Nadia Hussain was 'horrified' when a policeman shook hands with her stalker

Model offered insights into her multifaceted life

Renowned model and entrepreneur Nadia Hussain recently graced Frieha Altaf's FWhy Podcast, offering insights into her multifaceted life, from her early years to her experiences in the modelling industry. Born in London due to her father's association with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Nadia shared her unique path to acquiring a UK passport, attributing it to a stroke of luck following a change in laws.

"Right after my brother was born, the law changed, where the parents also had to have UK passports," she recalled. "So we were lucky, that without our parents having the UK passport, we just got the passport by virtue of being born there." The model added, "We came back soon after my brother was born. Maybe the first four years of my life we lived there. After that, when we came back to Pakistan, we've never gone abroad to live anywhere."

Having spent her initial years at Sea View, Nadia recalled her fearless approach to life, even jogging on the streets despite safety concerns. She emphasised her non-conventional upbringing, marked by freedom, and mentioned her familial connection to renowned singer Tina Sani. "I don't come from that conventional, conservative kind of background. I've always had freedom," Nadia shared. 

Nadia dove into her educational journey, opting for dental school due to her interest in science and a desire to avoid the prolonged process of pursuing an MBBS degree. Notably, she mentioned seeking advice from Dr. Arif Alvi, her family dentist, who later became the President of Pakistan. "I remember meeting him after my A Levels. We also discussed colleges, which colleges to apply to," she reminisced.

The discussion shifted to Nadia's foray into modelling, triggered by a spontaneous campaign during an internship at an advertising agency after her A Levels. She recalled, "After that, I went for a haircut to Mubashir Khan at Tariq Amin's and Mubashir then was like, 'Oh my God! Where have you been? Who are you?' And I was like, well, I've done this campaign, I don't know if I want to pursue it - I wouldn't mind." She disclosed that she did her first show for Imran Qureshi and right after, Frieha contacted her. Her tall and lanky physique earned her the nickname "khamba," a source of pride for her. Nadia stated, "I used to feel proud about it that I'm so tall and I stand out. I used to feel happy about that." 

Reflecting on relationships, Nadia disclosed her first crush on Tom Cruise and shared snippets of her past experiences. "There was one which eventually had become a little serious but I think I realised that it's not really worth it for me because there was too much of a difference in mindset," the supermodel stated candidly. She touched upon her engagement and subsequent marriage to Atif Khan, highlighting the role he played during her father's illness, and exposing her to the complexities of hospitals.

Being inclined towards finance due to her friends' involvement in the banking field, Nadia revealed that she and her friends decided to invest together. However, they proceeded without informing her. She was initially upset. However, a laid-back friend suggested a "cheetah broker's number." Nadia decided to call Atif, a person she knew socially, who was already interested in her. He efficiently facilitated the investment process and visited her house. 

Despite initial concerns from her mother about the family not having invested in stocks, the conversation between Nadia and Atif led to a deepening connection. Within five months, they were engaged. Unfortunately, during this period, Nadia faced a challenging situation as her father fell ill, experiencing a heart attack that required a bypass surgery. This marked her first exposure to the complexities of hospitals, with Atif being a constant support during this trying time.

"Within two, three months of me meeting him, my father got unwell," Nadia shared. "He had a heart attack and he had to undergo a bypass surgery. That was the first time I was exposed to hospitals and I had no idea. Atif already had been well aware of hospitals. It was during that time - him being constantly by my side."

The conversation took a serious turn as Nadia recounted an unsettling incident of being followed at Sea View. Despite seeking help from a policeman, she was shocked when he seemingly sided with the stalker, underlining the challenges women face regarding safety. "When I [had newly come into] this industry, I was followed at that time," Nadia shared. "I was followed on Sea View only. I was coming back from I don't know what side, I think I was coming back from the Dolmen Mall side and I was coming onto Sea View. And I didn't go home...I went towards the Darakshan side and I started going into the lanes, then I came back onto Sea View."

She continued, "On Sea View, I saw a police mobile. So I was like, 'Oh, thank God!' I quickly turned around - that guy was still behind me - I quickly turned around and I went to the police mobile and I stopped. The guy stopped right behind me, he was in some Cruiser or something...I stopped at the police mobile, I got out, and I was like, 'This guy is following me!' And the guy [in the car] casually got out...But when I went to the police guy and I told him that this guy is following me, I was horrified to see that the policeman went to that guy and shook his hands and did this to him (bowing gesture)." 

Despite feeling livid, she quickly fled the scene. Later, she unexpectedly encountered the man again at the main Sea View exit, where she alleged he had been waiting. Undeterred, Nadia stood her ground, confronting him and subsequently complaining to her security guard. She instructed him to inform the head of security for the area about the ongoing harassment. Eventually, the man left.

Recalling another distressing incident after her marriage during Ramazan, Nadia shared that despite her "sober look" and "minimalistic makeup," a man on a motorbike in traffic persistently stared at her. Annoyed by his actions, she gestured to him with her hands inquiring about his behaviour. Despite her protests, the man continued to follow her car, making inappropriate gestures. In response, Nadia took matters into her own hands, figuratively and literally, as she ended up knocking the man over before swiftly driving away. "You cannot let anybody trample upon you, especially when you've not done anything wrong," she stated resolutely. 

Discussing the current state of the fashion industry, Nadia expressed her views on the changing dynamics, emphasising the dominance of social media in shaping careers. She highlighted how fashion is now all about "commercialism, and selling your brand on social media." She pondered, "Amongst the girls, I say that even now, there are models now...Open social media and there will be a model. Everybody and their sisters and brothers and mothers and fathers - everybody, in their description is like, 'I'm a model.' Not just influencer, but just saying that they're models. You pick up a rock and there's a model, you know?"

She furthered, "I'm not sure what it is - is there any criteria for models left any more? Is there not? Of course, I'm not saying that diversity is not good - diversity is very good...We do see short models, slightly overweight models, we do see the dark [models], we see the conventional [ones] as per Pakistan's standards." 

However, Nadia added, "There is no supermodel anymore. Everybody is just a model, there's no supermodel...A supermodel is somebody who is known across the board. Everybody has to know who they are. They have to be able to do print and ramp [and make money]." The model continued to state, "Fashion has become so accessible now to everybody. There was a time when print was king, now it is not. Now, social media is king. Now, it's not about who is defining the supermodel - initially, it was print...Now your own social media is king and your own content is king."

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