Ushna Shah

Ushna Shah (born 12 February 1990) is a Pakistani-Canadian film and television actress. Her accolades includes a Hum Award and a Pakistan Media Award, and a nomination for Lux Style Award.^[1][2][3][4]

Ushna Shah
Shah in 2021
Born	(1990-02-12) 12 February 1990 (age 35) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Alma mater	York University
Occupation(s)	Actress, Television presenter
Years active	2012–present
Spouse	Hamza Amin (m. 2023)
Relatives	Irsa Ghazal (sister)

Shah graduated from the York University and made her debut with a supporting role in the 2013 romance Mere Khwabon Ka Diya, winning a Pakistan Media Award for Best Emerging Talent. After playing a series of roles, she starred as a struggling wife in the blockbuster thriller Bashar Momin (2014) and went on to feature as the female lead in the 2017 spiritual drama Alif Allah Aur Insaan and the 2018 psychological thriller Balaa, and earned further praise as a victim in the thriller Cheekh (2019), the love interest of the main character in the drama Parizaad (2022), and a naive wife in the romance Habs (2022).^[5][6][7][8]

Early life

Shah was born on 12 February 1990, in Karachi, Sindh, to Muhammad Shah, a businessman, and Ismat Tahira, a veteran actress and a radio artist. She has one elder brother, Shah Sharabeel, a theater director, and an elder half-sister from her mother's first marriage, Irsa Ghazal, another television actress.^[9][10] The family relocated to Toronto, when Shah was a child, where she was raised. Shah moved back to Pakistan in 2012, to pursue a career in acting.^[11] Shah graduated with a major in English Literature and Professional Writing from the York University.^[12][13]

Career

Shah began her career with character roles, including the serial Bashar Momin in 2014, the drama serial Duaa (2015) in which she played the title character, and Alif Allah Aur Insaan (2017) in the role of a beggar turned courtesan. She was cast in Jawad Bashir's Teri Meri Love Story in which she played the leading character Eesha, but the film was halted post-production and the official release never happened. She also starred in the first online Pakistani comedy film Oye Kuch Kar Guzar by D-juice Pakistan.^[14][15] She then appeared as a guest in the film Punjab Nahi Jaungi in 2017.^[16] She has been the brand ambassador for the fashion label Nickie Nina, and has done campaigns for various lawn brands such as Jahanara.^[17] In June 2017 she wrote on Facebook criticizing what she said was the trend of various talk shows using Ramadan to cash in on television rating points.^{[18][19][20][21]}

Personal life

Shah married professional golfer Hamza Amin, the son of golfer Taimur Hassan Amin, on 26 February 2023 in Karachi, two months after announcing her engagement.^[22]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2016	Teri Meri Love Story	Esha
2017	Oye Kuch Kar Guzar	Zara Hayat	Released online by Djuice
	Punjab Nahi Jaungi	Herself	Special appearance in song "Raat Ka Nasha"
2023	Chikkar	Ayla Akbar

Television

Year	Title	Role	Additional Notes	Ref.
2013	Mere Khwabon Ka Diya	Rahma	Debut	[6]
2014	Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain	Shafeeqa	Episode "Harjai"	[23]
2013	Shehr-e-Yaaran	Durr e Shehwar		[6]
2013	Rukhsaar	Mahrukh		[6]
2014–2015	Aag	Momina		[24]
2014	Hum Tehray Gunahgaar	Sara		[6]
2014	Bashar Momin	Rudaba		[6]
2015	Piya Mann Bhaye	Hania		[25]
2015	Duaa	Duaa		[26]
2016	Bheegi Palkien	Mehar Bano		[27]
2016	Neelam Kinaray	Sakina		[28]
2016	Bitiya Hamaray Zamanay Mein	Iraj		[29]
2016	Ab Kar Meri Rafugari	Taban Sultan		[26]
2016	Thoda Sa Aasman	Rakhshi		[30]
2017	Alif Allah Aur Insaan	Rani (Reena Begum)		[31]
2017	Yeh Ishq Hai	Tajwar	Episode "Kiya Yahi Pyaar Hai"	[32]
2017	Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain (season 2)	Rozi/Sarah	Episode 1, 25	[33]
2018	Lashkara	Bubly		[34]
2018	Ru Baru Ishq Tha	Salwa		[35]
2018	Balaa	Nigar		[36]
2019	Cheekh	Nayab		[37]
2019	Help Me Durdana	Maheen		[38]
2019	Choti Choti Batain	Pareshay (Pari)	Story 2	[39]
2019	Pinky Ka Dulha	Pinky		[40]
2019–2020	Bewafa	Shireen		[41]
2020	Dikhawa	Rabia	Episode 19	[42]
2020	Bandhay Aik Dor Se	Maheen		[43]
2021	Aakhir Kab Tak	Noor		[44]
	Parizaad	Naheed		[45]
2022	Habs	Ayesha Basit Khan		[46]
2023	Daurr	Shezray Hanif		[47]
2024-present	Ghair	Wafa
	Aye Ishq-e-Junoon	Aimen Hafeez/Aimen Rahim Nawaz

Awards and nominations

• Best Emerging Talent Female at 4th Pakistan Media Awards for Mere Khwabon Ka Diya^[48][49]
• Hum Awards for Best Soap Actress at 3rd Hum Awards for Hum Tehray Gunahgar'
• Hum Award for Best Negative Character at 6th Hum Awards for Alif Allah Aur Insaan^[31][50]
• Nominated-Lux Style Awards for Best Television Actress for Balaa^[36][51]