THE ICON INTERVIEW: THE MANY LIVES OF MEHWISH
Mehwish Hayat has been riding the wave of success for the last few years. She is one of the most sought-after actresses in the country. Adding to her impressive repertoire, she is now also known for her singing. Naturally, when an actress achieves that level of success, it creates an aura of mystery around her. The only way to unravel that mystery is to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. So we meet.
In the overcrowded café where Mehwish and I meet up, kids flock to her for selfies; others around us look in our direction to make sure that they are in the presence of the Mehwish Hayat.
“It’s good to be loved by all,” she says with her megawatt smile. Although these days one can see her face everywhere — in films, on TV, singing on a big music show — Mehwish has many secret lives.
Actress, singer, TV-show host and the face of numerous advertisements, Mehwish Hayat opens up as she gears up for the release of Punjab Nahi Jaungi, her first female-centric film
“I like to stay mysterious as I like to surprise people,” she says. The actor-turned-singer believes that a person should live his or her life fully. “Coke Studio is the ultimate platform for an aspiring singer but it was certainly not the first time I had sung.” Director Nadeem Baig selected her to sing the title track of Man Jali and later she was chosen to sing the opening theme of Nida Yasir’s morning show. “I have always been fond of singing and was lucky enough to debut under the supervision of talented people such as Strings and Shiraz Uppal in Coke Studio. Critics were out with their knives but since I got more positive feedback than negative, I am content with my performance. I have just completed a US tour where I performed in Houston, Dallas and New York… that wouldn’t have been possible had I been a failed experiment.”