Shabnam shot to fame with the hit Bengali film, Harano Din (1961), and clicked in Pakistan with the box-office Urdu hit Chanda (1962). Both the films were produced from Dhaka, East Pakistan.

By the mid-60s, she became one of the most popular actresses of Pakistan. She settled down in Karachi in 1968 due to professional commitments and by the early ’70s, Shabnam had firmly established herself in Lollywood to ultimately become the most popular heroine in the history of Pakistani films. She reigned supreme as an actress until the lull in the local film industry in the late ’80s.

During her career spanning nearly 40 years, she has acted in about 180 films which include innumerable hits. She won the coveted Nigar Award 13 times and also bagged the Pakistan National Award thrice. Her last super hit film was Amma Jaan released in 1999, it was a Dhaka production. — S.A.