Pakistani actress Mahira Khan gave her fans not just one, but two reasons to rejoice this week. Not only did the actress make her highly anticipated debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, but she also announced that she is expecting her second child almost 17 years since her first child was born.
Mahira shared the news herself on Instagram on Sunday, September 13, posting a photograph in which she can be seen cradling her baby bump in a flowing white outfit. Rather than a lengthy announcement, she kept the caption simple and deeply personal: “We make plans and then there is Allah’s plan.” The post was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages from fans and fellow celebrities.
The baby will be Mahira’s second child and her first with husband Salim Karim, whom she married in October 2023. She is already mother to her 17-year-old son Azlan from her previous marriage.
A Very Different TIFF Appearance
The pregnancy news comes at a particularly critical time for Mahira, considering that she was also making her debut on the world stage at TIFF.
The reason behind her attending the TIFF event was because of the world premiere of a film titled Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother which is directed by an American filmmaker of Pakistani origin Bassam Tariq and stars Mahershala Ali. Alongside the movie, Mahira was also a part of the Community Impact Programming of TIFF in which she hosted a discussion about storytelling, representation and South Asian experience in the diaspora. She and Tariq were also set to receive the Muslim Excellence in Cinema and Art award.
But understandably, much of the attention was on Mahira herself.
When it came to her red carpet look, she wore an intricately designed burgundy sari by Aafrinish by Niazi and did not hide her baby bump; rather, she let it show through. What is ironic is that Mahira revealed that choosing what to wear was one of the reasons why she was nervous about revealing her pregnancy.
“I’m generally quite a private person, so revealing anything personal makes me a little apprehensive,” she told Images. She added that, on a more superficial level, she was worried about the clothes because “being pregnant, showing, and then doing a red carpet is a very different experience.”
Eventually, however, she decided not to hide it.
“This is where I am in my life right now,” she explained. “There was something quite freeing about just embracing it rather than trying to hide it.”
This might be what distinguished her appearance from other appearances of celebrities at such events. This time around, Mahira Khan did not distinguish between her career success and her personal life. She showed up at one of the most famous film festivals in the world just as she is right now; an established actress, a Pakistani voice on a global stage, and an expectant mother.
“It’s Very Different This Time”
Mahira has also been candid about how different this pregnancy feels compared to her first.
She was 24 years old when she was pregnant with Azlan. Now that she is 41, she says that she is “literally a different woman,” both physically and emotionally. She said that this pregnancy is tougher for her, because there are days where her body cannot do what her mind wants it to do.
There is also a greater awareness that comes with age and experience.
According to Mahira, she worries more now because she understands more about how precious and fragile pregnancy can be. At the same time, she already has a grown-up son, an established career, routines and a life that was already moving in a particular direction.
This pregnancy, in particular, she acknowledged, could be not quite what she had expected for herself at her age.
However, maybe, this is the exact point when her Instagram caption fits.
“We make plans and then God plans,” she said. “And of course His plans are supreme.”
And Then There Was Her Mother
Motherhood has been an emotional journey for Mahira, and the bond between her and her mother has often been discussed whenever she has talked about the women who have made her the person that she is.
In her latest conversations at the TIFF forum, Mahira has talked about the factors and experiences that have led to where she is today. Her discussions about her mother have been widely reported as she prepares to become a mother again and since she has mentioned before how much she has been affected by her mother’s outlook on life and gratitude towards family.
For Mahira, this may be a new chapter, but some things remain beautifully familiar: the people she loves, the values she carries with her, and the memories that continue to shape who she is.
We wish Mahira all the very best as she steps into this beautiful new chapter, and her fans eagerly await everything that comes next.
