Azra Sherwani

Azra Sherwani
Azra Sherwani in Aangan Terha
Born	1940 Meerut, India
Died	December 2005 (aged 64–65) Oklahoma City, USA
Nationality	Pakistani
Occupation	Actress
Known for	Dhoop Kinarey, Tanhaiyaan, Uncle Urfi

Azra Sherwani (1940–2005) was a Pakistani television actress with a career spanning over 35 years who played a variety of roles. Amongst her most memorable roles are Apa Begum in Tanhaiyaan, Ghazi Apa in Uncle Urfi and Fazeelat in Dhoop Kinarey.

She began her career with the Rawalpindi Studios of PTV in the late 1960s.

Sherwani worked with some of the best producers in the country including Mohsin Ali, late Shereen Khan, late Shahzad Khalil, Sultana Siddiqui, Zaheer Khan and Sahira Kazmi. She also worked with some of the best writers of her time including Fatima Surraiya Bajiya, Haseena Moin and Anwar Maqsood.

The role of Apa Begum in Haseena Moin's Tanhaiyaan was undoubtedly the most famous of her career where Shahzad Khalil cast her as a tough taskmaster who ill-treated her employee, Buqrat, played by Jamshed Ansari. She logically argued (and winning in the end, of course) with him as to why he should get bus fare when walking can improve his health and solve the problem. Her character wanted her brother (Qazi Wajid as Faran) to marry a dominant woman which, fortunately, does not happen.

As Ghazi Apa in Uncle Urfi, she stood between the two love birds, quarrelled regularly with Hasnat Bhai (Jamshed Ansari again) and was the dominant force behind the extremely funny Shaheer Bhai (Qurban Jilani). Azra played the selfish mother of Sitara (Atiqa Odho) in Sitara Aur Mehr-un-nisa and the despised mother-in-law aka Saliha Begum of Mahboob Ahmed (Shakeel) in Aangan Terha with Bushra Ansari and Saleem Nasir as Akbar, the live-in Man Friday with a passion for classical dance.