Mahira Khan won the hearts of Indian audience with her performance in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees. The actor, in a recent interview with BBC Asian Network, talked about being offered Heeramandi and recalled her first meeting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
(Also Read: Mahira Khan makes rare comment on viral photos of her smoking with Ranbir Kapoor: ‘Is my career over?’)
Mahira Khan recalls how she was asked to meet Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Mahira Khan recalled how her friend suggested her name and said, “I love Sanjay Leela Bhansali and I have been the biggest fan of his work. This is 15 years ago, I had gone for a wedding because it was my childhood friend’s wedding and she was getting married to an Indian guy. We were in Bombay and he (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) was looking for a Pakistani actress. Shoutout to Moin Beg, who came up with this concept. He was sitting with Rizwan Beg, a designer and they were discussing how they hadn’t been able to find a girl. My friend from Mumbai was in Pakistan to find her wedding outfit which was getting made from Rizwan Beg. Moin Beg was there and they said they’re looking for a girl from Pakistan for something. So, my friend Sharmeen said, ‘have you seen Mahira?’ She is a VJ.’ So, without telling me she took me to meet them’.”
“They get me to a studio and I was in this old simple white salwar kameez. There was a guy looking at me and half an hour later he said, ‘are you Madhubala?’ I said yes and then he said, ‘Would you like it if you did an Indian film?’ I said ‘Yes I’ll do, but with Shah Rukh Khan.’ Look at the mentality. He then said, “You are coming to India and I would like you to meet Sanjay Leela Bhansali.’”
Mahira Khan’s first meeting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali
She further added when she reached Mumbai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not in town but the day before she was leaving for Pakistan, Moin Beg called her and told her Bhansali wanted to meet her. She added that she did a photoshoot with no makeup because the filmmaker wanted her photos.
She then praised Sanjay Leela Bhansali and recalling her meeting with the filmmaker, 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.”
She added, “That time, it was this thing that don’t tell him you’re married. 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 a an audition.’ The audition was of a piece from Mughal-e-azam and come back and then that happened. And then, I went there for ‘Raees’ and I also met him during the making of ‘Raees’.”
Heeramandi released on Netflix this year. The show is set in the backdrop of the Indian independence revolution. The series showcases the clash between the courtesans of the red-light district of Heeramandi in Lahore and the officials during the British Raj. It stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Fardeen Khan, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. A second season is already in the works.
