Mahira Khan talks about her role in Verna
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan talks to tabloid! about her role as an abused woman who fights back in ‘ Verna’, out on Thursday. Plus, Haroon Shahid on his big movie debut
While its unclear whether Mahira Khan and co- star Haroon Shahid share a crackling chemistry in
Verna, the duo definitely displayed an easy camaraderie while promoting the Shoaib Mansoor- directed film in Lahore.
The movie, which releases in UAE cinemas on Thursday, has been at the centre of a promotional blitzkrieg that has seen its two lead stars travel all over Pakistan. The muchtalked- about film has also been at the centre of a media storm.
Verna deals with the issue of rape and harassment by those in positions of power, a story that continues to unspool in real life as Hollywood reels from the downfall of disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein.
However, Verna’s story didn’t sit well with the Central Board of Film Censors ( CBFC) in Pakistan, which in turn slapped a ban on the film for its “edgy content” that was allegedly “maligning state agencies”. The public outcry, and the corresponding social media hashtag # UnbanVerna, resulted in the decision being reversed the next day following a review by the Appellate Board.
Ahead of the film’s release, and while the storm was finally blowing over,
tabloid! caught up with the actors for an exclusive chat.
What was the first thing that crossed your mind
when you read the script of Verna? Mahira Khan: That I need to do it. Period.
Haroon, did you ever feel that your launchpad in cinema was going to be a woman- oriented film, and one which had Mahira Khan in the lead?
Haroon Shahid: Not at all. I think it’s a misconception that Verna is a woman- oriented film. It is, in fact, a human- oriented film. It would be unfair to see it in terms of gender roles.
Khan: Absolutely. I agree 100 per cent.
But obviously, she has an author- backed role.
Khan: That’s a very common thing we get asked. I also had answered exactly what Haroon just said. Why do we do that? Do we do that based on the number of scenes an actor has in the film? Are you trying to say that I have a meatier role? That’s a very surface- level analysis, because when you see the film you’ll realise how important his character is.
Having said that, in a good film — and it could be a film which has 12 characters or which has several stories coming together, etc — every character will shine.
Has doing this film sensitised you towards the issue of sexual abuse?
Khan: Of course. I think that is the beauty — or upside — of being an actor. You are a sensitive person already — a good actor is usually a sensitive human being — and then doing certain roles and playing certain characters you are constantly ‘ feeling.’ There’s a very simple way to do it: put yourself in that character’s shoes.
So, as an actor, I can’t have any judgment on a character. And I have had many judgments on characters, and that’s when I failed; when I’m, like, ‘ Why did she do this or that?’ That’s when you fail. You’re to get into the character’s shoes, and once you’ve done that, you’ll be them, and you
will justify everything that you do.
Howdid you prepare for the role, especially considering Shoaib Mansoor leaves a lot to the actors?
Khan: Shoaib Mansoor is the kind of director who gives you the best meat in the world — it’s like Australian beef — and it’s just amazing; he marinates it, it’s prime, and all you’ve to do is cook it right. That’s what we do in his films.
Shahid: I had my senior [ looks towards Khan] constantly watching over me, and this was probably one of the main reasons why I was able to perform whatever I did. If my performance turns out bad…
Khan: … the discredit will be mine! [ Laughs]
Haroon, what was the best acting advice your ‘ senior’ gave you?
Shahid: Oh, it was more than just advice. I believe that advice alone wouldn’t have worked as effectively as the way she helped me out. A lot of times I wouldn’t know if I had the right expressions on my face, but I knew Mahira was there and would help me get it right.
Jodie Foster, who
won an Oscar for playing a rape survivor in the 1988 Hollywood movie
The Accused, said in an interview: “It [ rape] isn’t about intimacy; it’s about power and violence; control and domination… There is this incredible spiritual and physical invasion with rape and a completely, utter, emotional
force. It’s hard to figure out.”
Khan: Yes, absolutely. That’s such a good quote; I’m actually going to post this on my Instagram [ profile]. That’s precisely what rape is; it’s not about you lusting for a person, it’s about you showing the other person that you are more powerful. So actually, more than sexual abuse, Verna is about the misuse of power, and how Sara [ her character in the film] goes out and says, “OK, if it’s a power game, come on, let’s play it!”
Did you have a lot of discussions with Mansoor about your character’s nuances?
Khan: I was nervous about playing this character because, you know, this is Shoaib Mansoor’s only film so far where there are no side tracks or subplots. That can be very hard for an actor — it’s almost like you’re going to carry it alone, and there’s nothing in the middle to distract. So I couldn’t miss a beat. I had to really be on the alert. That was the