Bilal Abbas Khan (born 4 June 1993) is a Pakistani film and television actor. Known for his portrayal of characters fitting the
boy next door prototype, he features among the list of the nation's popular personalities and is the recipient of three
Lux Style Awards
The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony which has been held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The ceremony celebrates "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, such as Cinema of Pakistan, cinema, television in Pakistan, television, Pa ...
.
Khan first received attention as a second lead in the romantic thriller ''
Dumpukht - Aatish-e-Ishq
''Dumpukht - Aatish-e-Ishq'' is a Pakistani television social drama series co-produced by Kashif Nisar and Moomal Entertainment. It is directed by Nisar and written by Zafar Mairaj. It features Nauman Ijaz, Sonia Mishal and Bilal Abbas Khan in ...
'' (2016) and rose to prominence with the romantic drama ''
O Rangreza'' (2017), the thriller ''
Balaa
''Balaa'' () is a 2018 Pakistani thriller film, thriller television series that aired on ARY Digital. It is produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under their banner Big Bang Entertainment. It stars Bilal Abbas, Bilal Abbas Khan, Ushna Shah ...
'' (2018), the revenge drama ''
Cheekh
''Cheekh'' (; ''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 leads an ...
'' (2019) and the military action telefilm ''
Laal'' (2019).
His career progressed further with the comedy drama ''
Pyar Ke Sadqay'' (2020), the romance ''
Dobara'' (2021) and the historical film ''
Khel Khel Mein'', winning three
Lux Style Awards for Best Actor. He also played against type in the mystery thriller ''
Dunk'' (2020) and had a starring role in the comedy ''
Kuch Ankahi
''Kuch Ankahi'' is a Pakistani television series written by Syed Mohammad Ahmed and directed by Nadeem Baig. Kashf Foundation produced it in collaboration with Humayun Saeed's Six Sigma Plus. The series has an ensemble cast of Sajal Aly, Bi ...
'' (2023).
Khan established himself with the light-hearted romance ''
Ishq Murshid'' and received further praise for the miniseries ''
Mann Jogi'' (both 2024).
Early life and education
Bilal Abbas Khan was born on 4 June 1993 into a
Pathan
Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
family in
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
,
Sindh
Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
.
His father, Sohail Abbas, is a
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
, who earlier served as a
DSP in the
Sindh Police
The Sindh Police (Urdu: , ), is a law enforcement agency established in 1843 under a proclamation issued by Sir Charles James Napier, who became the conqueror of the State of Sindh by defeating the forces of the Talpur rulers at the Battle of Mi ...
, and is presently serving as Exercise and Taxation Officer in the
Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department of Sindh, and his mother, Farhana Sohail, is a fashion designer. He has two brothers, one elder and one younger, and an elder sister.
Raised in Karachi, where he received his early education, he was later on sent to a boarding school,
Lawrence College Lawrence College may refer to:
* Lawrence College Ghora Gali, a boarding school in Punjab, Pakistan
* Lawrence University, a private liberal arts college in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States, named "Lawrence College" from 1913 until 1964
* Sarah L ...
in
Murree
Murree () is a mountain resort city in the northernmost region of the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Lying in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range under the western Himalayas, it forms the outskirts of the Islamabad–Rawal ...
, where he took part in theater plays, which inspired a desire in him to pursue a career in acting.
He later joined the
in Karachi to study marketing, and graduated in 2015.
Khan formally studied acting at the
National Academy of Performing Arts
The National Academy of Performing Arts (; abbreviated as NAPA) is a performing arts school located at Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. NAPA was established in 2005 as an institution to conserve and teach performing arts and music.
...
.
Mainly inspired by
Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 — November 22, 1994) was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial techniques to help actors to be ...
's "great focus on improvisation and improvisational techniques", Khan started his acting career in 2016 with commercial modelling and later auditioned for television roles.
[Ally Adnan (24 September 2018)]
"I want people to remember me for my work: Bilal Abbas Khan"
'' Daily Times''
Archived
on 17 February 2025.
Career
Early work and breakthrough (2016–2018)
Khan made his acting debut with a minor role in the 2016 soap opera ''Khushaal Susral'', and subsequently received praise for his role as a second lead opposite
Sonia Mishal
Sonia Mishal is a Pakistani television actress. She is known for her roles in the television serials, '' Ishqaaway'' (2015), ''Dumpukht - Aatish-e-Ishq'' (2016), '' O Rangreza'' (2017) and '' Khasara'' (2018).
Early life
Born in Karachi, Pakist ...
in the social drama ''
Dumpukht - Aatish-e-Ishq
''Dumpukht - Aatish-e-Ishq'' is a Pakistani television social drama series co-produced by Kashif Nisar and Moomal Entertainment. It is directed by Nisar and written by Zafar Mairaj. It features Nauman Ijaz, Sonia Mishal and Bilal Abbas Khan in ...
'' in the same year. He then played a supporting role in the
Hum TV
Hum TV HD 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 the Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL).
Hum Net ...
's religious drama ''
Saya-e-Dewar Bhi Nahi
''Saya-e-Dewar Bhi Nahi'' ( ; lit ''Not Even the Shadow of a Wall'') is a Pakistani drama television series that began to air on Hum TV on 10 August 2016 succeeding '' Dil-e-Beqarar''. It is directed by Shahzad Kashmiri and written by Qaisara Ha ...
'', alongside an ensemble cast of
Naveen Waqar
Naveen Waqar () (born 9 January 1985) is a Pakistani television actress and former video and radio jockey. She made her acting debut playing the antagonist Sara in 2012 series ''Humsafar.'' Her television appearances include a series of acclaim ...
,
Ahsan Khan
Ahsan Khan (; born 9 October 1981) is a British 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
Emmad Irfani
Emmad Irfani (Urdu: ) is a Pakistani actor who started his career as a model. He has done lead roles in TV serials from Geo Entertainment, ARY Digital and Hum TV while as a fashion model he has worked with national and international brands.
Earl ...
. Directed by
Shahzad Kashmiri
Shahzad Kashmiri () is a Pakistani television and film director, cinematographer and producer.
Kashmiri is best known for his work as a cinematographer in Hum TV drama serials such as ''Humsafar'', '' Bilqees Kaur'', ''Maat'', '' Mata-e-Jaan ...
, he played a spoiled brat who hated his parents for neglecting and abandoning him.
Khan received wide recognition for playing a man betrayed by his elder brother (played by
Sami Khan
Mansoor Aslam Khan Niazi (), known professionally as Sami Khan () (born 6 July 1980), is a Pakistani actor and model who appears in films and television dramas. He started his career with the film '' Salakhain'' in 2004 before moving to telev ...
) by marrying his love interest (played by
Armeena Khan) in the romantic drama ''
Rasm E Duniya'', that aired on
ARY Digital
''ARY Digital HD'' () is a Pakistani television network available in Pakistan. ARY Digital was founded by a Dubai-based holding company Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob and Salman Iqbal (ARY). The network is focused towards on Pak ...
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
Samina Peerzada (, Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a Pakistani film and television actress, producer and director. She was a popular model in 1970s. She is one of the most popular actress of her time and was one of the most successful actress o ...
and
Madiha Imam
Syeda Madiha Imam () is a Pakistani VJ-turned-actress and television host. She is known for her roles in ''Heer'' (2015) and '' Dhaani'' (2016).
Career
Her television debut was in the Hum TV drama '' Ishq Mein Teray'' (2013) opposite Mehwish ...
, who played his mother and love interest respectively. His breakout role came with the romantic comedy drama ''
O Rangreza'' (2017), in which he starred as an introvert, raised by his strict uncle (
Noman Ijaz
Nauman Ijaz (Punjabi and ) is a Pakistani television and film actor, anchorperson, and television presenter. He is the recipient of several accolades, including 10 Lux Style Awards, 7 Hum Awards and a President's Pride of Performance award, wh ...
), who falls in love with his daughter (
Sajal Aly
Sajal Ali (, born 17 January 1994) is a Pakistani actress and model who predominantly works in television and films. One of Pakistan's highest-paid actresses, Aly has received several accolades including five Hum Awards and a Lux Style Award ou ...
). 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 nomination.
Further popularity came with the role of a family-oriented guy married to a selfish wife (played by
Ushna Shah
Ushna Shah (born 12 February 1990) is a Pakistani-Canadian film and television actress. Her accolades includes a Hum Award and a Pakistan Media Award, and a nomination for Lux Style Award.
Shah graduated from the York University and made her ...
) in the thriller ''
Balaa
''Balaa'' () is a 2018 Pakistani thriller film, thriller television series that aired on ARY Digital. It is produced by Fahad Mustafa and Dr. Ali Kazmi under their banner Big Bang Entertainment. It stars Bilal Abbas, Bilal Abbas Khan, Ushna Shah ...
'' (2018), which earned him the
ARY Media Awards for Best Actor and a
Lux Style Award for Best Television Actor nomination.
''
Daily Times'' called him the "master performer of this age", and ''
ARY News
''ARY News HD'' () is a Pakistani news channel launched on 26 September 2004 with the name "ARY One", the channel was later renamed to "ARY One World" until May 2009 when it was rebranded as "ARY News". A bilingual news channel in English and ...
'' said that "Bilal continues to go from strength to strength" and labeled him as an "amazing actor".
Critical praise and beyond (2019–present)
The 2019 crime drama ''
Cheekh
''Cheekh'' (; ''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 leads an ...
'', was one of the most successful and acclaimed dramas of 2019. His role of an antagonist opposite
Saba Qamar
Saba Qamar Zaman (born 5 April 1984) is a Pakistani actress who works predominantly in Urdu films and television series. Qamar is one of Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses. She has been a recipient of several accolades througho ...
, was well-received by the critics as well as by the public, establishing Khan as a leading actor in
Urdu television. ''
Daily Times'' 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 which has been held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The ceremony celebrates "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, such as Cinema of Pakistan, cinema, television in Pakistan, television, Pa ...
, 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 (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...
in the patriotic military-based telefilm '' Laal'', which was aired on television on the occasion of Pakistan Day
Pakistan Day (, lit. ''Yaum-e-Pakistan'') is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 ...
.
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 a progressive American monthly 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 ...
'' 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 ) (born on 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.p ...
'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 or Z5 is an Indian subscription video on demand and over-the-top streaming service, owned 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 We ...
. 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 diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...
'' 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. Khan concluded the year with the #MeToo movement-based thriller series '' Dunk'', where he played the hot-headed love interest of Sana Javed
Sana Javed (, born 25 March 1993) is a Pakistani actress who appears on Urdu television. She made her debut in 2012 with '' Shehr-e-Zaat'' and later on appeared in several serials. She received recognition after portraying the titular role in t ...
's character, alongside her, Noman Ijaz, and Yasra Rizvi
Yasra Rizvi is a Pakistani actress and writer. She played the female lead in a number of television productions, including '' Mann Ke Moti'' (2012), '' Woh Dobara'' (2014), '' Thora Sa Aasman'' (2016) and '' Ustani Jee'' (2018). In her acting c ...
. 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 language, Punjabi/; ; ) is a city and capital of Sargodha Division, located in Central Punjab, central Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. It is Pakistan's List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 11th most populous city and ...
, ''Dunk'' generated controversy when its producer, Fahad Mustafa
Fahad Salahuddin ( Sindhi: فھد مصطفي; born 26 June 1983), known professionally as Fahad Mustafa, is a Pakistani actor, producer, and television host who works in Urdu films and television. He is regarded as one of the highest-paid acto ...
, 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, he played the lead in his second film, the historical drama '' Khel Khel Mein'', opposite Sajal Aly and directed by Nabeel Qureshi. It received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure. The same year, he starred as Maahir in '' Dobaara'' opposite Hadiqa Kiani
Hadiqa Kiani (Urdu, ; born 11 August 1972) is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, actress, and philanthropist. She has received numerous local and international awards and has also performed at the Royal Albert Hall and The Ke ...
. After a year gap, in 2023, he was seen playing a realtor Salman in the light-hearted comedy drama ''Kuch Ankahi
''Kuch Ankahi'' is a Pakistani television series written by Syed Mohammad Ahmed and directed by Nadeem Baig. Kashf Foundation produced it in collaboration with Humayun Saeed's Six Sigma Plus. The series has an ensemble cast of Sajal Aly, Bi ...
'', opposite Sajal Aly. Comparing it with the most viewed Pakistani serials of 2023, ''Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
'' praised its writing, themes and acting performances. In the year-ender list by ''Dawn Images'', the reviewer praised the performances of the actors and the subtle messaging in the series.
Later in 2024, Khan appeared in the Hum TV's romantic drama '' Ishq Murshid'', opposite Durefishan Saleem. The series received mixed reviews from the critics, but Khan was widely praised by the audiences and the critics in Pakistan and India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. ''The Reviewer'' praised Khan's transition between two characters and called it as "effortless", with the character of female protagonist as "clichéd and forgettable". ''Ishq Murshid'' went on to become of the most watched Pakistani serials of 2024, achieving a TRP rating of 22.3, the highest for the network. Khan then appeared in India’s Zee Zindagi
Zee Zindagi (also known as Zindagi TV) is an Indian general entertainment channel, owned by the Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL). It also promoted itself as a television channel broadcasting short-run programming and as India's new Hindi en ...
series ''Abdullahpur Ka Devdas'' opposite Sarah Khan
Sarah Falak (), née Sarah Zafar Khan () (born 14 July 1992), popularly known as Sarah Khan (), is a Pakistani actress who
appears in Urdu-language television series. She made her acting debut with a supporting role in 2012 serial '' Badi Aapa ...
. His final appearance of the year was in the miniseries '' Mann Jogi'', which dealt with the exploitation of the Islamic practice of Nikah Halala
''Nikah halala'' (), also known as ''tahleel'' marriage, is a practice in which a woman, after being divorced by her husband by triple talaq, marries another man, consummates the marriage, and gets divorced again in order to be able to remarry ...
by individuals for personal gain. Gaitee Ara Siddiqi of ''The News International
''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan.
It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/ Islamabad.
An overseas edition is published from London th ...
'' called Khan "brilliant" in the series."
Public image
In December 2020, Khan was selected by the UK magazine '' Eastern Eye'' as one of the "Top 50 Asian celebrities", along with four other Pakistani celebrities, and was labelled as the "fastest rising acting star in Pakistan" by the magazine.
In 2021, ''Eastern Eye'' featured him in its list of "30 under 30 Global Asian Stars", along with four other Pakistani celebrities.
Filmography
Films
Television
Web series
Telefilms
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Bilal Abbas
1993 births
Male actors from Karachi
People from Sindh
Living people
Pakistani Muslims
Male actors in Urdu cinema
Male actors in Urdu television
Pakistani male television actors
Pakistani male film actors
Pakistani stage actors
Hum Award winners
Lawrence College Ghora Gali alumni
National Academy of Performing Arts alumni
Actors from Karachi
Muhajir people