Sabiha Khanum (; born Mukhtar Begum; 16 October 1935 – 13 June 2020) was a Pakistani film actress. She is also known as the "First Lady of Pakistani Cinema", and is often recognized for her role in Pakistani cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. The recipient of the Pride of Performance and Nigar Awards, she debuted in Lollywood films with Beli (1950), and also appeared in television dramas.
She appeared mostly in Santosh Kumar's films, playing protagonist roles opposite him. Sabiha and Santosh are sometimes known for the on-screen chemistry they shared and built following the 1950s and 60s films, in particular after they worked in the film Qatil (1955).
Early life
Sabiha Khanum was born Mukhtar Begum in a village near Gujrat in Punjab, Pakistan, to Mohammad Ali (Maahia), who was from Delhi, and Iqbal Begum (Baalo), who was a stage and film actress from Amritsar. She was awarded the 6 Nigar Award and the Pride of Performance Award for her acting career.
Filmography
Television series
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Year
! scope="col"|Title
! scope="col"|Role
! scope="col"|Notes
|-
|1983
| Silver Jubilee
| Herself
| PTV
|-
|1987
| Ehsas
| Nafees
| PTV
|-
|1993
| Dasht
| Dai Mah
| PTV
|-
|1993
| Yes Sir, No Sir
| Herself
| PTV
|-
|1999
| Tawan
| Safia
| PTV
|}
Film
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Language
! scope="col" | Role(s)
! scope="col" | Notes
!
|-
| rowspan=3|1950
| Beli
| rowspan=87|Urdu
|
| her debut film
|
|-
| 1963 || Nigar Award || Best Actress || || Shikwa ||
|-
| 1999 || Nigar Award || Millennium Award || || Herself ||