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Sania Saeed () is a Pakistani actress and television host who works mainly in television and theatre. Saeed is the recipient of numerous accolades including one PTV Awards, four Hum Awards and four Lux Style Awards.
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. 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 and 1992 respectively, which shot Sania to her stardom in the Pakistani television Industry. Sania has been working in theatre and television for over two decades.
Saeed started her career at a young age by performing in street theatre and as a voice over artist for other productions. She could understand and speak Punjabi language as well.
In 2000, she paired opposite Humayun Saeed in Mehreen Jabbar's directed drama Aur Zindagi Badalti Hai as a Pakistani expat who looks for her lost sister in Spain. In 2003, she received praise for her performance of a headstrong and honest lawyer in Haseena Moin's written drama Shayad Ke Bahar Aaye. In 2005, Saeed missed the Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress for her performance in Noorul Huda Shah's written romance-drama Thori Si Mohabbat due to network unavailability, leading to a new satellite network category at the awards. In 2009, she depicted an eponymous young to older dancer in the romance-drama Jhumka Jaan. Although personally dissatisfied with her performance due to her inexpertise to dance, Saeed won Best Television Actress trophy for the performance at the 8th Lux Style Awards. The same year, she appeared in the romance-drama Khamoshiyaan opposite Nauman Ijaz and Faisal Rehman. Saeed portrayed a doting housewife whose life changes altogether when her daughter meets with a road accident.
Saeed began the year 2010 with her portrayal of a dutiful investigation officer in the murder-mystery Qatil. She then portrayed Maya Kapoor, a headstrong Indian from 1940s who travels to Scotland in search of her fiance in the thriller-drama The Ghost. The series was an adaptation of Danielle Steel's novel of the same name, and Saeed portrayed the split version of the original character as in the novel. She then appeared as a seductress widow in the drama Kalmoohi, an adaptation of Rabidranath Tagore's Chokher Bali. In 2011, she played a woman coping with her marital life problems in the family drama Hawa, Rait aur Aangan opposite Adnan Siddiqui, winning her, her fourth Lux Style Award. The same year, she played up to sixteen characters alongside Nauman Ijaz in Kanwal Khoosat's directed theatrical-themed drama Aao Kahani Buntay Hain. Saeed then played the calm and resilient Sabeen opposite Humayun Saeed in Shahid Shafaat's directed family drama Lamha Lamha Zindagi. She reworked her character in the series, turning the potentially weak character due the script's limitations into a powerful one. In 2012, she played a reckless stepmother in Aabis Raza's directed drama Zard Mausam. In 2013, she paired with Adnan Siddiqui in her second collaboration in the romance Darmiyaan as a woman caught in a horrible conflict. It was followed by a role opposite Fawad Khan in Aehsun Talish's directed social-issue drama Numm, where she portrayed a quiet and hopeless girl satisfied with her disturbed life. In 2014, Saeed played an impulsive housewife coping with the turbulent marital life in the drama Oos.
In 2016, she played an oracle alongside an ensemble cast in Sarmad Khoosat's directed fantasy-drama Mor Mahal. She termed the role as the weirdest thing of her career she has ever done. The same year, she portrayed an oppressed Pashtun housewife from the tribal areas in the revenge-drama Sang-e-Mar Mar. The series earned her critical praise.
Her first performance of 2017 was in the Johns Hopkins's co-produced social-issue drama Sammi. Saeed's performance of a stern beautician earned her Hum Award for Most Impactful Character at the 6th Hum Awards. She then portrayed a doting aunt to her niece, a patient of Alzheimer's disease in the psychological-drama Piyari Bittu. The series was her reunion with Atiqa Odho since Sitara Aur Mehrunnisa. Saeed then respired her role of Safiya Manto in Manto, the television remake of her eponymous film.
In 2018, she starred as a mother seeking justice for her sexually abused and murdered daughter in the crime-drama Meri Guriya. Due to the emotional troll of the role in the series, Saeed had to take a break from acting of one and half year. Her next role was a guest appearance of a supportive aunt of the orphan protagonist in Chakkar, directed by Kanwal Khoosat.
In 2020, she appeared in a supporting role in the romance Mehar Posh, depicting Nusrat, the loving and resilient mother of the protagonist. Saeed worked with the director Mazhar Moin to infuse the character with elements of fun and familial love, adding nuance to the role that was initially conceived differently. Her next appearance in that year was a brief role in Asim Abbasi's-helmed web-series Churails, as a wife who makes Nihari of her infidel husband.
In 2022, saeed played a strong-willed, tolerant wife welcoming her husband's ex-beloved in the romance Raqeeb Se. The series was directed by Kashif Nisar, and Saeed was paired opposite Nauman Ijaz. She next appeared as a controlling and cunning matriarch in Saji Gul's written mystery-thriller Dour.
In 2022, she appeared in the revenge-drama Sang-e-Mah, second series of the trilogy preceded by Sang-e-Mar Mar. Saeed depicted a strong willed tribal widow in the series. While reviewing the series, Maham Sajid of The Friday Times found her "in a truly remarkable avatar". Saeed then appeared in her second film, Joyland as Fayyaz, a Lahori woman caught between traditions and her personal desires. She next appeared in her third feature Kamli as a blind pious lady who doesn't let her sister-in-law remarry after her brother's disappearance for the past eight years.
Saeed begun 2023 with the portrayal of patriarch of a family who faces some paranormal experiences in the horror-drama Bandish. She then appeared in Yasra Rizvi's directed mystery-drama Shanaas, as the loving adoptive mother of the protagonist.
Critical acclaim and further career
Saeed made her cinematic debut with the biographical-drama Manto, based on the Indian-Subcontinent's eminent writer Saadat Hassan Manto. Saeed played Manto's wife Safiya Manto in the film, and found the role challenging due to the limited information available about her. In a review of the film, Khusro Mumtaz of The News International found her "unassumingly effective as the writer’s long-suffering wife". For her performance, Saeed received a nominations of Best Film Actress at the 15th Lux Style Awards.
Acting credits
Selected television
1989
! scope="row" Tapish PTV 1991
! scope="row" Aahat Rabya 1992
! scope="row" Sitara Aur Mehrunissa Mehrunissa NTM 1994
! scope="row" Talaash Tabassum PTV Telefilm 1996
! scope="row" Ab Tum Ja Saktey Ho Raheela Telefilm 1997
! scope="row" Putli Ghar Saima Telefilm 2000
! scope="row" Us Paar Zeenat 2001
! scope="row" Kahaniyan 2003
! scope="row" Shayad Key Bahar Aaye Sara 2004
! scope="row" Thori Si Mohabbat Geo Entertainment 2007
! scope="row" Jhumka Jaan Jhumka Jaan Hum TV 2008
! scope="row" Khamoshiyan Rubab 2010
! scope="row" Bebaak 2011
! scope="row" Aao Kahani Buntay Hain 2012
! scope="row" Zard Mausam Mehr-un-Nisa Hum TV 2013
! scope="row" Darmiyaan Nida ARY Digital 2014
! scope="row" Oas Mehr-un-Nisa PTV 2015
! scope="row" Aitraz ARY Digital 2016
! scope="row" Mor Mahal Akhtari Geo Entertainment 2017
! scope="row" Sammi Chandi 2018
! scope="row" Meri Guriya Shehnaz ARY Digital 2018
! scope="row" Chakkar Nuzhat/ Nuzhi Aapa BOL Entertainment 2019
! scope="row" Gul-e-Rana Ki Bhawajain Sanjeeda Begum ARY Digital 2020
! scope="row" Mehar Posh Nusrat Geo Entertainment 2021
! scope="row" Raqeeb Se Hajra Hum TV 2022
! scope="row" Sang-e-Mah Zarghuna Hum TV 2023
! scope="row" Bandish 2 Humera ARY Digital
Theater
2008
! scope="row" Prem Kahani 2009
! scope="row" Main Adakara Banu Gi 2015
! scope="row" Lorilei Monodrama 2018
! scope="row" Likhay Jo Khat Tujhay 2021
! scope="row" Yaar Julahay
Web
2020
! scope="row" Churails Shehnaz Khalid Released on ZEE5 2023
! scope="row" The Pink Shirt Neelam Released on ZEE5
Films
2015
! scope="row" Manto Safiya Manto 2019
! scope="row" Baaji Neha's lawyer Cameo 2022
! scope="row" Joyland Fayyaz
Legacy
Actresses like Javeria Abbasi and Alizeh Tahir has declared Saeed as their inspiration.
Awards and nominations
2001 – Best TV Actress 2003 Shayad Kay Bahar Aaye 2004 Thori Si Mohabbat 2009 Jhumka Jaan Best TV Actress - Satellite 2010 The Ghost 2011 Hawa Rait Aur Aangan Best TV Actress - Terrestrial 2012 Aao Kahani Buntay Hain 2016 Manto Best Film Actress 2013 Zard Mausam Best Actress 2014 Aseerzadi Best Actress Popular 2017 Sang-e-Mar Mar Hum Award for Best Supporting Actress 2018 Sammi Hum Award for Most Impactful Character 2022 Raqeeb Se PTV Awards Roshan Best Actress Outsource 2016 Manto Best Actor Female (Jury)
External links
Categories: Pakistani Television Actresses, Actresses From Karachi, Pakistani Television Hosts, University Of Karachi Alumni, Pakistani Stage Actresses, Actresses In Urdu Cinema, Actresses In Urdu Television, Ptv Award Winners, Living People, 1972 Births, 20th-century Pakistani Actresses, 21st-century Pakistani Actresses, Pakistani Women Television Presenters
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