Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host who works mainly in television and theatre. Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including one PTV Awards, four Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards.

Quick Facts Born, Nationality ...
Sania Saeed
ثانیہ سعید
Thumb
Born (1972-08-28) 28 August 1972 (age 52)[1]
NationalityPakistani
EducationBA Hons in Psychology
Alma materUniversity of Karachi
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Anchor
Years active1989–present
Spouse
(m. 1998)
Close

She first appeared on television in a street theatre play, televised for 8 March, for the program Aadhi Duniya in 1989. The play was Aurat. She was the first announcer for Network Television Marketing, Karachi center.[2] She then appeared in Haseena Moin's serial Aahat, directed by Sahira Kazmi, followed by Anwar Maqsood's Sitara Aur Mehrunissa directed by Zark in 1991 & 1992 respectively, which shot Sania to her stardom in the Pakistani television Industry.[3] Sania has been working in theatre and television for over two decades.

Early life and education

Saeed was born on 28 August 1972 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[4] Her father Mansoor Saeed was a playwriter and a theater practitioner being an active member of the theater group Dastak which was formed in 1982.[5] She got her early education from St Joseph's Convent School, Karachi.

Saeed started her career at a young age by performing in street theatre and as a voice over artist for other productions.[6] She could understand and speak Punjabi as well.[6]

Other work

Saeed works for social causes with various nonprofit organisations including Kashf Foundation, The Citizens Foundation, Indus Hospital and Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplantation.[7]

Career

Early work and breakthrough

Saeed first rose to prominence in 1991 with Haseena Moin's written and Sahira Kazmi's directed Aahat. The series revolves around the theme of family planning and she played the role of mother of sevens when she herself was just seventeen.[8]

Established Actress

In 1992, her role of a housewife coping with the marital problems in Anwar Maqsood's written Sitara Aur Mehrunissa further cemented her position as a leading star of the television.[9] She termed the role as one of her favourites in her career.[10]

In 2000, she paired opposite Humayun Saeed in Mehreen Jabbar's directed Aur Zindagi Badalti Hai as a girl who looks for her lost sister in Spain.[11] In 2003, she received praise for her performance of a headstrong and honest lawyer in Haseena Moin's written Shayad Ke Bahar Aaye. In 2005, she lost Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress for her performance in Noorul Huda Shah's written Thori Si Mohabbat just because of network's unavailability on which the series was broadcast. The incident led the Lux Style Awards to create another category for the satellite network.[12] In 2009, she won Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress - Satellite for her performance of an eponymous dancer in Babar Javed's Jhumka Jaan.[13] The same year, she played the role of a housewife whose life changes altogether due to her daughter's accident in Baber Javed's another directed Khamoshiyan opposite Nauman Ijaz and Faisal Rehman.[14] In 2010, she received another Lux Style Award in the same category for her performance of a Hindu girl from 1940s who goes to Scotland in search of her fiance in thriller-drama The Ghost.[15] The same year, she appeared as a seductress widow in Sarmad Khoosat's directed Kalmoohi, an adaptation of Rabidranath Tagore's Chokher Bali.[14] In 2011, she played a woman coping with her marital life problems in family drama Hawa, Rait aur Aangan opposite Adnan Siddiqui, winning her, her fourth Lux Style Award.[16] The same year, she played up to sixteen characters alongside Nauman Ijaz in Kanwal Khoosat's directed Aao Kahani Buntay Hain.[14] Her next role in that year was of a straightforward girl whose strength lies in her silence opposite Humayun Saeed in Shahid Shafaat's directed Lamha Lamha Zindagi. In 2012, she played a reckless stepmother in Aabis Raza's directed Zard Mausam.[17] In 2013, she paired with Adnan Siddiqui in her second collaboration in romance Darmiyaan as a woman caught in a horrible conflict.[18] The same year she appeared opposite Fawad Khan in Aehsun Talish's directed Numm as a quiet and hopeless girl satisfied with her disturbed life.[19]

Critical acclaim and further career

In 2015, she made her cinematic debut with biographical drama Manto, based on the life of Pakistani writer Saadat Hassan Manto. Saeed played the role of his wife Safia Manto.[20] In 2016, she played an oracle alongside an ensemble cast in fantasy-drama Mor Mahal. She termed the role as the weirdest thing of her career she has ever done.[21] Her next role in that year was of an oppressed housewife from the tribal areas of Pakistan in Hum TV's Sang-e-Mar Mar. The series earned her critical praise.[22] Her first performance of 2017 in Johns Hopkins's co-production Sammi earned her Hum Award for Most Impactful Character at the 6th Hum Awards.[23] She then portrayed Shakra alongside Atiqa Odho in psychological-drama Piyari Bittu.[24] Her next role in that year was of Safia Manto in biographical-drama based on her eponymous film Manto.[25] In 2018, she played the mother of a young girl who gets abused sexually and later murdered in Meri Guriya.[26] Later that year, she played the supportive aunt of the motherless protagonist in Kanwal Khossat's directed Chakkar. In 2020, she played a loving wife who is a supportive mother as well in romance Mehar Posh starring Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor.[27] Her next appearance in that year was a brief role in Asim Abbasi's web-series Churails, as a wife who makes Nihari of her husband's meat when the latter gets caught red-handed.[28] In 2021, she played a wife who welcomes the ex-beloved one of her husband Kashif Nisar's directed Raqeeb Se.[26] She next appeared as a controlling and cunning matriarch in Saji Gul's written Dour.[29] In 2022, she played a strong willed tribal woman in Mustafa Afridi's written Sang-e-Mah.[27] Later that year, Saeed played a woman next door with desires in Saim Sadiq directorial debut Joyland which debuted at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and won festival's Jury Prize as well as the Queer Palm prize for best LGBTQ-themed film.[30] She next appeared in her third feature Kamli as a blind pious lady who doesn't let her sister-in-law remarry after her brother's disappearance for the past eight years.[31] She is currently playing the head of a family who faces some paranormal experiences after changing house in the horror-drama Bandish. Her other performance is of an adoptive mother of the protagonist in Yasra Rizvi's directed Shanaas.[14]

Acting credits

Selected television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Network Notes Ref.
1989 Tapish PTV [32]
1991 Aahat Rabya [32]
1992 Sitara Aur Mehrunissa Mehrunissa NTM [33]
[34]
1994 Talaash Tabassum PTV Telefilm
1996 Ab Tum Ja Saktey Ho Raheela PTV Telefilm
1997 Putlighar Saima PTV Telefilm [35]
Farar Tania Telefilm [36]
2000 Zaib-un-Nisa Saba PTV
2000 Aur Zindagi Badalti Hai Isra [37]
[38]
2001 Kahaniyan [35]
2003 Shayad Key Bahar Aaye Sara [38]
2004 Thori Si Mohabbat Geo Entertainment [38]
2007 Jhumka Jaan Jhumka Jaan Hum TV [33]
[38]
2008 Khamoshiyan Rubab [39]
2010 Bebaak
The Ghost Maya Kapoor [38]
Roshan PTV
Kalmooni Noor Bano [33]
2011 Hawa Rait Aur Angan
Aao Kahani Buntay Hain [33]
Lamha Lamha Zindagi Sabeen ARY Digital
Hum Pe Jo Guzarti Hai Express Entertainment
2012 Zard Mausam Mehrunnissa Hum TV [40]
2013 Darmiyaan Nida ARY Digital [35]
[41]
Zindagi Udaas Hai Tu Amber Geo Entertainment Episode "Kya Karun Ammi"
Aseerzadi Bari Sarkar / Zeenat Begum Hum TV [33]
Numm Mahjabeen Geo Entertainment
Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain Zohra, Salma Hum TV Episodes "Jharun", "Zindagi Hai, Behne Do" [33]
Shareek-e-Hayat Rukaiyya Episode: "Har Qadam Tumhare Saath"
2015 Aitraz ARY Digital
2016 Mor Mahal Akhtari Geo Entertainment
Sang-e-Mar Mar Shameem Hum TV [42]
2017 Sammi Chandi [43]
Bubu Ki Beti A-Plus Entertainment
Piyari Bittu Shakra Express Entertainment [34]
Manto Safiya Manto Geo Entertainment [33]
2018 Meri Guriya Shehnaz ARY Digital [44]
2018 Chakkar Nuzhat/ Nuzhi Aapa BOL Entertainment
2019 Gul-e-Rana Ki Bhawajain Sanjeeda Begum ARY Digital
2020 Mehar Posh Nusrat Geo Entertainment [45]
Mera Maan Rakhna Momina TV One
Be Adab Rohail's mother Hum TV
2021 Raqeeb Se Hajra Hum TV [46]
Dour Mrs. Ehtisham Geo Entertainment [47]
2022 Sang-e-Mah Zarghuna Hum TV [45]
2023 Bandish 2 Humera ARY Digital
Shanaas Mahrukh Green Entertainment
Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain Nazia Hum TV Episode "Paiwnd"
Close

Talk shows

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Network Ref.
1999 Sehar Honay Ko Hai PTV Talk Show
2000 Ariel Maa (season I) PTV Talk Show[35]
2009 Junoon-E-Gum Gashta (Along with Lutfullah Khan) Geo Entertainment Talk Show
2010 Hawa Ke Namm Talk Show
2012 Ariel Maa (season II) PTV Talk Show
Close

Theater

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Notes
2008 Prem Kahani
2009 Main Adakara Banu Gi [48]
[49]
2015 Lorilei Monodrama[50]
2021 Yaar Julahay [51]
Close

Web

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020 Churails Shehnaz Khalid Released on ZEE5 [52]
2023 The Pink Shirt Neelam Released on ZEE5 [53]
Close

Films

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Ref.
2015 Manto Safiya Manto [54]
2019 Baaji Neha's lawyer Cameo
2022 Joyland Fayyaz [55]
Kamli Sakina [56]
Close

Awards and nominations

More information Year, Work ...
Year Work Award Result Ref
Lux Style Awards
2001 Best TV Actress Nominated
2003 Shayad Kay Bahar Aaye Won
2004 Thori Si Mohabbat Nominated [12]
2009 Jhumka Jaan Best TV Actress - Satellite Won [57]
2010 The Ghost Won [58]
2011 Hawa Rait Aur Aangan Best TV Actress - Terrestrial Won [59]
2012 Aao Kahani Buntay Hain Nominated [60]
2016 Manto Best Film Actress Nominated [61]
Hum Awards
2013 Zard Mausam Best Actress Nominated
2014 Aseerzadi Won [62]
Best Actress Popular Nominated
2017 Sang-e-Mar Mar Hum Award for Best Supporting Actress Won [63]
2018 Sammi Hum Award for Most Impactful Character Won [64]
2022 Raqeeb Se Won [65]
PTV Awards
2011 Roshan Best Actress Outsource Won [66]
ARY Film Awards
2016 Manto Best Actor Female (Jury) Won [67]
Close

References

Wikiwand in your browser!

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.

Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.