Samina Ahmad

Samina Ahmad (born 20 March 1950) is a Pakistani film and television actress, stage performer, producer, and director. She is one of the most popular actresses of her time and was one of the most successful actresses of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.^[1]^[2] A veteran television actress who has worked for over six decades in the Urdu entertainment industry, she was honoured with the Pride of Performance by the Government of Pakistan in 2011.^[1]

Born20 March 1950 (age 76)

Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Occupations

Actress
producer
director

Yearsactive1965–present

Spouses

Fareed Ahmad

(div. 1993)
Manzar Sehbai

(m. 2020)

Quick facts Born, Occupations ...

Samina Ahmad
ثمینہ احمد

Born	(1950-03-20) 20 March 1950 (age 76) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Occupations	Actress producer director
Years active	1965–present
Spouses	Fareed Ahmad (div. 1993) Manzar Sehbai (m. 2020)
Children	2
Awards	Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan (2011)

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Started her on-screen career in mid 1960s, Ahmad performed for many of PTV's most successful series, including Waris (1979), Aahat (1991), and Family Front (1997) for which she won PTV Award for Best Actress also. One of her most recent roles includes Geo TV's widely-popular four-part comedy series Kis Ki Aayegi Baraat (2009–2012) and Hum TV's acclaimed comedy drama series Suno Chanda (2018) and its sequel Suno Chanda 2 (2019).^[3]^[4] Ahmad further appeared in Marvel Cinematic Universe's Ms. Marvel (2022), marking her international debut.^[5]

She married for the second time with actor Manzar Sehbai in April 2020.^[1]

Early life

Ahmad was born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, on 20 March 1950.^[1] Her father was the 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 eldest of her five siblings. She has a Masters in Home Economics.^[1]

Career

Ahmad started her career with serious plays on Pakistan Television Corporation; and soon rose to prominence with her comedy plays like Akkar Bakkar, Taal Matol, Alif Noon, and Such Gup. In 1997, she had a major breakthrough in the popular sitcom Family Front.^[6] She had also worked at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore, as a Programme director for two decades. Despite her busy professional career, Samina Ahmed has also been an active member of the Women's Action Forum in Pakistan.^[4]

In 2001, she directed the sitcom Hoo Bahoo, written by Farooq Qaiser. The sitcom revolves the family politics among a couple and the wife's mother-in-law, played by Ahmad.^[7]

Ahmad was a programme director at Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore while also performing on television. In 1997, she launched her own television company, Samina Ahmad Productions, which produced the widely-popular TV drama Family Front.^[6]^[8]

Personal life

Ahmad was married to Pakistani filmmaker Fariduddin Ahmed, the son of veteran filmmaker W. Z. Ahmed. The couple has a son, and a daughter together. Fariduddin divorced her, a few years before his death in 1993.^[9] Ahmad married actor, Manzar Sehbai on 4 April 2020, in a private Nikah ceremony in Lahore.^[10]