Pakistan's sweetheart Mahira Khan just made her debut at TIFF — and announced her pregnancy

There are film festivals — and then there is the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). There are celebrities — and then there is Mahira Khan. And with Mahira Khan attending TIFF this year, moderating a conversation as part of the festival's Community Impact programming and receiving an award recognising her contribution to cinema, Pakistan and South Asia get another chance to be part of global conversations. We could get lost in the usual red-carpet vocabulary — the designer, the dress, the photographs — and yes, we will be talking about that too, but Mahira's presence at TIFF represents more than just another celebrity appearance. She arrives as an established name, with an audience behind her that stretches from Pakistan and India to the South Asian diaspora and drama aficionados around the world. Her presence is a reminder that South Asian representation is not limited to Bollywood. It extends across hundreds of languages and histories and with online streaming blurring geographical boundaries, Pakistan's stories, now more than ever, deserve a space in worldwide cinematic discourse. With Mahira attending one of the world's most prestigious film festivals, Pakistan's film industry inevitably comes under the spotlight. There is, of course, the fact that Mahira's appearance at TIFF is also making headlines for something else altogether: it marks the moment that she revealed she is expecting her second child, 17 years after she first became a mother when she gave birth to her son Azlan. It adds a semblance of intimacy to an appearance that is already significant: a Pakistani actor on one of the world's most important cinematic stages at a point when she is entering another chapter of motherhood. What does attending TIFF mean to Mahira herself? 'TIFF is, and always has been, one of those festivals I've looked to for films to watch out for. So, of course, being invited is exciting. But at this point in my career, what excites me even more is being invited to speak about Pakistan as an important South Asian voice, one that has its own stories, its own identity and its own cinema,' she told Images. 'To be able to be part of that conversation on a platform like TIFF feels very special to me.' Referring to representing Pakistan on the international stage, she spoke about how she is 'intentional' in choosing the platforms that she associates with. 'I want to know why I'm going, what the purpose is and what I can bring to that space,' said Mahira. 'Internationally, South Asian representation can sometimes become quite broad, and Pakistan has its own very distinct voice within that. So, if I'm given an opportunity where I can contribute to that voice being heard, that matters to me.' Her schedule at TIFF includes attending the world premiere of Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, directed by TIFF Tribute Award recipient Bassam Tariq and starring Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali. She will also be moderating a conversation with Tariq that will focus on storytelling and representation, the experiences of South Asian communities in the diaspora and the importance of creating more nuanced and authentic representation in the global cinema. Both Mahira and Tariq will be receiving the Muslim Excellence in Cinema and Art award at the Muslim International Film Festival Toronto, in recognition of their contributions to cinema and to bringing underrepresented stories and perspectives to wider audiences. 'I remember seeing the trailer for Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and immediately loving it,' said Mahira. 'Then I found out that the director, Bassam Tariq, is a filmmaker of Pakistani origin, and that made the connection even more interesting to me 'So, when I was asked to come to TIFF in support of this particular film and to be in conversation with Bassam, it all just made sense. I'm also increasingly interested in the filmmakers and stories coming out of the South Asian diaspora and in what we can do together to take those stories further.' Her appearance at TIFF comes through the South Asian Women Excellence in Cinema and Arts Programme, an initiative of Us Studios, in collaboration with the Muslim International Film Festival Toronto. The programme works to bring South Asian artists to international festivals, industry conversations and the rooms where global creative careers are built. Earlier this year, this programme by Us Studios also debuted Sanam Saeed at Cannes 2026. Founded by Hassan 'Huss' Khan, a 26-year-old American model and film producer, Us studios has been built as a platform that hopes to ensure that South Asian storytellers are not just included in global conversations but become central to it. Moving on to the intensely personal aspect of revealing her pregnancy at TIFF, was Mahira nervous about it? 'Yes and no,' she said. 'I'm generally quite a private person, so revealing anything personal makes me a little apprehensive. 'And then, if I'm being completely superficial, I was worried about the clothes! Being pregnant, showing, and then doing a red carpet is a very different experience.' She continued, 'But I thought… this is where I am in my life right now. There was something quite freeing about just embracing it rather than trying to hide it.' That brings us to something many people must be wondering: how did she decide her outfits for the red carpet and the panel discussion? 'Strangely, this time around I've been thinking about it as more than just, 'What am I wearing on the red carpet?'' she confessed. 'There's obviously a very visible bump coming with me! So, what I wear and how I present myself feels a little more personal this time.' Ultimately, she chose to wear a sari by Aafrinish by Niazi on the red carpet. We move beyond TIFF and onto how she, one of Pakistan's most beloved, most scrutinised stars, is navigating pregnancy so many years after she first gave birth. Her answer is heartfelt: 'It's very different this time, and definitely more challenging. 'The last time I was pregnant I was 24. I'm 41 now, so I'm literally a different woman … emotionally, physically, in every possible way.' Pregnancy has been different this time around. 'At 24, I think I went through pregnancy with a certain innocence. I was excited, my health was great, and perhaps I didn't think too much about everything that could happen. I just went with it. 'This time has been very different. Physically, it's been harder. There are days when my body simply doesn't allow me to do what my mind thinks I should be able to do. And that has been an adjustment for me because I'm used to being on the go, working, travelling, doing a hundred things at once,' Mahira explained. 'Emotionally, it's different too. I think you carry so much more awareness at this age. You know more. You worry more. You understand how precious and fragile it all is. There has been immense joy, of course, but there has also been fear, exhaustion and vulnerability. 'And then there's the fact that I already had a life that was very much in motion. I have a grown-up son. I have my work, my routines, my independence. I had a version of what I thought this stage of my life was going to look like. To suddenly find myself starting this journey again after all these years has required a real emotional adjustment as well,' she said. 'You imagine a lot of things for yourself and for your life, and this wasn't necessarily one of the things I had imagined at this point. But we plan and then God plans, and of course His plans are supreme. 'I think that has been a big part of this pregnancy for me … learning to surrender. To accept that I don't have to have everything figured out, and that life can surprise you even when you think you know where it's going.' The juxtaposition is rather wonderful: a professional milestone, being honoured at TIFF, surrounded by some of the biggest names in global cinema, accompanied with the announcement of a personal milestone. Representing South Asia, representing Pakistan, celebrating cinema, celebrating motherhood.