{{short description|Pakistan dancer and film actress}} {{Tone|date=March 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Niggo | birth_name = Nargis Begum | death_date = 5 January 1972 | death_place = Lahore | death_cause = Murdered | occupation = Actress, dancer | years_active = 1964–1972 }} '''Niggo''' (died 5 January 1972) was a popular traditional Pakistani dancer and film actor.<ref>{{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 newspaper|language=en-US}}</ref> She mainly worked in 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.<ref>{{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 newspaper|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{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… |website=DNAindia.com website}}</ref>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 performed as a dancer.<ref>{{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|website=IndiaTimes.com website}}</ref>
== Career == Niggo had good dancing skills, and once the film producers came to heeramandi to select actresses, her dance performance caught their attention.<ref>{{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...}}</ref> It was common for the girls to join Lollywood and become famous actresses. Niggo's career in the film industry started the same way.<ref>{{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=PakistanToday newspaper|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|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|archive-date=1 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201051736/https://veryfilmi.com/15-pakistani-celebrities-died-young/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Because of her exceptional dancing skills, she was usually an optimal choice for the Mujra dance role in films.<ref name=":0">{{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|date=18 July 2016 |language=en}}</ref> 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.{{citation needed|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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Awan|first=M. Saeed|date=2014-10-26|title=The dark side of Lollywood|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1140070|access-date=2020-11-23|newspaper=Dawn newspaper|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
== 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.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|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|newspaper=The News International newspaper|date=10 December 2016|language=en}}</ref> Niggo's uncle and two musicians were also murdered in the incident.<ref>{{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 newspaper|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{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|newspaper=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref> Niggo was laid to rest at Miani Sahib Graveyard, Lahore.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
* ''Ishrat'' (1964) * ''Shahansha-e-Jahangir'' (1968) * ''Nai Laila Naya Majnu'' (1969) * ''Andaleeb'' (1969) * ''Love in Jungle'' (1970) * ''Afsana'' (1970) * ''Mohabbat'' (1972)
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niggo}} Category:20th-century Pakistani actresses Category:Pakistani film actresses Category:Pakistani dancers Category:Actresses in Punjabi cinema Category:Actresses in Urdu cinema Category:Pakistani murder victims Category:1972 deaths Category:Year of birth missing Category:Pakistani female dancers Category:Pakistani tawaifs Category:People murdered in Lahore Category:Victims of uxoricide