Hina Altaf: ‘Striving On Her Own’
Despite her bubbly and chirpy persona which was noticed during her early stint as a video jockey when she was only 18 years old, and later when she hosted a show entitled ‘Breaking Weekend’, TV actress and personality Hina Altaf’s career and life has not been without myriad deep struggles and lows including spells of debilitating depression.
Hina first mesmerized audiences in the TV serial 'Aik Pagal Si Larki' in 2013 and later in ‘Gumrah’ and ‘Dil-e-Janam’ (2017) and several other plays including the recent ‘Yeh Sodai’ (2018) opposite Asad Siddiqui.
In a revealing Colgate’s testimonial as part of the brand’s campaign ' Andar Se Strong', Hina honestly divulges the heart-wrenching struggles and uncertainties she experienced during her career, throughout which she smiled resiliently while in the glare of the public eye.
Colgate is renowned for making teeth strong from inside and spreading bright smiles which seamlessly mirrors the buoyant smiles celebrities such as Hina reveal in the face of adversity and inner turmoil.
“I was told that I couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to act and should just stick to being a VJ. But I didn’t give up or accepted defeat,” Hina says of her own fortitude and commitment.
About the qualms and fears about her career and life in general Hina adds:
“One is never certain about one’s career or life. Your TV drama may succeed or may flop and not run at all. Some viewers may not like you in a certain character. Nothing is easy in life. I’ve worked really hard and struggled in both my private and professional life.”
In an especially difficult revelation, Hina reminisces about how she was forced to fend for herself with no family support when she decided to pursue her TV career: “When I was forced to live apart from my family, that was the most difficult time for me”, Hina says.
“There was no one around to support or look after me and I had to fend for myself. I had to not only look after my home but also cook for myself and if I become sick there was no one to take care of me,” Hina adds.
Finally Hina reveals how one must eventually muster up the courage from within to conquer one’s demons and forge ahead, indubitably becoming a motivating role model for other young women to remain resiliently committed in order to achieve success regardless of their age:
“When one comes to a point when you just do not feel like working. When your heart does not allow you to forge ahead then you just have to pull yourself together and find the strength to put your best foot forward and move ahead. That is ‘Andar Se Strong’ for me.”
Watch the Testimonial here: