Shaz Khan

Shaz Khan
Born Shazli Hafeez Khan
Alma mater Pennsylvania State University
Pace University
Occupation Actor / filmmaker
Years active 2011 – present
Website Official website

Shazli Hafeez Khan better known as Shaz Khan is a Pakistani–American actor. He made his film debut in the Pakistani feature film Moor (2015).[1][2]

Early life

Khan was born in Oxnard, California. He spent his childhood between Pakistan and the United States, eventually settling in the suburbs of Philadelphia.[3] After high school, Khan ended up attending Pennsylvania State University, where he also boxed for the college team,[4] completing a BS in finance. He worked for a Fortune 500 company in the banking industry, though it would only last a few years. Khan ultimately left his stable job to pursue acting in New York City.[5]

Career

Independent work

The next few years were spent attending the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University, completing an MFA in acting. During this time, he worked in numerous plays and independent films, building his experience.[6] Khan established a reputation for doing whatever it took to immerse himself in a character. For his thesis play Hello Out There, he drove to a ghost town in Texas to do research, sleeping overnight in the haunted jail by himself.[7] For the short film Flutter, Khan spent a month getting into the physiological state to play a young cancer patient, including losing 25 pounds and shaving his head and eyebrows. He also ventured into some experimental work by making his own series of short films, writing characters for himself while he was auditioning for roles. Among them was a young sadistic Oscar Wilde in Importance of Earnest as well as a deluded boxer Ibby in Say It Ain't So.[8]

Moor

His break occurred on a trip to Pakistan where he secured the lead role in the international feature film Moor, directed by Jami. He spent a month in a village in Balochistan, observing the behaviors of local Pashtuns to find the physicality of his character, and learning to speak Urdu in their dialect.[9] The film was hailed as one of the most critically acclaimed features in Pakistan, with Newsline Magazine claiming it as one of the best films Pakistan has ever made.[10][11] The film was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.[12] It was in contention as one of the dark horse contenders but didn't receive a nomination.[13] He shared the screen with established actors Hameed Sheikh and Samiyah Mumtaz. It would be his debut in the Pakistani Film Industry.

Dobara Phir Se

He appeared in the romantic drama Dobara Phir Se directed by Mehreen Jabbar and produced by ARY Films.[14]

Personal life

Khan currently lives in California with his wife.[3]

Filmography

Year Film Role Note
2015 Moor Ehsaanullah Khan Debut
2016 Dobara Phir Se Asim
2018 Parwaaz Hay Junoon Nadir

Television

Year Drama Role Network
2012 Mata-e-Jaan Hai Tu Vicky Hum TV
2014 Zid David
2017 Yaqeen Ka Safar Barrister Daniyal Ali Khan
2018 Lamhay Hashir

References

  1. ↑ Elizabeth Kerr (7 October 2015). "'Mother': Busan Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  2. ↑ "From America to Muslim Bagh". The Express Tribune. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 "A Conversation with Pakistani Actor Shaz Khan at 2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival". Desert Local News -Daily News.
  4. ↑ Fouzia Nasir Ahmad (23 August 2015), "First person: Moor than an actor", Dawn News. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Exclusive Interview with talented Pakistani actor Shaz Khan Urdu Voa". وی او اے. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Fouzia Nasir Ahmad. "First person: Moor than an actor". Dawn. Pakistan.
  7. ↑ "Hello Out There – Press Room". pressroom.blogs.pace.edu.
  8. ↑ Irfan Ul Haq. "'Moor' star Shaz Khan to turn boxer for his first short film as director". Dawn. Pakistan.
  9. ↑ "Moor The Film: 10 Unknown Stories From The Sets". playwire.pk. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Best of Pakistani Cinema: Sarmad Khoosat, Shaz Khan and Adnan Jaffar lead". Uk.blastingnews.com. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016. SKhan added multiple layers of complexity to his character with top-notch facial expressions and transformative gestures. When faced with a complex situation, Khan realised that there is a certain level of morality ingrained within him. He just can't let it go. It's a genuine and a persistently strong performance.
  11. ↑ "Movie Review: Moor". Newsline.
  12. ↑ Nyay Bhushan (14 September 2015). "Oscars: Pakistan Selects 'Moor' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter.
  13. ↑ Scott Roxborough (20 November 2015). "Oscars: Foreign-Language Dark Horses". The Hollywood Reporter.
  14. ↑ "First look of 'Dobara Phir Se' unveiled". The Express Tribune. 3 April 2016.
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