It wasn’t an easy story because naturally, the first motivational woman any man will come up with is his mother. But, when we called these influential celebrities and asked which women FROM THE INDUSTRY they found inspirational, the task got tougher. However, most of them did come up with pretty amazing figureheads to follow.
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Hamza Ali Abbasi
“Madam Noor Jehan”
“I think Madam Noor Jehan…for single-handedly raising the morale of the troops in 1965. She is a testament to what art and artists can do for a nation in times of need.â€
Humayun Saeed
“Sultana Siddiqui”
“It’s an obvious choice, really. Sultana Apa started her Private Production at a time when the industry was controlled by men. She started her own channel and she did it with family values in tow. I’ve worked with her and she’s part of my family and vice versa. I think Sultana Apa has played a role in emancipating women on television. She runs an empire with the discipline of a mother. I’ve never seen anyone like her in this field before.â€
Ali Zafar
“Nazia Hasan”
“Nazia Hassan. For being alive even after years of being gone.â€
Ahsan Khan
“Roshaney Zafar”
“Roshaney Zafar for sure, as she is working for the Pakistani society and women empowerment. After Udaari, which she produced with Momina Duraid, I realised how these two women changed the face of our drama industry, and not only worked for money and glamour as producers, but worked for a cause.”
Adnan Siddiqui
“Fariha Jabeen”
“I am proud to work with numerous talented woman in my industry who defy odds on a regular basis; the woman, however, I am most inspired with has to be Fariha Jabeen.
We all talk about struggles in our lives and don’t take a second to blame all the mishaps on fate but then there are people like Fariha who would rather use her fate as a stepping stone for her generations to come.
Coming from humble beginnings Fariha didn’t have the luxury of education and always felt left out. I remember her telling me that she would do almost anything to get her kids the education and the life she couldn’t have and then she proved herself with getting her daughter not only the education but bringing up an insanely talented young girl, Amar Khan. Her daughter today is a writer, actress, a visionary and vows to do wonders because she is a testimony of what Fariha Jabeen stands for.
I salute women and mothers like Fariha for making the tough call for the betterment of her generation and in turn the entire nation.”
Fahad Mustafa
“Vaneeza Ahmed”
“The woman who inspires me in the industry is Vaneeza Ahmed. She is real.”
Faysal Qureshi
“Shabnam”
“There have been numerous women who have inspired me in the industry, but one that I recall is film actress Shabnam. She was there in one of my first serials and despite having no scenes she was on sets from the morning till evening. Her commitment to her work is commendable.”
Feroze Khan
“Humaima Malik”
“It has to be my sister Humaima, who inspires me by being the truest she could be to me, and never lets me give up. She has taught me how to balance life.”
