Pakistani drama: Art without boundaries

Despite her popularity here, Mahira admits that like many other Pakistani actors, she too had trouble obtaining a visa for her India visit. She says, “I was supposed to come to India before Humsafar went on air and my visa came this Friday while the show’s run was ending on Saturday. I felt I should at least make it to the country by Saturday.

I’m glad I made it somehow. I feel like I came in at the right time because Indians who have seen the show recognise me. I got so much warmth and love which is a huge thing for Pakistani actors. I speak for the entire Pakistani industry when I say we are proud our product is being appreciated.”

Mahira had a few things to say about India as well: “When my dada-dadi were alive they would share their memories of Delhi with us,” she recounts. “Nani still tells me how Meerut used to be. I had no idea about India as I was born and brought up in Karachi but I learnt about this country through my grandparents.

The only access I had to India was through films. My mother recalls, when Silsila came out, she got a VHS and watched it. I remember watching Ram Lakhan. So every time we come to India we feel we know the place because we have heard so much about it, we recognise Indian actors. Pakistanis are crazy about Indian films. We have Indian film songs playing at our weddings and in cars.”

Like her Humsafar co-star Fawad Khan, Mahira too is open to doing Bollywood films. “I want to do good work, even if it is an Irani film. If I get a good Bollywood offer, why not?

However, I never said I want to work with Ranveer Singh I read that somewhere, and I don’t know where that came from. I would like to romance Ranbir Kapoor and I have had a crush on Shah Rukh Khan since I was six,” she says.

She feels the trend of Pakistani actors and shows coming to India is great cultural exchange. “It’s great that Indian audiences will now get to know Pakistan. Our shows are not shot in studios so you will see our streets, you will see our lifestyle and even peek into our homes.

Crossing the border was always a problems, in fact it’s only now that our theatres are showing Bollywood films. It’s great that both countries have realised that art does not have a boundary,” Mahira says.