Azra Sherwani (1940–2005) was a

Pakistani television Television in Pakistan started in 1964 and the first live transmission of Pakistan Television began on 26 November 1964, in Lahore. Amongst her most memorable roles are Ghazi Apa in ''

Uncle Urfi ''Uncle Urfi'' was a Pakistan Television Corporation serial drama which first aired in 1972. It had such a powerful appeal for the people of all age-groups that it turned into an instant hit. The serial has 26 episodes (each with a running time ...

'', Saliha Begum in ''

Aangan Terha ''Aangan Terha'' ( ur, , ) 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' ...

'', Apa Begum in ''

Tanhaiyaan ''Tanhaiyaan'' ( ur, , English: The loneliness) is a 1985 Pakistani drama serial which is now considered a cult classic. ''Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay'' telecast in 2012 is the sequel of 27-year-old serial ''Tanhaiyaan''. The drama serial was dire ...

'' and Fazeelat in ''

Dhoop Kinarey ''Dhoop Kinare'' ( ur, , lit=at the edge of sunshine) is a Pakistani television series broadcast on PTV in 1987 and is now considered as one of the all time favourite tv shows in Pakistan. The show centers on a team of doctors in a hospital in ...

''.

Early life

Azra was born in 1940 in

Meerut Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...

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 ...

Career

She began her career with the

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

Studios of PTV in the late 1960s. Sherwani worked with some of the best producers in the country including Mohsin Ali, Shereen Khan, Shahzad Khalil,

Sultana Siddiqui Sultana Siddiqui also known as Sultana Apa ( Sindhi: سلطانا آپي)is a Pakistani media mogul, television director, and producer who is the founder of Hum Network Limited. Siddiqui is an active director of Hum Network Limited and the pre ...

, Zaheer Khan and Sahira Kazmi. She also worked with some of the best writers of her time including

Fatima Surayya Bajia Fatima Surayya Bajia (; 1 September 1930 – 10 February 2016) was an Urdu novelist, playwright and drama writer from Pakistan. She was awarded various awards at home and abroad including Japan's highest civil award in recognition of her works. ...

Haseena Moin Haseena Moin (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio, and television. She was the recipient of the Pride of Performance award for her services to the ...

and

Anwar Maqsood Anwar Maqsood Hameedi (born 7 September 1939, Urdu:), popularly known as Anwar Maqsood, is a Pakistani scriptwriter, television presenter, satirist, humorist, and infrequent actor. He was well known for his drama write-ups for PTV in the late ...

. The role of Apa Begum in

's ''

'' was undoubtedly the most famous of her career where Shahzad Khalil cast her as a tough taskmaster who ill-treated her employee, Buqrat, played by

Jamshed Ansari Jamshed Ansari ( ur, ) (31 December 1942 in Saharanpur – 24 August 2005 in Karachi) was a Pakistani film, television and radio actor. He is remembered for his numerous performances on both radio and television including Safdar in '' Hamid ...

. She logically argued (and winning in the end, of course) with him as to why he should get bus fare when walking can improve his health and solve the problem. Her character wanted her brother (

Qazi Wajid Wajid Qazi ( ur, ) (26 May 1930– 11 February 2018) was a Pakistani actor. His works include '' Shama'', ''Tanhaiyaan'', ''Dhoop Kinare'', ''Chand Grehan'', ''Zair, Zabar, Pesh'', ''Hawain'', ''Mehndi'', '' Afshan'', '' Khuda Ki Basti'' and ' ...

as Faraan) to marry a dominant woman which, fortunately, does not happen. As Ghazi Apa in ''

'', she stood between the two love birds, quarrelled regularly with Hasnat Bhai (

again) and was the dominant force behind the extremely funny Shaheer Bhai (Qurban Jilani). In ''

Sitara Aur Mehrunissa ''Sitara Aur Mehrunissa'' ( ur, , lit=Sitara and Mehrunissa) is a Pakistani Urdu television series written by Anwar Maqsood. It starred Sania Saeed as Mehrunissa and Atiqa Odho as Sitara in her debut performance. Other members of the cast incl ...

'', she played the selfish mother of Sitara (

Atiqa Odho Atiqa Odho ( ur, ; born 12 February 1968 ) is a Pakistani television and film actress, television host, and the namesake of her own founded cosmetics brand Odho cosmetics. She debuted in Anwar Maqsood's TV series. She is famous for, ''Sitara aur ...

) and in ''

'', she played the despised mother-in-law aka Saliha Begum of Mahboob Ahmed (

Shakeel Yousuf Kamal (born 29 May 1938), better known as Shakeel Yousuf, is a Pakistani actor best known for his roles in PTV drama serial Uncle Urfi (1972), as 'Mehboob Ahmed' in PTV's Aangan Terha (1984) and as ''Taimoor Ahmad'' in Ankahi (1982). H ...

). Then she was the villainous Mai Jaina in ''Mera Naam Mangu'' in the early 1970s — a play about professional beggars — while she excelled in

's '' Parchaiyan'' as part of a star cast comprising

Rahat Kazmi Rahat Kazmi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor, screenwriter, TV news presenter anchorman, and an academician. He has worked in several TV serials for PTV such as 1967's ''Mayaar'', 1974's ''Qurbatain aur Faaslay'' and 1976's Pakistan's first coloure ...

Sahira Kazmi Sahira Kazmi (born 8th April 1950) is a retired Pakistani actress, producer and director. She is best known for her role in the country's first-ever colour series '' Parchaiyan'' (1976) and for producing the cult-classic blockbuster series '' D ...

and Talat Hussain. She held her own in Bajiya's '' Afshan'' with fellow cast members

Shafi Mohammad Shafi Muhammad Shah (or Shafi Mohammad) ( ur, شفیع محمد شاہ) PP (7 September 1949–17 November 2007) was a Pakistani film and television actor. Popularly known as ''Shah-jee'', he was born in Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Sin ...

Ishrat Hashmi Ishrat Hashmi was a Pakistani actress. Ishrat acted in numerous television dramas. She was known for her roles in dramas in ''Dhoop Kinare'', '' Ana'', ''Shehzori'' and ''Uncle Urfi''. Early life Ishrat was born in 1948 in Karachi, Pakistan. S ...

and

Begum Khurshid Mirza Begum Khurshid Mirza (Urdu: بیگم خورشید مرزا ), also known by her screen name as Renuka Devi (1918 – 1989), was a Pakistani television actress and a film actress in the pre-partition era. Early life, Family and Educa ...

. In short, her histrionic talent set the standards for character acting on Pakistan television. Azra Sherwani worked with actors of all generations — from

Subhani Ba Yunus Subhani ba Yunus (1931–2006) was an accomplished Pakistani actor and television and radio personality whose distinct voice quality earned him a special place in Radio Pakistan. Younis was an Urdu-speaking Hyderabadi Muslim of Hadhrami Chaush ...

, Imtiaz Ahmed,

, Qurban Jilani,

, Talat Iqbal,

, Akbar Subhan,

Behroze Sabzwari Behroze Sabzwari ( ur, بہروز سبزواری; born 1957) is an actor from Pakistan, appearing in films, on television, and in voice acting roles alike. Career Behroze began his career in Radio Pakistan as a radio presenter. In the late 197 ...

Shahnaz Sheikh Shahnaz Sheikh (born 21 March 1949) is a retired Pakistani field hockey player. He was born at Sialkot, Pakistan. He is related to Olympians Zahid Sheikh and Tariq Sheikh. In 2014, he was the head coach of Pakistan National Hockey Team. A f ...

Marina Khan ''Marina Khan'' (born 26 December 1962) is a Pakistani television and film actress, director and a producer. She was one of the most popular actresses of the 1980s and 1990s. Her television shows include '' Tanhaiyan'' (1986), '' Dhoop Kinare ...

Babar Ali Babar Ali ( ur, ; born 30 June 1972) is a Pakistani film and television actor. He started his career at age sixteen. Babar Ali is known for playing ‘Bali’ in the drama serial Landa Bazaar directed by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Career Babar ...

Mazhar Ali Nawabzada Mazher Ali Khan (; born 1 November 1945) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, from June 2013 to May 2018. Early life He was born on 1 November 1945. He is brother of Nawabzada Gazanfar ...

Mishi Khan Mishi Khan is a film and television actress and TV host. She is famous for starring as 'Uroosa' in PTV's Drama titled 'Aroosa' which was her debut serial. She then went on to star in numerous hit PTV dramas which have made her a household name. ...

Sania Saeed Sania Saeed (born 28 August 1972) is a Pakistani actress and television host. Works mainly in television and theatre, Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including two PTV Awards, three Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards. She first ...

Sajid Hasan Sajid Hasan is a Pakistani actor. Hasan made his film debut in 2004 with the movie Salakhain in which he played the antagonist. He then acted in '' Pehla Pehla Pyar''. He also had a role in the Angelina Jolie film A Mighty Heart. Sajid Hasan ca ...

and

Sadia Imam Sadia Imam is a television actress in Pakistan. Early life Sadia Imam was born in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. She is a Pakistani television presenter, actress and model. She has appeared in commercials, dramas, and music videos. Career Sadi ...

. When the advent of private productions brought about the decline of quality plays on PTV, Azra Sherwani sustained for some time, working in plays such as ''Kanwal'',

's ''Ghar Ik Nagar'' and

's ''Doosri Duniya''. Her most memorable role during the later part of her career was that of ''Khala Khairan'' in Riffat Humayun's serial of the same name. Her character was such that she quarrels with

, a tenant in the house of Khala's folks who refuses to either leave or pay the rent.

Personal life

Sherwani was born in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, according to family sources. She married Nafees Sherwani, Air Commodore in the

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

Death

She died on 19 December 2005, in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Filmography

Television series

* ''

'' * ''Raat Ki Roshni'' * '' Parchaiyan'' * '' Afshan'' * '' Ana'' * ''Akhri Chattan'' * ''

'' * ''

'' * ''Mera Naam Mangu'' * ''Stolen'' * ''Ghar Ik Nagar'' * ''

'' * ''Sherry and Jozy'' * ''Janay Kyun'' * ''

'' * ''Kanwal'' * ''Aagahi'' * ''Khala Khairan'' * ''Doosri Dunya''

References

External links

*
Dawn Tribuite

Tribute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwani, Azra 1940 births 2005 deaths Muhajir people Pakistani film actresses Pakistani television actresses 20th-century Pakistani actresses 21st-century Pakistani actresses People from Meerut