Bilal Ashraf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bilal Ashraf
Ashraf promoting the movie Janaan in 2016
Born	(1979-10-10) 10 October 1979 (age 45) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Alma mater	Franklin & Marshall College
Occupation	Actor Visual director Producer
Years active	2014 – present
Relatives	Sadia Ashraf (sister)

Bilal Ashraf (born October 10, 1979) is a famous Pakistani actor, producer, and visual effects director. He is known for his work in popular movies like Janaan (2016), Yalghaar (2017), and Superstar (2019).

Before becoming an actor, Bilal studied visual effects, which are the cool special effects you see in movies. He first appeared on screen in a small role in the 2014 thriller movie O21. After that, he decided to pursue a full-time acting career.

Early Life and Schooling

Bilal Ashraf was born in Karachi, Pakistan. His family speaks Urdu and has Punjabi roots. For his role in the movie Janaan, he played a character who was Pashtun. To make his performance believable, he learned some of the Pashto language.

He went to St. Michael's Convent School in Karachi for his early education. For college, he moved to the United States and attended Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. There, he studied two different subjects: finance and art.

After college, he went to Escape Studios in London to study animation. In total, he spent about ten years working behind the camera on movie sets before he became an actor.

Journey to Becoming an Actor

From Finance to Film

At first, Bilal Ashraf worked in finance in New York City. However, he wasn't passionate about this job. His sister, Sadia Ashraf, was a film director and teacher. She encouraged him to help improve Pakistan's movie industry. Sadly, his sister passed away, and in her memory, he decided to follow her dream. He quit his job and moved to London to study animation and visual effects.

Bilal has said that the movie Scent of a Woman inspired him to become an actor. He also enjoys sculpting and painting in his free time.

Movie Career

Bilal's first movie role was a small part in the 2014 film O21. His first leading role was in the 2016 romantic comedy Janaan, where he starred with Armeena Khan and Ali Rehman Khan. The movie was a big hit with both critics and audiences.

In 2017, he starred in the action-packed war movie Yalghaar. Later that year, he was in another film called Rangreza, but it was not as successful.

After taking a break, Bilal returned in 2019 with the movie Superstar, where he acted alongside Mahira Khan. This movie became his biggest box office success. He said that after Rangreza, he wanted to be more careful about choosing his movie roles. To improve his skills, he took acting classes in the United Kingdom and also studied theater at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi.

Television and Producing

In 2021, Bilal started acting on television in the show Aik Hai Nigar. He also became a producer and started his own company, Behive Transmedia, with director Ehteshamuddin. Their first project was the historical drama Khaab Toot Jaatay Hain.

Recognition

In 2019, the UK magazine Eastern Eye named Bilal Ashraf as one of its "Most Handsome Asian Men." He was ranked 7th on the list, which also included other famous stars like Ali Zafar and Hrithik Roshan.

Filmography

Film

Television Series

Year	Title	Role	Producer	Network	Notes
2021	Khaab Toot Jaatay Hain			Hum TV	Debut as producer
2023	Yunhi	Dr. Dawood Basharat			Debut as television actor
2025	Firon	TBA

Telefilm

Other Appearances

Awards and Nominations