Interview Questions for Maha Tahirani
What was the most difficult photoshoot you have ever done, and how did you handle it?
Well, to be honest, all shoots are difficult. It is a full-time, physically demanding job. But it was my first international shoot in Dubai which was the hardest. I guess when you are learning your craft, amidst mastering it, all jobs seem difficult.
How do you hold uncomfortable poses for extended periods?
It is difficult but if that is what the job requires, it’s got to be done. Being physically fit also makes it easier to be more flexible. When I am modeling, I am in that special zone where anything is possible, really.
One superstition you still believe in?
I wouldn’t call it a superstition, but I have a strong belief in Makafat e Amal. What goes around comes around. It was always does
If your life was a movie what genre would it be?
It would be one that starts out as a fairy tale. And along the way, there is a lot of emotion, a good mix of thrill as well, and ends with the complete and absolute empowerment of the heroine. So, I guess we could say that it would an uplifting drama in terms of genre.
What is a typical day like in the life of Maha Tahirani?
It starts at 5 am as I wake up for Fajr and talk to my Allah and thank Him for all that He has given me, and to give me the strength to do better. Then I get to work – arrive on set, kill it at the ‘modeling’ game and come home absolutely exhausted but feeling like a complete winner!
What is your response to criticism, and how do you handle it?
My response has changed over the years. I used to get really upset and I could feel the rage brewing, and that’s how I would react. But now my silence and serenity make my haters tired and I enjoy it. It is like they keep hitting a hammer on the iron, and getting nothing but just the noise they created out of it. LOL
How would your best friends describe you?
I can’t be describing myself! I have been at my lowest and at my highest in my journey, and at both times, I was the only one who was there for myself. So yes, I am my own best friend!
What do you consider the toughest aspect of your job?
It would have to be the fact that women are underestimated. Some men end up taking advantage of a woman’s vulnerability and sometimes their silence. Our society continues to put a man’s honor in a woman’s body. Why is that? When there are so many other places that they can put it. Having agency over one’s own body and choices actually becomes a challenge.
One thing you can eat every day for the rest of your life?
Mutton Biryani for sure!
What was the last book you read?
Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed