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{{short description|Pakistani actress}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Uzra Butt
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Uzra Mumtaz
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1917|05|22}}
| birth_place = [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|05|31|1917|05|22}}
| death_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| othername =
| occupation = stage actor, dancer
| yearsactive = 1937–2008
| spouse = Hameed Butt
| nationality = [[Pakistan]]i
| relatives = See [[List of Hindi film clans#Mumtazullah Khan family|Mumtazullah Khan family]]
| website =
}}

'''Uzra Butt''' [[Née|nee]] '''Mumtaz''' (22 May 1917 – 31 May 2010) was a theatre personality of the [[Indian Subcontinent]],<ref name="Swarup">{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030824/edit.htm#4|title=Acting sisters — Zora and Uzra style|last=Swarup|first=Harihar|date=24 August 2003|work=The Tribune|access-date=1 June 2010|location=India}}</ref> who moved to [[Pakistan]] in 1964. She was the sister of theatre and [[Bollywood]] film actress [[Zohra Sehgal]], who, unlike her, lived in [[India]].

Starting in 1937, breaking traditional barriers, she and her sister joined with [[Uday Shankar]] [[ballet company]] as actors and dancers and toured through Europe and the United States. When [[World War II]] ended their tour, she joined [[Indian People's Theatre Association|IPTA]] and subsequently remained the leading lady with [[Prithvi Theatre]] in the 1940s and 1950s.

==Early life==
She was born as Uzra Mumtaz <ref name="Ali"/> in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh|Rampur]], [[India]] in a land-owning [[Muslim]] family of Mumtazullah Khan and Natiqua Begum, belonging to [[Rohilla]] [[Pathans]] of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. She was fourth of her seven siblings – Zakullah, [[Hajra Begum|Hajrah]], Zohra ([[Zohra Sehgal]]), Ikramullah, Anna and Sabira, and grew up in [[Chakrata]], near [[Dehradun]]. Author [[Kiran Segal]] is her niece and actress [[Samiya Mumtaz]] is her grand niece.

==Career==
[[File:Uday Shankar Ballet Troupe, ca (1935-37).jpg|right|180px|thumb|[[Zohra Sehgal]] and Uzra Butt, part of the ''Uday Shankar Ballet Troupe'', ca (1935–37).]]
She began her stage career with [[Uday Shankar]]'s [[ballet company]] in 1937 and went on to become the leading lady of the famous [[Prithvi Theatre]] in 1940s and 50s.<ref name="Ali">{{cite news|url=http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2009-weekly/nos-07-06-2009/enc.htm#4|title=Inspiration all along|last=Ali|first=Sarwat|date=June 2009|work=The News on Sunday (Jang Group)|access-date=1 June 2010|location=Pakistan}}</ref>

She entered Uday Shankar's ballet troupe as a dancer and also taught dance before joining the [[Indian People's Theatre Association]] (IPTA) in 1944 as an actress. Here [[Khwaja Ahmad Abbas]] cast her as the lead in the play ''Zubeda''. [[Prithviraj Kapoor | Prithivi Raj Kapoor]] was impressed by her role and chose her as his lead heroine, Zohra too joined her. In the coming years, she played leading lady opposite Prithviraj Kapoor in Prithvi Theatre productions. She played a heroine's part in ''Sakuntala'' in 1944, partnering her sister in ''Ghaddar'' in 1948 and taking the lead role in ''Kisan'' and performed in 100 towns and cities all over India. Uzra Butt was also an art director of Prithvi theatre and worked for Prithvi theatre, till 1960, when it wrapped up.<ref name="Ali"/>

In 1964 she migrated to Pakistan with her husband, Hameed Butt. Here she formed a dance troupe in [[Rawalpindi]], acted on stage and television from time to time and served the [[Pakistan National Council of the Arts]].

Later she moved to [[Lahore]] and joined the [[Ajoka Theater|Ajoka Theatre]] in October 1985. Her inaugural group performance was 'Chaak Chakkar' and she went on to act in the plays: ''Barri'', ''Dukhini'', ''Dukh Darya'', ''Takey Da Tamasha'', ''Talismati Tata'', ''Teesri Dastak'', ''Kali Ghata'', ''Adhuri'' and ''Surak Gulaban Da Mousam''. She assumed the leadership role of chairperson of the group.<ref name="to">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Legendary-theatre-actress-Uzra-Butt-dead-at-93/articleshow/5999385.cms|title=Legendary theatre actress Uzra Butt dead at 93|date=1 June 2010|work=The Times of India}}</ref> She resumed acting after a forty-year hiatus in 1993 when she performed in ''Aik Thi Nani'' with her sister [[Zohra Sehgal]]. They played the lead roles and the cast included their grandniece, [[Samiya Mumtaz]] and niece, Salima Raza. The play opened in Lahore in 2003 and toured India, Pakistan and Britain, including a performance at the Prithvi theatre in 2004.<ref name="Swarup"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/11/14/stories/2004111400580500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041116215127/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/11/14/stories/2004111400580500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 November 2004|work=[[The Hindu]]|title=Real life drama|date=14 November 2004}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_theatre-actress-uzra-butt-sister-of-zohra-sehgal-dies-at-93_1390877|title=Theatre actress Uzra Butt, sister of Zohra Sehgal, dies at 93|date=2 June 2010|work=DNA (newspaper)}}</ref>
Uzra was presented the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] in [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award#Acting|Acting]] (Urdu) in 1994 by the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama; it is India's highest recognition that is presented to practicing artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm|title=SNA: List of Akademi Awardees|publisher=[[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] Official website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217185616/http://www.sangeetnatak.org/sna/awardeeslist.htm|archive-date=2012-02-17}}</ref>

Her last stage performance was in 2008. She died in [[Lahore, Pakistan]] at age 93.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Theatre actress Uzra Butt passes away |url=http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100601/4858378554143342128.htm |agency=[[Press Trust of India]] |newspaper=[[Sakaal Times]] |date=1 June 2010 |access-date=2 June 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Uzra}}
[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Pakistani ballerinas]]
[[Category:People from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Pakistani stage actresses]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:Indian People's Theatre Association people]]
[[Category:Muhajir people]]
[[Category:Disease-related deaths in Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Hindi theatre]]
[[Category:People from Lahore]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Pakistan]]

Uzra Butt - Revision history

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