Labour of love: Mehwish Hayat on her upcoming item number

Mehwish Hayat performing the item number in the film, 'Na Maloom Afraad'. – Photo courtesy Filmwala Pictures

KARACHI. A three-second glimpse of Mehwish Hayat's jhatkas in a ghagra choli is really all it took to send fans swooning.

The svelte actress' special appearance for an item number in upcoming Pakistani film Na Maloom Afraad has created a stir on social media, as the first trailer for the film treats fans to a quick look of the performance. With her energetic and willowy dance performances on stage shows for Veet and Hum TV, it is no wonder that the talented actress' role in the upcoming film has people talking.

While the name of the song has not yet been disclosed by the film-makers in the spirit of building anticipation pre-release, we have learnt that the music for the number has been composed by Shani and Kami.

Also read: 'Trailer's out: Namaloom Afraad shows blockbuster potential'

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“I used to watch a lot of Michael Jackson and Jennifer Lopez videos to copy the moves,” Hayat tells Dawn. “I loved to dance and really wanted to do something related to dance in the industry.”

As a child, Hayat said she had an interest in dancing and used to practice freestyle dance steps.

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Read more: 'First person: Getting to know Mehwish Hayat'

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With long shooting hours under the supervision of Lahore-based choreographer, Nigah Hussain, Hayat said had sore feet by the time the shooting ended for the dance number.

“It was a wooden dance floor... I had bruised and swollen feet and was unable to walk for days,” she said.

Screenshot from the film, 'Na Maloom Afraad' – Courtesy Photo

Working through the pain, Hayat said playing the 'item girl' was a worthwhile experience.

“Item songs are the highlight for any film, and after working on this one, I definitely feel that Pakistani cinema is evolving. We’ve already made our name in television and will soon rise in the film industry as well. We [Pakistan] are no less than any other country's film industry.”

“I was working with Jawed Sheikh those days and he was all praise for the film,” she says. “Fizza (the producer) then got in touch with me. By then, I already knew what the film was about so I listened to the song, and instantly decided to do it!.”

Having worked in both, television and film, Hayat says she feels more comfortable on the silver screen and is proud to be part of the upcoming feature film.

“It’s every actor’s dream to work on the big screen," she gushes. "I also believe Director Nabeel Qureshi is one of the finest directors to look forward to. He is excellent at his work and I’m proud to be part of the Na Maloom Afraad team.”

She adds that she feels strongly about representing Pakistan in the foreign film industry and is open to accepting any offer she receives from abroad.

With Chikni Chameli as her favourite item song, one can only wait and see the moves Hayat brings to the number, which looks -- even by a glimpse -- like a rendition of the upbeat Bollywood songs that are all the rage with cinema goers in the sub-continent.