Resham

Resham got her early education in Lahore and studied till matriculation. She comes from a Punjabi family. Her mother died when she was seven and was raised by her elder sister.^[7]

Resham made her cinematic debut with Syed Noor's revenge-thriller Jeeva in 1995.^[8] She had previously played minor roles in television dramas. She then starred in several of Syed Noor's commercially successful films throughout the 1990s, including the melodrama Chor Machaye Shor, the drama Ghunghat (both 1996) and the romance Sangam (1997) – for which she received a National Award for Best Actress,^[9] She then starred in the Syed Noor's-directed female-centric Dupatta Jal Raha Hai (1998), and Samina Peerzada's directorial debut Inteha (1999), based on the subject of marital rape.^[10] She continued to portray leading and supporting roles in Pakistani films until the decline of Lollywood in the early 2000s.^[8]

With the decline in Lollywood, Resham began to take television projects regularly in the following decade; and played the pivotal role in Umera Ahmed's written Man-o-Salwa. She received a nomination of Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress - Satellite for her performance at the 7th Lux Style Awards.^[7] In 2009, she paired with Humayun Saeed in the romance-drama Aashti, depciting a Karachi-based Bengali housemaid. The performance earned her another nomination of Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress - Satellite at the 8th Lux Style Awards. In 2011, she made a cameo appearance in her cinematic comeback in Reema Khan's romance-drama Love Mein Ghum. Resham then depicted the procurer of a brothel in Farooq Rind's directed Sanjha. In 2012, she portrayed Mehrunissa in Sarmad Khoosat-helmed romance-drama Ashk. In the same year, she played a lovestruck maiden from a lower locality in Fasih Bari Khan's written Mohabbat Jaye Bhar Mein. In 2013, she appeared in Khan's Taar-e-Ankaboot, portraying an unsatisfied masochist housewife. She made her proper comeback to films with the social-drama Swaarangi in 2014, which highlighted the issue of drug addiction and the impact of it on the lives of addicts and their families.^[11] The film was a commercial failure, and was banned in several cities throughout the country.^[12][5] In 2017, she participated in a fashion week organized by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC).^[3]

From 2017 to 2019, she played the pivotal role of Sajna Sapairan, a snake charmer in the supernatural drama series Naagin, which is Pakistan's first-ever television serial based on the concept of Ichchhadhaari Naagin.^[13][10] In an interview, she described her part in the series as a "negative character but quite glamorous.".^[10] In November 2018, Resham joined Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar's written and directed romance-drama Kaaf Kangana,^[14] but quit it in the same month due to professional reasons.^[15]

In 2019, she played the titular character of spiritual and influential matriarch in the family drama Noor Bibi.^[16][5] The same year, she starred as a headstrong lawyer opposite Agha Ali in the romance-drama Muthi Bhar Chahat.^[17]

In 2022, Resham returned to Punjabi cinema with Bilal Lashari action-drama The Legend of Maula Jatt, appearing in the special appearance of the mother Maula Jutt, the titular character of the film.^[18] Her next role was of a newspaper editor in the crime-thriller Gunjal, inspired by Iqbal Masih case.^[19]

In June 2017, Resham announced that she would be getting married in 2018. Her husband was said to be a businessman in Europe and that she would also move there after her marriage.^[20] She denied these reports in 2019.^[21][8]

In April 2018, soon after Meesha Shafi's allegations of sexual harassment against Ali Zafar, Resham supported Zafar, stating: "Ali knows the difference between friendship and harassment. He cannot do such a thing."^[22]

During the 2010 floods, Resham sent a truck carrying flood relief (including items such as mineral water, pulses, and milk) to the affected areas through the Express Helpline Trust. Her first truck was sent to Rahim Yar Khan and the second to Kot Addu. Talking about her contributions, Resham stated: "I, as a person and as an actor, felt that it was my social responsibility to help these people with my own money instead of requesting aid from others."^[23]

In 2011, she visited Lahore's Bari Studio and distributed money among struggling actors, technicians, and dancers.^[24]

• List of Pakistani actresses