Niggo
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=April 2025}}
{{short description|Pakistan dancer and film actress}}
{{Tone|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Niggo
| birth_name = Nargis Begum
| death_date = 5 January 1972
| death_place = Lahore
| death_cause = Murdered
| nationality = Pakistani
| occupation = Actress, Dancer
| years_active = 1964 - 1972
}}
Niggo (died 5 January 1972) was a popular traditional Pakistani dancer and film actress.{{Cite news|date=2020-04-14|title=Rakhshi — the first vamp/dancer of Lollywood|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/595320/rakhshi-the-first-vamp-dancer-of-lollywood/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Daily Times|language=en-US}} She mainly worked on Punjabi and Urdu films in the 1960s.
Early life
Niggo was born in Lahore, Pakistan. At that time, women from Lahore were often the first choice of Pakistani filmmakers. Those who were good at dancing joined the film industry.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-07 |title=Niggo - A Heera Mandi girl in Lollywood and victim of honour killing |url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/lifestyle/niggo-a-heera-mandi-girl-in-lollywood-and-victim-of-honour-killing/ |access-date=2024-01-01 |website=Daily Pakistan Global |language=en}}{{cite web | url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-true-story-of-heeramandi-tawaif-niggo-top-item-girl-lollywood-brainwashed-brutally-murdered-bhansali-netflix-3087608 | title=True story of Heeramandi: The girl who became highest paid item girl, was brainwashed, then brutally murdered by…}}
Career
Niggo's mother was also a dancer in Lahore who made a living by performing Mujra, a traditional Indian dance. Niggo inherited her mother's profession and she worked as a dancer and performed the dance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/originals/nargis-begum-niggo-pakistani-actress-real-courtesan-tawaif-heeramandi-killed-by-husband-633769.html |title=Meet Nargis Begum AKA Niggo, Pakistani Actress|date=6 May 2024 }} Niggo had good dancing skills, and once the film producers came to her red light district to select actresses, her dance performance caught the attention of the film producers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/viral/report-meet-the-tawaif-real-courtesan-of-heeramandi-was-once-highest-paid-item-girl-was-killed-by-3088836 |title=Meet the tawaif, real courtesan of Heeramandi, was once highest paid item girl, was killed by...}} It was common for the girls to join Lollywood and become famous actresses. Niggo's career in the film industry started the same way.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-11|title=Niggo No.1 item song girl of Lollywood life's painful story|url=https://thepakistantoday.com/niggo-no-1-item-song-girl-of-lollywood-lifes-painful-story/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=ThePakistanToday|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=webdesk|date=2016-11-23|title=15 Pakistani Celebrities Who Died Young|url=https://veryfilmi.com/15-pakistani-celebrities-died-young/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=VeryFilmi|language=en-US}} Because of her exceptional dancing skills, she was usually an optimal choice for the Mujra dance role in films.{{Cite web|title=Qandeel among many Pak artistes who met unnatural death|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/135714-Qandeel-among-many-Pak-artistes-who-met-unnatural-death|access-date=2020-11-23|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}} Her first film Ishrat was released in 1964. Niggo performed in almost a hundred movies altogether. She was the top item girl for most films.{{fact|date=April 2025}}
Personal life
While shooting for her film Qasu in 1972, Niggo fell in love with the film's producer Khawaja Mazhar. During this time, the couple got married. But Niggo's mother did not agree to their marriage, because marriage of tawaifs was always not recognized.{{cite web | url=https://www.news9live.com/entertainment/celebrity/heeramandi-true-story-tawaif-niggo-who-became-highest-paid-item-girl-was-brutally-murdered-2519903 | title=Heeramandi true story:Tawaif,who became highest-paid item girl,was brutally murdered| date=May 2024}} According to the old tradition, no girl can marry or travel without her family being compensated financially. Niggo's family tried to retrieve their daughter, but she refused to come back. To get her back home, Niggo's mother pretended to get sick and emotionally blackmailed her daughter to visit her one last time. Niggo visited her family, but was later brainwashed into staying. While her husband tried to convince Niggo to come back, Niggo due to her family's pressure, refused to return to her husband's home.{{Cite web|last=Awan|first=M. Saeed|date=2014-10-26|title=The dark side of Lollywood|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1140070|access-date=2020-11-23|website=DAWN.COM|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2017-06-07|title=Niggo - A Heera Mandi girl in Lollywood and victim of honour killing|url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/lifestyle/niggo-a-heera-mandi-girl-in-lollywood-and-victim-of-honour-killing/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Daily Pakistan Global|language=en}}
Death
Niggo was killed at her residence on 5 January 1972, in Lahore. Her husband, after trying and failing to get her to return home, lost his temper, drove to Heera Mandi and opened fire on Niggo at her mother's house.{{Cite web|title=Celebrated Pakistanis who met unnatural deaths|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/171065-Celebrated-Pakistanis-who-met-unnatural-deaths|access-date=2020-11-23|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}} Niggo's uncle and two musicians were also murdered in the incident.{{Cite web|date=2015-12-19|title=Unravelling the mystery of murdered women in show business|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1012855/unravelling-the-mystery-of-murdered-women-in-show-business|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2017-10-09|title=Pakistani theatre actress shot dead in Multan|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/pakistan/pakistani-theatre-actress-shot-dead-in-multan-4882085/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Indian Express|language=en}} Niggo's husband was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court in a public trial. The murderer died a natural death and was buried in his hometown of Gujranwala.{{Cite web|title=Stage Actor Kismat Baig Shot Dead In Pakistan's Lahore|url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/stage-actress-kismat-baig-shot-dead-in-pakistans-lahore-1630316|access-date=2020-11-23|website=NDTV.com}}{{Cite news|agency=Press Trust of India|date=2016-11-25|title=Stage actress Kismat Baig shot dead in Lahore|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/stage-actress-kismat-baig-shot-dead-in-lahore-116112500350_1.html|access-date=2020-11-23}} Niggo was laid to rest at Miani Sahib Graveyard, Lahore.{{Cite web|title=A popular theatre actress shot dead outside her house in Pakistan|url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/entertainment/a-popular-theatre-actress-shot-dead-outside-her-house-in-pakistan|access-date=2020-11-23|website=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Bureau|first=ABP News|date=2016-11-25|title=After Qandeel Baloch, another Pakistani actress shot dead|url=https://news.abplive.com/movies/after-qandeel-baloch-another-pakistani-actress-shot-dead-452666|access-date=2020-11-23|website=news.abplive.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2016-07-17|title=Qandeel Baloch murder: 5 times Pakistani female celebrities met tragic deaths|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/qandeel-baloch-murder-5-times-pakistani-female-celebrities-met-tragic-deaths/319554/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}
Filmography
- Ishrat (1964)
- Shahansha-e-Jahangir (1968)
- Nai Laila Naya Majnu (1969)
- Andaleeb (1969)
- Love in Jungle (1970)
- Afsana (1970)
- Mohabbat (1972)