Friends forever, soul-mates for life

The glamazons of our industry talk about their best friends.

LAHORE:

“Maybe we could be each other’s soulmates? And then we could let men be these great nice guys to have fun with?” said Charlotte York in HBO’s hit TV Series Sex and The City.

Your soulmate doesn’t necessarily need to be the person you end up marrying, he/she can also be the one person who knows and understands you best. Someone removed from your romantic life to appreciate you despite your flaws. The Express Tribune spoke to some of the most powerful soulmates in the world of showbiz. These ladies are beautiful, successful and iconic in their own ways but what brings them together is the sense of solidarity they feel for each other. In the cut-throat world of glamour, life becomes a little easier knowing that your best friend will understand the ins and outs of the game.

Mahira and Feeha

“In fourth grade, Mahira walked up to me in class and handed out an invitation to a dholki at her house,” starts Feeha, “I thought her cousin or sister was getting married so I arrived ghagra clad to her house only to discover that it was a themed party and we would dance to Indian songs all evening. That is when I knew Mahira and I were destined to be friends,” says the designer.



Mahira recaps their journey. “Even though we have known each other since the age of eight, our friendship really took a turn for the better in O’ Levels. Since then, there has been no turning back. We know each other so well that we complete each other’s sentences — working in the same industry has just brought us closer to each other.” While Mahira says she is not keen on modelling, she cannot refuse her best friend. “I am glad that Feeha is such a great designer because I can never say no to her,” says the brand ambassador of Feeha Jamshed.

Sharmeen and Maheen

Oscar winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and designer Maheen Karim have been together since seventh grade at the Karachi Grammar School. Foodies at heart, the two love exploring new restaurants together; from hidden dhabas to fine dining, you name it and they have tried it. “We both loved sports and that is how we ended up being friends,” says Sharmeen. “We would bond over softball practices.”

“We are both young working women, so we often discuss our issues with each other,” says Sharmeen. “Maheen helps me relieve my stress; we go for dinners and watch plays together to unwind from our hectic schedules — she is my go to person.”

Maheen says that childhood bonds never change. “From lunches at our haunt Young Ones — where we got filmed by the sneaky Ali Haider for his video — to Sports Days at school, to Sharmeen’s wedding and our Venice trip a few months ago, every moment has been precious.” She says Sharmeen is like a sister to her and a daughter to her parents. “Without her life would be meaningless,” she adds. While Sharmeen loves Maheen’s sense of style and fashion, Maheen appreciates Sharmeen’s ability to put Pakistan on the map of film-making.

Khadijah and Meher

Publishing editor of Paper Magazine Meher Tareen and Khadijah Shah of Élan need no introduction. They have been friends since college, when they attended University of Michigan-Ann Arbor together. “Meher has always been very creative when it comes to making collages and using Photoshop,” says Khadijah. “She always wanted to work for a magazine or own one — I don’t see a better suited career for her.”

Khadijah chuckles as she remembers the time they bought one ticket for a movie in college and ended up movie hopping and watched four movies in one night. “It is true that we are very opinionated, but I think that is what brings us together because there is never a dull moment,” says Meher. “I have always loved Khadijah’s style and even in college I would ask her to pick out my outfits, but when it comes to our work we are unbiased and are brutally honest with each other because that is the only way we can survive in the industry we work in.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2013.                

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