Mumtaz pak magazine

It was after a session at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) during the Gandhara International Film Festival that I finally managed to catch up with the legendary Pakistani film actress of yore, Mumtaz.

Like Waheed Murad, Nadeem, Muhammad Ali, Kamal, Zeba, Shamim Ara, Rani and Deeba, she had been a part of my childhood, which was spent mostly watching Urdu movies on Shalimar Television Network.

Meeting the dancing queen of Lollywood was nothing short of travelling back in time. She was in Pakistan not to delve into her glorious past, but to look to the future. She was accompanied by her handsome son, Zeeshan, who she wants to launch as an actor. Zeeshan is her son with Raheel Bari Malik of the famed Bari Studios.

“I was living a semi-retired life in Canada when my son Zeeshan persuaded me to return to Pakistan with him. It’s his wish to launch his career in showbiz in Pakistan, as he has acting in his blood,” she tells Icon.

Mumtaz once ruled the screen in Lollywood with memorable dance numbers and riveting performances in fi lm after fi lm. She’s back in Pakista

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Samiya Mumtaz

Pakistani actress

Samiya Mumtaz^[1][2] (Urdu: سمیعہ ممتاز) (born 1970, Karachi), is a Pakistani film and television actress. She has performed in several TV dramas.^[3] Her accolades include two Hum Awards and three Lux Style Awards nominations.

Early life

Mumtaz was born to Khawar and Kamil Khan Mumtaz. Her mother is a prominent women's rights activist, while her father is an architect.^[4]

Career

Earlier appeared in several musicals shows and in recurring roles in television serials of Pakistan Television Corporation, Mumtaz had her major role as an adult in Shahid Nadeem's directed drama serial Zard Dopehar aired in 1995.^[5] While hosting a talk show, she was noticed by Umera Ahmed who choose her as the lead of the television adaptation of her book Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishaan.^[6] Mumtaz played the role of an ill-fated woman in the eponymous series which aired from 2009–10 on Geo Entertainment , and earned her a nomination of Best Television Actress at the 10th Lux Style Awards.