I don’t despise anyone: Frieha Altaf

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Tropical island, white sand beach, turquoise water and my children.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing a family member.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My short temper.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Dishonesty.

What is your greatest extravagance?

My holidays.

What is your current state of mind?

Stressed, happy, ambitious.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Patience.

On what occasion do you lie?

“I will not smoke.”

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Nothing.

Which living person do you most despise?

I don’t despise anyone.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Sense of humour.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Strength of character.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Yaaar, shit, yikes.

When and where were you happiest?

On my 40th birthday.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Singing.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My dress size.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My kids.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Michelangelo.

Where would you most like to live?

Pakistan.

What is your most treasured possession?

My brother’s polo shirt and my dad’s Rayban aviators.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Lack of freedom.

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

Paint and sculpt.

What is your most marked characteristic?

My dimple, my husky voice and my tan.

Who is your hero of fiction?

Superman.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Cleopatra.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My mother and Mukhtara Mai.

What’s your favourite quote?

“Hum chalay dunya jalay.”

How many hours of load shedding did you experience yesterday?

Four hours.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 30th, 2010.