Reem Shaikh on playing Malala Yousafzai in Gul Makai: I hope I have done justice to her character

H.E. Amjad Khan’s directorial Gul Makai is a biopic on Malala Yousafzai which stars Reem Shaikh in the lead role. Reem Shaikh is known for her stint on the television and currently plays the lead role in TV serial Tujhse Hai Raabta.

When we recently met Reem we asked her if she met Malala to prepare for her role, to which Reem revealed, “I didn’t get to meet her. But I hope I have done justice to her character because I did a lot of research, read her interviews and her articles. So, I am just excited to know if she liked it. Even though Malala’s father told me that he really likes the film.”

When asked her if she knew about Malala before signing the film, Reem said, “I knew a little bit about her in brief, and not in detail. I know that she is the youngest Noble Peace Prize winner and she was shot in the head by the Talibans. But then I didn’t know who were Talibans and where was she from. So, when I got the project that’s when I started getting into details that what role her father played in her life and how important was he in her life.”

Malala's journey wasn’t an easy one, so when questioned if it was emotionally challenging for her to portray the character of Malala, the actress said, “It was difficult for me to somewhere relate to the character because I am from Bombay and over here things are not that difficult. Nobody can come and shoot in the head just like that. So, for me, it was difficult to relate, but it was not very emotionally challenging because I had read the script many times, and I was pretty clear what has to be done on the set. I was there with a clear mind, so I was never lost. So, it was not that difficult.”

Gul Makai is slated to release on 31^st Jan 2020.