We can all agree that Mashal blew us away in last week’s episode of ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay‘! We were all floored, to say the least! And let’s not forget Kubra Khan’s superb performance, she definitely did justice to her role and we can totally see her being nominated in upcoming award shows! However, we know you still want your “Mashal-fix” for the week,so here are first-person excerpts from Kubra’s interview with FUCHSIA where she reveals seven lesser-known facts about Mashal. Enjoy!
1) Mashal Just Wanted To Be Loved
I did not expect Mashal to get so much attention & notice all her shades. Mehreen and Mashal could have been friends. But with their childhood history and circumstances, the egos & misunderstandings, it never happened. Mashal is not negative or positive. She is grey and carries several layers with her. She carries pain and I like that people can see that.
She is bad…I will not defend her. But there’s a reason for it. She was jealous too, but she handed over her glass of water to Mehreen. (So maybe, she’s human like us after all?) She was neglected, compared, then the person she liked – Aswad, loved someone else. The girl she thought was her best friend, became her competition. Mashal just wanted love.
2) The Reason Why Mashal Is Snacking On Walnuts All The Time
She eats akhrot (walnuts) to show power – a form of taking her anger out. Mashal’s role was very challenging. I would be directed, “Tum khush ho. Lekin andar tumhaare dard hai, lekin logon ko lag raha hai tum ghussay mrin, lekin andar tum jal rahi ho, lekin tum empathetic bhi ho.”
I had initially said no to Mashal and HKKST but in the end, it chose me. I needed this script to understand acting and develop my career. You’d be surprised as to how many people related to the saazishen in the storyline. Tons of practice helped me in delivering dialogues. Whether you’re playing a positive or negative character, you have to believe you are right. Only then will it seem real to your viewers.
3) Who Are Kabir Khan & Mahir Khan?
Mahira and I come together on set, watch our scenes, sometimes in my pj’s, we wait for the food. We are more like two boys. They call us Kabir Khan and Mahir Khan on the set. We played Monopoly once on the set and Usman Mukhtar was cheating. I cheated just once in Sequence. Usman Mukhtar and my energy matched so well. He’s such a sweetheart. He opens up with the right people and sometimes I would just die laughing. The ice-breaking point was when we played video games together. We are both hardcore video gamers. I’ve been playing Destiny, The Viking, Halo … quite a few.
4) Prepping For Her Role In ‘Sinf-e-Aahan’
If I show you how many bruises I have from ‘Sinf-e-Aahan‘ because were doing actual cadet training. We have not used any dummies – guns, water bags, 10 kg boxes, we’ve lifted them all! But honestly, my girls are all made of steel. Yumna, Sajal, Syra, everyone is doing such a fantastic job.
5) The Three Year Hiatus
Acting has become a huge part of my life but I needed some time off to be Kubra, to find myself again. You shouldn’t force yourself till you’re ready. I was doing a film too, though not for dramas. Overall, COVID-19 and Lockdown also prolonged the break. Moreover, in your personal life too you sometimes question yourself. I went through a phase when I felt a blur in my head and heart. So I advised myself to stay close to my core. If you know what you’re doing is right for you then it’s all good. If you can look in the mirror with a clear conscience, you’re okay. People around you might make you feel like you’re on the wrong path but if you feel you’re okay, then it’s fine.
6) Her Mother Is Her Rock
My mother watched 2 or 3 episodes. She called me and couldn’t stop laughing, she said, “What am I watching my daughter do? I didn’t bring you up like this!” Because we as actors empathise so much in our jobs, we are also very sensitive when we hear negative comments. My mother helps me clear things and pick my battles as long as my conscience is clear.
7) On Trying Her Best To Improve Her Urdu
I struggle with Urdu fluency. In the industry, we have learnt to coexist. We are very supportive. In ‘Sinf-e-Aahan’, we support each other and there’s great energy. For me, people will not remove the label that I have come from London and that my Urdu is not good. I have decided to move on and improve myself. What matters is that people close to me should understand me. It’s time we spend energy fixing ourselves instead of pointing fingers.
