Sofia Bano

Sofia Bano
صوفیہ بانو
Born
Sofia Bano Begum

(1938-10-23)23 October 1938
Bombay, British India
Died20 November 2024(2024-11-20) (aged 86)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Other nameSufia Bano
CitizenshipBritish Indian (1938-1947)
Indian (1947-1964)
Pakistani (1964-2024)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Singer
  • Model
Years active1964–1976
Spouse
Haroon Ahmed
​
(m. 1978)​
Children2
AwardsNigar Award:
Best Supporting Actress Award for Parday Mein Rehnay Do (1973)

Sofia Bano (23 October 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a prominent Pakistani film actress and singer who worked in the Lollywood film industry during the 1960s and 1970s.[1] Originally from Bombay, India, she moved to Pakistan to pursue a career in cinema and became one of the most respected character actresses of her era.[1] She is best remembered for her award-winning performance in the 1973 film Parday Mein Rehnay Do.[1]

Early life

Sofia Bano was born on October 23, 1938, in Bombay (now Mumbai), British India.[1] She began her acting career in Bombay with supporting roles before being recruited by Pakistani director Javed Hashmi to work in Karachi.[1] She moved to Pakistan in the mid-1960s accompanied by her brothers.[1]

Career

Initial leading roles (1964–1968)

Bano made her Pakistani film debut in the 1964 film Chhoti Behan, playing a supportive role.[2] Her first role as a lead heroine was intended for the film Sehra, but the project was never completed beyond its song recordings and opening ceremony.[1] One of those songs, "Akeela Na Jana," sung by Naseema Shaheen and picturized on Bano, became a major hit.[3]

In 1966, she starred as a lead heroine opposite Muhammad Ali in Akelay Na Jana, which was a moderate box-office success.[4] During this period, she also appeared in Azadi Ya Mout (1966), a war drama set during the 1965 Kashmir war, where she played the character Reshama, followed by Ham Dono, a film where she starred opposite Syed Kamal in a double role.[1]

In 1968, Tum Mere Ho, she played Sufia, an educated and bold woman married to a man with a disfigured face.[1] Over the next decade, she transitioned into more complex supporting and character roles, often portraying educated, bold, and "proud" women.[5]

Transition to character roles and peak success (1969–1973)

As her leading roles were able to gain moderate commercial traction, Bano transitioned into more complex supporting and character roles.[6] In 1969, she appeared in the adult-certified social drama Neela Parbat, one of the first Pakistani films inspired by Italian neorealism.[1]

The year 1973 marked the pinnacle of her career with two major hits, including Gharana.[1] She played the patient and devoted wife of Muhammad Ali, a role that showcased her range in traditional family dramas.[1] Later, in Parday Mein Rehnay Do, which was directed by Shabab Kiranvi, Bano played a stubborn, arrogant, and wealthy socialite.[7]

For her performance in Parday Mein Rehnay Do, she won the Nigar Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1973.[1]

Success and retirement (1974–1976)

Bano remained highly active in the mid-1970s, appearing in five films in 1974 alone, including Do Tasveerein, Sharafat, and her only Punjabi film, Naukar Wohti Da.[1] Her final screen appearance was in the 1976 film Zarurat, directed by Hassan Tariq.[1]

During her 12-year career, Bano appeared in approximately 28 films,[1] including a Punjabi movie.[1]

Personal life

In 1978, Sofia Bano married Haroon Ahmed, a businessman and politician of Pakistan Muslim League from Karachi.[1] Following her marriage, she retired from the film industry.[1] The couple had two children.[1]

Illness and death

Sofia died of natural causes on 20 November 2024 in Karachi, Pakistan.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Language
1964Chhoti BehanUrdu
1966Akelay Na JanaUrdu
1966Azadi Ya MoutUrdu[8]
1966Ham DonoUrdu
1967Meray LaalUrdu
1968Manzil Door NaheinUrdu
1968PapiUrdu
1968KhilonaUrdu
1968Tum Mere HoUrdu
1969Neela ParbatUrdu
1970Maa Te MaaUrdu[9]
1971Parai AagUrdu
1971MohabbatUrdu
1972EhsaasUrdu
1973Sarhad Ki Goud MeinUrdu
1973GharanaUrdu
1973NadanUrdu
1973Parday Mein Rehnay DoUrdu
1974Do TasveereinUrdu[10]
1974SharafatUrdu
1974Naukar Wohti DaPunjabi
1974QismatUrdu[11]
1975ProfessorUrdu
1976ZaruratUrdu
UnreleasedSehraUrdu
UnreleasedHam Bhi Parhay Hayn Rahon MeinUrdu
UnreleasedHalchalUrdu

Awards and recognition

YearAwardCategoryResultTitleRef.
1973Nigar AwardBest Supporting ActressWonParday Mein Rehnay Do[12][13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Rasheed, Yaqoob (10 November 2020). "ماضی کی خوبصورت فن کارہ "صوفیہ بانو"". Roznama Jang. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022.
  2. ↑ Pakistan Spotlight International, Volume 1, Issues 1-7. Karachi Journal Magazine. p. 36.
  3. ↑ Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan. Karachi, Pakistan Herald Publications. p. 36.
  4. ↑ "فلمی و ادبی شخصیات کے سکینڈلز۔ ۔ ۔قسط نمبر 491". Daily Pakistan. 2 January 2022.
  5. ↑ Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan, Volume 20, Issues 1-17. Pakistan Herald Publications. p. 32.
  6. ↑ "Beautiful artist of the past "Sofia Bano"". IG News. 18 April 2021.
  7. ↑ The Pakistan Review. Lahore, Ferozsons Ltd. p. 45.
  8. ↑ Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 255. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
  9. ↑ Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
  10. ↑ Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 278. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
  11. ↑ The Statesman, Volume 22. Karachi Mohammad Owais. p. 16.
  12. ↑ "THE NIGAR AWARDS 1972 - 1986". Internet Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008.
  13. ↑ "Pakistan's "Oscars"; The Nigar Awards". Desi Movies Reviews. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.