Mahira Khan reveals she was ‘scared’ to sign web series on Indian platforms; calls ban on Pakistani artistes ‘sad’

Pakistani actor Mahira Khan, who made her Hindi film debut along with Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, recently opened up about the ban on Pakistani artistes in the Indian film industry. She spoke in detail about the web series which she has been offered that would stream on Indian digital platforms but had to let go of them because she was ‘scared’.

Speaking to Film Companion about the infamous ban, Mahira said, “I guess, having experienced it firsthand, it’s just sad. When I think about it… I mean, we have all moved on. That’s what we do, if we don’t have this, we do something else. That’s what happens. But I feel like a great opportunity for the entire subcontinent to come together and collaborate was lost. I think it might happen again. Who knows?”

Mahira, who will narrate one of the short stories in an upcoming Zee5 series, revealed that she got offers for other digital projects but turned them down. “A lot of the other series were offered to me and at that time… I don’t know if anybody will understand when I say this, I was scared. I was genuinely just scared. It wasn’t about what people say, I was just like, ‘I don’t know if I want to go there.’ And there was some content which was amazing, and I didn’t want to miss out on it,” she said. 

“But I was scared and I have no shame in admitting it. Now I am a bit more like, ‘No, come on yaar, you can’t let something that happened, which was political, affect your choices.’ So I don’t think I will do that anymore and I hope that we collaborate, even if it’s on digital or in any way,” she added.

 

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The All Indian Cine Workers Association had announced a total ban on Pakistani artistes after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019. Mahira made her Bollywood debut with Raees in 2017 but could not travel to India to promote her film. It remains her only Indian release to date.

The globally loved and prominent Indian channel Zee TV network giving a pleasant surprise to all fans and netizens has officially announced their new series on Twitter that they have roped in superstar Mahira Khan who is going to be a main and prominent part of it. “Sit back and explore unheard stories from the subcontinent! Watch Guriya, written by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and narrated by the multi-talented Mahira Khan on Sunday, May 15 at 2PM and 8PM only on #TataSkyTheatre,” wrote the official handle of Zee Network.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’ co-star Mahira Khan tests positive for Covid-19