Mahira questions Pakistan’s obsession with fair complexion

COUTESY BBC URDU

Mahira Khan is one of the few actresses in the industry who has spoken against Pakistan’s fixation with fair complexion. In an interview with BBC Urdu, she reveals that she will never endorse beauty creams as we need to break free from this ‘complex’.

The actress holds that the concept of beauty in our country is restricted to skin tone only. “I don’t know if we have a complex of being fair or whether we are just fond of fair complexion,” she said.

“I don’t judge people who use or endorse fairness creams but it is dangerous when this whole concept gives you a complex. Which, I know for a fact, it does because when women talk [about girls] in our society, they ask ‘gori hay?’ What sort of a question is that?

“We have a very powerful entertainment industry, we are the media. We are watched every day, in every household. If we don’t break this concept, we will drive it home [further]. I have strictly decided not to do a commercial that has anything to do with fairness creams,” the actress shared.

Breaking stereotypes

“Forget fairness, unfortunately our dramas constantly glorify every kind of stereotype,” she added. “She is a bad girl if she is wearing jeans and a good girl if her head is covered.”

“I remember there was a dialogue in Humsafar where I had to tell my mother-in-law ‘aap nagin hain’, so I told my director ‘Sarmad, yeh toh main nahi keh sakti’. Because we won’t say these things in real life. Let’s not glorify things which shouldn’t be,” she stressed.

Film career

When asked about where her heart actually is, Mahira revealed, “It is a bit clichéd to say that it is with my child.” The actress said that luckily she managed to spend quality time with her son Azlaan while working on three back-to-back projects.

“The year 2014 was the hardest for me [in terms of work], but HMJ was a home project so Azlaan used to accompany me to the sets. On the other hand, Bin Roye took two years in the making, it should have wrapped up a bit earlier but it continued; then Ho Mann Jahaan came and during that time Raees also happened,” she said

The actress confessed that although she was thrilled to be working with Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, it was also a difficult time for her because her son was not able to accompany her to the shoot. She makes sure that she doesn’t work on more than two overlapping projects at a time.

Co-stars

Mahira has shared screen space with some of the country’s most good looking actors, including Fawad Khan, Sheheryar Munawar and Adeel Hussain. When asked how it felt to work alongside two of them in HMJ the actress disclosed that that fact never fascinated her.

“When you work with someone day and night, it doesn’t matter how good looking they are. You see them with their mood swings, the way they eat, sleep — they become ghar ke murghay,” she added.

Gender pay gap

Gender pay-gap has sparked an ongoing debate among celebs worldwide, however, when it comes to our local entertainment industry Mahira shares that she’d be surprised if women are paid less than men.

“I don’t think it’s about gender disparity or equality. It is about who can make more money at the box office. We shouldn’t make it about men and women but if you think you are being treated differently for being a woman then its wrong and you should fight for your right,” she explained.

Passion

Who would have guessed the actress would be a fan of Urdu poetry? Mahira reveals that she is extremely fond of reading poems even though she is not well-versed with the native language. “I wish my Urdu was better, but I try to read as much as possible,” she said. Whenever she gets stuck, she calls her friends, who have a better command over the language, to help her through.

“No one in my family is as fond of reading poetry. My mother used to quote Iqbal and Faiz at times, but I really don’t know where my passion came from,” she revealed.

Talking about Nayyirah Waheed’s quote my heart is in my mind. I think this is why I am an artist, Mahira shared, “I wish my heart and mind were connected, that they were in sync. I can’t think with my mind, I think with my heart.

“I do everything that my heart says, therefore I go wrong sometimes. I also regret it a little. But I just read this quote recently and I was like wow, yeh kya baat keh di that’s exactly what an artist is.”

First crush

Talking about her personal life, the actress revealed that during her school days her first actor crush was none other than Shah Rukh Khan. “After watching his film for the first time, I searched for his lookalike in school and found two boys who I actually had a real life crush on,” she confessed.

Fast forward to present day, this diva is living her dream starring opposite the superstar in her Bollywood debut — a fact which she finds hard to believe. ”It’s surreal. It is something I am really grateful for,” she gushed.

“Everything in my life is a story that I like to romanticise, even if it is a cup of tea. So you can imagine that that moment was really special to me,” she added.

Fashion choices

“Believe it or not, I am not fond of dressing up. If you see me on a regular day, you will find me in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt or any of my 15 white shalwar kameez,” said the fashion icon.

“The best items in my wardrobe are from the streets of different cities. And there is no better place to shop from in the world than Sunday bazaar. So many of my bags and coats are from there, I love it.”

Love life

While the actress didn’t delve much into the matter, she did reveal that she finds it hard to fall in love.

“A relationship is important to me. I feel awkward talking about my personal life. I don’t fall in love easily, but once I am in love, it continues for years and years. It stays, has stayed and will stay with me forever,” she added.

“At this stage in my life, I feel scared to even think about it. But I strongly believe in love and that too old-school romance as described in old Hindi songs,” she further explained.