Seema Bhargava Pahwa (born 10 February 1962) is an Indian actress and director known for her varied characters in films and television. She is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award and a Filmfare OTT Award.

Seema Bhargava Pahwa
Pahwa in 2020
Born
Seema Bhargava

(1962-02-10) 10 February 1962 (age 62)
Delhi, India
NationalityIndian
Occupations
Years active1984–present
Spouse
(m. 1988)
Children2

She rose to prominence for her role of Badki in the popular Doordarshan soap opera Hum Log (1984–1985). As a theatre actress, she worked with Delhi-based theatre group Sambhav, before moving to Mumbai in 1994 to work in films and continue her work in television and theatre. She directed Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi (2021), her debut as a director and won Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director.

Career

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Pahwa rose to prominence for her role of Badki in the popular Doordarshan soap opera Hum Log (1984–1985).[1] As a theatre actor she worked with Delhi-based theatre group Sambhav,[2] before moving to Mumbai in 1994 to work in films and continue her work in television and theatre.[3][4][5]

Subsequently, she played Maasi, or Aunt on Kasamh Se (2006–2009), a popular Zee TV soap opera by Ekta Kapoor.[3] The character is very kind and loving towards her nephew and his wife Bani Walia, the protagonist. She won the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Screen Awards for the film Ankhon Dekhi (2013).

In 2014, she received acclaim for experiential theatre performance of Bhisham Sahni's satire on the middle-class, Saag Meat, where she cooked during the performance, and the food was served to the audience.[2] She was also very popularly loved for her role in the series Hip Hip Hurray, where she played the role of a single mother of Mazhar.

At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, she was nominated twice for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the films Bareilly Ki Barfi and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (both 2017). She received her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 65th Filmfare Awards for her role in Bala (2019).[6]

In 2020, she starred as Nani in Chintu Ka Birthday (2019), which won her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Supporting Actress (Web Original).

She made her directorial debut with the film Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi which premiered at Mumbai Film Festival in 2019 followed by a theatrical release in 2021. The film earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director at the 67th Filmfare Awards.[7][8][9]

Personal life

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She was born Seema Bhargava. She is married to actor Manoj Pahwa,[10] a co-actor in Hum Log,[3] and lives in Versova, Mumbai along with their daughter Manukriti and son Mayank.[2] On 02-March-2022, her son Mayank Pahwa married Sanah Kapur wheras in September 2023 her daughter Manukriti Pahwa married Ruhaan Kapoor, both siblings being children of actors Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak Kapur. Sanah and Ruhaan are grandkids of veteran character artiste Dina Pathak and half-siblings of actor Shahid Kapoor .

Filmography

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Films

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Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Film Role Notes
1989 Adhuri Zindagi TV movie co-starring Shah Rukh Khan
1996 Sardari Begum Kulsum's Mother
1997 ...Jayate Nurse Linda TV movie
1999 Godmother Shanti (Veeram's sister-in-law)
2000 Hari-Bhari Rampyari
2001 Zubeidaa Zainab Bi
2008 Roorkee By-Pass Maasi Short film
2010 Tere Bin Laden Shabbo
2012 Ferrari Ki Sawaari Baboo Didi
2014 Ankhon Dekhi Amma Won—Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress
2015 Dum Laga Ke Haisha Subhadra Rani Released internationally as My Big Fat Bride
All Is Well Mamiji
Hasmukh Saab Ki Wasihat Mrs. Sonal Mehta
2016 Wazir Pammi
BHK Bhalla at Halla.Kom Neelam Khanna
2017 Bareilly Ki Barfi Susheela Mishra Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan Sugandha's Mother Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2018 Khajoor Pe Atke Sushila
Everything is Fine Asha Short film
Bhaiyya Morey Old woman Short film
2019 Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga Billauri
Arjun Patiala MLA Prapti Makkad
Bala Mausi Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
Shame Laundry lady Short film
2020 Chintu Ka Birthday Nani Won—Filmfare OTT Award for Best Supporting Actress (Web Original)
Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari Yeshodha Dhillon [11]
Das Capital: Gulamon Ki Rajdhani Rashida Streaming on Cinemapreneur[12]
2021 Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi Director Debut as a director

Won—Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director

Ye Mard Bechara Shanti Devi
2022 Badhaai Do Mrs Singh
Gangubai Kathiawadi Sheela [13]
Raksha Bandhan Shanoo Sharma
Thank God Mrs. Kapoor, Ayaan's mother
2023 Dream Girl 2 Jumani
Yaatris

Television

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Year Film Role Notes
1984–85 Hum Log Badki
1995–96 Khushi (Season 1)
1995 Sidhhi Sneha Aditya Diwan
1997 Pehla Pyar Nirmala Mathur
1998–01 Hip Hip Hurray Mrs. Merchant
1999 Rishtey Leelavati Episode 70: Naya Vivah
2000–01 Khushi (Season 2)
2005 Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani Archana's mother
2002 Sanjivani-A Medical Boon
Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand
2003 Aandhi Bua Ji
2006–07 Kulvaddhu Padma Chauhan
2006–09 Kasamh Se Billo Masi
2008 Hum Ladkiyan Dadiji
2012 Lakhon Mein Ek Teejan Bai/Hema Dhawan
2017 The Kapil Sharma Show Herself Episode 128: Promotion of Bareilly Ki Barfi
2020 Episode 274: Celebrating Hum Log
2021 Episode 171: Promotion of Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi

Web series

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Year Film Role Notes
2019 Aafat Rita Mohanty Web series on MX Player
2022 Mai: A Mother's Rage Kalpana Netflix
2022 Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega S2 Ganga Devi Netflix

Awards and nominations

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Year Category Work Result [citation needed]
Filmfare Awards
2018 Best Supporting Actress Bareilly Ki Barfi Nominated
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan Nominated
2020 Bala Nominated
2022 Best Film (Critics) Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi Nominated
Best Director Nominated
Best Story Nominated
Best Debut Director Won
Filmfare OTT Awards
2020 Best Supporting Actress in a Web Original Film Chintu Ka Birthday Won
FOI Online Awards
2018 Best Supporting Actress Bareilly Ki Barfi Won
2022 Best Director Ramprasad Ki Tehrvi Nominated
IIFA Awards
2018 Best Supporting Actress Bareilly Ki Barfi Nominated
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan Nominated
Jagran Film Festival
2017 Best Supporting Actress Bareilly Ki Barfi Won
Screen Awards
2015 Best Supporting Actress Ankhon Dekhi (tied with Tabu for Haider) Won
2018 Shubh Mangal Saavdhan Nominated
2020 Bala Nominated
Zee Cine Awards
2018 Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female Bareilly Ki Barfi Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "The soap that gripped the nation". The Telegraph (India). 6 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Chandrima Pal (9 August 2015). "Manoj Pahwa and family on theatre, Bhisham Sahni and more". Mid Day. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Alaka Sahani (23 August 2009). "Sister Act". The Indian Express. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  4. ^ "The Mint Planner". 7 August 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  5. ^ Karan Bhardwaj (15 April 2014). "Culinary act". The Pioneer. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Filmfare Awards 2020 Nominations | 65th Filmfare Awards 2020". filmfare.com. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Seema Pahwa to debut as director with film starring Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen, Manoj Pahwa". Firstpost. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Mumbai Academy of Moving Image - ProgrammeDetail Site". Mumbai Film Festival.
  9. ^ "Seema Pahwa's directorial debut, Ram Prasad ki Tehrvi, to premiere at Mumbai Film Festival". Cinema Express. 30 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Meet Mr and Mrs Pahwa: 'We have our tuning with each other for 30 years'". 19 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari: Manoj Bajpayee, Diljit, Fatima Sana Shaikh film to release in theatres this Diwali". India Today. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Fighting several pandemics at once". The New Indian Express. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Alia Bhatt starrer Gangubai Kathiawadi to release on January 6, 2022". Bollywood Hungama. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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