Zamurrad
Zamurrad Sultana, also known as Zamurrad is a Pakistani film actress. Active in Lollywood from 1957 to 2016, she appeared in over 233 Urdu, Punjabi, and Pashto films, predominantly in supporting and character roles. She was one of the most popular actresses of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. She was also known for her exceptional dance skills and popular item songs, particularly in Punjabi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s. She was known as an item girl in Punjabi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life
Zamurrad Sultana was born in 1946 in Amritsar, British India. Before her film career, she worked as a tawaif in the Shahi Mohallah area of Lahore, later known as Heera Mandi. She received extensive training in classical dance and music from expert teachers, skills that later became a cornerstone of her film performances.Career
Zamurrad began her acting career in 1957 with the Urdu film Masoom. In 1958, she appeared in Urdu film Hasrat where she played the role of actor Yousaf Khan's sister. Initially, to distinguish herself from another actress with the same name, she was referred to as '"Choti Zamurrad", while the other was "Bari Zamurrad".During her career, Zamurrad used two other screen names such as Sitara and Nazi. Shabab Kiranvi gave her the name Sitara for his film Gulbadan. She gained some recognition under this name for her dance performance to the song "Bajai Yeh Kesi Ben Liya Sikh Cheen Mera Cheen" in the film Sohili.
Then she worked in the Karachi-based film Ham Bhi Jeene Do, director Butt Kasher cast her as a solo heroine and gave her the name "Nazi," publicizing her as "Pakistani Kamini Kaushal.
She appeared in many famous films such as Gulfam, Maa Baap, Saiqa, Naseeb Apna Apna, and Ziddi.
During the 1970s, Zamurrad was regarded as one of the most prominent and popular film actresses of Punjabi cinema in Pakistan. In 1983, she starred in the Urdu film Ek Doje Ke Liye, which initiated a "second era" in her career. She became highly successful as an item song dancer in many Punjabi films during the 1980s. Her item songs were immensely popular in films like Sahibji, Moti Te Dogar, Namak Halal, Ghulami, and Akbar Khan.
Zamurrad appeared in over 150 films, with notable roles in Urdu films like Saheli, Azra, and Badnaam, as well as Punjabi films such as Heer Ranjha and Ziddi. She received acclaim for her portrayal of Marina a Jewish nomadic dancer in the historical film Al-Hilal and a negative role in the successful film Banarsi Thug. She also performed popular item songs in Punjabi films during the 1980s. Her final film appearance was in Sajra Piyar in 2016.