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Raees premiered for the press last night and reviews are in.

If fans of Mahira Khan were waiting with bated breath for praise of her Bollywood debut, they should have let out a long, sad sigh by now.

Mahira's performance as Aasiyah, wife of the the titular Raees played by Shah Rukh Khan, has almost been universally panned by mainstream Indian publications.

Many reviews consider Mahira's role too insignificant. Bollywood Life calls her "a decorative showpiece", Hindustan Times says she's "little more than a prop", while Pinkvilla writes that "The otherwise luminous Mahira Khan is not used well... She definitely doesn't do much for the story besides being easy on the eye." Times of India complains that Mahira "doesn’t really add much. If her purpose was to soften the baddie, it’s lost on the viewer."

Also read: Mahira promotes Raees in Dubai, says she still can't believe she's cast in the film

Some publications claim that she has no chemistry with SRK. DNA India says, "The romance between SRK and Mahira has no spark." Indian Express calls her character's coyness "old Bollywood".

Some of the remarks were rather below-the-belt, like Deccan Chronicle claiming that "Debutante Mahira Khan is awful. She is probably the first ever actress paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan who fails to ignite the spark with her chemistry on screen."

It was a known fact that Mahira has a small role in the film, but did her performance really warrant the all-out bashing? Given that the criticism is at times malacious, instead of constructive, one has to wonder whether the tense political climate has impacted the integrity of the reviews.

Mumbai Mirror went as far as to say that "Investing in Mahira Khan's visa was a wasted cause as the actress can barely construct half an expression". Koimoi claims that Mahira "does nothing special and for all we care, any Bollywood actress could have pulled off that role. She even fails to emote appropriately in a few scenes."

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It was a known fact that Mahira has a small role in the film, but did her performance really warrant the all-out bashing? Not only is Mahira a well-loved actor in India owing to the popularity of her TV serials like Humsafar, but Raees' trailer and song videos have been well-received. Given that the criticism is at times malacious, instead of constructive, one has to wonder whether the tense political climate has impacted the integrity of the reviews.

This is not to say that her performance wasn't positively reviewed at all. Zee News writes, "Pakistani sensation Mahira Khan is like a breath of fresh air. She has succeeded in making a fair first impression on the audiences." The Financial Express was also all praise, "Mahira Khan makes a startling debut and we hope that once the furor over Pakistani actors has died down, we’ll get to see some more of this wonderful star in Bollywood."

And what do we think?

Watch this space for Images' reviews of Raees, which comes out tomorrow.