Pakistani famous TV actress, human rights activist and writer Faryal Gohar is one of the few females who can truly be referred to as “Women of Substance”.
Faryal belongs to a family of dynamic and talented people; her mother Khadija was an anthropologist while her elder sister Madiha Gohar is the founder of the Ajoka Theatre; a theatre known for presenting the ailments of our society on stage. Faryal too was associated with theater and TV dramas but her claim to fame are her novels and her efforts for making the lives of people better.
Education
Faryal received her education in Lahore in some of the elite institutes of the city. She shone in both studies and extracurricular activities. She later went to Mc Gill University Canada to study Political Economy and later got training for documentary film production from institutes in Europe and at the University of Southern California U.S.A.
Personal Life
Faryal got married to Jamal Shah the artist and sculptor from Baluchistan. Faryal who was used to freedom found the conservative lifestyle of Quetta stifling but being a person who honors commitment Faryal bravely faced the situation. However the marriage which was doomed from the beginning ended soon.
Faryal’s second marriage was to a Pakistani American doctor and this union too was a short one. The pain she went through compelled her to pen down her emotions and thus emerged Faryal Gohar the writer. Writing was not new to Faryal as she had been working as a columnist and a magazine writer.
Her novels The Wet Scent of Earth in August and No Space for Further Burials were termed remarkably unique. Faryal also made a documentary namely Pakistan Poverty Assessment which prompted the higher authorities not to introduce land reforms any more. Faryal has always been a keen supporter of women empowerment and is an active environmentalist and an animal lover.
