‘I don’t remember getting married’

She is bold, speaks her mind and does what she believes in. And now, Humaima Mallick, successful Pakistani model is all set to make her debut in Bollywood opposite Pakistani singer Atif Ali. “It’s a wrong perception that women in Pakistan are very traditional in their ways. Pakistanis do want their women to settle down soon, get married and have kids. But my mazhab does not impose any restrictions on women,” she says.
With Pakistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and model Veena Malik making headlines in India, does Humaima think that Pakistani women are the newsmakers of the day? “Please don’t compare Hina and Veena. I don’t want to comment on Veena Malik, but I would say women like Hina Rabbani have the power to change the fate of the nation,” she says.
The actor is very excited about being a part of Indian cinema. “My maiden venture in Pakistan set the cash registers ringing and was one of the biggest hits in the history of Lollywood. But Bollywood is a huge industry and hundreds of films hit screens every year. In Pakistan, sometimes not even a single movie releases in a year. You cannot compare Bollywood with Lollywood – they are poles apart.” Will she shift base to Bollywood if given a chance? “If I get a good script that has a strong character for me, why not? I am here to entertain. That’s my job,” she replies.
Was getting married at the age of 18 (to Shamoon Abbasi) and separating from her husband soon after turn out to be a deterrent in her career? “I don’t remember that I got married. People make mistakes and I have learnt from mine. But I have moved on. Today, I am happy with the way my career has shaped up. I am just 23 years old and I am proud of what I have achieved,” says Humaima.
When the conversation veers to veteran cricketer Wasim Akram, whom Humaima is reportedly dating, she turns defensive. “Wasim is a good friend and is much older than me. Our relationship was misconstrued as romantic. This rumour has affected both the families – Wasim’s and mine. Wasim has young children and people should understand that such reports affect many relationships. Please don’t write such things. I am not dating anyone,” says the actor.
However, Humaima maintains that she is in touch with all the Pakistani cricketers, courtesy Wasim. “But I haven’t met Shoaib Malik and Sania yet. When Sania came to Pakistan, I was in Singapore. So I couldn’t meet her,” she says. And does she consider the Pakistani cricket team better than the Men in Blue? “As a Pakistani, I love my country more than anything else. But I also like the other teams. They are all good.”