Mahira Khan On Battling Depression After Backlash Over Raees: "I Felt Attacked"

"I couldnt sleep, my hands used to shake," said Mahira Khan

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, in a recent interview, opened up about her mental health struggle and being diagnosed with manic depression. Talking to FWhy Podcast, the Raees actor said that her mental health aggravated after stepping into Bollywood with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, and the 2017 incident, where pictures of her smoking with actor Ranbir Kapoor went viral. Mahira Khan made her Bollywood debut with Raees alongside Shah Rukh Khan in 2017, the same year the smoking pictures with Ranbir Kapoor went viral. Reflecting on the backlash she faced, Mahira said, "That (backlash) brought out the anxiety and depression hidden inside me. That was a hard time for me. I felt attacked. The constant backlash… You are getting mean tweets, and comments on their channels (Indian channels). That was a time my faith broke and I developed severe anxiety to the point that one day I had a panic attack and fainted. That was the first time I went to therapy. But that didn't work out, as I went to several therapists... that year was rough... I couldn't sleep, my hands used to shake."

Mahira also discussed about the 2016 Uri attack, after which Pakistani actors were banned from working in Bollywood.

Mahira said, "I had finished the film (Raees) and everything was going fine and then suddenly this attack (Uri attack) happens. Politically everything gets messed up. With India, it is always political. But the fact that it could get this messy! I was not scared, but I was threatened. Constant tweets I would get calls, and very scary ones. The only thing I wanted was that 'Okay fine I can't go to India to promote it (Raees), but I hope it releases in my country because I knew people would rush to watch it as he (Shah Rukh Khan) is loved here (in Pakistan)."