The story goes as follows; when Zara Sheikh was 15, her father gave up on her in despair. An education officer by profession, he wanted all his daughters to be well-educated, to land proper jobs and to earn a good name and respect in society. But Zara, with her passion for romantic novels, gossip and Charga Chicken – the one only to be found at Lakshmi Chowk – hardly seemed a likely candidate for any of the above.
However, in a strange way, fate helped all of her father’s wishes come true; thanks to the phenomenal success of her first film Tere Pyar Main, in which Zara played a Sikh girl in love with a Muslim boy. Today, no one can doubt Zara’s qualifications even if they are restricted to the ‘art of setting heartbeats aflame’. She certainly has a better paying job than most twenty-somethings, and if respect is equated with fame, she has a generous helping of that too. But the girl who has it all is not the happiest woman in the world.
“I hate the pretence and the lies. I wish I could just be myself all the time,” says Zara. But it isn’t just the feeling of being “forever on display” that bothers her. It is more about “not doing anything worthwhile.” That is why, remarks her mentor Khawar Riaz, after Tere Pyar Main she went on to refuse films continuously till the charmingly hilarious script of Shahzad Gul’s Chalo Ishq Larain came along. The fact that her second film is also under the Gul banner, has set many a tongue wagging, but Zara is not unduly perturbed.
But it isn’t just petty talk that Zara is unaffected by; fame runs a close second. Considering that she received the biggest honour Pakistan can confer on any actress – the NAFDEC National Film award – barely a year after her entry into this industry while old-timers like Reema are still pining for it, Zara remains reasonably level-headed.
Her first movie "Tere Pyar Mein" became a hit with her fiery presence in the movie Zara became a star. She has style and elegance. Her ravishing looks add to her charisma. She likes to drink juices and uses the internet quite frequently to check her fan mails. In spare time she likes to water her plants and listen to some good music. As for her singing, well it does require some serious thinking. Her song "Teray Pichay Aon Gi" seems to be a song sung with a mixture of male and female voices. Nonetheless she has the knack to make her mettle in this arena as well.
One has to admit that Zara Sheikh has talent. With attractive looks and elegant style she can win the hearts of many. Her chemistry with the camera is spectacular. She has done very well till now and if she continues like this she would very soon be on the top. Whether she plays her cards well or not…only time will tell!
