Mehwish Hayat, who turned 33 on January 6, celebrated her birthday in a small and intimate party with her closest friends and family.
Sharing pictures from the celebrations on social media, Mehwish thanked her fans and well-wishers for their “wonderful birthday messages”.
“Your love means so much,” said the superstar.
Later, in a detailed post, Mehwish shared her reflections from the past year.
“As I turn 33, the past year gave me opportunity to reflect, assess my life and see what really matters to me,” said Mehwish. “Work has been so full on that I’d forgotten the simple pleasures in life; getting my hair oiled by my mother every Sunday, beating my brothers and nephew at video games, watching Netflix with my sister– all things that I’d missed.”
“Believe me nothing in life is as important as family,” she asserted.
The star went on to say: “Like everybody, I am glued to my phone most of my waking hours. While it connects us with the world, it also disconnects us from the world. We need to be present in the here and now and take in the wonders that abound. So much more to life, if only we appreciate it.”
Mehwish also talked about dealing with negative criticism and hate on social media.
“Let’s not let society dictate the way we want to lead our life. I have come to realise that it is possible for a girl in her early 30’s to be totally happy without being married and with children. It’ll happen when it will and not to some timetable,” said the actor.
Talkin about change, Mehwish expressed that it needs to be systemic.
“I am a little fed up of celebrities (including myself) made ambassadors for meaningful causes that fizzle out after a grand launch and photo op. How many times have we flooded social media, taken out rallies after some distressing event and then what.”
“Social media is great – it has really democratised freedom of speech like nothing else. But some have taken it as a licence to abuse and bully others. Others see it as an excuse to spread fake news and malicious gossip. Wikipedia giving my age does not make it true,” she wrote.
Continuing her note, she added: “Let’s not knock but support each other. We have this culture of bringing each other down. This has to stop if we are to succeed as a nation. Let’s understand that we are in this together and my success – or anyone else’s – is something of pride for every Pakistani.”
“Depression is real. Though my life may seem perfect, we all have our insecurities, shortcomings and setbacks. But as long as we work towards inner healing and connecting with the divine, we are capable of overcoming everything that life throws at us,” the actor added.
“The world was put on pause for us to reflect, how we come out of this is up to us. I, for one, know the direction I need to take. My mother always teaches that we have to create our own destinies wherever that may lead.”
“I will dare to dream and dare to dream big! Anything is possible,” she concluded.
Azfar Rehman, Danish Hayat, Afsheen Hayat, Faiza Ashfaq and Uzma Zakaria were among those with whom the Chhalawa star celebrated her big day.
