# Seema Pahwa

Seema Bhargava Pahwa (born 10 February 1962) is an Indian actress and director known for her varied characters in films and television. She is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award and a Filmfare OTT Award.
She rose to prominence for her role of Badki in the popular Doordarshan soap opera Hum Log (1984–1985). As a theatre actress, she worked with Delhi-based theatre group Sambhav, before moving to Mumbai in 1994 to work in films and continue her work in television and theatre. She directed Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi (2021), her debut as a director and won Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director.

## Career

Pahwa rose to prominence for her role of Badki in the popular Doordarshan soap opera Hum Log (1984–1985). As a theatre actor she worked with Delhi-based theatre group Sambhav, before moving to Mumbai in 1994 to work in films and continue her work in television and theatre.
Subsequently, she played Maasi, or Aunt on Kasamh Se (2006–2009), a popular Zee TV soap opera by Ekta Kapoor. The character is very kind and loving towards her nephew and his wife Bani Walia, the protagonist. She won the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Screen Awards for the film Ankhon Dekhi (2013).
In 2014, she received acclaim for experiential theatre performance of Bhisham Sahni's satire on the middle-class, Saag Meat, where she cooked during the performance, and the food was served to the audience. She was also very popularly loved for her role in the series Hip Hip Hurray, where she played the role of a single mother of Mazhar.
At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, she was nominated twice for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the films Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (both 2017). She received her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 65th Filmfare Awards for her role in Bala (2019).
In 2020, she starred as Nani in Chintu Ka Birthday (2019), which won her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Supporting Actress (Web Original).
She made her directorial debut with the film Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi which premiered at Mumbai Film Festival in 2019 followed by a theatrical release in 2021. The film earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director at the 67th Filmfare Awards.

## Personal life

She was born Seema Bhargava. She is married to actor Manoj Pahwa, a co-actor in Hum Log, and lives in Versova, Mumbai along with their daughter Manukriti and son Mayank. On 2 March 2022, her son Mayank Pahwa married Sanah Kapur, whereas in September 2023, her daughter Manukriti Pahwa married Ruhaan Kapoor, both siblings being children of actors Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak Kapur. Sanah and Ruhaan are grandchildren of veteran character artiste Dina Pathak and half-siblings of actor Shahid Kapoor.

## Filmography
### Films

Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | Adhuri Zindagi | | TV movie co-starring Shah Rukh Khan |
| 1996 | Sardari Begum | Kulsum's Mother | |
| 1997 | ...Jayate | Nurse Linda | TV movie |
| 1999 | Godmother | Shanti (Veeram's sister-in-law) | |
| 2000 | Hari-Bhari | Rampyari | |
| 2001 | Zubeidaa | Zainab Bi | |
| 2008 | Roorkee By-Pass | Maasi | Short film |
| 2010 | Tere Bin Laden | Shabbo | |
| 2012 | Ferrari Ki Sawaari | Baboo Didi | |
| 2014 | Ankhon Dekhi | Amma | Won—Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2014 | Khoobsurat | Shalini Shah | |
| 2015 | Dum Laga Ke Haisha | Subhadra Rani | Released internationally as My Big Fat Bride |
| 2015 | All Is Well | Mamiji | |
| 2015 | Hasmukh Saab Ki Wasihat | Mrs. Sonal Mehta | |
| 2016 | Wazir | Pammi | |
| 2016 | BHK Bhalla at Halla.Kom | Neelam Khanna | |
| 2017 | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Susheela Mishra | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2017 | Shubh Mangal Saavdhan | Sugandha's Mother | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2018 | Khajoor Pe Atke | Sushila | |
| 2018 | Everything is Fine | Asha | Short film |
| 2018 | Bhaiyya Morey | Old woman | Short film |
| 2019 | Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga | Billauri | |
| 2019 | Arjun Patiala | MLA Prapti Makkad | |
| 2019 | Bala | Mausi | Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2019 | Shame | Laundry lady | Short film |
| 2020 | Chintu Ka Birthday | Nani | Won—Filmfare OTT Award for Best Supporting Actress (Web Original) |
| 2020 | Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari | Yeshodha Dhillon | |
| 2020 | Das Capital: Gulamon Ki Rajdhani | Rashida | Streaming on Cinemapreneur |
| 2021 | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Director | Debut as a director Won—Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director |
| 2021 | Ye Mard Bechara | Shanti Devi | |
| 2022 | Badhaai Do | Mrs Singh | |
| 2022 | Gangubai Kathiawadi | Sheela | |
| 2022 | Raksha Bandhan | Shanoo Sharma |
| 2022 | Thank God | Mrs. Kapoor, Ayaan's mother | |
| 2023 | Dream Girl 2 | Jumani | |
| 2023 | Yaatris | | |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1984–85 | Hum Log | Badki | |
| 1995–96 | Khushi (Season 1) | | |
| 1995 | Sidhhi | Sneha Aditya Diwan | |
| 1997 | Pehla Pyar | Nirmala Mathur | |
| 1998–01 | Hip Hip Hurray | Mrs. Merchant | |
| 1999 | Rishtey | Leelavati | Episode 70: Naya Vivah |
| 2000–01 | Khushi (Season 2) | | |
| 2005 | Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani | Archana's mother | |
| 2002 | Sanjivani-A Medical Boon | | |
| 2002 | Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand | | |
| 2003 | Aandhi | Bua Ji | |
| 2006–07 | Kulvaddhu | Padma Chauhan | |
| 2006–09 | Kasamh Se | Billo Masi | |
| 2008 | Hum Ladkiyan | Dadiji | |
| 2012 | Lakhon Mein Ek | Teejan Bai/Hema Dhawan | |
| 2017 | The Kapil Sharma Show | Herself | Episode 128: Promotion of Bareilly Ki Barfi |
| 2020 | The Kapil Sharma Show | Herself | Episode 274: Celebrating Hum Log |
| 2021 | The Kapil Sharma Show | Herself | Episode 171: Promotion of Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi |

### Web series

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2019 | Aafat | Rita Mohanty | Web series on MX Player |
| 2022 | Mai: A Mother's Rage | Kalpana | Netflix |
| 2022 | Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega S2 | Ganga Devi | Netflix |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Category | Work | Result |
| Filmfare Awards ||||
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Nominated |
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Shubh Mangal Saavdhan | Nominated |
| 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Bala | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Film (Critics) | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Director | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Story | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Nominated |
| 2022 | Best Debut Director | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Won |
| Filmfare OTT Awards ||||
| 2020 | Best Supporting Actress in a Web Original Film | Chintu Ka Birthday | Won |
| FOI Online Awards ||||
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Won |
| 2022 | Best Director | Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi | Nominated |
| IIFA Awards ||||
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Nominated |
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Shubh Mangal Saavdhan | Nominated |
| Jagran Film Festival ||||
| 2017 | Best Supporting Actress | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Won |
| Screen Awards ||||
| 2015 | Best Supporting Actress | Ankhon Dekhi (tied with Tabu for Haider) | Won |
| 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Shubh Mangal Saavdhan | Nominated |
| 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Bala | Nominated |
| Zee Cine Awards ||||
| 2018 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | Bareilly Ki Barfi | Nominated |