Samina Ahmad is a Pakistani film and television actress, stage performer, producer and director. She is a veteran television actress with over 50 years of work experience in the Urdu entertainment industry. Ahmad performed for many of PTV's major successful series, including '' Waris'' (1979), '' Aahat'' (1991) and ''
Family Front
''Family Front'' ( ur, فیملی فرنٹ) was a 1997 Pakistani comedy drama sitcom. It was broadcast by the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV World, now PTV News). This sitcom was directed by Waseem Abbas and written by Muhammad Younis But ...
'' (1997). One of her most recent roles includes the
Geo TV
Geo Television Network is a television channel based in Pakistan. It was established in May 2002 and is owned by the Jang Media Group. The channel began its test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning on 1 October 2 ...
's widely-popular four-part comedy series '' Kis Ki Aayegi Baraat'' (2009–2012), and the Hum TV's acclaimed comedy drama series '' Suno Chanda'' (2018) and its sequel '' Suno Chanda 2'' (2019). For her contributions towards the television industry, she was honoured by the Government of Pakistan with the
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 ...
in 2011.
Early life and career
Ahmad was born in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
, Pakistan (then
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
) on 20 March 1946. Her father was Director of Forests in the West of Pakistan, and her mother was a housewife. Her father died in 1965 and her mother in 2018. She is the elder among her five siblings. She has a Masters in
Home Economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
.
Ahmad had started her career with serious plays on
Pakistan Television Corporation
Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore.
Background
Historical co ...
(PTV), however she is known for comedy plays like ''Akkar Bakkar'', ''Taal Matol'', '' Alif Noon'' and ''Such Gup''. She also acted in the famous comedy drama ''
Family Front
''Family Front'' ( ur, فیملی فرنٹ) was a 1997 Pakistani comedy drama sitcom. It was broadcast by the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV World, now PTV News). This sitcom was directed by Waseem Abbas and written by Muhammad Younis But ...
'' (1997 Comedy Drama TV Series). She has recently acted in another TV comedy named ''Side Order''. Her switch to the comic roles proved to be highly rewarding for her, and she quickly became a top media person in Pakistan. When asked in an interview about what she values most in life, her prompt reply was, "Humanity". Samina Ahmad was just an 18-year-old college student in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
, Pakistan, when she first started working for Pakistan Television Corporation. During her long career, she had also worked at Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore as a Program Director for two decades. Despite her busy professional career, Samina Ahmed has also been an active member of
Women's Action Forum
Women's Action Forum (WAF) is a women's rights organization in Pakistan.
History
Women's Action Forum (WAF) was established in Karachi in September, 1981Alhamra Arts Council in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...
while also performing on television. In 1997, she launched her own television company named as Samina Ahmad Productions, which produced the widely-popular TV drama ''Family Front''.
Personal life
Ahmad was married to a Pakistani filmmaker Fariduddin Ahmed, the son of veteran filmmaker W.Z. Ahmed, who made a popular Pakistani film ''Waada'' (1957). The couple has a son, and a daughter together. Fariduddin divorced her, a few years before his death in 1993, the reason being his love for the actress
Shamim Ara
Shamim Ara (22 March 1938 – 5 August 2016) was a Pakistani film actress, director and producer. She was known as ''The Tragic Beauty'' because of the tragic heroine roles she often portrayed in films. She was one of the most popular actres ...
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...