“I am human. I make mistakes.”

A lot of people waited with bated breath for Mahira Khan to reply when her pictures with Ranbir Kapoor were leaked to the media. But time simply passed by and Mahira chose to remain silent on the matter. While the Internet was exploding with some people fighting for her and others fighting against, Mahira quietly returned to Twitter by sharing a snippet of her upcoming film’s song ‘Power Di Game.’

Supporters of Mahira were thrilled that the Verna star took the high road but when Something Haute recently met the actor, we, of course, inquired whether that was a conscious decision on her part. “I’d be lying if I said that I decided right off the bat that I wouldn’t respond to this controversy. And I’m a very strong woman but when all of this happened, I was completely shattered and broken. I would think about posting a statement every day. Then I would stop myself because I just wouldn’t know what to say,” replied Mahira.

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“Thankfully, ‘Power Di Game’ was ready to be released, which I thought was perfect timing, so I just posted that as sort of a response to the trolls. But to be honest, I understand where all the criticism came from and it didn’t come from a place of hate. I’m not talking about the trolls but those who were genuinely disappointed to see those pictures. It’s the same disappointment that my nani or my mamoo would have felt seeing that. So even now when I meet an older lady who says that she didn’t like the pictures, I’m quick to apologize.”

Of course, celebrities face constant pressure to live up to the expectations of their fans and Mahira doesn’t shy away from that responsibility. “People ask me if I’m a good role model for my fans, and my response to that is that yes, I am a good role model but I’m not the perfect role model. I am human, I make mistakes. And I was really happy to see that there were so many people who stood up for me. It goes to show that the narrative in Pakistan is changing, and if nothing else, I’m happy to have been part of that narrative.”