joined Twitter and have experienced a lot of craziness since. Before my India tour I was very skeptical and was spending sleepless nights. But I have got the opportunity to meet some really lovely people here. I went out shopping at a mall and people kept coming to meet me. It was quite humbling to know that people out here recognised me.”

When asked about her experience in India, the actress replied, “India is a beautiful country. What I love about this country is that they really respect the talent. There’s a saying when in Rome do as Romans do. And that’s exactly what I followed in India. I think three days in Mumbai got me behaving like a true Mumbaiite. I gorged on mouth-watering vada paav and sev puri, picked up words like jhakkas. There are a lot of similarities between Mumbai and Karachi. But Lucknow is the city that stole my heart. The city oozes ada and tehzeeb. Right from the moment I landed in the city, I felt like it’s my own. I was feeling as if I was visiting my Naani’s place.” Another reason she was looking forward to visting Lucknow is that her best friend from college stays there. “I met her after a gap of seven years,” smiles Mahira.

Art and culture cannot be bound by boundaries and this is exactly what Zindagi is trying to do with its initiative of airing Pakistani shows on Indian Television. “I wish human beings were like birds so that no one could tell which bird belongs to which country. Zindagi’s initiative to bridge the gap between India and Pakistan is a revolutionary step. I am glad that the Indian audience has accepted our shows and our actors with an open heart.”

DNA (October 1, 2014)


Humsafar was a huge hit and a career highlight for you. Is the show out of your system now?
Humsafar was my first show and it was an overnight success. It was life altering for me. It still lives with me because the character of Khirad is very close to my heart. The entire cast and crew are responsible for the success of the show. It changed the face of Pakistani television.

How excited are you that your show Humsafar will now air on Zindagi?
I am really excited. I am not sure how the reaction will be, I hope it is positive. Humsafar is actually older than most of the shows that have aired on Zindagi. it can easily be touted as the most successful show in last 20-30 years in Pakistan.

Tell us something about the serial?
Humsafar is the story of two people from different backgrounds. They’re both strangers who get married to each other. There is amazing love that brews between them. How they separate and are united after several years forms the crux of the story.

What kind of a character are you playing in Humsafar?
Khirad is a small town, independent girl. Her mother is unwell and there are always money constraints at home. Despite her circumstances, she has a very liberated thought process. The name Khirad means ‘intelligence’. She is well behaved, smart and most importantly she is a girl who has a lot of self-respect. To sum this up in a line, Khirad is the ultimate woman.

Fawad Khan is already a big name here, how was the experience working with him?
I feel happy for him. Every time I hear something nice about him, I smile. Fawad is exactly what you know about him. As a friend, he is a really great guy. Both as a friend and co-star, I really look up to him. I love the way he conducts himself. The way he debuted in Bollywood, is the best way he could do it. Though I was a newcomer and Fawad had been in the industry for quite a few years, he really helped me through the filming of the show. We had amazing fun while shooting for Humsafar and I think that has translated into a great onscreen chemistry between us.

How difficult was it for you to play Khirad?
It wasn’t all that difficult for me because a part of me is just like Khirad. She is a little shy and hesitant and so am I. But there were times when I didn’t identify with her. For example, Khirad is very submissive, and while shooting certain scenes I wished she could handle the situations differently. There were times when I wanted Khirad to be a little composed in life. I was very new in the industry and I got an opportunity to work with all the veterans. Over the years, I have now accepted that one needs to be very honest to the character. The lines you say, you need to mean them. Only then the audience will also be able to connect with your role onscreen.

How did you and Fawad crack this brilliant chemistry?
While shooting, we never improvised or rehearsed before the scenes. Sarmad, our director often used to get all worked up and call us fools and say that Fawad and I have no chemistry at all. But when they began editing the show, Sarmad called me and said “You both have created magic on screen”. I trusted Fawad and I knew that he would bring out the best in me. After Humsafar, Fawad and I became everyone’s favourite couple.