Times Pakistani actor Mahira Khan spoke about 'Raees's traumatic experience
Pakistani actor Mahira Khan's appearance in Raees (2017)—alongside Shah Rukh Khan—is permanently etched in our minds. This film catapulted Khan to a newfound success in India. However, Khan's rise to fame wasn't long-lived as the call to ban Pakistani actors reverberated after the 2016 Uri attacks. Time and again, the actor has candidly opened up about the challenges she faced while working on Raees.
But first, let's recall what happened following the 2016 attacks
In the aftermath of the Uri attacks—the Indian film industry became embroiled in profound controversies—involving Pakistani artists working in India. This included Khan too. These artists not only faced severe backlash but were also made to return to their country. Consequently, Khan's career took an unfortunate turn, as she didn't get the chance to promote Raees or to return to India for future projects.
The backlash triggered her depression, Khan recently revealed
Recently, the Verna actor appeared on the Pakistani podcast, FWhy, and opened up about her struggles with mental illness. She revealed that the intense backlash she faced six to seven years ago served as a significant trigger. "I ended up in a psychiatrist's office, and she said, 'You have manic depression.' It's been six-seven years, and I've been on anti-depressants," the actor elaborated.
When Khan felt 'being punched in the stomach'
During a lecture at a Karachi university in 2017, Khan reportedly discussed how she felt "being punched in the stomach" when she saw Raees. "Even though the teaser said 'Introducing Mahira Khan,' I felt like being punched in the stomach when there was no such credit in the film...Then when it was released, I was banned in India and [Raees] was banned in Pakistan."
'I was angry, sad, hurt at that time…'
In 2018, Khan spoke about the impact of the tensions between the countries' entertainment industries on HARDtalk on BBC World News. "At that time I was angry...there were moments of disappointment and just hurt...Now I've come to a place where I believe that anger doesn't really make me a better actor. It doesn't do anything for me...so I've let go of that," stated Khan.
