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Rasheed Naz (1948-2022) was a Pakistani actor. He is known for his work in Urdu, Hindko, and Pashto language Pakistani television dramas and films. In 2023, he appeared in the multi-lingual film ’72 Hoorain.’
Wiki/Biography
Rasheed Naz was born as Abdul Rasheed Naz on Thursday, 9 September 1948 (age 73 years; at the time of death) in Peshawar, North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan. He studied till 10th standard in a local school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
Wife & Children
He was married. He has a son named Hasan Noman, who is an actor. Hasan Noman was married to the Pakistani actress Madiha Rizvi; however, they got divorced in 2022.
Rasheed Naz with his son, Hasan Noman
Career
Television
Rasheed Naz made his debut as an actor with a Pushto television drama series in 1971. In 1973, he appeared in the Urdu-language television drama ‘Aik Tha Gaoon.’ It was his first Urdu-language television drama series. However, he rose to fame after he appeared in the television drama ‘Namoos.’ In 1993, he appeared in the Urdu television drama ‘Dasht,’ which aired on Pakistan’s first private channel NTM. In 1998, he appeared in the television drama ‘Ghulam Gardish,’ which aired on PTV.
Rasheed Naz in a still from the television drama ‘Ghulam Gardish’
He played the role of Hayat Khan in the television drama series ‘Manzil’ (2006), on ARY TV. In 2012, appeared in the television drama ‘Khushi Ek Roag,’ which aired on ARY Digital. He has worked in various television drama series including ‘Phir Kab Milo Gay,’ ‘Anokhi,’ ‘Saiban Sheshay ka,’ ‘Inkaar,’ and ‘Dayar-e-Dil.’
Poster of the television drama ‘Dayar-e-Dil’
Film
Rasheed Naaz made his debut in the film industry with the Pashto language film ‘Zama Jang’ in 1988. In 2001, he did his first Urdu language film ‘Dakait.’ His performance as Maulana Tahiri in the Urdu film ‘Khuda Kay Liye’ (2007) received immense appreciation from the audience.
Rasheed Naz as Moulana Tahiri in the film ‘Khuda Kay Liye’
In 2009, he worked in an English language film ‘Kandahar Break’ in which he played the role of Ashiq Khan. In 2012, he played the role of Khan Sahab in the Pashto language film ‘Arman.’ The actor made his Bollywood debut with the film ‘Baby’ (2015), starring Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher. He played the role of a terrorist mastermind, Maulana Mohammad Abdul Rahman, in the film. His son, Hasan Noman, also appeared in the film.
Rasheed Naz in a still from the film ‘Baby’
In 2017, he appeared in the Pashto film ‘Gul E Jana.’ The actor has appeared in the Hindi language film ’72 Hoorain.’ It was later released in English and 10 other Indian languages, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. The film was first screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2019, where it won the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal. However, the film was released in theatres in 2023 after his death.
Poster of the film ’72 Hoorain’
He has acted in various Urdu language films including ‘Qayamat – A Love Triangle In Afghanistan’ (2003), ‘Larki Punjaban’ (2003), ‘Karachi se Lahore’ (2015), ‘Pari’ (2017), and ‘Verna’ (2017).
Awards & Achievements
- In 2009, he was honoured with the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan for his contribution to the Pakistani television and film industry.
Note: He has many more accolades and awards to his name.
Death
On 17 January 2022, Rasheed Naz passed away in Islamabad, Pakistan, at the age of 73. He had been facing health challenges for a while. Following his demise, his body was brought to Peshawar, where his funeral took place.
Facts/Trivia
- After completing his studies, he joined his family business of trading fruits that they import from Afghanistan.
- Apart from films and television series, he has also appeared in the video song ‘Ishq Mohabbat Apna Pan,’ featuring Iman Ali.
- In an interview, he revealed his story of how he entered the showbiz industry. He mentioned that during the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, he and his friends wanted to help the people in need. To raise funds for this cause, they organized a variety show, where a Pashto television production company spotted him and later offered him a role in a Pashto drama.