‘I Get Nervous Seeing Myself On Screen,’ says Mahnoor actress Khadija Saleem

KARACHI: Emerging actress Khadija Saleem has shared her feelings of nervousness and excitement as her new drama serial, Mahnoor, premieres today.

Speaking during an appearance on ARY Digital’s popular morning show Good Morning Pakistan, the cast of Mahnoor—including Humayoun Ashraf, Zoya Nasir, and Khadija Saleem—gathered to discuss their upcoming project. The drama is scheduled to air Monday through Friday at 9:00 PM on ARY Digital, with the first episode debuting tonight, April 15.

During the interview, Khadija admitted that she is feeling the pressure of her first lead role. “My hands are shaking; I am very nervous,” she shared. “The first lead role has come to the screen so quickly, even though we still have about 10 to 12 days of shooting left.”

The actress added that while she is confident about the show’s potential ratings, she feels a personal sense of anxiety. “I feel a huge weight of responsibility on my shoulders. I get a bit panicked when I see myself on the screen,” she confessed.

Despite the nerves, Khadija spoke warmly about the production experience, noting that she developed a close friendship with co-star Zoya Nasir and that the atmosphere on set was consistently positive.

Zoya Nasir also praised the project, stating, “Everyone has worked hard together. The script is fantastic, and every character is relatable to real life. Both the character Mahnoor and Khadija Saleem look wonderful on screen.”

The drama features a star-studded supporting cast, including Malik Aqeel, Adnan Shah Tipu, Agha Mustafa Hassan, Rubina Ashraf, Alyy Khan, and many others. Mahnoor is written by Noor Kalam and Haroon Ahmed, and directed by Arshi Ali and Hasham Syed.