How Humsafars Mahira and Fawad Khan Became a Hit Jodi

Mumbai: Actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have been loved for their onscreen pair ever since Pakistani drama Humsafar hit the TV screens, but the actress reveals that initially the show's director was not convinced about them portraying a much-in-love couple.

Humsafar that aired on Pakistani TV in 2011 made Fawad and Mahira household names in the country and with the romantic drama's Indian premiere last year, viewers here took an immediate liking to their onscreen romance as married couple Ashar and Khirad.

Director Sarmad Khoosat, was however, worried about their lack of interaction on the show's set and thought that the drama would not strike a chord with the audience due to their "zero chemistry".

"The biggest fear of our director was that the show will tank, because according to him, Fawad and I had zero chemistry. He would always be telling us to rehearse more, to at least hold hands," Mahira said in a statement in Mumbai.

"But when the show went on air, our director called us and said, 'Both of you are magic'," she said.

According to Mahira, who would be seen next in Shah Rukh Khan's Raaes, the reason behind the charm of their pairing is the trust the two actors have in each other.

"We don't get chemistry. We never did. What we had was the right attitude and we trusted each other," she said.

Humsafar portrayed the emotional journey of Ashar and Khirad, who fall in love after marrying each other. The story was about how two strangers with strikingly opposite personalities fall in love after an arranged marriage.

On popular demand, Humsafar was aired in a marathon run over the weekend.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)