Arshad Khan is a Pakistani-Canadian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known for his critically acclaimed films, Khuda Kay Liye and Bol.
Khan was born in Canada in 1980 to Pakistani immigrants. He grew up in Toronto and attended the University of Toronto, where he studied film and media production. He went on to complete a Master’s degree in film production from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Khan began his career as a director in 2005, when he released his debut feature film Khuda Kay Liye. The film was an instant success and earned Khan recognition in both Pakistan and abroad. It was the first Pakistani film to be released in the US and was screened at a number of festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2011, Khan released his second feature film Bol. Bol was another critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Pakistani film of all time. It was the first Pakistani film to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Khan has also produced the films Dukhtar (2014), Mah e Mir (2016), Ho Mann Jahaan (2016) and Cake (2018). He is currently working on his next project, a biopic of Pakistani cricketer Wasim Akram.
In addition to his film career, Khan has also appeared as an actor in a number of television series. He has also served as a judge on the music competition show Music Masti and the talent show Pakistan Idol.
Khan has won numerous awards for his work, including the Pride of Performance Award from the Government of Pakistan in 2012 and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2016. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers in Pakistan.
