Mathira: Doesn’t matter if I wear burqas or mini skirts

If there is one name that has stood the test of time on television, it’s Mathira.

As a model, actor or host, Mathira has never failed to entertain audiences and has built a strong fan base over the years. The “unapologetically bold” performer never shies away from mincing her words either.

However, with this glamorous, outspoken and witty image comes a string of controversies and Mathira often finds herself at the centre of criticism. But who does the problem lie with, Mathira or her detractors?

“People think I am the problem when, in reality, the problem is within them,” Mathira said on SAMAA TV’s show Naya Din. “I am Mathira. It doesn’t matter if I wear a burqa, mini skirt or jeans, people will always have a problem.”

From her child’s birth to her nikkah, people have had a problem with everything associated with Mathira. “I am not lying. They even had a problem when I wore shalwar kameez.”

According to Mathira, she never wanted to be famous when she started out in showbiz. “My only aim was to pay my bills. When a person has all these responsibilities they don’t run after more.”

Mathira admitted that her guests often get nervous because they make up their mind that something bad is bound to happen with them. However, she brushed off the rumours that top hosts are intimidated by her presence and revealed that the only host who ever made her feel nervous was the late Omer Sharif.

“The way I host today and counter-attack is only because of that person,” Mathira said admiringly. “He was a gem of a person. He was the only one who made me a little nervous.”

Mathira took a dig at Hareem Shah and questioned what notable work the TikToker has done.

“What’s the work?” she wondered. “Is TikTok the work? Work is when you work like an actor, making films. You name one drama of hers, or a film. There is nothing.”

Mathira revealed that she hit rock bottom when she got divorced. “I had given my heart, my mind, my soul and the remote of my happiness to him.” She faced bankruptcy following her divorce and had trouble finding work. 

When asked about the presence of the casting couch in the industry, Mathira remarked that it may exist but she has never had to go through it.

Reporting by Rehan Ahmed for Naya Din

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