Fawad Afzal Khan (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, songwriter and singer known for his work in films and television.
He formed an alternative rock band, Entity Paradigm, with the show's co-stars and began his music career as its lead singer.
Khan played a lead role in the Pakistani television serial Humsafar (2011), and appeared in Sultana Siddiqui's family drama Zindagi Gulzar Hai (2012).
He further received critical praise for starring in the family drama Kapoor & Sons (2016), which earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
[5] When Khan was young, his father was in pharmaceutical sales, which required the family to live in Athens, Dubai, Riyadh and Manchester during the Gulf War.
[18][19] His debut film was Shoaib Mansoor's sociodrama Khuda Kay Liye, where he played a musician who is brainwashed by the local maulvi.
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama called it "strictly OK",[21] but The Economic Times' film critic Gaurav Malani found him "engaged" in the role of an extremist.
[23] Khan received the Lux Style Award for Best Actor – Film in 2008,[2] and appeared in the TV series Dil Deke Jaenge.
Although it received negative reviews, Dawn found Khan "superbly convincing" and called him the film's "only redeeming factor".
[27] A Dawn reviewer wrote that Khan and his costars gave "superlative performances to match Samira Fazal's wonderful script",[28] and The Express Tribune praised the lead pair's onscreen chemistry.
[30] Haissam Hussain's comedy Akbari Asghari, a modern adaptation of Mirat-ul-Uroos, was Khan's first television series in 2011; he played Asghar, an unambitious villager who wants to marry one of his cousins.
[32] In Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, his third collaboration with Hussain, he starred with Sanam Baloch, Meekal Zulfiqar and Ayesha Khan as a computer engineer who wants to take over his uncle's business.
[37] Zee News critic Ritka Handoo enjoyed the protagonists' performances, calling the Khans a "quite believable onscreen couple".
[39][40] That year, he played a member of an affluent family (with Sanam Saeed) in Sultana Siddiqui's family-drama TV series Zindagi Gulzar Hai.
[45] Behadd, director Asim Raza's telefilm, featured Khan as a young divorcee who proposes to a widow who is the mother of a teenage girl.
[53] Deepanjana Pal of Firstpost liked Gosh's decision to make Khan's character a sex object, feeling that he blazed a trail for other male actors in similar roles.
[57] Khan made a cameo appearance in Asim Raza's coming-of-age film, Ho Mann Jahaan, in January 2016.
[65] According to the film's producer, Karan Johar, "We went to six actors and after six rejections, I told Shakun Batra (director) that we should drop the idea and he started developing another screenplay.
[67] Later in 2016, Khan appeared in a small role with Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Karan Johar's romantic drama, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
[68] Raja Sen of Rediff.com found his role "far too little to justify the ridiculous kerfuffle his casting had caused", but called him the perfect choice for the part.
[77] In 2024, Khan appeared in Asim Abbasi's 2024 fantasy drama series Barzakh which garnered generally positive reviews from critics.
Fawad Khan will also be seen in the lead role of renowned director and producer Haseeb Hasan's upcoming film "Aan".
[79][80][81] Khan will also be seen in Pakistan's first Netflix Original Series, Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo which is an official adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq’s 2013 Urdu-language novel of the same name.
The bands collaborated on the title track of a television sitcom, Jutt and Bond (featuring Khan and Ahmed Ali Butt), in the early 2000s.
[87] Entity Paradigm's debut album, Irtiqa, was released in October 2003; it received broad critical appreciation, particularly the popular romantic track "Rahguzar".
[99] Khan attended Islamic Relief USA fundraisers in San Jose and Washington, D.C.,[100] and raised money for the Shukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Bahrain.
[106] In November 2015, they officiated at the launch of a tree-planting event organised by the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Peshawar.
[4] Khan appeared in Ali Zafar's music video, "Urainge", which was made as a tribute to the victims of the 2014 Peshawar school attack.
[108] Khan is also the Pakistani brand ambassador for the Suzuki Vitara,[109] Pepsi,[110] Oye Hoye,[111] Tapal Tea,[112] Zameen.com,[113] Servis Shoes, Samsung, Telenor, Jazz, Warid, LUX, Tarang, Aquafina, Clear, Olper's, Lays, Bold, Nestle, QMobile and TUC biscuits.