Razia Butt () was an Urdu novelist and playwright from Pakistan. One of the famous popular fiction writer of the 1960s and 1970s, she is often compared with English writer Barbara Cartland due to her popularity among the household readers.
Some of her works have been adapted into television serials and films, including Bano.
Background
Razia Niaz was born in Wazirabad on 19 May 1924. She spent most of her childhood in Peshawar.
Career
She first appeared in a literary journal around 1940 when she was in her teens. She later developed her first published story into a novel, Naila. Butt also wrote radio plays. Films such as Naila, Saiqa and television serials such as Saiqa and Dastaan are based on her novels.
Married in 1946, Razia Butt resumed writing in 1950s after a break of some years. She wrote 51 novels and 350 short stories.
Butt wrote an autobiography, Bichhray Lamhe.
Death
Razia Butt died in Lahore on 4 October 2012 after a protracted illness.
Bibliography
Novels
Aadhi Kahani (Lit: Half a story) Aag (Lit: Fire) Aaina (Lit: Mirror) Aneela Bano (adapted as TV drama Dastan) Beena Chahat Darling Faslay (Lit: Distances) Mein kon hon (Lit: Who am I?) Naila Najia Nasoor Noreena Reeta Roop Sabeen Saiqa (novel) Wehshi Samina Sawaneh Shabbo Zindgi (Lit: Life) Amma (Mother) (adapted as TV drama written by Ahmed Naveed) Mehru Zari
Others
Bichhray Lamhe (autobiography)
Dramatisation of works
Television
Amma (mother) dramatized by drama writer Ahmed Naveed.PTV
Bano as Dastaan – Hum TV 2010
Naila
Noerena (PTV 1995) Saiqa – Hum TV – 2009 Wehshi (HUM TV) 2022
Films
Naila (1965) Saiqa (1968) Anila (1969) Noreen (1970) Mohabbat (1972) Khalish (1972) Payasa (1973) Mohabbat ho to aisi (1989) Gulabo (2008)
Awards
1969 - Nigar Award for Best Scriptwriter of Saiqa. 2012 - Hum Honorary Most Challenging Subject Award for Dastaan