Rakhshanda Khattak (; – ) was a
Pakistani model. She was active as one of the country's leading fashion models in the 1970s before quitting and emigrating to
Canada in 1979.
Early life
Khattak was born on 1 July 1947 in
British Burma
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
(then a part of
British India) to a
Pashtun father and a
Burmese
Burmese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia
* Burmese people
* Burmese language
* Burmese alphabet
* Burmese cuisine
* Burmese culture
Animals
* Burmese cat
* Burmese chicken
* Burmese (hor ...
mother,
one month before the
Partition of British India into the independent states of
India and
Pakistan. Her surname comes from her father's
Pashtun tribe
The Pashtun tribes ( ps, پښتانه قبايل), historically also known as Afghan tribes, are the tribes of the Pashtun people, a large Eastern Iranian ethnic group who use the Pashto language and follow Pashtunwali code of conduct. They ar ...
, the
Khattaks.
Career
Khattak has been dubbed by
Pakistani media as
Pakistan’s first
supermodel. Her foray into the Pakistani show business began when she modelled products for a family friend.
Khattak's early modelling attracted the attention of other agencies, and she soon exploded into the public consciousness. At the time, Pakistan lacked a sufficient amount of management companies for modelling, and most models reportedly did their own hair, makeup and wardrobe. In 1971, she starred in the action feature film
Jane Bond 008
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama f ...
and performed her own stunts. Throughout the movie, Khattak wore a low-waist
sari which subsequently influenced a popular trend for young women to drape their saris closer to their hips.
Personal life
Khattak was fluent in five languages. She was the first Pakistani woman to earn a
black belt
Black Belt may refer to:
Martial arts
* Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts
* ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals
Places
* Black B ...
in
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
and the second to earn a black belt in
jiu-jitsu
Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdu ...
.
She married Hussain Javeri, a Pakistani jeweler, in 1970. Javeri owned a well-known jewelry store on Victoria Road (now Abdullah Haroon Road) in the city of
Karachi, and designed some of the jewelry that Khattak wore at public gatherings. In 1979, Khattak migrated to
Canada with her family and settled in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta. She became naturalized as a
Canadian citizen in 1983.
Whilst in Canada, Khattak attended the
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and earned a degree in cooking and baking.
She died at her apartment in Calgary on 1 December 2011, aged 64.
See Also
*
Pakistanis in Burma
Pakistanis in Burma are a historical community living in Burma who trace their origins to Pakistan. This definition includes Pakistani nationals residing in Burma and Burmese citizens who have ancestral links to Pakistan. Their history predates ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khattak, Rakshanda
Pakistani female models
2011 deaths
1950 births
Burmese emigrants to Pakistan
Pakistani emigrants to Canada
Naturalized citizens of Canada
Burmese people of Pashtun descent
Canadian people of Burmese descent
Canadian people of Pashtun descent
Pakistani people of Burmese descent
People from Rakhine State