Mahira Khan had earlier expressed her regret about not being able to promote Raees with its cast and crew. However, later on, she joined Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and film’s producer Ritesh Sidhwani at the success party of the film via video call.
Talking to an Indian publication for the first time after the release ofRaees, Mahira opened up about her upcoming projects in an interview with DNA.
When the Humsafar star was asked to comment on how Pakistani dramas are much better than the Indian dramas, the actor replied, “I don’t know about it being better. But yes, we pour a lot of creative juices into our serials because the television culture in our country is very strong. The reason for that being the relative lack of growth in our movie industry. If we had a flourishing film industry here, perhaps television wouldn’t have evolved so much.”
Elucidating on how she made it big before Raees in Pakistan, Mahira said, “Even before Humsafar, I did a film Bol with Shoaib Mansoor — I am now working with him again — Bol was that one film in Pakistan in five years that made an impact. I was lucky to be in it. Right after Bol, Humsafar happened on television. Everyone associated with Humsafar and it saw a kind of success that had not been seen on television for a decade.”
“Television was the growing medium. All of us — Fawad Khan, me and the whole team — were at the right place at the right time. Television just grew because of the talent bank in Pakistan, the literary minds, all went into the television,” Ho Mann Jahaan actor added.
Comparing her performance in the Pakistani and Indian industry, Mahira told DNA, “I feel television has been a good training ground for my acting skills. The medium is very challenging because everything is shot in close-ups. On the big screen, one gets a far larger canvas and you can use your entire personality to express yourself.”
Mahira has made her mark as an actor worldwide. However, she revealed that in her upcoming venture, Verna, director Shoaib Mansoor wants her to sing! “Shoaib Mansoor feels I am a singer. He feels I am better at singing than acting. He wants me to sing in our new film, Verna. He knows his music. But I can’t! I am extremely self-critical,” Raees actor professed.
Mahira starrer Verna’s shoot is nearing completion; the film was being shot in Lahore and Islamabad and is rumoured to have cast Symtvocalist Haroon Shahid as one of the lead actors.
In an earlier statement, Mansoor said, “This film is being made by a man of Pakistan, to urge the men of the world to listen to women. It will encourage women to speak up. Khuda kay liye bol verna… (For God’s sake, speak up, or else…)”
Mansoor has also written the script of the film and like his previous film (Khuda Kay Liye), this one also promises to tackle social issues.
