Rakhshanda Khattak

Rakhshanda Khattak was a Pakistani model and actress who rose to fame for her distinctive looks and style. She worked with some of the biggest brands in Pakistani fashion and won the Pride of Performance award in 1981. She also acted in many films, such as Jane Bond 008, Operation Karachi, and Zerqa, and earned many accolades for her performances. She was known as the Queen of Melancholy because of her portrayal of mournful and pessimistic roles. She belonged to a musical family and was the daughter of tabla player Alla Rakha and half-sister of Zakir Hussain. 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, Alberta. She became naturalized as a Canadian citizen in 1983. She attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and earned a degree in cooking and baking. She passed away at her apartment in Calgary on 1 December 2011, aged 64. Her death sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from the fashion industry and beyond. She was praised for breaking the stereotypes of beauty in Pakistan and empowering darker-skinned women. She was described as stunning, unapologetic, professional, and talented by her colleagues and friends.