Wajahat Rauf clears the air on Mahira Khan 'Discovery' claims
Pakistani filmmaker and director Wajahat Rauf has broken his silence on the long-standing claim that he introduced superstar Mahira Khan to the entertainment industry, clarifying that his comments were taken out of context and later misrepresented on social media.
A viral clip from his recent podcast appearance has been making the rounds online, where the host asked him about the allegation that he had claimed to have discovered Mahira Khan.
Responding to the question, Wajahat firmly denied ever making such a statement.
"This is the way social media works. I had said in an interview that I worked with Mahira during the early stages of her career and hired her. I never once said that I discovered her or brought her into the industry."
He explained that a podcast later used a misleading headline claiming he had discovered the actress, prompting him to publicly clarify his remarks.
"The podcast ran a headline saying that Wajahat Rauf discovered Mahira Khan. I immediately picked up my phone, commented on it, and told them they had reported it incorrectly."
The director further revealed that he and Mahira have always maintained a friendly relationship and even joked about the misunderstanding.
"Mahira and I have stayed in touch since those days, and we even laughed about it. I commented under the post that she was actually Ghazanfar Ali's discovery. I first saw her at his launch event and was impressed by her energy. That's when I thought we might work together someday and eventually we did."
Wajahat also criticized the growing trend of taking public figures' remarks out of context for viral headlines, saying that his original statement had been unnecessarily distorted.
@pakistanicinema #MahiraKhan responds with a sweet note to a clip from #WajahatRauf ♬ original sound - pakistanicinema