Mahira Khan breaks down in tears in Dubai as Fawad Khan opens up about struggles: 'It hasn’t been easy'

Dubai: What made Mahira Khan cry in Dubai? Not exhaustion. Not travel chaos. Not the wrong, old passport in hand. Not the whirlwind Neelofar promotions.

She cried because her Humsafar co-star Fawad Khan — normally guarded, composed, and famously private — opened up in front of a room full of journalists about the most vulnerable phase of his life.

It happened so unexpectedly that even Mahira wasn’t prepared. One moment he was answering a routine question; the next, his voice softened, dropped, and he shared something he has never publicly articulated before.

“I’ve always had love and ups,” he began quietly, “but maybe I wasn’t able to show it so much. In the last few years, it hasn’t been so rosy. I’ve seen quite a few downs — and there’s no secret about it.” He said it with an earnestness that was palpable.

“I’m touched by the people who have supported me,” he continued, visibly holding back emotion. “I’m thankful to the handful of them for believing in me. You still stand by me… thank you. Thank you. Honestly, I am very grateful.” Khan was alluding to how his earlier Bollywood release Aabeer Gulaal was marred by geopolitics that went far beyond his control.

That was the moment Mahira’s composure cracked.

She wasn’t just reacting as a co-star.
She was responding as a long-time friend who has witnessed the highs, the breaks, and the silent battles.

"Your words really hit me ... I don't know what to say but I can vouch that this has been one of the most challenging films of ours - more for Fawad," said Mahira, struggling to hold back tears.

Their decades-long partnership — from Humsafar to Neelofar — suddenly felt deeper, more tender, and more real than any scripted chemistry.

Perhaps this is why Neelofar, releasing over the UAE National Day weekend on November 28, feels particularly personal for both of them.

The movie survived a pandemic, long production gaps and emotional upheavals. Fawad admitted that restarting the film two and a half years after the initial shutdown “felt impossible at times,” but seeing the final cut made it worth the pain.

Mahira, meanwhile, insisted the film isn’t meant to provoke pity or preach a message. “If you look at Neelofar and only feel sympathy, then I haven’t done my job,” she said.

But after the breakdown, it was clear that the emotions on that stage were far bigger than the film.