Parveen Rizvi, better known as Sangeeta, (Urdu: سنگیتا; born 14 June 1958) is a Pakistani film actress, filmmaker and director of television drama serials.[3]
Parveen Rizvi was born on 14 June 1958 in Karachi, Pakistan.[4] Parveen Rizvi's (or Sangeeta's) mother Mehtab Rizvi also had a career in show business.[5] Additionally, Parveen's younger sister, Nasreen Rizvi (professionally known as Kaveeta) is also associated with Pakistani cinema.[6] The British-American actress Jiah Khan was her niece.[7]
In 1969, Sangeeta appeared on the film Koh-e-Noor (1969) as a child star; it was directed by Agha Husaini.[8] In 1971, she moved to Lahore from her birthplace of Karachi and started a more serious career in Lollywood movies in Lahore.[9] Her role as a supporting actress in Riaz Shahid's movie Yeh Aman (1971) was well-liked by the Pakistani public. She went on to act in dozens of other movies before deciding to become a film producer-director with her own film Society Girl in 1976. Sangeeta has over 120 films to her credit as an actress and a producer-director.[10] In 2022 on August 14, she was honored by the Government of Pakistan with the Pride of Performance for her contributions towards the film and television industry.[2]
Sangeeta directed her debut film in 1976, Society Girl, which was a box-office hit.[11] Her second film as director was Mujhay Galay Laga Lo, starring Sangeeta, Kaveeta, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Nayyar Sultana, and Bahar Begum. In 1978, she directed the critically acclaimed film Mutthi Bhar Chawal.[12] Her film Mian Biwi Razi (1982) celebrated its Platinum Jubilee and was a highly successful movie. Her film Thori Si Bewafai was the first Pakistani film to be shot in United States.[13] During the 1990s, she directed commercially successful films like Khilona (1996) and Nikah (1998). In 2019, she directed the romantic film Sirf Tum Hi To Ho.[14][15]
Sangeeta's first marriage was to fellow Pakistani actor Humayun Qureshi.[13] Together, they had a daughter.[13] After some years, this marriage failed and they divorced.[13] Sangeeta,then married the business tycoon Naveed Akbar Butt with him she had two daughters but they divorced and took the custody of her daughters.[13] She is also the aunt of British American actress Jiah Khan.[13]