Meera sure knows how to stay in news — the saucy actor known for her stunts in her public as well as private life will now be seen playing the lead role in a film titled Hotal.

The movie which is set for a nationwide release in March is a psycho-thriller and is being dubbed as the “first Hindi feature film outside Bollywood” and has different actors from Pakistan.

Written and directed by Pakistani director Khalid Hasan Khan who is a graduate of the New York Film Academy, the film is centered on Kashika, a woman who ends up in a hotel where as the film's teaser says "she meets her sister who was never born".

The film which bagged the award for Best Film at the 3rd Delhi International Film Festival also honoured Meera, who couldn’t outshine previously in India, with Best Actress Award.

enter image description here

Meera with the award at the Delhi International Film Festival. — Photo Courtesy: Hotal's Facebook Page
Meera with the award at the Delhi International Film Festival. — Photo Courtesy: Hotal's Facebook Page

Speaking to The Hindu about Hotal, Meera commented: “The film gives out a social message. It depicts what a woman faces and touches sensitive issues like abortion, gender discrimination and superstitions. It is a new project for our film industry in Pakistan but I am sure that audiences all the world over will love it."

  Meera in the film 'Hotal'. — Photo Courtesy: Hotal's Facebook Page
Meera in the film 'Hotal'. — Photo Courtesy: Hotal's Facebook Page

Meera further remarked that she was "open to all kinds of opportunities and roles, whether it is a commercial movie or one with a strong social message. The role I have played in Hotal is different. It is not glamorous at all.”

With different Pakistani actors entering the Indian entertainment industry, Meera is hopeful of future collaborations between the two countries: “It is a very positive step. Bollywood films are extremely popular in Pakistan and now that our artists and television series are being appreciated here [in India], that makes it easier for viewers to understand what life is like in India or Pakistan.”

Opinion

Editorial

America at 250
07 Jul, 2026

America at 250

THOUGH America’s 250th independence anniversary observed on Saturday is a significant milestone, the celebrations...
Ravi encroachments
07 Jul, 2026

Ravi encroachments

SUPARCO’S satellite imagery reveals the rapid expansion of Lahore into the floodplains of the Ravi river, with the...
Misdirected justice
07 Jul, 2026

Misdirected justice

ACHILD will be tried in a court of law over January’s deadly Gul Plaza fire that claimed 72 lives, but not, it...
Islamic banking
Updated 06 Jul, 2026

Islamic banking

THE roadmap for eliminating riba from Pakistan’s financial system from 2028 offers some clarity on how the...
Prison reforms
06 Jul, 2026

Prison reforms

IF nothing else, it was good to see the four provincial chief executives sharing a common platform. The chief...
Preserving Taxila
06 Jul, 2026

Preserving Taxila

TAXILA is far more than a collection of ancient ruins. It is one of South Asia’s greatest archaeological ...