"That is what has been shown in the drama."
Maya Khan opened up about Mayi Ri, which centres on child marriages, and the impact it has on everyone.
She also highlighted the personal challenges she faced and the impact the show is having on viewers so far.
Maya plays Ayesha, whose daughter has to marry her younger cousin.
Maya admitted that initially, she did not want to play the role of a mother and that she found it very difficult to accept the role.
She said: “It was quite difficult for me to accept the role, I did not want to become the nation’s mother.
“That was a challenge. But first, I was told about the character, and then I was told about the character’s journey.
“Then it hit me, and I’ve always said, the director has a huge role to play.
“If today, I was to get the role of a young mother, where they’ve said that I got married at 14, would I have a grown daughter?
“Scientifically and logically it is true. That is what has been shown in the drama.
“One generation bore the pain and experienced the distress, which is why the generation doesn’t want future generations to go through the same pain and distress. That is when I said yes.”
Maya spoke of her working relationship with Aina Asif, who plays her onscreen daughter Annie, and stated it was hard for her to play the role of a mother because she does not have any children in reality.
She went on to say that she and Aina would be in the middle of a childish argument and then when the scene was ready to be shot, the two would have to become immediately serious.
Maya revealed that the pair were often told off by the director Meesam Naqvi who would often joke that she had cast two children for the drama.
To feel maternal love, Maya admitted that she would think of her nieces to bring a motherly feeling into her role.
Maya Khan highlighted Mayi Ri‘s story and pointed out that the topic should be highlighted sensitively to avoid negative criticism.
“There was quite a huge reaction given the topic, which, had it not been dealt with in a balanced way, could backfire.
“Showing a child marriage is vital, receiving it is the viewer’s responsibility. We will show everything.
“There’s a family in the drama, and sometimes in a family, early marriages take place.
“But we’re trying to show both the pros and cons of an early marriage as a team.”
Maya was asked if she thought the drama was an advocate for early marriages and if she thought more youngsters would now want to get married.
She replied: “Get married. If you see the show, the actor playing Fakhir says that he wants to study, and for Annie, education is her passion.
“If two people think alike, you’re talking about young couples, they have the complete right to start their lives, if they believe they can fully take on the responsibility.
“They’re starting their lives with consent.”
Following her stance, Maya Khan confirmed that Mayi Ri was a drama that neither promoted nor discarded child marriages, rather it was a drama that covered all aspects of the situation.
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