Mehwish Hayat, a popular Pakistani actress, recently addressed rumors and allegations about her preference for scripts from Karachi-based filmmakers over those from Lahore. During a press conference for her upcoming film, “Teri Meri Kahaniyaan,” Hayat clarified that she chooses scripts based on their merit and the characters they offer, rather than the origin of the writer or producer.
The press conference became heated when a journalist accused Karachi of overtaking Lahore as the central city for the film industry and claimed that Karachi-based artists refuse to work in Lahore and reject scripts from Lahore-based filmmakers. The journalist also accused Hayat of ignoring and demanding higher fees from Lahore-based filmmakers to avoid working with them. In response, Hayat calmly and gracefully handled the situation, even jokingly remarking that she charges high fees to Karachi-based producers as well.
Hayat emphasized that there is no bias in the hearts of Karachi-based artists towards Lahore. She expressed her willingness to work in Punjabi films and clarified that she has not received any offers from Lahore yet. As an artist, she emphasized her focus on doing good work in the industry, regardless of the location or background of the project.
Hayat assured the audience that she reads all her emails and is aware of the projects her management handles, denying any intentional hiding of Lahore-based projects. She emphasized that a good script is her priority as an artist and that she looks at the story and her character before considering other factors such as the director, co-stars, or the team involved.
“Teri Meri Kahaniyaan,” the film Hayat was promoting, features a star-studded cast including director Nadeem Baig, Humayun Saeed, Wahaj Ali (making his film debut), Zahid Ahmed, Amna Ilyas, Sheheryar Munawar, Ramsha Khan, Hira Mani, and Mani. The movie, set to release on Eidul-Adha, is a collaboration between renowned Pakistani storytellers Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Abbas Naqvi, and Basit Naqvi.
