304:. He would invite two guests at a time to be interviewed. The name Begum Nawazish Ali was suggested by Dr. Adil talking of his neighbour with the same name, wife to a colonel. Saleem could relate strongly to this persona as an alter ego. The facts that the Begum they created lived a wealthy life living off the money of her late military man husband and was a socialite, bore resemblance to the life Saleem himself had lived in his earlier days. The rights to the show were sold to
317:
amongst the more fundamentalist ideals of the religious leaders (where some were even amused by his show) but he had still ventured into the hearts and minds of the younger generations. While talking of taboo topics like "sex" in
Pakistan where it is strictly off-limits even trying to mention it, Saleem had been spared a backlash only because when on-the-air he is personifying a woman. Women, however, said that they were still afraid to do what Saleem was doing on the show.
191:
offering the audience with his monologue that people saw his inner lady come out. They would flock him and ask him in disbelief of how a child can impersonate a woman older than his age. Ali now says that because his audience was older than his age then, he felt he matured earlier. Saleem took his
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The show invited the likes of business tycoons, industrialists, actors and actresses, government and religious leaders. Begum would flirt with any one of the male guests "using suggestive banter and sexual innuendo". It was due to this use of gestures and acts that Begum earned a nasty reputation
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and told them that her son has been torturing her. She was immediately taken to the hospital with a broken nose and other injuries on her body while Saleem was taken to police station. He told media personnel that there was some dispute going on within the family about property.
255:. Saleem's Benazir impressions were famous among his friends and Imran told him to take it to the airways with the television channel once it got aired. A show dealing with political humour around the time of election in the country. aptly named
261:(idiomatically translated as "We Are All Expecting (Pregnant)", but meant to translate as "We Are All Hopeful"). showed people impersonating the election candidates. Saleem did his Benazir act there for the first time on television.
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After a while with the act, Saleem came to realise that the act alone would not shape his career and he had to do more with his talent. It was from this very act that Saleem gained the nickname
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to a colonel in the
Pakistan Army. From a young age, he desired and fantasized about being a woman. It was in his teens that he got to do a play for Yasmeen Ismail at the Arts Council clad in a
280:, was a close friend of his. With an extensive research into Pakistani cinema under his belt and ties to multiple television channels, the doctor suggested Saleem with the idea of having a
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had warned Saleem not imitate the prime minister. But, eventually, when asked he even made the prime minister
Benazir Bhutto burst out in laughter and appreciated the performance.
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was opposed to the show's airing. This fair bit of opposition led to the temporary closure of the show. Offers however extended from across the border in
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284:-up character as a host for a talk show. Thus, the character of Begum Nawazish was conceived, and was thereon played by Saleem on and off since 2005.
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His breakthrough in the entertainment industry came when he started imitating his childhood heroine, the former Prime
Minister of Pakistan
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His alter ego of Begum
Nawazish Ali has now become his primary persona as he rarely appears as the male Ali Saleem. He is a
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251:, a political satire writer who would tell him of a television channel in the pipeline, that would later be called
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appeared as guests on the first episode. The show aired its nineteenth and final episode on 5 June 2016.
221:, from the way she talked to the way she dressed. So loved were his performances that on the occasion of
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Where television talk shows in
Pakistan were reluctant to take on criticism for the military-backed
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Biologically born a male, Ali has at times called himself gay, Khusra, bisexual, and transgender.
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His father and mother would soon seek a divorce, during which Saleem had to come to the city of
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in 2010. He broke into the mainstream audiences through his impersonations of the late
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653:"Bye bye Begum: Ali Saleem sheds his famous avatar on his new late night talk show"
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339:. The reformatted show aired 26 episodes with Indian celebrities on the channel
165:
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895:"Mallika Sherawat being considered to lead Indian Begum Nawazish Ali biopic"
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357:, hosting the show as himself. The first episode aired on 26 March 2016.
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Reportedly, on 26 May 2011, Saleem's mother
Farzana Saleem called the
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231:, Bhutto herself asked Saleem to impersonate her. Zohaib's sister
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contributor Amar Bakshi interviews Begum
Nawazish Ali in Pakistan
624:"Star-trek: "I get to have the best of both worlds," Ali Saleem"
389:, in which in he brought back his Begum Nawazish Ali character.
295:
273:
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and asked influential guests provocative questions in his show
276:. Omar Adil, an orthopaedic surgeon by profession, doctor to
149:
Begum
Nawazish Ali on various television channels, including
841:"Ali Saleem has an important cameo in Meera's upcoming film"
396:
based on Saleem's life is in the works, with Indian actress
868:"Baaji will re-introduce Begum Nawazish Ali to the screen"
300:
687:"When She Speaks, He's Breaking All of Islam's Taboos"
923:"Ali Saleem beats up his mom over property disputes"
813:"Film review: Love Mein Ghum - coming back to life"
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770:. Daily News and Analysis (DNA). 9 December 2007
494:"Pakistan's late night, cross-dressing TV star"
484:
482:
377:In 2011, Saleem appeared in the Pakistani film
980:How Pakistan's 'Dame Edna' has upset Musharraf
680:
678:
676:
353:Saleem joined Dawn News with his latest show
308:, where the show aired every Saturday night.
8:
172:and his wife, a former government official.
955:John-Manuel Andriote interviews Saleem Ali
742:"Drag-queen host tops Pakistan TV ratings"
294:Saleem cross-dressed as a woman wearing a
116:
32:
20:
1080:Pakistani expatriate male actors in India
556:"Begum Nawazish Ali to Host on Indian TV"
383:. In 2019, Saleem played a cameo role in
425:
335:for a follow-up of the show by the name
168:man born to a retired colonel father in
1075:Pakistani impressionists (entertainers)
1065:Bigg Boss (Hindi TV series) contestants
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523:Andriote, John-Manuel (4 April 2008).
392:In March 2023, it was reported that a
7:
811:Mahmood, Rafay (20 September 2011).
647:
645:
1070:21st-century Pakistani LGBTQ people
626:. Newsline Pakistan. Archived from
355:The Late, Late Show with Ali Saleem
348:The Late, Late Show With Ali Saleem
713:Wallace, Bruce (22 January 2008).
301:Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali
289:Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali
14:
685:Masood, Salman (3 January 2007).
583:"Saira Khan's Pakistan Adventure"
1015:Pakistani male television actors
925:. Apna Desi News. Archived from
839:Haq, Irfan Ul (5 January 2019).
16:Pakistani television personality
1085:Male actors in Hindi television
558:. TopNews India. Archived from
554:Rao, Ashok (11 December 2007).
400:being considered to play him.
127:host, actor, scriptwriter, and
119:), best known by his alter-ego
1095:21st-century Pakistani writers
247:. There he came to terms with
198:Froebel's International School
63:Froebel's International School
1:
715:"He gave Pakistan her voice"
581:Simon, Jane (30 July 2007).
131:. He became a contestant in
768:"Being Begum Nawazish Ali!"
239:Birth of Begum Nawazish Ali
43:1979 (age 44–45)
1121:
1090:Male actors from Islamabad
1020:Pakistani television hosts
192:early life education from
1100:Pakistani LGBTQ comedians
1050:Pakistani bisexual people
744:. Gay.com. Archived from
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194:Cadet College Hasan Abdal
59:Cadet College Hasan Abdal
30:
1060:Male actors from Karachi
1030:Pakistani male comedians
145:, and later playing the
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1025:Pakistani screenwriters
498:San Francisco Chronicle
183:Ali Saleem was born in
1055:Writers from Islamabad
975:Interview – Ali Saleem
873:The News International
525:"Pakistan's drag star"
1040:Muslim male comedians
1035:Pakistani drag queens
258:Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain
1045:Pakistani socialites
562:on 20 September 2021
529:The Washington Blade
449:Bigg Boss (season 4)
322:Pakistani government
312:Courting controversy
196:, and later went to
818:The Express Tribune
410:capital city police
326:Pakistani President
1105:Bisexual comedians
960:1 May 2008 at the
692:The New York Times
417:Reality television
121:Begum Nawazish Ali
720:Los Angeles Times
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213:Being Ali Benazir
123:, is a Pakistani
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91:Years active
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953:Washington Blade
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929:on 13 April 2012
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531:. Archived from
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398:Mallika Sherawat
329:Pervez Musharraf
272:meaning lady in
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34:
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968:Washington Post
962:Wayback Machine
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903:. 29 March 2023
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630:on 1 April 2008
622:Rehan, Sohema.
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492:(17 May 2006).
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946:External links
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792:. INX Networks
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748:on 2 June 2007
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458:Evicted Day 20
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404:Legal troubles
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380:Love Mein Ghum
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219:Benazir Bhutto
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147:cross-dressing
143:Benazir Bhutto
140:prime minister
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99:Known for
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535:on 1 May 2008
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490:Walsh, Declan
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422:As contestant
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359:Humayun Saeed
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952:
931:. Retrieved
927:the original
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905:. Retrieved
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877:. Retrieved
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850:. Retrieved
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822:. Retrieved
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794:. Retrieved
790:"Begum – 9X"
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772:. Retrieved
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750:. Retrieved
746:the original
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724:. Retrieved
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696:. Retrieved
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663:. Retrieved
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632:. Retrieved
628:the original
592:. Retrieved
588:Daily Mirror
586:
576:
564:. Retrieved
560:the original
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537:. Retrieved
533:the original
501:. Retrieved
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343:from India.
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94:2000–present
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1000:1979 births
900:Dawn Images
846:Dawn Images
658:Dawn Images
456:13th Place
373:Film career
363:Nadeem Baig
249:Imran Aslam
69:Occupations
994:Categories
473:References
278:Noor Jehan
179:Early life
125:television
109:Ali Saleem
49:, Pakistan
25:Ali Saleem
185:Islamabad
155:Dawn News
134:Bigg Boss
55:Education
47:Islamabad
985:DAWN.com
958:Archived
907:29 March
879:29 March
852:29 March
824:29 March
665:29 March
594:29 March
503:30 March
438:Channel
166:bisexual
136:Season 4
117:علی سلیم
80:comedian
33:علی سلیم
282:dragged
245:Karachi
202:A-Level
933:31 May
464:Colors
435:Place
394:biopic
365:, and
306:Aaj TV
253:Geo TV
228:dholki
208:Career
159:Geo TV
157:, and
151:Aaj TV
102:Comedy
796:7 May
774:7 May
752:7 May
726:7 May
698:7 May
634:7 May
566:7 May
539:7 May
443:2010
432:Show
429:Year
386:Baaji
337:Begum
333:India
233:Nazia
189:burqa
83:actor
935:2011
909:2023
881:2023
854:2023
826:2023
798:2008
776:2008
754:2008
728:2008
700:2008
667:2023
636:2008
596:2023
568:2008
541:2008
505:2023
296:sari
274:Urdu
270:bibi
200:for
113:Urdu
40:Born
268:or
225:'s
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870:.
843:.
815:.
717:.
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341:9X
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111:(
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