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Rasti Farooq Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

BirthplaceLahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan

ProfessionActor, Writer, Producer

NationalityPakistani

Marital statusUnmarried

Rasti Farooq Biography

Pakistani actor, writer and producer Rasti Farooq emerged into wider attention for her performance as Mumtaz in the 2022 film Joyland. A LUMS graduate from

Early life and background

Rasti Farooq was born and raised in Lahore in Pakistan’s Punjab province. She completed her university education at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and is described as a graduate. From a young age she was drawn to performance, taking part in debates, skits and other cultural activities at school before moving into theatre while in Lahore.

Career

Rasti’s early steps as a performer were rooted in stage work. She appeared in several theatrical productions, including Stand Alone (2019), Blood Brothers (2019) and Both Sit in Silence for A While (2022). While still a student she acted in short films, beginning with a college short by Saim Sadiq and later appearing in short projects such as The Letters of Mikael Muhammad (2019), Swipe (2020), City of Smiles (2020) and May I Have This Seat (2021).

Alongside acting, Rasti has worked as a writer and producer. She authored the scripts for the short films Swipe and City of Smiles, both released in 2020. In 2019 she co-founded Puffball Studios, an animation and music studio based in Lahore. Early in her post-graduate career she also interned at Shehri Pakistan, an online platform focused on civic education and literacy.

Rasti’s feature film debut came in 2022 when she joined the cast of Joyland, directed by Saim Sadiq, in the role of Mumtaz. Joyland premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2022 and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section, later receiving multiple festival recognitions including the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm award at Cannes. The film went on to receive further honors and festival mentions internationally and was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival under Special Presentations.

Joyland’s release in Pakistan was subject to government scrutiny in November 2022. Initially banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the decision prompted public debate and a later reversal; the film was released in Pakistan after certain scenes were edited.

Public profile

Rasti is primarily recognized for her acting work but maintains a professional identity that also includes writing and producing. Her breakout role in Joyland brought her wider recognition beyond the theatre and short-film circuits where she had worked for years. She has described an early love of being on stage and credits theatre and college filmmaking for introducing her to directors and collaborators who shaped her path.

Personal life

Rasti Farooq is Pakistani and hails from Lahore. She is unmarried. Details about her age and romantic relationships are not publicly documented in the available information. She follows a non-vegetarian diet and has mentioned Halloumi salad among favourite foods.

Latest updates

As of 2022, Rasti’s most prominent credited work is her role as Mumtaz in Joyland and her writing credits for short films released in 2020. She continues to be associated with projects across theatre, short films and independent cinema while also participating in creative entrepreneurship through Puffball Studios.
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Recent Work

Joyland

Feature film (role: Mumtaz); premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2022; screened at TIFF and released in Pakistan in 2022 after edits.

2022
Swipe

Short film (writer and actor); 2020.

2020
City of Smiles

Short film (writer and actor); 2020.

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Feature film debut as Mumtaz in Joyland (2022)
  2. Joyland screened in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and received multiple festival awards
  3. Co-founder of Puffball Studios (2019)
  4. Writer of short films Swipe (2020) and City of Smiles (2020)
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rasti Farooq known for?

Actor, Writer, Producer

What is Rasti Farooq’s marital status?

Unmarried