Maria Wasti

by SUMEHA KHALID

Around ten years ago, a dusky charmer appeared on our television screens in a state-owned play. She performed well and was immediately noticed by the movers and shakers of the industry. Here was somebody to reckon with. Here was a star, ready to be discovered. As for the girl, she had found something that would make her feel liberated; something that would allow her to live life on her own terms.

Maria Wasti consi

dered it an opportunity and pure luck to have landed in such a happening business. And fortunately she did not run out of that luck not even when it came to family matters. Her family supported her decision to take on acting as a career. Her mother was away and not in town when she made her debut in the play which was to be her line of work in the future. It all happened in a jiffy. One day she was not there and when she returned she found her daughter had become a TV actor. But one must say that her mom was quite cool about it and allowed Maria to continue acting. The girl was simultaneously pursuing her Business Management degree.
Maria was not the only one in the family who tried this form of art. Her sister had also dabbled in acting but didn't like the experience so she gave up the idea for good; whereas, Maria had found her calling. Today, she is a

beacon of style and talent. She's come a long way since her Kallu days (another one of her memorable dramas). She's loaded on the oomph factor something that makes her a darling with the media as well as with the audiences. It is hard work and dedication that goes in her favour, but above all it is luck that plays an important part in shaping your career or your life for that matter. It was luck, the right timing and most importantly talent that got her where she is today.
It may seem that the glitterati live in a different world, a world of glitz and dazzle with every moment a scintillating one. But in actuality, Maria, unlike many showbiz and glamour icons, is a down-to-earth and an unassuming person. It's her devotion and dedication that has made her one of the most sought after female actors of present times. Versatility, with a healthy dash of spiritualism and an intelligent mind describes her best. But who is she, really? That is something that has always remained somewhat of an enigma. For, whenever she gives an interview she deliberately manoeuvres the topic of her personal life and brings it to practical life.
A true Leo, Maria does not believe in deviating from her goals; acting is her first and last love. She has not even tried to dabble in the various genres of showbiz… except production. It has been heard that the girl has been involved in some production work in recent months. A witty soul, with a highly developed sense of humour, and akeen observation, she could well have landed a successful director but she refrains from taking on that particular role. She calls herself a director's actor and has no plans of directing... not at the moment. Maybe at a later stage we might see Maria helming TV projects but that's not on the cards; for the time being she's content being an actor and producer. Maria likes her privacy and expects others (especially media) to respect that. She's quite aware of the prevalent lobby system in showbusiness, but always claims to hail from no specific lobby. However, she believes that there's nothing wrong in lobbying as long as you're not damaging anyone's cause. In her opinion, it exists for the reason that actors often do not want to risk working with people they do not know or are not sure of, which to quite an extent is true.
Success, for Maria does not hold much meaning as she believes that to be successful in Pakistan is not a big deal. It's not like it is in Hollywood. As humble as Maria tries to be, she cannot deny the fact that she is one of the most indispensable faces of showbiz. Considering the girl has sass, the girl has style it is surprising then that she has not opted for ramp modelling. And that's because she claims to have neither the height nor the size to be a model. Self- deprecating now, wouldn't you agree?
Always on the move and doing projects all over the hemisphere, it's Lahore where she heads to for relaxation. Basically she's stationed in Lahore, but in the recent few years she had been shuttling between various places, especially Karachi and Lahore and it was then that she realised she could no longer live out of a suitcase. Hence, Karachi is as much home to her as is Lahore.
At present, Maria is concentrating on her production ventures and equally devoting time to her acting career. She's someone who does not believe in long term planning and takes life as it comes. So she would much rather leave it all up to fate and would wait and see what the future holds for her. With the looks of a siren, she is still a little girl at heart, who feels life is to be valued and cherished without sulking over the unpleasant moments.