Mahira Khan revealed that she met Sanjay Leela Bhansali after coming to Mumbai for a wedding when he was on the lookout for a Pakistani actress to be cast in Heeramandi
Mahira Khan Pic/Instagram
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan reveals that about 15 years ago ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali had offered her a role in his ambitious project Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. While Mahira was excited to be a part of it, things failed to materialize following political tensions between the two countries. She now speaks about her rendezvous with the movie maverick, and how she was advised to lie about her marital status to him.
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Bhansali offered Heeramandi to Mahira Khan
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Mahira Khan revealed that she met Bhansali after coming to Mumbai for a wedding when he was on the lookout for a Pakistani actress. Mahira met the filmmaker via Moin Beg and Bhansali asked for her pictures sans any makeup. She said, "What a man he is! So creative and a genius. He said, 'Can you wipe your lipstick off?' I said, 'I'm not wearing any lipstick'. So, he said, 'Wipe it off' and I did. He said, ‘Wow'. At that time he told me about Heeramandi. He was very excited that I could be a part of it but it didn't work out. It was in the works and it was a film at that time and right after that, some attacks happened. So for political problems, I couldn't work in it."
Heeramandi was released as a web series earlier this year. It starred Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Sharmin Segal, among others.
Mahira Khan was asked to lie about her marital status
Mahira’s first marriage was with Ali Askari. She had a son by him in 2009. However, they separated in 2015. Last year, she married for the second time to a Pakistani businessman, Salim Karim.
Mahira added that back in the day, she was advised to not tell Bhansali she was married. She states, “That night I couldn't sleep. I was anxious and couldn't sleep. So, I told Moin Baeg, that I want Sanjay Leela Bhansali's number because I want to tell him that I'm married. He said why? I said because this is the dream. I wanted to be an actor all my life, and I can't start it with a lie. So I called him up and told him this and he said, 'Aaah okay don't worry. Send me an audition.' The audition was of a piece from Mughal-e-azam.”
Mahira shot to fame with her roles in numerous Pakistani television series and projects, including 'Humsafar', 'Bin Roye', 'Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay', and 'Razia'. he made her Bollywood debut in 'Raees' alongside Shah Rukh Khan.
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