Masarrat Misbah is a renowned Pakistani beautician and philanthropist known for her multiple businesses. She is the founder of Depilex, a chain of beauty salons, and also owns her own makeup brand. She also founded the Smile Again Foundation, which supports acid-attack survivors. Besides this, she has also appeared in TV plays such as Amar Bail, Cat Walk, and Asawari, among which Asawari was written by Aapa Surraiya Bajia.
Recently, Masarrat Misbah appeared on Farwa Waheed’s podcast, where she opened up about facing derogatory behaviour from her relatives and neighbours after becoming a beautician.
Masarrat Misbah said, “More than society, my relatives had issues with me becoming a beautician. One of my family members asked my father, ‘Misbah Bhai, you have made your daughter a barber/Nai.’ I have always quoted this incident: I had a neighbour who was a lawyer because I had seen her wearing a black coat. I used to greet her, but she would make a mean face and walk away. Once, after two years, she brought her daughter. I was sure she was there to scold me. She asked me about my certificates and then asked me to teach her daughter. That girl lived with me, learned the work, got married, and settled abroad. That day, I thought I had crossed the first hurdle. Previously, she used to say, ‘Now women like you will reside in our vicinity.’ At that time, only teaching and medicine were considered respectable fields.” Here is the link to the video:
