Shamim Hilaly (née Ahmed, born 1947) is a Pakistani actress who has acted in both films and television.^[1] She is most famous for acting in PTV dramas including Barzakh, Mere Dard Ko Jo Zuban Mile, Parosi and Waqt Ko Tham Lo. She is noted for her performance in Maigh Malhar during the 1990s. She has also acted in Pakistan's only English language movie, Beyond the Last Mountain (1976).^[2]

Shamim was born in Bombay during British India after partition. then her family moved to Pakistan at Lahore.^[1] She was interested in acting from a young age, and she did theatre and dramatics plays at Convent of Jesus and Mary. Later, she attended Kinnaird College for Women, and there, she practiced choral speaking. Later, she went to Government College, and she used to do dramatic plays. Later, she graduated from Government College with a master's degree in English literature.^[1]

After PTV was established in 1964 and Aslam Azhar Chairman and MD of PTV was looking for actors and actresses so he saw Shamim at a College play then he encouraged her to act in dramas then she agreed later she also hosted a show called University Magazine Show.^[1]

She worked in Amjad Islam Amjad's drama Barzakh along with Rahat Kazmi in which she portrayed the role of Rashida it aired on PTV. In 1976, she worked in Pakistan's first English film Beyond the Last Mountain in which she portrayed the role of a single parent bringing up a small child it was directed and written by Javed Jabbar later it was shown at the 6th International Film Festival of India in Delhi.^[1] Later in 1982, she appeared in drama Alif Noon, and she portrayed the role of a college student who goes to a bicycle shop to have a punctured tyre repaired.^[1]

In 1980s, Shamim and her husband moved to Yemen as he was posted there for some work. There she taught English at various colleges and universities later she returned to Pakistan with her husband, and she resumed her acting career but she also taught English at colleges and universities.^[1]

In 1990, she worked in drama Parosi which was written by Haseena Moin and directed by Raana Sheikh. Some of the shooting took place in Islamabad and Murree. It aired on NTM. She portrayed the role of Mrs. Asif the elder sister of Jahan Ara portrayed by Khalida Riyasat and Roshan Ara portrayed by Marina Khan.^[1]

In 1995, she appeared in drama Maigh Malhar on NTM. It was written by Asghar Nadeem Syed the story was based on Time of Separation of Eastern Pakistan (Bangladesh) and Western Pakistan in which she played the role of Maleeha Khan, who is the second wife of a man who had left the love of his life behind in Bangladesh. It was a negative role, but her role received positive reviews.^[1]

In 2010, she worked in drama Uraan it aired on Geo TV and she portrayed the role of a psychotic mother in Uraan who wants to marry her mentally unstable son. In 2011, she appeared in drama Maat it was based on an Urdu novel of the same name by Umera Ahmad and she portrayed the role of Faisal's mother who is a middle-income widow and sits with her son on a motorbike it aired on Hum TV. The following year in 2012, she appeared in drama Talkhiyaan it was based on the novel The God of Small Things it was written by Indian author Arundhati Roy, and she portrayed the role of Mother a difficult unsympathetic woman to her daughter, who has left her husband and comes to stay with her with her children and she favours her son more than her daughter.^[1]

Since then she appeared in dramas such as Neeli Zinda Hai, Meri Shehzadi, Wehem, Prem Gali, Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay and Jannat Se Aagay.^[3]

She is married to the former ambassador turned political commentator, Zafar Hilaly and they have two children.^[1]