2013’s most happening power couples

Mohib Mirza and Amina Sheikh (top Left) Khadija Shah and Jehanzeb Amin (top Right), Samina and Usman Peerzada (bottom Left) Sarah Najmi Bilgrami and Zayd Bilgrami (bottom Right). PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: As much as 2013 was an achievement for young individuals from the entertainment and fashion industry, for some it was a dual ride, whereby success was measured as a product of a strong relationship than individual capabilities.

Express Tribune rounds up a list of five power couples who inspired us with their impeccable team effort and their contributions to cultural aspects of this country as a whole:

Usman Peerzada and Samina Peerzada

As part of Generation Y, our usual perception of old couples doesn’t necessarily relate to love. We instantly assume that they were set up by their parents and it was all about compromise along the way. However, the actor-film-maker duo Samina Peerzada and Usman Peerzada defy all those notions with their heartwarming chemistry. The two have been married for over 35 years and have been icons for the Pakistani entertainment for even longer. As role models who have seen the best and the worst of both worlds, the couple has played a significant role in the revival of cinema in terms of both talent and finance. While Samina received innumerable accolades for her role in drama series Zindagi Gulzar Hai and also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Beyond the Mango Film Festival at Bradford, this year, Usman has already been working on a comeback with three film projects which he announced during the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) International Film Festival, last week. However, as a grounded couple their biggest achievement this year has been marrying their daughter Amal. “It is all because of love. The highs and lows of showbiz can only be sustained by love. If there was no love, we wouldn’t have been able to make it through in life,” says Samina.

Aamina Sheikh and Mohib Mirza

Married in 2005, the two actors Aamina and Mohib really stole the limelight this year with their achievements. Even though, both started out with humble beginnings as stage actors, the two met each other on the sets of Bachay Mann Kay Sachay where Aamina was directing Mohib and soon after the two fell for each other and developed a great understanding. After a decade of struggle and a marriage of eight years, they can now easily be categorised as two of the few top emerging actors in Pakistan’s new-age cinema. Their films Josh and Lamhaa(Seedlings) received tremendous critical acclaim and an array of awards at international film festivals including the New York Film Festival. As the face of Lux, Amna was also rightly awarded the Miss Photogenic at the Veet Awards and the Best Dressed Celebrity at the Lux Style Awards, this year. Yet Aamina remains down-to-earth and considers her family and relationship to be the milestone of her life. “Our relationship has served as a catapult as well as an anchor. In addition, it has always been a means of keeping us both grounded and always grateful,” highlights Aamina.

Khadija Shah and Jehanzeb Amin 

Theirs is another story of young love; having known each other since they were only sixteen, Khadija and Jehanzeb got hitched back in 2007 and brought to life one of the most regal and exquisite fashion brands in the country, Elan. The two were involved in a lot of high end sport activities through their brand, this year, like the recent Polo Cup and Project Pakistan — a collaborative effort with biker Moin Khan. Together they further enhanced the luxurious creativity of their brand by putting up three collections for the fashion weeks. Although, the overwhelming success of the brand would suggest they share a common ground, they say that they are polar opposites and that’s what keeps them so balanced and grounded. “I think I’m his friend first and wife later. We are polar opposites like yin and yang but we fit together. We’ve been through so much together; highs and lows and we’ve stood by each other through it all,” says Shah.

Maha Burney and Nadir Feroze Khan 

A rugged, handsome and artistic photographer married to an uber-trendy, creative stylist — it was surely a match made in heaven. Maha and Nadir knew each other since their pre-teens, occasionally bumping into each and other as neighbours and then school mates. However, when the two of them finally connected around four years back, it was for life. Now married for two and a half years, the couple has caused quite a stir in the fashion industry with theircreative expertise in a rather short span of time and this year was definitely a highlight for them in terms of their work. From Sania Maskatiya’s  mesmerising lawn photo shoot to incredible TV ads for Colour Professional Studio and Bonanza’s winter collection, the two have literally been on a success roll in the professional domain and have received immense appreciation from all spheres of the industry. According to the duo, the reason for their shared success is their spot on compatibility. “We love that we are so creatively aligned! We both really get each other’s style and have great respect for the other’s aesthetic, experience and skill set. Two heads are always better than one and at the end of it all, our goal is the same  — we want to produce the best product possible! Accommodating both our respective stylistic perspectives also makes work more challenging and exciting! We inspire each other stylistically and push each other to excel and grow,” says Maha.

Sarah Najmi Bilgrami and Zayd Bilgrami

Unlike the rest of the couples, Sarah and Zayd come from a completely different field but that does not undermine the credibility of their accomplishments in any way. Entrepreneurs cum architects, the two of them make the trio of pillars behind the success and popularity of YOC’A. This year has been a rewarding one for them and their team as YOC’A, crossed the mark of one million square feet of building, was featured in ARCASIA magazine and launched a one-of-a-kind collaborative designer series of furniture with renowned Pakistani couturier Hassan Sheheryar Yasin. They also recently revamped and built the student center and prayer hall at the IBA campus — something that the two of them are very proud of. “We have always balanced each other which is our greatest strength, our mutual respect and the fact that we value each other’s strengths and acknowledge our own weaknesses goes a long way,” asserts Zayd. “We’ve recognised who does what best and have blind faith in our decisions which we never question or look back at and blame, this makes a successful partnership at home and at work.”