Karachi, September 28, 2026: Pakistani actor and producer Hareem Farooq has called for greater self-acceptance and urged people, particularly women, to look beyond conventional beauty standards and value themselves for qualities that go beyond physical appearance.
Farooq shared pictures highlighting her stretch marks and what conventional beauty standards may describe as “imperfections” in an Instagram post.
She listed various physical features and natural changes, including acne, marks, hair loss, weight gain, extreme weight loss, flabby or toned arms, back rolls and different body shapes.
“Tan, fair or golden skin. Thin or voluminous hair. Straight or curly hair and whatnot,” she wrote.
Farooq said such physical characteristics do not determine a person’s beauty or worth, highlighting qualities including empathy, honesty, courage, helpfulness, character, perseverance, joy, faith, kindness and fearlessness.
She also pointed to “the love you carry in your heart, the intelligence of your mind, the purity of your soul” and the way people face adversity, treat others, embrace their roots and values, and support and celebrate others.
According to Farooq, bodies naturally change through experiences such as pregnancy, hormonal changes, illness, stress, trauma, grief and survival.
She said society further adds pressure through patriarchal beauty standards that expect people, “especially women”, to maintain a particular size, shape and appearance.
“Accept, embrace and honour your body. It has carried you through the good, the bad, the extraordinary and the unbearable. Be grateful for it. Be gentle with it. Carry it towards health with gratitude being your best friend,” she wrote.
The Janaan producer urged people to treat their bodies with gratitude and gentleness while pursuing health.
She further argued that a person’s body should not become “a public debate, a cautionary tale or an invitation for commentary”, saying nobody owes the world an explanation, apology or performance of acceptability.
Farooq also called for people to be free to dress, age, change, heal and take up space without being measured against someone else’s standards.
“Difference is not a flaw, and individuality is not a problem to solve,” she wrote.
The Parchi actor urged her followers to challenge the cycle of judgment through their words, gaze, assumptions and silence, and to choose “respect over judgment, freedom over conformity and compassion over control”.
Concluding her message, Farooq wrote: “Your body is yours. Your life is yours. Be unapologetically yourself and make room for everyone else to do the same. You are beautiful just the way you are.”
