Rabia Butt To Make Silver Screen Debut With "Hijra

Two-time winner of the Lux Style Award for Best Model, dusky beauty Rabia Butt is now gearing up for the big screen. After stints in commercials and music videos, Rabia is set to star in Farooq Mengal's debut film Hijrat.

Hijrat, which marks Mengal's directorial debut in Lollywood, is said to be a romantic drama that is placed in the backdrop of the Afghan War, where millions were rendered homeless. Rabia plays an Indian doctor named Jia, who works for rehabilitation centres set up for IDPs. She is happy that she's debuting in the industry with a lead role. "The passion is fiery and we [the team of Hijrat] are determined to captivate the audience. No stones are being left unturned; now the success of the film depends on fate," says the model-turned-actor. "Things solidified once I was ready to switch from the fashion industry to the mesmerising silver screen and the director was convinced that I would dazzle the audience," she adds.

Rabia admits that Hijrat is one of the most demanding projects she has been a part of. "All this hard work is a demand of my role, but I am sure it will pay off. I am really excited about all the upcoming projects in the industry and foresee a sparkling revival of Lollywood."

She is optimistic about the Pakistani film industry's future. "You know Lollywood is no more. I don't know what I should call this rebirth [of cinema] yet, but it seems good things are in the making,"