InstepREport
Attending an excessively lavish event to launch the new Lux TVC featuring Mahira Khan, Mawra Hocane and Maya Ali, we were intrigued to know what it took to make the final cut.
Karachi: Stardom is not always about one’s body of work. In this day and age, it incorporates a lot of other factors including the power of personality, the ability to deal with an ever-growing media environment and social media presence. Case in point: the new Lux TVC, featuring three young and beautiful girls from the entertainment industry.
Lux’s latest TVC, launched this week at an extravagant event held at Nueplex Cinema in Karachi, features Mahira Khan, Mawra Hocane and Maya Ali, and the former two made quite an entry at the grand reveal; their arrival changed the energy in the room instantly. Maya Ali couldn’t make it to the event since she is currently shooting in Poland for her upcoming big screen debut Teefa In Trouble. One hoped and expected a video message from her but she was absent from the entire scenario. We did, however, hear from the director Asim Raza, who spoke through a video message for almost half an hour as he too couldn’t make it to the event. Apparently efforts were full on to get Maya on video con but it could not be managed in time.
Needless to say, the three stars look stunning in the new commercial that also (quite inexplicably) featured a cameo of Sheheryar Munawar, whose superhero film, Project Ghazi releases today.
We couldn’t figure out the reason behind Munawar’s guest appearance but we were equally intrigued by the selection of the three ladies. What did it entail to be a Lux girl?
“All the three Lux girls are really beautiful,” Fariyha Subhani, Director Marketing, Unilever Pakistan, told Instep. “Our criterion for selecting them was their popularity. They have done some brilliant work and the public just loves them. Social media is quite important these days and these three ladies are extremely popular among masses. The new theme of Lux is showing more independent women. Beauty matters but it is also recognition of their personalities.”
We thought about it. Mahira Khan is certainly one of the biggest stars in the industry and has back to back hits to her credit. Having made her Bollywood debut with Raees alongside super star Shah Rukh Khan, which raked in over 100 crores, the diva recently made headlines for her winning two awards at Beirut International Awards Festival. Mawra Hocane made a Bollywood debut last year and has a string of successful dramas to her credit. And Maya managed to win hearts with her dramas but is yet to make a big screen appearance. There social media numbers, however, are huge. Only Atif Aslam has more online fan following than Mawra Hocane!
Speaking to Instep on the sidelines of the TVC launch, Mawra said, “Work is first and then you have a platform to promote it. Social media is like a cherry on top. A lot of other actresses have a credible body of work but social media adds to one’s presence. It has now become a barometer for popularity so I’m glad it’s working for me.”
Responding to a question about competition while working with Mahira and Maya, Mawra told Instep, “While I was doing the ad, my question was not what others are wearing. My only concern was what I’m wearing and if I’m doing it right. I’ve been associated with the industry for 4 to 5 years. I have worked with a lot of actresses but there is no sense of rivalry. These days actors are more driven and are more concerned about themselves.”
We also spoke to Mahira and asked her to describe the sentiment she felt when she learned that Mawra and Maya would be joining her in the annual Lux campaign that cast her alongside Fawad Khan last year.
“Honestly, I have no pressure. It’s the same ad that I have been doing for years,” she said. “There was no competition at all, maybe we are not like that or because we all are doing different things in our careers. I don’t like to look at it as I’m ahead of these two girls. When I get done, I want people who have worked with me to remember me in good words. Right now the industry is growing and we all are in a growing process because stakes aren’t that high at present. Everybody is busy with their own work,” she concluded.
While beauty and glamour and social media popularity plays a huge role in the selection of the ‘Lux girl’, we do hope the good people at Unilever will also not discount the talent and hard work (and popularity) of the slightly evasive yet no less talented artistes like Mehwish Hayat, Saba Qamar and Sajal Aly, who have proven themselves just relevant. It would also take just ‘zara sa Lux’ to give them the attention they deserve.