CinemaSep 27
Ushna Shah: Presence, Range and the Long Game
Bashar Momin, Parizaad and Aye Ishq e Junoon: a guide to Ushna Shah's career from York University graduate to one of television's most striking leads.
The Editors · 3 min read
The Archive
Cinema
Everything we have published in Cinema, from the first issue to this morning.
CinemaSep 27
Adnan Siddiqui: A Career Across Three Industries
From PTV's Aroosa to Hollywood, Hindi cinema and Mere Paas Tum Ho: a guide to Adnan Siddiqui's 30-year career and his work as a producer.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Syed Mohammad Ahmed: The Writer Who Acts
He wrote some of Pakistani television's wittiest scripts, and then stole scenes as Agha Jan in Suno Chanda. A guide to Syed Mohammad Ahmed's two careers.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Sarmad Khoosat: The Complete Auteur
He directed Humsafar and Shehr-e-Zaat, starred in Manto, and made Zindagi Tamasha, Pakistan's Oscar entry. A guide to Sarmad Khoosat's restless career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Mehreen Jabbar: The Director's Director
Doraha, Dobara and a return to serials with 2026's Doctor Bahu: a guide to Mehreen Jabbar, one of Pakistani television's most prolific auteurs.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Shuja Asad: The New Leading Man
Khaie, Aye Ishq e Junoon and a lead in 2026's Doctor Bahu: a guide to Shuja Asad's fast rise through Pakistani television.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Umera Ahmed: The Pen Behind Pakistan's Biggest Dramas
Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Shehr-e-Zaat, Alif, Pir-e-Kamil and Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay: a guide to Umera Ahmed, one of Pakistan's most-read writers.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Naeema Butt: The Scene Stealer
Daasi, Ehd-e-Wafa and a turn as Rubab in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum that became one of 2024's most talked-about roles.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Amna Ilyas: An Eye for the Unconventional
From Zinda Bhaag to Baaji and beyond: a guide to Amna Ilyas's career as one of Pakistani cinema's most interesting leading women.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Saba Hameed: The Matriarch of Pakistani Screen
From the sitcom Family Front to Mere Humsafar and the 2026 hits Doctor Bahu and Bas Tera Saath Ho: a guide to Saba Hameed's career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Mawra Hocane: From VJ to Leading Lady
A debut in 2011, a Bollywood breakthrough in Sanam Teri Kasam, and Aangan: a guide to Mawra Hocane's career across television, film and streaming.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Sania Saeed: The Quiet Power
A theatre-trained icon of Pakistani television, with four Lux Style Awards, four Hum Awards and recent triumphs in Raqeeb Se and Sang-e-Mah.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Gohar Rasheed: The Character Actor Who Leads
Seedlings, The Legend of Maula Jatt and a steady run of unforgettable television roles: a guide to Gohar Rasheed's busy, brilliant career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Bushra Ansari: Six Decades of Applause
A child performer in the 1960s, a comedy icon, and still on screen in 2024's biggest drama. A guide to Bushra Ansari's extraordinary career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Maya Ali: The 2010s' Brightest Screen Star
Aunn Zara, Shanakht, Diyar-e-Dil, Mann Mayal and Teefa in Trouble: a guide to Maya Ali's rise to the top of Pakistani film and television.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Sanam Saeed: The Independent Spirit of Pakistani Drama
Kashaf in Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Ayesha in Cake, and two decades of characters with a mind of their own. A guide to Sanam Saeed's career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Ahsan Khan: Versatility Across Three Decades
He began acting at sixteen and never stopped. A guide to Ahsan Khan's career through films, Udaari, Fraud, and years of hosting Pakistan's Ramadan television.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Farhan Saeed: From Jal's Frontman to Screen Star
He sang his way through the 2000s with Jal, then reinvented himself as one of television's most in-demand actors. A guide to Farhan Saeed's double career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Osman Khalid Butt: Wit, Verse and Beloved Leading Roles
Diyar-e-Dil, Chupke Chupke and Ehd-e-Wafa made him a household favourite. A guide to Osman Khalid Butt's work as an actor and a writer.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Ahmed Ali Akbar: From Child Actor to Parizaad
He started on PTV at thirteen and grew into one of the most complete actors of his generation. A guide to Ahmed Ali Akbar's career and the phenomenon of Parizaad.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Imran Ashraf: Character First
He created Bhola in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi and won the country over. A guide to Imran Ashraf's career as one of Pakistan's finest character actors, and a writer too.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Nauman Ijaz: The Veteran's Veteran
Active since 1989, with some 175 television series, ten Lux Style Awards and the Pride of Performance: a guide to Nauman Ijaz's long reign in Pakistani drama.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Saba Qamar: Fearless Choices and National Honours
From Baaghi and Cheekh to her Hindi film debut in Hindi Medium: a guide to Saba Qamar's award-winning career and why she remains one of Pakistan's boldest actresses.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Faysal Quraishi: Two Hundred Productions and Counting
A veteran actor, host and producer who has been a fixture of Pakistani television since the 1990s, from Boota from Toba Tek Singh to a long prime-time run.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Hamza Ali Abbasi: The Thinker's Leading Man
Pyarey Afzal, Mann Mayal, Alif and Noori Natt in The Legend of Maula Jatt: a guide to Hamza Ali Abbasi's deliberate, high-conviction career.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Humayun Saeed: The Reliable Giant of Pakistani Entertainment
A method actor, producer and one of the most established names in the industry, from Meray Paas Tum Ho to the 2025 blockbuster Love Guru.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Atif Aslam: The Voice That Crossed Every Border
The playback singer whose voice defined a generation of Pakistani and Indian cinema, and who stepped in front of the camera for Sang-e-Mah in 2022.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Bilal Abbas Khan: Choosing the Harder Role
From Dumpukht to Pyaar Ke Sadqay and a double role in Ishq Murshid: a guide to Bilal Abbas Khan's career, his three Lux Style Awards, and a decade of risk-taking choices.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Yumna Zaidi: The Most-Awarded Actress of Her Generation
She holds the record for the most Lux Style Award wins of any Pakistani actress. A guide to Yumna Zaidi's career, from her 2012 debut to Parizaad and Tere Bin.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Fahad Mustafa: Prime-Time Powerhouse
One of Pakistan's highest-paid actors, a producer, and the host of the country's biggest game show. A career guide to Fahad Mustafa, from films to Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Hania Aamir: The Rise of Pakistan's Most-Followed Actress
She auditioned for her first film while still at university and has not stopped working since. A guide to Hania Aamir's career: the dramas that became national events, the awards, and what comes next.
The Editors · 3 min read
CinemaSep 27
Mahira Khan: From VJ Desk to the Top of Pakistani Cinema
She started on MTV Pakistan and became one of the most recognised actresses in South Asia. A guide to Mahira Khan's career: the dramas, the films, the awards, and the records that keep arriving.
The Editors · 4 min read
CinemaSep 27
Fawad Khan: A Career in Three Acts
From the frontman of Entity Paradigm to the lead of Pakistan's highest-grossing film of all time, Fawad Khan has built a career on his own terms. A guide to the milestones, the awards, and what comes next.
The Editors · 4 min read
CinemaSep 22
Notes on a New Wave
Six first features, one city, and a generation of directors who have stopped asking permission. A survey of the debuts rewriting the rules of the entrance.
Mara Ellison · 3 min read
CinemaSep 18
Only at Dawn
Céline Roux shoots every exterior in the first hour of light. The director of Meridian talks about patience, weather, and why she has never used a second unit.
Tomás Reyes · 3 min read
CinemaAug 27
The Long Take That Refused to End
Somewhere in the second hour of Anselm Vey's new film, the camera simply stops cutting. What follows is not a stunt. It is an argument about what attention is for.
Mara Ellison · 3 min read