Mostly our artists are known for working in Lollywood or Bollywood but nobody knew that they have also stepped into the world of Hollywood. There are no boundaries for art and regardless of nationality people praise the artist for their work. In the same way our Pakistani artists have also worked in the Hollywood industry and were acclaimed for their work. Here are some of the well-known Pakistani actors in Hollywood.
Adnan Siddiqui
Adnan Siddiqui – Adnan Siddiqui is one of the finest actors of our industry and contributed a lot to the industry in the best way possible. He is famous in the industry because of his work in Uroosa, Ishq Junoon Dewaangi and the iconic drama “Mere Pas Tum Ho.” Adnan made his debut in Hollywood way back in 2007 when Pakistani cinema was in a declining phase. He appeared in “The Mighty Heart” alongside Angelina Jolie and Irfan Khan. He was praised for his work by Angelina herself.
Sajid Hasan – Sajid Hasan is a veteran actor of our field and is known for his outstanding acting skills. Already a big name in the industry, Sajid Hasan also chose to work for Hollywood and shared the screen with his fellow mate Adnan Siddiqui in the movie “The Mighty Heart.” He started as a theatre actor and went to television and then to Hollywood. He has achieved a lot in this acting career and now is contributing to Pakistani film industry with his experience.
Samina Peerzada
Samina Peerzada – A successful film and television actress, producer and also a director. Her named in attached to the successful and well-known dramas and films. She also travelled to foreign countries to showcase her skills. She has also performed at the stage shows in Oslo marked her name there. After several successful years of acting in TV dramas and film, she landed in Hollywood to mark her debut in the film “The Valley.”
Mahnoor Baloch
Mahnoor Baloch – The evergreen beauty of our industry after making successful hits in Pakistan, was casted in an American indie movie “Torn.” She played the role of Maryam, mother of a son whose was killed in an explosion at a mall. She played the character very well and we couldn’t find any flaws in her acting.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy – Pakistani filmmaker and an activist, commonly known for her work regarding women empowerment. She has made waves due to her controversial content and by portraying the true image of the incidents. She has won six Emmy Awards for her documentaries and films such as “Pakistan’s Taliban Generation,” which was based on current affairs and “Saving Face.” She won her first Oscar award for her film “Saving Face.” She also won her 2nd Oscar award for her short film “A Girl in the River” which inspired a lot of people including the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She has been praised by the global audiences. For her work the government of Pakistan honored her with “Hilal-i-Imtiaz” award. She was also named in the 100 most influential people in the world by Times magazine. This made her the only Pakistani woman to get such praise by the global audience.
Mir Zafar Ali – A visual effect specialist of Pakistan. His journey started as a visual effect artist and works for Hollywood. He worked in the visuals and graphics of X-Men, Spiderman 3, The Incredible Hulk, The Golden Compass, Frozen and many other Hollywood movies. For his work in The Golden Compass he was award the Academy Award which made him the first Pakistani to receive that award for visual effects. In 2012 his team was honored again with the Academy Award for the best visual effects for “The Life of Pie.” He was awarded with another Academy Award for his work in Frozen.
Laraib Atta – A professional VFX artist and a daughter of folk singer Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi, she has worked in Hollywood movies as a visual effect artist which includes X-Men, 10000 BC, The Chronicles of Narnia & Godzilla. She also worked for BBC, Glassworks Barcelona and MPC. She is making Pakistan proud. She is the youngest Pakistani visual effect artist working in Hollywood.
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam – The most renowned singer of our industry who has given superhit songs to our industry. He has worked in Bollywood and as well as in Hollywood too. He lent his voice to the biggest industry of the world. He sang three sound tracks “Yakeen”, “Ehsaas” and “Aadat” which was featured in an American indie movie “Man Push Cart.” He then sang two songs “Bol k Lab Azaad Hain” and “Mori Araj Suno” for the movie “The Reluctant Fundamentalist.” He was also awarded “The Dubai Walk of Fame-Star” for the best singer of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan awarded him “Tamgha-e-Imtiaz” for his contribution towards the country.
Meesha Shafi
Meesha Shafi – She is a Pakistani actress, model and a singer. She made her debut with a supporting role in Hollywood movie “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” alongside Kate Hudson, Om Puri and many other big names. She was critically acclaimed by the critics for her role in her debut movie.
Sameer Asad Gardezi – He is Pakistani-American screenwriter who came into prominence after his hit series “Modern Family” which earned him an “Emmy Award.” He has worked for big networks which includes Nickelodeon and ABC. He is also a Writer’s Guild Award winner for his exceptional writing skills. He has worked on popular TV series Aliens in America, Mr. Sunshine, Outsourced and many more. He was also awarded for his short film “Equal Opportunity.” He is currently working on Fox’s “The Goodwin Games.”
All the Pakistanis have taken Hollywood by storm and are making Pakistan proud with their work. They are making it big and creating history for Pakistan. Hope they will contribute to Pakistan Media Industry as well.
