The lead actor of the famous movie “Superstar”, Mahira Khan wasborn on 21 December 1984. Khan did her O-Levels from Foundation Public School and at the age of 17, she moved to California for higher education, where she attended Santa Monica College. Though she enrolled for her Bachelors at the University of Southern California, she did not complete her undergraduate degree and returned to Pakistan in 2008.
At the age of 22, Mahira married Ali Askari in 2007 in a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony. They have a son, Azlan who was born in 2009. The couple got divorced in 2015.
Khan had started her career as a VJ in 2006 and hosted a popular show “Most Wanted” on MTV Pakistan. 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, she took a major decision of joining the film industry and made her film debut in a supporting role in Shoaib Mansoor-directed film “Bol”. The film was a big hit, and became one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time.
Mahira’s most memorable till date is her character in “Humsafar”, a TV drama directed by Sarmad Khoosat. It earned her a Lux Style Award for Satellite Best TV Actress and a Hum Award for Best Onscreen Couple.
Mahira received the best actress award in 2013, for her role in Sarmad Khoosat-directed Shehr-e-Zaat from Pakistan Media Awards and Hum Awards. From 2013 to 2014, she hosted TUC The Lighter Side of Life, a talk show where she interviewed celebrities.
In 2014, Khan starred in Mohammed Ehteshamuddin-directed drama serial Sadqay Tumhare in which she played the role of Shano. The drama earned her a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress, two Hum Awards and a Hum Award nomination.
There was no looking back then and Mahira went on giving hit upon hit to her viewers both on TV and the film industry. In 2014, she starred in serial Sadqay Tumhare in which she played the role of Shano. The drama earned her a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress, two Hum Awards and a Hum Award nomination.
In 2016, she played the lead role in film “Ho Mann Jahaan” and it earned her a Lux Style Award for Best Actress (Film) and a Nigar Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 2017, Khan co-starred in Indian film “Raees” (her debut in the Indian film industry). Despite many controversies around the film and her being a Pakistani, the film was released in January 2017 but wasn’t a big success commercially.
Khan also starred in Shoaib Mansoor’s social drama film “Verna” and earned a Lux Style Award for Best Actress in 2018. In 2018, she starred in romantic comedy 7 Din Mohabbat In . She also starred in Maula Jatt 2, and made a special appearance in Parey Hat Luv. In 2019, she played the leading role in Superstar, her highest-grossing film domestically at the time.
In 2012, Khan was named as the Most Beautiful Woman in Pakistan. In ‘Sexiest Asian Women’ poll by Eastern Eye, she was listed tenth in 2015, ninth in 2016 and fifth in 2017, and ninth again in 2019. She was also called Pakistan’s sexiest woman.
She serves as an ambassador for a number of brands such as Lux, Q Mobile, Gai Power Wash, Huawei, Sunsilk, Veet, and L’Oréal.
Khan was on the list of the BBC’s 100 Women announced on 23 November 2020.
