No matter how tough my life was, I was always looking up at the sky and wishing for good things.
Mahira Khan
The price of wisdom is innocence. So, I have definitely become wiser but sadly a little less innocent.
Through life's ups and downs, and the few mistakes we make and all the successes that we get, let nobody - nobody's opinion - define who you are. And if anybody defines who you are, let it be yourself.
My first priority is my child.
Failure is knowledge, and knowledge is success.
If it were up to me, I would wear a peshwas and a gharara everywhere.
I am the first Pakistani actress who got the opportunity to work with Shah Rukh Khan as the main lead.
I've given 'Bin Roye' everything, and I'm hoping that people enjoy something different coming from Pakistani cinema.
Being the Lux girl has been a real journey! I did my first ad before my first film released. I was shy and unaware.
Money is not a driving force for me when it comes to my passion: that is, dramas and films.
Empowering women with better education, being sensitive towards their wellbeing, health, happiness, ensuring equal opportunities, and respecting their rights will go a long way in transforming Pakistan.
I'm the poster child for cyber bullying. It's hurtful.
I was shooting for 'Bin Roy' and 'Ho Mann Jahaan' simultaneously.
If I have to choose between a Bollywood film and Pakistan film, it may sound cliched, but I will go with the script first. And if both the scripts are equally good, then I will choose a Pakistan film.
I am very excited about 'Raees.' But more than this, I am nervous, too. It feels like I am under pressure to show my acting skills.
When I read my interviews, I feel, is it me? I constantly wonder if someone will get hurt if I say this or that. It is unfortunate that I am scared to say what I feel.
As many have said before me, artists are creative people who can't be dragged into the politics of nations. I have always made a concerted effort to maintain this standard for myself.
I want to be able to bring out stories like 'Verna,' as well as stories which are of the modern and new generation like 'Ho Mann Jahaan,' which is a film I did of the youth of Pakistan.
Like every woman, I do have a #MeToo story, but if somebody wants to share something personal, they should do it when they want to, not because there is a movement or someone else is talking about it.
The Lux girl is every girl as far as I'm concerned. She can be shy, confident, boisterous, elegant, or clumsy.
You don't feel good about being criticised, especially when you've been loved so much.
If my co-actor shines, it means I have shone as well and vice versa.
I have dealt with criticism from my first drama, and I think that is a part of our profession. It brings me down but definitely pushes me to do better.
I honestly didn't know how well Bin Roye would fare with audiences. I couldn't be indifferent while watching it. I kept seeing tiny nuances that I could have changed with my role.
People have asked me about what it's like to work in Pakistan and abroad. It's such a healthy cultural exchange.
I actually never wanted to be a VJ. Never. It just so happened that I became a VJ, and I was actually kind of like, 'I don't want to be a VJ. I want to be in the movies.' So yeah, I always wanted to be an actor.
I was dreaming of wearing a sari and dancing like Madhuri Dixit. I also used to dream of working with Shah Rukh Khan. I did nothing to make it happen. I only dreamed and believed in my dreams.
Good films with great content is what I dream about.
My understanding is the day I start looking at myself as a star is the day I will die as an actor.
I like watching a 'Ram Leela.' I like my dance and song.
I don't want to be close to politics.
After watching Guru Dutt's films, I became a huge fan of Sahir Ludhianvi's poetry and the songs of Guru Dutt's films.
I'd love to work with Vishal Bhardwaj and Imtiaz Ali.
It doesn't matter how I conduct myself or what I wear or how I speak or where I sit or what I do. That does not allow anybody to harass me.
Shah Rukh Khan is magic, really, honestly. He spoilt me for life. There's nothing you can't talk to him about, and we've had amazing conversations.
It isn't easy to break into Bollywood. But that's not my goal.
I am human. I make mistakes.
I work with the same dedication and zeal in all my projects, but 'Raees' is very special.
Life is such a beautiful thing. When you sit for a moment during the day and live that particular moment, everything seems perfect.
I don't think that I can tell any story better than the story of my own country, than the stories of my own countrymen.
Bollywood was never really the aim, actually. I mean, sure, you could argue that I could have done more films there; for sure, I could have.
When you put so much effort and hard work in a project, you wish to see the results.
I believe in one thing, and that is content, because if your content is strong, the film will surely be hit at the box office.
I have grown up watching Bollywood films, watching Shah Rukh Khan's films. I am happy that I worked with him.
The success of 'Humsafar' comes with an added responsibility that whatever I do next has to be as good if not better, and I also don't want to miss out on my son's growing up years.
I am an anomaly in my country. I hope, in the coming years, there will be more women like me.
I do only one film at a time.
When 'Humsafar' did well, every single person associated with it shined. Its DoP [Director of Photography], Shehzad Kashmiri, went on to become a huge director. So, a good and successful project just blesses everybody.
I just want to do the best work wherever I go. It could be here in Pakistan or India or anywhere else.
I don't even have time to buy clothes.
