There are many caps Eman Suleman has been wearing. She’s primarily a student at BNU during the day and a fashion model by night, when she exchanges her books for high end brands that she works with. In a very short span of time
InstepIntErVIEW
Fashion model Eman Suleman makes a television debut with Sarmad Khoosat’s Aakhri Station.
There are many caps Eman Suleman has been wearing. She’s primarily a student at BNU during the day and a fashion model by night, when she exchanges her books for high end brands that she works with. In a very short span of time, Eman has worked with industry bigwigs like Generation, Ali Xeeshan and Khaadi and that’s not all; this multi-tasker has also taken a plunge into comedy with the Auratnak Show just recently.
Eman is all set to broaden her horizon even more as she has stepped into the world of television with Sarmad Khoosat’s Aakhri Station, developed in association with the Kashf Foundation. The 7-episode series features an interesting medley of actors like Sanam Saeed, Nimra Bucha, Anam Goher and Mikaal Zulfiqar, amongst others, and sheds light on several women and gender-specific issues. Eman was contacted to audition by one of the co-producers on the show and she bagged an intriguing part as one of the protagonists.
One wonders how she manages to take out enough time for everything she’s dabbling in and without any hesitation she reveals that her work pays for her education. She shoots a campaign as early as dawn and makes it to class on time, she shares, being refreshingly honest. Stepping into acting, however, was not as simple as it sounds.
“I didn’t really have acting in mind and my parents weren’t very supportive of it, but when I found out that Sarmad was supposed to direct it, and of course, the character that I was offered, I decided to go ahead with it,” she says of what made her venture into television. “It’s pretty controversial I’d say; I wouldn’t have done it had it been a conventional character in a love story. When I found it (my character) was of a prostitute, I said I’m going to do it and managed to convince my parents.”
One amongst the seven women that narrate their individual struggles when they meet in a train compartment, Eman chronicles the journey of Yasmin, a helpless wife being forced to prostitution by her husband. Having an emotionally and physically taxing disposition as her foray into thespianism, Eman agrees on having had the portrayal take a toll on her.
“I didn’t prepare much before getting on set, but when I met Sarmad, we sat down to discuss how we should proceed and we decided to completely get into it. Which is why, a lot of it was method acting I’d say,” she revealed, saying she didn’t have to visit any sex worker, but chose to explore her character’s domestic battle with her husband. “By the end of the shoot, I had internalized Yasmin and it adversely affected me that I went into a very dejected state of mind. I didn’t know what a character can do to you.”
She speaks of breaking all odds and getting into acting wholeheartedly but parental restrictions are a bigger reality for many women who aspire to pursue their careers in the performing arts. Eman agrees that despite the yearbehind television’s evolution in Pakistan, there still is a stigma attached to letting girls work in the entertainment industry.
“I don’t know much as I’m not really a part of the industry per say. I just go, do my bit and leave; I’m not somebody who socializes a lot, out of my own circle. I guess it’s understandable because at least my parents’ generation thought of it as something inappropriate. As far as I’m concerned and the modeling industry right now, I feel we now have a lot of smart girls who can take care of themselves.”
As a model, Eman feels that her attitude has helped her secure high-end campaigns within a short span of time. Professionalism is an underrated virtue in the world of fashion but it’s something that the budding starlet seems to have implemented in her own life.
“I think people in fashion are always on the lookout for new talent. Ever since I’ve started modeling, I’ve seen so many new people enter,” she says of having been able to rise above the emerging status and is in the running with some of the top models today. “At the end of the day, if you’re not walking in with that typical attitude, you’re good to go. I think it’s all about how easy you are to work with.”
Aakhri Station’s episode one, featuring Eman Suleman, aired on Tuesday and despite the positive feedback, she says that only a substantial offer could pull her back to the sets of another acting assignment.
“It depends on the kind of work that comes my way,” she says. “I was offered to audition for Mehreen Jabbar’s project, but I had my classes, so I couldn’t go for that. I just know that I cannot do stereotypical roles; I’d like to do something that raises an eyebrow or two, something that matters,” she maintains.
“After the success of Udaari, I feel it’s essential for us to open up and speak about certain topics, essentially for women’s liberation and the problems they face in the society. We’ve seen the impact that drama serials can have on their viewers; it’s actually a gateway to opening up conversations.”
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Eman Suleman with Sanam Saeed and child artist in a still from Akhri Station.
