Imran Ashraf: Character First

Imran Ashraf is the actor's actor who became a national favourite without ever playing it cool. His performance as Bhola, a young man with a mental disability in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, is one of the most celebrated television performances of the past decade, and it did not make him a star so much as a reference point.

Quick facts

• Born: 11 September 1989
• Profession: Actor, writer, producer, host
• Known for: Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Dil Lagi, Raqs-e-Bismil, Namak Haram
• Awards: Best TV Actor, 19th Lux Style Awards, for Ranjha Ranjha Kardi

Building the craft

Ashraf worked steadily through the 2010s, with Dil Lagi (2016) among the dramas that showed his comic and romantic range, before Ranjha Ranjha Kardi (2018-19) changed the trajectory of his career. Critics called the role fearless; audiences simply kept watching.

Writer and producer

Behind the camera he is a writer and producer as well, contributing scripts and helping shape the projects he leads. Raqs-e-Bismil (2020-21) showed his darker register, and Namak Haram added another complicated lead to his list.

What drives him

In interviews he talks about characters the way craftsmen talk about tools: what they can do, what they refuse to do, and how to make them honest. That seriousness is why producers keep handing him their most difficult roles.

He remains one of the very few actors in the industry who can carry a show on technique alone, and he is just getting started.

Where to follow

• Instagram: @imranashrafawan