Biography
Who is Momina Mustehsan?
Early life and education
Momina Mustehsan was born on September 5, 1992, in Lahore, Pakistan. She grew up in a family with professional backgrounds; her mother, Huma Mustehsan, is a doctor, and her father, Kazim Mustehsan, is a retired brigadier in the Pakistan Army. Her father received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, which serves as one of the country's top civilian honors. Due to her father's military service, the family lived in various locations, including Multan, New York, Paris, and Kyiv, though she considers Islamabad her hometown. She has two brothers, Hashim and Haider.
For her formal schooling, she attended Lahore Grammar School where she completed her A-Levels. She later moved to the United States to pursue higher education. She studied at Stony Brook University, where she earned double major degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. She graduated from the institution in 2016 and was recognized on the Dean's list at the time of her graduation.
Musical beginnings
Momina discovered an interest in music during her school years. She first sang in a public choir without any formal training after a teacher encouraged her. Her early musical encounters included recording a cover of the song The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice in 2004. She also participated in the twentieth anniversary album for the band Junoon, recording the track Sajna.
In 2012, she wrote lyrics for the song Pee Jaun, which featured Farhan Saeed. This track was later highlighted in the 2015 season of Nescafé Basement. Also, she recorded the song Awari for the Pakistani band Soch. She recorded this track in her university dorm in New York without realizing it would be used for the Indian action thriller film Ek Villain, which was released in 2014.
Coke Studio and career success
The year 2016 marked a turning point for Momina Mustehsan when she debuted on Coke Studio season 9. Her performance of the song Afreen Afreen, alongside Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, became a major success, accumulating over 2.5 million views in its first day. She also performed Tera Woh Pyar and Main Raasta during the same season. These tracks helped establish her as a highly sought-after personality in Pakistan, with several of her songs amassing hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.
She continued releasing music in subsequent years. In 2018, she released the single Aaya Na Tu, which was composed by Arjun Kanungo and released under Universal Music India. Later that year, she participated in the eleventh season of Coke Studio. One of her performances, a remake of the song Ko Ko Korina, drew significant attention and mixed reactions from the public. She has also contributed vocals to television soundtracks, such as the series Alif in 2019.
Public recognition
Beyond her musical output, Momina Mustehsan has received various forms of recognition for her work and public profile. The BBC named her one of the 100 Women in 2017. The following year, Forbes included her in their 30 Under 30 Asia list. Stony Brook University also honored her as one of their 40 most successful graduates. She often uses her platform to speak about social issues, including mental health, feminism, and the role of women within Pakistan.
Birthday and age
Momina Mustehsan was born on September 5, 1992, which makes Momina 34 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Momina shares the date with 34 other famous people.
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