Samina Peerzada

Samina Peerzada (Punjabi, Urdu: ثمینہ پیرزادہ‎; born as Samina Butt, on 9 April 1955) is a Pakistani television, film actress, and a director who has appeared in numerous films and television serials.

Personal life

Peerzada was born into a Muslim family to Moinuddin Butt and Almas Butt in Lahore. Her father is a mechanical engineer. She did her graduation in Commerce. During her academic years, she took an active part in extracurricular activities. When she showed an inclination toward acting, both her parents supported her in adopting it as a profession.^{[citation needed]}

In 1975, she married Usman Peerzada, also an actor, who encouraged her career. She has two daughters, Anum and Amal Peerzada.^{[citation needed]}

Career

In 1976, she starred her film Nazdikiyan. This was followed by many films, including Bazaare Husn and Khawahish. She has a long list of television plays to her credit, among them the popular are Raat and Hisar. She has also performed on stage for such successful productions as Raaz-o-Niaz and Gurya Ghar.

As director

Now, she has become one of the more promising directors hailing from Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore. She initially directed a string of successful television productions, such as Sophia and Karb for Pakistan Television, but later chose to move to the celluloid world with her rather controversial directorial debut, Inteha, a film in which she also had a short role. Inteha was well received in the major urban centers of Pakistan, and paved way for Peerzada to direct Shararat, a film which lacked the slick urban look which people related Peerzada's films with.

Current projects

She has in recent years put cinema on the back-burner and has instead chosen to act in a number of television serials for the plethora of relatively new Pakistani cable / satellite channels. However, Peerzada returns to cinema with Saqib Malik's directorial debut Ajnabee Shehr Mein where she stars alongside Shaan and Ali Zafar. The film is expected to release sometimes this year. Peerzada has returned to acting in Pakistani television plays such as Sheeshay Ka Mahal, Kaanch, and Ghar Gharonda. Recently, Samina Peerzada was invited by Amnesty International India in New Delhi for International Week of Justice Festival, from December 5–10, 2008, commemorating the 60th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Peerzada participated in three public forums for the festival at Jamia Millia Islamia and Alliance Francaise on the issues of women empowerment, democracy and torture.

Awards

She has traveled widely, performed in Oslo in an Ibsen festival, and won many awards, including two presidential awards for her films and two Graduate Awards for her work on stage.

Filmography

Actress

Television

Films

Direction

References

External links

• Samina Peerzada at the Internet Movie Database
• Samina Pirzada's Profile and Photos