Changing narratives, challenging stereotypes and Leading her Best Life
Fatimah Haroon
As we all understand, breaking a taboo or stereotype is difficult. Women in Pakistan are taught to have inferior power to men and are not urged to do anything for themselves apart from cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their children.
Our topic of conversation today is Fatimah Haroon, who has been dubbed as Pakistan’s youngest photographer when she was at the tender age of 15. As our title suggests, she is altering the narrative and shattering all the walls of cliched mindsets in her way.
Fatimah realized at the age of 15 that her true passion was photography, and this was the turning point in her life. She was really into capturing moments and nature, which is why her mother recognized her little girl’s interest and bought her a DSLR.
Even though the stereotype of seeing women as powerless creatures has existed for thousands of years, it still prevails in some parts of the country. Women have long been stereotyped as being incapable of doing tasks on their own.
Ladies have continually kissed the feet of success and tremendous popularity in today’s world, irrespective of whether it’s the journalism or the design sector. Every single woman who has achieved success and a reputation has put in a lot of hard work and effort.
Fatimah Haroon may have begun tiny and encountered numerous challenges that most people today would not, but she never let her enthusiasm fade. She worked on herself day and night, gradually tarnishing her abilities to get to where she is now. It is correct that with modern tech, reaching an audience is not difficult, but there are few individuals who are true inspirations and have a journey comparable to Fatimah’s.
At such a young age, the photographer found that capturing moments was her true passion. Since Fatimah grew up observing the world via the windows of a car, her family attributed her career as a photographer to their repeated moves.
Succeeding against all odds
She was born in Karachi in 1994 and raised in Islamabad, Fatimah went to reputable schools and colleges. She got a master’s degree in Film and Television from Birmingham City University, London. Inspite of her tireless efforts to gain good grades, she was unable to do so and flunked 8th grade. At the age of 15 she discovered her true passion, which was photography and started to work after school hours, under a stage name.
Her parents were unaware of this fact, and she was scorned all her life, by merciless people, who called her out for not studying well, and not gaining scholarly grades like other girls of her age. She battled depression since she was 18 years old, owing to the taunts of people around her.
Soon after, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia, which are learning disabilities. Nonetheless, she never allowed these difficulties to come in the way of her milestones and passion.
She told herself over and over that rejection and disappointment would never be able to stop her. She didn’t take the easy way out or take the elevator; instead, she confidently ascended the stepping stool of success.
Her innumerable achievements
Fatimah’s list of achievements is lengthy and commendable. The earliest emerged at the age of 15, where she was given the title of the youngest photographer in Pakistan, and her grades also improved tremendously. She truly paved her way towards success and there is many more to come.
She was invited to speak at famous universities such as National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology when she was just 16 years old.
Finally, it was in 2009, that Fatimah achieved great success, as she walked at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, with utmost grace and poise- representing Pakistan at the age of 22, well before the famous actress Mahira Khan. This was a slap in the face to all her haters and criticizers who let her down in her school and illness years.
Because of her relentless determination, Fatimah has ascended through the levels of Bollywood and Hollywood. She has shot and worked with international celebrities such as Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, and others. Furthermore, her Instagram profile is brimming with works by Pakistani artists as well.
Sidharth Malhotra, a well-known Bollywood actor, has teamed up with Fatimah recently for a photo shoot. Moreover, Cengiz Coskun, nicknamed Turgut Alp from Ertugrul Ghazi is also in the news for a heavily hyped photo shoot with this young photographer, which would also mark the superstar’s public debut in the Pakistani glamour business.
Fatimah is a true inspiration to women in our country and encourages them through her social media handles, to break taboos and follow their passion, for it will surely lead them to success, fame, and individual identity for themselves. Empowering and promoting young women is the future of Pakistan!
