Lahore-Arts Council’s Alhamra Hall II was packed by the time Pakistani super star Mahira Khan and filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat and Mira Hashmi got on the stage for the session In Conversation with the Verna actress.
Asked why you are signing films which make the censor board angry, Mahira said that I was on the set of Maula Jatt-2 when she heard the news that Verna has been banned. At that time set boy came towards me and said would you eat ‘Chapli Kabab’ I said why not. “I didn’t take any pressure because what I have learnt with the passage of time is everything gets settled and after few days the ban was removed. The reason I signed Verna was as an actor I wanted to stretch myself and Verna had that thing.”
About Verna, she said that she met Shoaib Mansoor in a café and he narrated the entire story. “When I told him to give me the script he refused and gave me the draft page. When I saw the page there were very impressive dialogues and it was at that time that I decided I will do this film. One of the dialogues was “Aurat ki Sari Izzat uske sare Vokat uske jism ke ek hisse me ha bus”. The difficult part was unlike any character I haven’t been through this emotion. So, playing a rape survivor was not an easy task for me,” Mahira was of the view.
About Pakistani cinema, Mahira said that she did not like branding cinema for the sake of comedy and social message. “What I believe is if you go watch a film and it doesn’t entertain you then it has failed to impress the audience,” she said.
About Verna promotion, Mahira said that it was a tense atmosphere and I was so much scared because after that scandal whether I should go or not. I took courage and insisted upon my team that we must go and then will see what happens. “When we reached the venue I was so much surprised to see an amazing turnout of audience,” she said.
She told the audience that she was so lucky to have amazing fans because sometimes when you are nobody these are the people who are always ready to support you. “They don’t judge on the basis of one thing because they have been with you from the start of your career,” she explained.
About Maula Jatt2, Mahira Said, “If I don’t push myself now, then when would I do it? For me it’s a new experience because I have never spoken Punjabi and I hope everyone is going to love it. One thing I can for sure say is when the audience will see Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi on screen they will surely love it,” she opined.
