Mahira grows into her stardom

Actor talks ‘Love Guru’, showbiz, and finding her rhythm

When Mahira Khan sits down for an interview, she makes it adequately evident that she is indeed a star, a performer who never fails to deliver. Her recent appearance on Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt felt less like a Q&A and more like a rollercoaster ride through memories, mistakes, men and films.From defending Fawad Khan’s dance moves to calling Nadeem Baig an “addiction,” Mahira’s hour and a half-long tell-all speaks to her endless charm and candour.

“I felt like a child again,” Mahira recalled being on the set of Love Guru, her eyes gleaming. “I had the time of my life.”

After years of near misses and misfires — she famously said no to Punjab Nahi Jaungi and turned down a few other Nadeem Baig projects — Love Guru is her long-awaited collaboration with Pakistan’s blockbuster director. “Nadeem Baig is an addiction,” she confessed. “I wish I’d worked with him earlier.”

Turns out, it was worth the wait. “I was doing a dance with Nadeem at one point. I couldn’t even understand what he was saying, but we just vibed,” she said about her chemistry with the director.

And while Mahira has always been known as an actor’s actor, she was clear: it’s directors who fascinate her. “I’m very amused by directors. Every director has their own unique personality,” she mused. “Actors don’t really do it for me. But directors, I fall in love with them.”

The brotherhood of blockbusters

Mahira had nothing but praise for her co-star Humayun Saeed. “There’s no one like him. He’s generous, secure, and just has a big heart,” she said. “He’ll give the best line to his co-actor and say, ‘It’s your scene, speak now.'”

But it wasn’t just Humayun who got love. Her long-time collaborator Fawad as well as Fahad Mustafa and Bilal Ashraf, Mahira’s favourite trio, were all in the mix.

“I call Bilal ‘Billu Bhai.’ Every time I needed him, I’d call him and he’d show up.” she smiled. “Fahad, on the other hand, is a fantastic dancer. I love dancing with him.” On the other hand, Fawad, she candidly dubbed a “terrible dancer.” While the duo’s chemistry has delighted fans for years, Mahira revealed an equally intimate off-screen dynamic. “What I cherish about Fawad is those moments when he’s true to himself. That’s rare. I’ve always protected that side of him.”

Marriage and motherhood

Mahira also opened up about her marriage and the fears that preceded it. “I was scared,” she admitted. “Not of love, but of how it would affect Azlan. I chose to leave a marriage once. I didn’t want my son to go through that again.”

It was Azlan who gave her the green light. “He said, ‘Mama, what’s wrong with you?’ That’s when I knew it was time.”

Now, Mahira is happily married to businessman Saleem Karim and glowing with gratitude. “Azlan loves him for his own reasons, not just because I do.”

Regardless of good and bad times, the star’s faith in the universe remains unshaken. “I tell Azlan all the time: imagine, pray, and work hard for it. I’m a living example of manifestation,” Mahira said, grinning. “I even wrote letters to the love of my life and became his Zaalima! But remember, every dream has a price.”

Calling out nonsense