Mahira Khan addresses the feedback she has been receiving on ‘Aik Hai Nigar’

Mahira Khan recently paid a humble tribute to the strength, determination and resilience of an accomplished Pakistan Army officer, Lieutenant General Nigar Johar, by portraying her character in a biopic (telefilm) Aik Hai Nigar.

Read More: Aik Hai Nigar: An inspirational biopic with powerful messages

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Mahira Khan shared her sentiments regarding the feedback she has been receiving.

“I’ve gotten messages from all over the world about this telefilm. I suppose it has hit some chords and perhaps it’s because of our hard work, intentions or that it’s a true story. When I saw the criticism, I told myself I would not let it affect me — even though it did,” she said.

“But this is not a narrative that was taken from someone or somewhere else. It was an idea Nina (Kashif) and I pitched. It took us a year to get clearance,” she added.

While she admits that some things could have been portrayed in a better way, she’s proud of it and owns the project she has worked so hard on.

“How many times do you see a biopic on a serving general, male or female? She’s serving in the army, she’s a woman, she’s the first general. There were many things we couldn’t talk about or there were things we couldn’t say but despite all of that, this was a story we needed to tell. Some things or one thing could have been said in a better way — but other than that I can’t be apologetic about something I’ve worked so hard for.”

Aik Hai Nigar traces the life of Lt. Gen. Nigar Johar, but what sets this telefilm apart is that it shows not only how she has excelled, but the setbacks, hardships and traumatic events that she went through in her career. The 100-minute long telefilm focuses more on the human element of her journey rather than her larger-than-life persona.