Saba Qamar

Saba Qamar Zaman (born 5 April 1984), known professionally as Saba Qamar, is a Pakistani actress who works predominantly in Urdu films and television.

She has won several accolades including Hum Awards and two Lux Style Awards.

Qamar is one of Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses.

Saba Qamar Zaman was born on 5 April 1984 in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.

She has five siblings: three elder and one younger brother who died on 15 November 2022 and one elder sister.

She lost her father at a very young age and spent most of her childhood in Gujranwala with her grandmother.

She got her early education in Gujranwala, then moved to Lahore to pursue further studies.

Her family is settled in Karachi.

Qamar started her career with PTV television series Mein Aurat Hoon in 2004.

She then appeared in telefilm Ishq directed by Dilawar Malik opposite Bilal Qureshi for Geo Entertainment.

Later that year she appeared as model for Abrar-ul-Haq music video Boliyan from the award winning album Nachan Main Audhay Naal.

In 2005, Qamar played lead role in ATV's Chaap opposite Sami Khan.

She then replaced Sophia Mirza in comedy drama Sussar In Law as Tania and made special appearances in Hera Pheri & Company as Sonia in Episode 40- 41 and in Punjabi anthology series Jag Beeti in Episode Faisla as Erum for PTV.

In 2006, she starred in several classic PTV series including Kahin Tum Kahin Hum, Phool, Apno Ka Sath and Dhoop Mein Andhera Hai.

She later did supporting roles in Gharoor and Taqdeer for PTV and Banjar for Geo Entertainment.

She was paired with Ahsan Khan in both Banjar and Gharoor.

Qamar later portrayed the role of Sana Hamdani in her first and only lead appearance opposite Fawad Khan in telefim Kal aired on PTV.

In 2007, Qamar appeared in two major ATV's serials Khuda Gawah which was the remake of 1992 Indian film of the same name and Muhabbat Ab Nahi Hogi.

Later that year Qamar appeared in series of comedy dramas including Aaj TV's Mirch Masala with Veena Malik and Shamil Khan and PTV's Unbiyaanable, Maamo and No.1.

In 2008, Qamar starred in melodrama Woh Subha Kab Aayegi, comedy series Not Responding and Nawab Manzil for ATV.

She then did four supporting roles for PTV including Chubhan, Na Janay Kyun, Phool Aur Kantey and Bint-e-Adam.

Her role in social drama Bint-e-Adam was of a rich brat who falls for a boy from a poor background, played by Ahsan Khan and marries him against her cruel father's wishes.

Bint e Adam was a major critical and commercial hit, however, critics noted that her role was "limited" from an acting point of view.

Qamar first received positive media attention for the role of Ruqsana Inayat in the historical drama Jinnah Ke Naam (2009), and this breakthrough was followed with further success in several television series, including the pre-partition drama Dastaan, the melodrama Uraan (both 2010), the romantic dramas Maat and Pani Jaisa Piyar (both 2011), the socio Thakan (2012), thriller Sannata, the romantic Bunty I Love You (both 2013), family drama Digest Writer (2014), crime thriller Sangat (2015) and Besharam (2016), receiving Best Actress awards and nominations for each of them.

She has featured as a host and comedian on the political satire Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain (2009–2015), and launched her own YouTube channel in 2020.

Despite maintaining privacy, Qamar's off-screen life is the subject of substantial media coverage.

In 2009, she appeared in biographical drama Jinnah Ke Naam, which was the production of PTV Home in the direction of Tariq Mairaj.

She played the role of Ruqsana Inayatullah and the series was a tribute to the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Though the series failed commercially, Qamar received a nomination for Best TV Actress (Terrestrial) at the Lux Style Awards.

In an earlier interview with The Express Tribune, Qamar confessed, "For me, acting is being able to express the feelings, emotions and expressions of different people and characters".

In the same year Qamar appeared in two Geo Entertainment serials Teri Ik Nazar and Nadia Naam Ki Larki.

She then did PTV Home serials Hum Tu Karain Kamal, Mishaal and Tinkay.

She won the PTV Awards for the best TV actress in both public and jury choice categories at the 16th Annual PTV awards, held on 23 July 2011 for her role in Tinkay.

Tinkay also earned her a nomination for Best Television Actress at Lux Style Awards.

Government of Pakistan honoured her with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2012 and Pride of Performance in 2016.

She has also appeared in acclaimed biographical film Manto (2015), romantic comedy Lahore Se Aagey (2016), and the Indian Hindi-language educational drama Hindi Medium (2017), for which she received a nomination of Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Qamar continued to draw praise for portraying Fouzia Azeem and Noor Jehan in the 2017 biographical dramas Baaghi and Main Manto, and a strong woman, fighting for her friend's attempted rape and murder in the 2019 courtroom drama Cheekh.

The first of these earned her a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress.

She features in listings of the nation's most popular personalities.

In addition to acting, Qamar is involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children and participated in concert tours and stage shows.