Larger than life – Babra Sharif
For over two decades she was the numero uno of the Pakistan film industry. Her name in credits ensured success at the box-office for film-makers. Babra Sharif went on to become Lollywood’s answer to glamour, style, versatility and an alluring, on-screen appeal not even remotely upheld by her successors. Her reign as Pakistan’s most successful actress lasted more than the career span of all those who later followed the diminutive diva into the film industry.
Believing in bowing out gracefully rather than being booted out, Babra Sharif was still a lucrative name when she called it quits — a lesson that needs urgent learning by some of the later-day heroines. Since her departure, Lollywood has not been the same. It was not simply a matter of matching her success graph as no heroine was able to cross the long distance between becoming an actor and reaching an icon status. Babra did that. She holds the distinction of covering that distance to be called a beauty icon, a title not awarded to anyone in the 50-plus years of Pakistan’s film industry.
In a star-studded Lux Style Awards ceremony held in Karachi in 2003, Babra Sharif’s name was announced for the beauty icon award. The actress, not displaced by new Lollywood hopefuls and withstanding the aggression of time, could not have asked for a more appropriate validation of her work than being selected unanimously for the award. Stylish in a simple long, black dress, her hair cut short to frame her proportionate features, Babra Sharif went up to the stage to make Lollywood history. Her acceptance speech, which consisted of a few words, made her co-stars cringe with embarrassment. Here was an original Lollywood icon who did not need the support of disjointedly spoken English or a put-on attitude of modesty to win people. That definitely was another lesson in original speech yet to be learnt.
But even after distancing herself from the world of adulation, Babra still continues to be part of the rumour mill. She is the only film actor to stir public interest even years after leaving the glitz and glamour of Lollywood. Her refreshing good looks, despite the time lapse, are still a subject of much public interest challenged only by her marital status as a single woman since her divorce from film actor Shahid. Has she undergone a surgeon’s make-over? Is it possible for someone to look as stunning as she does today?
Ans so came the time to knock on the icon’s door for some straight, hard talk. That in itself was surrounded by rumours that Babra was elusive and kept much to herself, shunning publicity as much as she could. “She doesn’t give interviews and is a very private person,” forewarned a media person. “I’ve been hounding her for an interview for well over a year now. But each time she refuses. You can try your luck if you want to.”
When Babra Sharif conceded, I was told that she was very particular about punctuality. “She’s been like that all through her career. Never late for a shoot and never casual about interviews. A thorough professional, she is,” said the source.
Meeting Babra turned out to be a different experience. She was no ordinary film actress who was living life in anonymity after retirement. Dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and jogging pants, she looked like someone who had just stepped out of a gym. Her face devoid of make-up showed no sign of cosmetic mutation as was claimed by some. “At times when I go to have a haircut, the girls washing my hair try to trace the telltale signs of a facelift. I have nothing against surgery. If need be I’ll go for it, but right now I’ve not had it done. Why shouldn’t we make use of scientific advancements? Of course, cosmetic surgery can’t alter age, it can only improve looks. If I feel the need to have cosmetic surgery I’ll go for it,” said the beauty icon.
Sitting in her newly refurbished lounge, Babra smoothed a crease from an ethnic printed throw-over covering a low-back, comfortable sofa. Each decorative piece was hand-picked by the actor known to follow perfection to the letter. A chair bought by her from Syria had to be placed at a certain angle to give a certain look. Similarly, her huge life-size photograph in sepia would not have had the same stunning impact on visitors if hung anywhere other than the entrance wall. Muted colours matched the elegant surroundings, defining the character of the person responsible for their placement. It had taken many months for Babra to make the place livable. “That’s another thing which tires me a lot — I have to have everything in perfect order. I’m very finicky and choosy about my tastes,” she said. Scrupulous, punctilious and painstakingly meticulous, were those the benchmarks of a beauty icon? Her face broke into the famous smile that has launched numerous films at the box-office. “You need to have more than beauty to be an icon. I thank God for the title. I really don’t think that I’m breathtakingly beautiful. The world is full of beautiful women, but as an actress you have to have more than simple good looks to fit that title. You must be versatile and good in your work. In fact, it is your work which makes you beautiful. I have always been driven by hard work and have, in turn, been honesty to my work,” says Babra.
Unlike other stars, including a tall order of internationally acclaimed ones, Babra has accepted age and does not get offended when asked to comment on it. “I’ve done almost 126 films and seen success, by the Grace of God, like none other. It will be stupid of me to say that I’m that same girl who starred in Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat. I’ve accepted my age. You have to accept change if you want to remain happy. It is not just me, the whole world is aging. My mind is so strong that I can accept anything. That’s how I’ve trained myself. You need spiritual strength to reach the top and come back sane,” she philosophised while enjoying green tea with a touch of honey.
Babra had been preparing ‘I think a good actor can understand the requirements of fashion photography better than full-time models, but it is hard for a model to take on the challenge of a film camera,’ says Babra Sharif
For over two decades she was the numero uno of the Pakistan film industry. Her name in credits ensured success at the box-office for film-makers. Babra Sharif went on to become Lollywood’s answer to glamour, style, versatility and an alluring, on-screen appeal not even remotely upheld by her successors. Her reign as Pakistan’s most successful actress lasted more than the career span of all those who later followed the diminutive diva into the film industry.
Believing in bowing out gracefully rather than being booted out, Babra Sharif was still a lucrative name when she called it quits — a lesson that needs urgent learning by some of the later-day heroines. Since her departure, Lollywood has not been the same. It was not simply a matter of matching her success graph as no heroine was able to cross the long distance between becoming an actor and reaching an icon status. Babra did that. She holds the distinction of covering that distance to be called a beauty icon, a title not awarded to anyone in the 50-plus years of Pakistan’s film industry.
In a star-studded Lux Style Awards ceremony held in Karachi in 2003, Babra Sharif’s name was announced for the beauty icon award. The actress, not displaced by new Lollywood hopefuls and withstanding the aggression of time, could not have asked for a more appropriate validation of her work than being selected unanimously for the award. Stylish in a simple long, black dress, her hair cut short to frame her proportionate features, Babra Sharif went up to the stage to make Lollywood history. Her acceptance speech, which consisted of a few words, made her co-stars cringe with embarrassment. Here was an original Lollywood icon who did not need the support of disjointedly spoken English or a put-on attitude of modesty to win people. That definitely was another lesson in original speech yet to be learnt.
But even after distancing herself from the world of adulation, Babra still continues to be part of the rumour mill. She is the only film actor to stir public interest even years after leaving the glitz and glamour of Lollywood. Her refreshing good looks, despite the time lapse, are still a subject of much public interest challenged only by her marital status as a single woman since her divorce from film actor Shahid. Has she undergone a surgeon’s make-over? Is it possible for someone to look as stunning as she does today?
Ans so came the time to knock on the icon’s door for some straight, hard talk. That in itself was surrounded by rumours that Babra was elusive and kept much to herself, shunning publicity as much as she could. “She doesn’t give interviews and is a very private person,” forewarned a media person. “I’ve been hounding her for an interview for well over a year now. But each time she refuses. You can try your luck if you want to.”
When Babra Sharif conceded, I was told that she was very particular about punctuality. “She’s been like that all through her career. Never late for a shoot and never casual about interviews. A thorough professional, she is,” said the source.
Meeting Babra turned out to be a different experience. She was no ordinary film actress who was living life in anonymity after retirement. Dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and jogging pants, she looked like someone who had just stepped out of a gym. Her face devoid of make-up showed no sign of cosmetic mutation as was claimed by some. “At times when I go to have a haircut, the girls washing my hair try to trace the telltale signs of a facelift. I have nothing against surgery. If need be I’ll go for it, but right now I’ve not had it done. Why shouldn’t we make use of scientific advancements? Of course, cosmetic surgery can’t alter age, it can only improve looks. If I feel the need to have cosmetic surgery I’ll go for it,” said the beauty icon.
Sitting in her newly refurbished lounge, Babra smoothed a crease from an ethnic printed throw-over covering a low-back, comfortable sofa. Each decorative piece was hand-picked by the actor known to follow perfection to the letter. A chair bought by her from Syria had to be placed at a certain angle to give a certain look. Similarly, her huge life-size photograph in sepia would not have had the same stunning impact on visitors if hung anywhere other than the entrance wall. Muted colours matched the elegant surroundings, defining the character of the person responsible for their placement. It had taken many months for Babra to make the place livable. “That’s another thing which tires me a lot — I have to have everything in perfect order. I’m very finicky and choosy about my tastes,” she said. Scrupulous, punctilious and painstakingly meticulous, were those the benchmarks of a beauty icon? Her face broke into the famous smile that has launched numerous films at the box-office. “You need to have more than beauty to be an icon. I thank God for the title. I really don’t think that I’m breathtakingly beautiful. The world is full of beautiful women, but as an actress you have to have more than simple good looks to fit that title. You must be versatile and good in your work. In fact, it is your work which makes you beautiful. I have always been driven by hard work and have, in turn, been honesty to my work,” says Babra.
Unlike other stars, including a tall order of internationally acclaimed ones, Babra has accepted age and does not get offended when asked to comment on it. “I’ve done almost 126 films and seen success, by the Grace of God, like none other. It will be stupid of me to say that I’m that same girl who starred in Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat. I’ve accepted my age. You have to accept change if you want to remain happy. It is not just me, the whole world is aging. My mind is so strong that I can accept anything. That’s how I’ve trained myself. You need spiritual strength to reach the top and come back sane,” she philosophised while enjoying green tea with a touch of honey.
Babra had been preparing herself mentally to quit the film industry at her peak, a hard decision to be taken when the world of showbiz swoons at your feet. Showing a rare side of her personality not known to many, Babra candidly approached the subject of what it felt like to be away from the arc lights. “I am self analytical. It is important to keep your feet on the ground in a profession where you are idolized to such an extent that each wish becomes a command for others. But I had always wanted to quit films at the peak of my career. I had prepared myself mentally for that moment. One of the reasons why I am at peace with myself is that I never socialized or made friends with the showbiz lot. Examples of actors like Waheed Murad made a deep impression on me. I never wanted to touch the peak of stardom only to drop low in life. No, life is more than lights, adulation and being beautiful,” she says.
Her closest friends are outside the film industry who swear by her commitment to friendship. “She’s the sort who goes all out to help a friend which has become something of a rarity nowadays,” said Babra’s friend whom she was meeting after nearly 15 years and who had dropped in quietly during the course of the interview. “We were together at school,” said Babra, getting up to greet her with a warm hug. “I left in the middle of my studies to do the ad for Jet Washing Powder.”
Babra Sharif was barely 12 when she appeared in the famous ad and was immediately signed by Shabab Kiraanvi for Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat. Her entry into movies became something of a phenomenon because the famed film producer took Babra on without a screen test. People were surprised at Shabab Kiraanvi’s choice of a heroine opposite Ghulam Mohiyuddin for a movie demanding high emotions.
Babra was in her early teens when the shooting began. “I was without make-up in half of the movie and remember how I couldn’t stop laughing on the sets. I was just a child and didn’t know how to behave. People would tell me not to laugh or talk aloud, but that was how I was, carefree and enjoying jokes with everybody on the sets of Mera Naam Hai Mohabbat. I’m still like that. I remember only too well how I couldn’t stop giggling just before my death scene in the movie. I thought that Ghulam Mohiyuddin looked so funny with a serious expression on his face,” she recalled.
A string of super hits followed such as Aag, Salakhain, Baaghi Hasina, Miss Hong Kong, etc, but her success graph moved swiftly upwards, making her the most sought after and highly paid actor of all time. But that success was not without a price. “I worked from 9am to 10pm and had no time to enjoy or lead a normal life. For me it was just work. Before breakfast I’d be applying make-up for the morning shooting and after returning home at night I would be making preparations for the next day’s shooting. I had no time to sit idle and talk about other co-stars. Can you imagine that I never had a family holiday? That’s what happens if you’re true to your work. Your work becomes your life.”
For the half-hour that her friend remained, Babra listened to her problems, at the same time apologizing to me for the interruption. Afterwards, she asked me to shift to her bedroom. “We won’t be interrupted there,” said she. A giant four-poster bed dominated the room with parquet floor. Dimly lit by strategically arranged lamps, the room was again a reflection of her classy taste in decor. Putting her feet up on a sofa placed on one side of the huge bed, Babra talked about her status as the first ever film actress to lend her name to advertising and her persona to fashion photography. “I was asked to appear in a soap commercial, which was not common. Later Rooha Ghaznavi, a photographer and a friend asked me to do a fashion shoot for The Herald. That again was the first time an actress was entering fashion photography. I liked to experiment with different looks and roles. I think a good actor can understand the requirements of fashion photography better than full-time models, but it is hard for a model to take on the challenge of a film camera.”
And so Babra Sharif reigned supreme, on camera and at the box-office. But her personal life remained somewhat empty. “You know there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely. I don’t feel lonely which does not mean that as a woman I don’t desire companionship. I think every woman wants to be romantically involved, that’s human nature. I’d be lying if I said that not having a man in my life didn’t matter to me. I have always looked for honesty in people, be it a man or a woman.”
Her idea of a partner is not a tall, ravishingly and good-looking man without anything to offer by way of character. “Good looks don’t last forever, neither does wealth or fame. It is the nature of a person, his strength of character and his ability to do what he says, that matter. I will marry when I see character and honesty combined in a single person,” said Babra Sharif with seriousness reflective in her eyes, the windows to her beautiful soul.
