Saba Shafi is certainly a name to reckon with when it comes to reflecting on dynamism of Kashmiri women. She is a well known name in the world of event management as she has displayed her rich talent on stage via her professional anchoring skills. She is also well known makeup artist known for transforming brides into beauty queens.
To her credit, Saba Shafi has anchored prestigious events like Healthcare Excellence Awards 2012, Google Team Building Event, IKEA Employee Excellence Awards, Auto Expo 2012 for Hyundai, Government of India official Comparer at Gabon for a ‘Trade Summit’ in Africa, Launch of Nokia Lumia and Nokia Asha, Launch of Casio’s watch, Launch of Microsoft Windows 8. She has had the privilege of co-hosting events with seasoned anchors like Aly Khan, Madhukar, Nitin Arora and actors like Rannvijay Singh, Preity Zinta and Standup Comedians like Veer Das and Papa CJ.
In an exclusive interview with ‘The Kashmir Scenario’ , Saba Shafi talks to Rameez Makhdoomi.
Tell us a bit about your early life.
I grew up in Srinagar and completed my schooling from here. Then I went to Delhi for further studies. During college, my life was totally different from the other students. They would go for movies and shopping while I would go to work. I had taken up a job in a well-known event management company on part time basis. The work used to be hectic but the learning opportunity combined with meeting the who’s who of every field kept my spirit strong. After graduating from The University of Delhi, I went on to do a Master’s Degree in Business Management. After completing my degree, I was placed with an American IT and Telecom based Research Company where I worked for fifteen months. That period of my life was a turning point as I realized that I am not the kind of person who can take up an office job. That’s when I decided to follow my heart and do what I love doing.
What prompted you to join the world of Event Management?
I entered the world of events on a whim. I came across an acquaintance who was working part time during college. I thought I too could utilize my time in something more meaningful than watching television. So I went for an interview and got selected to work as a part of the production team. Although I was more of a front face kind of a person, who had grown up wanting to be a news reader, I was still happy to get the job. In all the events, the highlight used to be the anchor of the show. All our hard work would show only when the anchor would perform well. Four months after my joining, on one occasion, our anchor failed to show up and arranging for a substitute just a couple of hours before a show is almost impossible. That is when I felt opportunity knocking on my door and I volunteered to replace her. It was the launch of a new product of ‘Fair and Lovely’. They wanted to do a dry run before the event to check if I could address an audience of 150+ people including press and media. Alhamdulilah, it went much better than anyone’s expectations. And as they say, rest is history.
Some of the events you have anchored?
To name a few and very recent ones would be Healthcare Excellence Awards 2012, Google Team Building Event, IKEA Employee Excellence Awards, Auto Expo 2012 for Hyundai, Government of India official Comparer at Gabon for a ‘Trade Summit’ in Africa, Launch of Nokia Lumia and Nokia Asha, Launch of Casio’s watch, Launch of Microsoft Windows 8. I have had the privilege of co-hosting events with seasoned anchors like Aly Khan, Madhukar, Nitin Arora and actors like Rannvijay Singh, Preity Zinta and Standup Comedians like Veer Das and Papa CJ. My favorite kind of events are the ones where I get to interact with the audience. So immensely enjoy hosting college festivals. In fact I have hosted the annual festival of IIT Roorkie for four consecutive years along with many of the popular Colleges of Delhi University.
What prompted you to get into the world of makeup?
I had an inclination towards makeup and styling from a very young age. Every now and then I would be approached for tips on how to do eye makeup etc. As young girl, when I used to observe the brides in Kashmir, I always used to be disappointed. They used to be beautiful, absolutely flawless before they would get ready. The makeup that was supposed to enhance their beauty would sadly not serve the purpose. While on the contrary, the very ordinary looking girls outside the Valley, would get transformed into beauty queens. With time and experience I realized that how a person looks after the makeup session does not only depend on the products that are used but also on the hands and the artistic inclination of the person doing the makeup. Every girl dreams of looking her best on her special day but how many of them are really happy looking at their wedding photos? Not many. Every individual supports some cause in their life and so do I. I stand by the cause of making brides more beautiful and making their most important day a pleasantly memorable experience. I was the unpaid makeup artist of my entire family right from the time I was in class ninth. Later when I became an anchor, I would get a lot of compliments for my makeup. So I thought why not enhance my skills professionally. That is when I went to London for a professional course in Makeup Artistry from one of the most elite institutes there and also took a specialized training by Pakistan’s top Celebrity Makeup Artist.
Do you think the women of Kashmir are beauty conscious?
Surprisingly, yes! You won’t believe how many queries I get from young Kashmiri girls regarding makeup and styling. This is a good sign as it shows the level of awareness and exposure which is very important in today’s time and age. Kashmiri women have been the epitome of beauty and nothing can change that. Nonetheless, it can always be enhanced .
Some tips for our readers?
No makeup can make one look as good as a heartfelt smile can. It’s the best way to stay healthy and look good at all times. And for makeup related tips please visit my facebook page: www.facebook.com/makeup.saba
What are your future plans?
I take each day as it comes and alhamdulilah, it’s been working great like that. Nonetheless I’m going to be in Kashmir from May onwards for the bridal bookings and will stay there till the wedding season gets over. After that the wedding season in Delhi and starts and I get busy with that. Currently I’m juggling between my two passions which thankfully have become my profession.
How do you balance between your family and professional life?
In this ever changing world, the only thing that is a given constant is our family and loved ones. My family has always been very supportive. Both my elder sisters and brother are professionals in the corporate world and they knew I’d never like to get confined in it. They believed in my talent and completely backed me up in all my endeavors. Thanks to my parent’s broad vision, I have been able to follow my heart and travel around the world. This helps me a lot in focusing on my work. What can I say, I’m lucky to have such amazing people around me, alhamdulilah.