A-LIST ACTRESS AND PRODUCER HAREEM FAROOQ’S AIMING TO CROSS NEW HORIZONS
by ASJAD NAZIR
A REMARKABLE career has seen gifted actress Hareem Farooq deliver winning performances in theatre, cinema and television with a wide range of challenging roles.
The A-list Pakistani star also put on the producer’s hat very early on in her career and has been a powerful creative force in the past decade. She remains connected to the stage, while her big screen successes include Parchi and Heer Maan Ja. On TV she has starred in acclaimed serials, including Diyar-e-Dil, Dil-e-Beqarar and Main Khayal Hoon Kisi Aur Ka. She has more creative projects on the way and her sights are set on the west.
Eastern Eye caught up with Hareem Farooq during the coronavirus lockdown to talk about her remarkable rise, acting, plans and girl power.
How are you coping with the coronavirus crisis and what are you doing?
Social distancing is very important right now. I’m practising that as much as I can. I’m hoping to create awareness about it within my family and friends, not just people who are fans. I believe everyone should be practising that. It has given me time to reflect on my own self and spend time with my family. Obviously, it is a crisis and causing stress, but in these challenging times you need coping mechanisms. For me, the silver lining is that I get to spend more time with my mother.
What key message would you like to send out to people about the coronavirus crisis?
The only thing we can do is find ways to prevent it. Social distancing and keeping your hygiene in check are the crucial things to work a little hard, so we have to take those prevention methods seriously. It is our responsibility.
You have done a wide array of work, but which project is closest to your heart?
I do all my projects because I really like the character or story. There are three characters that are close to my heart. One character was of Jehan Ara during my theatre days, which was played by Bushra Ansariji originally. Second is Arjumand in (TV serial) Diyar-e-Dil, which was challenging and got me to explore different aspects of myself as a person and actor. There is also Heer in (film) Heer Maan Ja as that character was very similar to me as a person and I really enjoyed doing it.
How does your approach change between film, TV and theatre acting?
There are certain basics that obviously have to remain the same for me as an actor, when it comes to my methods. All these mediums require different skill-set. In theatre, you have to be loud and work on your body language because even those sitting on the last row need to know what you are going through and expressing. With TV you have to control yourself as it’s a small box like frame that people will see you on. So you need to work on your facial expressions. You need to know it’s a restricted frame and you have to express your emotions through this.
What about film?
With film it has to be larger than life. It’s one of the biggest platforms there is. For that, you have to maintain a balance; you can’t be really loud or really subtle. It’s not just about executing your emotions; your body language and expressions need to do that for you too. Everything about you needs to execute that particular character. So all three mediums require a lot of study and research. The same character would be portrayed differently in theatre, film and TV.
What made you want to get into producing at such a young age and why take on that stress?
(Laughs) I think I am weird that way. When I started acting, it wasn’t something I would be doing for 10 or 15 years. I made a decision that it will be with me till the day I die, that I have to do it and be successful in doing it. So, production was definitely a part of it because it gives you the power to throw in your own content and contribute in building an industry.
The film industry has grown in Pakistan in the past decade and you have been a part of that…
People say it is a revival, but I say it is a rebirth. We just birthed it recently. The plan was to start producing much later, instead of near the beginning, but when I got the offer, I thought, why do I have to wait 10 years? Why not do it now? I know myself and am hardworking, and capable enough. I felt I had to, and I don’t believe in waiting. I believe when you really want to do something you can start doing it from today.
Do you have a dream role?
There are many. As an actor, I love exploring. There are so many real life characters you meet and observe, and think there should be a character like that. I’ll give you a very small example; a girl who used to work for us was such a character and had such an interesting back story. I always used to think there should be a film or character based on her. So there is not just one specific character, like a lawyer, superhero, etc. I just see people, observe them and think there should be a character like them. For me, it’s more about exploring, as I go on with my life.
Do you see yourself working in the west?
To be honest, I do see myself doing that, inshallah. It’s not just for myself. I believe we really need to put Pakistan on that international map, where it deserves to be. For years, the global media has been killing us with that negativity like that terrorism tag we got. Slowly and gradually we are working towards the international space.
Like the Pakistanis who made it big in India…
A lot of people aimed for India, maybe because it is easier for us and a comfort zone, as we share the same language and culture to an extent. But I believe in pushing my limits. I always thought India is nice, and am glad for whoever made their names there. You must admire them because they worked hard, but we need to aim bigger. Why don’t we aim for Hollywood? It’s not like we can’t do it. We absolutely can do it.
Tell us more…
If you see, it is happening now, where they are diversifying their genres and actors. Finally, they have diverse cultures, including Asians working for them. Finally, they are giving people a chance. So why can’t we go there and try our luck. So definitely for sure, inshallah, I will and am already kind of working on it, fingers crossed.
You have proved to be a strong symbol of girl power. How important is women empowerment to you?
It is important as I’ve been brought up this way. We are just two sisters. We have been empowered by our father and grandfather. That meant a lot for us. I remember my father telling me, ‘never say no to something just because you are a girl. Say no because you don’t want to do it’. He always taught us to have a choice, not to suppress it because we are women. So I feel that helped me in life and still really does. I believe that other women should be given that confidence worldwide and not just in Pakistan.
You seem to be passionate about your empowerment message…
There are so many things we as humans are stopped from doing globally because we feel, maybe we can’t do it due to our gender. Many think, ‘I should not be asking for this because I am a girl and it doesn’t look nice’. No man, go ahead, ask for it. Asking for your right or practising it has nothing to do with your gender. So be kind, be respectful, but be empowered; know or have a skill, don’t be scared of following your dreams and pursue what you want in life. Everyone should be given a chance, irrespective of their gender.
What are your passions away from work?
Honestly, when I am not working, I try to spend time with my friends and family as much as I can because I know I won’t see them for long periods when I am working. So, I make an effort to spend time with them. They keep me sane and grounded. They are everything for me. Their support and love have made me who I am today or wherever I will go, I know they will be there for me.
What inspires you?
Love inspires me. When I see love, kindness and respect, it really inspires me. At a time where there is so much stress around the world, and I’m not just talking about this coronavirus, but also conflicts, environmental changes and TV channels or online feeds with stressful news. All you find is stress, but when there is a ray of sunshine, something like love, an act of kindness or an act of respect, that really inspires me. It actually motivates me, as an actor, person and producer. We need to spread that message of love even more.
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Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)