5 things you didn't know about Shah Rukh's newest leading lady

To begin with, Mahira Khan's married!

Pakistani actress Mahira Khan is currently making waves in India, thanks to her Bollywood debut in the offing -- Rahul Dholakia's next titled Raees -- in which she will star opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

Curious about this newest star-in-the-making?

Here's what you'd want to know about SRK's newest costar:

1. Beginnings

While she started out as a veejay with shows like MTV's Most Wanted and Weekends With Mahira in Pakistan, the actress made her acting debut with Pakistani film Bol in 2011.  

She returned to hosting recently this year with the talk show TUC The Lighter Side of Life.

2. Rise to fame

Mahira is already a popular face in Pakistan, thanks to her work in Pakistani shows.

Her show Humsafar gained considerable popularity in India when it was premiered on Zee Zindagi in June this year.

Fawad Khan, her costar in the show, made his Bollywood debut opposite Sonam Kapoor in Khoobsurat in September this year.

3. Indian debut

The actress has been, in the past, quoted as saying that she wasn't willing to work for Indian projects as Pakistan needed its artists more.

In a press interaction on her first visit to India at the launch of Humsafar, the actress told mediapersons, 'I can't work in Indian shows... they run for too long.'

Fancy seeing her on the Bollywood big screen after those statements.

4. Family life

Mahira met her husband Ali Askari while studying in Los Angeles. The couple got married in 2007.

The couple have a son named Azlaan.

In an interview, she admitted to cutting down on work because she wanted to spend time with her family.

5. How she landed Raees

One would expect to see the likes of Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone as SRK's leading lady on screen.

But for Raees, which is the story of a Gujarati bootlegger set in a Muslim ghetto, the makers wanted a fresh face that would blend in the setting. That's when they zeroed in on Mahira.

Photographs: Mahira Khan/Facebook