After making her mark in the world of fashion as a model, Eman Suleman has entered the acting arena as well. Her most recent credit was an appearance in the vibrant music video of Singer Meesha Shafi’s single Hot Mango Chutney Sauce. Unapologetically feminist and not one to shy away from making a statement, Eman featured in headlines in 2019 after she dropped her nomination and spoke up against Lux Style Awards to show support for victims of sexual harassment.
On her performance as part of Meesha’s flamboyant music video, Eman shared during an interview with a local news outlet, “When I first heard this song, I really liked it. The fact that a lot of my close friends were performing in the music video as well made me feel as though I shouldn’t let go of the opportunity.” She added further, “Meesha Shafi is an icon, so working with her and with friends on one project felt like a great deal.”
Eman has also shown off her acting talents in filmmaker and actor Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha, a film that is yet to release in Pakistan due to censorship issues. Apart from this, Eman has also appeared on television in minor roles. On why the model is so selective when it comes to acting projects, she explained, “Before I sign on to any project, I assess what kind of message it will be sending out to the audience. On TV, women are constantly pitted against each other, even though the reality of such situations is very different.”
Elaborating on the negative impact of regurgitating such harmful tropes, Eman asserted, “Stop showing saas-bahu fights. No one cares to show the power of positive female relationships. Show how women of all backgrounds live.”
On whether she plans on pursuing acting further, the model revealed, “I enjoy acting and I plan to continue my acting career. I have a few upcoming projects that will be releasing soon.”
A few years back, Eman went for an unconventional look, opting for a buzz cut, which led to the model receiving an ample amount of criticism on social media. On how she dealt with the backlash, Eman shared that she isn’t one to take trolling too seriously. “Criticism doesn’t really faze me as such. I don’t let the hate people spew get to me. While I do get hate from people, I also get a lot of positivity,” she explained.
On how her family has been a pillar of strength for her, Eman shared, “My family is very supportive of my decisions and is also open-minded. They accepted me with happiness with short hair. In any case, whether I have short hair or long locks, the criticism from other people remains constant.”
There is a widespread expectation amongst up and coming actors to essay the lead role in a project. On whether Eman has any such aspirations, the model revealed that such issues don’t really matter to her as such. She shared, “I am okay with playing even the smallest of roles. You can show your acting prowess in minor roles as well. In fact, you can make an impact even if all you have is a two-minute scene on screen.”
As opposed to many artists who claim to have faced many hardships in the early phases of their careers, Eman explained that she didn’t have to try all that hard and had been relatively lucky when it comes to opportunities. The model explained that she did not have to try all that hard to get work and that she usually had a fair bit of projects that she could become a part of.
When asked whether she feels the fashion industry is going in the right direction or not, Eman shared that while she isn’t entirely sure about the answer to that question, she does believe that a step in the right direction is the increasing level of diversity in the industry. “Back in the day, you only had the standard size-zero models running the show. Now, there are models of all sizes making a mark in the fashion industry.”
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