Iffat Rahim Omar

She is a model, an actress, director and
producer. Having appeared in countless TV shows and catwalks around the country
and internationally, Iffat Umar needs no introduction. In an exclusive interview
with The Saturday Post, she tells us how she began her career and how she finds
the time to balance work, home and motherhood all at the same time!

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
Tell us about where you grew up, education and family.

My name is Iffat Rahim Umar, I am a former model turned
Producer-Director-Actress-Anchor. Currently, most of my work is related to
acting which is primarily due to the fact that I feel I am good at it, and
secondly because I think I can balance it very easily with my family life.

I grew up in the lovely and historic city of Lahore, which according to most
people is also the cultural capital of Pakistan. I have travelled elaborately
throughout the world and have stayed for an extended period of time in Europe
and the Middle East, but I think I am in my element when I am in Lahore. I just
love the city and of course all my childhood and teenage memories are associated
with it. I went to school (Esena Foundation, Gulberg), college (Lahore College
for Women) and university (Punjab University) here. I have a masters degree in
Fine Arts with a Gold Medal in Film Making, which for me is my biggest
educational achievement.

I was raised as a single child by my mother, who has been a constant
inspiration and a role model for me all my life. She has been the anchor who has
supported me through my early childhood until the time I was wise enough to
distinguish between right and wrong, and I owe her greatly for that.

I fell in love with Umar and had a fairy tale wedding about ten years ago. We
are blessed with a seven year daughter, Noor-e-Jehan, and as the name signifies
she is the light of our lives.

When and how did you get into modeling and
acting?

My modeling career began out of the blue, when one of the leading
photographers saw one of my pictures from some school function and invited me
for a shoot. My first shoot turned out to be a big hit at that time and my
career just took off.

Acting came later when I was offered a lead role in a play, which I took just to
try it out. That too was greatly appreciated by the critics as well as the
masses, and I slowly made the transition from modeling to acting.

Did your family support your decision to model
and act or did they oppose it?

My mother was very strict but professional in her outlook. She had the
foresight to see that I could make a career out of show-biz. Her only
reservation was that I must complete my education along with my professional
commitments. Once she saw that I could do both, she supported me all the way.
Similarly, Umar wanted a balance between work and family life and once we
reached that balance he has been supporting me thoroughly.

You have a background in fine arts, why didn’t
you pursue a career in arts?

Well, in a way I am pursuing a career in fine arts. I have produced/directed
more then ten docudramas on fashion, history of film and biographies of actors
and actresses belonging to the sub-continent. Some of these are divas & gurus,
Chand Chera and Zikr Us Pari Wash Ka have been declared as masterpieces by the
national press and are highly appreciated.

You have worked with countless designers, who is
your favorite and why?

That’s an easy one; I would say Omar Saeed because there is no one who makes
clothes better than him. I actually recommend that his work should be put in a
museum because it’s out of this world!

How many TV serials and shows you have worked in
and which is your most memorable?

Iffat, Tahira & vaneeza

That’s a toughie because seriously I have lost count, but I think a ball park
figure would be around 50. The most memorable, at least for me, is Banoo Ko
Pahchano which was written and directed by Salman Shahid.

A lot of models have turned to acting, does acting come naturally to models
or do TV people just approach models in general?

It’s actually a bit of both. We have to be honest; show-biz is still
considered a taboo by most segments of Pakistani society. So girls who have, so
as to say, crossed the threshold are the ones who are in modeling and are always
easy to approach. However, acting is not a natural extension of modeling, most
models try, but don’t cut it. So I wouldn’t say that it comes naturally to them,
although it might give them an advantage.

You are a working woman, a wife and a mother;
how do you balance all these roles?

By keeping my priorities in order i.e., family and then work. It’s not easy,
but once you get your priorities right everything else falls in place. Although
in my case it was a little easier because my mother and then my husband both
have supported me in my career. I also make it a point to not take on too much
work, and what ever work I do, I finish by 8 or 9 in the evening so that I can
be at home when my daughter goes to sleep.

What are your hobbies and interests?

Reading and of course shoes, bags and clothes. I have to admit, I love to
shop and this is one thing I have never lost interest in and no woman should
(laughs).

What advice would you give to the young people
who want to enter modeling and acting?

It’s a good career with a lot of opportunities, but also a lot of pitfalls if
you don’t keep your head up straight. So go for it, but tread with care.

Lastly, your message to the readers of The
Saturday Post.

I think you people living out there in the U.S. can help the country in
projecting a positive image and especially in changing the perceptions about
Pakistan. These days, all that matters are perceptions as no one is going to
come here to know the actual truth. So please, please don’t let our country go
down any further and make sure that in every action you project is the best our
country has to offer to all other nationalities and the rest of the world.