| Birth date | 20 November 1955 (age 70) |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Relatives | Nadeem Cheema (brother) |
Shafqat Cheema is a Pakistani actor and producer.
In a career spanning more than three decades, he has particularly become known for his fine acting in negative roles and has been called "Pakistan’s favorite villain".[1]
Early and personal life
Shafqat graduated from the Jamia Naeemia, an Islamic seminary affiliated with the Barelvi movement, in 1974.[1] He is the son of a religious scholar and is himself a hafiz (memorizer) and qari (reciter) of the Qur'an.
Before entering the film industry he was a wrestler as well a painter.[2]
Cheema has five daughters and a son, Sheharyar, who starred alongside his father in the 2017 movie Geo Sar Utha Kay, which Cheema also produced, while it was directed by his brother Nadeem Cheema.[3][4]
Career
According to Shafqat, his acting career began by coincidence, when he walked into the Shahnoor Studios in Lahore. He then decided that he wanted to become a film actor. He struggled for almost twelve years before he was offered a side role in the film Kalka (1989), which also starred Sultan Rahi.[1]
Selected filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Kalka | |||
| 1991 | Kalay Chor | |||
| 1992 | God-Father | |||
| Munda Bigra Jae | ||||
| 1993 | Zabata | |||
| 1994 | Zameen Aasman | |||
| Pajero Group | Haji Rasheed Ahmed | |||
| Ghunda Raj | ||||
| 1995 | Munda Bigra Jaye | Ghafoor / Surya | ||
| 1996 | Baazigar | |||
| 1997 | Umar Mukhtar | |||
| 1998 | Choorian | |||
| 1999 | Kursi Aur Qanoon | |||
| 2000 | Mehndi Waley Hath | |||
| 2001 | Moosa Khan | |||
| 2002 | Toofan | |||
| 2004 | Sassi Punno | |||
| 2006 | Majajan | |||
| 2007 | Jhoomar | |||
| Godfather | ||||
| 2008 | Zill-e-Shah | Abid Shah | ||
| Yarana | Pashto film debut | |||
| 2011 | Bhai Log | Israr David | ||
| Bol | Saqa Kanjar (Panderer) | |||
| Son of Pakistan | ||||
| 2013 | Chambaili | |||
| Main Hoon Shahid Afridi | Bashir Bhatti | |||
| Ishq Khuda | ||||
| 2014 | The System | Corrupt SHO | ||
| 2015 | Wrong No. | Shera | ||
| Badnam | Pashto film | |||
| 2016 | Ishq Positive[5] | |||
| Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai | Cheema | |||
| Saya e Khuda e Zuljalal | Subedar Sher Muhammad | |||
| 2017 | Balu Mahi | |||
| Geo Sar Utha Kay | Kalu | |||
| 2018 | Parchi | Zodiac | ||
| 2019 | Daal Chawal | Bhola Pehlwan | ||
| Wrong No. 2 | Choudury | |||
| 2021 | 36 Garh | |||
| 2022 | The Legend of Maula Jatt | Jeeva Natt | Punjabi film | |
| Zarrar | Ravinder Kaushik | |||
| TBA | Delhi Gate | TBA | Post-production | |
| Mausam | TBA | Filming | ||
| Jab Tak Hain Hum | TBA | Post-production[6] | ||
| Kambakht | Chaudhry Rustam | Post-production |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Khuda Aur Muhabbat (season 1) | Ghafoor Coolie | Geo TV | Supporting role |
| 2012 | Ashk | Dinga | Hum TV | |
| 2013 | Heer Ranjha | Kedo | PTV Home | Main antagonist |
See also
References
- ^ Khan, Sher (29 August 2012). "Shafqat Cheema: Pakistan's favourite villain". The Express Tribune. Archived 25 February 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Shafqat Cheema & Nayyar Ejaz (Pakistani Actors) – Tabish Hashmi – HMH – Geo News". YouTube. Akhri Dum Tak (via Geo News / HMH). 2 June 2025. pp. 5:00. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
From minute 5:00 onward, Shafqat Cheema discusses his early years, including his background in bodybuilding and painting before entering acting.
- ^ Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (20 August 2017), "THE ICON REVIEW: INSPIRED BY THE WRONG ERA", Dawn News. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ Omair Alavi (27 August 2017), "In the picture", The News. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ 'Yalghaar' and 'Ishq Positive' to release under Hum Films Archived 5 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 April 2018
- ^ Riding the wave of revival The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 4 April 2016, Retrieved 17 April 2018
External links
- Shafqat Cheema at IMDb