[7] Born to filmmaker Fazil, Fahadh began his career at the age of 20 with his father's 2002 romantic film Kaiyethum Doorath, which was a critical and commercial failure.

[18][19] Fahadh made his screen debut in 2002, with his father's Kaiyethum Doorath, opposite Nikita Thukral, under the stage name of Shaanu.

[20][21] Regarding his performance, a critic of Sify wrote, "Shaanu oozes charm and suits the character of Sachin but he has to work hard on his dancing".

[25] At director Ranjith's behest, Uday Ananthan cast Fahadh in his Mrityunjayam, one of the 10 shorts in the film, where he played a journalist.

[34] In his next film, 22 Female Kottayam, Fahadh played a travel agency worker who cheats his lover opposite Rima Kallingal.

[36][37] A critic of News18 noted, "Fahadh shines as a lovable young entrepreneur in a woman oriented film, pulling off a difficult character with reasonable ease.

[41] In June 2012, a case was registered against Fahadh by the Kochi Town Central Police for violation of the rule against public display of images of smoking.

A poster of Diamond Necklace that showed him smoking a cigarette had been on display before the Kavitha Theatre in Kochi since the film was released.

[47][48][49] Fahadh first played a Muslim taxi driver in love with a Christian girl in Annayum Rasoolum, opposite Andrea Jeremiah.

[52] He next played dual characters in Natholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla opposite Kamalinee Mukherjee, which received mixed reviews.

[83][84] Aswin J Kumar of The Times of India opined that Fahadh's performance was "strikingly intense", while Sify found him to be in "full form" in his best role of the year.

[94] In his final film of the year Ayal Njanalla, Fahadh played a man struggling with mistaken identity opposite Mrudula Murali.

[95] Reviewer Deepa Soman stated, "The movie is watchable due to Fahad’s acting, some attempts to create refreshing comic situations, enjoyable dialogues and impressive one-liners.

[97] He played an ambitious filmmaker opposite Iswarya Menon, Cris from Deccan Chronicle found his performance "unconvincing".

"[101] In 2017, Fahadh appeared in four films, Role Models, Take Off, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum and Velaikkaran, of which the latter three were major commercial successes.

"[116] Fahadh played a male nurse in one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films, Njan Prakashan, his final release of the year.

[136] Nearly a week after the release of Joji, reports came out that the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) has warned Fahadh against acting in movies made for streaming through OTT platforms, which later turned out to be a rumour.

[137][138] Fahadh then earned nation wide recognition with Malik, where he played a revolutionary leader opposite Nimisha Sajayan.

[146] In his first release of 2022, Fahadh played the head of black-ops squad in Vikram,[147] which eventually emerged as one of the highest-grossing Tamil and Indian film of all time.

[151] Divya Nair of Rediff.com noted, "Malayankunju triumphs in the integrity and ease of FaFa's portrayal of Anikuttan, with layered expressions and emotions.

[153][154] G. Ragesh of Onmanorama opined that he has played similar characters before but added: "the virtues and vulnerabilities of Pachu are safe with the actor in Fahadh".

[163] Janani K from India Today opined that he "wonderfully portrayed" the dynamic character, while Nirmal Jovial of The Week stated that he "brings out his complete form" only in those climax portions.

[174][175] Anandu Suresh called his character "underdeveloped" but added, "Fahadh demonstrates his ability to rise above such limitations in scripts, shining through with his commanding presence.

[178][179] Taking note of his versatility, Devesh Sharma of Filmfare stated, "As a talented actor, he inject a comic touch into his character even in the midst of serious scenes, without diminishing their impact.

[181][182] Fahadh met actress Nazriya Nazim on the sets of their film Bangalore Days, in 2013 and they eventually began dating.

[190] Fahadh is a celebrity endorser for brands and products such as Titan, Milma, Jos Alukkas, Adithi Aatta, UAE Exchange, Estilocus, Camerry and Merricrem Icecreams.

[195][196][197][198] In 2019 and 2022, the Indian edition of GQ featured Fahadh among the nation's most influential young people and credited him for "choosing scripts with an edge, and pouring himself into his parts with conviction".

[206] Writing for The News Minute, Fahir Maithutty called him a front-runner of the New Generation Wave and said, "Fahadh possesses traits that set him apart as an actor — his command over dialects and his ability to transform to any character.

"[207] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express talked about his career comeback and noted, "The new Fahadh displayed remarkable growth and maturity.

"[209] Nidhima Taneja of The Print took note of his versatility and added, "Fahadh Faasil won’t play your garden-variety hero.