Ayesha Omar: The adorable, ambitious artist

Ayesha Omar talks about her love for fattening food and the aspiration of winning a Grammy someday.

I am a simple, honest and fun loving individual who likes to live for the moment. “That does not mean I am not organised or do not have a plan for the future. I love the outdoors, can eat at anytime of the day and enjoy being around friends.” Meet Ayesha Omar.

This simple girl ended up in the mainstream media while she was studying at the National College of Arts (NCA). “I was part of a sitcom made by students and graduates. Its shooting used to take place in the college and the plot was based on life in NCA. A number of people spotted me there and offered me roles in different television projects. I couldn’t juggle acting in additional projects while I was at college because education was my first priority. However, after graduating, I started taking up more work.”

Omar has been an all-rounder from the very beginning of her career, from being a VJ for music programmes to acting and singing. When asked what she enjoys doing the most, she says, “You did not list painting here. I am actually a Fine Arts graduate from NCA. Ideally I would love to paint and sing because these are the actual means through which I express my emotions and creativity and is much more challenging and rewarding.”

She has dreams and visions which she hopes to achieve one day but not by walking over other people or through short cuts or unfair means.

In her media career, Omar has hosted a couple of food programmes as well. “My experience was very interesting and the feedback from the viewers was phenomenal. I love to cook and eat so it was quite easy for me to be in the kitchen. Apart from that, we had basic food and nutrition classes in school so I already knew the basics of baking and cooking from a young age.”

Speaking of her clothing line that she launched along with Anoushey Ashraf and on becoming a designer Omar says, “Celebrities all over the world have their own brands and clothing lines because people like their style and want to dress like them." But what actually inspired Omar to start a clothing line was the fact that a lot of girls come up to her and tell that they love her attires and the way she carries them. "Hence, Anoushey and I decided to make our “style” available to others, too," Omar says, adding, "Don’t forget that I have a degree in fine arts so my aesthetics are pretty strong anyways.”

While talking about trying to strike a balance between her personal and professional life, Omar says, “I am not married with kids, so I don’t have to divide time there but it can still get very challenging and difficult. I end up skipping a lot of family functions and weddings. I make sure I hang out with my friends as often as I possibly can to keep myself grounded and sane. Moreover, I always go with the flow.”

As for her current projects, Omar says, “My album is ready to be released after Muharram, Inshallah. Also some serials and shows on different channels and a new collection of clothes are ready to hit the racks soon.”

My biggest aspiration is winning a Grammy, someday

Love or money?

Love. I can make money myself.

If you could change one facial feature, what would it be?

Nothing. I am very happy with my face.

What is your favourite fattening food and how do you resist it?

I have a lot of favourite fattening foods and I never resist them.

My earliest childhood memory is...

Moving to Lahore with my mother and brother right after my father passed away.

My latest purchase was...

A bunch of tops from Block Seven.

My biggest achievement so far…

Financing my own education and then supporting my family and myself while my brother was still studying.

My most prized possession is...

My memory box which is full of old photographs, ticket stubs, cards and letters.

My biggest fear is...

Loneliness.

My craziest fan moment/encounter was…

Quite a few actually. Can’t remember any specific one right now.

My biggest aspiration is...

Winning a Grammy, someday.

What message would you like to give to the women of Pakistan?

Invest in your education and career and make sure you are financially independent and capable of supporting yourself if need be. Parents and spouses may not always be alive. Always stand up for your rights and never give in to any kind of harassment, be it at home or at the workplace.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2010.