Sadaf Kanwal left her education half-way for a career in modelling but you shouldn’t

The model opened up on her take on #MeToo and how she had to work on herself to appear ‘presentable’ on-screen

Be it her questionable statements or powerful photo-shoots, heads turn whenever Sadaf Kanwal walks into a room full of people. The sloppiness, however, hasn’t stopped her from making a mark in the fashion world, perhaps that’s why she takes those liberties, sometimes to her own detriment.

In a recent tete-a-tete with Begum Nawazish Ali, the 27-year-model opened up on her rise to fame, her controversial take on the #MeToo movement and how she had to work a lot on herself to appear ‘presentable’ on-screen.

"I groomed myself a lot. I worked on myself, got my teeth fixed," Sadaf quipped during the conversation.

The first time Sadaf caught ace stylist Nabila's eye was when the former was still a struggling model. 'Who is that girl,' she had asked, remembered Kanwal. That's when Nabila found out that Kanwal had been working for three years or so. “Nabila told me to groom myself even more if I wanted to be successful in this industry and then I never looked back," said Kanwal.

Even with the gurus putting their weight behind Kanwal, the model didn’t get the support she expected from the people who were the dearest to her. "My brother and father never approved of my choice to enter the showbiz but my mother was always very supportive,” recalled Kanwal. “I grew up seeing my aunt (actor Nida Mumtaz) and that made me wonder why am I being restricted from making it big? So I guess the persistence eventually paid off”

The actors’ dream

While Kanwal has won several accolades for her modelling career, acting is still an alien zone for her despite a few noticeable appearances on screen. Her efforts so far have put her on the producer’s map but she is far from her dream of being recognised for her acting skills

"I have always been into acting," she said. "My aunt has been my biggest inspiration. I watch her old projects and wish to be half as good as she has was." Speaking of who she thinks is the best actor out there, Kanwal called Sajal Aly her favourite. "I love her acting. She should do dramas more often. She did work in a Bollywood film as well, her role was great, but I feel TV suits her more."

As much as she enjoyed working with Hamza Ali Abbasi and lauds the efforts put in by the likes of Fawad Khan and Humayun Saeed, Kanwal thinks newcomers should be given a fair chance to prove themselves. "We have some brilliant new stars, like Bilal Abbas Khan, Ahad Raza Mir, and others. They are really good," she said.

Educate before it’s too late

Not completing her education is something Sadaf always regrets. She had left her B Com half in search of a permanent job. "You have so many responsibilities on you, that your education takes a backseat. This is something I will always feel guilty about," she commented. "For girls, it is extremely important to pay heed to their education. I should have done the same but I guess it was not meant to be."

The #MeToo debacle

In 2018, Kanwal was all over the news for her stance on the ongoing #MeToo movement. She received severe criticism for saying, "You know, when you have a #MeToo incident, say it then. Why are you remembering it later? I think when it happens you should say it."

Two years later, she still stands by her comments. "My first language isn't Urdu. I am a Hazara native, so some people might misunderstand me because of the wrong choice of words. I didn't mean to hurt anyone with what I said. I was misconstrued. But if something like that ever happened to me, I would not wait and speak up then and there.”

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