Sheema Kermani Height, Age, Husband, Family, Biography » StarsUnfolded

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sheema Kermani

• Sheema Kermani was born in a Muhajir family in Rawalpindi, Punjab. Her parents were migrated from India during 1947 partition.

• Her father was a retired brigadier of Pakistani Army. After his retirement he served as chairman of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation.

• Kermani is the middle child of her parents. Due to her father’s army service she received her education from Convent schools in different cities across Pakistan. In an interview, Sheema mentioned that during her school vacations, Kermani would visit her maternal grandparents who lived in India and at that time she developed an interest in the performing arts.

• At the age of 8, Kermani started learning piano and Western classical music.

• When Sheema was 13 years old, she started learning Indian classical dance from an Indian couple from Kolkata, Mr. and Mrs. Guru Ghanshyam. They had setup their dance center in Karachi. Sheema later joined their institute as a member of the staff and performing troupe.

• During General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law, when dance was banned in Pakistan Kermani was the only dancer in Pakistan and for this, she faced lots of criticism in the country. She also started wearing sarees as of form of cultural resistance.

• In the mid-1960s, Kermani started learning Bharatanatyam.

• In 1979, she founded a women focused cultural and theatre movement, Tehrik-e-Niswan, where she used art to discuss gender equality and social justice issues.

• In 1984, she gave her first solo performance in Pakistan.
  

  A younger age picture of Sheema Kermani

• In 1988, Sheema Kermani she moved to India on an Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship.

• In India, she learnt Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson, Kathak under Ram Mohan and Odissi under Guru Mayadhar Raut and Aloka Pannikar.

• After returning to Pakistan, Sheema started conducting theatre workshops under the guidance of theatre director Prasanna Ramaswamy in Karachi.

• In 2005, Peace Women Across the Globe selected Kermani as one of the most influential women of Pakistan. In the same year, she was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize on her services and contributions for Bharatanatyam dance and contribution to the promotion of culture and theatrical performances in Pakistan.

• In 2012, she was awarded with Women of Inspiration Award from Wonder Women Association on her strong devotion for well-being of Pakistani women and her passion for gender equality.

• In 2013, Association for Communal Harmony (ACHA) in Asia, awarded her ACHA Peace Star Award for her life-long contributions for peace, communal harmony and women’s rights activism, particularly in South Asia.

• On 19 February 2017, after the barbaric suicide attack, Kermani appeared at the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan and performed a Sufi dance form, Dhamal. At the event she gave a passionate performance and instructed the media that nobody could stop music and dance.

• In February 2018, Sheema Kermani performed at the Faiz Aman Mela, Lahore to pay tribute to Asma Jahangir and Munno Bhai.
  

  A still of Sheema Kermani from one of her performances

• In 2019, Taimur Rahim, a documentary film maker from Pakistan made a documentary titled With Bells On Her Feet on the life, on the life of Sheema Kermani. The documentary was focused on the classical dancer’s life and fight for social justice during Zia-ul-Haq’s marital law. The film was released in South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM), and bagged two awards-Best Short Film and the Audience Choice Award in 2020.

• In February 2022, Sheema gained international recognition after appearing in the music video for the song “Pasoori” in Coke Studio Season 14. She performed Bharatnatyam in the song.

• On 14 August 2023 on the occasion of Pakistan Independence Day, the Government of Pakistan honoured him with the Pride of Performance for her contributions towards the social activist, theatre and television industry.

• On 26 February 2024, Sheema Kermani was honoured with Kashmir HUM Women Leaders Award for her advocacy for art, culture and women’s rights.

• In July 2024, at 9th Icon of the Nation Award, Kermani received National Icon Award for her contributions towards the social activist and entertainment industry.

• In May 2026, Sheema Kirmani came into news after a video of her went viral in which policewomen were escorting her in Karachi. The video spread rapidly across social media.

• According to some reports, Kirmani and transgender rights activist, Shahzadi Rai were among the seven activists who were briefly detained by Sindh Police near the Karachi Press Club on 5 May 2026. They were gathered for a press conference connected to the Aurat March scheduled on 10 May 2026 in Karachi. They were demanding a no-objection certificate for the event.
  

  Sheema Kermani. when she was detained by the Karachi Policewomen on 5 May 2026

• After the order of Pakistan Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, Sheema snd other detented people were released.

• This incident sparked debate in Pakistan about women’s rights, cultural freedom and shrinking civic space. Many activists and journalists also criticized action of police.

• Sheema often described herself both a feminist and a Marxist, that made one of the boldest cultural voices in Pakistan.

• Along with her active participation in activism, Sheema Kermani taught arts and culture at Szabist University, Karachi, National College of Arts, Lahore, and Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi.