Few artists in South Asia have danced as defiantly as Sheema Kermani. A classical dancer, theatre director, television actress and founder of Pakistan’s most enduring feminist organisation, she has spent nearly five decades keeping Bharatanatyam alive in a country that once banned it altogether. Millions who had never heard her name discovered her in 2022 through Coke Studio Pakistan’s global hit Pasoori, where her sari-clad performance lit up screens worldwide and introduced a new generation to one of Pakistan’s most fearless cultural figures.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sheema Kermani |
| Date of Birth | 16 January 1951 |
| Age (2026) | 75 years |
| Birthplace | Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Hometown | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Religion | Islam |
| Caste or Community | Muhajir |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Height | Not publicly confirmed |
| Weight | Not publicly confirmed |
| Eye Colour | Not publicly confirmed |
| Hair Colour | Silver / Grey (as seen publicly) |
| Profession | Classical Dancer, Choreographer, Theatre Director, Actress, Social Activist |
| Known For | Bharatanatyam dance, Tehrik-e-Niswan, Pasoori (Coke Studio), women’s rights activism |
| Father’s Name | Brigadier (Retd.) Kermani (first name not publicly confirmed) |
| Mother’s Name | Not publicly confirmed |
| Siblings | One elder brother, one younger sister |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Current Husband | Khalid Ahmed (theatre actor and director) |
| Children | None (consciously chose not to have children) |
| School | Presentation Convent, Rawalpindi; Convent of Jesus and Mary, Karachi |
| College or University | Karachi Grammar School (A-Levels); Croydon College of Art, London; University of Punjab; University of Karachi |
| Degree or Qualification | Fine Arts (Croydon, London); BA (University of Punjab); M.Phil in History (University of Karachi); PhD enrolled |
| Political Party | N/A |
| Current Position or Role | Founder & Director, Tehrik-e-Niswan; Lecturer at Szabist, NCA Lahore, Indus Valley School |
| Net Worth (estimated) | $5 million (estimated – unverified independently) |
| Monthly Income (estimated) | Not publicly confirmed |
| Twitter / X | @tehrikeniswan |
| Not publicly confirmed | |
| Not publicly confirmed | |
| YouTube | Content available under Tehrik-e-Niswan name |
| Official Website | Not publicly confirmed |
Sheema Kermani Career Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1951 | Born in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
| 1964 | Began training in Bharatanatyam under Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam in Karachi |
| 1970s | Trained in Odissi under Aloka Panicker and Bharatanatyam under Leela Samson in India |
| 1978 | Began cultural and theatrical work in Pakistan |
| 1979 | Founded Tehrik-e-Niswan (Women’s Movement Cultural Action Group) |
| 1983–84 | Staged solo performances during General Zia-ul-Haq’s martial law era |
| 1993 | Appeared in PTV drama Marvi |
| 2005 | Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize; named among most influential women of Pakistan by PeaceWomen Across the Globe |
| 2012 | Received Women of Inspiration Award from Wonder Women Association |
| 2013 | Received ACHA Peace Star Award |
| 2019 | Documentary “With Bells On Her Feet” wins Best Short Film and Audience Choice at SAFFM Montreal |
| 2022 | Appeared in Coke Studio Pakistan’s globally viral track Pasoori (Ali Sethi & Shae Gill) |
| 2023 | Awarded Pride of Performance by Government of Pakistan (14 August) |
| 2024 | Honoured with Kashmir HUM Women Leaders Award by President Arif Alvi |
| May 2026 | Briefly detained during Aurat March protest near Karachi Press Club; released on Sindh Home Minister’s orders |
Sheema Kermani Awards and Achievements
| Year | Award | Given By | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Nobel Peace Prize Nomination | PeaceWomen Across the Globe | Named one of Pakistan’s most influential women |
| 2012 | Women of Inspiration Award | Wonder Women Association | For gender equality advocacy |
| 2013 | ACHA Peace Star Award | Association for Communal Harmony in Asia, Oregon, USA | For lifetime contributions to peace |
| 2019 | Best Short Film + Audience Choice Award | South Asian Film Festival of Montreal | For documentary “With Bells On Her Feet” |
| 2023 | Pride of Performance | Government of Pakistan | Awarded on Independence Day, 14 August 2023 |
| 2024 | Kashmir HUM Women Leaders Award | President Arif Alvi | For art advocacy and women’s rights |
Filmography and Television
| Year | Title | Role | Medium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Marvi | Lead role | PTV Television Drama | One of her most recognised TV performances |
| 2010 | Poshak | Performance role | Television | Listed on IMDb |
| 2008–present | Coke Studio Pakistan | Classical dancer / Performer | Television / Digital | Multiple appearances; iconic Pasoori performance (2022) |
| 2019 | With Bells On Her Feet | Subject | Documentary Short Film | Award-winning film by Taimur Rahim |
Sheema Kermani Early Life and Family
The India-Pakistan Partition of 1947 shaped the family that would produce one of South Asia’s most enduring cultural resistors. Sheema Kermani was born on 16 January 1951 in Rawalpindi, Punjab, to a Muhajir family whose roots stretched from Lucknow to Kerman in Iran on her father’s side, and from Hyderabad Deccan on her mother’s side. Her parents had migrated from India during Partition, carrying with them a cultural inheritance that would profoundly shape Sheema’s worldview.
Sheema Kermani Father
Her father was a Brigadier in the Pakistan Army who later served as Chairman of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC). His profession meant the family relocated to several cities across Pakistan, and Sheema attended convent schools wherever he was posted. He was, by family accounts, a figure of discipline within a progressive, educated household.
Sheema Kermani Mother
Her mother’s family hailed from Hyderabad Deccan in India. During summer vacations, Sheema would visit her maternal grandparents in India, and those visits proved formative. It was in those childhood summers that she first encountered classical music and Indian performing arts — an encounter that would define the next seven decades of her life. Her mother’s name is not publicly confirmed.
Sheema Kermani Siblings and Family Background
Sheema grew up with two siblings — an elder brother and a younger sister. The family background was educated and culturally aware, giving her the intellectual foundation to later become not just a dancer but a thinker, activist, and teacher. She and her husband Khalid Ahmed made a conscious joint decision not to have children, choosing to devote their lives entirely to theatre, dance, and social advocacy.
Sheema Kermani Education
Sheema Kermani’s early schooling took place across Pakistan, following her father’s military postings. She attended Presentation Convent in Rawalpindi and Convent of Jesus and Mary in Karachi, before completing her A-Levels at Karachi Grammar School. She then travelled to London to study Fine Arts at Croydon College of Art, returning to Pakistan with both a degree and a broader artistic perspective.
She later earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Punjab, Lahore, and completed her Masters and M.Phil in History from the University of Karachi, where she was additionally enrolled for a PhD. Her parallel education in dance began far earlier — at eight years old she started learning piano and Western classical music, and by thirteen she was training in Bharatanatyam under Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam, a couple from Calcutta who had established a dance and music centre in Karachi. She later deepened her mastery by training in Odissi under Aloka Panicker and Bharatanatyam under the legendary Leela Samson during visits to India.
Sheema Kermani Career
Sheema Kermani formally entered Pakistan’s cultural space in 1978, when the country was already shifting toward the conservatism that would define the Zia-ul-Haq era. She joined the performing troupe of Mr. and Mrs. Ghanshyam, training, performing, and eventually becoming a staff member at their institute in Karachi.
Sheema Kermani and Tehrik-e-Niswan
In 1979, she founded Tehrik-e-Niswan, which translates as the Women’s Movement Cultural Action Group. The organisation became her life’s central project, using theatre, dance, street performance, and workshops to raise awareness around women’s rights, violence against women, and gender inequality in Pakistan. Tehrik-e-Niswan ran mobile theatre in low-income neighbourhoods, taking its message to audiences who would never set foot in a formal theatre hall. Over the decades, the organisation produced plays, educational programmes, and cultural initiatives that became touchstones of Pakistan’s progressive arts scene.
Sheema Kermani and the Zia Era
The most galvanising chapter of her early career came during General Zia-ul-Haq’s military rule in the late 1970s and 1980s, when classical dance was effectively banned and branded un-Islamic by the state and the clergy. Sheema continued teaching and performing regardless, wearing saris at a time when the garment had been marked as a symbol of Indian or Hindu identity. She staged her first major solo performance in 1983 to 1984, making her the only practising classical dancer in Pakistan throughout that period. Her defiance during those years transformed her from a performer into a symbol of artistic resistance.
Sheema Kermani Television and Theatre Career
Beyond the dance stage, Kermani built a parallel career in television and theatre. She appeared in the PTV drama Marvi in 1993, one of her most widely remembered television roles, and in Poshak (2010). She teaches dance and drama at Szabist University Karachi, the National College of Arts in Lahore, and the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, passing her knowledge to generations of younger artists.
Sheema Kermani Dance: Bharatanatyam, Pasoori and Beyond
Sheema Kermani is considered the primary figure responsible for keeping Bharatanatyam alive in Pakistan across five turbulent decades. She also practices Kathak and Odissi, making her one of the most versatile classical dancers in the region. Her performances regularly incorporated Sufi elements alongside classical Indian forms, positioning her work as an expression of South Asia’s shared cultural heritage.
Her most globally visible moment came in 2022 when she appeared in the music video for Pasoori, the record-breaking Coke Studio Pakistan track by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill. Her Bharatanatyam sequence in the video, performed in a printed sari, became one of its most talked-about images. Kermani later stated she had initially been uncertain about appearing in the video but saw it as an opportunity to bring classical dance to a younger audience — a gamble that paid off with international praise and a wave of renewed interest in her four-decade career.
In 2022, she led Tehrik-e-Niswan in performing the Dhamal — a Sufi devotional dance — at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sindh, marking the fifth anniversary of the 2017 bombing there. The performance was widely broadcast and drew both deep admiration and controversy.
Sheema Kermani Religion and Community
What is Sheema Kermani’s Religion
Sheema Kermani is Muslim. Her decision to practice classical Indian dance forms, traditionally associated with Hindu temple traditions, has been a consistent point of debate in Pakistan. She has addressed these criticisms directly and repeatedly, arguing that art cannot and should not be compartmentalised along religious lines. Her position is that Bharatanatyam belongs to South Asia’s shared civilisational inheritance and is not the exclusive cultural property of any single religion.
What is Sheema Kermani’s Caste or Community
She belongs to the Muhajir community, the community of Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan during the 1947 Partition. Her family roots on her father’s side trace to Lucknow and further back to Kerman in Iran, and on her mother’s side to Hyderabad Deccan.
Sheema Kermani Personal Life and Relationships
Sheema Kermani lives in Karachi and has long been one of the city’s most recognisable cultural figures, regularly seen in her signature hand-printed saris at public events, protests, and performances alike.
Is Sheema Kermani Married
Yes, Sheema Kermani is married.
Sheema Kermani Husband
Her husband is Khalid Ahmed, a Pakistani theatre actor and director. The two have long been professional as well as personal partners, collaborating across decades of theatre work through Tehrik-e-Niswan.
Sheema Kermani Children
Sheema and Khalid made a deliberate choice not to have children in order to dedicate themselves entirely to their work in theatre, dance, and social activism. This decision has been described publicly as a shared, considered commitment to their life’s mission rather than a circumstance.
Sheema Kermani Height, Weight and Physical Appearance
Sheema Kermani’s exact height and weight are not publicly confirmed. She is widely recognised by her signature appearance: hand-printed saris that she has worn consistently throughout her public life since her youth, long before they became associated with political statement-making. Her silver hair and poised bearing in performances and public settings have made her one of Pakistan’s most visually distinctive public figures.
Sheema Kermani Net Worth and Earnings
Sheema Kermani’s estimated net worth has been cited at approximately $5 million by some biographical sources, though this figure cannot be independently verified from a primary or official source and should be treated as an estimate. Her primary income sources across her career have included dance teaching, theatrical productions, institutional lecture positions at Szabist University, the National College of Arts Lahore, and Indus Valley School, as well as television work and cultural grants for Tehrik-e-Niswan.
| Source | Estimated Net Worth |
|---|---|
| profilesinfo.com | $5 million (estimated) |
| Independent verification | Not available |
Sheema Kermani Social Media
| Platform | Handle | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter / X | @tehrikeniswan | Primary public channel for activism and updates |
| Not publicly confirmed | — | |
| Not publicly confirmed | — | |
| YouTube | Tehrik-e-Niswan (channel name) | Pasoori and Dhamal videos widely circulated |
Kermani uses Twitter/X under the Tehrik-e-Niswan handle to share updates on women’s rights campaigns, cultural events, and political statements. Her performance in Pasoori generated millions of views across YouTube and social media platforms, introducing her to audiences far beyond Pakistan for the first time.
Sheema Kermani Controversies
Sheema Kermani and Aurat March Detention (May 2026)
In May 2026, Kermani was among seven Aurat March activists briefly detained by Sindh Police near the Karachi Press Club in Karachi. The activists had gathered to demand a no-objection certificate for the upcoming Aurat March event. Videos of police officers physically restraining the 75-year-old dancer spread rapidly across social media and sparked widespread criticism from rights groups, journalists, and citizens. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar later ordered the immediate release of those detained, and Kermani was freed shortly afterwards. She subsequently issued a public statement reaffirming her commitment to activism.
Sheema Kermani at the British High Commission (November 2023)
In November 2023, Kermani displayed a “Ceasefire Now” banner at the British High Commission in Islamabad in reference to the conflict in Gaza, calling for an end to violence and expressing solidarity with Palestinians. The action drew criticism from segments of Pakistan’s establishment, who characterised the intervention as a disruption of a diplomatic event. Kermani defended her action, linking it to her long-standing human rights advocacy.
Lesser Known Facts About Sheema Kermani
- She started learning piano and Western classical music at the age of eight, years before she ever encountered Bharatanatyam.
- Her paternal family roots trace to Kerman in Iran, a geographical origin that is also the source of her family name.
- She trained directly under Leela Samson, one of India’s most celebrated Bharatanatyam exponents, during visits to India.
- She has received death threats related to her activism and several of her fellow female activists have been killed over the years, yet she has continued performing and organising without interruption.
- She conducts mobile theatre in low-income areas of Karachi, bringing performances directly to communities who cannot access formal theatre venues.
- She was initially uncertain about appearing in the Pasoori music video, worried about whether it was the right platform for a classical dancer and political activist.
- She was enrolled for a PhD in History at the University of Karachi in addition to her existing M.Phil in the same subject.
- In 2019, she delivered lectures at Michigan State University, the University of Chicago, and Monmouth College as part of the American Institute of Pakistan Studies Pakistan Lecture Series.
- The documentary about her life, “With Bells On Her Feet” (2019), won both Best Short Film and Audience Choice Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal.
- Despite being Muslim, she has consistently defended Bharatanatyam and Odissi against accusations of promoting Hindu culture, framing classical Indian dance as the shared heritage of all South Asians.
Sheema Kermani today stands as one of the most consequential cultural figures to have emerged from Pakistan. At 75, she remains a working dancer, teacher, activist, and organiser whose life’s work sits at the intersection of art and resistance. Her story is proof that a sari and a dance can be as powerful as any political speech.
Sheema Kermani FAQ
Who is Sheema Kermani?
Sheema Kermani is a Pakistani classical dancer, choreographer, theatre director, television actress, and social activist born on 16 January 1951 in Rawalpindi. She is the founder of Tehrik-e-Niswan, Pakistan’s most enduring feminist cultural organisation, and is widely regarded as the person most responsible for keeping Bharatanatyam alive in Pakistan over the past five decades.
How old is Sheema Kermani?
Sheema Kermani is 75 years old as of 2026, having been born on 16 January 1951.
What is Sheema Kermani’s net worth?
Her net worth has been estimated at approximately $5 million by some sources, though this figure is not independently verified. Her income has come from teaching, theatre, television work, institutional lectures, and cultural grants.
Is Sheema Kermani married?
Yes, she is married to Khalid Ahmed, a Pakistani theatre actor and director. They do not have children — a conscious decision the couple made in order to devote themselves fully to their cultural and social work.
Who is Sheema Kermani’s husband?
Her husband is Khalid Ahmed, a celebrated Pakistani theatre actor and director with whom she has worked extensively through Tehrik-e-Niswan.
What is Sheema Kermani’s religion?
She is Muslim. Despite conservative opposition, she has continued to practice Bharatanatyam and Odissi throughout her career, consistently arguing that classical South Asian dance forms belong to the region’s shared cultural heritage and should not be defined by religion.
What is Sheema Kermani’s height?
Her height is not publicly confirmed.
Who are Sheema Kermani’s parents?
Her father was a Brigadier in the Pakistan Army who later served as Chairman of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation. Her mother’s family hailed from Hyderabad Deccan in India. Her parents’ first names are not publicly confirmed.
What is Sheema Kermani known for?
She is known for her Bharatanatyam performances, for founding Tehrik-e-Niswan in 1979, for continuing to perform during Zia-ul-Haq’s cultural crackdown in the 1980s, and for her appearance in Coke Studio Pakistan’s globally viral 2022 song Pasoori by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill.
What is the latest news about Sheema Kermani?
In May 2026, Kermani was briefly detained by Sindh Police near the Karachi Press Club while participating in a gathering demanding permission for the Aurat March in Karachi. She was released following intervention by the Sindh Home Minister and subsequently reaffirmed her commitment to activism.
What is Tehrik-e-Niswan?
Tehrik-e-Niswan, meaning Women’s Movement, is a Cultural Action Group founded by Sheema Kermani in 1979. The organisation uses theatre, dance, street performance, and workshops to raise awareness around women’s rights, gender-based violence, and cultural freedom in Pakistan. It remains one of the country’s most active civil society organisations in the arts.
What is Sheema Kermani’s connection to Pasoori?
Kermani appeared in the music video for Pasoori, the 2022 Coke Studio Pakistan track by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill. Her Bharatanatyam performance in the video became one of its most celebrated elements and introduced her to millions of international viewers who had not previously known her work.
Sources
- Wikipedia – Sheema Kermani – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheema_Kermani
- The Print – Pasoori dancer profile – https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/how-pasoori-dancer-sheema-kermani-resisted-gen-zia-ul-haq-by-wearing-un-islamic-saris/860601/
- American Institute of Pakistan Studies – PLS 2019 – https://pakistanstudies.org/pls-2019-sheema-kermani/
- Karachi Literature Festival – Speaker Profile – https://www.karachiliteraturefestival.com/speakers/sheema-kermani/
- Grokipedia – Sheema Kermani – https://grokipedia.com/page/Sheema_Kermani
- Free Press Journal – Detention coverage, May 2026 – https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/who-is-sheema-kermani-75-yo-pakistan-dancer-activist-who-was-manhandled-detained-outside-karachi-press-club
- NewsGram – Pasoori dancer detained – https://www.newsgram.com/pakistan/2026/05/12/sheema-kermani-pasoori-dancer-detained-karachi
- IMDb – Sheema Kermani – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4163328/
- ProfilesInfo – Net Worth – https://profilesinfo.com/sheema-kermani-wiki-networth-age/