Pakistani megastar Mahira Khan, who has performed in popular dramas such as Humsafar, Sadqay Tumhare and films such as Superstar and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, is present in the USA to promote her soon-to-be-released film Love Guru with actor Humayun Saeed.
A fan asked Mahira a question that has haunted her for years: would she resume work in Bollywood again?
Mahira, who had made her Bollywood debut sharing the screen space with Shah Rukh Khan in Raees (2017), answered back in a reflective and measured tone.
“I think we need to look inwards; we need to look at our own industry. I’m a person who doesn’t believe in the cancel culture or the boycotts. I’m talking in general terms—I don’t think it’s the right way to go about it. But under the circumstances, we’re all emotional.” Rather than promoting such extreme views, which becomes one’s right due to situations, we should work on ourselves. Also, in the end, it’s your country which becomes your safe haven. I think we should invest in ourselves, in Pakistan.
Her remarks have evoked a positive and negative response on social media. While some people admired her mature and diplomatic word, lauding her appeal to develop Pakistan’s entertainment industry, others criticized her for not taking a firm stance on India-Pakistan bifurcation in entertainment.
I gave a politically correct response, but everyone wanted to hear a stronger stance,” one user wrote. Another defended her view: “She’s right—we need to concentrate on the Pakistani drama television industry, one of Asia’s largest.
