Amena Khan reflects on journey from aspiring pilot to film director, humanitarian work | The Express Tribune

Actor, director and philanthropist Amena Khan appeared on The Light Within podcast with Misbah Khalid, where she discussed her emotional journey in the film industry, her volunteer work, and her passion for helping others. She shared her story of growth and self-discovery, explaining how one passion led to another and ultimately inspired her commitment to spreading kindness and making a positive impact on society.

Speaking about her childhood ambitions, Amena revealed that she had always wanted to become a fighter pilot. “I applied twice but was rejected because they did not have accommodation for girls at that time. In college and school, I was doing theatre alongside pre-engineering. Since then, I went into acting and through that to television and even learning how to be an anchor,” she said.

She added, “I did a lot of behind-the-scenes work and editing when many processes were still analogue. Eventually, I moved into directing.”

Amena described directing as her new passion. “I felt this was the only way to balance my passion for being a pilot. I found a new runway, and directing became my new cockpit,” she said. She noted that she has been working in the film and commercial industry for the past 28 years.

She further explained how her professional journey strengthened her dedication to volunteer work. “Sometimes you can start young. I was blessed to have parents who are into this and philanthropic work. My father was a doctor and into forensics. Since I was a kid, I used to be attached to him and was exposed to all kinds of medical and forensic work at an early age,” she shared.

She added that helping others has become a natural part of her daily life. “People see this as a separate thing, but I see it as eating, drinking and sleeping. When you get into that environment, you believe it is now a part of your life and you feel incomplete without it,” she said.

Reflecting on her volunteer experiences, Amena remarked, “Every time you engage with another human being, you are never the same.”

Recalling a recent earthquake response, she shared that her team reached the affected area the following morning. “As we were arriving, a man beside us was carrying a young girl in his arms. A large piece of debris from her home was lodged between her toes,” she said.

“It then got worse. We spent hours walking, even during Ramazan. People came from all over Pakistan—200 students from Peshawar University, religious scholars and volunteers who even brought coffins for the deceased,” she added.

Amena also spoke about feeling safe during her humanitarian work across Pakistan. “I always felt safe wherever I went, whether for filming or disaster relief. People were incredibly protective and kind. Those 200 students were with us, and we would walk for hours through mountainous areas,” she said.

Speaking about the suffering she has witnessed, she recalled several moments that deeply affected her. “We met an elderly woman living alone after her son was injured and taken to hospital. Her legs were severely infected. We tried to convince her to come with us, but she refused because she feared losing her home. We would walk for nine hours to deliver food to her every day,” she shared.

Amena further discussed the devastating floods and the issue of child malnutrition. “Aunty Sabeen of the Kiran Foundation often shared stories of children with swollen stomachs due to malnutrition. Their mothers would sometimes cook with mud because they had nothing else. It is absolutely heartbreaking,” she said.

Concluding the discussion, she explained that volunteering has remained a constant part of her life from the COVID-19 pandemic to the present day. She stated that government institutions, the military and numerous organisations are actively working to address challenges. However, she expressed her desire to see more people develop a passion for serving others and contributing to humanitarian causes.