# Aamina Sheikh

Aamina Sheikh (Urdu: آمنہ شیخ) is an American-Pakistani actress, songwriter and former fashion model. Sheikh has received critical appreciation for her acting prowess, and has won four Lux Style Awards from nine nominations.
Born in New York City and raised in Karachi and Riyadh, Sheikh studied video production at Hampshire College. After working as an assistant at Curious Pictures, she returned to Pakistan and started her career as a fashion model, during which she was a spokesperson for the French brand L'Oreal and received a Lux Style Award for Best Model nomination. She then featured as the female lead in the 2008 television film Baarish Mein Deewar and the Geo TV series Dil e Nadan, for which she received the Lux Style Award for Best Emerging Talent. Sheikh had roles in several series, including Daam (2010), Maat (2010), Uraan (2010), Mera Saaein (2010), Main Abdul Qadir Hoon (2010), Mera Saaein 2 (2012), Mirat Ul Uroos (2013) and Jackson Heights (2014).
Sheikh made her film debut with the 2012 acclaimed social drama Seedlings. Her performance in the film garnered critical appreciation and earned her many national and international awards, including the Lux Style Award for Best Film Actress, New York Film Festival Award and SAARC Film Festival Award. She achieved further success in the role of Zarnab in the romance Armaan (2013) and subsequently starred in the social drama Josh: Independence Through Unity (2014), a critical and commercial success. Sheikh was widely praised for her role and received nominations in the Best Actress category at the Lux Style Awards and the Silent River Film Festival. Her greatest commercial success came with the family drama Cake (2018). In 2015, she served as one of the committee members of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee.

## Personal life

She is an ethnic Sindhi. Sheikh married actor Mohib Mirza in Karachi. Their wedding was a three-day event taking place from 30 April to 2 May 2005. Mirza and Sheikh met on the set of a show which Mirza was hosting and she was directing. In an interview given to Jang, Mirza revealed that he had a difficult time convincing Sheikh's father to accept his plans for marriage, and that each meeting with him involved "extensive grilling".
Mirza and Sheikh have a daughter, Meissa, born in 2015. The two announced their separation in 2018 and divorced in 2019. Sheikh remarried to a businessman, Omer Farooqi, in August 2020, and the couple gave birth to a son, named Issa, in 2021.

## Career

After returning to Pakistan, Sheikh landed a job with Geo Television, where she directed and produced the children talk show, called Bachey Man Ke Sachey. In 2007, Sheikh 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. She subsequently garnered international recognition as a spokesperson for the French beauty brand L'Oreal.
In 2008, Sheikh appeared in 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 sole 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 designers, such as 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 Atif Aslam. Her performances in the romantic series Agar Tum Na Hote (2009), Umm-e-Kulsoom (2011), and Kuch Is Tarah (2013), earned her Satellite Best Actress and Best Actress Terrestrial nominations at Lux Style Awards. She achieved further critical and commercial success for her role of portrayal of Zarnab, in the romance Armaan (2013), which earned her a nomination for the Tarang Housefull Award for Best Actress.
In 2011, Sheikh played the role of a grieving mother in Summer Nicks-produced multi award-winning feature film 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 Iram Parveen Bilal's feature art film Josh: Independence Through Unity, before taking on the role of Natasha in the high-octane action spy thriller, Operation 021, produced by Zeba Bakhtiar and directed by Australian filmmaker, Summer Nicks. In 2013, Sheikh was awarded Miss Photogenic Award at the Veet Celebration of Beauty Awards. In 2018, she starred in Asim Abbasi's drama film Cake, alongside Sanam Saeed, which was a major critical and commercial success. While praising her performance, along with Saeed's, The Guardian wrote that they, "rank first among equals in an assured ensemble." Meanwhile, a reviewer from The Daily Times found that she "amalgamated Zarine’s character really well and made it look believable on screen." The film earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Lux Style Awards.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Love Mein Ghum | Herself | Special appearance in song "Love Mein Ghum" |
| 2013 | Seedlings | Maliha | |
| 2013 | Josh: Independence Through Unity | Fatima | |
| 2013 | Armaan | Zarnab | |
| 2014 | O21 | Natasha | |
| 2015 | Good Morning Karachi | Mehwish | Cameo appearance |
| 2018 | Cake | Zareen | |
| 2019 | Heer Maan Ja | Nida | Cameo appearance |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Channel | Notes |
| 2008 | Wilco | Megha | PTV Home | |
| 2008 | Qisson Ki Chadar | Aimen | Hum TV | Episode: "Tum Aurat Mein Mard" |
| 2008 | Wapsi | | ARY Digital | Telefilm |
| 2008 | Mera Naam Hai Muhabbat | Huma | Geo TV | Episode: "Ashiq Pan Shop" |
| | Boltay Afsanay | Razia | TVOne Global | Episode: "Daayin" |
| 2009 | Dil-e-Nadan | Seema | Geo TV | |
| 2009 | Agar Tum Na Hotay | Shireen | Indus Vision | |
| 2009 | Qisson Ki Chadar | Hajra | Hum TV | Episode: "Ghutan" |
| 2010 | Haal-e-Dil | Seerat | ARY Digital | |
| 2010 | Daam | Maliha | ARY Digital | |
| 2010 | Saleena | Bushra | ATV | |
| 2010 | Tere Liye | Simran | ARY Digital | |
| 2010 | Ishq Gumshuda | Neha | Hum TV | |
| 2010 | Hum Tum | Ammal | Geo TV | |
| 2010 | Uraan | Sana | Geo TV | |
| 2010 | Mera Saaein | Naina | ARY Digital | |
| 2010 | Main Abdul Qadir Hoon | Nell | Hum TV | |
| 2011 | Maat | Aiman | Hum TV | |
| 2011 | Umm-e-Kulsoom | Umm-e-Kulsoom | ARY Digital | |
| 2011 | Kuch Kami Si Hai | Asmee | Geo TV | |
| 2011 | Mora Piya | Ujala | Geo TV | |
| 2011 | 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 | |
| 2013 | Silvatein | Zaib | ARY Digital | |
| 2013 | Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain | Anoushay | Hum TV | Episode: "Gunhagar Dil" |
| 2013 | Kuch Is Tarah | Sabina | PTV Home | |
| 2014 | Jackson Heights | Salma | Urdu 1 | |
| 2016 | Pakeezah | Pakeeza | Hum TV | |
| 2017 | Khudgarz | Ayera | ARY Digital | |
| 2018 | Nibah | Sofia | ARY Digital | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Title | Award | Category | Result |
| 2012 | Seedlings | New York Film Festival Awards | Best Performance by an Actress | Won |
| 2012 | Seedlings | SAARC Film Festival Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Won |
| 2013 | Armaan | Tarang Housefull Awards | Best On Screen Couple with Fawad Khan | Won |
| 2013 | Armaan | Tarang Housefull Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2013 | | Veet Celebration of Beauty Awards | Miss Photogenic | Won |
| 2013 | Maat | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2013 | Seedlings | Pakistan Media Awards | Best Film Actress | Nominated |
| 2013 | Josh: Independence Through Unity | Pakistan Media Awards | Best Film Actress | Won |
| 2013 | Josh: Independence Through Unity | Silent River Film Festival | Best Actress | Won |
| 2014 | Seedlings | ARY Film Awards | BestActress | Nominated |
| 2014 | Seedlings | ARY Film Awards | Best Star Debut Female | Nominated |
| 2015 | 021 | Tribune Cine Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 2015 | 021 | Galaxy Lollywood Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 2017 | Pakeezah | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2019 | Cake | Galaxy Lollywood Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role Female | Nominated |

### Lux Style Awards

| Ceremony | Category | Project | Result |
| 2009 | Best Emerging Talent in Fashion | — | Won |
| 2010 | Best Model of the Year (female) | — | Nominated |
| 2011 | Best Dress Female | — | Won |
| 2011 | Best Television Actress (Satellite) | Agar Tum Na Hotay | Nominated |
| 2012 | Best Television Actress (Satellite) | Umm-e-Kulsoom | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Television Actress (Terrestrial) | Kuch Is Tarah | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Dress Female | — | Won |
| 2014 | Best Film Actress | Josh: Independence Through Unity | Nominated |
| 2014 | Best Film Actress | Seedlings | Won |
| 2019 | Best Film Actress | Cake | Nominated |