Zahid Ahmed (actor)
| Zahid Ahmed | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Zahid Iftikhar Ahmed September 20, 1984 Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Alma mater | Preston University |
| Occupation | Actor, RJ |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse(s) | Amna Zahid |
| Website |
zahidahmed |
Zahid Iftikhar Ahmed (born September 20, 1984) is a Pakistani television actor and former RJ. Ahmed worked as a creative manager for PTV World, and later became an RJ. Although successful, he left it to pursue a career in acting, and made his broadway debut with a leading role in the play It Runs in the Family (2006). He received widespread acclaim for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Anwar Maqsood's, Sawa 14 August and its sequel Pawnay 14 August (both 2014). That same year, he made his television debut with the Hum TV romantic series Mehram.[1] His breakout role in the Hum TV series Alvida (2015), garnered him the Hum Award for Best Villain, and a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Subsequently, he received wide recognition for his portrayal of leading roles in several of the successful series, including Jugnoo (2015), Tum Mere Paas Raho (2015), Sangat (2015), Zara Yaad Kar (2016) and Besharam (2016).
Early life and education
Zahid Iftikar Ahmed was born on 20 September 1984 in, Rawalpindi, Punjab to Muslim parents. He has two brothers. Zahid received his early education in Rawalpindi and graduated from Preston University in marketing. From 2003 to 2011, Zahid worked as a COO facilitator (Corporate trainer) for Sales and customer service Operations in an IT company, however he left the job when company was discovered fraudulent and joined Pakistan Television Network's flagship channel PTV Home and later as a creative manager to launch an PTV World, where he met Anwar Maqsood and accept the offer to play Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Maqsood's theater Sawa 14 August.
Career
Ahmed started his career as a RJ where he hosted Pakistani version of Australian morning shows The Breakfast Show and The Rush Hour for a year from 2002-2003, but left the show due to his job at call center in ISB. Due to his experience at radio, Zahid is a professional voice-over artist and has worked on various commercials for BBC, Nokia and is a official member of Voices.com. He also plays a small role in unreleased film Cedare a joint production of Canada and Pakistan.
In 2006, Ahmed made his stage debut in a Pakistani adaptations of Ray Cooney's comedy play, It runs in the family where he portray Dr. David, and in 2007's musical, Bombay Dreams as Vikram. His performances in these plays earned him critical appraisal and in 2008, he went on to play Raoul de Chagny in universally acclaimed musical, Phantom of the Opera and John Smith in Cooney's magnum-opus, Run For Your Wife in 2011, while he continued to work as a trainer. However, his claim to fame came later when he accept the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Anwar Maqsood's hit political-drama play, Sawa 14 August in 2013. Losing 48-pounds for the role he successfully plays the role in over 200 shows performed in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. He then quit his job at PTV to become a full-time actor and played Butt Sahab - a fat, bald blundering buffoon in another Maqsood's comedy-play Half Plate and reprise his role as Jinnah in Sawa 14 August's prequel Pawnay 14 August.[2]
Ahmed made a television debut with series Mehram alongside Ayesha Khan, that earned him widespread acclaim and recognition.[3] Sultana Siddiqui offered him the role after watching him at theater. He went on to star in hit drama serial Alvida alongside Imran Abbas Naqvi and Sanam Jung, where he portrayed the character Rameez a mentally disturbed husband of Jung,[4] describing his character Ahmed said, "Rameez's passion for Haya is similar to Zahid's passion for acting."[5] He established himself as a lead actor with these roles and appeared in four drama series in 2015 for Hum TV including Jugnoo,[6] Tum Mere Paas Raho,[7] Sangat (where he played the role of a rapist),[8][9] and Zara Yaad Kar.[10][11] For his debut work he was among the Best Television Sensation Male at 3rd Hum Awards but due to awards rules only winners received nomination and award, which he lost to Adnan Malik.[12] He received three nominations at 4th Hum Awards including Best actor in a Supporting Role for Alvida, Best Actor in a Negative Role for Alvida and Sangat.[13]
In 2016, he played Haider Bakht in ARY Digital's comedy drama series Besharam opposite Saba Qamar, Atiqa Odho and Rehan Sheikh.[14] His performance received critical acclaim.[15] He was cast in Geo Entertainment high-budget fantasy period drama series, Mor Mahal directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat which features ensemble cast including Umair Jaswal, Meesha Shafi, Sania Saeed, Fiza Ali, Jana Malik and Hina Khawaja Bayat.[16] He portrayed the role of Kabeer who is a love interest of Meherbano (the third wife of Nawab Asif Jehan) and tasked by Meherbano to lure and murder first wife of Nawab Asif, Farrukh Zaad.[17][18]
Personal life
Ahmed married Amna in 2011 and the couple was blessed with the first baby, a boy, Zaviyar, in 2015. The couple welcomed second son, named Zayaan in September 2016. Ahmed is a self-trained abstract painter who enjoys reading comic books.
Filmography
Film
- 2003 Cedare as Hassan Ahmad (Unreleased)
- 2016 Jane Se Pehle as Pervez (Telefilm on Play TV)
Television
| Title | Year | Role(s) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mehram | 2014 | Hamza | Hum TV |
| Alvida | 2015 | Rameez | |
| Jugnoo | 2015 | Zulfi | |
| Tum Mere Paas Raho | 2015 | Tabish | |
| Sangat | 2015-16 | Shavez | |
| Zara Yaad Kar | 2016 | Hadi | |
| Mor Mahal | 2016 | Kabir | Geo Entertainment |
| Besharam | 2016 | Haider Bakht | ARY Digital |
| Naimat | 2016 | Babar | |
| Mera Kya Qasoor Tha | 2016 | Rohail Farid Ahmed Khan | Geo Entertainment |
Stage
| Production | Year | Theater | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| It Runs in the Family | 2006 | NAPA, Islamabad | Dr. David |
| Bombay Dreams | 2007 | Vikram | |
| Home is where your Clothes Are | 2008 | Ronnie | |
| Phantom of the Opera | 2009 | Raoul de Chagny | |
| Run for Your Wife | 2011 | John Smith | |
| Sawa 14 August | 2013 | NAPA, Karachi NAPA, Lahore NAPA, Islamabad |
Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
| Half Plate | 2013 | Butt Sahab | |
| Pawnay 14 August | 2014 | Muhammad Ali Jinnah |
TV commercials
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Nestle Nido | Brief appearance |
| 2015 | Novella | Co-star: Sonya Hussain |
Radio shows
| Show | Year | Station | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Breakfast Show | 2002-03 | City FM 89 | Host, RJ |
| The Rush Hour | |||
| The Bumper2Bumper Gaming Show | 2011 | Drive FM 89.9 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hum Awards | Best actor in a Supporting Role | Alvida | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Negative Role | Won | ||||
| Sangat | Nominated |
See also
References
- ↑ "Zahid Ahmed's journey from zero to hero will leave you inspired". The Express Tribune. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ↑ "The different Shades of Zahid Ahmed". MagWeekly. July 3, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Many faces of Zahid Ahmed". Falak Amaar Khan. fuchsia. February 15, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "10 Pakistani dramas from 2015 that everyone should watch". Correspondent. The Express Tribune. January 2, 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ↑ "Zahid Ahmed- Dawn of A New Era". Hum Network. 30 July 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Jugnoo Upcoming Drama Serial (Synopsis/Pictures)". Saud. Pakium. April 21, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Tum Mere Paas Raho kicks off". Saadia Farooq. HIP. July 24, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "In Sangat, the rapist is both hero and villain — and that's a problem". Sadaf Haider. Dawn News. November 4, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "The on-going TV serial, starring Zahid Ahmed, Saba Qamar and Mikaal Zulfiqar, can be credited with tackling the sensitive and often controversial subject of rape but does it do it justice?". Buraq Shabbir. The News International. December 9, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Zahid Ahmed talks about upcoming play 'Zara Yaad Kar'". Ahmed Hussain. HIP. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Zahid Ahmed Will Play A Positive Role In "Zara Yaad Kar"". Saud. ARY Digital. November 7, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ↑ "2014 Hum Awards winners". Correspondent. Dawn News. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- ↑ "Hum Awards 2016 Complete Nominations List". Maheen Nusrat. Brandsynario. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
- ↑ "First look of ARY Digital's upcoming drama serial "Besharam"". trendinginsocial.com. April 7, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Is Besharam worth your time?". Sadaf Haider. The Express Tribune. May 13, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ↑ "Mor Mahal is the story of resilient,fiercely powerful women."". The News International. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ↑ "Moor Mahal Cast and details". Geo News. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Mor Mehal (مور محل) on Geo Tv". Rashid Nazir Ali. Review It. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Fourth HUM Awards will take place in Karachi next month". Rozina Bhutto. HIP. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ↑ "The awards will be held in Karachi on April 23rd and the voting lines are open till April 6, 2016.". HIP. April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.