Veena Malik

Zahida Malik (born 26 February), better known as Veena Malik, is a Pakistani actress, TV host, reality television personality and model who has appeared in Pakistani and Bollywood films. Veena made her film debut in 2000 with Sajjad Gul's Tere Pyar Mein. In 2002, she starred in Akbar Khan's Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa and Sassi Punno and later played roles in female-centric films such as Koi Tujh Sa Kahan (2005) and Mohabbatan Sachiyan (2007). She was a contestant on Bigg Boss in 2010.

Early life
Veena was born as Zahida Malik on 26 February in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, in a Punjabi family to Malik Mohammad Aslam and his wife, Zeenat Malik.

Television
In 2002, Veena hosted the Prime TV series, Prime Gupshup for them ushering a new direction for her comic skills and she improvised on the hour-long show occasionally mimicking actors.

Veena hosted the Geo TV show Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain, in which she was hailed for her comedic parodies. In 2007, she appeared at the Lux Style Awards and was awarded as being the Most stylish celebrity on the carpet.

In October 2010, Veena appeared in the Indian television reality show Bigg Boss Season 4. She was evicted two weeks before the finals, and was one of the final six contestants out of the original fourteen who had participated. Veena was also part of the finale of the show. After her Bigg Boss stay, she was mentioned in the media as the voice of liberal Muslims, including leading dailies, Daily Times, Express Tribune, and The Australian. Sabbah Hajim, from the Haji Amina Charity Trust in Jammu and Kashmir, writing in the magazine Tehelka, when comparing her with liberal rector of Darul Uloom Deoband said, "these two newly public figures might teach Muslims to stop feeling eternally outraged."

In February 2011, Veena became part of the Cricket World Cup reality show in Delhi, India, called "Big Toss." Big Toss was a reality game show with contestants and Veena as the captain of one team, against Rakhi Sawant and her team.

In March 2011, Veena engaged in a passionate debate with a mufti, who claimed she had engaged in immoral behaviour as a contestant on Bigg Boss, even though he admitted to not having watched the show. Veena countered pointing out the double standards of Pakistani media against women among other rebuttals.

Another show Veena Malik – Veena Ka Vivah was planned where Veena would search for her soul-mate, but the show was cancelled when Imagine TV, the channel on which the show was being shown, announced that it was shutting down. Veena collected almost 71,000 entries from all over the world for the show.

Films
Veena made her acting debut alongside Shaan and Zara Sheikh in Askari's Tere Pyar Mein (2000). She played a supporting role in the film and was barely acknowledged. Later on, she appeared in a supporting role in Javed Sheikh's Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa (2002). In 2003, Veena appeared in Indo-Pak cross venture Punjabi film Pind Di Kudi which failed commercially. She also appeared in Askari's Sassi Punno (2003) alongside Sana and Moammar Rana. She then appeared in Rafique's Jageer. Her breakthrough role was in Reema Khan's Koi Tujh Sa Kahan. In the same year, she played the parallel lead role of Farwa in fantasy film Naag aur Nagin.

In 2008, Veena appeared in Rafique's Punjabi film, Mohabbatan Sachiyan, alongside Babrik Shah and newcomers Maria Khan and Adnan Khan. The film went on to become a commercial success. The same year, she appeared in Raza's Kabhi Pyar Na Karna in a supporting role.

In 2012, Veena debuted in Bollywood with an item song in Gali Gali Mein Chor Hai entitled "Chhanno". Then in the same month she did another item song "Fann Ban Gayi" in Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya. Then she made her acting debut with a comedy Daal Mein Kuch Kaala Hai. In 2013, her first film was Rajiv S. Ruia's social drama Zindagi 50 50 in which she played a prostitute. She appeared in the music video "Ac Chala Garmi Badi Hai" sung by Sukhdeep Grewal. Then she made a special appearance in Punjabi film, Jatts in Golmaal in an item song "Shabboo". She then made her Kannada film debut and appeared in Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Hot in which she portrayed the life of actress Silk Smitha for which she gained 5 kg. Her last film of 2013 was Super Model. Veena played a supermodel, a small town girl who becomes a success in the fashion industry. Her last Bollywood film was Hemant Madhukar's Mumbai 125 KM 3D that was released in 2014.

Personal life
Veena married businessman Asad Bashir Khan Khattak on 25 December 2013 in Dubai. They had two children together but got divorced in 2018. Malik is Muslim and has stated that she has visited the Kaaba three times.

Philanthropy
Veena has worked as a representative at the World Health Organization for two years. She also sponsors a child at the SOS Children's Village, an NGO based in Pakistan working with orphaned children.

In the media
Veena broke the Guinness World Records for getting maximum kisses on her birthday in a span of one minute beating Salman Khan who held the record achieved on the reality show Guinness World Records – Ab India Todega.

In 2012 she was ranked at No. 26 on FHM India's "100 sexiest women list" which included Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Shilpa Shetty and Sonam Kapoor.

FHM images
Controversy resulted in Pakistan over a nude image of Veena on the cover of FHM magazine India edition in which she had "ISI" written on her upper arm – the initials of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency. Veena says she was topless but did not pose completely nude, and has sued the magazine over the images.

Legal troubles
In November 2014, Veena and her husband Asad were sentenced to 26 years in prison by a Gilgit court for allegedly airing a blasphemous programme. The owner of Pakistan's biggest media group, Geo TV and Jang group, was accused of allowing the airing of the blasphemous programme by Geo television in May, which played a religious song while staging a mock marriage of Veena with Bashir. A fine of was also set. The judge sentenced Veena and Bashir and TV host Shaista Wahidi to 26 years each. She planned to appeal. They have yet to serve any time, as the ruling is not enforceable outside Gilgit.

Reality television

 * As Contestant

Drama serials

 * Achanak PTV
 * Kaun Psycho Thriller Appeared in EP 7 STN

Discography

 * As lead artist
 * As featured artist