Name Abida Riaz Other names Abida Raiz Occupation actress, dancer | Role Actress Spouse Riaz Shahid (m. ?–1972) | |
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Full Name Cynthia Alexander FernandesFriday, 18 Rajab, 1364 A.H/ June 29, 1945 Movies Badnaam, Zarqa, Ghunghat, General Bakht Khan Children Shaan Shahid, Sarosh Shahid, Zarqa Shahid Grandchildren Raanay Shahid, Shah Bano Shahid, Bahisht-i-Bareen Shaan Shahid, Fatima Shahid People also search for Riaz Shahid, Shaan Shahid | ||
Pakistani film star Neelo begum biography | Shaan mother Neelo Documentary | Abida Riaz (Urdu)
Neelo (Urdu: نیلو) (or Abida Riaz (Urdu: عابدہ ریاض)) is a film actress from Lahore, Pakistan and mother of the renowned film actor Shaan also known as Shaan Shahid.
Contents
- Pakistani film star Neelo begum biography Shaan mother Neelo Documentary Abida Riaz Urdu
- Early life and career
- Controversies
- Personal life
- Awards and recognition
- Filmography
- References
Early life and career
Neelo was born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes on 30 June 1940 in Bhera, Sargodha, Pakistan. At age 16, she appeared in Bhowani Junction (1956), a Hollywood film shot in and around Lahore. She got her big breakthrough in Pakistani films when she performed on the song "Aaye mausam, rangilay suhanay" in the film Saat Lakh (1957) with music by the renowned music director Rasheed Attre.
Controversies
In 1965, at the peak of her popularity, she was summoned by Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, then Governor of West Pakistan, to dance on stage for the Shah of Iran during his official visit to Pakistan; but she refused to do it for her own reasons. Harassed and threatened, Neelo faced dire consequences for refusing to obey official orders. She attempted suicide on the way to the Governor's house and was taken to a hospital instead, where the doctors saved her life.
The renowned leftist poet Habib Jalib, on hearing of the incident, expressed his anguish in his poem over her attempted suicide: "Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi..". Later this poem was used in the film Zarqa (1969) with slight changes in the words and ended up becoming a super-hit film song in Pakistan. The film song became much more relevant, effective and popular because it was picturised on Neelo herself and was based on similar real life events in Neelo's life. She also won the Best Actress Nigar Award for film Zarqa (1969). It had superb music by Wajahat Attre and sung by Mehdi Hassan. Film Zarqa (1969) was produced and directed by Riaz Shahid who also wrote its screenplay. Neelo helped her husband, Riaz Shahid, produce this film, and it became the best known film of her career.
Personal life
Neelo was born into a Catholic family. Her birth name was Cynthia Alexander Fernandes. She adopted the name Abida Riaz after embracing Islam at the time of her marriage to film screenwriter and film director Riaz Shahid.