Mahira Khan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mahira Khan
ماہرہ خان
Khan at an event in 2018
Born	Mahira Hafeez Khan (1984-12-21) 21 December 1984 (age 40) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Alma mater	Santa Monica College
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present
Spouse(s)	Salim Karim ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Mahira Hafeez Khan (born 21 December 1984) is a famous Pakistani film and television actress. She is one of Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses. Mahira has won many awards, including seven Lux Style Awards and seven Hum Awards.

Mahira started her career as a video jockey (VJ) for TV shows. In 2011, she began acting with a small role in the movie Bol. She then starred in the hit TV drama Humsafar (2011). For this role, she won the Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress. Mahira became very well-known for playing different kinds of characters. These roles were in popular TV series like Shehr-e-Zaat (2012), Sadqay Tumhare (2014), and Bin Roye (2016). She won several Best Actress awards and nominations for these shows.

Mahira became a leading actress by starring in two of Pakistan's biggest movies. These were the romantic drama Bin Roye (2015) and the musical drama Ho Mann Jahan (2016). Her first movie in Bollywood (the Indian film industry) was the crime thriller Raees (2017). This movie is one of the highest-earning Indian films ever. She was praised for her roles in Verna (2017) and Superstar (2019). After a short break, Mahira appeared in action films like Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and The Legend of Maula Jatt in 2022. She also produced a sports web-series called Baarwan Khiladi (2022).

Besides acting, Mahira Khan supports important social causes. She works for women's rights and helps refugees. Since 2019, she has worked with UNICEF. In 2019, she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. She has also hosted many TV and award shows. Mahira is a popular celebrity who promotes different brands.

Mahira Khan's Early Life and Education

Mahira Khan was born on 21 December 1984 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Her family is Pashtun. Her father, Hafeez Khan, was born in Delhi before Pakistan was created. He moved to Pakistan after the country was divided. Mahira has a younger brother named Hasan Khan, who is a journalist.

She went to Foundation Public School and finished her A'Levels there. When she was 17, she moved to California, United States, for college. She attended Santa Monica College. Mahira was the first woman in her family to study abroad alone. She later said that living by herself in the U.S. made her "strong and independent." Mahira then started studying English literature at the University of Southern California. During this time, she worked part-time as a cashier at a store. She shared that she used to "mop floors, clean floors, run the till and shut the store at night." After one year, Mahira decided to follow her dream of becoming an actress. She left university and returned to Pakistan.

While in the U.S., her friend Ali Askari introduced her to a TV show director. This led to her being chosen for the show Most Wanted on MTV Pakistan in 2006. She then hosted Weekends with Mahira on Aag TV in 2008. This show became very popular. Filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor noticed her on the show. He later offered her a role in his film Bol (2011), which she accepted.

Mahira Khan's Acting Career

Starting Out as a VJ and Actress (2006–2011)

Mahira Khan began her career in 2006 as a VJ. She hosted a live show called Most Wanted on MTV Pakistan. It aired three days a week. In 2008, she hosted AAG TV's show Weekends with Mahira. On this show, she played music videos, interviewed celebrity guests, and took calls from viewers.

In 2011, Mahira made her film debut in Bol, directed by Shoaib Mansoor. She played Ayesha, a girl from a traditional family who loves music. The film was very successful and became one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films ever. In the same year, Mahira also started her TV drama career in Neeyat. This show was set in New York, and she played a character named Ayla.

Becoming Famous and Recognized (2012–2017)

Next, Mahira appeared in the TV drama Humsafar, directed by Sarmad Khoosat. Both the show and Mahira received great reviews. The drama was also popular in India. She won a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress and a Hum Award for Best Onscreen Couple for Humsafar. In 2013, she starred in Shehr-e-Zaat, also directed by Sarmad Khoosat. This drama earned her Best Actress Awards from Pakistan Media Awards and Hum Awards. From 2013 to 2014, she hosted a talk show called TUC The Lighter Side of Life.

In 2014, Mahira starred in Sadqay Tumhare, directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin. She played the role of Shano. This drama won her a Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress and two Hum Awards. In 2015, she acted alongside Humayun Saeed in the film Bin Roye. For this movie, she won a Lux Style Award for Best Actress (Film) and a Hum Award for Best Actress. The film was also made into a TV series in 2016. She had a supporting role in the biographical film Manto in 2015.

Khan at a press event in 2016

In 2016, she starred in Ho Mann Jahaan, directed by Asim Raza. This film earned her a Lux Style Award for Best Actress (Film).

In early 2017, Mahira co-starred in the Indian film Raees. This was her first movie in the Hindi film industry. Before the film's release, there were political tensions between India and Pakistan. Because of this, some groups in India decided to ban Pakistani actors from working there. There were rumors that Mahira's scenes might be cut from the film. The lead actor and co-producer, Shah Rukh Khan, said she would not be able to promote the film in India. Despite these issues, Raees was released in January 2017. It was a successful movie, earning a lot of money worldwide. This made Mahira the first Pakistani actress to join Bollywood's "100 Crore Club" (meaning a film earning over 1 billion Indian rupees).

Recent Success and Work (2018–Present)

In 2017, Mahira starred in Shoaib Mansoor's film Verna. While the film received mixed reviews, her acting was highly praised. She won a Lux Style Award for Best Actress in 2018 for this role. In 2018, she appeared in the romantic comedy 7 Din Mohabbat In. In 2019, she made a special appearance in Parey Hut Love. The same year, she starred in the romantic musical drama film Superstar. This became her highest-earning film in Pakistan at that time.

In 2022, she starred with Fahad Mustafa in the action-comedy film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. She also produced a web series called Baarwan Khiladi, which came out in March 2022. Mahira then starred in the Punjabi-language action drama film The Legend of Maula Jatt alongside Fawad Khan. This film was released in October 2022 and received a lot of praise from critics.

Mahira Khan's Personal Life and Social Work

While studying in the United States, Mahira met businessman Ali Askari in 2005. She moved back to Pakistan in 2006 and married him in 2007. They had a son named Azlaan in 2010. Mahira and Ali divorced in 2016, but they both share care for their son. In 2019, she started dating Salim Karim, an entrepreneur. She confirmed this in an interview in 2020. Mahira married Salim Karim in a private ceremony on 2 October 2023.

Mahira has worked to raise money for cancer patients. She visited Dubai and Los Angeles for this cause. Since 2019, Mahira has been working with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Afghan refugees in Pakistan in 2019. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, praised her efforts. Mahira speaks out about important issues like women's rights in Pakistan and protecting children. On International Women's Day in 2020, she worked with Shoaib Mansoor again on a music video called "Dua-e- Reem". The song was very popular.

In August 2018, Mahira and her brother Hasan launched a clothing line called Mashion!. They also started a media production company called Mashion. This company aims to support Pakistani women and raise awareness about mental health. In 2020, she started hosting a cooking show on YouTube called Khandani Kitchen. In September 2020, Mahira joined the Commonwealth of Nations for a project called "No more" to raise awareness about violence against women.

On November 6, 2024, she received an important honor for her work in empowering women and being a cultural ambassador.

Mahira Khan's Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes	Ref.
2011	Bol	Ayesha Khan	Shoaib Mansoor
2015	Bin Roye	Saba Shafiq	Shahzad Kashmiri
	Manto	Madaran	Sarmad Khoosat	Special appearance in song "Kya Hoga"
2016	Ho Mann Jahaan	Manizeh	Asim Raza
	Actor in Law	Herself	Nabeel Qureshi	Special appearance
2017	Raees	Aasiya	Rahul Dholakia	Hindi film
	Verna	Sara	Shoaib Mansoor
2018	7 Din Mohabbat In	Neeli	Farjad–Meenu
2019	Parey Hut Love	Zeena	Asim Raza	Cameo
	Superstar	Noor	Mohammed Ehteshamuddin
2021	Aik Hai Nigar	Nigar Johar	Adnan Sarwar	Television film
2022	Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad	Jia	Nabeel Qureshi
	The Legend of Maula Jatt	Mukhoo Jatti	Bilal Lashari
2025	Neelofar	Neelofar	Ammar Rasool	Completed

Mahira Khan's Television Shows

Mahira Khan's Awards and Honors

Mahira has won a total of seven Lux Style Awards. She won the Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress twice for her roles in Humsafar (2011) and Sadqay Tumhare (2014). She has also won five Lux Style Awards for Best Film Actress for the films Bin Roye, Ho Mann Jahaan (both 2015), Verna (2017), and Superstar (2019).

See also

In Spanish: Mahira Khan para niños