Actress and host Fiza Ali has criticized Mahira Khan’s portrayal of a blind character in the film Neelofar, saying the director did not guide her performance properly.
The film, released on 29 November, stars Fawad Khan as a writer and Mahira Khan as a visually impaired girl. Directed by Amir Rasool and produced by Osaf Sharq, with Fawad Khan and Hasan Khalid as executive producers, Neelofar has sparked discussion regarding its depiction of blind individuals.
Fiza Ali, during her morning show, invited visually impaired guests and explained that blind people do not always look straight at someone when speaking; they identify the source of sound and direct their gaze accordingly.
She pointed out that films often inaccurately show blind characters always facing others while speaking.
Referring to a scene in Neelofar’s trailer where Fawad Khan makes Mahira Khan hold a pigeon, she noted that Mahira’s hands and face were positioned incorrectly, criticizing the director for not properly coaching her on the gestures and orientation necessary to realistically portray blindness.
