Hareem Farooq

Hareem Farooq was born in Islamabad and spent most of her time in that city before she moved with her family to Karachi. Her parents are both doctors, her father being a public health PhD and international consultant while her mother is a dermatologist.^{[citation needed]} The actress received early education from Karachi Grammar School. She did her bachelor's degree in Sociology and Journalism from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, after which she began her career in acting. Singer Abdullah Qureshi is her cousin.^{[citation needed]}

Farooq began her career in 2012 in theatre playing the leading role of Fatima Jinnah in Pawnay 14 August and Jahan Ara Begum in Aangan Terha which originally played by Bushra Ansari.^[7] The following year, she made her big screen debut with a leading role in the 2013 horror thriller film Siyaah. Farooq made her television debut with Mausam alongside Ahsan Khan and Yumna Zaidi in 2014. Her roles in romances Dusri Biwi and Mere Humdum Mere Dost brought little recognition to her. Her portrayal of a young-to-old family devoted lady in ensemble family drama Diyar-e-Dil proved to be a major breakthrough for her.^[8] She was then starred in Sanam as a victim of bipolar disorder alongside Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali. In the same year, she played the lead role in the film Dobara Phir Se and was a co-producer of the feature film Janaan where she also appeared in a cameo role. She appeared in the comedy flick Parchi as the lead role in which she played the character of a female don, with co-stars Ali Rehman Khan, Ahmed Ali Akbar and Usman Mukhtar in lead roles.^[9]

In addition to a successful and growing acting career, in 2015, Farooq ventured into productions, by joining her childhood best friend and producer of her debut film, Imran Raza Kazmi as a partner in IRK Films and went on to produce Janaan with him, followed by her 2018 blockbuster Parchi.^[10]

In the year 2018, she also went into forming a global entertainment company, IHA Entertainment with Arif Lakhani and Imran Raza Kazmi, which soon entered into an agreement with top entertainment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as the first distribution firm.^[11] Hareem is also the first female celebrity to get the honor of hosting The Pakistan Super League in February 2018, where she hosted the 3rd PSL opening ceremony in Dubai.^[12] She has also signed on to become the official Spokesperson for Loreal Professional, Pakistan in 2017.^[13]