Who Recruited Mahira For Her Debut Role As A VJ?

Appearing on a podcast alongside his wife and co-producer Shazia Wajahat, he claimed, “It was I who first gave superstar Mahira Khan her initial job as a VJ on Aag TV” .

Recounting the fateful encounter that led to the hire, Rauf shared that he first spotted Mahira years ago at a launch event, where her unbridled joy stood out immediately. “I saw her dancing and enjoying the event wholeheartedly. She stood out because of how clearly she was enjoying herself,” he recalled, adding that her magnetic energy made him feel she belonged on screen .

Impressed, he decided to bring her on board his channel, and once hired, they agreed she would report directly to him. Mahira went on to work there for three to four years, forging a close bond with Rauf that endures to this day .

When asked about potential future collaborations, Rauf and Shazia admitted that while they’ve tried to work with Mahira several times in the past, scheduling conflicts and remuneration issues have derailed those plans. Even so, they revealed they still hope to team up with both Mahira and fellow star Fawad Khan down the line . The conversation also touched on Hania Aamir, with Rauf clarifying a common industry misconception: he did not introduce Hania to the business, as she had already been working in the industry for four to five years before they collaborated .

Mahira’s 2006 debut as a VJ marked her entry into entertainment—a career that would later skyrocket with milestones like her breakthrough drama Humsafar and her 2011 film debut in Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol . Since then, she has starred in numerous hit productions, including Bin Roye, Shehr-e-Zaat, Sadqay Tumhare, and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, and even crossed borders to work in Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees .