Armaghan Shahid PP (; born 27 April 1971), better known by his stage names Shaan Shahid () or Shaan, is a

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

actor, producer, model, screewriter and director. Shaan has established himself as one of the most popular leading actors of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

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

Reema Khan Reema Khan () born Sameena Khan (), known mononymously as Reema, is a Pakistani television host and former stage dancer, Lollywood film actress, director, and producer. Khan was one of the leading film actresses in Pakistan during the 1990s. Sh ...

and as of 2014 he has acted in 576 movies, including 388 Punjabi films and 188 Urdu films. He has won many awards in

including one

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

, fifteen

Nigar Awards The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...

, five

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 ...

, one

Pakistan Media Award The Pakistan Media Awards, commonly known as The PMA, These are a set of awards given annually for radio, Television, TV, film, and theatre achievements. The award is a Figurine, statuette representing a knight with a star on the chest. Its off ...

, ARY Film Award. Shaan is considered as one of the highest-paid film star in Pakistan.

Early life

Armaghan Shahid, later known as Shaan, was born in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

to director

Riaz Shahid Riaz Shahid (1927 – 1 October 1972) was a Pakistani filmmaker, film writer, and a journalist. Influenced by poet Habib Jalib, who would later become a friend, Shahid frequently engaged with political activists at socialist gatherings in ...

and theater, film, and television actress

Neelo Neelo Begum (born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes; ''née'' Abida Riaz; 30 June 1940 – 30 January 2021) was a Pakistani veteran film actress. She made her film debut in 1956 with a Hollywood film ''Bhowani Junction''. She was known as ''The ...

. His father was an ethnic Kashmiri from Lahore and

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, whereas his mother was a

Punjabi Christian Punjabi Christians are ethnic Punjabis who adhere to Christianity. They are mainly found in the Pakistani province of Punjab, forming the largest religious minority. They are one of the four main ethnoreligious communities of the Punjab reg ...

who converted to Islam. His paternal uncle, Fiaz Shahid, was a cameraman and producer for PTV in

Islamabad Islamabad (; , ; ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's tenth-most populous city with a population of over 1.1 million and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital Territory. Bu ...

. He has a younger brother, Sarosh Shahid, who is also an actor, and he has an older sister, Zarqa Shahid. He started his early education at the prestigious

Aitchison College Aitchison College is an elite private, boarding school, boarding Junior School, Secondary School for boys in Lahore, Pakistan. It has educated Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime ministers, including Imran Khan, Feroz Khan Noon, president of Pakist ...

. His first acting venture came at a boy scout bonfire. He won the best actor award in a play called ''Alif Noon'', playing a comedy character, but never took acting seriously as a career. After Aitchison, he left for New York, United States, and joined Newtown High School. Dreaming of being a lawyer, he always thought he had the talent to become one. He stayed in New York for seven years, then returned to

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

Career

Actor

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

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

and

Punjabi language Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million native sp ...

films. In 2013, he starred in

Bilal Lashari Bilal Lashari is a Pakistani filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and occasional actor. He made his directorial debut with ''Waar'' (2013), which at the time of release became Pakistan's highest-grossing film (currently 12th highest). His ne ...

's ''

Waar ''Waar'' (Urdu: ; , ) is a 2013 Pakistani action-thriller film directed by Bilal Lashari (in his feature directorial debut), written by Hassan Rana, and produced by Syed Mujtaba Tirmizi. The film stars Shaan Shahid as Major Mujtaba Rizvi, a r ...

'' alongside Aisha Khan,

Shamoon Abbasi Shamoon Abbasi (; born 4 April 1973) is a Pakistani actor, director, producer and screenwriter, best known for portraying villain roles. Early life and family In his early years Abbasi was a footballer, captaining his team at U-17 school level. ...

, Uzma Khan,

Ali Azmat Ali Azmat Pacha (born 20 April 1966) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He is best known as the lead singer for the influential Sufi rock band Junoon and for his subsequent solo career later followed by a career as an act ...

, and

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

, he appeared in

Jami Nūr ad-Dīn 'Abd ar-Rahmān Jāmī (; 7 November 1414 – 9 November 1492), also known as Mawlanā Nūr al-Dīn 'Abd al-Rahmān or Abd-Al-Rahmān Nur-Al-Din Muhammad Dashti, or simply as Jami or Djāmī and in Turkey as Molla Cami, was a ...

and

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

's O21 with a supporting cast of

Aamina Sheikh Aamina Sheikh () is an American-Pakistani actress, songwriter and former fashion model. Sheikh has received critical appreciation for her acting prowess, and has won four Lux Style Awards from nine nominations. Born in New York City and raised ...

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

and

Ayub Khoso Ayub Khoso (; born 1959) is a Pakistani actor of film and TV. With a career spanning more than three decades – mostly in television – Khoso is a well-known name in Pakistan. He is known for his roles in films like '' Khuda Kay Liye'' (2007) ...

. In 2015, he starred in

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

's Yalghaar alongside

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

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

Pakistani cinema The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on culture of Pakistan, Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including ...

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

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

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

and newcomer Neil Uchong and Shahzad Rafique's punjabi romantic film ''

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

'' alongside

Saima Saima can be a Pakistani first name of Arabic origin or Finnish feminine first name. People named Saima include: *Saima Noor (often billed as Saima, born 1967), Pakistani film actress *Saima Mohsin, freelance journalist *Saima Harmaja, Finnish poet ...

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

Director

Keen on making a difference to filmmaking in Pakistan, Shaan launched himself as a director. He directed his ambitious project '' Guns and Roses - Ik Junoon'', which was released in 1999. The film was produced by the art entrepreneur Tanvir Fatima Rehman. He co-starred with Faisal Rehman,

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

and

Resham Resham ریشم(Born: Saima Shah صائمہ) is a Pakistani film and television actress and model. She made her film debut with ''Jeeva'' in 1995, and was a leading actress of Lollywood during the 1990s. Her notable film credits include ''Je ...

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

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

and

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

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

, Abid Ali, Jan Rambo and Noor. The film received genuinely positive reviews from critics. He signed a three-film deal with actress

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

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

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (, born 7 May 1979) is a Pakistani actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. Mainly known for his work as a director and actor in both cinema and television, Khoosat has directed the super-hit TV dramas ''Humsafar'' an ...

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

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

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

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

Television host

Shaan joined

Geo Television Network Jang Media Group (), also known as Geo Group, is a Pakistani media conglomerate and a subsidiary of Dubai-based company Independent Media Corporation. It has headquarters in Printing House, Karachi. It is the publisher of the Urdu language new ...

and hosted a morning show named ''Geo Shaan Say'' on

Geo News Geo News () is a old technology foundation Pakistani news channel owned by the Jang Media Group. It was launched in October 2002 as the news and current affairs program was under its flagship channel Geo TV, which later in 2004, Geo TV decided ...

. But he soon left the show to focus on the development of Lashari's ''

''.

Brand ambassador

Businesses

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

Unilever Pakistan Unilever Pakistan Limited, formerly known as Lever Brothers Pakistan Limited, is a Pakistani fast-moving consumer goods company based in Karachi. It is a subsidiary of the British multinational company Unilever. History Unilever Pakistan Limi ...

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

, Pakistan. Shaan endorsed another mega brand,

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

, where he and the singing sensation

Ali Zafar Ali Zafar (; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, actor, model, producer, screenwriter and painter. He started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician, later also established a career in Bollywood and h ...

helped strengthen the brand in Pakistan.

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

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

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

and the Ministry of Health in a bid to eradicate

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

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

Karachi Karachi 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 ...

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

Sports

Shaan has a great interest in sports. Shaan joined

PSL PSL may refer to: Sport *Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 cricket league *Palau Soccer League, top division association football league in Palau *Pilipinas Super League, a professional basketball league *Philippine Super Liga, a defunct profes ...

franchise,

Lahore Qalandars Lahore Qalandars is a Pakistani professional cricket franchise which plays in the Pakistan Super League, representing Lahore, the capital of Punjab. They are the current champions of the PSL and the most successful team in the tournament's hist ...

as brand ambassador ahead of the second season. After his venture at

, he was named the brand ambassador of Kashmir Premier League. In January 2021, he had been named as the brand ambassador for Punjab Sports Board.

Personal life

He married Amina Shaan and has four daughters: Bahisht-i-Bareen Shahid, Nooriya Shahid, Shahbano Shahid and Raania Shahid.

Selected filmography

Awards and nominations

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

Award (2007) * 15

* 5

* 4

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

* Shaan won Best Film Hero on 2nd

(2011)

Nigar Awards

Lux Style Awards

Ary Films Awards

References

External links

* , Retrieved 21 September 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaan Shahid Aitchison College alumni 1971 births Living people Film directors from Lahore Pakistani male film actors Recipients of the Pride of Performance Nigar Award winners Kashmiri people Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent Geo News newsreaders and journalists Male actors from Lahore Pakistani expatriates in the United States Newtown High School (Queens) alumni People from Lahore