Sanam Baloch Hisbani or Jatoi[1] (Urdu: صنم بلوچ, Sindhi: صنم بلوچ جتوئي)[2] (born 14 July 1986)[3] credited as Sanam Baloch is a Pakistani actress and television presenter.[4] She has hosted various television shows, such as Sanam Small Room on KTN and the morning show on Samaa TV.[5] As an actress, she has starred in critically acclaimed drama series, such as Dastaan (2010) and Durr-e-Shehwar (2012).[6]
Personal life
Sanam was born in a Sindhi Baloch family. She married her colleague, Abdullah Farhatullah on 12 October 2013 in a simple Nikah ceremony in Karachi.[7] Farhatullah is a singer, songwriter, and host. They met while working for Samaa TV and had been good friends for a long time. Upon her marriage, Baloch changed her name to Sanam Abdullah. Baloch's PR team dismissed rumors of a divorce in April 2018.[2]
In October 2018, Baloch confirmed that she and Abdullah had separated. Although they maintain a cordial relationship with each other, they are no longer friends.[8]
In August 2020, Baloch confirmed the news about her second marriage.[9] Sanam has a daughter, Amaya.[10]
Career
Baloch began her career as a talk show anchor on the Sindhi television channel KTN. She hosted two shows, Sanam Small Room and Diyoo on KTN. She appeared in Fahad Mustafa's long play, Kalaq.[11] She then portrayed Noorulain Aneez, an innocent orphan in drama Noorpur Ki Rani, an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca.[12] For her performance, she received her first ever nomination, Best Television Actress - Satellite at the 9th Lux Style Awards.[13]
She has also performed in Urdu and Sindhi language music videos.[14]
Baloch appeared with Fawad Khan in period drama Dastaan. The series was based on Razia Butt's Bano, and Baloch portrayed the eponymous character, a supporter of Pakistan movement whose life is shattered by the Partition of India. Taneeya Hasan of the Express Tribune termed her performance along with Khan's performance as "a remarkable job".[15] The performance earned her Best Drama Actress award at the 2nd Pakistan Media Awards and a nomination of Best Television Actress - Satellite at the 10th Lux Style Awards.[16][17] The same year, she depicted a medical student hails from a poor family in Daam. While writing for Dawn, a reviewer found that she "does act well" and "carries herself well and after Doraha, once again comes up with a stellar performance."[18]
Her first role in 2011 was in Zindagi Dhoop Tum Ghana Saya, where she depicted a married woman who is widowed suddenly and faces the numerous challenges. Dawn hailed her as "revelation" and opined that, "After Daam and Chemistry, she once again puts in a perfect performance."[19]
Her next role was of a victim of domestic abuse in social drama Kankar.[20] Farahnaz Moazzam of the Express Tribune stated that she "depicted a battered woman’s experience beautifully".[21]
She took no acting projects for the following three years due to her commitment to hosting, The Morning Show on ARY News.[22] In 2016, she returned to acting and portrayed the pilot fighter Marium Mukhtiar in the biographical television film Ek Thi Marium.[23]
Baloch then appeared in her only appearance in 2017 in romance-drama Teri Raza as Suhana, a university student of an upper-class family having a religious background.
In 2019, she portrayed a woman married to a narcissist in Khaas. While reviewing her and Ali Rehman Khan's performance, Buraq Shabbir of The News International found that they has done "a commendable job" and noted their "respective roles that break away from cliched portrayals."[24] For her performance, Baloch received Best Television Actress nomination at the 1st Pakistan International Screen Awards.[25]
She hosted the morning show, Morning With Hum on Hum TV, but in 2011, she started hosting Samaa TV's morning show, Subh Saverey Samaa Ke Saath, a role which held for three years.[26]
She married Abdullah Farhatullah who also hosts a show on Samaa TV.[27] Previously she hosted a morning show on ARY News. She left ARY News in 2018. Currently she hosts "morning show" on Samaa TV.[28]
Pakistani films like Bin Roye and Balu Mahi and many others was also offered to Sanam Baloch in fact she had signed Bin Roye as well but later she cancelled the contract with Hum TV in lieu of her morning show with ARY News and her wedding.[citation needed]
Baloch is one of the highest-paid actresses of Pakistan.[29]
