Aamina Sheikh Biography

Aamina Sheikh (born as Aamina Abdul Sheikh, on August 29, 1981) is an Pakistani American actress and model. She has won one Lux Style Awards, one New York Film Festival Award, one SAARC Film Festival Award, one Tarang Housefull Award and one Veet Beauty Award in different categories.

Sheikh started her acting career with 2008 telefilm Baarish mein deewar. In 2010, she earned commercial success with Hum TV's serial Daam and later earned recognition for playing glamorous roles in male-centric serials such as Hum Tum (2010), Uraan (2010), Mera Saaein (2010), Main Abdul Qadir Hoon (2010). Sheikh subsequently played more prominent roles in serials like Maat (2010), Mera Saaein 2 (2012), and Mirat Ul Uroos (2013).

Despite acting in serials, sheikh made her film debut in the 2012 reincarnation melodrama Seedlings for which she won New York Film Festival Award and SAARC Film Festival Award in Best Actress category. In 2012, She achieved further critical and commercial success for her role of Zarnab, a tomboy in Abdullah Kadwani's Armaan. Sheikh went on to win Tarang Housefull Awards for Best on screen Couple with Fawad Afzal Khan. The following year, she starred in social drama Josh: Independence Through Unity, a critical and commercial success. Through her successful acting career, she has established herself as a commercially successful actress of Pakistani cinema.

Sheikh garnered international recognition as a spokesperson for the French beauty brand L'Oreal.

Early life

Sheikh was born in New York City, USA and is the daughter of Abdul Sheikh, a pharmacist by profession. Sheikh's paternal side of family have established themselves in the textile business, but her father had a passion for chemistry; he pursued it and became a pharmacist.

Sheikh has spent her childhood in Karachi and Riyadh. She received her primary education from Mama Parsi School and secondary from American International School in Riyadh. Sheikh continued further studies in Karachi and did her O and A levels from St.Joseph's Convent and The Lyceum, respectively. Aamina has majored in film video production from Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts and has worked as an assistant at Manhattan-based multi-media company Curious Pictures.

Career

Debut (2003-2007)

Returning to Pakistan, Sheikh landed a job with Geo Television, where she directed and produced children talkshow Bachey Man Ke Sachey. In 2007, Aamina made her on-screen debut in Sharjil Baloch and Khalid Ahmed's telefilm, Gurmuch Singh ki Waseeyat. It was based on Saadat Hassan Manto's novel, The Will of Gurmukh Singh. Set during the time of partition, it is a story of Sheikh Sahab and his friendship with Gurmukh Singh, a revered elder of the neighborhood. In the wake of Partition, Muslims — with the exception of Sheikh Sahib — are leaving a largely Sikh village. Sheikh Sahib is confident that as long as his friend Gurmukh Singh is there no harm can come to him or his family. On the night of Eid, Gurmukh passes away leaving instructions with his son that sweets should be delivered to Sheikh Sahib's house as had been the tradition for decades. His wish is carried out in the morning but in an unexpected way. The telefilm was well received and caught the attention of drama addicts. Aamina first major serial's offer came soon after that with Wilco, the ISPR and 7th Sky Entertainment's joint venture, where she portrayed a woman from Thar desert.

Television Serials, Modeling and Film (2008-present)

2008 had Sheikh rolling with three major telefilms: Aasmaan Chu Lay, Pachees Qadam Pe Maut and Baarish Mein Deewar. Sheikh played a rickshaw driver who's determined to become the soul breadwinner of the family, in Syed Ali Reza's Aasmaan Chu Lay. Sheikh had to learn and drive a rickshaw on Karachi's busiest M.A. Jinnah road and Garden Area, with a massive camera attached to it and had to attract real passengers. In the same year Sheikh made her runaway debut with Rehana Saigol's fashion show. She has done extensive print work for fashion/advertising labels/companies, such as Maria B, Deepak Perwani, Amir Adnan, Nomi Ansari, Niche Lifestyle, Khaadi, Teejays, The Men's Store, Fahad Hussayn, Hang Ten, Maheen Khan, Umbereen Sharmeen, Chinyere, Crossroads and Limited Edition. In the following year, she did her second photoshoot for Niche Lifestyle, with Popstar and actor Atif Aslam.

In 2010, Sheikh did Mehreen Jabbar's mega drama serial Daam and Haissam Hussain's Ishq Gumshuda. Both had huge casts and were received well by the audiences and critics.

In 2011, Sheikh played the role of a grieving mother in Seedlings and went on to win New York Film Festival Award for Best Actress and SAARC Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She then went on to play the lead in Iman Paveen's feature Josh before taking on the role of Natasha in the high-octane action spy thriller, The Extortionist, produced by Zeba Bakhtiar.

In 2013, Sheikh was awarded Miss Photogenic Award at the 1st Veet Celebration of Beauty Awards.

Personal life

Sheikh is married to seasoned actor and comedian Mohib Mirza in an Islamic wedding ceremony. Sheikh had known Mirza since her school days when she was doing English plays with veteran actor Rahat Kazmi; she officially met Mirza on the sets of Geo Entertainment's Bachay Mann Kay Sachay which she was directing and Mirza was hosting. In 2005, they decided to get married. Since then they have co-starred in a number of telefilms and drama serials as an on-screen couple.

When asked about her family she has a very positive picture of a supporting and caring family: "I take great pride in my family, my support system that is built around me, my husband Mohib Mirza and all our close relations attached to my marriage".

Filmography

Acting

Film
Year	Film	Role	Additional Notes
2011	Love Mein Ghum	Herself	Special Appearance in song Love Mein Ghum
2012	Seedlings	Maliha	New York Film Festival Award for Best Performance by an Actress SAARC Film Festival Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
2013	Armaan	Zarnab	Remake of Armaan (1966 film) Tarang Housefull Award for Best on screen Couple with Fawad Khan
2013	Josh: Independence Through Unity	Fatima
2014	The Extortionist	Natasha	Post-production
Drama
Year	Serial	Role	Additional Notes
2008	Wilco	Megha	PTV
	Qisson Ki Chadar	Aimen Hajra	Episode Ghutan Episode Tum Aurat Mein Mard, Hum TV
	Mera Naam Hai Muhabbat	Huma	Appeared in episode Aashiq Pan Shop
	Boltay Afsanay	Razia	Appeared in episode Daayin (witch) - a story by Ismat Chughtai, TV One
2009	Dil-e-Nadan	Seema	Geo TV
	Agar Tum Na Hotay	Shireen	Nominated - Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress (Satellite) Indus Vision
2010	Haal-e-Dil	Seerat	ARY Digital
	Daam	Maliha	ARY Digital
	Saleena	Bushra	ATV
	Tere Liye	Simran	ARY Digital
	Ishq Gumshuda	Neha	Hum TV
	Hum Tum	Amal	Geo Tv
	Uraan	Sana	Geo TV
	Mera Saaein	Naina	ARY Digital
	Main Abdul Qadir Hoon	Nael	Hum TV
2011	Maat	Aiman	Hum TV
	Umm-e-Kulsoom	Umm-e-Kulsoom	ARY Digital
	Kuch Kami Si Hai	Asmee	Geo TV
	Mora Piya	Ujala	Geo TV
	Ek Hatheli Pe Hina Ek Hatheli Pe Lahoo	Hijab	Geo TV
2012	Mera Saaein 2	Naina	ARY Digital
2013	Mirat Ul Uroos	Aiza	Geo TV
	Silvatein	Zaib	ARY Digital
Telefilm
Year	Telefilm	Role	Additional Notes
2007	Gurmuch Singh ki Waseeyat	Mian saab's daughter	Based on Sadat Hassan Manto's work
2008	Baarish mein deewar	Asma-ul-Haq	AAG TV
	Waapsi	Saba	Pakistan Independence Day Special on ARY Digital
2009	Bibi Jee	Amber	ARY Digital
	Aik Jaise Khuwab	Saba	ARY Digital
	Yeh Bakra Nahi Chalega	Mehreen	Eid al-Adha Special on ARY Digital
2010	Mera Mian Bolay Maen	Saima	Eid al-Adha Special on TV One
2011	Bhag Amina Bhag	Amna	Geo TV

Music work

• Sheraz Uppal's music video Mann Jaa Vay from album Jhuki Jhuki (2007)
• Fuzön music video for single Neend Naa Aye (i can't sleep) (2008)
• Faraz Khosa's music video Ajnabi (stranger), also featuring Faisal Qureshi (2009)
• Tania and Omer's music video Tere Liye (for you), also featured Mohib Mirza (2009)
• Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's song for Rose Patel TVC, Narmi Se Chu Jaye (it touches you softly) also featured Faisal Rehman (2010)
• Josh's cover of R.D.Burman's classic, Yeh Zameen Ga Rahi Hai (the earth is singing) (2012)

Awards

Year	Film/Serial	Award	Category	Result
2009	Dil-e-Nadan	Lux Style Awards	Best Emerging Talent
			Best Model
	Agar Tum Na Hotay		Best TV Actress (Satellite)
2012	Seedlings	New York Film Festival Awards	Best Performance by an Actress
2012	Seedlings	SAARC Film Festival Awards	Best Actress in a Leading Role
2013	Armaan	Tarang Housefull Awards	Best on screen Couple with Fawad Khan
2013		Veet Celebration of Beauty Awards	Miss Photogenic