Sania Saeed

She first appeared on television in a street theatre play, televised for 8 March, for the program Aadhi Duniya in 1989. The play was Aurat. She was the first announcer for Network Television Marketing, Karachi center.[1] She then appeared in Haseena Moin's serial Aahat, directed by Sahira Kazmi, followed by Anwar Maqsood's Sitara Aur Mehrunissa directed by Zark in 1991 & 1992 respectively, which shot Sania to her stardom in the Pakistani television Industry.[2] Sania has been working in theatre and television for over two decades.

Sania Saeed
ثانیہ سعید
Born	Sania Saeed 28 August 1972 Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Education	BA Hons in Psychology
Alma mater	University of Karachi.
Occupation	Actress , anchor (theater and television)
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Shahid Shafaat (m.1998–present)

Sania Saeed is a Pakistani actress and host.

She won PTV Award for the Best Actress in 1991 as well as in 2011 and received four Lux Style Awards in the Best Actress category. She has appeared opposite Zuhab Khan, Shamoon Abbasi, Ismat Zaidi, Soniya Hussain, Badar Khalil, Khalid Ahmed and Sana Askari in many episodes of Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain

Early life and education

Sania was born on 28 August 1972 in Karachi. Her father Mansoor Saeed was a political activist and translated books, documentaries and theatre plays in Urdu and his best works include the translations of Carl Sagan's Cosmos, Jacob Bronowski's Ascent of Man and Bertolt Breckht's life of Galilio, Exception and the rule, He who says Yes and He who says No, Good Person of Schezwan and Saint Joan of the Stockyards.[3][4]

Sania's mother, Abida Saeed is a Montessorian and had established Seedling Montessori School in 1983 and runs to date.[5][6]

Sania did her matric from St Joseph's Convent High School, Karachi. Intermediate from PECHS college for Women and Honours from University of Karachi, in Clinical Psychology. She married TV director Shahid Shafaat in 1998 who has directed Tau Dil Ka Kia Hua which aires on Hum TV.[7][8][9]

Career

1982 was the year when Sania's father Mansoor Saeed with other like-minded comrades established a theatre group named DASTAK.[10]

The Dastak Experience

Dastak was very active in the struggle for democracy during the longest dictatorship in Pakistan that ended in 1988. It was doing both proscenium and Street theatre. It was a group of volunteer political activists, students, trade union workers, students, women and human rights' activists, journalists and teachers. Sania started from playing child characters, crowds and scene changers to major characters in the Urdu translations of these Dastak performances.

• The Chameleon (Chekhov) – Girgit
• Exception and the rule. – Anokhi baat bhi mumkinhai
• Life of Galileo etc. – Galileo ki Daastan
• Interview in Buenos Aires – Aik jalawatan se interview.

Democracy bought new tasks, and the younger lot of the group moved into street theatre, protesting against discriminatory laws against women, unemployment, unavailability of basic amenities, encouraging education, etc. and continued up to 1990.

The Katha Experience

In 1992, Shahid Shafaat, Sania's husband, also an active member of Dastak, assisted by other friends, conducted a workshop with the working children of Korangi with the help of PILER and Goethe Institute. This workshop evolved into a play, "Tarikyon ke saye" first performed at a local marriage hall in their home town (Korangi, an Industrial area in Karachi) and then later at Pak American Cultural Centre (PACC). The children who participated in this workshop came out a little more aware of themselves. It is one of the rare original full length scripts that was developed from a workshop. This group formalised and is now called KATHA.[11]

Television experience

1989 – First appearance. Sania as part of Dastak, was invited to perform street theatre play "AURAT" (originally written by Safdar Hashmi of Jan Natya Manch India) for PTV, they gladly accepted. Women's issues were being given a lot of importance and several programs were being designed and presented one of which was "AADHI DUNIYA", produced by Fahmida Nasreen. The 20-min play was recorded in two days and performed by activists of Dastak.

Television shows

Drama serials

Year	Drama Serial	Channel	Character Name
1989	Tapish	PTV
1991	Aahat	PTV
1992	Sitara Aur Mehrunissa	NTM	Mehrunissa
2000	Zaib-un-Nissa	PTV
2000	Aur Zindagi Badalti Hai	PTV
2001	Kahaniyan	PTV
2003	Shayad Key Bahar Aaye	PTV
2004	Thori Si Mohabbat	Geo TV
2004	Waada	ARY Digital
2006	Bebak	Hum TV
2007	Jhumka Jaan	Hum TV
2008	Khamoshiyan	Hum TV
2010	The Ghost	Hum TV
2010	Roshan	PTV
2010	Kalmoohi	PTV
2011	Hawa Rait Aur Angan	PTV
2011	Aao Kahani Buntay Hain	PTV Home
2011	Lamha Lamha Zindagi	ARY Digital
2011	Hum Pe Jo Guzarti Hai	Express Entertainment
2012	Zard Mausam	Hum TV	Mehrunnissa
2013	Darmiyaan	ARY Digital
2013	Aseerzadi	Hum TV	Bari Sarkar / Zeenat Begum
2013	Numm	Geo TV	Mahjabeen
2013	Main Manto	Geo TV	Safiya Manto
2012-13	Kitni Girhain Baqi Hain	Hum TV Opposite veteran actors like Badar Khalil, Ismat Zaidi, Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and young actors like Shamoon Abbasi, Soniya Hussain Zuhab Khan and Sana Askari
2013	Sharek-e-Hayat	Hum TV	Behroze Sabzwari wife
2015	Aitraz	ARY Digital Opposite Imran Abbas Naqvi
2016	Mor Mahal	Geo Entertainment	Akhtari (Oracle)
2016	Sang-e-Mar Mar	Hum TV	Shameem
2017	Sammi	Hum TV	Chandi
2017	Bubu Ki Beti	A-Plus Entertainment
2017	Piyari Bittu	Express Entertainment
2020	Meherposh	Geo Entertainment	Nusrat
2020	Mera Maan Rakhna	TVOne Pakistan
2020	Beadab	Hum TV
2021	Raqeeb Se	Hum TV
2021	Untitled	Geo Entertainment

Films

Year	Film	Role
2015	Manto	Safiya Manto
TBA	Aashiq[12]	TBA

Telefilms and long plays

Play	Genre	Channel
Talaash	Long Play	PTV
Chup Darya	Long Play	PTV
Bila Unwan	Long Play	PTV
24 Ghante	Telefilm	PTV
Drama Fever aka Aurat aur Char Dewari	TV Film	ARY Digital
Meethi Meethi Baatein	Long Play	PTV
Intekhab	Telefilm	Geo TV
Aik Larki Bheegi Bhaagi Si	Eid Telefilm	Geo TV
Putlighar	Telefilm	Hum TV
Ab Tum Ja Saktay Ho	Long Play	PTV
Faraar	Long Play	PTV
Tarazu	Telefilm	Hum TV
Saatwaan Aasman	Telefilm	ARY Digital
Kathak	Telefilm	PTV
Zindagi Udaas Hai Tu (Kya Karun Ammi)	Long Play	Geo TV
Koshish	Telefilm	PTV

Theater and stage plays

Year	Play	Genre
2008	Prem kahani
2009	Main Adakara Banu gi[13]

Talk shows

Year	Show	Channel
1999	Sehar Honay Ko hai	PTV
2000	Ariel Maa (season I)	PTV
2009	Junoon-E-Gum Gashta (Along with Lutfullah Khan)	Geo TV
2010	Hawa ke Namm	Geo TV
2012	Ariel Maa (season II)	PTV

Awards and nominations

Year	Nominated work	Category	Award Ceremony	Outcome
2003	Shayad Key Phir Bahar Aaye	Best Actress TV	2nd Lux Style Awards[14]	Won
2009	Jhumka Jaan	Best TV Actress Satellite	8th Lux Style Awards[15]	Won
2010	The Ghost	Best TV Actress Satellite	9th Lux Style Awards[16]	Won
2011	Hawa Rait Aur Aangan	Best TV Actress Terrestrial	10th Lux Style Awards[17]	Won
2011	Kalmoohi	Best Actress Outsource	16th PTV Awards[18]	Won
2012	Aao Kahani Buntay Hein	Best TV Actress Terrestrial	11th Lux Style Awards[19]	Nominated
2013	Zard Mausam	Best Actress	1st Hum Awards[20]	Nominated
2013	Aseerzadi	Best Actress	2nd Hum Awards[21]	Won
2016	Manto	Best Actor Female (Jury)	2nd ARY Film Awards	Pending

References

1. "Revisiting an Icon".
2. Hussain, Abbas (10 March 2014). "A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH SANIA SAEED". Youlin Magazine. Lahore Pakistan.
3. "Sania Saeed and Nimra Bucha make Mushk an unforgettable experience!". HIP. 2 August 2020.
4. "Sania Saeed and Sarmad Khoosat Pair Up for a Theatre Play". HIP. 8 August 2020.
5. "Sania Saeed & Farah Shah play lesbian lovers in 'Kitni Girhein Baqi Hain' & shock Pakistan!". HIP. 3 August 2020.
6. "Nadia Jamil and Sania Saeed's play goes to Islamabad and Karachi". HIP. 6 August 2020.
7. "Sania Saeed and Nimra Bucha pair up for a theatrical play "Mushk"". HIP. 4 August 2020.
8. "Weirdest thing I have ever done, says Sania Saeed on 'Mor Mahal'". HIP. 5 August 2020.
9. "Sania Saeed and Atiqa Odho working together after 20 years". HIP. 7 August 2020.
10. "Sania Saeed's Main Adakara Banun Gi opens on Aug 8". Dawn. Karachi Pakistan. 23 July 2014.
11. Hussain, Abbas (10 March 2014). "A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH SANIA SAEED". Youlin Magazine. Lahore Pakistan.
12. "HIP Exclusive: Agha Ali ropes in Sania Saeed for his film 'Aashiq'". HIP. 1 August 2020.
13. Shadab, Biya (7 June 2009). "Sania Katha stage a comeback". Pakistan Press Foundation. Karachi Pakistan. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
14. 2nd Lux Style Awards
15. "Best Actress winner at 8th Lux Style Awards".
16. "Best Actress winner at 9th Lux Style Awards".
17. "Best Actress winner at 10th Lux Style Awards".
18. "Best Actress nomination at 16th PTV Awards".
19. "Best Actress nomination at 11th Lux Style Awards".
20. 1st Hum Awards
21. 2nd Hum Awards

External links

• Sania Saeed on Facebook
• Sania Saeed at IMDb
• Sania Saeed on forumpakistan.com
• Sania Saeed on urduwire.com