Fifteen years since Humsafar first aired, Mahira Khan has celebrated the anniversary of the serial that introduced her as Khirad to viewers with a heartfelt homage to the role, the path that came after and the fans who remained with her throughout the years.
Khan posted a video on Instagram showing herself dancing and twirling in a black dress, mixed with clips from her part as Khirad in Humsafar. The video also included her newest drama, Mitti De Baway, which debuted on the same date as the Humsafar anniversary.
“My dearest… my most precious Humsafars. 15 years. 15 years of loving and twirling in that love. Of surrendering to life, to the characters I chose and those that were chosen for me,” Khan wrote in her Instagram post.
She added, “It is surreal to have Mitti De Baway air on the same day that Humsafar was aired that many years ago.”
While much has changed in Khan’s life and career since she played Khirad, she said her fans had remained a constant source of support.
“And even though so much has changed… all of you have remained the same for me. My constants. My backbone and my strength. From Khirad to Bilo… I am filled with nothing but shukr,” she wrote.
Khan ended her message by thanking her fans for standing by her throughout her career.
“Here’s to all of you… here’s to a lifetime of being each other’s humsafars, may there never be judaai… may there never be bewafaai :) Ameen. Yours forever.”
Fans responded to the tribute with messages celebrating both her portrayal of Khirad and her return to television as Billo in Mitti De Baway.
“Some characters are remembered. Some are timeless. 15 years ago, you gave us Khirad, a performance that still holds a special place in our hearts. Today, you return as Billo, fearless, powerful, daring, unapologetic and unlike anything we’ve seen from you before. From Khirad to Billo, you continue to leave your mark,” one fan wrote.
Others became emotional while watching Khan’s Humsafar tribute, describing the drama as their “baby show” and a source of comfort and nostalgia.
BBC Asian Network also revisited a memorable interview with Khan from the Humsafar era, in which she spoke about the connection she shared with her co-star Fawad Khan, who played Ashar in the drama.
“There’s one thing I think about me and Fawad, this is a rare quality,” she said. “We come into a scene together and we sort of know each other’s beats, which is really lovely. It’s really nice that someone gets you and you get that person.”
Khan also spoke about the personal connection she felt with the drama, saying, “It’s my most untainted work. It’s me. There’s nothing not real about it.”
Written by Farhat Ishtiaq and based on her novel of the same name, Humsafar first aired in 2011 and went on to become one of the most recognisable dramas of its era.
For Khan, the role of Khirad became a defining early chapter in her acting career. Fifteen years on, her anniversary tribute offered a glimpse back at the character that helped shape her television journey, even as she begins a new chapter in Mitti De Baway.
Read more: Mahira Khan: “I didn’t expect to become a mother again at 41”
