Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' Pakistani television
Television in Pakistan started in 1964 and the first live transmission of Pakistan Television began on 26 November 1964, in Lahore.pre-partition era.
Early life, Family and Education
Begum Khurshid Mirza was born as ''Khurshid Jehan'' on 4 March 1918 in
Aligarh
Aligarh (; formerly known as Allygarh, and Kol) is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Aligarh district, and lies northwest of state capital Lucknow and approximately southeast of the cap ...
to
Sheikh Abdullah
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah (5 December 1905 – 8 September 1982) was an Indian politician who played a central role in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir Abdullah was the founding leader of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (later re ...
and Waheed Jahan Begum, the founders of
Women's College, Aligarh
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a public central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875. Muhammadan Anglo-Orient ...
. Her father was a practising lawyer and philanthropist who was keen to bring education and enlightenment to Muslim women. Her elder sister
Rashid Jahan
Rashid Jahan (25 August 1905 – 29 July 1952) was an Indian writer and medical doctor known for her Urdu literature and trenchant social commentaries. She wrote short stories and plays and contributed to ''Angarey'' (1932), a collection o ...
was a prominent
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' Progressive Writers' Movement
The Progressive Writers' Association or the Progressive Writers' Movement of India or ''Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind'' (( ur, ) or ''Akhil Bhartiya Pragatishil Lekhak Sangh'' ( Hindi: अखिल भारतीय प्रगति ...
. Mirza married in 1935 to a police officer Akbar Mirza and migrated to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in the wake of
partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. T ...
in 1947. Mirza completed her education with a Master's degree in English in 1963.
Film career
Khurshid Mirza was introduced to Indian cinema by
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Choudhuri (30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994), usually known as Devika Rani, was an Indian actress who was active in Hindi films during the 1930s and 1940s. Widely acknowledged as the first lady of Indian cinema, Devika Rani ha ...
of
Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay.
The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. After R ...
under the screen name Renuka Devi. In her interview given to Lutfullah Khan, Mirza recalled Rani named her after her deceased sister.
She acted in ''
Jeevan Prabhat
''Jeevan Prabhat'' (Dawn Of Life) is a 1937 Hindi film social drama, produced by Bombay Talkies and directed by Franz Osten. The music director was Saraswati Devi with lyrics and dialogues by J. S. Casshyap. The screenplay was by Niranjan Pal. ...
(1937)'', ''
Bhabhi
Bhabhi may refer to:
* ''Bhabhi'' (1938 film)
* ''Bhabhi'' (1957 film), a 1957 Hindi film
* ''Bhabhi'' (1991 film), a 1991 Hindi film
* ''Bhabhi'' (TV series), a 2002 Hindi TV series aired on StarPlus
* ''Savita Bhabhi
Savita Bhabhi is a ...
(1938)'', ''Bhakti (1939)'', ''Bari Didi (1939)'' and Naya Sansar (1941)'', and performed as a leading lady in box-office hits ''
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
'' (1943), ''Ghulami'' (1945) and ''Samrat Chandragupta (1945)''. She also sang for some of her movies.
She announced her retirement from the film industry in February 1945.
Films in India
Films in Pakistan
Television career
When Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) began its broadcast transmission in 1964 and its TV drama serials started earning household fame, there was a need for professionals to train the young media crew. It was a
Haseena Moin
Haseena Moin (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio, and television. She was the recipient of the Pride of Performance award for her services to the ...
's serial, entitled ''Kiran Kahani'' (1972), which rediscovered Khurshid Mirza as a senior actress. Her performance gained her rave reviews, even though she said in a later interview that it was slightly off-key. The next serial she worked in was ''
Zair, Zabar, Pesh
Zair, Zabar, Pesh ( ur, , lit=Topsy-Turvy) is a 1974 Pakistani television series written by Haseena Moin and directed by Ishrat Ansari and produced by Shireen Khan and Zaheer Khan.
Synopsis
The story is about Sabeen ( Roohi) and Khadim (Shakee ...
'', also written by
Haseena Moin
Haseena Moin (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio, and television. She was the recipient of the Pride of Performance award for her services to the ...
. Her performance was regarded by many as one of the finest acting performances in that role, and this set the tone for the rest of her acting career.
She remained a character actress for PTV,
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
television centre and had nearly a dozen of popular drama series to her credit, including ''
Uncle Urfi
''Uncle Urfi'' was a Pakistan Television Corporation serial drama which first aired in 1972.
It had such a powerful appeal for the people of all age-groups that it turned into an instant hit. The serial has 26 episodes (each with a running tim ...
'' (1972), '' Parchhaiyan'' (1976) and a special play ''Massi Sherbate'' written by
Fatima Surayya Bajia
Fatima Surayya Bajia (; 1 September 1930 – 10 February 2016) was an Urdu novelist, playwright and drama writer from Pakistan. She was awarded various awards at home and abroad including Japan's highest civil award in recognition of her works. ...
. She retired in 1985, with her last performance coming in PTV drama series '' Ana'' (1984).
PTV drama series
* ''Kiran Kahani'' (1972)
* ''
Uncle Urfi
''Uncle Urfi'' was a Pakistan Television Corporation serial drama which first aired in 1972.
It had such a powerful appeal for the people of all age-groups that it turned into an instant hit. The serial has 26 episodes (each with a running tim ...
'' (1972)
* ''
Zair, Zabar, Pesh
Zair, Zabar, Pesh ( ur, , lit=Topsy-Turvy) is a 1974 Pakistani television series written by Haseena Moin and directed by Ishrat Ansari and produced by Shireen Khan and Zaheer Khan.
Synopsis
The story is about Sabeen ( Roohi) and Khadim (Shakee ...
Begum Khurshid Mirza penned her autobiography ''The Uprooted Sappling'', which appeared in the Pakistani monthly
Herald
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
as a nine-part serial, from August 1982 to April 1983. Later, the collection was compiled in 2005 as a book by her daughter, Lubna Kazim
* ''A Woman of Substance: The Memoirs Of Begum Khurshid Mirza'' (an autobiography, edited by Lubna Kazim. Delhi: Zubaan 2005)Woman Of Substance: The Memoirs Of Begum Khurshid Mirza on goodreads.com website Retrieved 24 December 2019
From 1960 onwards, she was involved in several literary activities, writing short stories for prestigious Urdu magazines ''Saqi'' published by Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi. Later, she compiled all her short stories with the cover title ''Mehru ki Bachee''.
During her days in
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
, Mirza ran the women's programme and wrote plays for
Radio Pakistan
Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 Augus ...
. She also composed religious verses under the pseudonym ''Shola'' and sermons for Milad meetings.
Social works
After migration to Pakistan, Khurshid Mirza worked for the '' All Pakistan Women's Association (APWA)'' as a volunteer helping destitute women. When her husband was transferred to
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
, she took charge of the APWA centre in a rural area called ''Ismail Killi''. She had also aired programmes on women's issues on radio.
Awards and recognition
*
IFFI Best Actor Award (Female)
The IFFI Award for Best Actress (officially known as the Silver Peacock for the Best Actor Award (Female)) is an honor presented annually at the International Film Festival of India since 2010 to an actress for the best performance in a leading ...
(1965) for "
Nirjan Saikate
''Nirjan Saikate'' ( bn, নির্জন সৈকতে) (English subtitle: The Desolate Beach) is a Bengali film directed by Tapan Sinha. It was released in 1963. This movie is an adaptation of the novel by the same name from eminent Beng ...
Pride of Performance
The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...
by the
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.PTV Best Actress Award in the PTV play ''Afshan'' in 1982.
*In 2004, an event was arranged to pay tributes to Begum Khurshid Mirza in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
, where many Pakistani dignitaries gathered to recall her efforts for the tribal women during her stay in
Quetta
Quetta (; ur, ; ; ps, کوټه) is the tenth most populous city in Pakistan with a population of over 1.1 million. It is situated in south-west of the country close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is the capital of th ...
in the 1950s where she also used to hold events to raise funds for
All Pakistan Women's Association
The All Pakistan Women's Association, or APWA, ( ur, آل پاکستان ویمنز ایسوسی ایشن) as it is commonly known, is a voluntary, non-profit and non-political Pakistani organisation whose fundamental aim is the promotion of mo ...
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
, where she died on 8 February 1989. She was buried in
Mian Mir
Baba Sain Mir Mohammed Sahib (c. 1550 – 22 August 1635), popularly known as Mian Mir or Miyan Mir, was a famous Sindhi Sufi Muslim saint who resided in Lahore, specifically in the town of ''Dharampura'' (in present-day Pakistan). He was a di ...