Shaz Khan | |
|---|---|
 Khan in 2015 | |
| Born | Shazli Hafeez Khan Oxnard,California, U.S |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, producer |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse | Saba Khan (m. 2012) |
| Website | Official website |
Shazli Hafeez Khan, better known asShaz Khan is aPakistani-American actor and director who appears in English and Urdu films, and television series. After pursuing a bachelor's degree in finance from thePennsylvania State University and a master's degree in fine arts from thePace University, Khan made his acting debut with the acclaimed dramaMoor (2015) and received praise for playing the role of a lawyer in the television seriesYaqeen Ka Safar (2017), and a pilot in the combat war filmParwaaz Hai Junoon (2018).[1][2]
Khan was born inOxnard,California toMuslim parents, Nasir and Huma, fromIslamabad, Pakistan. He belongs to a family with military background: his maternal grandfather was anair commodore in thePakistan Air Force, while his maternal uncle is also an air commodore as well "one of the topF16 pilots of his generation."[3]
He spent his childhood betweenPakistan and theUnited States, eventually settling in the suburbs ofPhiladelphia.[4] After high school, Khan ended up attendingPennsylvania State University, where he alsoboxed for the college team, completing a Bachelor of Science in finance.[5] He worked for aFortune 500 company in the banking industry, though it would only last a few years. Khan ultimately left his stable job to pursue acting inNew York City.[6]
The next few years were spent attending theActors Studio Drama School atPace University, completing a Master of Fine Arts in acting. During this time, he worked in numerous plays and independent films, building his experience.[7] Khan established a reputation for doing whatever it took to immerse himself in a character. For his thesis playHello Out There, he drove to a ghost town inTexas to do research, sleeping overnight in the haunted jail by himself.[8] For the short filmFlutter, Khan spent a month getting into the physiological state to play a young cancer patient, including losing 25 pounds and shaving his head and eyebrows. He also ventured into some experimental work by making his own series of short films, writing characters for himself while he was auditioning for roles. Among them was a young sadisticOscar Wilde inImportance of Earnest as well as a deluded boxer Ibby inSay It Ain't So.[9]
Even though he made his Pakistan TV debut inMehreen Jabbar's 2012 dramaMata-e-Jaan Hai Tu with the little role of lawyer Vicky,[10] followed by another minor role as David inMomina Duraid'sZid, his break occurred on a trip to Pakistan where he secured the lead role in the international feature filmMoor, directed by Jami. He spent a month in a village inBalochistan, observing the behaviors of localPashtuns to find the physicality of his character, and learning to speakUrdu in their dialect.[11] The film was hailed as one of the most critically acclaimed features in Pakistan, with Newsline Magazine claiming it as one of the best films Pakistan has ever made.[12][13] The film was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88thAcademy Awards.[14] It was in contention as one of the dark horse contenders but didn't receive a nomination.[15] He shared the screen with established actorsHameed Sheikh and Samiyah Mumtaz. It was his debut in the Pakistani film industry.[16]
In 2016 he appeared in the romantic dramaDobara Phir Se directed byMehreen Jabbar and produced byARY Films[17] followed byHaseeb Hassan'sParwaaz Hai Junoon in 2018, both being critical as well as commercial successes, in-between having a substantial role in the 2017Hum TV dramaYaqeen Ka Safar. He returned to the channel in 2018, with the leading role in the dramaLamhay.[18][19]
His upcoming movie, for which he wrote the script, is entitledThe Martial Artist, the story of "a desi martial artist who fights in California... and eventually ends up coming back to Pakistan", an enlargement of his 2016 short filmSay It Ain't So, that he also wrote, as well as directed, produced, edited and acted in.[20] In order to prepare for the role, he trained inMMA with the Brazilian coachRafael Cordeiro, "one of the best MMA coaches in the world" who "has trained 13 world champions and trains fighters fromUltimate Fighting Championship", while also being trained in boxing,Jujutsu andMuay Thai.[21]
Khan resides with his wife, Saba Khan, since their marriage in 2012, inCalifornia, and she gave birth to their child, a son, named Aayan, in January 2020.[4][22]
| Year | Film | Role | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Better Luck Yesterday | Tony | ||||
| The Mysteries of Pittsburgh | Lebanese Guy | Uncredited | ||||
| Guardian | Doug | Short film | ||||
| 2010 | Adams Morgan: The Movie | Lance Roberts | ||||
| 2011 | We're Not Waving, We're Drowning | Cameron | Short film | |||
| Out of Line | Malcolm | |||||
| Acquaintance | Adam Wally | |||||
| 2012 | The Weekend | Conrad | ||||
| 2013 | Flutter | Jake | Short film | |||
| The Man Behind the Curtain | Abusive Boyfriend | |||||
| Importance of Ernest | Bloke |  | | Short film | ||
| 2015 | Moor | Ehsaanullah Khan | Leading role | |||
| 2016 | Haze | Degan | Supporting role | |||
| Say It Ain't So | Ibby | | | | Short film | |
| Dobara Phir Se | Asim | Supporting role | ||||
| 2018 | Parwaaz Hay Junoon | Sq/Ldr Nadir Kirmani | Leading role | |||
| 2019 | Heer Maan Ja | Office Junior Employee | Supporting role | |||
| 2025 | The Martial Artist | Ibby "The Prince" Bakran | | | | Leading role |
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu | Vicky | Hum TV | Supporting role |
| 2014 | Zid | David | ||
| 2017 | Yaqeen Ka Safar | Barrister Daniyal Ali Khan | Leading role | |
| 2018 | Lamhay | Hashir |
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 15th Lux Style Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | Moor | [23] |
| 2nd Galaxy Lollywood Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role Male | [24] | |||
| Best Male Debut | |||||
| 2018 | 6th Hum Awards | Most Impactful Character | Yaqeen Ka Safar | [25] |
SKhan added multiple layers of complexity to his character with top-notch facial expressions and transformative gestures. When faced with a complex situation, Khan realised that there is a certain level of morality ingrained within him. He just can't let it go. It's a genuine and a persistently strong performance.