Meet the tawaif, real courtesan of Heeramandi, who became Pakistan’s highest paid item girl, was brainwashed, then brutally murdered by her husband due to…, name is..

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi on Netflix narrates the tale of the tawaifs (courtesans) from Lahore’s once-famous Heera Mandi. While Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s tale was fictionalised, Heera Mandi is a real place with real stories of glamour, love, and loss. One of the most notable tales of these is that of Niggo, aka Nargis Begum. Heera Mandi is located in Lahore, Pakistan, which is also the same city where Heera Mandi is situated. Called Lollywood, the industry began pre-partition, but after 1947, it became the dominant film industry in Pakistan, producing films in Punjabi and Urdu. 

During this time, there was a trend of filmmakers inducting many tawaifs from Heera Mandi and casting them as lead actresses in their films. Niggo’s mother was also a dancer in Lahore who made a living by performing Mujra. Niggo also initially continued her mother’s profession but one day, when her dance performance caught the attention of the film producers, it gave her a chance to become an actress. Known for her exceptional dancing skills, Niggo became the top dancer in Lollywood films, appearing in over a hundred films, after debuting with Ishrat in 1964. Such was Niggo’s popularity that she soon became the highest-paid item girl in Lollywood.

While Niggo’s career was on the rise, love was also waiting at the door for her. While shooting for her film Qasu in 1972, Niggo fell in love with the film’s producer, Khawaja Mazhar. The two eventually got married, but Niggo’s mother did not agree to their marriage, as tawaifs getting married was frowned upon. Niggo’s mother then tried to manipulate her daughter by faking an illness. She got Niggo back to Heera Mandi, where she brainwashed and emotionally blackmailed her into staying back.

While her husband, Khawaja Mazhar, tried to convince Niggo to come back, due to her family’s pressure, she refused to return to her husband’s home. On January 5, 1972, Niggo’s husband reached Heera Mandi at her kotha, trying to persuade her to return home with him. When Niggo refused to comply, he opened fire at Niggo in anger, killing her. Her uncle, and musician, were also killed in the attack. Mazhar was caught and sentenced to life imprisonment in the sensational case and died a natural death in prison.

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