Meesha Shafi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani-born Canadian singer, actress and model.Meesha Shafi becomes certified yoga instructor
Daily Pakistan (newspaper), Published 14 June 2021, Retrieved 14 June 2021 She made her film debut with a supporting role in the 2013

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural sphe ...

's film ''

The Reluctant Fundamentalist ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' is a "metafictional"Madiou, Mohamed Salah Eddine. “Mohsin Hamid Engages the World in The Reluctant Fundamentalist: ‘An Island on an Island,’ Worlds in Miniature and ‘Fiction’ in the Making.” Arab Stu ...

''. She achieved further critical success for her role of Laxmi, an Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing's operative, in

Bilal Lashari Bilal Lashari is a Pakistani filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and occasional actor. He made his directorial debut with ''Waar'' (2013), which at the time of release became Pakistan's List of highest-grossing Pakistani films, highest-gros ...

's action thriller film '' Waar'', which ranks among the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time in Pakistan.

Early life

Shafi was born in

Lahore, Pakistan Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

1981 to actress Saba Hameed and Syed Pervaiz Shafi. She did her

A Levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

from

Lahore Grammar School Lahore Grammar School (LGS) is a group of private education institutions based in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, with branches spread throughout the country. The system was established in 1979 at its 55 Main Gulberg campus. Today, LG ...

and graduated with a degree in fine arts from

National College of Arts The National College of Arts (colloquially known as NCA) is a public university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Overview National College of Arts - A Federal Chartered Institute is the oldest art school in Pakistan and the second oldest i ...

in 2007. In 2016, Shafi became a Canadian citizen.

Career

Modelling

Shafi entered the modelling industry at the age of 17, when she starred opposite

Jawad Ahmed Jawad Ahmed is a Pakistani pop singer and musician. Jawad Ahmed is currently chairman of Barabri Party Pakistan. Early life and career Jawad Ahmad was born into a Kashmiri family who immigrated to Pakistan after independence. Both his parents ...

in the music video for the song "Bin Teray Kya Hai Jeena". In 2009 Shafi became the

brand ambassador A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person engaged by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embod ...

for L'Oreal Paris Pakistan. She has featured in many Pakistani magazines and in international publications such as ''

L'Officiel ''L'Officiel'' () is a French fashion magazine with a USA edition. It has been published in Paris since 1921 and targets upper-income, educated women aged from 25 to 49. In 2006, it had a circulation of 101,719. A men's edition of ''L'Officiel'', ' ...

'' and ''

Vogue India ''Vogue India'' is the Indian edition of the monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine ''Vogue''. It is the 17th international edition of ''Vogue'' and the first edition in South Asia. ''Vogue India'' is published by Condé Nast India Pvt. Ltd., a ...

''.

Acting

Shafi made her screen debut with the 2006 serial ''Muhabbat Khawab Ki Soorat'' on

Hum TV Hum TV is a 24-hour Urdu General Entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL). Hum Network Limi ...

. She then appeared in

Geo TV Geo Television Network is a television channel based in Pakistan. It was established in May 2002 and is owned by the Jang Media Group. The channel began its test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning on 1 October 2 ...

serial ''Ye Zindagi To Woh Nahi'' in 2007. She made her film debut with

's 2012 Hollywood film, ''

'' (based on

Mohsin Hamid Mohsin Hamid ( ur, محسن حامد; born 23 July 1971) is a British Pakistani novelist, writer and brand consultant. His novels are ''Moth Smoke'' (2000), ''The Reluctant Fundamentalist'' (2007), ''How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia'' (201 ...

's novel of the same name), alongside

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...

and

Riz Ahmed Rizwan Ahmed (; ; born ) is a British actor and rapper. As an actor, he has won an Emmy Award and has received nominations for a Golden Globe and three British Independent Film Awards, and as a rapper he has won an Academy Award for the short ...

. The film describes the bad impact of

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

toward

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

after

9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

. Shafi had a minor role and appeared in only two scenes in the film in the role of the male lead's sister. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and failed to break even at the box office.Crossing Dangerous Borders (in the movie 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist')
''The New York Times'', Published 19 April 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2021 She then acted in

's Pakistani film '' Waar'', alongside

Shaan Shahid Armaghan Shahid PP ( ur, ; born 27 April 1971), better known by his stage names Shaan Shahid ( ur, ) or Shaan, is a Pakistani actor, producer, model, writer and director. Shaan has established himself as one of the most popular leading acto ...

. Her portrayal of Laxmi, an Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing's operative was critically praised by the Pakistani media. The movie won her the 'Best Supporting Actress' award at the ARY Film Awards in 2014. In 2016, Shafi has a lead role in the TV costume drama ''

Mor Mahal ''Mor Mahal'' ( ur, , lit=Peacock Palace) is a 2016 Pakistani historical fiction television fantasy series based on life of Nawab Asif Jehan of Hakim dynasty created and directed by Sarmad Khoosat, produced by Babar Javed and was originally con ...

'' which is set in the mid-19th century.

Music career

Shafi started her singing career with the band Overload with her husband, but left in 2011. Shafi sang along with the internationally acclaimed folk singer

Arif Lohar ) , native_name_lang = ur , birth_name = , alias = , birth_date = , origin = Punjab, Pakistan , instrument = Chimta , genre = Punjabi Folk music , occupation = Vocalist, musician , ...

on ''

Coke Studio Pakistan ''Coke Studio'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television programme and international music franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Pakis ...

Season 3 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...

'', with the song "

Alif Allah (Jugni) Alif Allah (Jugni) ( pa, ), also known as Alif Allah Chambe Di Booti ( pa, ) is a popular Punjabi Sufi song that was composed and sung by Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi in Coke Studio Pakistan. The lyrics of the song were based on the works of 17 ...

". The single, originally composed and performed by Lohar, gathered over 20 million+ views on YouTube, was the most-viewed

Coke Studio Coke Studio may refer to: * ''Coke Studio'' (Pakistan), a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio'' (India), an Indian television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio Bangla'', a Banglade ...

song ever, until it was overtaken by "Tajdaar-e-Haram", and was used in several films like ''

Cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

'', ''

Diary of a Butterfly ''Diary of a Butterfly'' is a 2012 thriller drama film directed by Vinod Mukhi and written by Asad Ajmeri. The film stars Udita Goswami as a female protagonist. The film is produced by Anil Kumar under the banner of Bhaggyashri Production. Story ...

'' and ''

Jugni Jugni is an age-old narrative device used in Punjabi folk music. It is the traditional music of the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Jugni is sung at Punjabi weddings in India, Pakistan, US, Canada, Australia and UK. In folk music, i ...

''. She sang a rendition of the folk song "Chori Chori", which received mixed reviews. She returned to Coke Studio (Season 5) in 2012 when she sang "Ishq Aap Bhi Awalla" with the Chakwalees and sang a

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

Faiz Ahmad Faiz Faiz Ahmad ''Faiz'' (13 February 1911 – 20 November 1984; Urdu, Punjabi: فیض احمد فیض) was a Pakistani poet, and author of Urdu and Punjabi literature. Faiz was one of the most celebrated Pakistani Urdu writers of his time. Out ...

, "Dasht-e-Tanhai". In 2014, Meesha Shafi returned to the Coke Studio floor for a third time to perform "Sun Ve Balori" with the composer and tabla guru Ustad Tafu and producers Strings. In 2015, Meesha Shafi lent her vocals to two OSTs. One being 'EVA' that was produced by Strings is featured on the soundtrack of the film ''

Moor Moor or Moors may refer to: Nature and ecology * Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils. Ethnic and religious groups * Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...

'', released in August 2015, and directed by director Jami. In August 2015, she released 'Mehram Dilaan De Mahi' for the OST of the biopic (directed and portrayed on screen by Sarmad Khoosat), based on the life and works of prose writer, ''Manto''. The track is produced by True Brew Records and the lyrics are by Punjabi poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi. 'Manto' was released on 11 September 2015.

TV appearance

In April 2013, Shafi joined

Strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

Ali Azmat Ali Azmat Butt (born 20 April 1970) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the lead singer for the influential Sufi Rock band Junoon and for his subsequent solo career. In 2001, he became part of the first ...

Shahzad Hasan Shahzad Hasan (also known as Shahi Hasan), is a Pakistani musician, record producer, occasional actor, bass guitarist, backing vocalist and music industry executive. Co-founding the pop and rock band, Vital Signs, with keyboardist Rohail Hyatt ...

and Alamgir as a judge and mentor on the singing talent show ''Cornetto Music Icons'', aired on

ARY Digital ''ARY Digital'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani pay television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob ...

. In July 2017,Meesha Shafi joined Fawad Khan and Farooq Ahmed in the audition round as judge while Khan, Shafi, Atif Aslam and Shahi Hasan were the judges in the knockout round of Pepsi Battle of the Bands Season 2. Ayesha Omer is the host of the season. 2 Shafi also went on to judge Season 3 and 4 of Pepsi Battle of the Bands!

Personal life

Shafi's maternal grandfather, Hameed Akhtar, was a novelist and newspaper columnist, president of the

Progressive Writers' Movement The Progressive Writers' Association or the Progressive Writers' Movement of India or ''Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind'' (( ur, ) or ''Akhil Bhartiya Pragatishil Lekhak Sangh'' (Hindi: अखिल भारतीय प्रगति� ...

, and editor of Urdu daily newspapers including ''Imroz'' and ''Nawa-e-Waqt''. In 2008, she married musician

Mahmood Rahman Mahmood Rahman ( ur, محمود الرحمن; born 22 August 1982) is a Pakistani guitarist and former member of the Lahore-based rock band '' Overload''. Personal life His paternal grandfather is Justice S. A. Rahman (d. 1990), a judge associ ...

. The couple have two children, a daughter named Janevi, and a son named Kazimir.

Ali Zafar Incident

In 2018 Meesha Shafi accused actor

Ali Zafar Ali Zafar ( pa, ; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, model, actor, producer, screenwriter and painter. Zafar started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician. He later also established a career in Bo ...

of sexual harassment. She filed a case with the Punjab Ombudsperson (who is supposed to adjudicate cases of harassment of women in the workplace), who declined to hear the case because she "did not have an employer-employee relationship" with Zafar. An appeal she filed with the governor was dismissed, again on "technical grounds". Lahore High Court rejected her case on the basis that there was no employer-employee relationship between Ali and Meesha. Meesha's case helped in spotting out loophole in Pakistani justice system according to which a woman cannot make harassment allegations against someone unless she's employed by the accused party. On 17 September 2019 Meesha Shafi filed a civil defamation case against Zafar for statements made he made in April 2019 on Hum News, which alleged that she was lying about the sexual harassment allegations against him in order to obtain fame and Canadian immigration. Shafi denied these accusations, arguing that she was already a celebrity as well as a Canadian citizen at the time of the original complaint. On 29 September 2020, Ali Zafar won petition to have Shafi's civil defamation case against him stopped while he launched a FIR against Meesha Shafi and eight others for posting defamatory content against him on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Shafi won an appeal against Lahore High Court's decision to stop her defamation case in favor of Zafar's on 19 January 2022.

Acting Career

Filmography

TV

Discography

Coke Studio songs

Lollywood

Pepsi Battle of the Bands ''Pepsi Battle of the Bands'' is a Pakistani television series, originally based on the concept of Battle of the Bands, first aired in 2002 on PTV Home. The show was revived in 2017. Season 1 ''Pepsi Battle of the Bands: Season 1'' aired in J ...

Velo Sound Station Songs

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shafi, Meesha 1981 births Living people Actresses from Lahore Singers from Lahore Pakistani film actresses Pakistani television actresses Pakistani female models National College of Arts alumni Pakistani emigrants to Canada Naturalized citizens of Canada Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian female models Punjabi people Punjabi women Lahore Grammar School alumni Coke Studio (Pakistani TV program) Actresses in Urdu cinema Actresses in Hindi cinema Pakistani expatriate actresses in India 21st-century Pakistani actresses 21st-century Pakistani women singers 21st-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian women singers