From a cashier at a store in LA to a VJ, Pakistani actress Mahira Hafeez Khan always dreamt of coming in front of the camera. Even though it was Mahira's first visit to India, the actress says she knows a lot about the country and Lucknow too. "My dad's from Delhi, he was born there. I know Lucknow ke kebabs are very famous. While I was studying in Los Angeles, a very close friend was from Lucknow. Her name is Aditi Srivastava, and I will be meeting her today after a gap of seven years. I also learnt about the language of Lucknow from her. For example, she taught me what 'hum' means, as she used to use that word quite often. I used to find it amusing when for a single person, she used to say 'hum'. Later, she explained to me that 'hum' means 'main' in Lucknow," shared Mahira, who was in the city on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: 'Humsafar is a good nasha to have'Mahira, who is a well-known name of Pakistani television on this side of the LoC and across, says she'd always dreamt of being an actress. "I started my job as a cashier in a store in LA, while I was studying there. I used to mop the floor, clean toilets and even close the store at night. But trust me, while doing that too, I was imagining it all to be a scene from a movie. Even when I sold shawls at a mall, I took it as a role in a serial or a movie. Becoming an actress was always my dream. I would study, do a job and then volunteer to work at the Indian film festival that was held in LA. Why would I work for hours at the film festival, if I was not passionate about acting?" she asks. So how did she get her first onscreen break? "It was quite easy for me. Once I became a VJ, I constantly got offers for serials and movies. There were no auditions or searching for work for me. It all came quite easily to me," says Mahira, who has been very choosy about the roles she does.
"I like doing good stories and good projects. Like in India, not every serial in Pakistan is a good serial. I want to do different work. Plus, I have this thing always going on in my mind that I have to give time to my family, especially my son. I feel very blessed that I had him when I was quite young, only 24!" she says, adding, "But yes, let me confess this, when I got pregnant, I was very nervous. I was like I am only 24! It was like 'Oh my god! It is all over for me now. I'll never be able to act again and I will never get a movie now. But when I held him in my arms for the first time, I was like ispe toh sab qurbaan!"
Despite the success and the fame, Mahira is quite a family person. "I give so much to my character, I give it my all, I go all out for a role. But once that is done and I go back home, I just want to be with my family. I don't want to make extra effort to be in the limelight and so, I prefer to maintain a low profile," says the pretty lady.
Mahira doesn't watch too many Indian TV shows - "I only watched Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, that too a long time back," she shares - and says acting in one will be difficult. "Well, I am told that serials in India run for years. So practically, it is not possible for me to work in an Indian serial. But I wouldn't mind doing a Bollywood movie."
Considering that there is a lot of demand for skin show in Bollywood movies now, is she ready for such roles? "I don't think so. Skin show is something that I'll not be comfortable with. Kal ko main ek kirdar karti hoon jisme main comfortable nahi hoon, that will show on screen. People loved my chemistry with Fawad in Humsafar because we were comfortable working together, which showed on screen," points out Mahira. So has she seen Fawad's movie Khoobsurat? "Well, yes, I have. It did fantastic business in Pakistan. It was a difficult task to arrange tickets for his movie. Maine toh seeti bhi maari on his entry in the movie. Everyone in Pakistan was so happy to see him in the film," she replies.
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