Naheed Akhtar

Naheed Akhtar
Naheed Akhtar
ناہید اختر
	Nigar Film Awards for Best Singer
Honours	Pride of Performance (2007)
	Musical career
Genres	Playback singing, Ghazal
Labels	Lollywood; PTV; Radio Pakistan;

Naheed Akhtar (also spelled Nahid Akhtar; born September 26, 1956) is a

Pakistani playback singer. She is tagged as the "Nightingale of Pakistan". She was the top Lollywood playback singer during the second half of the 1970s and 80s. She won 3 Nigar Awards and a Pride of Performance in 2007.^[1]

Early life and family

Akhtar was born on September 26, 1956, in Multan, Punjab. She has 3 sisters and 4 brothers. A sister of her, Hameeda Akhtar, was also a singer.^[2]^[3]

Singing career

Nahid's career began in 1970 when she sang a duet with Khalid Asghar in "

Naat & Hamds and others. She was first discovered for films in the mid-1970s by veteran music director M. Ashraf who pursued her to sing in films. She had no well-known person as ustad (teacher) to train her musically but music director M. Ashraf played a key role in grooming her talent. Her inaugural film "Nanha Farishta" was released in 1974 and in the same year she sang songs in film Shama (1974). Initially it was said in the film circles that she was introduced to fill the vacuum of Runa Laila who had migrated to Bangladesh. But later people realized that she had her own original singing style. She was active in the Pakistani film industry all the way through the 1980s.^[1]^[4]

As a playback singer, Naheed has given her voice to 590 songs in 436 Urdu and Punjabi films.^[5]

Personal life

Nahid left singing in 1986. Later, she married a journalist Asif Ali Pota in 1994. Both had a daughter and a son together. Pota died of cardiac arrest in 2017.^[1]

Later appearances

Naheed Akhtar made an appearance on stage in 2013, after repeated requests of the management of a TV show,^[6] where active and popular singers like Shabnam Majeed and Saima Jahan sang her songs to pay tribute to her.^[7] She stays busy with her family and children, and as of 2016^[update], is not actively pursuing a singing career.

Popular songs

A list of Nahid's popular songs includes:^[1]^[5]

Film

Song	Year	Film	Music composer	Poet	Notes
Aisay Mousam Mein Chup Kyun Ho	1974	Shama	M. Ashraf	Taslim Fazli
Kisi Mehrban Nay Aa Kay Meri Zindagi Saja Di	1974	Shama	M. Ashraf	Taslim Fazli
Lal Lal Honto Peh, Piya Tera Naam Hay	1975	Dil Nasheen	M. Ashraf	Masroor Anwar
Main Ho Gei Dildar Ki, Honay Lagi Chubban Pyar Ki	1975	Teray Meray Sapnay	Kamal Ahmed	Younis Hamdad
Allah Hi Allah Kia Karo Dukh Na Kisi Ko Dia Karo	1975	Pehchan	Nisar Bazmi	Masroor Anwar
Tut Turo Tara Tara	1975	Mohabbat Zindagi Hai	M. Ashraf	Masroor Anwar
Likh Di Ham Nay, Aaj Ki Sham, Aap Ki Khatir, Aap Kay Naam	1975	Neik Parveen	A. Hameed	Riaz ur Rehman Saghar
Yeh Dunya Rahay Na Rahay Meray Hamdam	1975	Mera Naam Hay Mohabbat	M. Ashraf	Taslim Fazli	co-singer with Mehdi Hassan
Dekha Jo Mera Jalwa To Dil Tham Lo Gay	1976	Talash	Nisar Bazmi	Masroor Anwar
Bijli Bhari Hay Meray Ang Ang Mein	1976	Koshish	M. Ashraf
Pyar To Ik Din Hona Tha, Hona Tha, Ho Geya	1976	Kharidar	M. Ashraf	Kaleem Usmani	co-singer with A. Nayyar
Teray Siva Dunya Mein Kuch Bhi Nahin	1976	Shabana	M. Ashraf	Taslim Fazli
Jis Tarf Ankhon Uthaun, Teri Tasvira Hay	1976	Surraya Bhopali	Nashad	Saifuddin Saif	co-singer with Mehdi Hassan
Sathi Mujay Mil Geya, Mil Geya Mil Geya, Rasmon Ko Toren Gay	1977	Jasoos	Tafu	Fayyaz Hashmi
Baant Raha Tha Jab Khuda, Sare Jahan Ki Naimten	1978	Nazrana	M. Ashraf	Qateel Shafai
Sahalie Ni Piar, Pyar Meinu Hoya	1985	Mehndi	Wajahat Attre		co-singer with Noor Jehan

Television

Main Noo Soda Water
Aati Hai Pawan Jaati hai Pawan
Hamara Parcham Ye Piyara Parcham
Kabhi Bindiya Hanse
Shabe Gham Mujh Se Mil Kar
Tumse Ulfat Ke
Jahan Tera Naqsh e Qadam Dekhtay Hein
Chaap Tilak Sab Chheen Li
Do Nain Kanwal
Zinda Rahein To kiya Hai

Radio

Phir Chiraghe Lala Se Roshin Hue, (Kalam e Iqbal)
Ik Kiran Muskhurati Huyi Ik Kiran,

Television programmes

Television programmes List
Name	Produced By	Year
Lok Tamasha (PTV)^[4]	Uxi Mufti and Tufail Niazi^[4]	1972
Sukhanwar (PTV)	Akhtar Waqar Azeem (Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV))^[4]	1972
Sangat (PTV)	Rafique Ahmed Warraich	1973
Sur Sangeet (PTV)	Khawaja Najam ul Hasan	1978
Sukhan Fahem (PTV)		1978
Mauseeqar (PTV)	Khawaja Najam ul Hasan	1979
Meena Bazar		1979
PTV Awards		1980
Meri Pasand (PTV)	Khawaja Najam ul Hasan	1982
PTV Awards		1983
Neelam Ghar (PTV)		1983
Rim Jhim (PTV)	Farrukh Bashir	1984
Jal Tarang (PTV)	Farrukh Bashir	1985
Sur Bahaar (PTV)	Farrukh Bashir	1986

Awards and honors

Awards and honors list
Award name	Category	Film	Year	Ref.
Nigar Film Awards	Best Singer	Shama	1974	^[8]^[9]
Nigar Film Awards	Best Singer	Pehchan	1975	^[8]^[9]
Nigar Film Awards	Best Singer	Humse Hai Zamana	1985	^[8]^[9]
Alami Urdu Conference New Delhi (India)	Best Ghazal Singer Award
PTV Award	Best Singer	Sur Bahaar (Musical programme)	1997
Melody Queen Noor Jehan Award	Music	PBC	2006	^[10]
Lux Style Awards	Lifetime Achievement Award		2007
Pride of Performance Award	Arts		2007	^[11]
PTV Lifetime Achievement Award	Music		2010
Kemal-e-Fun Medal	Music	Lifetime Achievement	2013	^[12]^[4]^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Nahid Akhtar — the nightingale of Pakistan". Daily Times (newspaper). 7 November 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ "معروف گلوکارہ ناہید اختر آج اپنی 64 ویں سالگرہ منارہی ہیں". express.com.pk. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ "ناہید اختر -- دل کے تاروں کو چھو لینے والی آواز". Duniya News. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e She still has a lot to offer (Naheed Akhtar) Pakistan Press Foundation website, Published 16 June 2013, Retrieved 20 April 2020
^ ^a ^b "Naheed Akhtar Songs". Pak Film Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ "Naheed Akhtar to perform after two decades". Dawn. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ "'Naheed Akhtar singing again after 22 years'". showbizpak.com. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Pakistan's "Oscars"; The Nigar Awards". Desi Movies. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Nigar Awards (1972 - 1986)". The Hot Spot Online website. 5 January 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
^ "National Excellence Awards 2006 distribution ceremony of PBC at Jinnah Convention Center". Pakistan Tribune. Pakistan News Service. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ "Civil awards given". Dawn (newspaper). Karachi. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ "Down the memory lane with Naheed Akhtar". Pakistan Press Foundation website. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
^ Rs10 million cheque given to singer Naheed Akhtar Dawn (newspaper), published 14 February 2018, Retrieved 20 April 2020

External links

Naheed Akhtar at
IMDb

[DailyTimes-1] "Nahid Akhtar — the nightingale of Pakistan". Daily Times (newspaper). 7 November 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[2] "معروف گلوکارہ ناہید اختر آج اپنی 64 ویں سالگرہ منارہی ہیں". express.com.pk. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

[duniya_news-3] "ناہید اختر -- دل کے تاروں کو چھو لینے والی آواز". Duniya News. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

[PPF-4] She still has a lot to offer (Naheed Akhtar) Pakistan Press Foundation website, Published 16 June 2013, Retrieved 20 April 2020

[pak_film_mag-5] "Naheed Akhtar Songs". Pak Film Magazine. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

[6] "Naheed Akhtar to perform after two decades". Dawn. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

[7] "'Naheed Akhtar singing again after 22 years'". showbizpak.com. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[Pakistani_oscars-8] "Pakistan's "Oscars"; The Nigar Awards". Desi Movies. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020.

[HotSpot-9] "Nigar Awards (1972 - 1986)". The Hot Spot Online website. 5 January 2003. Archived from the original on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2023.

[10] "National Excellence Awards 2006 distribution ceremony of PBC at Jinnah Convention Center". Pakistan Tribune. Pakistan News Service. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[11] "Civil awards given". Dawn (newspaper). Karachi. 24 March 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[12] "Down the memory lane with Naheed Akhtar". Pakistan Press Foundation website. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

[13] Rs10 million cheque given to singer Naheed Akhtar Dawn (newspaper), published 14 February 2018, Retrieved 20 April 2020

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Arts
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