Pakistani actress Mahira Khan isn’t a fan of the word ‘revival’ — especially when used to describe her native entertainment industry.
“The word revival has started to make me uncomfortable because it’s such a redundant word. We are revived because I do not think we were ever over. It was just a bad spell,” said Khan in an interview.
Khan, who starred in the 2015 box-office hit Bin Roye, was in Dubai last week to promote her romance Ho Mann Jahaan, out in the UAE now. It may be Pakistan’s last movie of 2015, but this has been a remarkable year for the Pakistani film industry as several films such as the comic road trip adventure Karachi Se Lahore, romantic comedy Wrong No and mafia drama Jalaibee did brisk business. Their collective success indicated that the Pakistani cinema had come a long way since 2006, a year when it was on the brink of collapse.
Ho Mann Jahaan, a contemporary film about today’s young people in a metropolis like Karachi, is a sign that those ailing days are behind them. Written and directed by Asim Raza, the romantic comedy shot in Karachi is a tale of three friends who learn about love, conflict and life as they discover themselves gradually. It also features actors Sheheryar Munawar, Adeel Hussai and Sonya Jehan.
“I am not going to lie to you. It’s not some intense drama and I wouldn’t sell this to you as some magnum opus. It’s a sweet film about friends, changing times, different generations grappling with changes, passions and dreams... It’s made in a simple manner about our day to day lives. The characters will simply touch your hearts,” said Khan. This film ticks all the boxes that appeal to multiplex audiences.
“The success of big films will ensure that small films are also made,” said Khan. Terrorism thriller Waar and comedy Jawani Phir Nahi Ani remains one of the biggest blockbusters of recent times. Its success and public support gave the young producers the much-needed confidence to make more films.
“It’s a great time to be in this industry and I am getting some excellent scripts for films… I want the Pakistani films to be known for its content. And that doesn’t mean that we should make films which are happy and hunky dory. Good films with great content is what I dream about. That has happened with television dramas,” said Khan, who became a big star in Pakistan following the success of Humsafar, a hit television series starring Fawad Khan. Very soon, she will also be seen in Bollywood film Raees, starring Indian icon Shah Rukh Khan. So how was the experience of working with one of India’s most powerful matinee idol?
“It has been surreal to say the least… Initially, I was nervous. I was shooting for Bin Roy and Ho Mann Jahaan simultaneously. So I went to shoot Raes, I went there like a kid on the first day of school. I felt exactly the same as my first day in school. I was in tears. I was a nervous wreck but I had good people around me,” said Khan. She will now go back at the month end to resume the shoot the remaining portions for Raees.
However, her debut into Bollywood isn’t going to be as smooth as anticipated. India’s far-right political party,Shiv Sena, has called upon a boycott of Pakistani actors and forbidden them from promoting films in Maharashtra. But should art be politicised?
“Yes, art is being politicised. But I want to stay far away from it. I am so apolitical and whatever has happened in the past few months has made me even more apolitical. I don’t want to be close to politics.” She calls the possible boycott “unfortunate”, but doesn’t elaborate.
“It isn’t easy to break into Bollywood. But that’s not my goal. I don’t want to think of it as ‘I am breaking into Bollywood’. I am just doing a part. I want to do my part well and I want people to appreciate and tell me that I have done my part well,” said Khan. She isn’t alone. Her colleague Jehan, who plays the oldest member in the gang of four friends, believes that strong content can make a film invincible.
“This film is not a love triangle, it’s a love square,” said Jehan laughing at her own joke. She plays an independent, single woman who runs a successful business.
“She comes into their lives when things are not going too well… But you meet someone when you least expect it. It’s an important role because she guides one of them into going back to his roots, respecting friends and friendships.” But does the young man in question fall in love with her?
“You will have to watch the film to know that… But Ho Mann Jahaan is a typical Asim film. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything and it was nice to play my age,” said Jehan, the mother of two children. The grand-daughter of legendary actress and singer Noor Jehan was intrigued by her role from the word go.
“Ho Mann Jahaan meets international standards... I am impressed with the way things have improved in Pakistan. It wasn’t like this ten years ago... I was offered film but nothing good was coming out. It was unrealistic and it wasn’t something that I wanted to be seen in. But this film is not like that.”
Quote Unquote:
“What Priyanka [Chopra] has done is absolutely phenomenal. To be in Quantico and then act in a film like Bajirao Mastani is amazing. She makes it look really easy, but it is not. As a woman, that’s the way to go.” — Mahira Khan.
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