THE ICON INTERVIEW: ‘I DON’T NEED A LIST TO TELL ME I’M SEXY!’
Mehwish Hayat has always been fearless. And this trait of hers seems to have moulded the many facets of her career. It has resulted in a run of hit movies where she has dabbled with diverse roles, and it has prompted her to shimmy to an item song which enthralled but also appalled the country to the extent that, many years later, it still isn’t forgotten. Last year, she reached one of the high points in her career when she was awarded the prestigious Tamgha-i-Imtiaz [Medal of Distinction, Pakistan’s third highest civilian award]. Most significantly, Mehwish’s dauntless take on life has led her to stand out as one of the few local actresses who has a strong socially active voice, pinpointing issues via social media and boldly touching upon sensitive topics on international platforms.
But Mehwish has always been like this — even when she was new to the field, didn’t have a long line-up of hits to her credit and wasn’t bolstered by a shiny ‘Tamgha’. I remember meeting her some six years ago for our last interview. She had been riding the crest of a successful drama, and was at the cusp of starting her film career. Unlike many other young actresses, she had been forthright in her opinions while discussing bullying on TV sets. At one point, I remember her getting teary-eyed as she recalled an experience of her own. She had cried but she had been resolute that she would continue on with the project. This girl couldn’t be brought down so easily.
“I have never been afraid,” Mehwish muses to me now. “I stand up for myself and for what I think is right. But I make sure that I don’t attack anyone unnecessarily or hurt the sensibilities of my audience or the people of my country.
A decade into her career, actress Mehwish Hayat is older, wiser and arguably the most successful actress of her generation. But her real evolution is she now feels she has a duty to speak up...
“I think that my close network of family and friends have helped me stand strong in my beliefs. I don’t believe in maintaining fake friendships or asking for work. I have always let my work speak for itself.”