Mahira Hafeez Khan (; born 21 December 1984) is a Pakistani actress. She started her career as a VJ in 2006. Khan is best known for portraying the role of Khirad Hussain in the romantic-drama '' Humsafar'' for which she received numerous accolades, including

Lux Style Award The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...

for Satellite Best TV Actress and

Hum Award Hum Awards are annual Pakistani accolades bestowed by the Hum Network Limited in recognition of excellence in programming of television, fashion and music industry of Pakistan. Winners are awarded the Hum Award of Merit. The awards were first ...

for Best On-screen Couple with

Fawad Khan Fawad Afzal Khan ( ur, ) (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, model and singer having received several awards including a Filmfare Award, two Lux Style Awards and six Hum Awards. Khan began his acting caree ...

. She made her big screen debut opposite

Atif Aslam Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam predominantly sings in Urdu, but has also sung in Hindi, ...

in the romance '' Bol'' (2011), which earned her a

for Best Film Actress nomination. Khan made her

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

debut in 2017 with action-romance '' Raees'' opposite

Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" ...

. She has also acted in successful Pakistani films ''

Bin Roye ''Bin Roye'' (; ) is a 2015 Pakistani romantic drama film directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri. The film is produced by Momina Duraid and stars Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, Armeena Khan, Zeba Bakhtiar, Javed Sheikh and others. One o ...

'' (2015), ''

Ho Mann Jahaan ''Ho Mann Jahaan'' ( ur, ) is a 2015 Pakistani coming-of-age musical drama film, written and directed by Asim Raza at his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Rashna Abdi, Imtisal Abbasi and Asim Raza, while dialogues were written ...

'' (2015), ''

7 Din Mohabbat In 7 Din Mohabbat In () is a 2018 Pakistani romantic comedy film with fantasy elements. It was directed by Meenu– Farjad under Matteela Films. Written by Fasih Bari Khan, the film features Mahira Khan and Sheheryar Munawar in lead roles and also ...

'' (2018) and ''

Superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

'' (2019). She made her debut as a producer with

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

web series ''Baarwan Khiladi'' (2022).

Early life

Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan on 21 December 1984. Her father, Hafeez Khan, was born in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

, and migrated to Pakistan after the

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

. Khan attended

Foundation Public School Foundation Public School (FPS) is a private school based in Karachi , Hyderabad and Islamabad Pakistan, educating children from the ages of three and a half to eighteen, including O and A Levels. The school has nine campuses, one in Hyderabad offe ...

from where she completed her

O-Levels The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...

. At the age of 17, she moved to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

for higher education, where she attended

Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public, community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. Althoug ...

. She then enrolled in the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

for her bachelor's degree. However, she did not complete her undergraduate degree and returned to Pakistan in 2008. During her studies in the United States, she was a

cashier A retail cashier or simply a cashier is a person who handles the cash register at various locations such as the point of sale in a retail store. The most common use of the title is in the retail industry, but this job title is also used in the ...

at a

Rite Aid Rite Aid Corporation is an American drugstore chain based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1962 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, by Alex Grass under the name Thrift D Discount Center. The company ranked No. 148 in the Fortune 500 lis ...

store in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Khan met Ali Askari in 2006 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and married him in 2007 in a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony despite Khan's father being reportedly against the marriage. They have a son, born in 2009. The couple got divorced in 2015.

Career

Early work (2006–2011)

Khan started her career as a VJ in 2006, hosting the live show ''Most Wanted'' on

MTV Pakistan MTV Pakistan was the Pakistani subsidiary of MTV, a cable television network owned by Viacom. The Pakistan franchise was set up in collaboration with Pakistan's first satellite channel media group known as Indus Media Group (Indus TV). ''Indu ...

which was aired three days a week. She then hosted

AAG TV AAG TV ( ) was a youth entertainment channel in Pakistan, owned by Independent Media Corporation. Launched in 2006 by Geo Television Network, it was associated with Fire Records, a record label in Pakistan. Certain notable artists within the Pa ...

's reality show ''Weekends with Mahira'' in 2008, where she played music videos, spoke to celebrity guests and took phone calls from viewers. In 2011, Khan made her film debut in a supporting role in

Shoaib Mansoor Shoaib Mansoor (Full name, Shoaib Mansoor), ( ur, ; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Muhajir origin. Active in the television industry since 1980, he first f ...

-directed '' Bol'' in which she had a supporting role. She played Ayesha, a girl from a conservative lower-middle-class family living in old part of Lahore, who shares a mutual passion for music with her love interest Mustafa, played by

. The film was a critical and commercial success, and became one of the

highest-grossing Pakistani films This list charts the most successful Pakistani films screened at cinemas in Pakistan and overseas. Pakistani films generate income from several revenue streams including box office sales (admissions), theatrical exhibitions, television broadc ...

of all time. The same year, Khan also made her TV drama debut in '' Neeyat'' directed by

Mehreen Jabbar Mehreen Jabbar (Urdu: م‍ﮩ‍رين جبار ) (b. 29 December 1971, is a Pakistani film and television director and producer based in New York City. She is a daughter of the Pakistani media-person Javed Jabbar.https://tribune.com.pk/story ...

. The serial was set in New York and she played the role of Ayla.

Breakthrough and recognition (2012–2017)

She next appeared in the

Sarmad Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film director, film/television director, TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered t ...

-directed drama serial '' Humsafar''. Both the drama and Khan received positive reviews from critics. The drama series was also aired on '' Zindagi'' and was a success in India. It earned her a

for Satellite Best TV Actress and a

for Best Onscreen Couple. In 2013, she played the role in Sarmad Khoosat-directed ''

Shehr-e-Zaat ''Shehr-e-Zaat'' (English: ''City of Existence'') is a 2012 Pakistani spiritual romantic drama serial based on the novella of the same name by Umera Ahmad. It is directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and produced by Momina Duraid and Abdullah Ka ...

''. The drama earned her Best Actress Awards from Pakistan Media Awards and

Hum Awards Hum Awards are annual Pakistani accolades bestowed by the Hum Network Limited in recognition of excellence in programming of television, fashion and music industry of Pakistan. Winners are awarded the Hum Award of Merit. The awards were first p ...

. From 2013 to 2014, she hosted '' TUC The Lighter Side of Life'', a talk show. In 2014, Khan starred in

Mohammed Ehteshamuddin Mohammed Ehteshamuddin ( ur, ) is a Pakistani TV director, producer, writer and actor. Ehtesham's short films ''Shahrukh Khan Ki Maut'' (2005) and ''Mein Sawa Paanch Bujay Aai Thi'' (2006) featured at the 2005 and 2006 Kara Film Festival. In ...

directed drama serial ''

Sadqay Tumhare ''Sadqay Tumhare'' ( ur, , lit=May My Years Be Added To Yours) is a Pakistani biographical drama serial based on the life of the series own writer Khalil-Ur-Rehman Qamar. It is directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and co-produced by Momina Durai ...

'' in which she played the role of Shano. The drama earned her a

for Best TV Actress, two

and a

nomination. In 2015, she starred opposite

Humayun Saeed Humayun Saeed Ansari (born 27 July 1971), professionally known as Humayun Saeed, is a Pakistani actor and producer. He has appeared in dozens of Pakistani television dramas and limited number of films, and earned Lux Style Awards, and ARY Fil ...

Shahzad Kashmiri Shahzad Kashmiri ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television and film director and cinematographer. Kashmiri is best known for his work as a cinematographer in Hum TV drama serials such as ''Humsafar'', ''Bilqees Kaur'', ''Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu'', '' Zard ...

's directed film ''

''. The film earned her a

for Best Actress (Film),

for Best Actress, Hum Style Award for Most Stylish Actress (Film) and a Masala! Award for Best Actress. The film was also adapted as a TV series in 2016, which earned her a

for Best Actor Female (Drama Serial) and a Hum Award nomination for Best Onscreen Couple. She played a supporting role in Sarmad Khoosat-directed biographical film ''

Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer), Greek singer * Manto Mavrogenous, Greek national heroine * Saadat Hasan Manto, Urdu short story writer known by his pen name Manto * Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician * Manto ...

'' in 2015. Mahira Khan

In 2016, she starred in

Asim Raza Asim Raza (; ur, ) is a Pakistani film and television commercial director and producer. Asim began his career as an architect and worked with the architectural firm Arshad Shahid Abdullah (PVT) LTD before venturing into film production and d ...

-directed film ''

'', The film earned her a

for Best Actress (Film) and a Nigar Award nomination for Best Actress. In early 2017, Khan co-starred in

Rahul Dholakia Rahul Dholakia is an Indian film director- producer-screenwriter, most known for his National Film Award-winning film, ''Parzania '' (Heaven & Hell On Earth) (2005),Raees'', which was her debut in the Hindi film industry. Before the release of film, 'Indian Motion Picture Producers Association' (IMPPA) and 'The Film Producers Guild of India' had decided to ban all Pakistani actors, actresses and technicians from working in India due to the tensions created after the 2016 Uri attack, until the situation was normalised. Reportedly, there were rumours that Khan's scenes would be deleted from the film or she would be replaced by another actress.

, the lead star and co-producer of the film, said that she would not be allowed to promote the film in India. Khan repeatedly received threats from

Shiv Sena Shiv Sena ( IAST: ''Śiva Sēnā'') () was a right-wing to far-right Marathi regionalist and Hindu ultranationalist political party in India founded in 1966 by cartoonist Bal Thackeray. Originally emerging from nativist movements in Bom ...

, an Indian

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

political party. Despite the controversies, the film was released in January 2017 and was a modest commercial success, earning over ₹3.0 billion (US$39 million) worldwide which made Khan the first Pakistani actress to join Bollywood's

100 Crore Club 100 Crore Club is an unofficial designation by the Indian film trade and the media, related to Indian-language films that have net (1billion Indian rupees) or more in India after deducting the entertainment tax. By 2012, the () box office ta ...

and become the top grossing actress in Bollywood during the first quarter of 2017.

Success and recent work (2018–present)

Khan began her singing career in 2017, when she starred as a rape victim in

's social drama film '' Verna''. The film received generally unfavourable reviews but her performance was praised and she earned a

for Best Actress in 2018. In 2018, she starred in

Meenu Gaur Meenu Gaur is a London-based British-Indian Film director, director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 2013 in Pakistani films, 2013 Pakistani film ''Zinda Bhaag'' which she co-wrote and co-directed with Farjab Nabi. The film was an en ...

Farjad Nabi Farjad Nabi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani writer, film producer, director, cinematographer and documentary maker. His 2013 feature film ''Zinda Bhaag'', co written and co directed with Meenu Gaur, became the first Pakistani film in over fifty years to ...

's romantic comedy ''

'' which was a commercial failure In 2019, she made a special appearance in

's ''

Parey Hut Love ''Parey Hut Love'' () is a 2019 Pakistani romantic comedy film, directed by Asim Raza. Written by Imran Aslam, the story revolves around a young free-willed, commitment-phobic, aspiring actor Sheheryar (Sheheryar Munawar) and a strong-willed ...

''. The same year, she starred in romantic,

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

film ''Superstar'', her highest-grossing film domestically at the time. In 2022, she starred opposite

Fahad Mustafa Fahad Salahuddin ( ur, فہد صلاح الدین) commonly known as Fahad Mustafa ( ur, فہد مصطفٰی, label=none), is a Pakistani film and television actor and producer who is best known for hosting ''Jeeto Pakistan'', a game show that ...

in Nabeel Qureshi's action-comedy film ''

Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad ''Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad'' ( ur, , lit=Long Live Quaid-e-Azam) is a 2022 Pakistani action comedy film written by Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi, directed by Nabeel Qureshi, and produced by Mehdi Ali and Fizza Ali Meerza, under the banners ...

'' which opened to mixed reviews from critics. She has also produced a web series titled ''Baarwan Khiladi'', which was release in March 2022. Khan next starred in Bilal Lashari's Punjabi-language

action drama In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-gen ...

film '' The Legend of Maula Jatt'' alongside

which was also starring

Hamza Ali Abbasi Hamza Ali Abbasi (Urdu/ pa, ; born 23 June 1984) is a Pakistani film and television actor and director. He is known for his roles as Afzal in the drama serial ''Pyarey Afzal'', and as Salahuddin in the drama serial ''Mann Mayal''. In 201 ...

and

Humaima Malik Humaima Malick (born 18 November 1987) is a Pakistani actress who works in Pakistani films and serials. She is known for ''Ishq Junoon Deewangi'' as Pares Usmani and social-drama '' Bol'' in 2011. Personal life Malick was born in Quetta into ...

. The film released in October 2022 and was widely praised by critics. however Khan's performance was less well received, Syed Zain Raza of

The Friday Times ''The Friday Times'' (TFT) is a Pakistani English-language independent newsweekly, based in Lahore, Pakistan. History and profile ''The Friday Times'' was first published in May 1989. TFT's founder-editor Najam Sethi and publisher Jugnu Mohsin ...

wrote "One can’t deny the star power of Mahira, but it would be better to say that this wasn’t her film. Mukkho wasn’t meant for her" while Siham Basir, of ''

Dawn Images ''Dawn'' is a Pakistani English-language newspaper that was launched in British India in 1941. It is the largest English newspaper in Pakistan, and also serves as the country's newspaper of record. ''Dawn'' is the flagship publication of the Da ...

'' wrote "The only downside for me was Mahira Khan’s Mukkho, Her Punjabi accent needed a lot of work because her performance fell flat".

Other work and media image

Mahira Khan grace Vogue Beauty Awards 2016 (01)

Khan is considered one of the Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses. She has received several awards. In 2012, Khan was named as the Most Beautiful Woman in Pakistan. In 'Sexiest Asian Women' poll by ''

Eastern Eye The ''Eastern Eye'' is a British weekly newspaper. It was created in 1989 and was first published by ''The Guardian'', before becoming a standalone newspaper. History Sarwar Ahmed Sarwar Ahmed ( bn, সরয়ার আহমেদ; bor ...

'', she was listed tenth in 2015, ninth in 2016 and fifth in 2017, and ninth again in 2019. She was also called Pakistan's sexiest woman. Khan co-hosted the ceremonies of

10th Lux Style Awards The 10th Lux Style Awards ceremony was held in Expo Center in Karachi, Pakistan. The show was hosted by Mahira Khan, Faizan Haque and from the members of BNN. The show had the performances by HSY and Reema Khan, Aaminah Haq, Ammar Bilal, Meer ...

in 2010, 1st Hum Awards in 2013 and 14th Lux Style Awards in 2015. In December 2016, Khan became a victim of false news after anti-India comment emerged ahead of the release of her Bollywood debut film ''Raees''. She serves as an ambassador for a number of brands such as Lux,

QMobile QMobile (Urdu:) is a Pakistani consumer electronics marketing company which markets smartphones in Pakistan. It is one of the largest smartphone marketing brand in Pakistan with an estimate of one million mobile phones sold monthly. QMobile Phone' ...

, Gai Power Wash,

Huawei Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ( ; ) is a Chinese multinational technology corporation headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It designs, develops, produces and sells telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics and various smar ...

Sunsilk Sunsilk is a British hair care brand produced by the company Unilever. The brand was introduced in 1954 in the UK and available in most countries globally. It is a hair care brand in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, an ...

Veet Veet, formerly called Neet and Immac, is a Canadian brand of chemical depilatory products manufactured by the British company Reckitt. Hair removal cream, Lotions, gel, mousse, and wax products are produced under this brand, with differing variant ...

, and

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...

. Khan was on the list of the BBC's 100 Women announced on 23 November 2020.

Filmography

Films

Television

Web series

Other appearance

Awards and nominations

! Ref , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5",

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...

, - , 2013 , '' Humsafar'' , Satellite Best TV Actress , , , - , rowspan="2" , 2016 , ''

'' , Best Lead Actress in a Film , , rowspan="2" , , - , ''

'' , Best TV Actress , , - , 2017 , ''

'' , Best Lead Actress in a Film , , , - , 2018 , '' Verna'' , Best Lead Actress in a Film , , , - , Rowspan="2", 2020 , rowspan="2", ''

'' , Best Film Actress (Viewers' Choice) , rowspan="2" , rowspan="2", , - , Best Film Actress (Critics' Choice) , - , rowspan="2" , 2022 , rowspan="2" , ''

Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay ''Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay'' ( ur, ) (English literal:When were we truthful?) is a Pakistani drama television series based on the novel of same name by Umera Ahmad. Directed by Farooq Rind, the serial is co-produced by Soul Fry Films and MD Pr ...

'' , Best TV Actress-Viewers' Choice , , rowspan="2" , , - , Best TV Actress-Critics' Choice , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5",

Pakistan Media Awards The Pakistan Media Awards, commonly known as The PMA, are a set of awards given annually for radio, TV, film and theatre achievements. The award is a statuette representing a knight with a star on the chest. Its official named is a Pakistan Me ...

, - , 2014 , ''

'' , Best Actress (Drama) , , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5",

, - , rowspan="2" , 2013 , ''

'' ,

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...

(Drama) , , rowspan="2" , , - , '' Humsafar'' , Best Onscreen Couple (Drama) , , - , rowspan="3" , 2015 , rowspan="3" , ''

'' , Best Actress (Drama) , , rowspan="3" ,
, - , Best Actress Popular , , - , Best Onscreen Couple (Drama) , , - , 2016 , ''

'' , Recognition Award – Films , , , - , rowspan="4" , 2017 , rowspan="4" , ''

'' , Best Actress Popular (Drama) , , , - , Best Onscreen Couple Popular (Drama) , , rowspan="3" , , - , Best Onscreen Couple Jury (Drama) , , - , Best Actress Jury (Drama) , , - , 2018 , '' Verna'' , Recognition Award – Films , , , - , rowspan="2" , 2022 , rowspan="2" , ''

'' , Best Actress - Popular , , , - , Best on-screen Couple - Popular , , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5", Hum Style Awards , - , 2016 , colspan=2, Most Stylish Actress (Film) , , , - , 2017 , colspan=2, Most Stylish Actress (Television) , , , - , rowspan="2" , 2018 , colspan=2, Most Stylish Actress (Film) , , , - , colspan=2, Style Icon of the Year , , , - , 2020 , colspan=2, Most Stylish Actress (Film) , , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5",

Nigar Awards The Nigar Awards ( ur, , translit=Inʿām Negār, lit=Picture Awards) were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The Nigar Awards a ...

, - , 2017 , ''

'' , Best Actress , , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5", International Pakistan Prestige Awards , - , 2017 , ''

'' , Best Actress (Film) , , , - , 2018 , '' Verna'' , Best Actress (Film) , , , - ! style="background:#bfd7ff;" colspan="5", Indus Valley International Film Festival , - , 2022 , ''Prince Charming'' , Best Actress , ,

Other recognition

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Mahira 1984 births Living people Actresses from Karachi Pakistani film actresses Pakistani television actresses Muhajir people Pashtun people Actresses in Urdu cinema Actresses in Hindi cinema Pakistani expatriate actresses in India Pakistani expatriates in the United States Santa Monica College alumni University of Southern California alumni 21st-century Pakistani actresses BBC 100 Women