Pakistani supermodel, Musk Kaleem, recently divulged her initial struggles in the industry, battling body dysmorphia and discrimination in the fashion industry, the mysterious disappearance of her father, and her financial independence after years of experience and struggle in an interview with actress Frieha Altaf.
On Losing Her Father
The supermodel revealed that her father was kidnapped a decade ago in 2013 while working on an American cargo ship in Nigeria. “He was kidnapped on February 22, 2013, so this year actually completes 10 years of him being missing. He was taken hostage, they took him off his ship and transferred him to a pirate ship,” Kaleem said.
Tragically, Mushk was in the second semester of her university year when the shocking news of her father’s disappearance came to her. “They were Somalian pirates. Back in 2013, I remember I was in my second semester of university and we found out that his ship had been hijacked and the ship he was in broke down in the middle of the sea. We knew this because there was another Pakistani man on the ship who managed to come back,” the star explained.
Unfortunately, Kaleem’s father passed away. The model revealed that her mother told her about her father’s death certificate being issued since “in Pakistan, you can’t get the paperwork done for a missing person that easily.”
Although the heartwrenching story of her father deserved more recognition, Kaleem decided not to make it public as she did not want to gain any pity. “I have worked really hard to be where I am. I have come so far because I carry merit with me. I don’t want people to say that the girl needs a break because she has been through so much. I haven’t been through a lot, I am very privileged. This isn’t the defining moment of my life, it’s just one part,” the model clarified.
The Double Standards of the Industry
If there’s one thing that Kaleem learned after all these years, it is to grow a thick skin around herself so as to not pay attention to unsolicited criticism or opinions. Kaleem revealed how the entertainment and modeling fraternity is obsessed with Eurocentric beauty standards and fair complexion.
Even before Kaleem became a successful model, she recalled being told to whiten up at an early age from her family member. “I was only nine years old when my grandmother suggested I use a fairness cream,” the starlet stated.
While working with multiple brands and artists, Kaleem recalled how the clients would demand a light skin model. “What really ticked me off was when I was getting my makeup done, the photographer came in the room and first applied the foundation that I had on my face on my hand, which was the same as my skin tone and then he applied a foundation that was seven to eight shades lighter than my skin tone and said, ‘Apply this on her arms and legs’. I got really pissed off and I wanted to leave,” the celebrity said.
On Body Dysmorphia
If complexion-based discrimination wasn’t enough for Kaleem to battle with, the industry made her insecure about her weight too instilling body dysmorphia and low self-esteem. The model revealed that in the beginning years of her roaring career, Kaleem was substaintially insecure about her weight. “No matter what size I was, what I ate, I always felt I was overweight. Even though I was only 48kg because I had body dysmorphia,” she claimed.
The star stated, “I stopped looking at myself in the mirror because I was so scared. I stopped taking showers. It was so bad that I was depressed because of it” adding that her depression pushed her to the point where she couldn’t get up for almost 20 hours or even more.
Listing “fame, money, and validation” as the driving force behind her body dysmorphia, Kaleem added, “I was taking fat burners to lose weight and my brother caught me. After that, I went to therapy, changed my social circle, and got out of a bad relationship.”
On Financial Independence
It is crucial for women to be financially independent to some extent, Kaleem believes. “I talk about this (the importance of financial independence) so that people realize this is an important aspect to think about for everyone at every age,” the star remarked.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/16-Aug-2022/why-mushk-kaleem-s-mother-did-not-allow-her-to-wear-a-saree
