Till a few years ago, acting didn't feature in her scheme of things and Bollywood was an unthinkable goal for Pakistani television actress Momal Sheikh. She was content being a producer in her father Javed Sheikh's company till the acting bug bit her. But once it did, she was caught in the whirlwind that swept her off her feet. In a conversation with Bombay Times, Momal, who makes her debut in Hindi cinema with the upcoming romantic comedy Happy Bhag Jayegi (HBJ), states why she isn't competing with Pakistani actors in Bollywood and how star kids face a tough time back home. Excerpts...

Your father has been doing Hindi movies for a while now. What took you so long to debut here?
It is all about destiny. The makers of HBJ were looking for a Pakistani actor who could play the character of Zoya with authenticity. My father suggested a few names and the makers did audition them, but kuch baat nahi bani. One day, director Mudassar Aziz found my pictures online. He got curious and inquired with my father. When I was approached for this film, I was doing television back home. Honestly, the script floored me. They wanted me to join the team at the earliest but I was in two minds. My husband, Nadir, helped me a lot during that time. He urged me to take up the role because he knew it is rare to get an infallible combination like this - a good script, great director and top filmmakers to back the movie. I'm glad I took it up because it was fun, positive and different. These are the kind of stories which are good for both countries.

Did you travel with your son, Ibrahim, when you were shooting in India?
No, I didn't bring him along as it would've divided my attention. My son was barely two months old then and I wouldn't have had the heart to leave him if it weren't for my husband's support. I had to keep going back after every schedule to be with my baby but everything went off smoothly.

Why did you turn down Welcome Back?
I was offered that film when I was pregnant. In fact, I had three Bollywood offers during that time and it was disheartening for me to say no to each of them. But I eventually got to do the movie which I liked the best. So, I have no regrets.

How different is the Pakistani film industry from Bollywood?
There is a huge difference in terms of quality. I have never done a Pakistani film before, but from what I can gauge Bollywood is relatively warmer and kinder. Here, people work like a family unit rather than professionals. After doing a Hindi film, I have matured as an actor.

Many Pakistani actors are doing Bollywood films these days. Do you this trend is going to catch up in the future?
Art is bringing the countries closer. The trend isn't really a recent one, but I feel happy that finally the right kind of artistes are coming from across the border. Fawad Khan is brilliant and I feel proud when people ask me about his Pakistani shows. People like him have put the spotlight on our country and have set the bar high for all of us. Pakistani actors feel the same pride for Bollywood that Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra feel for Hollywood. Working in Bollywood is looked upon as a big achievement in Pakistan.

Does seeing more familiar faces in India make you feel at home?
It does. Last time when I was here, Mahira (Khan), Mawra (Hocane) and I would catch up almost every day after work. Initially, I was nervous about the idea of working here. But I have got so much love and attention that the place started feeling like home soon. Even senior actors don't make you feel awkward. They ensure you have the confidence to perform well and help you enhance your scene.

What was your reaction when you heard about Qandeel Baloch's death?
If we all stand up against honour killings and protect our women, maybe fewer people will have the audacity of pulling off such things. Killing people for an unwarranted reason is brutal and inhuman.

Do you feel you are competing with Fawad, Mahira or Mawra?
I don't believe you can work with a sense of competition. Every actor is doing their best and trying to put Pakistan on the map. We all land projects based on our hard work and a little bit of luck. I am friends with Mahira, Mawra and Fawad. I can never be envious of Mahira just because she is working with Shah Rukh Khan. You can't compete and compare because that sucks the fun out of work.

Do you have any reservations about doing bold scenes in films?
I would never give my nod for sex scenes, bikini scenes or kissing scenes. If we can create good stories without any explicit content, why not do it.

MOMAL SHEIKH TALKS ABOUT STAR KIDS IN PAKISTAN
I am a self-made, strong woman. If my father wasn't an actor and I wanted to become one, I still would've done what I wanted to do. But the hassles and repercussions would have been far too many. In that sense, I count myself lucky. Is it a privilege to be born into a film family? Unfortunately, that's not how our industry works back home. In Bollywood, star kids are a unique lot but in Pakistan, they struggle like regular actors. Whatever my brother (Shehzad Sheikh) and I have accomplished in this field is due to our hard work. We had no help from anyone and it was really difficult for us to carve our own space. If star kids were as privileged in Pakistan as they are in India, all of us would be as famous as Fawad.

If Pakistani model Qandeel Baloch's murder in the name of honour killing wasn't shocking enough, what sent a chill down our spine was the accused, her brother Waseem, confessing to the crime devoid of any remorse or regret. While women around the world are discussing and debating feminism, equal rights and equal pay, here, another brutal reality is staring at us in the face. Putting honour over humanity is disgraceful. Qandeel apparently wanted an Indian citizenship. The model had tweeted in March that she wanted an Indian citizenship because she was disappointed with Pakistan and had tagged PM Narendra Modi in her tweet. In an interview just days before her death, she had said, “In Pakistan, people are not ready to accept me. It would be much easier for me to work in India.“ Sadly, horrifying acts of honour killing are rampant in India as well, and various films over time have attempted to draw attention to this heinous act. Much recently, the widely acclaimed Marathi film Sairat was based on the same subject, though when we asked director Nagraj Manjule, he was evasive about it.

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai strongly expressed his views and said, “There is no comparison between India and Pakistan in this regard. Despite so many difficulties, we Indians have our own voice, whether it is honour killing or censorship. I know I have a voice here. It's not that things are easy in our country, but I still have the freedom and I am proud of my country for that. I can raise my voice against honour killing and all other issues. When we have an issue or a problem, we fight and try to solve it. These are two different countries, with different mindsets.“

Sherlyn Chopra, known for her risqué avatar, says, “I've have made some bold choices in life and I'm proud of them. Initially, my family was surprised with my daring decisions but later on realised that as an adult, I had every right to live my life on my terms as long as I was ready to face the consequences. I was prepared to face backlash after I returned from Los Angeles where I had shot for the cover of a popular adult magazine. But surprisingly, the plaudits had outnumbered the brickbats for the courage that I had shown. I feel that India is tolerant in many ways inspite of being a diverse nation. I feel deeply sorry for Qandeel, who was forced to pay a highly unreasonable price for having lived her life audaciously. No honour is above humanity. No nation or constitution can guarantee freedom to its citizens as long as there are anti-social elements prevalent across the globe. Therefore, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.“

Director Navdeep Singh, whose film NH10 touched upon the issue, says, “Honour killing is a horrible thing. It's shocking that a person's life can be tied to someone else's honour, whether brother or family. No one has the right to take anyone's life. It happens largely with women because of the patriarchal society. Though attempts are being made to dissuade honour killing, they don't reach the small towns and villages where it matters. Lecturebaazi won't help. More than legal, it is a socio-cultural issue. The threat of punishment is there for any murder, and honour killing is no less than murder.“

Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane, who made her Bollywood debut with Sanam Teri Kasam this year, adds, “She died because she didn't conform to the norms of this patriarchal society. She may be right or wrong but she wanted to live on her own terms and everyone is entitled to do so. We, who talk about women empowerment and equality of men and women in society, are the pseudo-elites who just make it to the headlines in the papers. Thousands of women like Qandeel are the ones who truly need empowerment, education and security at so many levels. I feel devastated and helpless as a girl living in the 21st century when such absurd incidents happen.“

Pakistani actress Veena Malik says, “This is not an ordinary matter. It is extremely sensitive. Nobody has the right to kill anyone in the name of honour. Such people should be punished to set an example. This incident is shocking and condemnable.“ Pakistani actor-singer Ali Zafar raised a valid point too. He wrote, “If women started killing us to protect their honour, a lot of us would be dead!“

Qandeel was called the 'Poonam Pandey of Pakistan'. Poonam says, “I get abused for some of my comments like the time when I had said I would strip for the Indian cricket team. I believe Qandeel made the same offer but it wasn't meant to offend anyone. My brothers may shout at me, but they won't kill me for the way I am or what I choose to wear.“

Pakistani actor Imran Abbas (who made his Bollywood debut with Creature) questioned the hypocritical mindset of the society in his latest post on social media. He wrote (excerpts), “Call me overemotional, oversensitive, whatever but the murder of this poor girl was extremely shocking. The brutal murder of this young girl, who ran after her dreams to get rid of poverty, who found her own ways to get noticed through her limited resources (although they were vulgar and not what people in our society approve of), who unveiled the real face of so called religious scholars was not at all justified in the name of honour. Who are we to judge anyone because of someone's acts in public? Who knows what others, even we are doing in the veil of darkness. Pakistan is the nation which scored the highest in searching porn sites at Google can only kill a woman in the name of honour, but throng of vultures who surrounds her body are left alone because they are MEN. This girl could have been gotten away if she was from a well-connected background and had her own links to the people in power. But her real crime was POVERTY which made her saw those dazzling dreams and took her to this point where she was strangled by a so called 'gheratmand' who even took her cell phone and little cash which was, according to this 'gheratmand society', her 'haraam ki kamaayi' (sic).

Actress Kashmera Shah reacts, “How can any human being get the right to judge morality? It's all relative - this nonsense view we have about how honourable we are. Seriously speaking, no one really cares. When you kill a beloved over a warped sense of honour, you take yourself further from God and anything and everything that is holy. Qandeel's death is a shame on every brother who takes a vow to protect his sister.“

Sunny Leone says, “I'm upset about this and have not figured out my emotions from my thoughts to my opinion on it. I am sad to read this.“ In the past, the actress had spoken about how her relatives had disowned her appearance in Bigg Boss. Actress Mahira Khan retweeted, “Honour killing is such a false term to describe a beyghairat committing cold-blooded murder.“

Adnan Sami getting an Indian citizenship has clearly had an effect on other artistes across the border. Pakistani internet sensation Qandeel Baloch, who was strangled to death by her brother, apparently wanted an Indian citizenship as well. The model had tweeted in March that she wanted an Indian citizenship because she was 'disappointed from Pakistan' and tagged Narendra Modi in her tweet. In an interview just days before her death, she had said, “In Pakistan, people are not ready to accept me. It would be much easier for me to work in India.“ There were also rumours that she was going to be a part of Bigg Boss 10, but Baloch did not confirm this and posted that she will “appear on Bigg Boss if they (the producers) agree to my terms.“ The controversial model was receiving threats from her family because of her bold pictures and videos, the most recent one being the music video Ban. Three weeks ago, she had written to the interior minister, the director general of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) and the senior superinten dent of Islamabad, asking them to provide security to her. Citing security issues, Baloch, whose real name is Fauzia Azeem, had said that was planning to settle abroad.

We spoke to her on Thursday after she became a Twitter sensation for her twerk video, Ban. On Saturday morning, Qandeel Baloch, 26, was killed, allegedly by her own brother, for being the fiery, outspoken and independent woman she was. Often referred to as Pakistan's answer to Poonam Pandey, she was happy to speak to us over the phone. At no point did the model-actress, who told us that she had sought police protection, talk about any threat from her brother. In fact, she wanted to work in India if a good film offer came her way. And of course, she was eloquent while expressing her love for Imran Khan, speaking about her misadventure with a mufti or her ex husband and child. Here are a few excerpts from perhaps her last interview.

What made you twerk in the video, Ban?
I tried it, but frankly, I don't know how to twerk. Maine galat kiya. I should have taken classes before doing the video, which I didn't. Right now I am not relaxed because of the court cases on me, but once I am free from it all, I would like to do my own music video. I can sing rather well. In this video, I didn't look into the costume bit, but I'll be cautious next time onwards.

Was Miley Cyrus your inspiration?
No, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga are my inspiration... The production house, which made the video, wanted to feature a controversial figure and there's no one better than me at the moment.

The lyrics go like, Tere thumke pe lag jana ban. You must have been sure that the video would be banned sooner or later...
The storyboard, the costumes and the feel of the video were a bit too much... The two-three music channels that are there in the country are never going to play it. I did it solely for the internet. I can't imagine this video getting so popular! In Pakistan, I have got tremendous backlash for the video, people have lodged complaints and I am being dragged to court. Woh samajhte hain ki main Pakistan ko badnaam kar rahi hoon iss tarah ke kaam karke. Many said I am not a Baloch and I have nothing to do with the community; in general, the feeling is that I am doing everything to bring shame to Pakistan. But I will not stop. Sar pe dupatta toh pehen ne wali main hoon nahin.

After Taher Shah, you are the second internet sensation from Pakistan who is getting trolled outside the country...
Please don't compare me with Taher Shah. He is a joker, while I am an artiste - I am a model and an actress. Taher Shah comes, makes people laugh and goes away. I work with a lot of honesty. Yes, I have set my image, which is bold, but I have nothing to do with a joker. My aim is to change the social norms of Pakistan, women here look up to me. I started very early, worked on myself and the effect is for all to see.

How did you get into showbiz?
I am from an ordinary family and had nothing to do with the glamour world. In my home, no one could have imagined reaching where I am today. Then, I decided to take the reins of my life in my hands. I really worked hard to be where I am today. Also, my focus was never on the electronic media, I didn't want to show my face on TV, but concentrated on social media. I am not hungry for roles on TV or in films. I am happy being a social media sensation.

You first came into limelight after you said you would strip dance for the country and even dedicate the video to Shahid Afridi if Pakistan beat India in the T20 World Cup match in March. No wonder, you have earned the moniker of Pakistan's Poonam Pandey. In 2011, she had promised to strip for Team India if the country won the World Cup...
That was not the first video though it became popular worldwide. Before this, I had made several selfie videos, which went viral. My Dubsmash videos too were popular. My video during the T20 World Cup was like a trailer, not the full movie. But Pakistan didn't win. I used to be a fan of Shahid Afridi, but after the big defeat, I started hating him. About being Pakistan's Poonam Pandey, it's you who call me that. At times, I feel very sad, even angry. Yes, Poonam Pandey is bold, but she is not all that great. I know I am much better.

Soon after you tasted fame, your former husband Ashiq Hussain claimed that you had demanded a huge sum of money from him, which led to the divorce and that he has your son's custody...
I was 17 when I was forced into marriage. I had no hand in it and I didn't even enjoy being with the man. Also, I wanted to study but no one listened to me. I wanted to move forward in life, it wasn't a happy situation. Because of some family problems I had to stick around. But now that I am successful, some are claiming to be my husband, others are claiming to be my longlost buddies, I don't know why!

Did you speak to Ashiq after becoming famous?
Yes, he spoke to me and asked for money. It was a huge amount. He said I had taken money from him eight years ago and if I didn't pay him back, he would expose me; reveal my son's pictures to the media. I asked him why I should pay money to him! Since then, he has been speaking non-stop to the media, making false allegations against me. Yes, I had a grey past, but I have changed now.

Are you going to fight for your child's custody?
I want to, and that too soon. But my parents have advised me against it. Right now, I plan to fly out of the country. There was a time my parents never listened to me. They wouldn't have forced me into marriage had they heard me out. But now, they support me. They are dependent on me. I have bought them a house and they are happy with me.

You seem to be controversy's favourite child. After you clicked a selfie with Mufti Abdul Qavi, the government had to sack him immediately...
See, muftis and maulvis have a huge following in Pakistan. In an Islamic country they rule the roost. Mufti Abdul Qavi had invited me and I went to meet him. I wanted to take lessons in Islam from him but having spoken to him for some time, I realised he was a fake person. So, I exposed him through pictures. After that, I am getting threat calls everyday.

Would you like to work in India?
In Pakistan, people are not ready to accept me. It would be much easier for me to work in India. See, I want to change the society in Pakistan. There are many women who are forcefully married off and their spouses torture them. I have been through a lot and look where I have reached today. If I could come this far, I can definitely go further. I want to help out women in the country. But people won't let that happen. There's a threat to my life and the situation is so bad that I am forced to stay underground. I can't step out and have not gone to the court for hearings.

Who is giving you protection?
I have already applied to the Home Ministry for security. So far, I have got nothing. For security , I am staying underground. There are too many controversies around me, mediapersons are calling every day, but I am yet to wriggle out of it.

Given a choice, would you like to strip for an Indian star?
India mein main ek hi bande ki fan hoon - Mr Amitabh Bachchan. Virat Kohli is charming and handsome, but I would strip only for Mr Bachchan.

You were heartbroken with rumours of Imran Khan tying the knot for the third time.
I am a huge fan of his and even went to his house. But he was away. Earlier, I had spoken about my love for him through my videos. When I heard he was getting married, I was very upset. But Imran Khan clarified that those were just rumours. He wrote on Twitter: 'Rumours abt my marriage absolutely baseless. I have not gotten married. When I do I will announce & celebrate publicly (sic).' Many have criticised me for my love for him, they even said I was married before. See, you can fall in love with anyone, anytime. I would love to marry Imran Khan.