Tehmina Bakhtyar Kaoosji (born 15 May 1984) is an Indian journalist, producer, activist and actress. Based in Malaysia, she is known for her advocacy towards gender equality and social justice. She has been featured on various media outlets,[1][2][3] and has partaken in various panel debates.
Tehmina Kaoosji | |
|---|---|
 Kaoosji in 2019 | |
| Born | May 15, 1984 |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, producer, activist, actress |
| Years active | 2013–present |
Early life
editKaoosji was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India to a Parsi father and a Malaysian Hakka Chinese mother. She received her early primary education at Niraj Public School, an Indian School Certificate (ICSE)- affiliated day school in Hyderabad, India.
Her family migrated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1995, where she completed her ‘O’Levels at Fairview International School. In her teens, Kaoosji trained in musical theatre, performing and touring with Operafest Children's Choir. She studied Journalism and Psychology under HELP University’s American Degree Programme. She is also an International Baccalaureate certified English Language & Literature instructor.
Career
editJournalism, broadcast and activism
editKaoosji is an independent broadcast journalist[1] with a long background in pedagogy. She moved into media via modelling and her broadcast career began when she hosted Tourism Malaysia’s online travel & tourism-centric shows, Travel Info and Tourism Buzz, from 2013 to 2015. From 2014- October 2020 she hosted English-language current affairs talk shows on Bernama News Channel, namely Bernama Today, The Nation and her own online talkshow focusing on women, Tea with Tehmina.
She currently anchors Money Matters, TV3 Malaysia's flagship financial talkshow, focusing on economics & business-related current affairs issues.
She covers political, economic and social justice issues from a global, regional and local perspective, securing and producing exclusive interviews with global bodies, thought leaders and personalities ranging from The World Bank, UNFPA, UNICEF, Bundesliga, Global Bersih, and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, as well as diplomats, small business owners, artists and sporting superstars, such as Ronaldinho. She is a board member and director with the Institute of Journalists Malaysia.[4][5]
In 2019, Kaoosji represented Malaysia and Bernama News Channel at the CGTN (TV channel) Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.[6] She was one of four Asian media personnel who participated in a dialogue on Asian civilizations. She has spoken at various events, which include the World Bank Malaysia Economic Monitor, National Consultation for a Malaysian Media Council, Women Changing the Content Landscape in Malaysia, TedX KL 2019[7] and the 2019 Georgetown Literary Festival.
Acting
editKaoosji is a trained musical theatre practitioner and has also worked in acting. She was formerly a commercial model, appearing in campaigns for major regional and international brands.
In 2015, she had a role in the Michael Mann directed film Blackhat, appearing as a pharmacy speaker. In 2016, Kaoosji was cast as the titular character, Sara, in the horror found-footage style video game Sara Is Missing.[8]
SIM went viral throughout the internet and the video sharing site YouTube at the time of release.
In 2019, she appeared as Rosa Khan in the film Shadowplay, and appeared in the Viu series Devoted, as Kay.[9]
Filmography
edit- Blackhat (2015, uncredited appearance)
- Sara Is Missing (2016)
- Shadowplay (2019)
- Devoted (2019–present)
References
edit- ^ a b "Anti-graft group says Malaysia making progress in media freedom". Yahoo News. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "4 Malaysian actresses on why women representation in the local entertainment industry is important/". Female Magazine Malaysia. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "#Showbiz: String of devotions". New Straits Times. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "The New Lineup". The Institute of Journalists Malaysia. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Tang, Terence (12 April 2019). "Anti-graft group says Malaysia making progress in media freedom | Malay Mail". www.malaymail.com. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "Dialogue of Asian Civilizations". CGTN. Retrieved 31 May 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ "TEDxHeriotWattUMalaysia". TED.com. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "Sara is Missing: a 'found footage' style mobile game". International Mobile Gaming Awards Global. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Chua, Dennis (8 March 2019). "Time for more girl power on TV". www.nst.com.my. New Straits Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2023.