Meesha Shafi

Meesha Shafi
Birth name Meera Shafi
Born (1981-12-01) 1 December 1981
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Occupation(s) Singer, Film actress, model
Instruments Vocals, lyrics
Associated acts Coke Studio Pakistan and Overload
Website meeshashafi.net

Meesha Shafi (born 1 December 1981) is a Pakistani actress, model and a singer.[1]

Shafi made her film debut with a supporting role in the 2013 Mira Nair's film The Reluctant Fundamentalist. The following year she appeared in Bollywood film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which ranks among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2013 in India. She achieved further critical success for her role of Laxmi, an Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing's operative, in Bilal Lashari's action thriller film Waar, which ranks among the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time in Pakistan.

Early life

Shafi was born into a Punjabi family in Lahore, Pakistan to actress Saba Hameed and Syed Pervaiz Shafi. She did her A Levels from Lahore Grammar School and graduated with a degree in fine arts from National College of Arts in 2007.[2]

Career

Modelling

Shafi entered the modelling industry at the age of 17, when she starred opposite Jawad Ahmed in the music video for the song "Bin Teray Kya Hai Jeena".[3] In 2009 Shafi became the brand ambassador for L'Oreal Paris Pakistan.[2][4] She has featured in many Pakistani magazines and in international publications such as L'Officiel and Vogue India.[3] She has appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, Fanta, LG mobile phones, Mobilink, Allied Bank, Lipton Tea, Sprite among others. Shafi also won the "Best Show Stopper" Award at the "Paper Awards 2013" by Paper Magazine. In 2013, Shafi was named among the 100 most influential people in Pakistan by Hello magazine. Meesha Shafi became the first artist of Pakistan to perform with 3d illumination. During Meesha Shafi performance, her dress was video mapped] by the light artist Umer Toor.

Acting

Shafi made her screen debut with the 2006 serial Muhabbat Khawab Ki Soorat on Hum TV. She then appeared in Geo TV serial Ye Zindagi To Woh Nahi in 2007

She made her film debut with Mira Nair's 2012 Hollywood film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist (based on Mohsin Hamid's novel of the same name), alongside Kate Hudson and Riz Ahmed. The film describes the bad impact of Americans toward Muslims after 9/11. Shafi had a minor role and appeared in only two scenes in the film in the role of the male lead's sister. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and failed to break even at the box office;[5][6]

The following year, she starred in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Bollywood film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, alongside Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor. The plots is based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete who was a national champion runner and an Olympian. Shafi had a minor role in the film and played the rebellious Olympic swimmer, Perizaad, who was romantically attracted to Milkha Singh. The film opened to critical acclaim and was termed as the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2013 in India.

She then acted in Bilal Lashari's Pakistani film Waar, alongside Shaan Shahid. Her portrayal of Laxmi, an Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing's operative was critically praised by the Pakistani media. The movie won her the 'Best Supporting Actress' award at the ARY Film Awards in 2014.

As of October 2013, Shafi had several projects in production and was filming Hollywood film The Tournament of Shadows (based on Karl Meyer's book of the same name), a biopic set in the 1800s. The film failed to make an impact at the box office.

In 2016, Shafi has a lead role in the TV costume drama Mor Mahal which is set in the mid-19th century.

Music career

Shafi started her singing career with the band Overload with her husband, but left in 2011. Shafi sang along with the internationally acclaimed folk singer Arif Lohar on Coke Studio Pakistan Season 3, with the song "Alif Allah (Jugni)". The single originlly composed and performed by Lohar gathered over 20 million+ views on YouTube, was the most-viewed Coke Studio song ever, until it was overtaken by "Tajdaar-e-Haram", and was used in several films like Cocktail, Diary of a Butterfly and Jugni.

She sang a rendition of the folk song "Chori Chori", which received mixed reviews. She returned to Coke Studio (Season 5) in 2012 when she sang "Ishq Aap Bhi Awalla" with the Chakwalees and sang a ghazal by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, "Dasht-e-Tanhai".

In 2014, Meesha Shafi returned to the Coke Studio floor for a third time to perform "Sun Ve Balori" with the composer and tabla guru Ustad Tafu and producers Strings.

In 2015, Meesha Shafi lent her vocals to two OSTs. One being 'EVA' that was produced by Strings is featured on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed film Moor, released in August 2015, and directed by director Jami.

In August 2015, she released 'Mehram Dilaan De Mahi' for the OST of the biopic (directed and portrayed on screen by Sarmad Khoosat), based on the life and works of prose writer, Manto. The track is produced by True Brew Records and the lyrics are by Punjabi poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi. 'Manto' released across cinemas on 11 September 2015.

TV appearance

In April 2013, Shafi joined Strings, Ali Azmat, Shahzad Hasan and Alamgir as a judge and mentor on the singing talent show Cornetto Music Icons, aired on ARY Digital.

Personal life

Shafi's maternal grandfather, Hamid Akhtar was a novelist and newspaper columnist, president of the Progressive Writers' Movement, and editor of Urdu daily newspapers including Imroz and Nawa-e-Waqt. In 2008, she married musician Mahmood Rahman.[7] The couple have two children, a daughter named Janevi, and a son named Kazimir.[8] The family resides in Lahore, Pakistan.

In April 2018, supporting the #MeToo Movement, Shafi accused Ali Zafar of having sexually harassed her.[9]

Acting

Filmography

YearFilmRoleLanguageNote
2013The Reluctant FundamentalistBina KhanEnglish
2013Bhaag Milkha BhaagPerizaadHindi
2013WaarZoya, LaxmiUrdu, EnglishARY Film Award for Best Supporting Actress[10]
2014The Tournament of ShadowsEnglishFilming

TV

YearShowRoleLanguageNote
2016Mor MahalFarrukh ZaadUrdu

Discography

YearTitle
2009Pichal Pairee
2012The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Coke Studio songs

YearSongNotes
2010"Chori Chori"Originally sung by Reshma
2010"Alif Allah"Performed with Arif Lohar
2012"Dasht-e-TanhaiOriginally sung by Iqbal Bano
2012"Ishq Aap Bhe Awalla"Performed with Chakwal Group
2014"Sunn Ve Balori"Originally sung by Noor Jehan
2014"Jugni"Originally sung by Alam Lohar
2016"Aa Rahe Haq Ka Shaheedo"Originally sung by Naseem Begum[11]
2016"Bholay Bhalay"
2016"Aya Lariye"

Lollywood

Year Song Film Composer
2015

2016

2017

 EVA Moor Strings
Sun Vey Bilori Shaan-e-Ishq Amir Munawar
24/7 Lak Hilna Punjab Nahi Jaongi Shani Arshad

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About: Meesha Shafi". Web PK. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Meesha interview with Fashion Central". Fashion Central. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  3. 1 2 Mansuri, Anam. "It's getting hot in here". Tribune Pakistan.
  4. ↑ Hirani, Shireen. "Meesha Shafi Biography & Pictures". Fashion in Step. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=reluctantfundamentalist.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/movies/mira-nair-on-the-reluctant-fundamentalist.html?_r=1
  7. ↑ Ben, Mark. http://globiesfeed.com/meesha-shafi-singer-biography-wedding-husband/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ Syed, Madeeha. "Spotlight: Mum's the word!".
  9. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43836364
  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
  11. ↑ "PakistaniMusic.com: Naseem Begum: The Tragedy Queen". www.pakistanimusic.com. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
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