Venus rising: Mahira Khan

There’s no doubt that Mahira Khan leads a glamorous life. Lights, cameras, fabulous designer-wear and fans follow her wherever she goes.

She’s innately stylish, very popular and currently making waves as she launches headlong into cinema. Her movie with Hum Films, Bin Roye, is presently screening in cinemas and her next venture, Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahan, is set to release in a few months. Meanwhile, shooting for her Bollywood debut opposite no less than ‘King’ Shahrukh Khan is already underway. If she isn’t on-set in India, she’s filming a song sequence in Chitral or hitting Prague for a commercial shoot or jetting across the globe forBin Roye’s promotions.

Also read: Review: Is Mahira Khan the best thing about Bin Roye?

And yet, she talks about it all in the most unglamorous way! “I am so tired, I can barely walk,” she tells me. “I am limping my way to promotions. Only a bystander can believe that I lead a glamorous life. You should see the number of times my mother calls me while I am away and she’s taking care of my five-year-old son Azlan. I have no life at all!”

“I don’t even have time to buy clothes. My closet’s empty and a few days earlier, a friend offered to swap kurtas with me when we were about to go somewhere and there were chances that I’d be photographed,” she laughs.

But while her daily wardrobe may be limited, Mahira’s looking better than ever. She takes center stage in Bin Roye, proving her acting mettle with her highly-emotional role. Fresh-faced, svelte and with flawless skin that most women would kill for, she’s been spotted in select designer wear both on-camera and off. From traditional formals by Feeha Jamshed and Elan to smart casuals by Sania Maskatiya to cutting-edge Muse and Misha Lakhani, Mahira’s sartorial choices have quickly gained a fan following all of their own.On the day we meet — a rare day, squeezed in between her madcap schedule — Mahira is wearing a simple white kurta with her hair tied up and her face completely devoid of make-up. She’s still turning heads, though. On a sweltering summer afternoon when the city’s barely trundling through the day, people keep coming up to Mahira, requesting autographs and selfies, unrestrained in their adulation.

“I have never been so consistently photographed or had such a schedule before,” she admits. “I’ve been travelling, returning home for promotional appearances and juggling it all with being the mother of a five-year-old.”

She’s enjoying it all, though. “I want to do the best projects and I am lucky to be enacting roles that I love. But let’s not talk too much about Raees,” she says. Her Indian debut is the subject of much conjecture and she’s obviously tired of discussing it. “I am excited about it but its release is still at least a year away. Bin Roye has just released and HMJ follows soon. I have very disparate roles in both movies and I am eager to see how well they do.”

She touches wood superstitiously as she talks. That’s Mahira for you; passionate about what she does and utterly sincere with her opinions. She’s an absolute star who doesn’t feel the need to feign starry airs. She frowns and weighs her words as she tries to be politically correct and endearingly veers towards ‘off-the-record’ territory every now and then. She’ll ricochet from anecdotes from movie sets to mulling over the future of Pakistani cinema to agonising over the trials of motherhood, one after the other.

There is so much more to Mahira Khan than pancake and bright lights. In an exclusive interview, she talks about her celluloid dreams, career highs and offers a glimpse of the woman behind the starry veneer …

Silver-screen stardom

“I honestly didn’t know how well Bin Roye would fare with audiences,” she admits. “I couldn’t be indifferent while watching it. I kept seeing tiny nuances that I could have changed with my role.”

The movie, a Momina Duraid effort, met plenty of hitches and delays before finally reaching completion. “Bin Roye has been a true labour of love, a testament to how all odds can be defied when you are passionate about something. I signed on to it when my career was at a high and it was frustrating waiting for it to be completed. Eventually, I began reading other scripts and signed on for the drama Sadqay Tumhare. Losing myself to another role was refreshing.”Despite the angst and exhaustion, the making of Bin Roye brings back many fond memories for Mahira. Schedules varied from filming in Karachi’s scorching weather in a house rumored to be haunted to San Francisco and Santa Barbara in the winter. “When we were abroad, Momina kept us on a strict roster and we weren’t allowed to go into the city and party. Instead, we would have parties of our own in our rooms. And in Karachi, we had a great time filming the movie’s songs. 'Ballay Ballay' was shot by Asim Raza and we were rehearsing and dancing for 10 whole days. Sarmad Khoosat filmed another song, 'Tere Bina Jeena', and we would all laze around for hours, drinking cups of tea and listening to music while the set got ready. Even my friends would come over and sit on set. It was fun.”

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“Bin Roye has been a true labour of love... I signed on to it when my career was at a high and it was frustrating waiting for it to be completed,” says Mahira

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Bin Roye has been winning rave reviews but many fans are bemoaning that the original choice for the movie, Fawad Khan, couldn’t work in the project due to date issues. Does Mahira feel that she makes a good pair with her much older leading man, Humayun Saeed? “I think so,” she says. “Humayun acts very well and that matters the most.”

In contrast, Mahira’s co-stars for HMJ, Sheheryar Munawar and Adeel Hussain, are much younger. “It’s a younger, more lively genre of cinema,” explains Mahira. “We had a blast, rehearsing for scenes and having wrap-up parties long before shooting actually wrapped up.”“HMJ was completed in a matter of months because that’s just how Asim Raza works. Recently we visited Chitral to shoot a romantic song and got caught in the middle of a hailstorm. There I was, trying to look serene and lovelorn with hailstones pelting down my face and umbrellas and people flying about me. Asim was sick at the time but he persisted. It was grueling work although it does seem funny now.”

Also read: Ho Mann Jahaan — the next big thing in Pak cinema is coming soon

“Asim’s a friend and whenever I work with him I feel spoilt,” she continues. “He pampers his cast and makes them feel utterly comfortable.”

Cross-border dreams

Did she feel as comfortable working in Bollywood’s clustered, competitive waters? “It took some time,” she admits. “Raees’ producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director Rahul Dholakia were very kind with me from the onset. They listened to my reservations, explained things to me and told me repetitively not to worry. Indian cinema is certainly more extensive than our nascent film industry but I can’t really say that one is more professional than the other. I began shooting for Raees immediately after HMJ and both set-ups were extremely efficient.”

“My co-stars in India have also been very kind. I play a Muslim girl from Gujrat so I didn’t have to master any particular Hindi dialect. Perhaps the main obstacle I had to overcome was mastering song-and-dance sequences. Shahrukh practiced with me till I got it right. He’s a natural and a very quick learner — I took a bit longer!” she laughs.

And how true are the rumours that she pulled contacts in order to land her role in Raees? “They’re not true at all,” she protests. “My drama Humsafarhad just been aired very successfully in India and the Zindagi channel had invited me to India for some promotional appearances. Completely coincidentally, I auditioned for Raees while I was there. A week later, I got a call that I had gotten the role. I didn’t even know at the time which actors I would be working with.”

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"Why are we always on a quest to conquer Bollywood? I just want to do the best work wherever I go. It could be here in Pakistan or India or anywhere else," says Mahira

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Her role in Raees appears to steer away from the risqué unabashed female characters that frequent current Bollywood ventures. How does Mahira plan to build her career in Bollywood? Will we be seeing her in an item song or two in the future? “There are some things that I will never do,” she mulls. “I can’t predict what I will or won’t do in the future but I have certain limitations. They may restrict acting opportunities for me but I am happy to work within them.”

“Besides, why are we always on a quest to conquer Bollywood? I just want to do the best work wherever I go. It could be here in Pakistan or India or anywhere else,” says Mahira.

Personal balances

It’s a sensible career plan for Bollywood is tricky territory and uptil now, no other Pakistani actor aside from Fawad Khan has been able to sufficiently impress Indian audiences. Will we be seeing the hit Humsafar couple on screen any time soon? “Nothing yet,” she replies, “Although I am reading a lot of scripts right now.”

She balances it all with the demands of the man in her life, her son Azlan. “When I am working in Karachi, I am just like any other working mum. I am constantly with Azlan while I am home. And while I was in India, Azlan was with his father or with my parents. It made things easier for me.”

But life isn’t easy, even if you’re Mahira Khan. She’s no longer with her husband — a topic that she is deliberately reticent about. “There are some topics that you want to keep private when you’re constantly in the public eye,” she says carefully. “There are so many other things I want to say, so much I have to be thankful for, so much more work that I want to do.”

And whatever she does, the limelight follows her, relentless in its scrutiny.Bin Roye features her in almost every scene and is being applauded as her film. And beyond Pakistan, she’s now being called ‘Shahrukh Khan’s new heroine’.

“Hopefully, everything will work out well.” She touches wood. We’re touching it for her too!

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine July 26th, 2015

Ayyan can’t leave the country

ISLAMABAD: Though the supermodel Ayyan Ali was released from Adiala jail last week, she cannot travel abroad.

On July 14, the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to Ayyan exactly four months after her arrest on March 14 from Islamabad airport on charges of carrying over 500,000 dollars while traveling abroad.

She was booked under various offences related to currency smuggling as under the law a passenger could carry not more than 10,000 dollars.

Ayyan was asked to furnish two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each to the jail authorities for her release.

Besides confiscating the money, the customs’ official also seized her passport. At present, her passport is in the custody of special court of customs, excise and taxation.

Khurram Latif Khosa, the counsel for supermodel, while talking to Dawn said Ayyan, during the course of hearing, had given an undertaking that she would not leave the country if she was granted bail.

The model also informed the court that her prolonged detention had put her showbiz career at stake as she had signed a number of contracts with different advertisers, he said.

Mr Khosa, however, said Ayyan could file an application seeking court’s permission to visit abroad. “There are several instances when the court has allowed accused to travel abroad for specific reasons,” he said.

The trial courts or high courts on a number of occasions permitted under trial accused to visit foreign country for medical treatment, consultation with the medical specialists and other reasons, he said.

“If allowed to travel abroad, the supermodel would definitely come back as she could not afford to remain absent from her trial proceedings,” he said adding “the court could issue arrest warrants, declare her proclaimed offender or absconder if she skips her trial.”

Replying to question, advocate Khosa said Ayyan had not asked her legal team to file any application in this regard, though she has the right to seek permission for her foreign visit.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2015

Reham Khan: "The Pakistani media is like a wild child"

AMBER ARSHAD: What is the thrust of The Reham Khan Show?

REHAM KHAN: As Pakistanis, we need to emulate success. The purpose of the programme is to highlight Pakistani heroes – not only their success, but their pain and struggle as well; about how they did not resort to whining and fought on bravely. We have selected Pakistanis who are not only high achievers, but who can serve as role models.

I want to talk about their life beyond their profession and discover who they really are. For example, the world knows Jehangir Khan as a squash champion, yet he has an amazing family story. His elder brother, Torsam Khan, collapsed and died during a tournament match. This profoundly affected Jehangir and he vowed to carry on his brother’s dream. I want to bring forward stories which will inspire Pakistanis to achieve more.

AA: What was life like before you entered the media?

RK: I was born in Ajdabiya in Libya; my parents were living there, as my father who was a surgeon was posted there – so I was literally born in the middle of the Sahara! We moved to Peshawar when I was eight.

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"When I was still in the 11th grade, I got married to my cousin and we moved abroad, where I had my children. I was not allowed to continue my education after marriage and faced a lot of difficulty completing my graduation."

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A lot of people think I was born with a silver spoon, but it was very tough for me. After graduating I started my post grad in Sociology, but by then I was contemplating divorce and after I did, I could not continue with my studies as I had to start working immediately, although I also enrolled in a nationally accredited journalism course.

I used to apply for every opportunity that was advertised. I even considered becoming a dinner lady, but they would take one look at me and think me over qualified.

I then worked freelance, delivering company brochures door to door; I also did basic salon work from home. Finally, I was hired by Legal TV in Birmingham.

AA: What did you do there?

RK: Initially they asked me to sit with the host as a guest. However, they liked my work so much that they fired the current host and hired me as the anchor. They offered me a very disappointing salary at first and tried to sweet talk me into accepting it, but when I proved my mettle and drastically improved the show’s ratings, I was given a pretty healthy raise!

When you are good at something, you should never do it for free or let people walk over you!

AA: You also worked at a radio station during that period?

RK: I did and for entirely economic reasons. My salary at Legal TV was barely enough to cover my home expenses and fuel costs. In 2007, I was hired as a presenter for the Breakfast News & Sport Show at Sunshine Radio in Hereford & Worcester. I used to leave at 5:00 a.m. come home in the afternoon and then head to Birmingham for the evening show at Legal TV. This went on until 2008, when I was hired as a weather presenter for the BBC. Three months later, I was made part of the permanent staff.

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"Working at the BBC is like working for PTV – once you are hired, no one can kick you out; it is really a ‘pakki naukri’!"

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I worked there for almost five years, moving up from the weather to becoming a senior broadcast journalist. Then I had to move back to Pakistan.

AA: Why so?

RK: My father passed away in 2011, and my mother was finding it difficult to cope. As the only single child among my siblings, I was the one in a position to move back. This was at the time of the 2013 elections in Pakistan.

When I was offered the opportunity to work as an anchor at NewsOne, I thought ‘Why not? Working in a volatile and happening region like Pakistan would look great on my CV!’

AA: After the UK, what differences did you find working in the media in Pakistan?

RK: Firstly, there are hardly any trained people. The cameramen, researchers, editors, light men etc., are all learning on the job. Secondly, most media organisations do not pay their employees on time. On the outside our media appears very vibrant and the anchors are highly paid. However, the crew, which really make the show, is underpaid and not given the respect they deserve.

The Pakistani media is like a wild child who has grown up on the streets without the benefits of ‘achi tarbiyat’ (good upbringing). There are no rules or regulations to monitor a conduct which could have made that child turn into a ‘muhazzab jawaan’ (respectable adult).

AA: How did you cope with this environment?

RK: I had a tough time putting together a team. I had to teach them everything – and some of the people who did have the expertise were not pushing themselves enough. The reason I have been successful is because if I make my crew work for 16 hours a day, I work 18.

I lead by example; I am in the office earlier than they are. I try to keep everyone involved and connected.

Cinema targeted by militants reopens after one year

PESHAWAR: Shama cinema, rocked by militants with grenade attacks last year, has been reopened for screening Pashto flicks on Eidul Fitr.

Pashto films industry -- Pollywood -- is releasing seven new Pashto movies focusing social issues with strength of music and powerful storyline. Around 15 surviving production houses in Nishtarabad, a hub of CDs stores and tele-films financiers, are also releasing about 15 CD plays and 20 music albums.

The owners of Shama cinema have also planned to screen a new Pashto flick after a year’s closure.

It is pertinent to mention that Shama cine-theatre was attacked by militants in the second week of February last year, killing 14 cine-goers and injuring scores of others.

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Seven new Pashto movies to be released on Eidul Fitr

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The seven new Pashto movies include Ma Cherra Ghareeb Sara, Daagh, I love you too, Pakhtun Pah Dubai Ke, Khanadaani Badmaah, Maien Kho Lewanai Vee and Sar Tair Badmaash.

“Shama cinema is ready to screen a new Pashto movie - Maien Kho Lewanai Vee (A crazy lover) on Eid as its renovation, seating and electrification had completed. Now it is safe from any kind of insecurity both from in and outside attack. Cine-goers will feel better and safe and will enjoy visiting it after a year’s closure,” a cine-worker told this scribe on condition of anonymity.

Sobia Khan, a film star said, that Pashto cinema would improve with the passing of time. She was of the view that producing quality stuff was not everybody’s cup of tea.

“Commercial films with social themes could register their impact on the public. We still need to go a long way to revive good old traditions along with introducing new trends,” said Ms Khan.

Arbaz Khan, Babar Khan, Shahid Khan, Sobia Khan, Zindagi, Sahar Malik and Neelam Gul are playing lead roles in the new Pashto runs. Noted singers Rahim Shah, Shahsawar Khan, Gulpanra, Hashmat Sahar, Nazia Iqbal and Sitara Younas have recorded songs for the films.

Popular Pashto film star Shahid Khan told this scribe that he expected a huge turnout of movie-buffs on the upcoming Eid because of relatively good situation of law and order in the city and elsewhere in the province.

He said that Pashto movies would be screened in Karachi, Quetta, Swat, Bannu, and Peshawar and also in Kabul.

“I am quite hopeful of better result and expect a big turnout of movie- lovers this year. Pollywood is bringing out new seven flicks compared to last year’s just three movies as one cine theatre was attacked which had caused great human tragedy and also had driven away cine-goers. This time I think new Pashto runs will earn better business,” he said.

Arshad Khan, a noted Pashto film director, in his remarks pointed out that best storyline and quality playback music were the strength of his most productions. “My focus is on highlighting social issues and public taste. I have introduced a new face Zindagi and a new voice Yamsa Noor. Ma Cherra Ghareeb Sara (Don’t pester a poor man any more), for instance is the story of a common poor man who is fed up with numerous problems around him. I am quite sure, it will prove a big step towards our hectic journey to revive our glorious past of Pashto cinema,” said Mr Khan.

It is reliably learnt that a group of local performers would conduct live comedy stage shows in city wedding halls while another troupe of actors have submitted their application for no objection certificate (NOC) to authorities for similar activity on Eid in Nishtar Hall.

“We have received several applications from local stage directors. They are under process and a final decision regarding granting NOC is yet to be made in the coming week. Authorities, however, have some reservations about cultural activity in the hall on Eid holidays because of its close proximity to the central jail,” said an official.

Producers Abid Naseem, Arshad Khan, Qaiser Sanubar , actor-cum-director Arbaz Khan and Haji Nadir have put in their best efforts while music directors Master Ali Haider, Shakir Zeb and Gulalay Khan have tuned in their music with songwriters Saeed Tehkalai, Durwaish Khan and Salim Murad for powerful Pashto flicks round this year.

A private production house in Nishtarabad has planned to release two traditional atnr (dance) albums -- Yara Kabul Ta Kadey Larray (Households head to Kabul) and Tor De Lawangeen (My darling goes blackish) -- in which Laila Nawab and Anosh Khan are performing and it has been directed by Ali Jamal.

AK Khan, a tele-film director, told this scribe that production houses in Nishtarabad had witnessed serious slump this year. He said that only 15 CD plays and 20 music albums were being released compared to last year’s 50 CD dramas and around 60 music charts.

“My stress is on producing content that could be enjoyed with family. The CDs market was dismally going down,” he said. The reasons behind it, he said, were piracy and infringement on copy rights.

Popular midget actors Zardad Bulbul and Attaullah Khan said that their comedy works would attract viewers for quality performance. “We have worked in Chokidar, Che Khwarshi Zamong Yaar Shee and a few other comedy plays. Better performance always yields better results. This Eid will bring more entertainment and fun to Peshawarites,” they said.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2015

Hareem Farooq: the crying game

Too old to be a newbie, too new to be an oldie; that’s Hareem Farooq for you, the actress who was recently declared a ‘New Sensation’ at the Hum TV Awards. For those who have been following her work the recognition is a step in the right direction.

“I had no idea!” Hareem says as she sits down for a chat with Images on Sunday. “Even the Lux Style Awards nomination last year (for Siyaah) was totally unexpected but I am glad that people are noticing my work. To win an award is surprising and I thank my fans and Hum TV for believing in me. I still have to do a lot.”

Hareem Farooq is one of the few actors who have successfully made a transition from theatre to television. After being noticed in Anwar Maqsood’sPawnay 14 August and later as Jehan Ara in Aangan Terha, she made her film debut in Siyaah, long before her TV debut that came a year later.

The role of a traumatised mother with a daughter who has supernatural powers won her accolades, and she is happy to have carried that with her on TV.

“People advised me against doing a negative role in Mere Humdum Mere Dostbecause they thought that it will hamper my career prospects but I didn’t want to play a bechari, honestly! I hate bechari-walay roles as I can’t go on crying. In fact they have been done to death and so I opted for a more challenging role and people loved it.”

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Hareem Farooq doesn’t rate TV as her first love — that honour goes to theatre!

Good-looking actresses don’t have a wide variety of roles to choose from in Pakistan, except playing the damsel in distress … the only difference is that they are either from a rich household or a poor one:

“I don’t want to play the damsel in distress all the time; I want to do something for the victimisation of women. That can be done by not showing rape in every other play or by exploiting saas bahu or mian biwi issues for ratings. It’s time that we should change the perception and make writers pen down roles that are not stereotyped or run-of-the-mill.”

But what if the writers need her to get all weepy?

“When someone offers me a role that requires me to cry, what can I say?” she replies. “Be it the character of the first wife in Doosri Biwi or the sharif behenin Mausam, I tried to do them as non-bechari way as I could. I feel that my ‘crying quota’ is complete. There are a few directors who believe in strong-willed women characters and Owais Khan is one of them. During one of his recent plays, he didn’t ask me to cry in every other scene but wanted me to show the victimisation as a way of struggle.”

How difficult is it to establish yourself in the TV industry as an actress?

“It’s not that difficult if you have merit and confidence, and the ability to choose the character wisely. I am thankful to my producers, writers and directors who have so far offered me good roles where I have tried my best and managed to do well. Anjum Shehzad and Haseeb Hassan especially always give you tips that help in making the character seem better on screen and different from my own personality.”

The lass from Islamabad loves Madhuri Dixit-Nene and believes that after Madhuri, no other actress should be discussed.

“I always wanted to be Madhuri … what an actress, what a woman she is! In recent actresses, some of the scenes Deepika have done are sweet whereas Alia Bhatt and Kangana Ranaut have done some really beautiful films in the past year. I admire off-beat actors like Irfaan Khan, Om Puri, Nana Patekar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpai and Naseeruddin Shah who can eat any actor on screen alive with their powerful dialogue delivery and presence.”

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“I don’t want to play the damsel in distress all the time; I want to do something for the victimisation of women. It’s time that we should change the perception and make writers pen down roles that are not stereotyped or run-of-the-mill.”

Among co-stars, she is privileged to have shared the screen with veterans Abid Ali, Saba Hameed and Ismat Zehra whereas in the current crop of actors, she has many favourites.

“Some actors are likeable to work with and those include Ahsan Khan, Adnan Siddiqi, Fahad Mustafa, Ali Rehman, Osman Khalid Butt, Gohar Rasheed, Sanam Jang and Sanam Saeed. The more I work, the more I will get to know people but so far, these people have been excellent co-stars and I would love to work with them anytime.”

From Mere Humdum Mere Dost to Mausam, Doosri Biwi to Dayar-i-Dil, Hareem Farooq has been doing TV continuously for the last 2 years but she still doesn’t rate TV as her first love — that honour goes to theatre:

“As an actor one should try all mediums; theatre being the foundation.” Hareem declares with an air of authority. “TV serves as an ideal learning ground whereas film is the eventual platform for all. I did a film (Siyaah) out of curiosity but the next few years will be solely for television where I can learn the tricks of the trade. Afterwards, I might go into film acting when the revival is on the right path.”

Does that mean that she will not be returning to theatre anytime soon?

“Once a theatre actor, always a theatre actor! I can never leave it no matter how busy I get … I plan to return to the stage soon and this time I might turn to production as well. Let’s see how and when it happens.”

For an actress with no connections to showbiz, Hareem Farooq has come a long way. She believes that struggle plays an important part in her success:

“Both my parents are Islamabad-based doctors and wanted me to follow my dreams; even if it was as crazy as wanting to emulate Madhuri … but the price was simple – get a degree first and then do whatever you like. That’s why after getting my bachelor’s degree in Sociology & Journalism, I moved to Karachi and started following my dreams.”

What sets Hareem Farooq different from other young actresses?

“I am not in this field for monetary gains; when I joined theatre I wanted to do something for the actors in Pakistan. We love their work when we are in the audience but once they are off the stage, we don’t care about them. That’s the difference between India and us; they treat their actors like gods. I want our people to respect actors the way other professionals in the country are.

“When you become an actor, it doesn’t mean that you have killed your self-esteem and dignity. I am from an educated family with a good background; I want females to follow my lead and that’s my ultimate goal. I also want to take Pakistani talent to an international audience and that’s why I will be stepping into the world of film production with my business partner Imran Raza Kazmi (who also produced Siyaah) and Reham Khan (Mrs Imran Khan). Keep your fingers crossed!”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, July 5th, 2015

‘Old but not obsolete’ Schwarzenegger back again as Terminator

PARIS: “I’m old but I’m not obsolete,” Arnold Schwarzenegger says of his return as the fearsome cyborg from the future in his new movie “Terminator Genisys”, opening worldwide this week.

The line is taken from the movie, spoken by his robotic character, but applies equally well to the 67-year-old Austrian-born Hollywood actor and former governor of California.

Schwarzenegger told a June 19 Paris media conference promoting the movie that he was asked to reprise his most famous role a month after finishing his seven-year stint running California in January 2011.

“I was very, very excited to ‘be back’,” he said, putting his accented emphasis on what is now his trademark phrase.

Effects wipe away age: “Terminator Genisys” is the fifth movie in the series that launched in 1984 with Schwarzenegger playing a killer cyborg sent to slay Sarah Connor, the woman who would become mother to a future resistance leader fighting the machines.

Schwarzenegger (who wasn’t in the last Terminator film that came out in 2009 because he was in governor mode) revisits the original 1984 timeframe thanks to some movie magic.

In one early scene, he fights a version of himself with the special effects crew digitally painting his face over that of a bodybuilder hired to incarnate Schwarzenegger as he looked three decades ago.

“When I saw the movie for the first time three weeks ago I was literally blown away, to see myself fighting me and to see exactly the way I looked in 1984,” Schwarzenegger said.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2015