Quick Facts
| Intro | Pakistani actress, model and VJ | ||
| Is | Actor | ||
| From | Pakistan | ||
| Field | Film, TV, Stage & Radio | ||
| Gender | female | ||
| Birth | 21 December 1984, Karachi | ||
| Age | 38 years | ||
| Family |
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| Profiles |
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Biography
Mahira Hafeez Khan (pronounced [maɦiːraː hafiːz kʰan]; born 21 December 1984) is a Pakistani actress and former VJ. One of Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of several awards. She made her debut in Bollywood with Raees.
Early life and background
Khan was born to parents who are Urdu-speaking Pathans. Khan's father, Hafeez Khan, was born in Delhi during the British Raj, and migrated to Pakistan after the partition of India.
She has a younger brother, Hasaan Khan who is a journalist by profession.
Khan attended the Foundation Public School in Karachi from where she did her O-levels at age 16. At the age of 17, Khan moved to California, United State for the higher education. She attended Saint Monica College in Los Angeles. She then enrolled in the University of Southern California for her Bachelor’s Degree. However she did not complete her degree and returned to Pakistan in 2008. During her studies in United States, Khan was a cashier at a Rite Aid store in Los Angeles and used to mop floors, clean toilets, run the till and shut the store at night.
Khan met her future husband Ali Askari in 2006 in Los Angeles. Some media reports says she met him at Indus TV studios. She married Askari in 2007 in a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony despite Khan's father being against this marriage.
The couple divorced in 2015. Khan has a son with Ali Askari who was born in 2014.
Career
Khan started her career as a VJ in 2006, hosting the live show Most Wanted on MTV Pakistan which was aired three days a week. She then hosted Aag TV's reality show Weekends with Mahira in 2008, where she played music videos, spoke to celebrity guests and took phone calls from viewers.
In 2011, Khan made her film debut in a supporting role in Bol. The film ranks among the highest-grossing Urdu films.
The same year, she acted in her first television drama, ARY Digital's romance Neeyat.
She next appeared in the drama television series Humsafar which marked Khan's debut in the world of television. Following Humsafar, Khan became an overnight star and a household name as the drama serial established her as a leading actress of Pakistan. The drama series was also aired on Zindagi (TV channel) and was successful in India.
Her other dramas include the 2013 spiritual romance Shehr-e-Zaat and the 2014 romantic drama Sadqay Tumhare.
From 2013 to 2014, she hosted TUC The Lighter Side of Life, a talk show for famous celebrities.
She played a starring role in a romantic drama, Bin Roye (2015), a supporting role in the biographical drama Manto, and a leading role in coming-of-age drama Ho Mann Jahaan (2016), all of which rank among the highest-grossing Pakistani films.
In 2016, she appeared in Bin Roye (TV series).
In early 2017, Khan appeared in Rahul Dholakia's Indian Hindi film, Raees, which was her debut film in the Hindi film industry in India. Before the release of film, 'Indian Motion Picture Producers Association' (IMPPA) and 'The Film Producers Guild of India' decided to ban all Pakistani actors, actresses and technicians working in India due to the tensions created after 2016 Uri terror attack till the situation gets normal. Reportedly, there was rumours that Khan's scenes would be deleted from the film or she would be replaced by some other actress. Her co-star and producer of the film, Shah Rukh Khan said that Mahira wouldn't be allowed to promote the film in India. Khan repeatedly received threats from Shiv Sena, a far-right Indian political party, for being a Pakistani citizen working in India.
Khan will also be seen as a lead character in Shoaib Mansoor's upcoming social drama film Verna.
Other work and media image
Khan is considered one of the Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses.
In 2012, Khan was named as the Most Beautiful Woman in Pakistan.
In 2013, Khan hosted 1st Hum Awards. In September 2015, Khan co-hosted 14th Lux Style Awards with Fawad Khan.
Khan was listed tenth in a 'Sexiest Asian Women' poll by Eastern Eye in 2015; she was also called Pakistan's sexiest woman in 2015.
In December 2016, Khan became a victim of false news after anti-India comment emerged ahead of the release of her Bollywood debut film Raees.
Filmography
Films
 | Denotes films that are not released |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Bol | Ayesha Khan | |
| 2015 | Bin Roye | Saba Shafiq | |
| Manto | Madaran | Appeared in screen credits and in the song "Kya Hoga" | |
| 2016 | Ho Mann Jahaan | Manizeh | |
| Actor In Law | Herself | Special Appearance | |
| 2017 | Raees | Aasiya | Hindi film debut |
| 2017 | Verna | TBA | Filming |
Television
| Year | Show | Role | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | MTV's Most Wanted | Host | |
| 2008 | Weekends with Mahira | Host | |
| 2011 | 10th Lux Style Awards | Host | |
| Neeyat | Aalia | ||
| Humsafar | Khirad Ehsan | ||
| 2012 | Shehr-e-Zaat | Falak | |
| Coke Kahani | Herself | Special appearance | |
| 2013 | 1st Hum Awards | Host | |
| 2014 | TUC The Lighter Side of Life | Host | |
| Sadqay Tumhare | Rukhsana/Shanno | ||
| 2015 | 14th Lux Style Awards | Host | |
| 2016 | Bin Roye | Saba Shafiq |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lux Style Awards | |||
| 2012 | Bol | Best Actress (Film) | Nominated |
| 2013 | Humsafar | Satellite Best TV Actress | Won |
| 2016 | Bin Roye | Best Actress | Won |
| Sadqay Tumhare | Best Television Actress | Won | |
| Pakistan Media Awards | |||
| 2014 | Shehr-e-Zaat | Best Actress | Won |
| Hum Awards | |||
| 2013 | Shehr-e-Zaat | Best Actress | Won |
| Humsafar | Best Onscreen Couple | Won | |
| 2015 | Sadqay Tumhare | Best Actress | Nominated |
| Best Actress Popular | Won | ||
| Best Onscreen Couple | Won | ||
| 2016 | Bin Roye | Best Actress | Won |
Other recognitions
- 2016: 1st Femina Middle East Women Awards (Unstoppable Emerging Talent from Pakistan)
- 2016: 1st QMobile Hum Style Awards (Most Stylish Actress - Film)
- 2015: Masala! Awards (Best Actress award for Bin Roye)
- "12th LUX Style Awards: Pakistan entertainment industry's big night". The Express Tribune. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "LSA 2016 winners: The complete list". The Express Tribune. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- "Media awards honour fashion, entertainment stars". DAWN. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "Awards celebrate showbiz achievements". DAWN. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "HUM TV Awards 2015: 'Sadqay Tumhare' a clear winner". DAWN. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "HUM TV Awards 2015: the nominations are in". DAWN. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "10 best and worst moments of Hum TV awards 2016". The Express Tribune. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "Unstoppable Mahira Khan bags yet another honour in Dubai". The Express Tribune. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "Here are the winners from the first ever Hum Style Awards". DAWN Images. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- "What went down at the Masala! Awards last night". DAWN Images. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
