# Mahira Khan
**Mahira Khan** (ماہرہ خان; born 1984) is a Pakistani actress and producer who works in Urdu television and film, known for the drama serial *Humsafar* (2011), the film *Bol* (2011), and her Bollywood debut opposite [Shah Rukh Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shah-rukh-khan) in *[Raees](https://www.edgepedia.org/raees-2017-film)* (2017).[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) She is widely described as one of Pakistan's biggest stars and is among the country's highest-paid actresses.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) • [3](https://pakistanactors.com/stories/mahira-khan)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Karachi, Pakistan; sources give 1984 (Indian Express, mybook, Wikiwand) or 1982 (IMDb, Prime Video)[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) |
| Career start | Video jockey on MTV Pakistan, hosting the live show *Most Wanted*; later *Weekend with Mahira* on Aag TV[4](https://geofilms.tv/actor/mahira-khan/) |
| Screen debut | Shoaib Mansoor's *Bol* (2011), which became one of Pakistan's highest-grossing films[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) |
| Breakthrough | Khirad Ehsan in *Humsafar* (2011) opposite Fawad Khan, a serial credited with helping revive Pakistani television drama[5](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) |
| Bollywood debut | *Raees* (2017) opposite Shah Rukh Khan; first Pakistani actress to enter Bollywood's 1 billion (100 crore) club[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) |
| Major awards | Multiple Lux Style Awards for Best Actress and Best Television Actress; Beirut International Film Festival Best International Star (2017)[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/awards/) |
| Advocacy | UNHCR's first National Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan[7](https://www.britishasiantrust.org/support-us/ambassadors/mahira-khan/) |
## Early life and start as a presenter
Khan was born in Karachi, where she completed her A-Levels at Foundation Public School.[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) • [3](https://pakistanactors.com/stories/mahira-khan) At seventeen she moved to California, studied at [Santa Monica College](https://www.edgepedia.org/santa-monica-college) and then enrolled at the [University of Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-southern-california) for a master's degree in [English literature](https://www.edgepedia.org/english-literature), working part-time jobs including pharmacy shifts before leaving her studies and returning to Pakistan.[3](https://pakistanactors.com/stories/mahira-khan)
Her career began in 2006 as a video jockey, hosting the music show *Most Wanted* on MTV Pakistan three days a week, and later the weekend program *Weekend with Mahira* on Aag TV.[5](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan) • [4](https://geofilms.tv/actor/mahira-khan/) She has credited live television with teaching her how to hold an audience, a skill that eased her move into acting.[5](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan)
## Acting career
**Debut and Humsafar.** Khan's screen acting debut came in 2011 with Shoaib Mansoor's film *Bol*, a drama about a Lahore family confronting poverty, patriarchy, and questions of gender identity; the film was a critical and commercial success and ranks among the highest-grossing Urdu movies.[5](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan) • [1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) The same year she played Khirad Ehsan opposite [Fawad Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/fawad-khan) in the [Hum TV](https://www.edgepedia.org/hum-tv) serial *Humsafar*, adapted from Farhat Ishtiaq's novel. The drama drew enormous ratings in Pakistan and found large audiences in India and among the diaspora, making Khan one of the most in-demand actresses in the country almost overnight.[5](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan) *Humsafar* was later dubbed into Arabic and broadcast by MBC in the Middle East, and aired in India on Zee Zindagi.[8](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Mahira-Khan/amzn1.dv.gti.7838ae4c-f717-4b8b-b87a-97ded92c5464/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp)
Her subsequent television work includes *Shehr-e-Zaat* (2012), *Sadqay Tumhare* (2014), *Bin Roye* (2016), *Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay* (2021), and the mini-series *Razia* (2023).[9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTMUWnHa5Vs) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/)
**Film career.** After *Bol*, Khan's films included *Bin Roye* (2015), *[Ho Mann Jahaan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ho-mann-jahaan)* (2015), *Manto* (2015), *Superstar* (2019), and *Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad* (2022).[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) • [10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mahira_khan) In 2017 she made her Bollywood debut in *Raees* opposite Shah Rukh Khan, a milestone for Pakistani actors since no actor before her had been handed a Bollywood debut opposite any of the three Khans of Hindi cinema; the film passed 1 billion rupees (100 crore rupees) at the box office, making her the first Pakistani actress to enter Bollywood's 1 billion (100 crore) club.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) Later that year she played a rape victim in Shoaib Mansoor's social drama *Verna*, which overcame an initial ban imposed because of its subject matter; the *New York Times* described the film as having inspired Pakistani women to draw on the spirit of the #MeToo campaign.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/)
In 2022 she played Mukkho Jatti in Bilal Lashari's Punjabi-language action drama *The Legend of Maula Jatt*, a performance that received widespread acclaim.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/) • [11](https://notablepeopleproject.org/mahira_khan) In 2025 she had two releases, *Love Guru* (with [Humayun Saeed](https://www.edgepedia.org/humayun-saeed)) and *Neelofar* (reuniting her with Fawad Khan), and in 2026 she returned to television after a three-year break with *Mitti De Baway* on Green TV.[12](https://images.dawn.com/news/1194662/mahira-khan-spills-the-beans-on-working-with-fawad-khan-future-projects-and-her-student-life-in-the-us) • [13](https://mybook.pk/mahira-khan.html)
## Awards and recognition
Khan's Lux Style Awards include Best Television Actress for *Sadqay Tumhare* (2016) and Best Actress for *Bin Roye* (2016), *Ho Mann Jahaan* (2017), *Verna* (2018), and *Superstar* (2020).[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/awards/) International honors include the Beirut International Film Festival's Best International Star award in 2017, a Vogue Beauty Award for Face to Watch Out For (2016), and a Masala! Award as Asian Woman of Substance (2017).[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/awards/) November 2024 saw her honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the UK Parliament, recognizing both her role as a cultural ambassador and her advocacy for women's empowerment.[3](https://pakistanactors.com/stories/mahira-khan)
## Public work and personal life
Khan was announced as UNHCR's first National Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan and has worked with several charities.[7](https://www.britishasiantrust.org/support-us/ambassadors/mahira-khan/) Her speaking engagements have included the Varkey Foundation's Global Teacher's Prize Ceremony in Dubai, a talk in the Aga Khan University Special Lecture Series in Karachi, and an appearance at TEDxLahore.[8](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Mahira-Khan/amzn1.dv.gti.7838ae4c-f717-4b8b-b87a-97ded92c5464/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp) She became the first Pakistani ambassador for L'Oréal Hair Care and has been the face of brands including Lux, Veet, and Coca Cola.[8](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Mahira-Khan/amzn1.dv.gti.7838ae4c-f717-4b8b-b87a-97ded92c5464/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp)
She married businessman Ali Askari in 2007; the two divorced in 2015 and have a son together.[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/) She married Salim Karim in 2023.[1](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/)
## References
1. [Mahira Khan Awards: Achievements & Honors, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/about/mahira-khan/awards/)
2. [Mahira Khan, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/)
3. [Mahira Khan: From VJ Desk to the Top of Pakistani Cinema, Pakistan Actors](https://pakistanactors.com/stories/mahira-khan)
4. [Mahira Khan Archives, Geo Films](https://geofilms.tv/actor/mahira-khan/)
5. [Mahira Khan Biography: Pakistan's Leading Actress, Humans of History](https://humansofhistory.com/person/mahira-khan)
6. [Mahira Khan – Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4493060/awards/)
7. [Mahira Khan, British Asian Trust](https://www.britishasiantrust.org/support-us/ambassadors/mahira-khan/)
8. [Mahira Khan, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/person/Mahira-Khan/amzn1.dv.gti.7838ae4c-f717-4b8b-b87a-97ded92c5464/ref%3Datv_dp_md_pp)
9. [Mahira Khan All 8 Dramas, Spectacle (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTMUWnHa5Vs)
10. [Mahira Khan Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mahira_khan)
11. [Mahira Khan, Notable People Project](https://notablepeopleproject.org/mahira_khan)
12. [Mahira Khan spills the beans on working with Fawad Khan, Images Dawn](https://images.dawn.com/news/1194662/mahira-khan-spills-the-beans-on-working-with-fawad-khan-future-projects-and-her-student-life-in-the-us)
13. [Mahira Khan Dramas, Films, Awards, Age & Husband, mybook.pk](https://mybook.pk/mahira-khan.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Pakistani screen actors, 2000s onward*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license