Fawad Afzal Khan ( ur, ) (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, producer, screenwriter,

model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

and singer having received several awards including a

Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

, two

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 ...

and six Hum Awards. Khan began his acting career on the television sitcom, ''Jutt and Bond''. He formed an

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

band,

Entity Paradigm Entity Paradigm (Punjabi, , in English sometimes shortened as EP) was a Pakistani rock band from Lahore, Punjab, formed in 2000. The band was founded by songwriter and guitarist Xulfi, vocalist, songwriter Fawad Khan and keyboardist and vocalist ...

, with the show's co-stars and began his music career as its lead singer. The band appeared on the finale of ''

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 ...

'' in 2002 and Khan became known for its 2003 debut album, ''

Irtiqa Irtiqa (Urdu: ارتقاء, literal English translation: ''evolution'') is the debut album by the Pakistani rock band, Entity Paradigm. It was originally slated for a 25 September 2003 release date, but was delayed to 1 October. Entity Paradigm r ...

''. After about 250 performances, he left the band to pursue a film career. Khan made his film debut with 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 ...

sociodrama A sociodrama is a dramatic play in which several individuals act out assigned roles for the purpose of studying and remedying problems in group or collective relationships. It was developed by social scientist Jacob L. Moreno to explore sociologica ...

, ''

Khuda Kay Liye ''Khuda Kay Liye'' (also released as ''In the Name of God'' in international markets) is a 2007 Pakistani drama film directed by Shoaib Mansoor, produced by Brigadier Syed Mujtaba Tirmizi from ISPR and stars Shaan Shahid, Fawad Khan and Iman Al ...

'' (2007), one of Pakistan's highest-grossing films. He had his first success in the television

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

, '' Dastaan'' (2010), for which he received the Best Male Actor Award at the

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 ...

. Khan played a lead role in the Pakistani television serial '' Humsafar'' (2011), and appeared in

Sultana Siddiqui Sultana Siddiqui also known as Sultana Apa (Sindhi: سلطانا آپي)is a Pakistani media mogul, television director, and producer who is the founder of Hum Network Limited. Siddiqui is an active director of Hum Network Limited and the pr ...

's family drama ''

Zindagi Gulzar Hai ''Zindagi Gulzar Hai'' is a Pakistani television series directed by Sultana Siddiqui, produced by Momina Duraid under banner Moomal Productions, which was first broadcast on Hum TV. Based on the novel of the same name by Umera Ahmad who also w ...

'' (2012). For both performances, he received the Lux Style Award for Best Actor - Satellite. Khan made his

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 ...

film debut with the lead role in the romantic comedy, '' Khoobsurat'' (2014), for which he received the

Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut The Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut is given by '' Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films to recognise a performance by a male actor in a debut role. List of winners 1980s *1989 Aamir Khan – '' Qayamat Se Qayam ...

. He was praised for his portrayal of a closeted homosexual in the critically and commercially successful family drama ''

Kapoor & Sons ''Kapoor & Sons'', also known as ''Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)'', is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language family comedy drama film directed by Shakun Batra and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions, with F ...

'' (2016), which earned him a nomination for the

Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the awards sta ...

. In addition to acting, Khan has raised money for charitable organizations throughout

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. He has endorsed several popular brands and products. Khan has been listed among the "Sexiest Asian Males" by the British magazine '' Eastern Eye''.

Early life

Khan was born in Karachi on 29 November 1981 into a family of ethnic Pashtuns. His father was born in

Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the '' Qila Mubarak'' (the 'Fortunate Castle') construct ...

, British India whereas his mother's family was native of

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

, British India and moved to present day Pakistan after the 1947 partition of British India. When Khan was young, his father was in pharmaceutical sales, which required the family to live in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...

and

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

during the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. His family moved to

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 ...

when he was 13. He has two sisters; his older sister, Aliya, is an architect and his younger sister, Sana, is a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

. He currently lives in

. Khan studied at an American school, where he said he faced racial issues and was bullied because of his shy, calm, non-combative nature. Khan passed his

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 au ...

at the

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 ...

, Johar Town (LGS JT), and received a bachelor's degree in

software engineering Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development. A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term '' ...

from the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (NUCES) in Lahore. Because he could not find a job as a programmer, he soon began acting. In a '' Forbes India'' interview, Khan said that he had also failed to find a job in marketing. By then he could play guitar, bass and drums, and became

's lead singer. Khan's first amateur performance was in the title role of a play, ''Spartacus''.

Music career

Two rock bands,

Ahmed Ali Butt Ahmad Ali Butt ( ur, ) is a Pakistani actor, television host, comedian, keyboardist, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Career Butt began his career in music, where he was a member of the alternative rock band ''Entity Paradigm'' (EP) as a vocalist ...

's Entity and Khan's Paradigm, were active in Lahore between 1994 and 2000. The bands collaborated on the title track of a television sitcom, ''Jutt and Bond'' (featuring Khan and Ahmed Ali Butt), in the early 2000s. This collaboration led to the bands' merger into

. The new band appeared in the 2002 finale of ''

'', losing to the band ''Aaroh''. Entity Paradigm's debut album, ''

'', was released in October 2003; it received broad critical appreciation, particularly the popular romantic track "Rahguzar". The band broke up in 2007, reuniting in 2010 to participate in the third season of ''

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 ...

'' (where they covered

Sajjad Ali Sajjad Ali (born 1962) is a Pakistani semi-classical, pop and rock singer, poet, actor, film director as well as a film producer from Karachi, Pakistan. Their single, "

Shor Macha "Shor Macha" (Urdu: شور مچا, literal English translation: "make noise") is a song by the Pakistani rock band Entity Paradigm. It is the overall seventh single release by the band, and also being the first single since their comeback in 200 ...

", was released that year. ''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's hori ...

'' listed it among the year's most popular Pakistani songs in the newspaper's online poll. Khan was featured in its video (directed by

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 ...

), and said that he had played almost 250 shows as a musician. He left the band in 2012 to focus on his acting career. Khan appeared as a judge on ''

'' in July 2017, with

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, ...

and

Meesha Shafi Meesha Shafi ( ur, ) is a Pakistani-born Canadian singer, actress and model.Pakistan Today'', Khan "preferred to acknowledge the raw live energy on stage." Khan and the other members of Entity Paradigm reunited and performed "Hamesha" in the show's finale.

Acting career

Debut, breakthrough and television success (20002013)

Khan's first television role was a bumbling spy named Bond with his bandmate, Ahmad Ali Butt, in the 2001 sitcom ''Jutt and Bond''. His debut film was

'', where he played a musician who is brainwashed by the local

maulvi Mawlawi ( ar, مولوي; also spelled Maulvi, Molvi, Moulavi and Mawlvi) is an Islamic religious title given to Muslim religious scholars, or ulama, preceding their names, similar to the titles Mawlānā, Mullah, or Sheikh. Mawlawi generally ...

. Although the film received positive reviews, critical response to Khan's performance was mixed.

Taran Adarsh Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media. Career Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...

Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provide ...

called it "strictly OK", but ''

The Economic Times ''The Economic Times'' is an Indian English-language business-focused daily newspaper. It is owned by The Times Group. ''The Economic Times'' began publication in 1961. As of 2012, it is the world's second-most widely read English-language bu ...

'' film critic Gaurav Malani found him "engaged" in the role of an extremist. Released in 2007, the film grossed 250 million and is one of Pakistan's highest-grossing films. Khan received the Lux Style Award for Best Actor – Film in 2008, and appeared in the TV series ''Dil Deke Jaenge''. Later that year, in

Anjum Shahzad Anjum Shahzad is a Pakistani TV and film director, producer, writer, actor and a philanthropist. Shahzad rose to fame and is best known for his role as Bobby in the critically acclaimed and madly-followed comedy series '' Family Front'' in the 90 ...

's travel adventure TV series ''

Satrangi Satrangi (English: Seven Colors of Rainbow) was a 2008 Pakistani travel adventure drama series produced and directed by Imran Hussain which was broadcast on Geo TV. It was written by Jawad Daud. This drama was first of its kind that was based ...

'', he played an engineer who goes on a road trip. In 2010, Khan played a conservative, middle-class boy in the telefilm ''Aaj Kuch Na Kaho''. Although it received negative reviews, ''

'' found Khan "superbly convincing" and called him the film's "only redeeming factor". That year, he starred with

Sanam Baloch Sanam Baloch Hisbani or Jatoi ( ur, , ) (born 14 July 1986) credited as Sanam Baloch is a Pakistani actress and television presenter. She has hosted various television shows such as; ''Sanam Small Room'' on KTN and the morning show on Samaa TV ...

Haissam Hussain Haissam Hussain is a Pakistani television and film director known for directed a number of critically acclaimed television serials such as ''Noorpur Ki Rani'' (2009), ''Akbari Asghari'' (2011), ''Durr-e-Shehwar'' (2012) and ''Aunn Zara'' (2013). H ...

period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, entertainment, and media * Period (music), a concept in musical composition * Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...

TV series '' Dastaan''. Based on

Razia Butt Razia Butt ( ur, ) was an Urdu novelist and playwright from Pakistan. One of the famous popular fiction writer of the 1960s and 1970s, she is often compared with English writer Barbara Cartland due to her popularity among the household readers. ...

's novel, '' Bano'', its story (set in the 1940s) revolves around the separation of a young couple during the 1947 partition. A ''Dawn'' reviewer wrote that Khan and his costars gave "superlative performances to match Samira Fazal's wonderful script", and ''

The Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English language, English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the ''Daily Express (Urdu newspaper), Daily Express'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliat ...

'' praised the lead pair's onscreen chemistry. For his performance, Khan won the Best Drama Actor award at the ''

''. Haissam Hussain's comedy '' Akbari Asghari'', a modern adaptation of '' Mirat-ul-Uroos'', was Khan's first television series in 2011; he played Asghar, an unambitious villager who wants to marry one of his cousins. In an interview with ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'' Anuj Kumar, Khan described his character as "completely oaf sh. In ''

Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan ''Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan'' ( ur, ; English – Once Was a Some Madness of Love) is a Pakistani television serial, written by Samira Fazal, directed by Haissam Hussain, broadcast on the ARY Digital network in Pakistan. It ran from 1 February ...

'', his third collaboration with Hussain, he starred with Sanam Baloch, Meekal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Khan as a computer engineer who wants to take over his uncle's business. Khan later starred with

Mahira Khan 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 acco ...

Sarmad 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 Asia ...

's TV serial drama, '' Humsafar'', for which he won the Best Actor award at the 2012

. ''Humsafar'' is Pakistan's highest-rated television serial. The series and Khan's performance were praised. Ranika Rajani praised ''Humsafar'' in ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932. It is published in Mumbai by the Indian Express Group. In 1999, eight years after the group's founder Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split be ...

'', calling it a "breath of fresh air" and preferring it to Indian soap operas. According to Rajani, the lead pair's chemistry was the biggest factor in the show's success.

Zee News Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation. The channel has been involved in several controversies and ha ...

critic Ritka Handoo enjoyed the protagonists' performances, calling the Khans a "quite believable onscreen couple". Khan's first 2012 role was Rohail, a Turkish resident who goes to Pakistan to marry his cousin but instead marries her sister, in Sarmad Khoosat's '' Ashk''. That year, he played a member of an affluent family (with

Sanam Saeed Sanam Saeed (born 2 February 1985) is a Pakistani actress, singer and former model who predominantly works in Cinema of Pakistan, Urdu cinema and Pakistani dramas, television. She is best known for portraying the role of Kashaf Murtaza in Momina ...

) in

's family-drama TV series ''

''. The serial, one of the most critically acclaimed

Pakistani dramas Pakistani dramas, or Pakistani serials, are televised serials produced in Pakistan. Although most of the serials are produced in Urdu, an increasing number of them are produced in other Pakistani languages such as Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi and ...

, also received widespread praise in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Dipti Sharma of ''The Indian Express'' enjoyed Khan's skillful portrayal. The role earned him several awards, including the

Hum Award for Best Actor Popular Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Selected by Viewers is one of the Hum Awards of Merit presented annually by the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC) to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance w ...

and the Lux Style Award for Best Actor – Satellite. Khan's last TV serial was

Ahson Talish Aehsun Talish ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television director, producer, and actor. He has worked in many successful television dramas. Ahson made himself as a well-known television director by directing a number of hit serials, such as '' Deewana'' ( ...

's sociodrama, '' Numm''. Broadcast in 2013, Khan played a boy who secretly marries a girl in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and is forced to marry another girl when he returns to Pakistan. ''

Behadd ''Behadd'' ( ur, ; English: ''Boundless'') is a 2013 Pakistani drama film directed by Asim Raza, produced by Momina Duraid, and written by Umera Ahmad. The telefilm stars Fawad Khan, Nadia Jamil, Sajjal Ali, Nadia Afgan, Adnan Siddiqui, A ...

'', director

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 ...

's telefilm, featured Khan as a young divorcee who proposes to a widow who is the mother of a teenage girl. The ''

Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest se ...

'' noted that Khan's character in ''Behadd'' was different from those in ''Humsafar'' and ''Zindagi Gulzar Hai'', calling it "another benchmark". His last telefilm was Anjum Shahzad's romance '' Armaan'' (with

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 ...

), where he played a young, flirtatious boy. He also co-wrote the telefilm's screenplay, with

Vasay Chaudhry Vasay Chaudhry (Punjabi, ur, ; born on 12 November 1981) is a Pakistani screenwriter, actor, director, producer, host, and comedian. He is best known for writing sitcoms and comedy-dramas for Pakistani televisions. He is also known for writin ...

Work in India (2014–2016)

Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan With Suresh Sharma

Khan was originally expected to make his debut in

's Hindi film industry, commonly known as 'Bollywood', soon after the release of ''

'' but the unstable political situation between India and Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks delayed it. He made his Bollywood debut in

Shashanka Ghosh Shashanka Ghosh is an Indian filmmaker and writer. As a director, his notable works include the commercially successful films like '' Khoobsurat'' and '' Veere Di Wedding''. As a writer, he penned the story for ''Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II'', he ...

's 2014

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

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 b ...

, '' Khoobsurat'', with

Sonam Kapoor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (; born 9 June 1985) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award, and from 2012 to 2016, she appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list based on her income and ...

. Khan played Vikram Singh Rathore, Kapoor's love interest and the son of her patient. On

, Ritika Handoo praised his "immensely polished acting skills" and said that he fit his character very well. Deepanjana Pal of ''

Firstpost ''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18. The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Ragh ...

'' liked Gosh's decision to make Khan's character a sex object, feeling that he blazed a trail for other male actors in similar roles. The film was particularly well received in the UK, the UAE, and Pakistan because of Khan's following in those countries from his television work. He received a

for his role in the film. Khan made a cameo appearance in

coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...

film, ''

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 ...

'', in January 2016. He then had a main role in

Shakun Batra Shakun Batra (born 1 January 1983) is an Indian film director and screenwriter. His first film was the romantic comedy ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' (2012). He followed this with '' Kapoor & Sons'' (2016) and Gehraiyaan (2022). Career Batra enter ...

's family drama, ''

''. The film, which featured Khan as part of an ensemble cast including

Rishi Kapoor Rishi Raj Kapoor (4 September 1952 — 30 April 2020) was an Indian actor, film director and producer who worked in Hindi films. He was the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award. Born into t ...

Ratna Pathak Shah Ratna Pathak Shah (born 18 March 1957) is an Indian actress and director known for her work in Hindi theatre, television, and films. Her extensive work in theatre includes a series of plays in both English and Hindi. She rose to prominence when ...

Rajat Kapoor Rajat Kapoor (born 11 February 1961) is an Indian actor, filmmaker and playwright who works in Hindi cinema. Kapoor was born in Delhi, India. He mainly focused on acting at first. In 2013 he joined the theatre group Chingari in Delhi, later mov ...

Sidharth Malhotra Sidharth Malhotra (; born 16 January 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He began his career as a fashion model, but left it to pursue an acting career. He made his acting debut with a minor role in the television serial ''Dhart ...

, and

Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Alia Bhatt, several accolades including four Filmfare Awards. One of I ...

, was a commercial success. The actor received near-unanimous critical praise for his portrayal of Rahul Kapoor, a closeted homosexual writer. A ''

'' reviewer enjoyed Khan's performance, saying that his character creates an emotional connection with the audience, and

NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching t ...

film critic Saibal Chaterjee praised his self-assured performance. ''Kapoor & Sons'' earned Khan the Diversity Award at the

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is a Victoria State Government-funded annual festival based in Melbourne founded in 2012. It is presented by Film Victoria, and the provider is chosen through a tender process. The current tender prov ...

and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 62nd Filmfare Awards. According to the film's producer, Karan Johar, "We went to six actors and after six rejections, I told Shakun Batra (director) that we should drop the idea and he started developing another screenplay. Later, in a flash of thought Fawad came to my mind. I sent him the script, he loved it and said he would do it." In September 2016, Johar said that Khan's wife pressured him to accept the role. Later in 2016, Khan appeared in a small role with

Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...

, Anushka Sharma, and

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, she has established herself as one of the most popular celebriti ...

in Karan Johar's romantic drama, ''

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' (), also known as ''ADHM'', is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed, produced and written by Karan Johar. The music is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film star ...

''.

Raja Sen Raja Sen (born 10 November 1955) is an Indian film and television director and the winner of three National Film Awards from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He is the father of actress Rimi Sen. Career Raja Sen first received recognition with ''S ...

Rediff.com Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City. , it had more than 300 e ...

found his role "far too little to justify the ridiculous kerfuffle his casting had caused", but called him the perfect choice for the part. In ''

Deccan Chronicle ''Deccan Chronicle'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded by Rajagopal Mudaliar in the 1930s & currently owned by Samagrah Commercial Pvt Limited. It is published in Hyderabad, Telangana, by Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited ...

'' Subhash K. Jha described Khan's role as "meagre and sketchy". After the

2016 Uri terror 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 w ...

, relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated and the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) and the Film Producers Guild of India banned Pakistani artists from working in India until the situation normalised.

Acting Comeback (2022-present)

In 2022, Khan made his acting comeback with his

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

debut in ''

Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. M ...

'' as Hassan, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel's great-grandfather. Later in 2022, Khan appeared in

Action-drama film 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-ge ...

'' The Legend of Maula Jatt'', alongside

and Hamza Ali Abbassi in which Fawad played the title role originated by Sultan Rahi. For the role, he gained considerable weight.

Upcoming projects

He is expected to appear as pop singer Alamgir in Sultan Ghani's ''Albela Rahi''. He will also appear in Faisal Qureshi's comedy film ''Money Back Guarantee''. He will also be seen with

in a film called Neelofer. Fawad Khan will also be seen in the lead role of renowned director and producer Haseeb Hasan's upcoming film "Aan".

Media image

Khan is one of the highest-paid actors in the Pakistani film industry. According to director and producer Abdullah Kadwani, "Fawad is the closest actor to

Waheed Murad Waheed Murad ( ur, ; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for a ...

." Soon after the release of '' Khoobsurat'', ''

''s Mimansa Shekhar wrote that the actor redefined the Bollywood actor with charm, replacing "stereotype body builders with six packs". After the success of ''

'', Nirmalya Dutta of ''

Daily News and Analysis ''Zee Media Corporation Limited'' (abbreviated as ZMCL; formerly Zee News Limited) is the news broadcasting company of the Essel Group which is controlled by Subhash Chandra. The company is engaged mainly in the business of broadcasting of new ...

'' called Khan's portrayal of a gay male "a big leap forward for India's

LGBT movement Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBT people in society. Some focus on equal rights, such as the ongoing movement for same-sex marriage, while others focus on liberation, as in the ...

"; in India, where homosexuality was illegal at that time, "Khan had the guts and gumption to play this seminal role." In August 2016, Ranbir Kapoor said that Khan opened a door by playing a gay man and he was now comfortable playing such a role. Khan is described by South Asian media as one of its most attractive men, and he was named the Most Beautiful Man at the 2015 Vogue Beauty Awards. He was ranked third in the ''

'' 50 Most Desirable Men poll in 2014 and 2015, and was fifth in 2016. In November 2014, Khan received the Fresh Face of the Year Award at the ''Hello!'' Hall of Fame Awards in India. The British magazine '' Eastern Eye'' ranked Khan seventh in 2014 and sixth from 2015 to 2018 third and sixth on its annual list of sexiest Asian men. For his style and fashion, he received the Crush of the Year Award at the Grazia Young Fashion Awards. TC Candler, an independent critics list, nominated Khan as one of the 100 Most Handsome Faces of 2017. He was nominated for the International Pakistan Prestige Award for Style Icon of the Year in September 2017 (which went to

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 2 ...

). '' The Herald'' named Khan one of its 10 People of 2016. He was ranked the fifth-most-popular Bollywood actor of November 2014, and was called the most popular Bollywood actor in March 2016 by Times Celebex. ''MenXP'' ranked Khan 37th on its Most Popular Bollywood celebrities of 2014 list. He was the first Pakistani to appear on the cover of '' Filmfare'' magazine, in September 2014, and again appeared on its cover in October 2015 and March 2016. ''Hi! Blizt'' magazine featured Khan on its cover in 2016. He received the Best Male Debut Award at the IBNlive Movie Awards, with 48.54 percent of the vote.

Other work

Khan attended Islamic Relief USA fundraisers in San Jose and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and raised money for the Shukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

. He has supported

SOS Children's Villages SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need and protect ...

by participating in children's carnivals in 2014 and 2017. In March 2015, Khan toured the United States and Canada and raised money for Pakistani charities; he has also raised money in London for charitable organisations in Pakistan. He and his wife participated in a musical tour of the United States to raise money for charitable organisations throughout Pakistan. In November 2015, they officiated at the launch of a tree-planting event organised by the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Peshawar. Khan appeared in

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 Bol ...

's music video, "Urainge", which was made as a tribute to the victims of the 2014 Peshawar school attack. He is the Italian brand Giovanni's

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 emb ...

in Pakistan. Khan is also the Pakistani brand ambassador for the Suzuki Vitara,

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 wa ...

, Oye Hoye, Tapal Tea, Zameen.com, Servis Shoes,

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

, Telenor,

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, Warid, LUX, Tarang,

Aquafina Aquafina (pronunciation: ) is an American brand of purified bottled water that is produced by PepsiCo, consisting of both unflavored and flavored water. The Aquafina brand name is also licensed for use on multiple skin care products, includ ...

, Clear, Olper's,

Lays Lay's is a brand of potato chips, as well as the name of the company that founded the chip brand in the United States. The brand is also referred to as Frito-Lay because both Lay's and Fritos are brands sold by the Frito-Lay company, which has b ...

, Bold, Nestle,

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' ...

and TUC biscuits. He has been an ambassador for the

Pakistan Super League The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league contested during February and March of every year by six teams representing six cities of Pakistan. The league was founded on 9 September 2015 with five teams by the Paki ...

Islamabad United Islamabad United ( ur, ) is a Pakistani professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that competes in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). It was the inaugural champion of the Pakistan Super League. The team is based in Islamabad, the capital ci ...

cricket team since January 2016. Khan modeled for fashion designer Munib Nawaz in 2010, Umar Sayeed in 2012, and for the Republic by Omar Farooq in 2015.

Personal life

Khan married Sadaf Khan in 2005 after a seven-year courtship. They have three children. Khan and his wife founded Silk by Fawad Khan, a clothing line, whose debut collection was launched in August 2012 in Lahore. He was diagnosed with

Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar ...

at age 17, after an accident which damaged his pancreas. The accident occurred behind a swimming pool, where Khan was scratched and jumped into untreated water. He later realized he had the disease when he lost . Khan performed Hajj, the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to

Makkah Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...

, along with his family in 2018 and was therein invited to the Annual Hajj Lunch by

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Salman and

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wi ...

Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن سلمان آل سعود, translit=Muḥammad bin Salmān Āl Su‘ūd; born 31 August 1985), colloquially known by his initials MBS or MbS, is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. H ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

Filmography

Films

* ''All films are in Urdu unless otherwise noted.''

Television

Web series

Telefilm

Others

Discography

Other appearances

Awards and nominations

Lux Style Awards

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Fawad 21st-century Pakistani male actors 1981 births Hum Award winners Lahore Grammar School alumni Living people National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences alumni Pakistani alternative rock musicians Filmfare Awards winners Pakistani expatriate male actors in India Pakistani expatriates in Greece Pakistani expatriates in Saudi Arabia Pakistani expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Pakistani expatriates in the United Kingdom Pakistani male film actors Pakistani heavy metal singers Pakistani male models Pakistani male singers Pakistani male television actors Pakistani screenwriters Muhajir people Pashtun people People from Karachi Male actors in Urdu cinema People with type 1 diabetes Pakistani Muslims People from Lahore