Ahad Raza Mir
Ahad Raza Mir | |
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Born | |
Nationality | Pakistani |
Alma mater | University of Calgary |
Occupation | |
Years active | 2010–present |
Spouse(s) | |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments |
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Ahad Raza Mir (Urdu: آحد رضا میر; born 29 September 1993) is a Pakistani actor, music producer and singer who is known for his roles in Urdu television series and films, and for his appearance in musical show Coke Studio. Mir has established a career in Pakistan and has earned praise for portraying unconventional roles on screen, and is the recipient of a Lux Style Award.[1][2]
The son of actor Asif Raza Mir, before pursuing acting on television, Mir worked as a theater artist in Pakistan while studying at the University of Peshawar. Mir returned to Karachi in 2015 and first earned recognition with the television series Sammi (2017). A leading role in the romantic drama Yaqeen Ka Safar (2017) proved to be a breakthrough for him, earning him critical acclaim and a Lux Style Award for Best Actor.[3] Mir established himself by portraying a fighter pilot in the combat-war film Parwaaz Hay Junoon (2018), a poet in the pre-partition period drama Aangan (2018), an army officer in the coming-of-age Ehd-e-Wafa (2019), and an avenger in the revenge drama Yeh Dil Mera (2019).
In addition to acting, Mir supports charities and causes, is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products, and has recorded the song "Ko Ko Korina" for the musical show Coke Studio in 2018.
Life and career[]
Early life, career beginnings and stage roles (1993–2016)[]
Ahad Raza Mir was born on 29 September 1993 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. He is the son of Asif Raza Mir, a veteran actor and producer of the Pakistani film and television industry. Mir’s paternal grandfather, Raza Mir, was a filmmaker who also served as cinematographer for the first ever Pakistani film, Teri Yaad (1948).[4][5] He has a younger brother, Adnan Raza Mir.[6][7] Mir attended a Performing Arts High School, and graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.[8][9]
Mir started his career in 2010 at age 17, playing a brief role as the son of Sania Saeed and Faisal Rehman in the Hum TV's romantic drama Khamosiyan.[10] In Canada, he began his bachelor's degree in BBA but later changed his major to BFA to pursue his career in acting, he explained, "for as long as I can remember, acting is the only career that I've wanted to pursue in my life, although I was enjoying BBA but I realized half way through that I wasn't internally happy. I discerned that when you have a plan A, there's no point of having a plan B. There should be one plan and it should be your only goal, that's when I decided to make the switch and changed from BBA to BFA in the University of Calgary."[11] Mir started his career on stage, performing, directing and writing in several musicals and plays across Canada. Mir wanted to move to Toronto, but instead decided to go back to Pakistan to work in films and television,[12] "It was one fine morning when I got this wild idea of moving to Pakistan as I had not been back for over a decade. Ever since that decision, I've been quite lucky and very grateful to be accepted as an actor."[11]
Yaqeen Ka Safar and rise to prominence (2017–present)[]
In 2017, he started auditioning for Hum TV's production house MD Productions and was cast as a leading role in Yaqeen Ka Safar and a supporting role in the social drama Sammi opposite Mawra Hocane, the latter went into production early but he gained a wider recognition and fame with the former where he played a grief-stricken brother as Dr. Asfand Yaar, alongside Sajal Aly and Hira Mani.[13][14][15] His performance earned him Lux Style Award for Best Actor, and won three Hum Awards including the Hum Award for Best Actor.[16] He attributes his success to producer and filmmaker Momina Duraid, Mir said in an interview, "Momina Duraid has followed my career closely for the longest time. I was in Canada when she called me to offer the part. The goal has been to do a film since I was very young, and so I knew that I had to pack my bags and come to Pakistan right away."[17]
Coming from an influential filmmaking family, Ahad was accused of nepotism to which his father said it is very "natural of people to make that comment" and acknowledged that "to some extent it was easier because there was a reference" but has also said "regardless of his family name, and he’s been able to overcome this, proving his mettle on his own."[18] Responding to such claims Mir said, "People kept telling me I was a star-kid, but I spent most of my time not knowing that. I was oblivious. I wanted people to take me, as an actor, very seriously. I'm not a social media celebrity, I'm not here to become famous; I'm here to give Pakistan some good cinema and TV."[18] Talking about the difference in Canadian and Pakistani film exposure he said, "my vital years were spent in Canada and after moving here I feel I am very lucky that I got so much. But the adjustments I had to make were about life, like getting used to the weather, the way people worked and their punctuality here."[19] He further said, "Here in Pakistan, you need to have connections, your looks matter, how many followers you have etc. Talent, I feel, comes right at the end and sadly I feel Pakistan has more celebrities and less actors."[20]
Mir made his Coke Studio (2018) debut as a featured artist in its eleventh-season, where he performed the song "Ko Ko Korina" with Momina Mustehsan. The director and producer of the series Zohaib Kazi said, "we saw something akin to it on Instagram. Not exactly like it but we saw Ahad Raza Mir singing a little and playing the guitar on Instagram. When we saw that, we thought he had something. To be able to play right while singing is an art in itself. We decided we should talk to him."[21] Their rendition of the classic song was widely criticized. Within a few days of the video being released on YouTube, it became the most-disliked video in the music show's history.[22][23] That same year, Mir made his film debut with Haseeb Hassan's military-drama Parwaaz Hay Junoon, co-starring Hamza Ali Abbasi and Hania Amir, which was released on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.[24] Mir replaced Osman Khalid Butt in a role of Flight Lieutenant Saad, who opted out due to his other commitments.[25][26]
Mir reunited with Sajal Aly and Mawra Hocane in Hum TV's Mohammed Ehteshamuddin-directed period drama Aangan (2018-2019), where he played a poet, Jameel.[27] About the character, Mir said, "Jameel is the most confusing character I have ever played. He is a poet, he is a politician, he’s somebody who is on a journey of what love means, what family bonds mean, somebody who is actually quite relatable to everyone out there."[28]
The Shakespeare Company in a joint production with Vertigo Theatre in Canada had signed Mir to play Hamlet in their 2019 production.[29][30][31][32] He is the first South Asian actor to play the role professionally in Canada.[33] For his performance he won the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama.[34][2] He has turned executive producer for the upcoming movie Kalasha, revolving around the culture of the Kalash people of the Chitral Valley.[35]
Personal life[]
Mir got engaged to actress Sajal Aly on 6 June 2019, and married her in Abu Dhabi on 14 March 2020.[36][37]
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Parwaaz Hai Junoon | Saad | Haseeb Hassan | |
2021 | Kalasha | Producer | Farukh Turk | Filming[35] |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Wasif | Babar Javed | ||
2017 | Sammi | Salaar | Saife Hassan | |
2017 | Yaqeen Ka Safar | Dr. Asfandyar (Asfi) | Shahzad Kashmiri | Lux Style Award for Best Television Actor |
2018 | Coke Studio | Featured Artist | Ali Hamza, Zohaib Kazi | Performed "Ko Ko Korina" |
2018 | Aangan | Jameel | Mohammed Ehteshamuddin | |
2019 | Ehd-e-Wafa | Saad | Saife Hassan | |
2019 | Yeh Dil Mera | Amaanullah | Aehsun Talish | |
2021 | Dhoop Ki Deewar | Vishal Malhotra | Haseeb Hassan | Web series released on ZEE5[38] |
Theatre[]
Year | Production | Role | Theater | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | West Side Story | Tony | U of C Operetta Company | |
A Picture with a Bull | Ruben | Common Ground Festival | ||
The Tempest | Caliban | Theatre Calgary | ||
Romeo and Juliet | Tybalt | The Shakespeare Company | ||
Naughty But Nice | Victor | Forte Musical Theatre Guild | Calgary Theatre Critics' Awards for Best Actor in a Musical | |
2015 | Macbeth | Lennox | The Shakespeare Company | |
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo | Musa | Search Tower Company | ||
2019 | Hamlet | Hamlet | The Shakespeare Company | Betty Mitchell Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Actor |
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Nominated work | Awards | Category | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Naughty But Nice | Calgary Theatre Critics' Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Won | |
2018 | Yaqeen Ka Safar | Lux Style Awards | Best Television Actor | Won | |
Hum Awards | Best Actor Popular | Won | |||
Onscreen Couple Popular | Won | ||||
Best Television Sensation male | Won | ||||
2019 | Hamlet | Betty Mitchell Award | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama | Won | |
2020 | Aangan | Pakistan International Screen Awards | Best Television Actor | Nominated |
References[]
- ^ Kari, Maria (21 September 2019). "Ahad Raza Mir feels more Pakistani now than he ever has". DAWN. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Ahad Raza Mir bags International nomination for hamlet". AAJ Tv. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
- ^ Shabbir, Buraq (9 April 2017). "Introducing the rising star". The News International. Archived from the original on 1 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Raza Mir's IMDb profile
- ^ "Teri Yaad – Film / Movie". Complete Index To World Film (CITWF). 18 April 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Sarah Babar (1 November 2017), "13 Interesting Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ahad Raza Mir", MangoBaaz. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ Sarah Babar (1 November 2017), "13 Interesting Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Ahad Raza Mir", MangoBaaz. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Hello! Exclusive: Ahad Raza Mir Reveals His Future Plans, Love for Acting And Ideal Woman". 25 November 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ Ajaz, Mahwash (1 November 2017). "Everything you ever wanted to know about Ahad Raza Mir – in his own words". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir – Biography, Age, Education, Family, Dramas". Review It. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ a b Arif, Azqua (8 August 2017). ""I wish to show the public who 'Ahad' really is and be my own self"". HIP. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Hyder, Hira (9 September 2017). "Ahad Raza Mir: "I love both the East and the West for what they are."". HIP. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Kari, Maria (26 December 2017). "How Yakeen ka Safar's Asfandiyar is the leading man Pakistani dramas desperately needed". Dawn. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Tahir, Mariam (1 November 2017). "Ahad Raza Mir tells us the secret behind Dr Asfandyar's appeal". Something Haute. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Haider, Sadaf (13 October 2017). "There's more to Dr Asfi than the romantic element, says Ahad Raza Mir of Yakeen ka Safar". Dawn. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Images Staff (29 July 2018). "Hum Awards 2018: Yakeen Ka Safar wins big". Images. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Sarym, Ahmed (12 March 2017). "The up and coming". The News On Sunday. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ a b Sarym, Ahmed (3 June 2018). "The 'Raza Mir' Factor". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Haroon, Fifi (15 January 2018). "'اداکاری میری میراث ہے'". BBC Urdu. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Khan, Saira (17 January 2018). ""Pakistan has more celebrities and less actors," Ahad Raza Mir". HIP. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Sabeeh, Maheen (30 July 2018). "How Ahad Raza Mir made it to Coke Studio 11". Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Priyamvada Grover (9 November 2018). "Ko Ko Korina: Why Pakistan is decrying a Coke Studio cover". theprint.in. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ Ghazala Sulaiman (23 October 2018). "Momina Mustehsan Vs Shireen Mazari's 'Ko Ko Korina' Twitter War: Ahad Raza Mir & Sajal Break Silence!". Brandsynario. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- ^ Shabbir, Buraq (24 July 2017). "Catching up with Ahad Raza Mir". The News International. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ ul Haq, Irfan (19 January 2017). "Osman Khalid Butt is no longer part of Parwaaz Hay Junoon". Dawn Images. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir replaces Osman Khalid Butt in Parwaaz Hay Junoon". HIP. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Ahsan Khan and Mawra Hocane pair up for Ehteshamuddin's Aangan". The News International. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ Shabbir, Buraq (1 April 2017). "All that Ahad Raza Mir really is". The News On Sunday. Archived from the original on 14 April 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir to play Hamlet in Shakespearean play". The Express Tribune. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir will be returning to Toronto for Hamlet". Something Haute. 18 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ B. Hobson, Louis (10 June 2018). "Rising star to return to Calgary to play Hamlet". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Sarym, Ahmed. "Ahad Raza Mir comes clean". Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ Iman, Aiman (17 August 2018). "Pakistani actor Ahad to play Hamlet in Canada! - News Pakistan". News Pakistan. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Ahad Raza Mir receives Betty Mitchell Awards nomination for hamlet". Samaa TV. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ a b Muna Moini (19 September 2018), "Ahad Raza Mir reveals connection with upcoming film ‘Kalasha’", SomethingHaute. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir, Sajal Ali finally announce engagement". gulfnews.com. 10 June 2019.
- ^ "Sajal Ali and Ahad Raza Mir get married in UAE". geo.tv. 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir to Star In An Upcoming Romantic Drama". September 2020.
- ^ "The Calgary Theatre Critics' Awards Winners". Downtown Calgary Blog. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Winners of the Lux Style Awards". Pakistan Today. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "The 2018 Hum Award Nominations Are Out And We're Surprised That They're Actually Deserving". MangoBaaz. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- ^ "Ahad Raza Mir nominated for 'Best TV Actor' at PISA". The Nation. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
External links[]
- 1993 births
- People from Karachi
- Musicians from Karachi
- Male actors from Karachi
- Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent
- Living people
- Pakistani male television actors
- Pakistani male film actors
- Pakistani dramatists and playwrights
- Pakistani male singers
- Lux Style Award winners
- Pakistani stage actors
- University of Calgary alumni
- Hum Award winners
- Pakistani emigrants to Canada
- Male actors in Urdu cinema
- Naturalized citizens of Canada
- Canadian people of Kashmiri descent