Mahira Khan, the Pakistani actor, has opened up about her career and her personal life in a recent interview with Haider Rifaat.
She began by discussing her love for acting, stating that it was rare for someone to live their dream and that she was aware of it every second of every day. However, she admitted that trolling and setbacks make her hesitant, although she has never regretted anything in her career. She said that she enjoyed her job, loved the people she worked with, and had met many creative individuals.
“I’ve never ever in my entire career thought, ‘I wish I didn’t do this’,” stated the Superstar actor. “I love what I do, I enjoy my job, I love the people I work with, I get to play all these characters, and I get to meet people who are so creative.” Furthermore, the actor states that she believes she found the perfect place in which to thrive. “I don’t know if I would have thrived anywhere else, apart from an environment that was creative,” continued the Humsafar star.
Khan acknowledged that as a public figure, there was an element of the public owning her, but she remained her own person. She stressed that she was an individual first, before being an actor or a mother. “I am my fans, but I am also myself,” said Khan. “Before me being an actor, before me being a mother even, I am me, and then I am all these other things.”
She also said that she believes that everyone is equal, and she tries her best to be kind. While she admitted that she dealt with a lot of pain and hurt herself, she thought that being kind was the easiest thing to do. “In my career, I’ve tried to not be unkind,” remarked the The Legend of Maula Jatt star. “Sometimes you do feel hurt and want to say it as is, but how’s it matters if you come down to a level that you don’t like already? I think [being kind] is the easiest thing to do.”
Khan said that she found it challenging as an actor to be expected to deliver heavy emotional content on set while dealing with her own life's emotional baggage. “What I find hard is that as an actor, there are times when you are working, you’re delivering all this heavy stuff - you’re not only carrying emotional baggage from your home or your life, but you’re also taking on the emotional baggage of your character and then you’re on set. Sometimes, you’re just angry. And sometimes it’s not your anger. Sometimes you’re sad, and sometimes it’s not your sadness - it’s your character’s sadness or your own. But because you're in a position where everyone is looking at you and looking to you for that energy kindness or smiles, sometimes it’s draining,” Khan shared.
Taking a social media hiatus
She emphasised the importance of taking breaks from social media when she needs time off. “When I take a break from social media,” Khan went on, “Everyone should know I’m not in a good place. I just need time off.” She said that her family and close friends provided her with stability and helped bring her back to reality when she needed it. “My family, my brother, my mother, my father, my child - these are very, very important people in my life who bring that stability and who also bring me to reality. And then there are my friends. Some very special close people who are there to support me who see me going through a tough time and mauve can’t relate, but because they love me, they feel for me and are there for me.”
Khan admitted that it was difficult for people to relate to her struggles as a celebrity, especially with trolls targeting her online. “I don't think any of them can relate to what I'm going through because we all have a unique life,” she asserted. “Especially me, I’m in a position where it’s hard for people to relate.”
She also said that celebrities are the easiest targets, and their opinions and actions are often used as bait by the media or political parties. She understands why some celebrities are not vocal about issues, as she often faces criticism for speaking out. “We, as actors, stick our necks out, and we’re the easiest targets of them of all,” stated the actor. “We are the easiest targets.”
“If anybody else passes their opinion on something, it does not get that many tweets, likes, retweets, or headline news, as if I would have done it or another actor would have done it. We are easy targets. We are then used, whether it's by news or by journalism, by social media, or political parties. To put a point on us. So, I don’t blame them. I really don’t blame anybody who doesn’t stand up for what they probably believe in. When I do this [share an opinion], that’s the first thing I am told by my mother: why did you do this? Aren’t you thinking about us? Aren’t you thinking about your child?”
On women’s safety
Khan also addressed the issue of safety in Pakistan, stating that women, in particular, were not safe. “I’m not in a good position to be asked this,” began Khan, “because I am in a position where I am safer than most people, but do I feel my Nasreen, who works in my home, and she’s like family to me, do I feel she’s safe when she’s going back home? No. And nobody is really safe, it seems like - women specifically. It’s not about the clothes, it’s not about what you do, it’s just that we aren’t safe.”
As a National Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, Khan acknowledged that progress had been made for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, but there was still much work to be done. She believes that Pakistan has been one of the best hosts for refugees worldwide, but more needs to be done to ensure their safety and well-being.
Talking about the reason why celebrities are chosen for such tasks, Khan stated, “Why do they pick people like us? Because we are able to catch more eyeballs. Because of that, we are able to catch more ears. When we talk, people listen. And that’s why we’ve been given this responsibility to raise awareness.”
The Shehr-e-Zaat actor went on, “Of course, we don't know the gravity of the situation as well as they do. We don’t work the way they do, we are not on the ground all the time, we are not working with the refugees all the time, we are not putting in the hard work, as much as people who actually work there. What we do is we bring this cause to all of you guys. We raise awareness because we have our platforms. And yes, it does make a difference.”
Talking about an incident where she worked on a video for the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, Khan recalled, “I was doing a video for Shaukat Khanum, and I was talking to the doctors, and I’ve been working with them for 10 years, and they were like you cannot imagine what a difference you’ve made. I was like: no, no I haven’t. And they said: yes, you have. Anybody who has gone out there - me and several others - for Shaukat Khanum and raised breast cancer awareness has made a difference.”
On her personal journey
The Bin Roye star also reflected upon her personal journey. “When I now look and sit in this home that I am in now, which I’ve built, I can’t tell you, Alhamdulillah, what a joyous feeling it is,” she smiled. “And the feeling is that: oh my God, I can do this for my parents and my child, and my family. I look at these windows and I’m like - I swear, it sounds soppy or whatever - I used to clean windows like this. I’m constantly in a state of gratitude that I was in a position to do this. And I didn't do it in a hurry, I didn't do it overnight, I didn't do it in any way [where I can’t sleep at night in peace. That’s something that I’m proud of myself for.”
When asked about how she would like people to remember her, the star said, “When I go away, I would like people to remember me with a smile on their faces. And I’m sure that a lot of people will remember me with a tear - my close ones. But I would like them to remember me with a smile. Whenever they talk or think about me, or watch me see something of mine, with a smile and with joy.”
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