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 ''Humsafar'' ( ur, , lit=Companion or Life Partner) is a 2011 Pakistani drama telenovela based on the novel of the same name by Farhat Ishtiaq (who also wrote the screenplay), and directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat. It stars Fawad Khan, Mahir ...

'' 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 p ...

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 career ...

. 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. ...

'' (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'' (2018) and '' Superstar'' (2019). She made her debut as a producer with sports 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,

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 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: India and Pakistan. T ...

. Khan attended Foundation Public School from where she completed her O-Levels. At the age of 17, she moved to California for higher education, where she attended Santa Monica College. She then enrolled in the University of Southern California 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 store in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Khan met Ali Askari in 2006 in Los Angeles 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). ''I ...

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 ...

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

''. 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 ''TUC: The Lighter Side of Life'' is a talk show for famous celebrities presented by TUC Pakistan. This show is centered on the guest’s personal life, careers and relationship with the paparazzi amongst several others, allowing viewers to rec ...

'', 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 in

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'' 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 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 ...

. 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 The 2016 Uri attack was carried out on 18 September by four Jaish-e-Mohammed insurgents from Pakistan against an Indian Army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri in the erstwhile Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. 19 Indian soldiers we ...

, 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, an Indian far-right 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 ...

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 director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 2013 Pakistani film ''Zinda Bhaag'' which she co-wrote and co-directed with Farjab Nabi. The film was an entry to the foreign film category at the ...

- Farjad Nabi's romantic comedy '' 7 Din Mohabbat In'' 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- drama 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 tha ...

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 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 ...

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 ''The Legend of Maula Jatt'' is a 2022 Pakistani Punjabi-language action drama film directed and written by Bilal Lashari. The film is an adaptation of the 1979 cult classic film ''Maula Jatt'' but it is considered neither a remake nor a se ...

'' alongside

which was also starring Hamza Ali Abbasi 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 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 D ...

'' 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 ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its n ...

'', 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, Mee ...

in 2010,

1st Hum Awards The 1st Servis Hum Awards Ceremony (referred to as Hum Awards), presented by the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC), sponsored by Servis, Telenor and co-sponsored by Nokia Lumia, honour the best dramas of 2012 of Hum (i ...

in 2013 and

14th Lux Style Awards 14th Lux Style Awards ---- Official Poster September 30, 2015 ---- Host: Fawad Khan Mahira Khan Yasir Hussain ---- Venue: Expo Center, Karachi ---- Film '' Na Maloom Afraad'' ---- Television Play: '' Pyaray Afzal'' ---- Album: '' Da ...

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 The lux (symbol: lx) is the unit of illuminance, or luminous flux per unit area, in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one lumen per square metre. In photometry, this is used as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by ...

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,

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, and L'Oréal. 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 , - , 2013 , ''

'' , 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", '' Superstar'' , 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 P ...

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

(Drama) , , rowspan="2" , , - , ''

'' , 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 ...

, - , 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