Roohi Bano
روحی بانو
Born
Roohi Bano

(1951-08-10)10 August 1951
Karachi, Pakistan
Died25 January 2019(2019-01-25) (aged 67)
Istanbul, Turkey
NationalityPakistani
Other namesThe Queen of Melancholy[1]
EducationGovernment College University, Lahore
Occupations
Years active1968 – 2005
Children1
Parent(s)Alla Rakha (father)
Zeenat Begum (mother)
RelativesRubina Yasmeen (sister)
Taufiq Qureshi (step-brother)
Zakir Hussain (step-brother)
Fazal Qureshi (step-brother)
Isabella Qureshi (niece)
Anisa Qureshi (niece)
Razia Khan (step-sister)
Bilquis Hussain (step-sister)
Khurshid Aulia (step-sister)
Shikaar Naad Qureshi (nephew)
AwardsPride of Performance (1981)[2]

Roohi Bano (Urdu: روحی بانو), (August 10, 1951 – January 25, 2019) was a Pakistani actress who was known for her roles in television dramas Kiran Kahani, Zard Gulab, and Darwaza.[3][4][5] She along with Uzma Gillani, Tahira Naqvi and Khalida Riyasat dominated Pakistan's television screens from the 1970s, to the 1990s.[6] She was known as the Queen of Melancholy because of her portrayal of mournful and pessimistic roles in dramas and films.[1]

Early life

Roohi Bano was born in Karachi on 10 August 1951.[7] She was the daughter of Alla Rakha, a noted tabla player of India and half-sister of Indian music virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain.[8][9][4]

Career

Roohi joined television when she was doing her Masters in Psychology from the Government College, Lahore.[10][11]

She is reported to have "witnessed the birth of the television industry in Pakistan..."[3] Roohi acted memorably in Kiran Kahani (1973), Zard Gulab, Darwaza and many other famous TV dramas (nearly a 150 TV dramas in all) in the 1970s and 1980s.[4] She was conferred the Pride of Performance award by the President of Pakistan in 1981.[2][10] She also earned many PTV awards, notably Nigar Award, Graduate Award and Lux Lifetime Achievement Award.[2][12]

Personal life

Roohi married twice but both of her marriages were unsuccessful. She had one son.[4]

Later life and death

In 2005, her 20-year-old only son was murdered by unidentified killers near his residence in Gulberg III, Lahore. His body was dumped alongside a fence where a passerby spotted it. After her son's murder, Roohi had abandoned her acting career, led a lonely life in Lahore and she never fully recovered from this tragic event in her life.[3][11] In her later life, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.[4] She also spent some years at the well known rehabilitation centre Fountain House in Lahore. Her sister had her admitted to the rehabilitation centre in 2005.[4][13][11]

Roohi died in Istanbul on 25 January 2019.[14] She had had kidney disease and a mental disorder. She had been on a ventilator for 10 days before she died.[15] According to her sister, Rubina Yasmeen, her family had travelled to Istanbul, Turkey to be with her in her last days.[11][7][16]

Filmography

Television series

Telefilm

Film

Tribute and honours

In 2019 on February 3 Pakistan National Council of the Arts paid tributes to her and described her a dignified, refined and polished artist.[17] In 2021 on August 16 the Government of Pakistan named a street and intersection after her in Lahore.[18]

Awards and recognition

Year Award Category Result Title Ref.
1974 PTV Award Best Actress Won Zair, Zabar, Pesh [2]
1976 Nigar Award Special Award Won Insan Aur Farishta [19][2]
1978 Film Graduate Awards Best Actress Won Khuda Aur Mohabbat [2]
1981 Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan Won Herself [2]
1981 Film Graduate Awards Best Actress Won Kiran Aur Kali [9]
1982 PTV Award Best Actress Nominated Karwan [2]
1983 Film Graduate Awards Best Actress Won Kainat [9]
1983 PTV Award Best Actress Won Dastak Na Do [2]
2010 9th Lux Style Awards Unilever Chairman's Lifetime Achievement Award Won Herself [2]
2011 1st Hum Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Won Herself [20]

References

  1. ^ a b "Death of melancholy queen". Dawn (Newspaper). 25 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Versatile actor Roohi Bano passes away". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Veteran actor Roohi Bano escapes murder attempt in Lahore". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 27 April 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Sad but true: Roohi Bano's lonely 55th birthday". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 13 August 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Angels of the fall". Dawn News. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  6. ^ "IN MEMORIAM: REMEMBERING ROOHI". Dawn. 24 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Famous actress Roohi Bano passes away in Turkey: Family". The News International (newspaper). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  8. ^ Piyali Dasgupta (25 July 2013). "Roohi Bano lives a life of recluse wreck Lahore". Times of India (newspaper). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "Roohi Bano: The Soul Survivor". Newsline Magazine. 5 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b Ahmed, Shoaib (3 May 2015). "Roohi Bano: In and out of darkness". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d Arshad, Qasim (25 January 2019). "Renowned actress Roohi Bano passes away in Turkey". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  12. ^ "Mandwa screens film 'Surriya Bhopali'". The News International. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  13. ^ Ahmad, Fouzia Nasir (4 May 2014). "Bringing Roohi Bano back". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  14. ^ "Roohi Bano is well and at brother's house: sister". Geo News. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Pakistan Television legend Roohi Bano passes away". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  16. ^ "TV actor Roohi Bano passes away in Turkey". Samaa TV News website. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Tribute paid to Roohi Bano at PNCA". Dawn. 23 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Lahore streets, intersections to be named after famous personalities". Dawn News. 10 November 2021.
  19. ^ "Pakistan's "Oscars"; The Nigar Awards". Desi Movies Reviews. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  20. ^ "Spotlight: Hum and the awards". Dawn Newspaper. 1 January 2022.

External links

Awards for Roohi Bano
Categories