Quratul ain Iqrar is famous for being a host and being a wife of the much loved and very renowned host Iqrar Ul Hassan! We have seen her being a wonderful host but now we see her as a mother of an adorable newbie in our industry – Pehlaaj Hassan. Let’s see what she tells about her personal and professional life!
Tell us about your background and family.
We are 4 sisters and 1 brother. All are married and basically I belong to Lahore.. My father passed away when I was in grade 8. My mother was a school teacher. We all sisters are self-made and we struggled hard for our lives.
When did you decide to enter the entertainment field? Being on TV was always in your mind?
I never thought about entering media, basically I stared my career as a teacher. 5 years I worked as a teacher in LGS for O levels, but when I went to Dubai after my marriage I joined ARY.So it was not in my mind to join media. Actually I wanted to become a doctor as my father was a doctor and I was really impressed by doctors.
Why hosting? Who became an inspiration in the field?
Hosting was not my profession so I didn’t think about it but yes when I joined reading news I used to listen Iqrar as a news anchor. And he helped me a lot to improve my accent and pronunciation.
What is your strategy to handle the show that you are required to do? Any home work is required or not?
Yes home work is really very important before going on an anchors seat. I remember I used to make notes of everything. Aik copy mery pass hamisha hoti thi jis prsb headings and other incidents ki history hoti thi . May apny kam may hamisha buhat professional rehi hon.
Is there anything interesting that happened on the sets that you would like to share?
So many things. I did a lot of blunders but one of them was really very interesting. There was a news about a monkey in Gulshan which started entering people’s houses and we had that video clip.It was the last news of the Bulletin and my senior anchor farhan bhai requested me to read that news. Camera was two shot cut and I started laughing like anything. That is the most memorable event I remember.
What are your upcoming projects?
Right now its Live Pakistan magazine but I plan to start a Youtube channel soon where I will interview people from the news industry… but in future I want to join TV again for hosting some social topics Based show.
Now the most important thing I ask from all the super busy celebs like you, how do you maintain a balance between your work and your personal life?
Marinating balance is really hard and tough for a working woman that was the basic reason I took a break of 5 years in my career because my son was growing up and I realised k ussywaqt dyna chaey. Now MashAllha he is sensible and also wants me to work that is why Iam doing my work again.
Getting Candid:
Who is a stricter parent? You or your husband?
It is not what I will call strictness but I am more ‘wehmi’ about Pehlaaj.
What do you notice the most in the other person?
I like simple and straight forward people. I cannot tolerate egoistic people.
Anything absurd you heard about yourself?
I had some panic attacks when we were in Florida on vacation and when I came back I saw news on Youtube that I have died. For a moment I was also stunned about the news.
If there is something missing in your life, it is…..
I thank Allah all the time that he has given a lot – However I miss my sister a lot. She has passed away two years back.
Is it difficult to be a celebrity couple?
It is difficult to move as a celebrity couple in Pakistan. We cannot maintain any privacy. Now we do not go out much together because of such issues. Plus now there are people who want to take selfies with Pehlaaj as well. However, when we go out of Pakistan, its better roaming around freely there.
Biggest goal for 2020…
2020 is the year when we can start doing things we had left because of not enough time. I am trying to read as many books as I can because I stopped reading them owing to my busy schedule.
3 Netflix recommendations?
I don’t watch Netflix coz remote is usually with Pehlaaj!
Your biggest turn off?
Nothing much. I am quite flexible and I can adjust easily.
Three strange things about you?
Three things that hurt me about myself are:
1. I give a lot of space to people and that is painful for me at the end.
2. I trust other easily.
3. I want to do everything quickly but with the passage of time I have improved.
Tell us 2 advices that you would like to give to the fans of Social Diary Magazine?
I would like to say that please do keep some goals in life and don’t just spend your life counting days. Make it purposeful. Secondly I would say that do not trust other quickly and easily.
