Durdana Butt (9 May 1938 – 12 August 2021) was a Pakistani actress known for her work on Pakistani television. She appeared in a few films as well. Butt is best known for her portrayals in PTV's '' Fifty Fifty'' (1978), ''

Aangan Terha ''Aangan Terha'' (, ) was a satirical Pakistani drama presented by the PTV network in the year 1984. The show starred Salim Nasir, Shakeel, Arshad Mehmood, Durdana Butt, and Bushra Ansari in lead roles. It was directed by ''Qaiser Farooq'' a ...

'' (1980), and ''

Tanhaiyaan ''Tanhaiyaan'' (, English: The loneliness) is a 1986 Pakistani drama serial which is now considered a cult classic. '' Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay,'' telecast in 2012, is a sequel to the 27-year-old serial ''Tanhaiyaan''. The drama serial was dir ...

'' (1985). For her contribution to the television, she was awarded the President's

Sitara-e-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

, the third highest civil award in Pakistan, and

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

Early life

Durdana was born in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

on 9 May 1938into an ethnic Kashmiri family. She studied at

Kinnaird College The Kinnaird College for Women (KCW) is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is a women's liberal arts university. Kinnaird was established in 1913 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. In 1919, Presbyterian Mission Church and the ...

and later went to the

University of Toledo The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a Public university, public research university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, ...

, where she completed PhD in Ohio educational administration.

Career

She then went on to pursue acting where she worked in commercials and modeling, which she did briefly on PTV Channel. She started working in theater when a director gave her a role in a comedy drama. She accepted the role and earned praise for her natural acting and expressions. Soon after that she performed in many dramas on PTV Channel. In 1978 she had a role in the drama '' Fifty Fifty'' with

Moin Akhtar Moin Akhter (Urdu: معین اختر), (24 December 1950 – 22 April 2011) was a Pakistani television, film and stage artist, humorist, comedian, impersonator, host, writer, singer, director and producer who rose to fame in the era of Radio P ...

. The drama finished in 1984; she had become well known among the audience. In 1980 she had the role of Sultana Sahiba in the drama ''

,'' an emotional role for which she was praised. She was paired again with

Moin Akhter Moin Akhter (Urdu: معین اختر), (24 December 1950 – 22 April 2011) was a Pakistani television, film and stage artist, humorist, comedian, impersonator, host, writer, singer, director and producer who rose to fame in the era of Radio P ...

in a comedy drama ''Naukar Ke Aage Chakar'' in 1982. In 1985 she was offered a role in the drama ''

'' which she accepted, appearing with

Marina Khan ''Marina Khan'' (born 26 December 1962) is a Pakistani television and film actress, director, and producer. She is one of the most popular actresses of her time and was one of the most successful actresses of 1980s and 1990s. Her television sho ...

, Shehnaz Sheikh and

Badar Khalil Badar Khalil (), also known as 'Baddo Aapa', is a Pakistani television actress. She gained popularity for her role in the TV play ''Bi Jamalo'' portraying herself as Bi Jamalo. She has appeared in TV serials on PTV since 1968. She also appeare ...

. She had the role of Bibi, who is a motherly figure to the main protagonists who lose their parents in an accident. The drama was successful and she along with other cast members was recognized for her talent.

Personal life

Durdana was married to her cousin, who died during the 1970s.

Illness and death

Durdana Butt was on a ventilator for twelve days at a hospital in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

before she died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

complications on 12 August 2021 during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan The COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan is part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Pakistan on 26 February 2020, when two cases w ...

Filmography

Television

Telefilm

Film

Tribute and honour

The Arts Council of Pakistan

held a tribute in her memory. Theatre artist and writer Kulsoom Aftab described her as a person who brought smiles to people's faces and in the ceremony Imran Shirvanee, Misbah Khalid, and Zaheer Khan were present to acknowledge her contribution to Pakistani dramas for four decades. The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

named a street and intersection after her in

on August 16, 2021.

Awards and recognition

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Durdana 1938 births 20th-century Pakistani actresses Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz 21st-century Pakistani actresses Actresses from Lahore 2021 deaths Pakistani film actresses Pakistani television actresses PTV Award winners Recipients of the Pride of Performance Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Sindh