Mashal Khan opens up about leaving showbiz, urges financial literacy for women

Former actor Mashal Khan discussed the importance of women being financially independent and prepared for all circumstances, urging them not to expect the worst but to be ready for it.

In an interview, Mashal stated, "What I am doing now is my mission. Who else in Pakistan is going to teach people the importance of financial planning? Everyone is just selling something, sharing a link, or making their own money," she said.

Noting the importance of financial planning for women in particular, Mashal questioned, "What happens if the husband dies and everything goes to his family? Where will you go when your safety was tied to him and not in a good way?" She continued, "You do not do financial planning because you hope something bad will happen, but rather because there is a rare risk that you may someday have to handle a difficult situation."

Mashal added, "Financial literacy is not just a woman’s issue."

According to the former actor, investors and business owners in Pakistan often took advantage of ordinary people while catering primarily to the elite. "The common person fears going to a bank branch. Even now, advertisements run in English, the slogans are in English. You do not serve an ordinary person," she said.

Further, Mashal shared her views regarding poverty and Pakistan's education levels, emphasising that she wanted to be someone who made a positive difference. "Many people ask me why I do not apply abroad and get better opportunities. What kind of person would I be if I had every chance to do something for my own country but instead I made a name for myself and left to go abroad?" she noted.

Moving to discuss the ways in which men and women differed in their approach to financial decision-making, Mashal argued that the former could be more influenced by their ego than women, which could affect their financial decisions and everyday business transactions. "I think men’s worst quality is that they let ego dictate their decisions. Ego is the worst emotion to have. Women adapt and overcome. They actually historically make better fund managers than men globally," she said.

The former actor added, "I have seen the smartest man make the stupidest decisions based on emotions."

Alongside her advocacy for financial literacy, Mashal also opened up about her decision to leave acting, saying she hoped to pursue things that brought her genuine happiness and a sense of purpose.

"I realised I wanted something else from life. I wanted to be happy, but happiness is not a destination. It is the pockets of happiness you get alongside the journey, and I never got that in the showbiz," she said.

Mashal stressed, however, that she did not blame the industry itself, but believed she was not suited to the particular working environment. "I used to get sick a lot, do hospital visits and then I realised that I needed to make a change," she said. Mashal added, "You would think actors have amazing lives, but you should ask them how hard they work. It is blood, sweat and tears. I physically do not have the energy for it. I wanted to be with my family. I wanted to sit down and read. When doing acting, I had not read a book for two or three years."

Mashal revealed that while filming her last project, Pagal Khana, she realised that it would be her final one. "It was a project from the heart and reminded me of why I loved acting, but it also made me realise that this type of project won’t always find me again. I do not want to be happy for just one day but every day," she said.

Mashal is currently a managing director and chief marketing officer at KTrade Securities, a brokerage firm, where she is also involved in retail trading. She also provides corporate leadership support through digital advocacy.