# Salma Agha

Salma Agha (born 29 October 1954) is a British singer and actress who worked in Pakistani and Indian films in the 1980s and the early 1990s. She is best known for her song "Dil ke Armaan" from the film Nikaah.

## Early life

Salma Agha was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, to Liaqat Gul Agha and his wife Nasreen Agha. Salma's father, Liaqat Gul Agha was a tradesman dealing in rugs and belonged to an Urdu-speaking Punjabi Pathan family from Amritsar in Punjab, India.
Agha traces the origin of her surname 'Aagha' to her Pashtun ancestors from Afghanistan. Her father (Liaqat Gul) 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 was a musician named Nasreen (born as Zarina Ghaznavi), also a Punjabi Pathan from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, was the daughter of Rafiq Ghaznavi and his wife Anwari Bai Begum, who was one of the earliest actresses of Indian cinema, starring in Heer Ranjha (1932).
Anwari and Rafiq Ghaznavi separated after Nasreen's birth, and Anwari then married a rich Indian businessman named Jugal Kishore Mehra, who was formerly a Punjabi Hindu who converted to Islam and took the name Ahmed Salman and moved to Pakistan. Jugal Kishore Mehra was a first cousin of Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor of the Kapoor family, because their mother, Ramsarni Kapoor (née Mehra), was the sister of his father.

## Career

Salma started singing songs in school festivals and other programs, but she was raised in London, where she received several film offers from Indian directors. Her first film was the romance Nikaah (1982), in which she starred as the female lead and also sang several of the film's 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 (1984) opposite Mithun Chakraborty, and for her song "Come Closer" from the same film.

## Personal life

Salma Agha was in a 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. She has been married three times. Her first husband was Javed Sheikh in the 1980s. She was then married to the squash player Rahmat Khan of the Khan squash family (and the father of Natasha Khan through his first marriage) from 1989 to 2010 and they have two children together – Zara "Sasha" Agha Khan and Ali Agha Khan (Liaqat Ali Khan). In 2011, she married Manzar Shah, a Dubai-based businessman. She lives in Mumbai, where her daughter Zara works in Bollywood films. In January 2017, she was granted Overseas Citizenship of India status by the Indian government.

## Filmography
### Film
#### Indian films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | Jwala Daku | Singer | |
| 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 | |
| 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... | | |

#### Pakistani films

| Year | Title | Role | Language |
| 1984 | Bobby | | Urdu |
| 1985 | Ham Aur Tum | | Urdu |
| 1986 | Ham Ek Hayn | | Urdu |
| 1986 | Da Mor Inteqam | | Pashto |
| 1986 | Bhabi Dian Choorian | Aamna | Punjabi |
| 1987 | Ek Say Barh Kar Ek | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Qatilon Kay Qatil | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Choron Ka Badshah | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Aag Hi Aag | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Daagh | | Punjabi |
| 1988 | Bazar-e-Husn | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Da Bhabhi Bangri | | Pashto |
| 1988 | Gharibon Ka Badshah | | Urdu |
| 1988 | Sherni | | Punjabi / Urdu |
| 1989 | Taqat Ka Toofan | | Urdu |
| 1989 | Phoolan Devi | | Punjabi |
| 1990 | Damoor Inteqam | | Pashto |
| 1990 | Number One | | Punjabi / Urdu |
| 1991 | Aakhri Shikar | | Punjabi / Urdu film |
| 1991 | Cobra | | Punjabi / Urdu |
| 1993 | Ghunghru-o-Klashankoff | | Pashto |
| 2016 | Hijrat | Feriha | Urdu |

## 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 |
| "Zara Zara Tu Pyaar kar" | Maine Jeena Seekh Liya | Salma Agha |
| "Chala hai Balamwa" | Sheeshay ka Ghar | Salma Agha |
| "Mukhtaar si baat" | Sheeshay ka Ghar | Salma Agha |
| "Na Todo piya" | Sheeshay ka Ghar | Salma Agha |
| "Tarana" | Sheeshay ka Ghar | Salma Agha |
| "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 |
| " Meet mere Man ke (Title Track)" | Meet Mere Man ke 1991 | Solo |
| "Chale Aao" | Meet Mere Man ke 1991 | Salma Agha & Manhar Udas |
| "Shama Hoon Main Jalna" | Meet Mere Man ke 1991 | Salma Agha (Solo) |
| "Jahan Aaj Hum Mile Hain" | Bobby 1984 (Urdu) | Salma Agha (Solo) |
| "Ek Baar Milo Humse" | Bobby (Urdu) | Salma Agha (Solo) & With Ghulam Abbas |
| "Ghar Nahi Jana" | Gumraah | Salma Agha (Zahrah Khan & Armaan Malik ) |

## Awards and recognition

| Year | Award | Category | Result | Title |
| 1983 | 30th Filmfare Awards | Best Female Playback Singer | Won | Nikaah |
| 1983 | 30th Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | Nikaah |
| 1985 | 32nd Filmfare Awards | Best Female Playback Singer | Nominated | Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki |
| 1988 | Nigar Award | Best Actress | Won | Bazar-e-Husn |