On the pathway to glory

Areeba Habib on ascending to the top and the strenuous life of a model

KARACHI:

Amid stiff competition in the modelling industry, it’s often hard to expedite your rise to the top, but with the right blend of talent and luck, some don’t take long before they reach the summit of success. Having already featured in prêt and lawn campaigns for designers the likes of Deepak Perwani and Nida Azwer, Areeba Habib seems to be on the right track. With girl-next-door appeal and a gleam that reflects her will to make it big, she’s walking the walk of a model with great potential.

Dismissing the ‘look pretty, do nothing’ notion that trivialises a model’s line of work, Areeba points out the effort that goes into the profession. “Nothing can be farther from truth.  Being a model involves hard work,” she says. “We walk in high heels for hours at a stretch and often do outdoor shoots in scorching heat. Rehearsals for fashion weeks mean long hours of physical and emotional drain,” she further says. Getting in and out of one outfit after another, changes of hairstyles and make-up really are no child’s play. “Plus, we have no regular working schedule and work long hours, both day and night.”



But despite being snowed under with work, Areeba takes no time to admit she loves her job. On whether she prefers runway or editorial modelling, she shares, “I have fun at both. The ramp is more glamorous and with it all happening live, it gets you charged up.” She adds, “Shoots are more of a personal achievement; to be part of a noted photographer’s creation is fulfilling.”

With a string of models taking to the small and big screens, it seems it wouldn’t be long before we see Areeba depicting a role on either medium. “I receive multiple offers on a regular basis for both television serials and movies. I’m not sure if this is the right time for me to take that leap,” she notes. “I’ve only just reached the top of my career in modelling and have several commitments to fulfill. I’m constantly working … sometimes doing two to three shoots a day, so I don’t have any free dates to give for the time being.”

Areeba has already received offers to star in Pakistani films, but doesn’t take their names as she deems it improper to divulge information about these projects. “I was recently offered a role in a movie by Reham Khan and [talks are] currently under way,” she shares. “I was also approached by a producer-director, who I hold in high regard, to do a short film for a local TV network.  I read the script and considered my role, but didn’t find it suitable for myself at this stage.” Brimming with hope regarding her career prospects, Areeba hopes that “the end of 2015 and the year 2016 will be her time to shine.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th,  2015.

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