Hareem Farooq

Hareem Farooq
Hareem Farooq in 2023
Born
Islamabad, Pakistan
Alma materQuaid-i-Azam University (B.A)
OccupationsActress, Producer
Years active2012–present (Actress) , 2000– 2018 (Singer)
RelativesAbdullah Qureshi (cousin)

Hareem Farooq (Urdu: حریم فاروق) is a Pakistani theatre, film, and television actress, film producer and singer.[1][2][3][4][5] She began her career with theater, playing the lead role of Fatima Jinnah in Pawnay 14 August and Kiran in the stage play adaptation of the popular Pakistani sitcom Aangan Terha. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the 2013 horror thriller film Siyaah, which earned her a nomination at Lux Style Award for Best Actress.[6]

In addition to films, she appeared in the 2014 Hum TV's romantic television serial Mausam, for which she received Hum Award for Best Television Sensation Female, and followed it with the successful series, such as Mere Humdum Mere Dost (2014), Dusri Bivi (2014), and Diyar-e-Dil (2015). She co-produced and starred in the 2016 romance Janaan, followed by the comedies Parchi (2018) and Heer Maan Ja (2019). She is the first female celebrity to get the honor of hosting Pakistan Super League in the same year (2018).

Early life

Hareem Farooq was born in Islamabad and spent most of her time in that city before she moved with her family to Karachi. Her parents are both doctors, her father being a public health PhD and international consultant while her mother is a dermatologist. The actress received early education from Karachi Grammar School. She did her bachelor's degree in Sociology and Journalism from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, after which she began her career in acting. Singer Abdullah Qureshi is her cousin.

Career

Farooq began her career in 2012 in theatre playing the leading role of Fatima Jinnah in Pawnay 14 August and Jahan Ara Begum in Aangan Terha which originally played by Bushra Ansari.[7] The following year, she made her big screen debut with a leading role in the 2013 horror thriller film Siyaah. Farooq made her television debut with Mausam alongside Ahsan Khan and Yumna Zaidi in 2014. Her roles in romances Dusri Biwi and Mere Humdum Mere Dost brought little recognition to her. Her portrayal of a young-to-old family devoted lady in ensemble family drama Diyar-e-Dil proved to be a major breakthrough for her.[8] She was then starred in Sanam as a victim of bipolar disorder alongside Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali. In the same year, she played the lead role in the film Dobara Phir Se and was a co-producer of the feature film Janaan where she also appeared in a cameo role. She appeared in the comedy flick Parchi as the lead role in which she played the character of a female don, with co-stars Ali Rehman Khan, Ahmed Ali Akbar and Usman Mukhtar in lead roles.[9]

In addition to a successful and growing acting career, in 2015, Farooq ventured into productions, by joining her childhood best friend and producer of her debut film, Imran Raza Kazmi as a partner in IRK Films and went on to produce Janaan with him, followed by her 2018 blockbuster Parchi.[10]

In the year 2018, she also went into forming a global entertainment company, IHA Entertainment with Arif Lakhani and Imran Raza Kazmi, which soon entered into an agreement with top entertainment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as the first distribution firm.[11] Hareem is also the first female celebrity to get the honor of hosting The Pakistan Super League in February 2018, where she hosted the 3rd PSL opening ceremony in Dubai.[12] She has also signed on to become the official Spokesperson for Loreal Professional, Pakistan in 2017.[13]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes film / drama that has not released yet
† Denotes films / drama that are currently on cinema / on air

Films

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2013 Siyaah Zara Debut [14]
2016 Janaan Herself (Cameo) Co-producer [15]
Dobara Phir Se Zainab [16]
2017 Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor Cameo appearance [17]
2018 Parchi Eman Co-producer [18]
2019 Heer Maan Ja Heer [19]
2024 Abhi [20]
TBA Mango Jutt † TBA [21]

Television

Year Title Role Network Notes Ref(s)
2014 Mausam Saman Television Debut [22]
Mere Humdum Mere Dost Sajeela [23]
Dusri Bivi Ayesha Hassan [22]
2015 Diyar-e-Dil Arjumand Khan Hum TV
Mere Jeevan Saathi Habiba [24]
Tere Baghair Rabia Salman [25]
2016 Dil-e-Beqarar Farida Javed [26]
Sanam Ayla [27]
2017 Baaghi Pakistan Idol Judge Cameo appearance [28]
2018 Main Khayal Hoon Kisi Aur Ka Dania [29]
2019 Dolly Darling Herself To promote "Heer Maan Ja" [30]
2023 Sar-e-Rah Mariyum ARY Digital [31]
22 Qadam Farheen Green Entertainment
2024 Bismil Masooma ARY Digital [32]
2025 SharPasand Sanam [33]
2026 Bhaag † TBA TBA

Other appearances

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2014 Eid Hungama Herself [34]
2017 Miss Veet Pakistan Celebrity Judge [35]
2018

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Work Result Ref(s)
2014 13th Lux Style Awards Best Film Actress Siyaah Nominated
2015 3rd Hum Awards Best Television Sensation Female Mausam Won
2025 2nd Sukooon Kya Drama Hai Icon Awards Best Performance in a Negative Role (Popular Choice) Bismil Nominated [36]
2026 3rd Pakistan International Screen Awards Best Actress in a Negative Role Nominated [37]

References

  1. ^ "Hareem Farooq | Actress, Producer". IMDb. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Hareem Farooq opens up on her career's 'struggle', how she still powered through". Brecorder. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Hareem Farooq: the crying game". Dawn. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Hareem Farooq talks about Heer Maan Ja | Instep | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  5. ^ "This girl's beyond me: Hareem". The Express Tribune. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Siyaah — a low budget project backed by theatre artists". Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Gup shup with Akbar and Jehan Ara Begum". Jang. 2 June 2023. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  8. ^ "A class apart". The News International. 5 November 2015.
  9. ^ Maliha Rehman (22 December 2017). "Parchi tries to break stereotypes with its strong female protagonist, says Hareem Farooq". Dawn Images.
  10. ^ Haider Riffat (7 December 2017). "Youngsters ought to know that harassment is intolerable: Hareem Farooq". Daily Times.
  11. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  12. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  14. ^ Alavi, Omair (6 July 2015). "Hareem Farooq: the crying game". Dawn News.
  15. ^ "Teaser release: Reham Khan's upcoming film 'Janaan' looks promising". The Express Tribune. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  16. ^ "Dobara Phir Se is not a teeny bopper love story, says Mehreen Jabbar". Dawn. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  18. ^ NewsBytes. "Parchi is an exploration of the action-thriller genre". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Hareem Farooq's Heer Maan Ja poster gave us major Runaway bride nostalgia!". EntertainmentPk.com. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  20. ^ Haq, Irfan Ul (26 March 2022). "Kubra Khan and Goher Mumtaz to star in upcoming romance-thriller film Abhi". Images. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  21. ^ Ahmed, Shoaib (6 February 2024). "Three movies set for production this year". Dawn. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  22. ^ a b ""I'm not a size zero fan at all" — Hareem Farooq". Buraq Shabbir. The News. 14 February 2016.
  23. ^ "14 Pakistani dramas that ruled our television screens in 2014". Farman Nawaz. Express Tribune. 2 January 2015.
  24. ^ "Gohar Rasheed shares sizzling chemistry with Hareem Farooq in new drama". 23 July 2015. Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  25. ^ "TV Plays To Watch This Season". The News. 17 January 2016.
  26. ^ "Dil-e-Beqarar' to launch on Hum TV". 6 April 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  27. ^ "It's hard pulling off glamour with decency in Pakistan: Hareem Farooq". Express Tribune. 26 April 2016.
  28. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  29. ^ "Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman Khan reunite for TV serial". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  30. ^ "Hareem Farooq". www.netmag.pk. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  32. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  33. ^ Desk, News (30 July 2025). "Shar Pasand Drama: Cast, Schedule, Timing, and Exciting Details". Brides & You. Retrieved 12 August 2025. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  34. ^ "Hareem Farooq: On Shaping Your Own Destiny" Archived 11 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine (8 August 2018), Hello! Pakistan. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  35. ^ "Hareem Farooq joins 'Miss Veet Pakistan' as Judge". The Nation. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  36. ^ "Nominations for Sukooon Kya Drama Hai 2nd Icon Awards announced". 24 News HD. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  37. ^ Staff, Images (15 October 2025). "The nominees have been announced for the third edition of the PISAs". Images. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
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