# Yumna Zaidi

Yumna Zaidi (born 30 July 1989) is a Pakistani actress who works in Urdu-television industry. Known for her portrayals in social to romantic dramas. Zaidi is the recipient of five Lux Style Awards and two Hum Awards.
She first appeared as a supporting character in ARY Digital's domestic-drama Thakan (2012) and then played lead roles in several television series, including the family drama Meri Dulari and the revenge Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi (both 2013), the later of which earned her a nomination of Hum Award for Best Supporting Actress. She gained popularity and Hum Award for Best Actress nominations by portraying a troubled wife in Farooq Rind's tragic-romance Rishtay Kuch Adhooray Se and received praise for the jealous-drama Mausam (both 2014), the comedy drama Jugnoo (2015), the romance Zara Yaad Kar (2016) and the romantic comedy Yeh Raha Dil (2017).
Zaidi gained critical praise and established herself by starring in Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila (2017), Inkaar (2019), Pyar Ke Sadqay (2020), Dil Na Umeed To Nahi (2021) and Bakhtawar (2022) the second, third and last of these earned her Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress.

## Early life

Zaidi was born on 30 July 1989 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Her father, who passed away in 2019, was a numbardar, a village head responsible for tax collection, in Muhammad Nagar, a village close to the town of Arif Wala in Punjab.

## Career
### Television
#### Early work (2012)

Her first screen debut was a supporting role in the ARY Digital's 2012 domestic drama Thakan, and followed it with a leading role in the melodrama Khushi Ek Roag. She then appeared in Urdu 1's Teri Raah Main Rul Gai opposite Samiya Mumtaz and Sami Khan where she played the character of Maryam.

#### Critical acclaim (2013–present)

Zaidi received praise for portraying emotionally intense characters in the dramas, Geo TV's Meri Dulari (2013) and Hum TV's Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi (2013), the later of which garnered her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at Hum Awards. Her acclaimed role of a troubled wife in the tragic romance Rishtay Kuch Adhooray Se (2013), established her as a leading actress of Pakistan and earned her the Hum Award for Best Actress and Best Actress Popular nominations. Zaidi subsequently did a special appearance in 2013 series Sannata and played supporting role in Kashif Nisar's directorial Kis Se Kahoon alongside Sajal Ali and Agha Ali. She gained wider recognition for portraying a range of characters in the dramas Mausam (2014), Madawa (2015), Guzaarish (2015), and Jugnoo (2015), Kaanch Ki Guriya (2015), Paras (2015) and Aap ki Kaneez (2015), some of which garnered her several Best Actress nominations.
In 2016 she appeared in Momina Duraid's Zara Yaad Kar where she played the lead character of Uzma Ikhtiar opposite Zahid Ahmed and Sana Javed. She then appeared in Hum TV's Yeh Raha Dil in 2017 opposite Ahmed Ali. Zaidi played the character of Hayat whose mother has died and father deserted her at a young age. Her on-screen chemistry with Ali was praised by viewers and earned her nomination of Best on-screen couple at Hum Awards. Later she signed Kashif Nisar's directorial Pinjra. In the same year she appeared as Sila, a victim of sexual harassment in Bee Gul's directed Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila opposite Noman Ijaz and Saman Ansari. A critic from The News International praised her saying, "With fewer dialogues and a tough subject at hand, Yumna pulled off her role effortlessly, making it believable from beginning till the end".
In 2018–19, she appeared in Pukaar as Samra, widow of the feudal lord and appeared in 7th Sky Entertainment's Project Dil Kiya Karey, directed by Mehreen Jabbar. She played a role of Hajra in social drama Inkaar opposite Imran Ashraf and Sami Khan and made special appearance in Angeline Malik's anthology series Choti Choti Batain. She further appeared in an extended cameo in Ishq Zahe Naseeb and as Raina in telefilm Shaadi Impossible.

### Films

She made her film debut with the titular role of an aspiring cricketer in Umair Nasir Ali's directed Nayab (2024). Writing for The Express Tribune, Shafiq Siddiqui disliked the film and wrote, "It does not offer any dialogue that bear recall value, the film grapples with its excessively long runtime, leading to a loss of impact at various junctures". Also, Zaidi's performance was not well received, opined, "Despite playing the titular character, she [struggles] for proper projection and lines that would make her character memorable." The film eventually became a box-office bomb.

## Other work
### Poetry

She has written poetry, especially Sufi poetry, that she has also recited for social media.

### Social awareness

In 2016 the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority served a show-cause notice toUdaari, she spoke out, stating:
   It is based on a social cause and we should create awareness in our society through such drama serials.

### Modelling

She walked the ramp for designer Aisha Farid's collection Crystalline on Hum TV's Bridal Couture Week.

### Comedy talkshows

She also appeared in celebrity comedy talkshow Mazaaq Raat in 2017.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
| 2024 | Nayab | Nayab | Debut film | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
| 2012 | Thakan | Mehak | ARY Digital | Television Debut |
| 2012 | Khushi Ek Roag | Aabroo | ARY Digital | |
| 2012 | Teri Raah Main Rul Gai | Maryam | Urdu 1 | |
| 2013 | Meri Dulari | Abdar Yawar | Geo TV | |
| 2013 | Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi | Aasia Yqoob | Hum TV | |
| 2013 | Dil Mohallay Ki Haveli | Mehrunissa | Geo TV | |
| 2013 | Rishtay Kuch Adhooray Se | Kiran | Hum TV | |
| 2013 | Ruswaiyaan | | SabTV | |
| 2013 | Sannata | Naseeban (young) | ARY Digital | Cameo appearance |
| 2014 | Kis Se Kahoon | Salma | PTV Home | |
| 2014 | Mausam | Shazia | Hum TV | |
| 2015 | Madawa | Ayman | Hum Sitaray | |
| 2015 | Kaanch Ki Guriya | Manal | Geo TV | |
| 2015 | Guzaarish | Zara Aalam | ARY Digital | |
| 2015–2016 | Aap Ki Kaneez | Kaneez Fatima | Geo TV | |
| 2015 | Jugnoo | Jugnoo | Hum TV | |
| 2015 | Paras | Aiman | Geo TV | |
| 2016 | Zara Yaad Kar | Uzma Ikhtiyar | Hum TV | |
| 2017 | Pinjra | Amtul Rafey | A-Plus TV | |
| 2017 | Yeh Raha Dil | Hayat | Hum TV | |
| 2017–2018 | Dar Si Jati Hai Sila | Sila | Hum TV | |
| 2018 | Pukaar | Samra Sultan | ARY Digital | |
| 2018 | Dil Kiya Karay | Aiman | Geo TV | |
| 2019 | Inkaar | Hajra | Hum TV | |
| 2019 | Choti Choti Batain | Bisma | Hum TV | Story: Bandhan |
| 2019 | Ishq Zahe Naseeb | Shakra (Sameer's Illusion) | Hum TV | Extended cameo |
| 2020 | Pyar Ke Sadqay | Mahjabeen | Hum TV | |
| 2020 | Raaz-e-Ulfat | Mushq | Geo TV | |
| 2021 | Dil Na Umeed To Nahi | Sumbul/ Allah Rakhi | TV One | |
| 2021–22 | Ishq-e-Laa | Azka | Hum TV | |
| 2021–22 | Sinf-e-Aahan | Shaista Khanzada | ARY Digital | |
| 2021–22 | Parizaad | Qurutulain/RJ Annie | Hum TV | |
| 2022 | Bakhtawar | Bakhtawar | Hum TV | |
| 2022–23 | Tere Bin | Meerab Murtasim Khan | Geo TV | |
| 2024 | Gentleman | Zarnab | Green Entertainment | |

### Telefilms

| Year | Title | Role | Network |
| 2014 | Subah Be Daagh Hai | Ayesha | Hum TV |
| 2019 | Shaadi Impossible | Raina | TV One |
| 2020 | Raja Ki Raji | Haya | ARY Digital |

### Other appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Shareek-e-Hayat | Recurring | Anthology romantic series, Episodic appearance |
| 2014 | Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain | Recurring | Anthology series |
| 2016 | Salam Zindagi | Herself | Morning Talkshow hosted by Faysal Qureshi |
| 2017 | Mehmaan Qadardan | Herself | Special appearance |
| 2017 | Jago Pakistan Jago | Herself | Guest appearance with Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila team for promotion of the project |
| 2017 | Mazaaq Raat | Herself | Guest appearance with Abdullah Ejaz |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
| 2014 | Hum Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Rishtay Kuch Adhooray Se | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Hum Awards | Best Actress Popular | Rishtay Kuch Adhooray Se | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Hum Awards | Best Actor in a Negative Role | Mausam | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Jugnoo | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Hum Awards | Best Actress Popular | Jugnoo | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Hum Awards | Best On-screen couple with Ahmed Ali | Yeh Raha Dil | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Hum Awards | Best Actress | Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila | Won | |
| 2020 | 19th Lux Style Awards | Best Actress (Viewers' Choice) | Inkaar | Won | |
| 2021 | 20th Lux Style Awards | Best Actress Critics' Choice | Pyar Ke Sadqay | Won | |
| 2021 | 20th Lux Style Awards | Best Actress Viewers' Choice | Pyar Ke Sadqay | Won | |
| 2021 | 20th Lux Style Awards | Best Actress Viewers' Choice | Raaz-e-Ulfat | Nominated | |
| 2022 | 21st Lux Style Awards | Best Actress (Critics' Choice) | Dil Na Umeed To Nahi | Nominated | |
| 2022 | 21st Lux Style Awards | Best Actress (Viewers' Choice) | Dil Na Umeed To Nahi | Nominated | |
| 2023 | 22nd Lux Style Awards | Best Actress - Critics' choice | Bakhtawar | Won | |
| 2023 | 22nd Lux Style Awards | Best TV Actress – Viewer's choice | Bakhtawar | Won | |
| 2023 | IPPA Awards | Best TV Actor Female | Bakhtawar | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Hum Awards | Best Actress Popular | Bakhtawar | Won | [40] [41] |
| 2024 | Hum Awards | Best Actress Popular | Ishq-e-Laa | Nominated | [40] [41] |
| 2024 | Hum Awards | Best On-screen couple with Azaan Sami Khan | Ishq-e-Laa | Nominated | [40] [41] |