Mahira Khan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mahira Khan
ماہرہ خان
Khan in 2024
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)	Ali Askari ​ ​ (m. 2007; div. 2015)​ Salim Karim ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Mahira Hafeez Khan (born December 21, 1984) is a famous actress from Pakistan. She is known for her roles in both movies and television shows. Khan is one of Pakistan's most popular and highest-paid actresses. She has won many awards for her work, including seven Lux Style Awards and seven Hum Awards.

Khan started her career as a video jockey (VJ) on TV. In 2011, she began acting in the hit movie Bol. She became very famous for her role in the TV drama Humsafar (2011). This show was a huge success and won her an award for Best Television Actress. She is known for playing interesting and unique characters in popular TV shows like Shehr-e-Zaat (2012) and Sadqay Tumhare (2014).

She became a major movie star with lead roles in two of Pakistan's biggest films: Bin Roye (2015) and Ho Mann Jahan (2016). In 2017, she starred in the Bollywood movie Raees, which was a blockbuster hit in India. She also received praise for her roles in the films Verna (2017) and Superstar (2019). More recently, she appeared in the action movies Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and The Legend of Maula Jatt in 2022.

Besides acting, Khan is also known for her work on social causes. She speaks out for women's rights and helps bring attention to important issues. Since 2019, she has worked with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador, helping refugees in Pakistan.

Early Life and School

Mahira Khan was born on December 21, 1984, in Karachi, Pakistan. Her parents are Urdu-speaking Pathans. Her father, Hafeez Khan, was born in Delhi, India, before the partition of India and later moved to Pakistan. She has a younger brother named Hasan Khan.

She went to the Foundation Public School in Karachi. When she was 17, she moved to California in the United States for college. She was the first woman in her family to travel and live abroad by herself. She attended Santa Monica College. Later, she said that living on her own in the U.S. helped her become strong and independent.

While studying, she also worked part-time at a store. She said, "I used to mop floors, clean floors, run the till and shut the store at night." Khan planned to get a master's degree at the University of Southern California. However, she decided to follow her dream of becoming an actress. She left her studies and returned to Pakistan.

Career Journey

How She Started (2006–2011)

Khan began her career in 2006 as a VJ, or video jockey. She hosted a live music show on MTV Pakistan called Most Wanted. In 2008, she hosted another show called Weekends with Mahira. On this show, she played music videos and talked to celebrity guests.

Her TV work made her noticeable. Director Shoaib Mansoor saw her and offered her a supporting role in his 2011 film Bol. She played Ayesha, a girl from a traditional family who loves music. The movie was a huge success. That same year, she also starred in her first TV drama, Neeyat.

Becoming a Star (2012–2017)

Khan at an event for Zindagi TV in 2016

Khan's big break came with the drama series Humsafar. The show was incredibly popular in Pakistan and also in India. Her performance earned her a Lux Style Award and a Hum Award. In 2013, she starred in Shehr-e-Zaat, which also won her Best Actress awards.

In 2014, she acted in the drama Sadqay Tumhare. For this role, she won another Lux Style Award for Best TV Actress and two Hum Awards. The next year, she starred in the movie Bin Roye, which was a big hit. The movie was later turned into a TV series, and she won more awards for her role.

In 2017, Khan made her debut in Bollywood (the Hindi film industry) with the movie Raees, starring opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Due to political tensions between India and Pakistan at the time, there were challenges with the film's release. Despite this, Raees was a commercial success. It made Khan the first Pakistani actress to be in a Bollywood film that earned over ₹3 billion (US$39 million).

Continued Success (2018–Present)

In 2017, Khan starred in the film Verna. While the movie received mixed reviews, her acting was praised, and she won a Lux Style Award for Best Actress. In 2019, she starred in the musical drama Superstar, which was one of her highest-grossing films in Pakistan.

After a short break, she returned in 2022 with two major films. She starred in the action-comedy Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and the action-drama The Legend of Maula Jatt. The Legend of Maula Jatt became a massive hit and was praised by critics worldwide. In 2022, she also produced a web series called Baarwan Khiladi.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Khan met Ali Askari in 2005 while she was in the United States. They married in 2007, and she moved back to Pakistan. They have a son, Azlaan, who was born in 2010. The couple divorced in 2016. In 2023, Khan married Salim Karim, a businessman.

Khan is actively involved in helping others. She has helped raise money for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, a cancer hospital in Pakistan. Since 2019, she has worked with UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. A Goodwill Ambassador is a famous person who uses their popularity to help a cause.

She often speaks about important issues like women's rights and protecting children. In 2020, she appeared in a music video called "Dua-e-Reem" to spread a positive message about women's strength.

In 2018, she and her brother started a clothing brand called Mashion!. They also founded a media company with the same name to support Pakistani women and talk about mental health.

Filmography

Films

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes
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	Love Guru	Sophia	Nadeem Baig
0TBA	Neelofar	Neelofar	Ammar Rasool	Completed

Web Series

Television

Awards

Mahira has won a total of seven Lux Style Awards. She won Best Television Actress twice for Humsafar (2011) and Sadqay Tumhare (2014). She has also won five Lux Style Awards for Best Film Actress for the movies Bin Roye, Ho Mann Jahaan, Verna, and Superstar.

See also

In Spanish: Mahira Khan para niños