Nigar Award for Best Actress explained

Nigar Awards for Best Actress
Awarded For:	Best performance by an actress in a leading role
Presenter:	Nigar
Country:	Pakistan
Year:	Sabiha Khanum, Saat Lakh (1957)
Holder:	Saba Qamar, Lahore Se Aagey (2017)

The Nigar Award for Best Actress, also known as Nigar Public Film Award for Best Actress is an award constituted for the cinema of Pakistan to recognise contribution of a lead actress in Lollywood. Established in 1958 by Ilyas Rashidi, it is presented annually by Nigar magazine as part of its annual ceremony of Nigar Awards. The award ceremony takes place independently and is not associated with government or for-profit entities such as production house or television channel.

First presented in 1957, the first Best Actress award was given to Sabiha Khanum for Saat Lakh (1957). The last award was given to Saba Qamar in 2017 for Lahore Se Aagey.^[1]

Winners and nominees

Table key

	Indicates the winner

1950s

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film
1957 (1st)			N/A	Saat Lakh	^[2]
1958 (2nd)		Sanwali	Zeher-e-Ishq	^[3]
1959 (3rd)		Shadaan	Jhoomer

1960s

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film
1960 (4th)				Saheli	^[4]
1961 (5th)		Laila	Shaheed
1962 (6th)			Tayyaba	Aulad
1963 (7th)			Ismat	Shikwa
1964 (8th)			Gul	Farangi	^[5]
1965 (9th)				Naila
1966 (10th)				Armaan	^[6]
1967 (11th)				Lakhon Mein Aik	^[7]
1968 (12th)			Saiqa	Saiqa
1969 (13th)			Zarqa	Zarqa	^[8]

1970s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Role(s)	Film
Awards are also presented to Punjabi language films since 1970
1970 (14th)		N/A	Insaan aur Aadmi (1970)	^[9]
	Heer	Heer Ranjha	^[10]
1971 (15th)			Rani	Dosti
		N/A	Babul
1972 (16th)		N/A	Mohabbat	^[11]
	N/A	Zulm Da Badla
1973 (17th)			Bano	Anmol
	N/A	Ziddi
1974 (18th)			Najma	Dillagi	^[12]
	N/A	Khatarnaak
1975 (19th)			Nargis/ Zeenat	Zeenat	^[13]
	N/A	Jadoo
1976 (20th)		Shabana/ Farzana	Shabana	^[14]
	N/A	Jat Kurian Taun Darda
1977 (21st)			Rita	Aina	^[15]
		N/A	Qanoon
1978 (22nd)		Rano	Mutthi Bhar Chawal	^[16]
	N/A	Shola
1979 (23rd)			N/A	Pakeeza (1979)
	N/A	Nizam Daku (1979)

1980s

Year	Photos of winners	Actress	Role(s)	Film
1980 (24th)			N/A	Hum Dono (1980)
	N/A	Sohra Te Jawai (1980)
1981 (25th)			N/A	Qurbani (1981)
	N/A	Sher Khan (1981)
1982 (26th)		N/A	Sangdil (1982)
	N/A	Do Bigha Zameen (1982)
1983 (27th)		N/A	Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (1983)
		N/A	Sona Chandi (1983)	^[17]
1984 (28th)		N/A	Miss Colombo (1984)
	N/A	Ishq Nachaway Gali Gali (1984)
1985 (29th)			N/A	Naraaz (1985)
	N/A	Dhee Rani (1985)
1986 (30th)		N/A	Miss Bangkok (1986)
	N/A	Qismet (1986)
1987 (31st)		N/A	Kundan (1987)
	N/A	Dulari (1987)
1988 (32nd)		Gori	Bazar-e-Husn	^[18]
	N/A	Mukhra
1989 (33rd)		N/A	Barood Ki Chahoon (1989)
	N/A	Madam Bawari (1989)

1990s

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film
1990 (34th)		Miss Rita	Insaniyat Kay Dushman
	N/A	Gorian Dian Jhangra (1990)
1991 (35th)		Miss Sherin	Watan Kay Rakhwalay
	N/A	Bakhtawar	^[19]
1992 (36th)		N/A	Mr. 420 (1992)
	N/A	Majhoo (1992)
1993 (37th)		N/A	Haathi Mere Saathi
	N/A	Zamana
1994 (38th)		Sitara	Aakhri Mujra (1994)
	N/A	Rani Beti Raaj Kare Gi (1994)
1995 (39th)			N/A	Sargam	^[20]
	N/A	Jungle Ka Qanoon (1995)
1996 (40th)			N/A	Khilona (1996)	^[21]
	N/A	Sakahi Badshah (1996)
1997 (41st)		N/A	Mujhe Jeene Nahi Dete (1997)
	N/A	Kala Raj (1997)
1998 (42nd)		Bisma	Nikah
	Billo	Choorian	^[22]
1999 (43rd)		Salma	Jannat Ki Talash	^[23]
	N/A	Nikki Jaee Haan (1999)

2000s

Year	Photos of winners	Actor	Role(s)	Film
2000 (45th)		Preeti	Tere Pyar Mein
	N/A	Mehndi Waley Hath (2000)
2001 (46th)			N/A	Khoey Ho Tum Kahan
2002 (46th)			Sitara	Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa	^[24]
Not announced from 2003 to 2016
2017 (47th)			Taara Ahmed	Lahore Se Aagey	^[25]

Further reading

• The Nigar Awards 1972 - 1986. The Hotspot Online.
• Showtime: A Brief History of the Nigar Awards. Youline Magazine.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Amer . Sameen . The News Weekly Magazine . The News International . 2021-11-05 . 9 July 2022.
2. Web site: Sabiha Khanum, the First Lady of Pakistani Cinema, Passes Away. 14 June 2020. The Wire.
3. Web site: Mussarat Nazir: the iconic heroine — Part II. 31 August 2019. Amjad Parvez. 29 July 2022.
4. Web site: 'Saheli' screened. www.thenews.com.pk.
5. Web site: InMemoriam: 10 things you need to know about Shamim Ara. 14 August 2016. Omair Alavi. 9 July 2022.
6. Web site: Zeba — a look back at the legendary actress's life. 17 November 2019. Daily Times.
7. Web site:
   1. ThrowbackThursday: When Nadeem, Shamim Ara won the Nigar Awards
   . 13 August 2014. Express Tribune. 9 July 2022.
8. Web site: The story of Neelo, the Shah of Iran and Zarqa — the first diamond jubilee film of Pakistan. 1 February 2021. Dawn Images.
9. Web site: Zeba — a look back at the legendary actress's life. Daily Times. 17 November 2019.
10. Web site: . 16 December 2020. en-Urdu. 20 July 2022.
11. News: Film industry legend Zeba turns 72. 10 September 2017. Pakistan Today.
12. Web site: Pakistan Affairs . 1973 .
13. News: 'Zeenat' screened at Lok Virsa. Aijaz Gul. 25 November 2018. The News.
14. Web site: The unforgettable iconic queens of 70s cinema. Tribune. 16 July 2019. 6 August 2022. Zeeshan Shah.
15. Web site: Aina: the 'greatest' of them all. Suhayb Alavi. 29 July 2022.
16. Web site: Mandwa to screen 'Muthi Bhar Chawal' on 26th - Islamabad . The News International . 2016-11-24 .
17. Web site:
    1. ThrowBackThursday: Cham Cham and Raani
    . 23 July 2014. Express Tribune.
18. Web site: Pakistan Year Book . 1989 .
19. Book: Pakistan Year Book. 1995. Rafique Akhtar. 9789698017002 .
20. Web site: STAR BIRTHDAY OF THE WEEK - Zeba Bakhtiar . Magazine - The Weekly. 10 November 2017.
21. Web site: Meera - An ever enduring diva. Weekly Magazine.
22. Web site: Lok Virsa screens Chooriyan to highlight Punjabi culture . The Nation . 2016-01-24 . 2022-07-29.
23. Web site: Resham announces marriage plans. 27 December 2019. Daily Times. 31 July 2022.
24. Web site: Sana Fakhar's mother breathes her last in Lahore. 6 October 2021. Daily Times.
25. News: 47th Nigar Film Awards Nominations announced. Nation. 1 August 2022. 20 February 2017.