If you are a woman stuck in a rut with your career or wondering how best to balance it with the demands of motherhood, there can be no more luminous example of how to get it right than former actor and model Mehreen Raheel.
From working in front of the camera to nurturing a passion for cooking and fitness, the daughter of legendary actor Seemi Raheel began her career as a model before transitioning to film and television. Speaking at Ahmad Ali Butt's podcast, Mehreen spoke about taking a step back from the world of screens to focus on her children and her new passion for cooking and fitness.
On raising children
"You see, motherhood is a very powerful tool Allah has given every woman," she begins the Zindagi Gulzar Hai actor. "Some children require more from their mothers – especially those who are differently-abled. My daughter is on the spectrum, so for me to feel comfortable leaving her with an attendant or with somebody at school, I needed to feel confident that she would be able to move ahead comfortably on her own without me in the backseat."
Wanting to soak in her children's childhood, leaving behind a once-busy schedule in the television industry was the natural solution for Mehreen. "I was 12 when I started work," reflects the former actor and model. "I had seen so much in my life already and I wanted to enjoy my children. I didn't want to fast-forward it. I have been raising them and seen every one of their milestones, and I'm very, very attached to them."
Having once been a fearless, restless teenager to now moving at a slower pace without judgement, Mehreen is adamant that motherhood – particularly with a differently-abled child under her care – has revolutionised her outlook on life.
"Becoming a mother has made me a better human being," she muses. "It's made me forgiving. It's made me respectful towards everyone. That's what motherhood does to you. It teaches you to accept people the way they are without judging them."
Life under the spotlight
As a young girl marking out her territory in front of the camera, Mehreen's life once looked very different from what it is today – and like anyone else in the world of showbiz, her career came with its downsides.
"It took away a lot of my time from the people that I loved," recalls Mehreen. "I became a machine – I was travelling, I was working. Now that I look back, it was one of the most amazing things in my life. But I only had time for me. My parents have always been the nucleus, the centre of my life. But I had no time for my extended family."
Having once cherished a career others can only dream of, Mehreen maintains that whatever other people's perceptions of her may be, she was never "proud". "Allah kept me grounded," she says firmly. "I was very focused because this was my time, my money. When you go on set, you go there to work, and when people would arrive later or misbehave, it did bother me. It was very annoying. So maybe because of that, people thought I was very snooty."
When it came to films Mehreen knew it would not be her forever career. "I did it just for the experience, to see myself on the big screen," she confesses. "I could have done it better. Much better. The way the songs were shot was nice, but there were a lot of problems, let's just keep it that way."
It was in television, however, that Mehreen found her "true calling". "I loved the scripts that came my way, even though people thought for the longest time that I couldn't act – and I think I couldn't. When you're a model, it's different. And when you're an actor, the fire in you comes out."
That fire also helped Mehreen work out which production houses were worth her time. "I have worked with a lot of people – you name it, I've done it," she says. "You always go back to where you are valued as an actor and where your time is respected. When your needs are looked after and when you are treated like an actual human being, you are able to shine better."
Cooking and fitness
Today, as a certified chef and a fitness fanatic, Mehreen's work landscape looks very different. From cooking for her children, Mehreen has gone to manage a restaurant in her husband's family and says the experience has been life-changing.
"I stepped into that line of work about a year ago, and then I learned so much – how to deal with people, their tantrums, electricals, infestations, food storage, how to use leftovers – everything," she says.
Mehreen's passion for cooking stems from her determination to do it for her children, despite juggling a full-time career. "There's not a day that goes by where I do not cook for my children," she admits. "I never wanted them to have fast food and preservatives. I wanted them to have earthy, hearty food like sabzi and daal. Children have to have a proper diet for their brain to develop a certain way and for their body to function properly."
This healthy relationship with food is rooted in a desire to look after herself. "I decided to not fight age but be strong enough to look after the family that I have and not be a burden on someone," she says. "Food plays a big part in that."
Mehreen's penchant for the right food runs side by side with her love for fitness. "I started working out when I was pregnant, and after I had kids I had to lose the baby weight. That is when my fitness journey began."
Mehreen likens her love for fitness to tuning up a car. "Your body is like a car and you can tweak it up to whatever level you want, and then when you take it out for a ride, it feels insane," she says fervently. "You are so much more clear-headed. I don't ever want to go back to the way I was."
From modelling and acting to cooking and conquering the gym – Mehreen is proof that with passion and determination, it is possible to move mountains.
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