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Vaneeza Ahmed Ali
ونیزہ احمد
Vaneeza at an Event
Born	Vaneeza Ahmed (1971-06-24) 24 June 1971 (age 53) Kamalia, Punjab, Pakistan
Other names	Vinnie
Occupation(s)	Actress and model
Years active	1994–present
Height	168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Spouse	Ali Afzal Malik (m. 2010)
Relatives	Bindiya (aunt)

Vaneeza Ahmad (Urdu: ونیزہ احمد; born 24 June 1971) is a Pakistani model and actress, and occasional singer. As a model she has seen success as the face of brands in Pakistan, and is the first Pakistani model to model for Donna Karan and Calvin Klein.

Biography

Early life

Ahmad reportedly said to news media that when she was a youngster, the college students those days mostly had three career options – medicine, engineering or teaching. Modelling as a career was not an option for girls back then. Ahmad returned to Pakistan at the age of 18 to attend the Kinnaird College liberal arts university in Lahore and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

While at University, Ahmad started to model casually. Although not much interested in modelling as a career option, she received offers from various fashion designers, some of whom were notable in the Pakistani fashion industry including the likes of fashion designer Nilofer Shahid.

Modelling as a career

When designer Nilofer Shahid approached Ahmad, she was unsure of which career to pursue and settled for fashion modeling. In dealings with corporate heads of the entertainment industry, her business acumen was similarly praised.

Vaneeza, the brand

Ahmad conceived the brand name Vlawn for her range of lawn fabrics. The collection consisted of nine different lawn prints created by designers that included Nomi Ansari, Umar Sayeed and Hassan Sheheryar Yasin. In March 2006, the collection sold-out in a series of exhibitions. In 2011, she continued with her "VLawn" brand of women's lawn suits.

Acting and acclaim

Ahmad made her acting debut in Jamal Shah's controversial saga Kal and has since acted in Marina Khan's Tum Hi Tau Ho, Janey Anjaney and Tum Say Mil Ker; Armaan; Khayal; and Talaash (Pakistani TV series). She played the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia in Jamil Dehlavi's 1998 biographical film, Jinnah.

On 16 April 2008, Vaneeza Ahmad was selected as one of the Olympic torch bearers when the torch arrived in Islamabad. She was one of the few selected celebrities to hold the torch in the relay out of the chosen 66.

Personal life

She married Islamabad-based businessman Ali Afzal Malik in July 2010 and has two daughters. She also runs her own side business. Vaneeza's aunts Bindiya is an actress and Meena Pervaiz is a newscaster.

Filmography

Films

Television

TV commercials

• (1996) | "Aisa Asar Dekhai Ke Bahar Bhi Dhoke Khai | Tibet Snow
• (1997) | "Kyun Ke Yeh Dil Ka Mamla Hai" | Habib Oil
• (2000) | "The World's Best Materess" | Master Celeste
• Sab Say Ghara Doodh | Haleeb Milk
• Pepsi Diet | Pepsi
• Head & Shoulders
• (2001) | "Express Yourself" | Instaphone
• Lipton by Unilever
• (2006) | "Ramzan Mubarak" | Olpers
• (2006) | "50 Years" | LUX by Unilever
• (2007) | Brings People Closer | Indigo by Jazz Pakistan
• (2007) | Subah Bakhair Zindagi | Olpers
• (2008) Sunsilk by Unilever
• (2009) Dettol
• (2010) | "Ghee" | Kissan Oil
• (2011) | "Prints" | V Lawn
• (2016) | "Ghizayat Bhara Har Ghoont" | Olpers
• (2020) | "Khulay To Dil Khulay" | Coca-Cola

Other appearances

Reality Shows

Music videos

Accolades

See also

• List of Pakistani models
• List of Pakistani actresses

References

1. ^ Muhammad Asadullah (11 March 2020). "The undisputed supermodel – Vaneeza Ahmed, Pakistani model turned actress, speaks exclusively about her two-decade long journey and career". Gulf Times (newspaper). Retrieved 17 June 2020.
2. ^ Amber Liaqat (9 February 2017). "All I see in models now are nakhray: Vaneeza Ahmed". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
3. ^ Sheharyar Rizwan (8 February 2015). "Vaneeza Ahmad: Beauty and brains". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
4. Maliha Rehman (2 November 2014). "In Fashion: The affair of the 'Supermodel'". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
5. ^ "Page 3 Bollywood: Vaneeza Ahmad". WordPress. 12 April 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
6. ^ "Vaneeza: Biography". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
7. "Sports Update: Pakistan torch bearers for Olympics named". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
8. "Olympic torch comes to Pakistan after 44 years". All Things Pakistan website. 15 April 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
9. ^ Hani Taha (12 May 2012). "Vaneeza Ahmed: Of nap times and nappy changes". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
10. Irfan-ul-Haq (19 September 2019). "Vaneeza Ahmed is playing Ahad Raza Mir's mother in Ehd-e-Wafa". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
11. "Villainising phupos, double standards and women rights: Vaneeza candidly pushes for change in dramas". Express Tribune. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
12. "..::LUX Style Awards 2003::." 15 July 2003. Archived from the original on 15 July 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
13. khan, Athar (14 October 2003). "LUX Style Awards for the year 2004". Rewaj | Women Lifestyle. Retrieved 26 March 2024.

External links

• Vaneeza Ahmad at IMDb

• 1971 births
• Pakistani female models
• Pakistani film actresses
• Living people
• Pakistani expatriates in Germany
• Kinnaird College for Women University alumni
• Actresses from Lahore
• 20th-century Pakistani actresses
• 21st-century Pakistani actresses
• Pakistani fashion designers
• Female models from Punjab, Pakistan
• Muslim models
• Pakistani women fashion designers
• People from Lahore