Rasti Farooq is a Pakistani actor, writer and producer, best known for playing the role of Mumtaz in the critically acclaimed Lollywood film Joyland.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Rasti Farooq was born in Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Soon after completing his schooling, Rasti enrolled at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore. Rasti, attracted to acting since childhood, used to participate in various school plays and debates. He talked about this in an interview and said,
I remember when I was very young I always wanted to be on stage. I used to participate in debates and plays in school. Most people would get very nervous on stage but I loved it. Then I concentrated on my studies because I thought acting was a career (laughs). But I liked the stage, so I also did theater in Lahore and I met Sam Sadiq. When we were in college he was making a short film and I made it. I got to know more directors and filmmakers like Tabish Habib and Kanwal Khoosat, and by the time Joyland came along I was doing more short films and cine-dramas.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 7″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Picture Measurements (Approx): 32-26-34
Family
Rasti Farooq belongs to a Muslim family from Lahore.
parents and siblings
There is not much information about Rasti Farooq’s family.
Husband
Rasti Farooq is unmarried.
livelihood
Theater
In 2012, Rasti started working for a theater in Lahore. He has performed in various Pakistani theatrical productions such as Stand Alone (2019), Blood Brothers (2019), and Both Sit in Silence for a While (2022).
Ian Aldreda as Mickey and Rasti Farooq as Linda in a scene from the theater production Blood Brothers (2019)
short film
Rasti Farooq made his film debut with a short film with Sam Sadiq, a Pakistani director, during his college days. Later, she appeared in various short films such as The Letters of Mikel Muhammad (2019), Swipe (2020), City of Smiles (2020), and May I Have This Seat (2021). Farooq’s short film I Have This Seat (2021) was screened at several film festivals around the world. In an interview, Sam Sadiq, who is best known for directing the critically acclaimed Pakistani film Joyland, talked about Rasti Farooq and said,
I knew Rasti, we both went to LUMS, she was my junior, we did a little short film together because I wanted to apply to my grad school at Columbia. And then we have been in touch every now and then. Then I enjoyed working with him and he did another short film with Tabish, which I also saw, and I thought it was great. Rasti was the first person I sent the script to and she was the last person who was cast. When I had no money I sent him the script
A poster of the Pakistani short film May I Have This Seat? (2021)
feature film
In 2022, Rasti made her feature film debut in the Lollywood film Joyland, in which she played the role of Mumtaz. The film also starred Ali Junejo, Alina Khan and Sarwat Gilani.
Rasti Farooq in a scene from the Lollywood film Joyland (2022)
Puffball Studio
Rasti Farooq is the co-owner of Puffball Studios, a Pakistani animation, design and sound engineering studio. She is a writer, producer, main voice artist, and director for various projects in Puffball. Talking about his studio in an interview, Rasti Farooq said,
Our creative landscape is filled with characters, stories written by men, and male viewpoints and perspectives. It was tough because being a woman I never thought I would be in a leadership position handling so many personalities, but it is rewarding.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Soon after graduating from LUMS Lahore, she interned at Urban Pakistan, a civics and civic literacy portal.
- Rasti Farooq’s debut Lollywood film Joyland became the first Pakistani film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. The Lollywood film also received a standing ovation after its screening at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival and won the Cannes Queer Palm Award for Best LGBT, “Queer” or Feminist-themed Film. The film made it to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it was screened in the Special Presentations section on 8 September 2022.
Joyland Artists at Cannes Festival 2022
- Initially, Saim Sadiq’s critically acclaimed Pakistani film Joyland (2022), starring Rasti Farooq, was banned in Pakistan citing that the film contained “highly objectionable content”. In an interview, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting talked about the film and said,
Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable content which is not in keeping with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance. , 1979,” the order said. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2)(a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive investigation, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ to be an uncertified film in its entirety. Pakistan in theaters falling under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
However, on 16 November 2022, after the Pakistan government received severe backlash over its decision to ban the film Joyland, the government decided to lift the ban. Salman Sufi, an aide of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, informed in a tweet about the government’s decision to lift the ban on the film Joyland. He tweeted,
The review committee of the Censor Board formed on the instructions of has approved the film #Joyland for release. [Prime Minister Sharif], Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and should be nurtured within the ambit of law.”
- She follows a non-vegetarian diet.
An Instagram post made by a restaurant in Lahore about the eating habits of Rasti Farooq
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn