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In the era of ‘situationships’, love is a concept that most people fail to understand and therefore, steer clear of. But not Mawra Hocane. The actor, who assures everyone she is NOT in love, has shared her thoughts on what it should mean to be in love in the 21st century and how you can tell if you’ve found The One.

In a recent interview with Something Haute, the Neem actor painted a picture of love as a space where masks are shed and authenticity reigns supreme. While promoting her upcoming TV serial Let’s Try Muhabbat opposite Danyal Zafar, she said intimacy and authenticity go hand-in-hand — “Being in love means being your true self.”

Taking into account that life can be chaotic, even if, and we’d say especially if you’re a celebrity, Hocane said, “Life is already so complicated that love should be easy.”

The Sabaat star clarified that when she says ‘easy’, she doesn’t mean being ‘lazy’ in love. “I hope I can make sense when I say that relationships should be easy. The only effort you should have to make in love is to give love. But if it’s taking a lot of effort then it’s probably not love. It should be clear and easy.”

Despite her profound musings on love, Hocane made it clear that she’s not currently swept up in its whirlwind. When asked if it’s clear and easy for her, she said, “Well, it’s not because I’m not in love.”

Expanding on her thoughts, Hocane drew a distinction between familial bonds and romantic relationships. She reiterated that while family ties are inherited, love is a conscious choice. “There’s just so much in life you don’t choose. You don’t choose your family, you’re born into it, so all of that comes with you and you never want to be ungrateful for that or the problems. But love, you’re choosing. When you’re choosing a person, you want to add that person to your already crazy life. So I think that should be a breeze, it should flow.”

Hocane’s perspectives challenge the traditional notions of love that are also promoted in Pakistani soaps and films. Her understanding of a topic that is tackled so carelessly and often with little nuance on TV, suggests that there’s still hope for rom-coms and romantics.