Dawn Images

Veena Malik's time in Bollywood involved quite a few controversies. From her cover on an Indian lifestyle magazine to participating in show Bigg Boss, the celeb became the talk of town for all the wrong reasons.

Fast forward eight years and Veena says that if she had the chance, she wouldn't work in India again.

During a segment of Waseem Badami's ARY show Har Lamha Purjosh, the actor said that she would much rather focus her efforts in Pakistan than across the border.

"The circumstances [back then] were such that I was destined to go to India for work. Maybe it's because whatever you do in life shape you and your future. If you ask me morally, I learned a lot working in India, and I've become mature [professionally] through those experiences," she said.

Veena also threw shade at a few celebs who've worked in Bollywood recently by saying, "I left working in India, of my own accord. I never focused on the threats -- it's not like I came running back to Pakistan because of the threats, I chose to work there and I also chose to stop working there."

"One of the biggest reasons I stopped working in India was that you can give your entire life to their entertainment industry but they will never recognise [the efforts of] a Pakistani artist in their history; for as long as I work in Pakistan, even after my death, I will be remembered."

When asked whether she has any advice for our local celebs who wish to find work in India, she responds, "I'm not at a stage in life where I can advise others because I myself am evolving. However, I believe you should do whatever you want to do in life. If you have the option, you should go for it, you should learn from your own mistakes, as the person I am today is because of what I've learned through the choices I made in life."

"If I were given the chance, I would never work in India again. When I was in India, I had many chances of working with Salman Khan, but in India I wanted to work as an artist through my efforts. I did female-centric films," she said. "But if given the same chance to work there again, I think I would much rather put in all that effort in my country. I would like to apply my efforts and potential in Pakistan."