Mahira Khan recalls 'crying daily' after smoking pictures with Ranbir Kapoor went viral: 'Thought my career was over'

Mahira Khan with Ranbir Kapoor Pic/X, Instagram

In 2017, Pakistani actress Mahira Khan and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor took the internet by storm with their "smoke break" on the streets of New York City. The tired-seeming duo was seen smoking together. The 'Raees' actress was photographed wearing a backless white dress, while Ranbir sported a simple T-shirt. Years later, Mahira finally opened up on the incident that led to immense backlash on social media.

Mahira Khan thought her career was over

In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Mahira Khan referred to an article called ‘The Little White Dress' which made her question if her career was over. She said, "In that article, it was written that 'here is a woman who has achieved this kind of success that no one in Pakistan has achieved, all the endorsements and all that, and now it is all gone. What is going to happen to her?' I read it and I was like 'Damn.' But I told myself, 'Are you mad? This is going to end,' maybe it was the 14-year-old Mahira that told me."

"But I won't lie that that time was very tough. I wouldn't get out of the bed, I was crying daily, it affected my professional and personal life. Lots happened on my personal side. I did the right thing personally. I made some personal choices that were right for me and my child. Professionally, I kept quiet because I knew at that point I couldn't say anything. All the brands called me and said we are with you," Mahira added.

Ranveer Singh stood by Mahira Khan

In an interview with Filmfare magazine, Ranveer Singh said, "Everyone has their own interpretation. Everyone has their own set of values. Everyone has an opinion. You can hear them but you needn't subscribe to them. You can hear them but you needn't subscribe to them. At the end of the day, one should just live and let live and focus on more important things. Mahira is a great performer and an entertainer. One should ideally just engage with her at just that level."

Mahira Khan's work front

Mahira shot to fame with her roles in numerous Pakistani television series and projects, including 'Humsafar', 'Bin Roye', 'Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay', and 'Razia'. She made her Bollywood debut in 'Raees' alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

Meanwhile, on the personal front, last year, Mahira got married for the second time to a Pakistani businessman, Salim Karim. Reportedly, this is Mahira's second marriage. She was earlier married to Ali Askari and had a son by him in 2009. However, they separated in 2015.