Durdana Butt

Durdana was born in Lahore, Punjab on 9 May 1938.[2] She studied at Kinnaird College and later went to the University of Toledo, where she achieved a PhD in Ohio educational administration.[2]

She then went on to pursue acting where she worked in commercials and modeling, which she did briefly on PTV Channel.[3] She started working in theater when a director gave her a role in a comedy drama.[2] She accepted the role and earned praise for her natural acting and expressions.[2] Soon after that she performed in many dramas on PTV Channel.[2] In 1978 she had a role in the drama Fifty Fifty with Moin Akhtar.[2] The drama finished in 1984; she had become well known among the audience.[2] In 1980 she had the role of Sultana Sahiba in the drama Aangan Terha, an emotional role for which she was praised.[2] She was paired again with Moin Akhter in a comedy drama Naukar Ke Aage Chakar in 1982.[2] In 1985 she was offered a role in the drama Tanhaiyaan which she accepted, appearing with Marina Khan, Shehnaz Sheikh and Badar Khalil.[2] She had the role of Bibi, who is a motherly figure to the main protagonists who lose their parents in an accident.[2] The drama was successful and she along with other cast members was recognized for her talent.[2]

Durdana was married to her cousin, who died during the 1970s.[4]

Durdana Butt was on a ventilator for twelve days at a hospital in Karachi before she died from COVID-19 complications on 12 August 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.[5][6]

The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi held a tribute in her memory. Theatre artist and writer Kulsoom Aftab described her as a person who brought smiles to people's faces and in the ceremony Imran Shirvanee, Misbah Khalid, and Zaheer Khan were present to acknowledge her contribution to Pakistani dramas for four decades.[7] The Government of Pakistan named a street and intersection after her in Lahore on August 16, 2021.[8]

• Durdana Butt at IMDb