Aminath Rasheedha

Aminath Rasheedha (born 27 February 1967) is a Maldivian actress and director.

In 1995, Rasheedha appeared in Mohamed Shiyaz's Dhushman which features Hussain Sobah, Mariyam Nisha and Hamid Ali in pivotal roles.

In the film, she plays the role Seema, a sympathetic doctor who falls in love with a blind man.

Rasheedha made a brief appearance in Yoosuf Rafeeu's award-winning film Haqqu (1996) as Madheeha, a friend of Areesha who suffers from an unhappy marriage.

The film starring Mariyam Nisha, Reeko Moosa Manik and Mariyam Shakeela in lead roles, received positive reviews from critics.

In 1998, she played the helpless mother of Mary, a devoted wife desperately seeking affection from her husband in Abdul Faththaah's television drama series Dhoapatta (2000).

Starring alongside Mohamed Shavin, Sheela Najeeb and Jamsheedha Ahmed, the series centers on unrequited love and complications of a relationship within and beyond marriage.

Her collaboration with Faththaah was repeated the same year with another romantic drama series, Aisha where she played the infertile widow handling a guest-house business.

Mariyam Shauqee's widely acclaimed family drama television series Kahthiri was released during the same year, where he played the role of the dependable sister-in-law, living in a congested housing complex while dealing with several social issues.

This was followed by the Ali Musthafa-directed Umurah (1999) opposite Jamsheedha Ahmed and Reeko Moosa Manik.

In the next year she played the role of Shaheedha, a loyal wife who looks past her husband's affairs with other women in Abdul Faththaah's directorial debut, Himeyn Dhuniye which received positive reviews from critics.

Also, she starred as a workaholic mother in Hussain Shihab's Rihun and as a caring aunt in the Abdulla Sujau and Abdul Faththaah-directed family drama Ranmuiy which is centered on the dispute between a daughter and her step-mother.

She starred in Mohamed Ali Manik's Maazee (2000) which narrates the story of two best friends, a boy and a girl, who get separated at childhood and reunite as adults.

Rasheedha played the role of Zubeydha, the impecunious mother who sends her daughter to Male' seeking a prosperous future only to be dejected by her daughter as an adult.

It was followed by Abdul Faththaah-directed Aan... Aharenves Loabivin (2002) starred alongside Ali Seezan, Niuma Mohamed, Sheela Najeeb and Neena Saleem where she played the mother of her only child who had a bitter relationship with her lovers and an unfortunate incidence leading her to suffer from amnesia.

Upon release, the film opened to positive response from critics and was a commercially successful project.

Rasheedha collaborated with Amjad Ibrahim for his romantic horror film Dhonkamana (2003) which depicts the romantic relationship between a young man (played by Yoosuf Shafeeu) and an old woman (played by Fauziyya Hassan).

Featuring Hassan, Yoosuf Shafeeu, Sheela Najeeb, Niuma Mohamed, Sheereen Abdul Wahid and Amira Ismail, the film received mainly negative reviews from critics though its inclusion of the theme portraying the relationship between a couple with a large age group was appraised.

Her most successful release of the year was Fathimath Nahula's romantic film Kalaayaanulaa (2003) which follows a happily married couple (played by Yoosuf Shafeeu and Aishath Shiranee) where the husband decided to marry his childhood best friend (played by Niuma Mohamed) when his wife fails to sexually please him.

The film received widespread critical acclaim for its performances and was declared to be year's highest grossing Maldivian film release.

She was applauded for her performance as the unjust mother-in-law, in the Abdul Faththaah-directed critically acclaimed television series, Thiyey Mihithuge Vindhakee (2003) which was considered one of the best series production in television industry.

Rasheedha received appreciation for her "authentic" performance as the benign mother of her loyal and depressive daughter-in-law in Abdul Faththaah's critically praised romantic film Vehey Vaarey Therein (2003).

Featuring Yoosuf Shafeeu, Jamsheedha Ahmed, Khadheeja Ibrahim Didi, Mohamed Shavin and Amira Ismail in crucial roles, the film narrates the story of unrequited love, and proved to be one of the highest-grossing Maldivian films of the year.

She then stepped into Fathimath Nahula's critically and commercially successful romantic drama television series, Kalaage Haqqugaa to portray the role of Waheedha, a demanding mother who is ready to go extreme extent to keep her family intact.

Rasheedha starred, produced and co-directed Yaaraa's debut production, a romantic horror film Hukuru Vileyrey alongside Aishath Rishmy which was based on a novel published by Ibrahim Waheed on Haveeru Daily in 2003.

The film was a critical and commercial success while being considered "one of the few acceptable horror film the Maldivian Film Industry has ever produced".

It was later released as 15 episodes television series with inclusion of several clips that were edited off while released in theatre.

Rasheedha next starred as the mother of a heartbroken fangirl in Amjad Ibrahim's next directorial venture Sandhuravirey 2 (2004); a sequel to his 2002 horror film Sandhuravirey which presented Yoosuf Shafeeu and Mariyam Nisha in lead roles.

Starring additional cast including Zeenath Abbas, Mohamed Shavin and Sheereen Abdul Wahid, the film follows a storyline of a daughter jinn avenging the death of its mother and sister on Dhiyash's family.

Similar to its prequel, the film received negative response from critics.

She rose to widespread prominence in the television industry with her performance as a religious and protective mother in the Arifa Ibrahim-directed critically acclaimed television series, Vairoalhi Ahves Sirrun (2005) which revolves around two best-friends involved in extra-marital affairs and who fail to practice their duty as husband and wife.

Starring alongside Niuma Mohamed, Ahmed Asim, Lufshan Shakeeb and Mariyam Shakeela, the series was listed as one of the most successful television series.

The same year, she again collaborated with the team of Vairoalhi Ahves Sirrun for Arifa Ibrahim's another romantic television drama series, Vaguthu Faaithu Nuvanees (2006) which consists of fifty episodes.

The series which follows the vengeance and retribution two best-friends go through when they both love the same person, features Rasheedha in a villainous role as a voracious and intemperate wife.

Her performance received positive reviews from critics and was awarded as the Best Villain at the 2nd Miadhu Crystal Award ceremony.

Rasheedha's first release of 2010 was Abdul Faththaah's horror film Jinni alongside Ali Seezan and Mariyam Afeefa.

Based on true incidents that occurred in an island of Maldives, she played the mother of Javid who has been enthralled by a ghost.

Prior to release the film was marketed to be full of "suspense and uniqueness" compared to other mediocre Maldivian horror films.

Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics; majority of them complaining for having the "same old feeling" of prior horror flicks though the performance were noted to be satisfactory.

Despite the mixed reviews, the film witnessed a positive response at the box office, screening a total of twenty two housefull shows in Male', declaring it as a Mega-Hit.