Pakistani star Mahira Khan recently took the Internet by surprise with an announcement few fans saw coming. The 41-year-old actor revealed that she is expecting her second child, sharing a photograph of her baby bump from the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The Humsafar and Raees star was pictured in a flowing white maternity gown as she shared the news on Instagram. “We make plans … and then there is ALLAH’S plan,” she wrote.
The baby will be Khan’s first with husband Salim Karim, whom she married in October 2023. She is already mother to a teenage son from her previous marriage to producer Ali Askari.
As the news came directly from the actor herself, congratulatory messages quickly poured in from fans and colleagues across social media. “Mashallah congrats. So happy for you,” wrote television host Nida Yasir. Pakistani actor Bilal Ashraf also shared his wishes, adding, “Mabrook Dost Khan. Super super happy for you two. Mashallah.”
In an interview with a media outlet, Khan spoke candidly about how pregnancy has reshaped both her everyday experience and her approach to public appearances. Opening up about her TIFF wardrobe, she said that deciding what to wear now feels more personal than simply choosing a red-carpet look.
“Strangely, this time around I’ve been thinking about it as more than just, ‘What am I wearing on the red carpet?’” Khan was quoted as saying. “There’s obviously a very visible bump coming with me! So, what I wear and how I present myself feels a little more personal this time.”
Khan reflected on returning to pregnancy at a very different point in her life. “It’s very different this time and definitely more challenging. The last time I was pregnant, I was 24. I’m 41 now, so I’m literally a different woman … emotionally, physically, in every possible way,” she said.
Looking back on her first pregnancy, the actor said she navigated that chapter with “a certain innocence.” “I was excited, my health was great, and perhaps I didn’t think too much about everything that could happen. I just went with it,” she added.
Now, she says, the physical adjustment has been more demanding. “Physically, it’s been harder. There are days when my body simply doesn’t allow me to do what my mind thinks I should be able to do,” said Khan, who is accustomed to a packed schedule of work and travel. “That has been an adjustment for me because I’m used to being on the go, working, travelling, doing a hundred things at once.”
The actor said greater emotional awareness has also made this pregnancy a very different experience. “You know more. You worry more. You understand how precious and fragile it all is,” she added, describing the experience as one that has brought “immense joy” but also fear and exhaustion.
For Khan, the pregnancy has ultimately become a lesson in accepting uncertainty. “I don’t have to have everything figured out and life can surprise you even when you think you know where it’s going.”
Source: Khaleej Times