This woman was daughter of tawaif from Heeramandi, became highest-paid item girl, did mujra on screen, was brutally murdered by…, she was..

When Sanjay Leela Bhansali released Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a different and rebellious side of courtesans was shown to the world. The audience loved the reel version of the courtesans. However, do you know that even in real life, there was a woman who belonged to the lanes of real Heeramandi in Lahore? She rose to fame and became Pakistan’s famous item girl. But, as it is said that fame comes with a cost, and this is exactly what happened with this woman—she had to pay a higher price than what she could ever imagine.

For many, the name Niggo aka Nargis Begum does not ring a bell, whereas for others who have a keen interest in history and have studied deeply about Heeramandi, knew who Niggo was.

Niggo was born in Lahore, Pakistan. During that time, women belonging to Lahore were often the first choice of filmmakers for their movies. Women who knew how to dance joined the industry. Called Lollywood, the industry began pre-partition but after 1947 became a dominant film industry, producing films in Punjabi and Urdu. At that time, it was a common trend among filmmakers to bring in tawaifs from Heera Mandi and cast them as lead actresses in their films.

Niggo also came from the lanes of Heeramandi. Her mother was a courtesan and she used to do Mujra. Initially, Niggo also followed in the footsteps of her mother. However, during one of her performances, she was noticed by a film producer who gave her a chance to become an actress.

After this, Niggo’s career reached its peak, and she fell in love with film producer Khawaja Mazhar. The two eventually got married. However, it was Niggo’s mother who did not approve of this relationship, as tawaifs getting married was frowned upon.

In order to save her daughter from being with the person she got married to, Niggo’s mother faked illness and got her back to Heeramandi. Later, she brainwashed her to stay in the same place. On the other hand, it was Niggo’s husband Mazhar who wanted her to come back. But due to family pressure, Niggo refused to do so.

On January 5, 1972, Niggo’s husband reached Heera Mandi at her kotha. While trying to persuade her to return home with him, Niggo refused, which enraged him. In a fit of anger, he opened fire, killing Niggo. Her uncle, a musician, was also killed in the attack.

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