Ali Zafar PP (Urdu: علی ظفر; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, actor, model, producer, screenwriter and painter.
[2] Zafar started his career as a music composer and gained popularity with his single "Channo" from his debut album Huqa Pani, which sold over five million copies worldwide.
[4] Zafar made his acting debut with a leading role in the 2010 Bollywood satire film Tere Bin Laden, a moderate box office success.
[6][7][8][9] Alongside his acting and singing career, Zafar participates in tours, concerts, and stage shows, is active in humanitarian work, and has a number of endorsement deals.
In 2013, Zafar was voted as the "Sexiest Asian Man on the Planet", based on a worldwide poll by the British newspaper Eastern Eye.
Zafar started his career as a sketch artist at Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore and then began acting in television serials.
He debuted as a television actor by acting in drama serials Kollege Jeans, Kanch Ke Par and Landa Bazar.
It was also claimed that Bollywood's popular music directors Himesh Reshammiya and Pritam ripped "Channo" and "Rangeen" from Zafar's album in "Chhore Ki Baatein" for Fight Club – Members Only and "Dillagi Mein Jo Beet Jaaye" for Aashiq Banaya Aapne respectively.
He is currently the fourth Pakistani artist after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Strings and Atif Aslam to have songs featured in Hollywood films.
He also acted alongside Tara D'Souza in the film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, starring Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif, and it was released in September 2011.
[29] Zafar released a single "Urain Ge" as tribute to victims of APS Peshawar attack in early 2015, featuring many Pakistani artists.
[citation needed] He is also working on his fourth music album, and he will be producing another Pakistani film based in Deosai National Park.
[36][37] In 2012, Zafar performed at 11th Lux Style Awards with Humaima Malick and also paid tribute to musician Mehdi Hassan by singing his ghazal "Mujhe Tum Nazar Sai".
[41] In 2013, he performed along with Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Preity Zinta at Temptations Reloaded concert in Muscat, Oman.
[43] He then also performed in Naz Choudhury's Bollywood Showstoppers at The O2 Arena along with Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Mika Singh and Shahid Kapoor.
[44] He then also hosted the first Star Box Office India Awards Ceremony along with Ayushmann Khurrana,[45][46] where they also gave a musical tribute to Raj Kapoor.
[49] Zafar performed a dancing act on the remix of his Coke Studio hit "Rockstar" in the ceremony of 14th Lux Style Awards, after when he was given musical tribute by Jimmy Khan, Uzair Jaswal, Sara Haider and Farhan Saeed separately, in 2015.
He then also gave a musical tribute there, co-singing with Ali Sethi and Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch, to Amjad Sabri who was assassinated in Karachi on 22 June 2016.
Zafar walked the ramp in September with Mahira Khan, showcasing the bridal collection in Divani's Bagh-e-Bahar show, at the Haveli Barood Khana.
[61][62] Zafar married his long-time fiancée Ayesha Fazli, who is a distant relative of Indian actor Aamir Khan,[63][64][65] on 28 July 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan.
"[71] On 25 June 2018, Court issued "a permanent stay against Meesha Shafi until the final decision of the case", preventing her making further claims against Zafar.
[76] Kanza Muneer said in her statement that during the rehearsal, at which 11 people were present and videos were made, Zafar and Shafi maintained five to six feet distance from each other.
[78] In his testimony in court, Ali Zafar said that he supports the #MeToo movement, which is aimed to end sexual harassment and abuse, but it had been "misused against him".
Our resolve to set a precedent that no one can do this ever to an innocent person is stronger than ever now.Ali Zafar claimed that a social media campaign was launched against him through fake accounts and allegations, proof of which he submitted in his complaint to the FIA Cyber Crime Department.
[84] On 16 December 2020, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing found Meesha Shafi and 8 others guilty of running a defamatory drive on social media against Ali Zafar damaging his reputation.