Nauman Ijaz

Early life and education

Ijaz was born on 14 February 1965 and grew up in Icchra town, Lahore into a Punjabi family. His father was the manager of a cinema house in Lahore and Ijaz has an elder brother and a younger sister.

Ijaz began his education at Cathedral High School in Lahore. Later, he attended the Divisional Public School, Model Town, Lahore and then completed his further education at Forman Christian College. His parents wanted him to become a doctor, while he aspired to be a newscaster. However, inspired by his elder brother, he ultimately pursued a law degree from Punjab University.

Acting career

Television

Ijaz began his acting career on PTV in 1989, after being rejected in 1985 and then in 1987, with a short appearance under the direction of Nusrat Thakur in the drama Aik Din. His role lasted only 50 seconds. He then did a TV serial on PTV (Quetta Center).

He later appeared in many different roles, including negative roles in the dramas Rehaai (2013) and Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi (2013)

In 2014, he played a Pakistani cab-driver based in Jackson Heights in Mehreen Jabbar's directed Jackson Heights. He received unanimous praise for his performance, with a reviewer from Dawn stating, "He was truly the linchpin, holding the interest level in Jackson Heights even when the pace was flagging." From 2016-17, he appeared in titular role in Bhai as Aslam alias Bhai, the troublemaker local councillor from the Walled City of Lahore. In 2017, he played the titular role of ruthless and influential politician in political-drama Khan. The same year, he played a household molestor in Kashif Nisar's directed Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila, for which he received Best TV Actor - Critics' Choice at the 18th Lux Style Awards.

Some of his other notable serials include Noorpur Ki Rani (2009), Mera Saaein (2010), Durr-e-Shehwar (2011), Badi Aapa (2012), Sang-e-Mar Mar (2016), O Rangreza (2017), Raqeeb Se (2021), Parizaad (2021), and Sang-e-Mah (2022).

Cinema

He has appeared in the film Ramchand Pakistani (2008) where he romanced Nandita Das.

Webseries

Ijaz starred alongside Saba Qamar in the 2022 Zindagi original webseries Mrs. & Mr. Shameem, which received attention for its unconventional romantic storyline and premiered on ZEE5 on 11 March 2022.

Other work

Legal career

Before becoming an actor, Ijaz initially began his professional journey in legal practice, undertaking cases before family and civil courts in Lahore for several years before fully committing to the entertainment industry.

Hosting career

In the early 2010s, he hosted a TV comedy show called Mazaaq Raat on Dunya News. Earlier, he had hosted a TV comedy show on PTV Home. Later, he also hosted a prime time talk show on Neo News HD titled G Sarkar.

Personal life

Ijaz tied the knot with Rabia in the 1990s. In an interview, he shared that he first met Rabia at a college function. Initially, she acted reserved and asked him to keep his distance, but he persisted. During a charity event for Shaukat Khanum Hospital, he proposed to her, asking if she would marry him. Rabia asked him to talk to her parents, and he decided to do so. The couple has three sons, including actor Zaviyar Nauman Ijaz.

Filmography

Films

Television serials