Babra Sharif (Urdu: بابرہ شرِیف; born 10 December 1954)[2][3] is a Pakistani film actress, best known for her acting roles from the mid-1970s to the 1990s.
[4] She has worked with many famous names of her time, including Shahid, Nadeem, Asif Khan, Waheed Murad, Ghulam Mohyedin, Faisal Rehman, Muhammad Ali and even Sultan Rahi.
[2] In the same year 1973, she appeared in Mohsin Shirazi's television play, which was telecast from PTV Karachi station and also in the PTV drama Kiran Kahani,[3] a classical slapstick comedy written by Haseena Moin and directed by Shirin Khan which had Roohi Bano, Manzoor Qureshi and Jamshed Ansari in the cast.
[6] Her appearance in the 'Lux' advertisement with the message, 'Aakhir loag hamara chehra he to deikhtay hain',(Urdu meaning: After all it is our face that people see) took her fame to the top.
[3][7] Another of her films in 1974 Shama, directed by Nazar Shabab and co-starring Waheed Murad, Deeba, Mohammad Ali and Nadeem, was a golden jubilee.
In 1975, she appeared as supporting actress, in director Masood Pervez's film Mera Naa Paatay Khan.
[9] An undeterred Sharif, dressed to perform, played the lead role opposite Ghulam Mohiuddin in director Wazeer Ali's film Masoom.
The film successfully completed the golden jubilee, by winning performances turned in by Sharif, Waheed Murad and Shahid.
[6][10][3] Sharif continued her success with Zafar Shabab's Waqt (1976 film) in which she co-starred with Waheed Murad, Kavita and Shamim Ara.
[7] She again collaborated with Akhtar in the 1981 film Dil nay phir yaad kya with Shahid and Waheed Murad.
Some of her notable films of the decade are Deewanay Do, Chakkar, Khwahish, Deikha Jaaye Ga, Jawani Deewani, Mausum Hai Aashiqana, Aladin, Maa Bani Dulhan, Kaali, Insaan, Do Dil, Qudrat Da Intiqaam, Hero (1985 film), Miss Colombo (1984) and Miss Bangkok (1986).
[11] By the late 1980s, Sharif took more challenging roles and won critical praise for her performances in movies Aik Chehra Do Roop, Mehak, Saathi, Baaghi Haseena, Ishq Da Roag, Baarish, Duniya, Kundan (1987), Miss Bangkok (1986), Mukhra (1988) and Gori Deyaan Jhanjharan (1990).
[2][13] In 2019, she was honoured by the Government of Pakistan with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) award for her contributions towards the film and television industry.