Your mind should be big enough to fit both, my Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and the song Billi: Mehwish Hayat

Actor opens up on Bollywood, Benazir Bhutto and backlash over national award

Mehwish Hayat is clearly not afraid of taking a stand. Not only has the actor been calling out the unfair depiction of Muslims and Pakistan in Bollywood films, she has now declared she will continue speaking the truth, even if Indian film-makers don’t cast her.

Speaking to BBC Urdu, the Punjab Nahi Jaungi starlet claimed Bollywood film-makers would never cast her because she has been calling them out. And frankly, she prefers that much more.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/MEHWISH HAYAT

“I’d rather speak the truth and not get cast in their films,” Hayat stated. “This is not something that I’ve said right now. I’ve been saying this all along. Maybe because of the current crisis, this has amplified so much. But it has been my stance since day one!”

The actor then invited film-makers portraying Pakistanis in a negative light to come and witness for themselves what the country is like. “Come and see for yourselves what a peaceful country and what a peace-loving nation we are,” Hayat said. “We are famous for our hospitality around the world.”



She also confirmed playing Benazir Bhutto in an upcoming biopic. Hayat showered praises on the former PM saying, “I loved Benazir Bhutto! She was the first female prime minister of Pakistan. That’s such a great thing! People need to see and know more about her.”

She added, “Things are written in books and people do read them. But film is another medium altogether. Our generation needs to know more about Benazir.”

Hayat has been reading up on Bhutto to gear up for the role. “The more I read about her, the more I am inspired but I also get sad. We lost a great leader,” she said.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/MEHWISH HAYAT

Asked about the controversy that escalated after she was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Hayat said, “The size of your mentality and your mind matters. Your mind should be big enough to fit both my Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and the song Billi.”

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