Mahira Khan, the stunning Pakistani actress who won hearts worldwide with her powerful performance opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, recently opened up about her fair share of personal and professional challenges. Through it all, she has demonstrated incredible resilience.

Mahira Khan, the stunning Pakistani actress who won hearts worldwide for her powerful performance opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees, recently opened up about her fair share of challenges, both personally and professionally, how, through it all, she has shown incredible resilience.

In a candid conversation with BBC Asian Network, the actress reflected on some of the most trying times in her life. One of the most difficult periods came after her divorce and as a single mother.

But that wasn’t all. Mahira also had to deal with the fallout from a ban on Pakistani artists performing in India, as well as the emotional turmoil sparked by viral photos of her smoking with Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor. The images, which surfaced in 2017, left Mahira devastated, and she admits they took a serious toll on her mental health.

“It’s been a crazy ride,” Mahira shared, speaking about the ups and downs of her journey. “My audience has travelled this journey with me — the divorce, having a baby, being single for so long, those photos coming out, a ban somewhere else in another country… it was just insane,” she said, adding ,” those were tough times and amazing times but there also have been moments that have been tougher but I have chosen not to share them.”

‘Is my career over?’

On the viral photos with Ranbir, Mahira confessed that she feared it could mark the end of her career. “‘The Little White Dress’ that was published in BBC and I failed to see the brilliance of that article at that time. In fact, I think I may have. I remember reading it and thinking, ‘Is my career over?’ In that article, it was written that ‘here is a woman who has achieved this kind of success that no one in Pakistan has achieved, all the endorsements and all that, and now it is all gone. What is going to happen to her?’ I read it and I was like ‘Damn.’ But I told myself, ‘Are you mad? This is going to end,’ maybe it was the 14-year-old Mahira that told me. But I won’t lie that that time was very tough. I wouldn’t get out of the bed, I was crying daily, it affected my professional and personal life. Lots happened on my personal side,” she revealed.

Despite the emotional weight, Mahira found strength in herself and her decisions. “I did the right thing personally. I made some personal choices that were right for me and my child. Professionally, I kept quiet because I knew at that point I couldn’t say anything. All the brands called me and said we are with you,” she said.

The 2017 photos of Mahira and Ranbir strolling through New York with cigarettes in hand sparked a frenzy online, with many speculating about their relationship. However, Mahira’s story proves that no matter the setbacks, she has always come out stronger.