Salma Agha
Salma Agha is a Pakistani born British singer and actress who sang as well as acted in Bollywood films of India in the 1980s and the early 1990s. She was born in Karachi and raised in London, where she received several film offers from Indian directors. Her first film was Nikaah, in which she starred as heroine and also sang her songs herself. She was nominated for the Filmfare awards that year in both the Best Actress category and the Best Female Playback Singer category. It was for her singing that she won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award. She is also known for her role in Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki opposite Mithun Chakraborty, and for her song "Come Closer" from the same film.
Background and personal life
Salma Agha was born in Karachi, Pakistan, the daughter of Liaqat Gul Agha and his wife Nasreen Agha. Liaqat Gul Agha was a tradesman dealing in rugs and belonged to an Urdu speaking Muslim Pathan family based in Amritsar. She traces the origin of her surname ‘Aagha’, “My father traded in precious stones and antiques in Iran. He was given the title Aagha there, a kind of knighthood bestowed on a businessman of repute.” Her mother Nasreen was the daughter of Rafiq Ghaznavi, a Pashtun musician, and his wife Anwari Bai Begum, who was one of the earliest actresses of Indian cinema, starring in Heer Ranjha. Anwari and Rafiq Ghaznavi were divorced after Zarina/Nasreen's birth, and Anwari then married a rich Hindu businessman named Jugal Kishore Mehra. In order to marry Anwari, Jugal Kishore Mehra abandoned not only his family but also his religion; he became a Muslim and took the name Ahmed Salman. Since Anwari had a child, Jugal Kishore Mehra effectively became the father of the infant Zarina/Nasreen.Jugal Kishore Mehra was a first cousin of the Indian actors Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor, because their mother, Ramsarni Kapoor, was the phuphi of Jugal Kishore Mehra. It is often said that Salma Agha is a relative of the Kapoors, but this is not true; there is no blood relation between the Kapoors and Salma Agha, and in fact, after Jugal Kishore Mehra abandoned his family and religion to consort with Anwari Bai, his family cut off all ties with him.
Salma Agha had a long time relationship in the 1980s with London-based businessman Ayaz Sipra. This relationship lasted many years, during which time Salma made her film debut, but it did not develop into marriage. Apart from this relationship, Salma has been married three times. Her first husband was Javed Sheikh, with whom she had a rather brief and childless marriage in the 1980s. After divorce from Javed Sheikh, Salma Agha married famous squash player Rahmat Khan in 1989. They have two children together – Sasha Agha and Liaqat Ali Khan. Salma and Rahmat Khan got divorced in 2010, and in 2011, Salma Agha got married for a third time. Her present husband, Manzar Shah, is a Dubai-based businessman. Salma Agha lives in Mumbai, where her daughter Sasha is trying to gain a foothold in Bollywood films. Meanwhile Salma's latest husband, Manzar Shah, lives in Dubai.
in 2010
According to Agha, her ancestors were in the film industry during pre-partition days. It is true, she said, that they settled in Pakistan after the partition of India, and that is reason why she, Salma, was born in Karachi, but her mother's foster-father was a Hindu by birth who had converted to Islam only to marry her grandmother. Her daughter Sasha Agha is born and resides in India. She did not address the point that Sasha's father, Rahmat Khan, was undoubtedly a Pakistani and had represented his country in innumerable international squash tournaments. Nevertheless, in January 2017, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that Salma Agha would be granted Overseas Citizenship of India, given only to foreign citizens of Indian origin. This will facilitate her travel and residence in India without applying for a visa each time, and without periodically reporting to police during her stay.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Nikaah | Nilofar | Won-Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1984 | Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki | Leena | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer |
| 1985 | Salma | Salma Banarasi | |
| 1985 | Oonche Log | Poonam Singh | |
| 1986 | Bhabi Dian Choorian | Aamna | |
| 1988 | Jungle Ki Beti | Bela | |
| 1988 | Paanch Fauladi | Julie | |
| 1988 | Mahaveera | Don's dancer | |
| 1988 | Kanwarlal | Item girl | |
| 1990 | Pati Patni Aur Tawaif | Gauri | |
| 1991 | Meet Mere Man Ke | Jyoti | |
| 1992 | Jethaa | - | |
| 1996 | Gehra Raaz | Vasundhara | |
| 2010 | Bachao – Inside Bhoot Hai... | - | |
| 2016 | Hijrat | Feriha | Pakistani film |
Discography
| Songs | Film | Co-singer |
| "Dil Ke Armaan" | Nikaah | Solo |
| "Dil Ki Yeh Arzoo Thi" | Nikaah | Mahendra Kapoor |
| "Chehra Chupa Liya Hai" | Nikaah | Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor |
| "Faza Bhi Hai Jawaan Jawaan" | Nikaah | Solo |
| "Maa hoon na Suhagan hoon" | Kanoon Meri Mutthi Mein | Salma Agha |
| "Tu Mera Kya Lage" | Oonche Log | Kishore Kumar |
| "Shah-E-Madina" | Salma | Solo |
| "Tarasti Hain Deedar Ko" | Salma | Anwar |
| "Zindagi Tere Dar Pe" | Salma | Solo |
| "Kehna Na Tum Yeh Kisise" | Pati Patni Aur Tawaif | Mohammed Aziz |
| "Mujhe Log Kehte Hain" | Pati Patni Aur Tawaif | Solo |
| "Teri Mohhabbat Meri Jawani" | Pati Patni Aur Tawaif | Mohammed Aziz |
| "Mera Naam Salma" | Aap Ke Saath | Solo |
| "Chumma Chumma" | Pataal Bhairavi | Solo |
| "Ae Mere Mehboob" | Salma | Shabbir Kumar |
| "Kaahe Baithe Ho" | Salma | Penaz Masani |
| "Come Closer" | Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki | Solo |
| "Dance Dance" | Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki | Bappi Lahiri |
| "Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena" | Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki | Bappi Lahiri |
| "Pyar Ek Nasha Hai" | Kanwarlal | Solo |
| "Pehla Pehla Pyaar Na Bhoole" | Mazdoor | Solo |
| "Aaina Haseen hua hai" | Dunno Y2... Life Is A Moment | Solo |