Pakistani model and entrepreneur Mushk Kaleem opened up about body dysmorphia, her father’s kidnapping and the double standards in the industry, speaking candidly in the ‘FWhy Podcast’ with host Frieha Altaf on Sunday.

Kaleem revealed how her father is a “missing person” who was kidnapped ten years ago in Nigeria while working for an American cargo shipping company.

“He was kidnapped on February 22, 2013, so this year actually completes 10 years of him being missing. He was taken hostage, and off his ship and transferred to a pirate ship,” she said.

“They were Somalian pirates and I remember I was in my second semester at university and when we found out that his ship had been hijacked and the boat he was transferred to broke down in the middle of the sea.

“We knew this because there was another Pakistani man on the ship who managed to return,” she explained.

“I don’t want people to pity me,” she responded when asked about why she has not spoken about this openly.

Beginning her career in 2017, Kaleem has starred in campaigns for designers like Sania Maskatiya, Sana Safinaz, Élan and Zara Shahjahan, Shehla Chatoor among other prominent brands.

In 2019, Kaleem won the prestigious Lux Style Award for Best Emerging Talent in Fashion. She also walked the runway at Milan Fashion Week (MFW) in 2019 for designer Stella Jean, who crafted a Spring/Summer 2020 collection based on embroidery in northern Pakistan.

“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,” she said.

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Speaking about her career trajectory, Kaleem shared how she waited to complete her studies before trying her hand at modelling, starting with walking the ramp for Sana Safinaz for Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) 2017, and then being recruited for a Sunsilk campaign.

Speaking about ‘colourism’ in society, Kaleem spoke about her skin and the apparent issues it caused in her work.

“I was the tan, dark girl amongst all my family members, I was only nine years old when my grandmother suggested I use fair & lovely,” she said.

“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 annoyed and wanted to leave,” Kaleem said.

She added how she will no longer entertain clients who ask her to ‘whiten up’ for shoots, saying how she does not want this to be so pervasive in the industry, especially for younger girls who are entering the industry.

The model also revealed that in the initial years of her career, she was 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.

“I stopped looking at myself in the mirror. I stopped taking showers. It was so bad that I was depressed because of it.”

She said that her depression reached a stage where she couldn’t get up for almost 20 hours.

“It was the fame, money and validation, she said. “I remember doing 3-4 shoots in a day, my calendar was completely booked.”

“When you’re only 22, 23, you haven’t seen a lot of money. Suddenly you’re seeing cheques clearing nonstop and you’re in a different headspace entirely.

“I was taking fat burners for a very long time 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.”

“Things worked out after that,” Kaleem added.

Speaking about body diversity within the industry, Kaleem said the industry will never allow a plus-sized model to walk the ramp.

“We’re light years behind what the global industry standard is.

“A big part of being fashion forward is to be open to learning and I see now how more and more dark-skinned models are being featured in campaigns, shorter ones too, and that’s great, I do feel that fashion is opening up its doors.”

Apart from a modelling career, Kaleem also embarked on an entrepreneurial journey during the pandemic.

In March 2021, Kaleem began a business venture making hand-poured soy candles in locally-sourced onyx and marble containers, citing how she always wanted to make perfumes, and settled on candles instead.