Samina Ahmad is a Pakistani film and television actress, stage performer, producer and director. She is a veteran television actress with over 50 years of work experience in the Urdu entertainment industry. Ahmad performed for many of PTV's major successful series, including Waris (1979), Aahat (1991) and Family Front (1997). One of her most recent roles includes the Geo TV's widely-popular four-part comedy series Kis Ki Aayegi Baraat (2009–2012), and the Hum TV's acclaimed comedy drama series Suno Chanda (2018) and its sequel Suno Chanda 2 (2019).[1][2] For her contributions towards the television industry, she was honoured by the Government of Pakistan with the Pride of Performance in 2011.
Samina Ahmad | |
|---|---|
| ثمینہ احمد | |
| Born | (1946-03-20) March 20, 1946 (age 76) Lahore, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Occupation | Actress, producer, director |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Spouse(s) | Fareed Ahmad (div. 1993) Manzar Sehbai (m. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Pride of Performance (2011) |
Ahmad was born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan (then Punjab, British India) on 20 March 1946. Her father was Director of Forests in the West of Pakistan, and her mother was a housewife. Her father died in 1965 and her mother in 2018. She is the elder among her five siblings. She has a Masters in Home Economics.[3]
Ahmad had started her career with serious plays on Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), however she is known for comedy plays like Akkar Bakkar, Taal Matol, Alif Noon and Such Gup. She also acted in the famous comedy drama Family Front (1997 Comedy Drama TV Series).[4] She has recently acted in another TV comedy named Side Order. Her switch to the comic roles proved to be highly rewarding for her, and she quickly became a top media person in Pakistan. When asked in an interview about what she values most in life, her prompt reply was, "Humanity". Samina Ahmad was just an 18-year-old college student in Lahore, Pakistan, when she first started working for Pakistan Television Corporation. During her long career, she had also worked at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore as a Program Director for two decades. Despite her busy professional career, Samina Ahmed has also been an active member of Women's Action Forum in Pakistan.[2]
Ahmad was a programme director at Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore while also performing on television. In 1997, she launched her own television company named as Samina Ahmad Productions, which produced the widely-popular TV drama Family Front.[4][5]
Ahmad was married to a Pakistani filmmaker Fariduddin Ahmed, the son of veteran filmmaker W.Z. Ahmed, who made a popular Pakistani film Waada (1957). The couple has a son, and a daughter together. Fariduddin divorced her, a few years before his death in 1993, the reason being his love for the actress Shamim Ara, who he later married.[6] Ahmad married actor Manzar Sehbai on 4 April 2020, in a private Nikah ceremony in Lahore.[7]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Naraaz | Rahat | |||
| 2014 | Dukhtar | Rukhsana | [8] | ||
| 2018 | Load Wedding | Raja's Mother | [1] | ||
| 2021 | Khel Khel Mein | Zaib | [9] | ||
| 2022 | Intezaar | Salma Kanwal | [10] |
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Waris | Sughra Niaz Ali | PTV | [5] |
| 1980 | Side Order | Tahira | ||
| 1982 | Alif Noon | Guest appearance | ||
| 1989 | Kiran | |||
| 1991 | Aahat | Bushra | ||
| 1994 | Husan Ara Kaun | |||
| Angaar Waadi | Dr's Hajra's mother | |||
| 1997 | Family Front | Nusrat | [4][2][5] | |
| 1998 | Dhoop Mein Sawan | [11] | ||
| 2006 | Hoo Ba Hoo | Indus TV | [12] | |
| 2009 | Tanveer Fatima (B.A) | Geo Entertainment | ||
| Azar Ki Ayegi Baraat | Mehr-un-Nisa | |||
| Bol Meri Machli | [13] | |||
| 2010 | Noor Bano | Bi Jaan | Hum TV | |
| Dolly ki Ayegi Baraat | Mehr un Nisa | Geo Entertainment | ||
| Dastaan | Special appearance as Orphanage caretaker, Bano came to Pakistan after partition and stayed in her orphanage. | Hum TV | Cameo | |
| Talluq | Geo Entertainment | |||
| Chand Parosa | ||||
| Husn Ara Kaun | Zeenat | TV One | [14] | |
| 2011 | Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain | Hum TV | Episodic role | |
| Takkay Ki Ayegi Baraat | Mehr Un Nisa | Geo Entertainment | ||
| Akhri Barish | Husna | Hum TV | ||
| Pani Jaisa Piyar | Nuzhat | |||
| 2012 | Annie Ki Ayegi Baraat | Mehr Un Nisa | Geo Entertainment | |
| 2012-2013 | Mirat Ul Uroos | Asghari | ||
| 2013 | Dil Muhallay Ki Haveli | Amma Bi | ||
| 2015 | Sawaab | Played Fehmida (Nimra's mother-in-law) | Hum Sitaray | |
| Maikey Ko Dedo Sandes | Geo Entertainment | |||
| Sangat | Adnan and Farah's mother | Hum TV | ||
| Bojh | Geo Entertainment | |||
| 2015-2016 | Gul-e-Rana | Jazba Aapi | Hum TV | |
| 2016 | Iss Khamoshi Ka Matlab | Geo Entertainment | ||
| Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain (Season 2) | Banto's mother-in-law | Hum TV | Anthology series; Episode 10 | |
| Naimat | Babar's mother | ARY Digital | ||
| 2016-2017 | Dil Banjaara | Zubaida Mukhtar | Hum TV | |
| 2017 | Sun Yaara | Amna, Rafia's sister and Roshni's grandmother | ARY Digital | |
| Pinjra | Jannat Bibi | A-Plus Entertainment | ||
| Ghairat | Saba's mother | ARY Digital | ||
| Yaar-e-Bewafa | Humaira | Geo Entertainment | ||
| Baday Mian | TV One | Telefilm | ||
| Super Saas | Telefilm | |||
| Aangan | Zaitoon Bano | ARY Digital | ||
| 2018 | Ustani Jee | Zubaida | Hum TV | Anthology series; Episode 3 |
| Suno Chanda | Mumtaaz Begum "Bi jaan" | |||
| Kabhi Band Kabhi Baja | Express Entertainment | Anthology series, Episodes 4 & 10 | ||
| Khatti Methi Love Story | Nadia's grandmother | Express Entertainment | ||
| Siskiyaan | Shamshad | BOL Entertainment | ||
| Dilara | Zehra | |||
| 2019 | Dil-e-Bereham | A-Plus TV | ||
| Do Bol | Firdous | ARY Digital | ||
| Suno Chanda 2 | Mumtaaz Begum "Bi jaan" | Hum TV | ||
| 2020 | Kashf | Kashf's grandmother | ||
| Bikhray Moti | Shamsa; Zulfi's mother | ARY Digital | ||
| Bandhay Aik Dor Say | Umer and Maheen's grandmother | Geo TV | [15] | |
| Ghisi Piti Mohabbat | Kaneez Fatima | ARY Digital | ||
| 2021 | Safar Tamam Howa | Qudsia Begum | Hum TV | [16] |
| Shehnai | Bakht's grandmother | ARY Digital | ||
| Baddua | Mudassir's mother | |||
| Badnaseeb | Saeed's mother | Hum TV | ||
| Mere Humsafar | Riffat Ahmed | ARY Digital | ||
| 2022 | Afrah Tafreeh | Khushi's grandmother | Hum TV | Telefilm |
| 2022 | Love Life Ka Law | Baby Aunty | Geo Entertainment | Telefilm[17] |
| Chand Si Dulhan | Parizeh's grandmother | ARY Digital | Telefilm |
| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Dhoop Ki Deewar | Sarah's grandmother | ZEE5 | |
| 2022 | Ms. Marvel | Sana, Kamala's grandmother | Disney+ |
| Year | Title | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Naraaz | Nigar Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1999 | Herself | PTV Awards | Best Director Award by PTV.[5][2] | Won |
| 2002[18]
|
N/A | Lux Style Awards | Best TV Actress | Nominated |
| 2005 | Herself | The 1st Indus Drama Awards | Best Actress Sitcom in a Leading Role | Won |
| 2011 | Herself | Pride of Performance Award | Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan | Won |
Recipients of the Pride of Performance for Arts | |
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| 1950s |
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| 1960s |
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| 1970s |
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| 1980s |
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| 1990s |
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| 2000s |
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| 2010s |
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| 2020s |
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Nigar Award for Best Supporting Actress (for Urdu films) | |
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