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 actors of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. Shaan started his acting career in 1990 by making his film debut in Javed Fazil's film Bulandi opposite

Reema Khan Reema Khan ( ur, ) born Sameena Khan ( ur, ), known mononymously as Reema, is a Pakistani television host and former stage dancer, Lollywood film actress, director and producer. Khan was one of the leading film actresses in Pakistan during 1 ...

. He has won many awards in

including one

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

, fifteen

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 ...

, five

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 ...

, one Pakistan Media Award, ARY Film Award. He is considered the highest-paid film star in Pakistan.

Early life

Armaghan Shahid, was born in

Lahore 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. ...

to director

Riaz Shahid Riaz Shahid (1927 – 1 October 1972) was a Pakistani filmmaker, film writer, and a journalist. Early life and career Riaz Shahid was born in 1927 in Quetta, British India. He belonged to a Kashmiris in Punjab, Punjabi Kashmiri family. He ...

and theatre, film and television actress

Neelo Neelo Begum (born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes; ''née'' Abida Riaz; 30 June 1941 – 30 January 2021) was a Pakistani veteran film actress. She made her film debut in 1956 with Hollywood film ''Bhowani Junction''. She was known as ''The Qu ...

. His father was a Punjabi Kashmiri and

Muslim 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 Abrah ...

whereas his mother was a Punjabi Christian who embraced Islam. His paternal uncle Fiaz Shahid was a cameraman and producer for PTV in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

. He has a younger brother, Sarosh Shahid who is also an actor and he has an older sister, Zarqa Shahid. He started his early education at the prestigious Aitchison College. His first acting venture came at a boy scout bonfire. He won the best actor award in a play called ''Alif Noon'', playing a comedy character, but never took acting seriously as a career. After Aitchison, he left for New York, United States and joined Newtown High School. Dreaming of being a lawyer, he always thought he had the talent to become one. He stayed in New York for seven years, then returned to

for a vacation where he took up the family business, Riaz Shahid Films. At the age of 19, he acted in his first film, ''Bulandi'', which was released in 1990.

Acting career

Early work

Shaan made his debut with ''Bulandi'' in 1990 opposite another debutante Reema Khan. He has since appeared in hundreds of

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

Punjabi language Punjabi (; ; , ), sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan language of the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It has approximately 113 million native speakers. Punjabi is the most widely-spoken first language in Pakistan, with 80.5 m ...

films. In 2013, he starred 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 '' Waar'' alongside Aisha Khan,

Shamoon Abbasi Shamoon Abbasi ( ur, ; born 4 April 1973) is a Pakistani actor, director and screenwriter, better known for portraying villain roles. Family His father Zuhair Abbasi was a novelist and drama writer, and so is his aunt, Seema Ghazal. Syed Ali R ...

, Uzma Khan,

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 ...

, and

Meesha Shafi Meesha Shafi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani-born Canadian singer, actress and model.1st ARY Film Awards. After the success of Waar, he appeared in

Jami Nūr ad-Dīn 'Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī ( fa, نورالدین عبدالرحمن جامی; 7 November 1414 – 9 November 1492), also known as Mawlanā Nūr al-Dīn 'Abd al-Rahmān or Abd-Al-Rahmān Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti, or simply as J ...

Summer Nicks Summer Nicks is an Australian television, film and commercial director, best known for writing and directing ''O21 (film), O21'', ''Shambhala'' and ''Sedition'' as well as writing and producing ''Seedlings (film), Seedlings'', ''Damaged'' and co- ...

's O21 with a supporting cast of

Aamina Sheikh Aamina Sheikh ( ur, ) is an American-Pakistani actress, songwriter and former fashion model. Sheikh has received critical appreciation for her work in the Urdu television series and art films, and is the recipient of four Lux Style Award from nin ...

Iman Ali Iman Ali ( ur, ; born 19 December 1980) is a Pakistani actress, model, and singer who appears in Urdu films. Ali made her film debut with a leading role in the 2007 thriller film ''Khuda Kay Liye'', for which she won a Lux Style Award for B ...

and

Ayub Khoso Ayub Khoso ( ur, ; born 1959) is a Pakistani actor of film and TV. With a career spanning more than three decades - mostly in television - Khoso is a well-known name in Pakistan. He is known for his roles in films like ''Khuda Kay Liye''. Ear ...

. In 2015, he starred in

Hassan Rana Hassan Rana (born Hassan Waqas Rana), also known as Doc, is a Pakistani film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his debut production '' Waar'', for which he won 3 awards at 1st ARY Film Awards. He is the founder of MindWor ...

Yalghaar ''Yalghaar'' ( en, "Assault" or "Attack"; previously known as ''Delta Echo Foxtrot'') is a 2017 Pakistani war-epic film directed by Hassan Rana. The film is produced by MindWorks Media and is based on the true story of Pakistan Army's Swat O ...

alongside

Adnan Siddiqui Adnan Siddiqui ( ur, ) (born 23 October 1969) is a Pakistani actor, producer and model who has worked in Lollywood and Hollywood and also made his debut in Bollywood with the Hindi film '' Mom'' (2017). He also has his own production house, '' ...

, and the film was set to be the most expensive film in the history of

Pakistani cinema Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood ( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. ...

with an estimated budget of Rs 50 crore. He has done independent films as well such as the dance-based film ''Naach'' (2013) opposite

Javed Sheikh Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...

Momal Sheikh Momal Sheikh ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actress and producer. Her works in serials are '' Yeh Zindagi Hai'' in 2008 and '' Mirat Ul Uroos'' in 2013. She made her film debut with 2016 film ''Happy Bhag Jayegi''. Sheikh also co-produced 2018 film '' W ...

and newcomer Neil Uchong and

Shahzad Rafique Shahzad Rafiq (also spelled Shehzad Rafique) is a Pakistani film director. Films he has produced and directed include ''Nikah'', '' Ghunghat'', ''Rukhsati'', ''Salakhain'' and ''Mohabbataan Sachiyaan''. His films have been presented at several f ...

's punjabi romantic film ''

Ishq Khuda ''Ishq Khuda'' ( pnb, , Ishq-e-Khuda "love of god") is a 2013 Pakistani Punjabi-language romantic film directed by Shahzad Rafique and produced by Shafquat Chaudhry. It stars Shaan Shahid, Meera, Saima, Ahsan Khan, Humaima Malick, Wiam Dahm ...

'' alongside Saima,

Ahsan Khan Ahsan Khan ( ur, احسن خان; born 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer and TV host. He began acting in 1998. He appeared in the films ''Nikah'', '' Billi'', '' Ghar Kab Aao Gay'', ''Sultanat'', ''Ishq Khuda'', ''Dil Mera Dhadkan Teri' ...

and Wiam Dahmani. Shaan has also sung a few songs in his films.

Directorial debut

Keen on making a difference to filmmaking in Pakistan, Shaan launched himself as a director. He directed his ambitious project ''

Guns and Roses - Ik Junoon ''Guns and Roses: Ik Junoon'' (Urdu script: گنز اینڈ روزز—اک جنون "Guns and Roses, an Obsession") is a 1999 Pakistani film directed by & starring Shaan (Pakistan actor), Shaan (in his feature directorial debut), Resham, Meer ...

'', which was released in 1999. The film was produced by the art entrepreneur Tanvir Fatima Rehman. He co-starred with

Faisal Rehman Faisal Rehman commonly known as Faisal is a Pakistani film and television actor, writer and director. He has worked in 36 films and many television shows. Biography Faisal Rehman's ancestors hail from Afghanistan with roots in the Mohammadzai ...

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

and

Resham Resham is a Pakistani film and television actress and model. She made her film debut with ''Jeeva'' in 1995, and was a leading actress of Lollywood during the 1990s. Her notable film credits include ''Jeeva'' (1995), ''Ghunghat'' (1996), ''D ...

. The music was scored by M. Arshad, the cinematography was done by Azhar Burki, and it was written by Pervaiz Kaleem. In 2000 he directed ''

Mujhe Chand Chahiye ''Mujhe Chand Chahiye'' (Urdu: مجھے چاند چاہیے) is a 2000 Pakistani Urdu-language romantic film which was released in March 2000. The film was Shaan's second directorial venture and was a huge success at the box office. The f ...

'' starring himself, Noor,

Moammar Rana Moammar Rana ( Punjabi, ur, ; born February 26, 1974), is a Pakistani actor and film director. He is known for his various Lollywood movie credits, and has also worked on the small screen in Pakistani soap operas and Television Serials. ...

and

Atiqa Odho Atiqa Odho ( ur, ; born 12 February 1968 ) is a Pakistani television and film actress, television host, and the namesake of her own founded cosmetics brand Odho cosmetics. She debuted in Anwar Maqsood's TV series. She is famous for, ''Sitara aur ...

. He then directed '' Moosa Khan'' (2001), which starred him, Saima, Abid Ali,

Jan Rambo Afzal Khan (Urdu: افضل خان), better known as Jan Rambo, is a Pakistani actor, director, producer and comedian. He rose to fame by playing a janitor nicknamed ''Jan Rambo'' on PTV's famous comedy show ''Guest House'' (1991). He later a ...

and Noor. The film received genuinely positive reviews from critics. He signed a three-film deal with actress

Juggan Kazim Syeda Mehrbano Kazim ( ur, ), known by the stage name Juggun "Jay" Kazim ( ur, ), is a Pakistani Canadian actress, television host, and YouTube personality. She has worked in numerous Pakistani and Canadian films. She is the brand ambassado ...

in 2008. One film, titled ''Chup'' was under pre-production for several years until it was scrapped; the others are still in pre-production. He is working with screenwriter Mashal Peerzada and Pakistani television director and screenwriter

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani actor, film/ TV director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' and ''Shehr-e-Zaat''. He is considered to be one of the best South Asian f ...

for his film projects. In 2009, Shaan appeared 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 ...

's show ''Happenings'' which showed him directing a film scene with actress

in a Haveli house. In the interview he confirmed he has been making a film, however, not much is known about it. In 2012, he announced that he is set to direct one film that stayed under production for several years, ''

Mission Allahu Akbar ''Mission Allahu Akbar'' is an upcoming Pakistani Urdu language romantic drama film directed by Shaan Shahid It stars, Shaan Shahid, Shaan and Humaima Malick. The shooting will start after Muharram. It is the remake of an old Pakistani film ''Mas ...

'' opposite

in Thailand. In 2013, Shaan said his films were on hold as he is involved in his other ambitious acting projects.

Television

Shaan joined

Geo Television Network 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 ...

and hosted a morning show named ''Geo Shaan Say'' on Geo News. But he soon left the show to focus on the development of Lashari's '' Waar''.

Brand Ambassador

Businesses

Shaan, with his extensive education and grooming and the ability to project class and elegance through his stature and expressions, has been a hot attraction for many brands and campaigns; several of them have had the pleasure of hosting him. On 17 February 2009,

Unilever Pakistan Unilever Pakistan Limited, formerly Lever Brothers Pakistan Limited( ur, ), is a Pakistani fast-moving consumer goods company based in Karachi. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational company. History The town of Rahim Yar Khan was t ...

launched their latest offering, the LUX Limited Edition soap, at the Pearl Continental Hotel in

, Pakistan. Shaan endorsed another mega brand,

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

, where he and the singing sensation

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 ...

helped strengthen the brand in Pakistan.

's telecom giant

Mobilink Mobilink ( ur, ) was the trade name of Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited (PMCL), a mobile operator in Pakistan providing a range of prepaid and postpaid voice and data telecommunication services to both individual and corporate subscribers ...

hosted Shaan as a spokesperson for 'Mobilink Indigo', with the launch of the new face of Mobilink's premium post-paid brand 'Indigo' in 2004. It was projected as the brand for the elite executive and families. His character was a man whose demanding lifestyle has him juggling between work and family and Indigo helps him breeze through this life successfully. Shaan was the

Goodwill Ambassador Goodwill ambassador is a post-nominal honorific title, a professional occupation and/or authoritative designation that is assigned to a person who advocates for a specific cause or global issue on the basis of their notability such as a public ...

for 'One Pack = One Vaccine', a campaign launched by

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

and the Ministry of Health in a bid to eradicate

tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually ...

from Pakistan. Shaan has committed himself to the cause and has been visiting many areas and cities across the country, including malls and stores in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

and Lahore, to bring awareness amongst parents, especially mothers, about this deadly disease and how one can fight to eliminate it.

Sports

Shaan has a great interest in sports. Shaan joined PSL franchise,

Lahore Qalandars Lahore Qalandars ( ur, ; pnb, لہور قلندرز; abbreviated as LQ) is a Pakistani professional cricket franchise which plays in the Pakistan Super League, representing the city of Lahore. The home ground of the team is Gaddafi Stadium. ...

as brand ambassador ahead of the second season. After his venture at PSL, he was named the brand ambassador of Kashmir Premier League. In January 2021, he had been named as the brand ambassador for Punjab Sports Board.

Personal life

Relationships & family

He married Amina Shaan and has four daughters: Bahisht-i-Bareen Shaan Shahid, Fatima Shahid, Shah Bano Shahid, and Raanay Shahid.

Filmography

Films

Awards and nominations

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

Award (2007) * 15

* 5

* 4

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

* Shaan won Best Film Hero on 2nd Pakistan Media Award (2011)