From model to mom to event manager to... movie star? Frieha Altaf tells us what's next

One remembers Frieha Altaf playing the girl-next-door in the iconic Moin Akhtar-starrer Rozi, wrapped in a voluminous dupatta with a plastic hair-band on her head. It was quite a contrast to the rock-star she’s always been: model, party-girl and red carpet siren, with a wide network of celebrity friends and a knack for adventurous, over-the-top designer statements.
Fast forwarding to a few years later, Frieha became choreographer and event-planner, steering things behind the scenes but never ever slinking into the shadows. It’s what she does even now, posing for the cameras before retiring to her vantage point in the choreographers booth, from where she directs a fashion show or a grandiose awards function, somehow storing away enough energy for the after-party later. In this day and age of Insta-lebrities, Frieha’s the real deal, the bona fide ‘it’ girl, even though she’s now well in her ‘50’s.
The limelight loves her and vice versa – which is why it makes sense for Frieha to dip her manicured toes into cinema’s increasingly crowded waters.

In this day and age of Insta-lebrities, Frieha’s the real deal, the bona fide ‘it’ girl, even though she’s now well in her ‘50’s - Photograph by Righi Photography

“I have always enjoyed acting and maybe one day, I want to make a film of my own. Right now, I may be representing actors or organizing a premiere. But acting in a movie will give me the chance to understand the nitty-gritties of the business,” she says.
To this end, Frieha is considering a cameo in Wajahat Rauf’s upcoming Lahore Se Aagay as well as playing a role opposite actor-director Nadeem Baig in a venture currently being planned out by Javed Sheikh. Her budding acting aspirations are news – but not necessarily a major headline.
After all, as cinema rises from the ashes, cameos have become quite the order of the day. Very recently, movies like Dekh Magar Pyar Say and Karachi Se Lahore featured appearances from well-known celebrities that went more or less unnoticed. Is Frieha making sure she’ll make a splash? “I haven’t read the scripts yet but of course, I’ll only be willing to do the parts as long as they are meaningful,” she professes.

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"[In my work] I tackle security problems, unprofessional behavior and loadshedding on a regular basis. This is what I talk about when I represent my country internationally, shedding light on how we have worked against odds to set benchmarks," says Frieha of her event management career.

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Meanwhile, there’s much more up Frieha Altaf’s designer-made sleeve. Her followers on social media – and there are many of them, for she lives a glamorous life and makes sure she uploads images of it on the world wide web – know that she was recently in Florence, attending the 3rd Annual Destination Wedding Planner’s Congress. One in 120 A-listers invited to the event, she hobnobbed with managers who organize high-flying events like the Filmfare awards and Kevin Lee, wedding planner to celebrities like Brad Pitt.
“The internet is a fantastic tool and that’s how the Congress came to know of me,” explains Frieha. “Last year, I was a guest speaker at the event whic
as an attendee.”
Later this month, she’ll be flying off to Mexico for the tourism-centric ‘Tiangius Turistico’, once again representing the fashion-savvy side to the Pakistani woman.