Zeba

Infobox actor
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name = Zeba


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birthdate = 3rd October, 1943
location = Anbala, Punjab, British India
yearsactive = 1962 – 1989
spouse = Muhammad Ali
occupation = Actor, Producer
awards= Nigar Awards
Best Actress
"Arman" (1966)
"Insaan aur aadmi" (1970)
"Mohabbat" (1972)

Zeba (Urdu: زیبا ) is one of the most famous actresses in Pakistan. Her real name was "Shaheen", but she adopted the name "Zeba" for her film career. Zeba was married to Mohammad Ali , a prominent actor of Pakistan's film industry.

Most of her movies were romantic, where her pair with actor Waheed Murad became very popular. After marriage, she, however, restricted herself only to the movies with Mohammad Ali.

Film career

Zeba started her film career from Karachi where producer Noor Mohammad Khan offered a role of heroine in his film "Zindagi". Due to some reasons, this film was never released and then she was casted in another Karachi made film "Shakir", with a lead role with Arif as hero, which was eventually released in 1962 with a different name "Chiragh Jalta Raha". Other debut cast were Mohammad Ali and Kamal Irani.

"Tauba" was her first Golden Jubilee movie, where her beauty was immediately acknowledged by cinema goers. Her pair first with Kamal and then with Waheed Murad (in the film "Heera aur pathar") became instant box office hit. "Heera aur pathar" undoubtedly established her as an actress of high repute.

After the introduction of color movies, she first appeared in "Najma". "Rishta Hey Pyar Ka" was her first film which was shot overseas. Her first Platinum Jubilee was "Armaan" which was also Pakistan's first Platinum Jubilee Urdu film. "Armaan" is considered as the best movie in her entire career, which was produced by Waheed Murad himself and directed by Pervaiz Malik. The movie was released on 18th March, 1966. During the same year, Zeba and Waheed Murad were teamed up in two other movies, i.e., "Josh" and "Jaag utha insaan".

She starred in only one Punjabi film named "Mehndi Wale Hath", whereas she had worked with a total of 45 film directors.

Zeba’s presence in the following movies gave new dimensions to the highly popular tragic roles: "Gumrah", "Ilzaam", (director S. Sulaiman), "Ik phool ik pathar", "Insaan aur Aadmi", "Insaaf aur Qanoon", "Afsana zindigi ka", "Dil ik Aa’ena", "Daman aur chingari", "Aarzoo" (director: Raza Meer), "Adalat", "Anjaan", "Dil diya dard liya", "Mahel", "Pakeeza" (director: Luqman), "Phool merey gulshan ka", "Mohabbat zindigi hai", "Jab jab phool khiley", " Paalki", "Aap ka khadim", "Baaghi sepahe", "Koh-e-noor", "Najma", "Aansoo bahaye patharoan nay", "Bharosa", "Shama", "Naukar", "Esaar", "Yaadain", "Waqt ki pukar", "Bahu Rani", "Goonj uthi shehnai", "Shireen Farhad", "Aurat ik paheli", "Riwaj" and "Sabaq".

Her last film as lead actress was "Mohabbat ho tau aisi" released in 1989.

During the struggle days, Zeba was called by Shareef Nayyar to work for his under direction film "Ishq par zor naheen (1963)" from Karachi to Lahore. On trail, Zeba was declared Fail and Shareef Nayyar passed the remarks that she is not a suitable actress and could not be a big actress in future, then he decided to take Musarrat Nazeer instead.

List of Zeba's films (with Hero)

1962
* Chiragh Jalta raha (Arif)

1963
* Baji (Darpan)
* Jab se dekha hai tumhen (Darpan)
* Dil ne tujhe maan liya (Kemal)
* Sumeera (Rattan Kumar)
* Mehndi wale Hath (Sultan)

1964
* Touba (Kemal)
* Aashiyana (Kemal)
* Heera aur Pathar (Waheed Murad)
* Head Constable (Mohammad Ali)
* Baghi Sipahi (Sudhir) 1965
* Kaneez (Waheed Murad)
* Eid Mubarak (Waheed Murad)
* Aisa bhi hota hai (Kemal)
* Rawaaj (Mohammad Ali)
* Tere shehar mein (Allauddin) 1966
* Armaan (Waheed Murad)
* Josh (Sudhir)
* Koh-e-Noor (Sudhir)
* Lori (Santosh)
* Tasveer (Santosh)
* Jokar (Kemal)
* Dard-e-Dil (Kemal)
* Jaag utha Insaan (Waheed Murad) 1967
* Insaniyat (Waheed Murad)
* Ehsan (Waheed Murad)
* Rishta hai pyar ka (Waheed Murad)
* Maa Baap (Waheed Murad)
* Aag (Mohammad Ali)
* Suhagan (Kemal)
* Waqt ki pukar (Tahir)

1968
* Mafroor (Sudhir)
* Baalam (Darpan)
* Adalat (Haidar)
* Pakeeza (Ejaz)
* Asmat (Ejaz)
* Mujhe jeeney do (Mohammad Ali)
* Mehal (Mohammad Ali)
* Dil diya dard liya (Mohammad Ali)
* Taj Mehal (Mohammad Ali) 1969
* Tum mile pyar mila (Mohammad Ali)
* Jaise jante nahin (Mohammad Ali)
* Zindgi kitni haseen hai (Mohammad Ali)
* Bahu Rani (Mohammad Ali)
* Jang-e-Azadi (Sudhir) 1970
* Insaan aur Aadmi (Mohammad Ali)
* Mohabbat rang laye gi (Mohammad Ali)
* Ik Phool ik Pathar (Mohammad Ali)
* Anjaan (Mohammad Ali)
* Najma (Mohammad Ali)
* Noreen (Mohammad Ali)

1971
* Insaaf aur Qanoon (Mohammad Ali)
* Duniya na maney (Mohammad Ali)
* Yaden (Mohammad Ali)
* Teri soorat meri Ankhen (Mohammad Ali)
* Salam-e-Mohabbat (Mohammad Ali)
* Aansoo bahaye Pathron ne (Mohammad Ali) 1972
* Afsana Zindgi ka (Mohammad Ali)
* Ilzaam (Mohammad Ali)
* Sabbaq (Mohammad Ali)
* Mohabbat (Mohammad Ali)
* Badley gi Duniya saathi (Mohammad Ali)
* Dil ik Aaina (Mohammad Ali) 1973
* Daaman aur Chingari (Mohammad Ali)
* Nadiya ke paar (Mohammad Ali) 1974
* Phool mere Gulshan ka (Mohammad Ali)
* Tiger Gang (Mohammad Ali)
* Shama (Mohammad Ali)
* Parchhaen (Mohammad Ali) 1975
* Jab jab Phool khiley (Mohammad Ali)
* Noukar (Mohammad Ali)
* Bin Baadal barsat (Mohammad Ali)
* Aarzoo (Mohammad Ali)
* Mohabbat zindgi hai (Mohammad Ali)
* Sheerin Farhad (Mohammad Ali)
* Gumrah (Mohammad Ali)
* Palki (Mohammad Ali)
* Isar (Mohammad Ali) 1976
* Aurat ek paheli (Mohammad Ali)
* Phool aur Sholay (Mohammad Ali)
* Goonj uthi Shehnai (Mohammad Ali)
* Dharkan (Mohammad Ali)
* Aap ka Khadam (Mohammad Ali) 1977
* Bharosa (Mohammad Ali) 1978
* Kora Kaghaz (Mohammad Ali)
* Takrao (Mohammad Ali) 1979
* Chori Chori (Mohammad Ali)
* Ibadat (Mohammad Ali) 1989
* Mohabbat ho to aisi (Mohammad Ali)

External links

*
* [http://www.getpakistan.com/entertainment/Profiles/Zeba.htm Zeba: A tribute to the Queen of the silver screen]
* [http://www.mazhar.dk/film/stars/heroines/zeba.htm Pakistan's legendry film heroine]