Veena is inarguably one of the most fearless entertainers ever to have been produced by Pakistan. PHOTO: VISHAL SAXENA
Often the subject of muckrak in tabloids, Veena Malik is a woman on a mission.
Under the wild girl image, there resides a more sensitive woman (who we have seen doing Astaghfar on a Ramazan TV show already).
The actor-singer’s haters may sling mud at her, but she says her resilience and indomitable strength will get her through the most tumultuous of times.
She will soon be featuring in a Dutch documentary tentatively titled Women in Islam, which will cover the lives of six most powerful Muslim women from across the globe. The documentary, scheduled to air in May 2014, devotes its third episode to Malik’s life and depicts a side to her that she doesn’t often show on screen.
On how she managed to secure the part, Veena tells The Express Tribune, “The Dutch National TV team contacted me. They said they have chosen me to be part of [a documentary] along with five other individuals. They stated that they have handpicked 'six of the most powerful women of the Islamic world'.” In October 2013, the documentary crew closely assessed her life in Mumbai for a week. “It’s an experience of great personal value; one will get to see the real Veena Malik rather than the one projected on screen. This is a personal story of how I interact with the people around me,” she said.
What most people don’t know about Malik are the philanthropic projects that she has been associated with. Back in Pakistan, she worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on a polio campaign. “With WHO, I travelled to Quetta and Sibi for polio vaccination but I never flaunted it. People should know that I have various sides to my personality and that I love to work for humanity on a global level,” she said.
On the question of what matters to her most, she said, “For me, spirituality, humanity and religion matter — my religion that tells me to respect other religions. My bonding with God has strengthened over time … For now, my life is about my family, extended family and the people I know. I know that I need to do a lot more for humanity but for now, I need to work for my family.”
Song release and other projects
Malik’s second solo single, Rum, released on October 23 in Mumbai. “My second solo is Rum — it is about what we call ‘daroo’,” she said with a laugh. In India, she hasn’t got the time to get professionally trained but she said that she took training lessons in Pakistan. For the song, she has borrowed Aziz Mian Qawwal’s line from the qawwali Main Sharabi. “I used to listen to this qawwali as a six-year-old when my father used to play it on the tape recorder. It had a great impact on me. Even when I listen to it today, its impact is just as strong. I find a spiritual connection with it. While working on Rum, I only thought about this qawwali,” Malik said.
When enquired about her future singing plans, Malik said that she intends to make more solo tracks and even plans on making remixes of old Pakistani songs.
She disclosed that novelist Shobhaa De and an Indian photographer have expressed interest in penning the life of Malik. “Who is the real Veena Malik? She is a strong person. She was broken and shattered, but she stood up and faced all the challenges,” said Veena. “I would like to share my personal challenges in a book,” she added.
In terms of her connection with Pakistan, Veena said, “I will never let go of my association with Pakistan. I am, first and foremost, a Pakistani, then an army official’s daughter. I am like a kite that floats in the boundless air, but always stays linked with its string,” she said with pride.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2013.
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