Former superheroine actress Sabiha Khanum, who entertained moviegoers on cinema screens after the formation of Pakistan, died in the United States at the age of 85 due to kidney disease.
Sabiha Khanum was born in 1935 in Gujrat district of Punjab province and became the first superheroine after the formation of Pakistan.
Sabiha Khanum’s birth name was Mukhtar Begum and she started her film career with the film Bell released in 1950, along with her future husband actor Syed Musa Raza alias Santosh Kumar.
The duo was lauded in the very first film and both were called the first superstars of Pakistan and their duo ruled the cinema screen for many years.
And in the 1960s, Sabiha Khanum was one of the most popular actresses in the Pakistani film industry.
Sabiha Khanum was also awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1986.
In the fifties, Sabiha Khatam and Santosh Kumar worked together in many films such as Ghulam, Raat Ki Baat, Killer, Inteqam, Hamida, Sarfroosh, Ishq-e-Laila, Waada, Sardar, Sat Lakh, Hasrat, Makhra, Darbar etc. ۔
These include Vada and 700,000 films during which Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar came very close to each other and eventually the two tied the knot.
Santosh Kumar was already married but a housewife named Jamila did not object to his second marriage and both their marriages lasted till the end.
Due to old age and illness, Sabiha Khanum had limited her activities, however, she still appeared in special events.
The duo of Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar was much appreciated — File Photo: Facebook
Sabiha Khanum’s husband Santosh Kumar died in June 1982 at the age of 56, a few years after she moved to the United States to live with her children.
Radio Pakistan reported that Sabiha Khanum was suffering from kidney disease and died on June 13 at the age of 85.
On the death of Sabiha Khanum, her granddaughter actress and model Sarsh Khan also informed the people through a Facebook post.
Many actors and political and social personalities expressed their grief over the demise of the well-known actress and also offered condolences to her family.
Sabiha Khanum also won several awards for her acting; file photo: Facebook