Asad Shan
{{Short description|Entertainer}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Advert|date=May 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2023}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Asad Shan
| image = Asad Shan.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Asad Shan
| birth_name = Asad Shan
| birth_place = London, England, UK
| occupation = Actor, Filmmaker, TV Presenter and Real Estate Investor.
| years active = 2012–present
| website = http://www.asadshan.com
}}
Asad Shan is a BritishIrfan ul Haq (14 January 2016), [https://images.dawn.com/news/1174641 "British-Pakistani actor Asad Shan stars in Indian film London Life"], Dawn News. Retrieved 6 May 2019. actor, fashion model, TV presenter, and producer/director. He was formerly an investment banker, having worked for RBS (ABN AMRO) and HSBC. He was crowned Mr. Asia UK, beating 20 contestants in the process. {{cite web|url=http://www.missasia.co.uk/mrasia/mrasia2001.htm |title=Miss & Mr Asia 2003 |work=missasia.co.uk |accessdate=28 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172124/http://www.missasia.co.uk/mrasia/mrasia2001.htm |archivedate=3 March 2016 }} The film 7 Welcome to London was both his acting and directorial debut. It received critical and commercial acclaim after its UK release and has gone on to become the most successful British-made Hindi language film in the UK.{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/bollywood/news/a371449/7-welcome-to-london-becomes-most-successful-british-hindi-film-ever.html|title='7 Welcome To London' becomes most successful British Hindi film ever|work=Digital Spy|accessdate=28 June 2015|date=2012-03-15}}
Shan's other notable appearances include being a veejay for B4U Music,{{cite web|url=http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/b4u-adds-asad-shan-khushboo-vj-troupe|title=B4U adds Asad Shan & Khushboo to VJ troupe|work=Radioandmusic.com|accessdate=28 June 2015}} and he is currently on Zee TV's Zing as a host for the weekend film show Brits Bollywood, as well as the daily rude tube show, Grinds My Teeth.{{cite web|url=http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/zing-doubles-up-grinds-my-teeth-on-demand|title=Zing doubles up 'Grinds My Teeth' on demand|work=media247.co.uk|accessdate=28 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630140102/http://www.media247.co.uk/bizasia/zing-doubles-up-grinds-my-teeth-on-demand|archive-date=30 June 2015|url-status=dead}} Shan has starred in many New York Film Academy productions, and Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute productions of the well-renowned East is East and The Glass Menagerie. He has recently endorsed campaigns for major brands like Sky Digital, HSBC, and most recently One for the Boys, a charity chaired by Samuel L. Jackson.
Early life
Asad was born in London. His grandparents moved to London from Jhelum in the 1940s. He studied at Brentwood School in Essex. He then studied law and management at university.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Asad grew up supporting Liverpool F.C. and is an avid tennis and football player.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
Career
Upon graduating with a degree in law and management, he worked as an investment banker in the city of London for two years in Corporate Broking and ECM.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Asad won the Mr. Asia UK competition and inspired by this win, he went to New York to train in method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and in Film Performance at the New York Film Academy.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} he then moved from the Big Apple to Mumbai, India to begin work in Bollywood.
Within a few months after his move to Mumbai he was seen on the runways at Indian Fashion Week as well as being an ambassador for top fashion labels and eventually became one of the most sought-after veejays for B4U Music.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} In 2009 he was named the 'Best & Sexiest VJ' at the music channel. He fronted popular shows like "Just Request", "Star Stop", "Flash" and "India's Top Ten".{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
Eventually seeing an opportunity and growth in the UK market, Asad shifted his base back to London from Bombay where he started a film production company Iconic Productions UK Limited.{{cite web|url=http://www.iconicproductionsuk.com|title=Home|work=iconicproductionsuk.com|accessdate=28 June 2015}} He worked on the company's debut venture, a Bollywood thriller film titled 7 Welcome to London. He played Jai in the starring role.{{cite web|url=http://urbanasian.com/bollywood/2012/01/fresh-face-asad-shan-rocks-7-welcome-to-london/|title=Model Asad Shan rocks "7 Welcome to London" – UrbanAsian|work=UrbanAsian|accessdate=28 June 2015|date=2012-01-25}} The film was set in London and had a UK-wide release on 9 March 2012.{{Cite web |url=http://www.close-upfilm.com/2012/03/bollywood-fraternity-show-their-support-for-7-welcome-to-london/ |title=Bollywood Fraternity Show Their Support for 7 Welcome to London | Welcome to Close-Up Film | Film Reviews, Film News, Film Interviews |access-date=22 April 2012 |archive-date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409002436/http://www.close-upfilm.com/2012/03/bollywood-fraternity-show-their-support-for-7-welcome-to-london/ |url-status=dead }}
In the 2016 film London Life, he played the protagonist Raj. The English film is set in London and is about Indian students who migrate to the UK and the problems they face.{{cite web|url=http://www.londonlifefilm.com/cast.html|title=Welcome londonlifefilm.com - Justhost.com|author=just host|work=londonlifefilm.com|accessdate=28 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701002531/http://www.londonlifefilm.com/cast.html|archive-date=1 July 2015|url-status=dead}}
Since 2011, he is UK's most popular & recognised face on Zee TV's music channel Zing as a host for Brits Bollywood and UK's first Asian Rude Tube show " Grinds My Teeth" which has gathered a huge response in the UK{{cite web|url=http://media247.co.uk/bizasia/newsarchive/2010/05/zingas_abrits_b.php |title=BizAsia.co.uk - the UK's only Asian media news website - News, Features, Interviews, Jobs, Events, Ratings, Bollywood |accessdate=2010-11-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218113228/http://media247.co.uk/bizasia/newsarchive/2010/05/zingas_abrits_b.php |archivedate=18 December 2010}} Shan has hosted a daily request show Rock The Vibe in the past for Zing.
Asad also dabbled as a creative producer for the Black Arts company in Soho London and has been the creator and host of "The Film Show" on Zing TV from 2015 to 2018, which is an Iconic production, and commissioned by Zee TV.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}
Asad started{{when|date=July 2022}} filming his first drama serial called "Aabgeenay" written by Qaisra Hayat and directed by Nadeem Siddique. This shoot started in Karachi in 2018 and after 70% of shoot, it was put on hold due to the ceasing of production house.
2023 saw Asad make a special appearance in An Action Hero ( Netflix ) and 2024 saw the release of Tell me about it on Amazon Prime, where Asad plays the lead role. Currently Asad is writing his next directional feature.
2024 saw the release of Asad's next feature role, Tell me about it. This British feature film was set in Bradford. Directed by British Pakistani film director Suman Hanif, it had its grand premiere at the Bradford Science Museum and is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Personal life
Asad plays tennis at the UK county level. He loves outdoor sports and is a keen hiker.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} He loves foreign cinema especially French and South Korean.
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Film ! Role ! Production ! Director ! Notes |
|---|
| 2005
| The Waiter | Raju | Les Beauchistes/O2 Mobiles | Nilesh Patel | |
| 2005
| The Room Mate | Jay | Ruchir Garg | |
| 2005
| What If | Tom | Chung K. Park | |
| 2006
| Ya Ali | Self/ Model | Kunika Lal | Kabir Sadanand | Music Video |
| 2008
| Never Ending Story | Sunny | Kala Ghoda Film Festival | Ranjeeta Kaur | |
| 2010
| Kal | B3 Productions | Navdeep Khandola | |
| 2012
| Jai | Asad Shan | |
| 2017
| London Life | Raj | Kaybee Pictures | Naveen Medaram | Post Production | |
| 2022
| An Action Hero | Imaad | Yellow Colour Films / T series | Anirudh Iyer | Released worldwide / Netflix | |
| 2023
| Tell me about it | Kidnapper | Pageful Productions | Suman Hanif | Post Production | |
Theatre productions
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Play ! Role ! Production ! Director |
|---|
| 2005
| The Individual | Ray | CPS Stage London | |
| 2005
| Talking With Angels | Jason | CPS Stage London | |
| 2005
| Jim O'Conner | |
| 2005
| In God We Trust | Joe | NYFC | Lee Strafford |
| 2005
| Tariq | NYFA Theatre | John Stafford |
Television
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Production |
|---|
| 2005
| Self/ Mr. Asia UK |
| 2007
| BBC Desi DNA | Self | BBC Asia |
| 2008
| Brits Abroad | Self |
| 2007–08
| Express, Star Stop | Vj Asad |
| 2008
| GPL | Self |
| 2010–2015
|Brits Bollywood |Vj Asad |
| 2013–2014
|Grinds My Teeth |Vj Asad |
| 2015–2016
|Zing JukeBox |Vj Asad |
| 2018
|Aabgeenay |Shahzad |
| 2015–2018
|The Film Show |Vj Asad |
Commercials
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Advertisement ! Role ! Production |
|---|
| 2006
| Glow & Lovely Men's Active | Model |
| 2006
| Ayurveda Body Butter Cream | Model | Ayurveda |
| 2007
| Model |
| 2007
| Model |
| 2010
| LG F1 | Man | Th2ng, Nick Meikle |
| 2010
| William Hill | Silent Terrace Man | The Bank Film Company, Ian Cassie |
| 2012–present
| Model |
| 2020
| Model |
| 2022
| Model |
Modelling
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Designer/Show ! Notes |
|---|
| 2005–06
| Ramp Model |
| 2006-08
| Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week | Ramp Model |
| 2006-08
| Lakme India Fashion Week | Ramp Model |
| 2007-08
| Options | Brand Ambassador |
| 2007–08
| Boy London | Brand Ambassador |
| 2007
| Matrix Hair Model Fashion Show | Model |
| 2008
| Indian Contemporary & Classic Couture | Model |
| 2008
| Model |
| 2008
| Kiran Gidwani | Model |
See also
External links
- {{IMDb name|3628980}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shan, Asad}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English people of Pakistani descent