Salma Sultan (born 16 March 1944) is an Indian television journalist and director. Having worked as a

news anchor A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

from 1967 till 1997, she later went into directing television shows. Sultan had initiated a trend-wearing a signature rose tucked under her left ear in her hair, and draping the border of her sari around her neck in a modern yet traditional way. It was later picked up by almost all the women newsreaders.

Early life and education

Salma Sultan was born as second child to scholar and secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Asghar Ansari, and a homemaker mother. Salma had an elder sister Maimoona Sultan (a four-time

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

Member of Parliament from

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

). Salma and Maimoona were great-great-granddaughter of Shah Shuja of Afghanistan. Salma did her schooling and graduation from

. She did her post graduation in English from

Indraprastha College for Women Indraprastha College for Women, also known as Indraprastha College or IP College, is the oldest women's college in Delhi, India. Established in 1924, it is a constituent college of University of Delhi. The institution offers graduate and post- ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

and simultaneously gave audition for an announcer on

at the age of 23.

Career

Pratima Puri and Gopal Kaul were regular faces then in

, which started its operations on 15 September 1959. Doordarshan began a 5-minute news bulletin in 1965. Salma Sultan gave the first news of

assassination of Indira Gandhi Prime Minister of India, Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated at 9:30 AM on 31 October 1984 at her 7 RCR, residence in Safdarjung Road, New Delhi. She was killed by her bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh (assassin), Be ...

's evening news on 31 October 1984, more than 10 hours after she was shot.

As director

After her retirement, Salma Sultan moved to directing serials on social topics for Doordarshan under her production house Lensview Private Limited. Her serials Panchtantra Se, Suno Kahani, Swar Mere Tumhare and Jalte Sawal drew attention. Panchantra Se used to be telecast soon after

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

in 1989 and did very well. Jalte Sawal was a serial on women issues,which was telecasted in 2004 on DD News on Sundays at 11 a.m.

Personal life

Salma Sultan is widow of Aamir Kidwai, who worked for

Engineers India Engineers India Limited (EIL) is an Indian public sector industrial technology, engineering consultancy and technology licensing company. It was set up in 1965 with the mandate of providing indigenous technology solutions across hydrocarbon p ...

(EIL). Sultan's son Saad Kidwai is an Income Tax Commissioner and her daughter Sana is a choreographer. Salma has two grandchildren. Saad Kidwai is married to Geti Khan Kidwai (born 1978), a designer and they have two children- Samar and Mehar. Saad and Geti are now settled in BRS Nagar,

Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sultan, Salma Indian women television journalists Indian television news anchors 1944 births Living people Journalists from Madhya Pradesh Indraprastha College for Women alumni Delhi University alumni Indian women television directors Indian television directors Doordarshan journalists People from Raisen district Indian women television presenters 20th-century Indian journalists 20th-century Indian women writers Women writers from Madhya Pradesh 20th-century Indian women journalists 21st-century Indian journalists 21st-century Indian women journalists