Azeem Sarwar, Aziz Memon tribute forgotten leading lady Sabiha Khanum

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Azeem Sarwar and Aziz Memon, acclaimed trailblazers in their respective fields, have generously praised Sabiha Khanum, the first leading lady of Pakistani cinema, who passed away quietly in the United States on June 13 at the age of 84.

“Sabiha Khanum was the most successful film heroine of 1950s as well as 1960s. She was an institution in herself. She played the female lead in numerous successful films. She was known and respected for her natural acting,” Azeem Sarwar, himself a legendary broadcaster and producer, complimented while talking to PNFS. 

“I am really shocked to learn about her death because I was remembering her only the other day. She was the spouse of the handsome Santosh Kumar, who was also a versatile actor and together they worked in quite a few memorable movies. Indeed she has left an undeniable impact on Pakistan’s film industry,” he added. 

Aziz Memon, a renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur, also became sad at the death of Sabiha Khanum.

“I came know about her death as soon as the news emerged from Virginia. It was very saddening indeed. I was more heartbroken because she was forgotten far too soon and she was living literally in wilderness for the last many decades after having ruled the film industry 1950s and 1960s,” he told PNFS. 

“Isn’t it a tragedy that the iconic actress, who was one of the pioneers of film industry in Pakistan and ruled the golden era of Pakistan Cinema, was not recognized at the highest level in her lifetime? Now I would urge the concerned authorities to decorate her with a national award posthumously,” Aziz Memon, himself a recipient of the Pride of Performance award, suggested. 

Sabiha Khanum was born on October 16, 1935 and she debuted with film Beli in 1950. Her memorable films included Gumnaam (1954), DullaBhatti (1956), Sarfarosh (1956), Mukhra (1958) and Devar Bhabhi (1967). Besides husband Santosh Kumar, she was cast opposite all renowned actors of her time.