Exclusive: Mawra Hocane on Sanam Teri Kasam Harshvardhan Rane and more

Nine years after its release, Sanam Teri Kasam has found a new lease on life. It has captured fans’ attention all over again with its re-release. While audiences are rediscovering the tragic love story of Saru and Inder, its leading lady, Mawra Hocane, has been celebrating a love story of her own – her wedding! In a lovely twist of fate, the film’s second theatrical run coincided with her big day, making it a double celebration for the actress. In this exclusive conversation with Filmfare, Mawra looks back at Sanam Teri Kasam’s journey, the overwhelming love from fans in India, and whether she’d return as Saru in a sequel.

Congratulations on your wedding and Sanam Teri Kasam’s success. How have the celebrations been?

The celebrations have been great. When I was getting ready for my Rukhsati and Nikah, my phone was spammed with messages from friends in India and people associated with the movie. I could not understand what was going on because I was caught up with my own wedding. It was only later that I realized that the movie became a blockbuster in India. It was really sweet. It is extremely overwhelming for me. I’m just absorbing all the happiness and all the love.

It’s interesting that your movie’s re-release coincided with your wedding date…

It was a divine coincidence. My team in India didn’t even know what my wedding date was. When they told me that the movie is set for a re-release, I actually didn’t take it very seriously. Because I was hearing from October or before that the movie has gone viral on the internet and the audience is asking for a re-release. I was getting love all along. So it was the same for me. But I didn’t know that it would be released like this. I didn’t realize that I’d be doing these interviews for Sanam Teri Kasam, nine years from the release.

Did the producer (Deepak Mukut), the directors (Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao), or Harshvardhan Rane speak to you before the re-release?

Deepak sir informed me. He said that all the media and fans have come outside his office. He told me that he wanted to call me and make me a part of it. He told me that he would be re-releasing the film. I just congratulated him. I was happy for him and my entire team in India because everyone worked so hard. I thought they truly deserved this. But honestly, I don’t think any of us expected the kind of reaction we got.

Have you watched the movie recently?

I haven’t watched the movie in at least eight years. I think after a year of release, my friends and family wanted to watch it, so I sat with them and watched it again. Since then, I haven’t watched it. In another interview, a dialogue from the movie that became viral was mentioned. I couldn’t recall the dialogue. But it is apparently being replicated by fans. What could be more beautiful than that? Even if I have forgotten what I said nine years ago, people remember it. At the end of the day, you make these movies for the audience.

Do you recall any special moments from your scenes with Harshvardhan?

Kheech Meri Photo was a fun song. It still plays everywhere. I have so much admiration for Harshvardhan. I was 21 or 22 when I shot the movie and everyone treated me like a guest because I had come from Pakistan. I feel that Harsh, Deepak sir and Kaleem sir were kind and encouraging. Those were my impressionable years. I was still developing as a person and an artiste. They were extremely patient with me. I was an absolute non-dancer but Pappu sir and Mallu ma’am, who were my choreographers, used to rehearse every day.

How difficult was it to shoot in another country at 21?

I was in India for 10 months. But you cannot talk about the difficulties you have while you’re shooting for a project. Honestly, you’re just grateful. You feel that you’ve got such a big opportunity and I came from another country. I was also representing my country. The producers were their money and faith in me. I didn’t feel any difficulty at that time. I was focused on delivering. But I used to be homesick. My family members and friends couldn’t get visas on such short notice. I used to feel lonely. Now when my friends are calling me to congratulate me for the movie, they recall those moments when they would get my call where I would cry and miss home. I was away from my family and friends for the first time in my life. But the entire team looked after me.

Were there any culture shocks you received in India?

Surprisingly, not at all. The more time I spent in Mumbai the more I realized how similar we are. I used to meet many people who knew the characters I played in my Pakistani dramas. I used to be so surprised that I had an audience in India back because I was only a couple of years old in my own industry. I didn’t think that I was popular beyond Pakistan. But I think that was a very beautiful surprise for me. On top of that, I realized that our cultures are similar. Everyone speaks the same language. The way they emote is the same. Maybe this is the reason our Pakistani dramas garner many audiences in India and Indian films are popular in Pakistan. We are only divided by a border.

How did a Pakistani actress play an authentic Telugu girl?

The entire credit goes to my directors. Radhika (Rao) ji told me everything about my character. I was there like a sponge absorbing every instruction and every direction. I wanted to absorb it all and try to be Saru. In the process, I realized that I was more Saru than Mawra when I returned back home. I didn’t understand who I was. I think it took me about a year to come back to my own. Sometimes you work very hard and don’t realize what you’re doing to yourself. It took me a very long time to let go of the character traits I acquired from Saru. I only wanted to absorb everything Radhika ma’am and Vinay sir were telling me.

Why did you not explore Bollywood after the debut?

I did but I don’t like to talk about it. I had to step out of the movies I was doing because of political unrest. I decided that I will never ever name the movies or the producers who were extremely kind and welcoming. They really wanted me to do their movies. I was sad I had to let go of the characters. But at the same time, I was also happy that all the unrest happened before the shooting of the film and none of the producers or anyone else had to bear any loss.

Do you wish to make a comeback to Indian movies and shows?

I would love to. It doesn’t matter to an artiste where a film or a drama is being shot. It’s only when the product comes out, it’s tagged as a Pakistani drama or an Indian drama. For an artiste, when you get the script on the first day, you put your faith in that script. An artiste always wants good content.

What do you think worked for Sanam Teri Kasam this time around?

Even though the business side of it didn’t work back then, the kind of love I had received was amazing. I never felt like a failure except for when people spoke about the box office numbers. What worked today is maybe the honesty of the script. I think the intentions of my producers were also very pure. They never complained to me about the film not working. Even though I was from another country, Deepak sir constantly checked up on me. Krishna ji, who is his wife, was also very kind. Kaleem sir and his wife kept checking on me. A few months after the release of my film, I went to Europe and there were people in Germany and France who did not even speak Hindi or Urdu. But they sang Kheech Meri Photo to me. At a railway station, this boy played Kheech Meri Photo for me. So I never felt like there was a difference between now and then. The honesty of the content that has survived the test of time.

Apart from Sanam Teri Kasam, which other Bollywood romantic stories are you fond of?

There are many. I’ve always been a huge Salman Khan fan. So Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam is a top Bollywood film.

Have you ever interacted with Salman Khan?

We received a lot of blessings and love from him throughout the film. My directors from Sanam Teri Kasam had worked with him before. So that was the connection we had with him. I remember back then I was over the moon when he shared his appreciation and love for the film. I always thought of him as the biggest actor and star to have come out of Bollywood. Mashallah, he has had such a long career. When you admire such actors and follow their journey, it teaches you to be consistent and leave a mark. I’ve always been inspired.

If you had to recommend Pakistani shows to your Indian fans, which ones would they be?

One project would be Sabaat. I received the most feedback for it. I remember Manish (Malhotra) sir messaging me and telling me that his mother is also watching Sabaat. Neetu (Kapoor) ma’am messaged me and told me that she really liked Sabaat. All my friends from India messaged me while Sabaat was airing. My favorite is Zindagi Gulzar Hai. It is already very popular in India. If someone has missed it, they should definitely watch it.

Would you want to return as Saru in Sanam Teri Qasam 2?

I would love to. Everyone is sending me ideas for film scripts. Fans are asking me to share their script ideas with the directors. They are sending such sweet ideas of reincarnation.

See Also: Mawra, Ameer Gilani’s Agar Tum Sath Ho & More Pak Dramas To Watch This Week

Mawra Hocane speaks about Sanam Teri Kasam. Continue reading …Read More