7 Classic Pakistani Film Actresses

SABIHA KHANUM

Sabiha Khanum’s real name is Mukhtar Begum. She was the leading star of Pakistani cinema in the 1950s and 1960s and continued to pay award-winning roles for the duration of the 80′s and 90′s. Most of her movies were with her husband, the late Santosh Kumar. Sabiha and Santosh were highly regarded as the “perfect couple” and their fans were enthralled and delighted to see them acting together in films together. Sabiha has also won the Pride of Performance award from the government of Pakistan.

ANJUMAN

Anjuman was one of the most successful Punjabi film heroines of Pakistan during the 1980s and early 90′s. Her real name is Anjuman Shaheen and she was born in Bahawalpur. She first appeared in the Urdu film, Soorath co-starring with Waseem Abbas in 1973 and she gave her last appearance in 2000 in the film Peengan. Her first major hit was Waadey Ki Zanjeer (1979). She had major roles in Sher Khan and Chan Varyam and played a supporting role in Sala Sahib. Her career spanned almost 20 years and she appeared in more than 300 films.

SHABNAM

Shabnam was originally a Bangladeshi stage and film actress. Actor Waheed Murad introduced her to the Pakistani film industry by offering her a lead role in his film Samundar in 1968. Shabnam remained active in Lollywood in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. She has been nominated for the Nigar Award several times, winning it 13 times. She shot to fame with the box office Urdu hit Chanda in 1962. By mid 1960s, she had become one of the most popular actresses of Pakistan. He has appeared in over 180 films over the course of her career.

BABRA SHARIF

Babra Sharif started her career in the entertainment industry through television commercials. She went on to work with many famous names of her time, including Shahid, Nadeem, Waheed Murad, Ghulam Mohyedin, Muhammad Ali and even Sultan Rahi. She had great success in Urdu films in Pakistan. She did a variety of roles which proved her versatility as an actress. Some critics consider her as the best actress of her time in Pakistan. She has worked in more than a 100 movies and has received the Nigar Awards eight times in her film career.

ZEBA BAKHTIAR

Zeba Bakhtiar is not only an actress, but she is also a brilliant director. She made her television debut with a PTV play, Anarkali. Her performance in the play won her critical acclaim in Pakistan’s entertainment world. The role of Anarkali helped prepare her for her big screen debut with the hit movie Henna in 1991, produced and directed by Randhir Kapoor in India. Her work in Henna was widely appreciated, but it was her performance in the Pakistani film Sargam in 1995 that won her the prestigious Nigar Award. She has also given excellent performances in movies such as Mohabbat Ki Arzoo, Stuntman, Jai Vikraanta, Muqadama, Chief Sahib, Qaid and Babu.

REEMA KHAN

Reema Khan is a Pakistani Lollywood film actress, director and producer. She has appeared in more than 200 films since making her debut in 1990. Reema started her film career starring in Javed Fazil’s Bulandi. Her early films included Zherilay, Ishq, Naag Devta, Pyar hi pyar, Sailab, Dil, Aag, Shama and Sahiba. She is currently one of the leading film actresses in Pakistan.

MEERA

Irtiza Rubab, known by her stage name Meera, is a Pakistani film actress, television presenter, model and philanthropist. Born and raised in Lahore, she started her modeling career in 1995. Meera made her motion picture debut the same year, but she earned nationwide critical acclaim in 1999 for her leading performance in Khilona. Khilona earned her her first Nigar Award. With the release of Inteha, another critical and commercial success, Meera won the second consecutive Nigar Award for Best Actress of the year. In 2005, she acted in joint Indo-Pakistani film, Nazar. She is known as one of the most controversial actresses in the Pakistani cinema.