Zeba Bakhtiar

Zeba Bakhtiar (Urdu: زيبا بختيار‎; born November 5, 1962) is a Pakistani film and television actress, and television series director. She made her television debut with a PTV drama play, Anarkali. She gained a lot of fame through her Bollywood debut, Henna. She also gained media attention due to her marriage with Adnan Sami and the subsequent custody battles of her son.

Early life

Bakhtiar was born in Quetta, Pakistan to Yahya Bakhtiar, a prominent bureaucrat from Quetta,^[2] former Attorney General of Pakistan and a close confidant of late Prime minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his Iranian wife. Bakhtiar has lived her entire life in Pakistan and in an interview stated, "I consider myself Pakistani more but I respect my roots". She has two brothers, both doctors by profession living in the U.S.A, and a sister who is a corporate lawyer. She is of Pakistani, Persian Bakhtiari and Hungarian ancestry.

Bakhtiar got her initial education from a convent school in Quetta, Pakistan, and then attended Kinnaird College in Lahore, getting her bachelor's degree in law, but not completing her graduate degree. Although she was brought up in a very conservative environment, she never thought of becoming an actress and stated that it was all by chance she became an actress.

Acting career

Bakhtiar's performance in the TV play Anarkali, a sad love story, 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 (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 (1995) that won her the prestigious Nigar Award in Pakistan.

Bakhtiar also gave excellent performances in movies such as Mohabbat Ki Arzoo (1994), Stuntman (1994), Jai Vikraanta (1995), Muqadama (1996), Chief Sahib (1996), Qaid (1996) and Babu (2001). She proved herself an accomplished director in her directorial-debut movie, Babu, in (2001). Apart from movies, Bakhtiar often took starring roles in major television serials, in which she brought new levels of intensity with her performances. For instance, in Laag she gave a memorable performance as the leader of the 'Kashmiri Independence Movement'. Her portrayal of a handicapped girl in Pehli See Mohabbat was just mind-boggling as were her performances in the Lollywood films Kundi and Sangam.

She will return to television with a promiment role in Haissam Hussain's adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq's novel Bin Roye Ansuu which stars Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan and Armeena Rana Khan.

Personal life

Bakhtiar has been married four times. She was married to Salman Valliani and divorced soon. Bakhtiar then married to singer Adnan Sami but divorced in 1997. They have a son together Azaan. She then married javed jaffrey and divorced later. Bakhtiar is currently married to Sohail Khan Leghari.

Filmography

• Henna (1991)...... Henna
• Deshwasi (1991)
• Mohabbat Ki Aarzoo (1994)...... Poonam Singh
• Stuntman (1994)
• Jai Vikranta (1995)...... Nirmala 'Nimu'
• Sargam...... Zeb-O-Nisa
• Muqadama (1996)...... Chanchal Singh
• Chief Sahib (1996)
• Qaid (1996)
• Babu (2001)
• Operation 021(Producer)(2013)

Television

• Anarkali
• Tansen
• Laag
• Mulaqat
• Muqaddas
• Mehmaan
• Shehr e Dil Ke Darwaze
• Moum
• Masuri
• Aye Mere Pyar Ki Khushboo
• Ishq
• Samjhauta Express
• Hazaron Saal
• Be Imaan
• Takoun
• Bin Roye Aansoo (Upcoming)
• Aablapaa

References

External links

• Zeba Bakhtiar at the Internet Movie Database