television. He made his acting debut with a supporting role in the religious drama '' Saya-e-Dewar Bhi Nahi'' (2016).
His debut in a leading role was in Kashif Nisar's '' Dumpukht – Aatish-e-Ishq'' (2016). Khan appeared in the romantic drama '' O Rangreza'' (2017). He recently acted in the family drama '' Dobara'' (2021).
Early life
Bilal Abbas Khan was born on 4 June 1993 into a
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...
family in
Karachi, Sindh
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 c ...
. There he was also raised and received his early education from, but was later on sent to a boarding school, called Lawrence School, in
Murree
Murree (Punjabi, Urdu: مری) is a mountain resort city, located in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range, within the Muree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is abou ...
, where he took part in theater plays, which inspired a desire in him to pursue a career in acting. He later joined the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Karachi, to study marketing, and graduated in 2015. His father, Sohail Abbas, serves as DSP Karachi in the
, and his mother, Farhana Sohail, is a fashion designer. Having formally studied acting at the National Academy of Performing Arts and being mainly inspired by Viola Spolin's "great focus on improvisation and improvisational techniques", he started acting in 2016 with commercial modelling and later started auditioning for television roles.
Career
Khan made his acting debut in 2016, with a supporting role in the
Hum TV
Hum TV is a 24-hour Urdu General Entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL).
Hum Network ...
Emmad Irfani
Emmad Irfani () is a Pakistani model and actor.
As an actor he has done lead roles in many TV serials from Geo TV, ARY Digital and Hum TV while as a fashion model he has worked with national and international brands.
Early life and career
Of ...
. Directed by Shahzad Kashmiri, his role was that of a spoiled brat who hated his parents for neglecting and abandoning him. Khan received praise for portraying a man betrayed by his elder brother (played by
Sami Khan
Mansoor Aslam Khan Niazi, known professionally as Sami Khan, is a Pakistani actor and model who appears in films and television dramas. He started his career with film '' Salakhain'' and then moved to television.
Early life
He was born on July ...
) by marrying his love interest (played by
Armeena Khan
Armeena Rana Khan ( ur, ) is a Pakistani Canadian film and television actress and model. One of Pakistan's most popular actresses, she has received a Lux Style Award, a Hum Award and a Nigar Award nomination. Most of her television series in ...
) in the romantic drama '' Rasm E Duniya'', that aired on
ARY Digital
''ARY Digital'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani pay television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoo ...
in 2017. His next role was that of a murdered victim in the courtroom drama ''Saanp Seerhi''. The series was based on the novel of the same name, written by Umera Ahmed, and also starred Samina Peerzada and
Madiha Imam
Syeda Madiha Imam ( ur, ) is a Pakistani VJ-turned-actress and television host. She is known for her roles in ''Heer'' (2015) and '' Dhaani'' (2016).
She made her film debut with '' Dear Maya'' in 2017.O Rangreza'' (2017), in which he starred as an introvert, raised by his strict uncle (
Noman Ijaz
Nauman Ijaz (Punjabi and ur, ) is a Pakistani television and film actor, TV anchorperson, and TV show presenter. He is the recipient of several accolades including 10 Lux Style Awards, 7 Hum Awards and a President's Pride of Performance, ...
), who falls in love with his daughter ( Sajal Aly). Mahwash Ajaz of '' Samaa'' wrote that Khan portrayed his character without "being repetitive" and that he is the "master of iscraft". The series topped the rating upon its airing and earned him further recognition, as well as the
Hum Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Hum Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Hum Television Network and Entertainment Channel (HTNEC). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while workin ...
nomination. Further success came with the role of a family-oriented guy married to a selfish wife (played by
Ushna Shah
Ushna Shah is a Pakistani actress who works in Urdu television. She made her acting debut in 2013 with ''Mere Khwabon Ka Diya''. Shah had her first critical success with the 2014 thriller romance ''Bashar Momin'' as Rudaba. She rose to promine ...
) in the thriller ''
Balaa
''Balaa'' ( ur, , lit=Monster) is a 2018 Pakistani thriller television series aired on ARY Digital. It is produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under their banner Big Bang Entertainment. It stars Bilal Abbas Khan, Ushna Shah, Azekah Dan ...
Daily Times ''Daily Times'' may refer to the following national newspapers:
* ''Daily Times'' (Nigeria), newspaper published in Nigeria
* ''Daily Times'' (Pakistan), newspaper published in Pakistan
''The Daily Times'' may refer to the following newspapers:
* ...
'' called him the "master performer of this age", and ''
ARY News ARY may stand for:
* Abdul Razzak Yaqoob, a Pakistani expatriate businessman
* Andre Romelle Young, real name of Dr. Dre
* Ary and the Secret of Seasons, an action adventure video game
* ARY Digital, a Pakistani television network
* ARY Digital ...
'' said that "Bilal continues to go from strength to strength" and labeled him as an "amazing actor".
The 2019 crime drama ''
Cheekh
''Cheekh'' ( ur, ; ''lit'': 'Scream') was a 2019 Pakistani crime-drama television series created and produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under their production house, Big Bang Entertainment. It features Saba Qamar and Bilal Abbas in ...
'', was one of the most successful and acclaimed dramas of 2019. His role of an antagonist opposite Saba Qamar, was well-received by the critics as well as by the public, establishing Khan as a leading actor in Urdu television. ''
Daily Times ''Daily Times'' may refer to the following national newspapers:
* ''Daily Times'' (Nigeria), newspaper published in Nigeria
* ''Daily Times'' (Pakistan), newspaper published in Pakistan
''The Daily Times'' may refer to the following newspapers:
* ...
'' stated that Khan is "scary as the coldblooded murderer", while ''Mangobaaz'' labelled him as "a modern day masterpiece". At the annual
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 ...
, he received another Best Television Actor nomination. He next starred as a
Naval officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent cont ...
in the patriotic military-based telefilm '' Laal'', which was aired on television on the occasion of
Pakistan Day
The Resolution Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Qarārdād), also known as the Pakistan Day ( ur, , translit=Yawm-e-Pākistān) and Republic Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the M ...
.
Khan began 2020 with the role of a dumb but Mathematics genius in the comedy drama '' Pyar Ke Sadqay'', opposite Yumna Zaidi. The series as well as his performance was widely praised by the public and the critics. ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's ''The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
'' said that Khan has raised the "bar high" for his performance in the series. His next appearance was opposite Madiha Imam in
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/stor ...
's social comedy web-series '' Aik Jhooti Love Story'', as a computer hardware technician who unknowingly romances his neighbour through an online profile with a fake persona. The web-series, written by Umera Ahmed, was streamed on the Indian video on demand service, called
Zee5
ZEE5 is an Indian subscription video on-demand and over-the-top streaming service, run by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched in India on 14 February 2018 with content in 12 languages. The ZEE5 mobile app is available on Web, Andr ...
. Critical opinion on his acting prowess was overwhelming; critic Maliha Rehman of ''
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 ho ...
'' wrote, "Bilal has been proving his acting brilliance for some time now, completely personifying every character that he plays. In ''Aik Jhooti Love Story'', he transforms completely into Sohail, bringing an earthy, very real sweetness to his role. In December 2020, he was selected by the UK magazine ''
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
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written info ...
'' as one of the "Top 50 Asian celebrities", peaking at number 28, along with four other Pakistani celebrities, and was labelled as the "fastest rising acting star in Pakistan" by the magazine. Khan concluded the year with the #MeToo movement-based thriller series '' Dunk'', where he played the hot-headed love interest of Sana Javed's character, alongside her, Noman Ijaz, and Yasra Rizvi. Khan described his character as "a very realistic one. Haider is an honest guy who stands with the truth and fights for what is right." Based on a real-life story of a family in
Sargodha
Sargodha (Punjabi and ur, ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Punjab province, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's 12th largest city by population and one of the fastest-growing cities of the country. Sargodha is also known as ...
, ''Dunk'' generated controversy when its producer,
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 ...
, stated against the sexual harassment cases, citing that many of the men are falsely accused. Muna Moini of ''Something Haute'' found the series to be "a multi-layered drama full of powerful performances." In 2021, ''Eastern Eye'' featured him in its list of "30 under 30 Global Asian Stars", along with four other Pakistani celebrities. As of February 2021, he has confirmed to play the lead in his second film, titled as '' Khel Khel Mein'', opposite Sajal Aly, which will be directed by Nabeel Qureshi.