Nimmo (actress)

Noreen Butt, also known as Nimmo (Urdu; نمو; August 1950 – 16 December 2010) was a Pakistani actress and model. She was known as The Doll of Cinema Screen because of her glamorous roles she often portrayed in films. She acted in both Urdu and Punjabi films and is known for her roles in films Basheera, Zarq Khan, Dillagi, Chahat, Farz Aur Mamta, Khanzada, Hashar Nashar, Aina, Danka, Sangam, Chor Sipahi, Nizam Daku and Behram Daku.

Early life
Noreen was born on August 3 in 1950 at Lahore, Pakistan. Nimmo's father Shahzad Mahmood also known as Rajpal was a famous actor and writer in Hindi Cinema during British India. Then he married an Indian woman there, with whom he had a son who became a big film star in Bollywood by the name of Vinod Khanna, who was Nimmo's elder step-brother. Later his wife left him and went back to India and then they got divorced. After Partition of India, he migrated to Pakistan and went to Karachi later he tried to build a film studio, but his plan didn't work so he returned to Lahore.

Then he married again in Lahore. Nimmo's elder brother Abid Butt was an actor who married Nighat Butt a famous actress was her sister-in-law and other elder brother Zahid Butt lived in Karachi.

She completed her early education from Lahore Girls College and then she graduated from University of Punjab. She got interested in working in films because her father Shahzad and her brother Abid Butt were actors. Then her father supported her passion for acting so he took her with him to Nigar Khans Studio at Lahore.

Career
In 1970 she gave a screen test for a film but faced a difficulty the filmmakers would declare her unsuitable for roles. Later she filed an appeal against the decision of the filmmakers in the court and she won the case in her favor. When Shabab Productions launched their new film Fasana Dil, they wanted to cast a new girl and Noreen immediately caught their attention so they cast her in the lead role opposite actor Nadeem as the hero. Shabab Kiranvi named her Nimmo while working on the film then Shabab Kiranvi asked Nimmo to sign a contract according to his terms, according to which she will not work in any other filmmaker's film for five years but Nimmo was not ready for such agreement so she refused and left working on Fasana Dil then Deeba was cast in the lead role.

Later Filmmaker and director Aslam Dar an acquaintance of Nimmo's father heard about her so one day he came to her house and cast her in his film Sakhi Latera. Nimmo always considered Aslam Dar a good friend. Nimmo's acting was praised in Sakhi Latera. The musical comedy film was presented in Reno Cinema in Karachi in which Nasrullah Butt played the lead role and actress Rani Begum played the lead role.

Later she signed a contract with Dreamland Pictures and made her debut as an actress in film Mujrim Kon starring along with Rozina, Zia Mohyeddin, and Allauddin which was written by Haroon Pasha and directed by Aslam Dar. The film was screened in Karachi's Regal Cinema and Aslam Dar was impressed by Nimmo's acting that he again cast her in his upcoming film.

After the success of her two films then in 1972 Nimmu portrayed the role of a brave wife in Basheera, it brought both Nimmo and Sultan Rahi to prominence, while the next year Nimmo also worked in film Zarq Khan. In 1974, Aslam Dar's classical romantic musical blockbuster Urdu film Dillagi it was a Super Hit at the box office and it received Golden Jubilee and Platinum Jubilee all the actors Shabnam, Nadeem, Nayyar Sultana, Agha Talish and Nimmo got a lot of fame.

She worked in total 113 films throughout her career and she worked in Urdu, Pashto and Punjabi films. In 2003 she worked in Punjabi Fauja Amritsaria in which Shaan did the lead role and it was directed by Sangeeta.

Then she retired and went to live with her family at Lahore.

Personal life
She got married at the peak of her career it was an arranged marriage by her parents however the marriage didn't work well as her husband had a on and off relatioship with Nimmo which she described was abusive. Later she filed for divorce and then magistrate of the court Javed Dastgir Mirza who handled her divorce case married Nimmo then they had a daughter singer Munazza Mirza. Nimmo was in contact with her step brother Vinod Khanna a famous Indian actor.

Death
She died on 16 December in 2010 at Lahore and she was buried at Lahore Graveyard.