Mathira, host and model, in profile. The article was first published in Nov-Dec edition of Aurora. In the recently published book Dou Rukh, photographers Arif Mahmood and Tapu Javeri share their perspectives of several prominent personalities. Mathira also appeared on a cooking show and a sports show.
The Harare-born nymphet, the daughter of a Pakistani mother and South African father, came to Pakistan after the law and order situation in Harare deteriorated five years ago. I stammer.
As she laughs, the oomphy, sex kitten fades out, and an innocent teenager emerges for a mere fraction of a second. These, I realise are the dou rukh of Mathira. When I point out that her onscreen demeanour exudes provocation, Mathira is quick to deny that she flirts on screen and attributes her posture to being an extremely fidgety person. Given the media attention Love Indicator has spurred, begs the question: How does she deal with all the negative attention? And she is already in the midst of her transformation.
What remains to be seen, though, is whether 10 years down the line, the gooji-gooji-goo girl will be remembered for talking about sex on television or will she metamorphose into someone with more depth and dimension. However, both my parents believe that I will learn though the hard knocks. I said thank you… but I have learnt to absorb everything. Some people will say good things, some will say bad things. They can call me anything. Good or bad. Chalta hai.
What is it that they say about making assumptions? People have such double standards and talk behind your back all the time, so when I do go out, I prefer to meet just a few close friends. It strikes me during the course of our conversation that despite the vibes no pun intended she may give off, Mathira is far from being an airhead.
