Pakistani actress Mahira Khan — best known internationally for starring opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 film Raees — has spoken warmly about Malayalam cinema, calling it her favourite film industry in the world and saying her dream is to lead a film made by a Malayalam director.
The 41-year-old made the comments during a recent video interaction. The subject came up when a member of the camera crew mentioned that he was from South India and spoke Malayalam as his mother tongue. Khan lit up at that and began talking about the films she had been watching, urging viewers around the world to dig into Mollywood’s catalogue, which she described as essential for anyone who loves good storytelling.
Praise for the writing and the look
Khan was specific about what drew her in. She said she wasn’t talking about the big, stylised commercial films that the Tamil and Telugu industries are known for, but about the grounded, everyday quality of recent Kerala films. In her view, some of the best screenwriting in South Asia is coming out of the Malayalam industry right now — scripts that lean on real human flaws and ordinary domestic situations rather than larger-than-life heroes.
She also admired the craft, pointing to the naturalistic lighting and cinematography that, she said, keep impressing her on repeat viewings. With a bit of humour, she added that Malayalam production houses are clearly doing well selling remake rights to Bollywood studios, which often struggle to capture the feel of the originals.
Comments come amid a difficult cross-border climate
Khan’s appreciation lands at a sensitive time for artists working across the India–Pakistan border. After Raees, she had been expected to build a longer career in the Indian industry, but a subsequent ban on Pakistani artists working in Indian films closed off that path. Her social media accounts have also faced restrictions in India following later rounds of tension.
Even so, she has clearly kept following the Kerala film scene. Trade watchers welcomed her remarks, noting they fit a broader pattern of content-driven films travelling well across language barriers. Fans online were quick to imagine possible pairings, pointing out that Malayalam writers have a long track record of strong female leads — the kind of role that could suit an actress of Khan’s range, if the political and industry hurdles ever ease.
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