Neelo in Costume.

Famous Pakistani and Punjabi Movie Star. Neelo Begum (born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes) 3 June 1940 – 30 January 2021. was a Pakistani film actress from Lahore, and the mother of film actor Shaan Shahid. Early life and career Neelo was born on 30 June 1940 in Bhera, Sargodha, Pakistan. At age 16, she appeared in Bhowani Junction (1956), a Hollywood film shot in and around Lahore. She got her big breakthrough in Pakistani films when she performed the song, "Aaye Mausam, Rangilay Suhanay" in the film Saat Lakh (1957) with music by Rasheed Attre. Controversies In 1965, at the peak of her popularity, she was summoned by Nawab Malik Amir Mohammad Khan, then Governor of West Pakistan, to dance on stage for the Shah of Iran during his official visit to Pakistan; but she refused to do it for her own reasons. Harassed and threatened, Neelo faced dire consequences for refusing to obey official orders. She was allegedly gang molested and attempted suicide on the way to the Governor's house and was taken to a hospital instead, where the doctors saved her life. News of the incident generated a widespread public backlash against the Nawab. The renowned leftist poet Habib Jalib, on hearing of the incident, expressed his anguish in his poem over her attempted suicide: "Tu kay nawaqif-e-aadab-e-ghulami hae abhi...raqs zanjeer pehan ker bhi kya jata hae" (meaning: "unaware art thou yet of the rites of enslavement...dance can be performed even while enchained".) Later this poem was used in the film Zarqa (1969) with slight changes in the words and ended up becoming a super-hit film song in Pakistan. The film song became much more relevant, effective and popular because it was picturized on Neelo herself and was based on similar real life events in Neelo's life. She also won the Best Actress Nigar Award for the film Zarqa (1969). It had superb music by Wajahat Attre and was sung by Mehdi Hassan. Film Zarqa (1969) was produced and directed by Riaz Shahid who also wrote its screenplay. Neelo helped her husband, Riaz Shahid, produce this film and it became the best-known film of her career. Personal life Neelo was born into a Christian family. (Episcopalian or Church of England) She adopted the name Abida Riaz after accepting Islam at the time of her marriage to film screenwriter and film director Riaz Shahid.