Vaneeza Ahmad

Ahmad reportedly said to news media that when she was a youngster, the college students those days mostly had three career options – medicine, engineering or teaching. Modelling as a career was not an option for girls back then.[2] Ahmad returned to Pakistan at the age of 18 to attend the Kinnaird College liberal arts university in Lahore[5] and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

While at University, Ahmad started to model casually.[5] Although not much interested in modelling as a career option, she received offers from various fashion designers, some of whom were notable in the Pakistani fashion industry[5] including the likes of fashion designer Nilofer Shahid.[1]

When designer Nilofer Shahid approached Ahmad, she was unsure of which career to pursue and settled for fashion modeling. In dealings with corporate heads of the entertainment industry, her business acumen was similarly praised.[5]

Ahmad conceived the brand name Vlawn[6] for her range of lawn fabrics. The collection consisted of nine different lawn prints created by designers that included Nomi Ansari, Umar Sayeed and Hassan Sheheryar Yasin. In March 2006, the collection sold-out in a series of exhibitions.[6] In 2011, she continued with her "VLawn" brand of women's lawn suits.[2]

Ahmad made her acting debut in Jamal Shah's controversial saga Kal and has since acted in Marina Khan's Tum Hi Tau Ho, Janey Anjaney and Tum Say Mil Ker; Armaan; Khayal; and Talaash (Pakistani TV series). She played the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah's daughter Dina Wadia in Jamil Dehlavi's 1998 biographical film, Jinnah.[1]

On 16 April 2008, Vaneeza Ahmad was selected as one of the Olympic torch bearers when the torch arrived in Islamabad. She was one of the few selected celebrities[7] to hold the torch in the relay out of the chosen 66.[8]