Shehryar Munawar

Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui (Urdu: شہریار منور) is a Pakistani film and television actor, director and producer. He is the recipient of a Lux Style Award and a Hum Award.

The nephew of Hum Network-founder Sultana Siddiqui, Munawar Siddiqui pursued finance and marketing from the Institute of Business Administration. Aspiring to take up a career in acting, he worked as a model for various brands and made his acting debut with the acclaimed television series Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley (2012), winning the Hum Award for Best Television Sensation.

Munawar Siddiqui then went on to play the romantic interest of female leads in the romance Kahi Un Kahi (2013), and received praise for portraying a struggling husband in the Geo TV series Aasmanon Pay Likha (2014). He followed it by starring and co-producing the coming-of-age musical film Ho Mann Jahaan (2016) and the romantic comedy film Parey Hut Love (2019). For the former, he won the Lux Style Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the latter earned him two Best Actor nominations at Lux Style, and both the films rank among the highest-grossing Pakistani films.

Early life and background Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui was bornon 9 August 1988 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. His father, air commodore Munawar Alam Siddiqui, was in the Pakistan Air Force before switching to business after retirement, and his mother, Ameena Munawar Siddiqui, is a housewife. His father, Munawar, is also a board member of Hum Network, founded by his aunt Sultana Siddiqui. His sister, Nadia, is a business graduate, while his elder brother, Asfandyar, who died in a car accident on 23 December 2012, was an investment banker. His younger brother, Manoucheher, was wounded in a café shooting in 2011.

In a 2018 interview with Samina Peerzada, he revealed that he's of Sindhi descent from his paternal side and Brahui maternally. One of his uncles, Mazhar ul Haq Siddiqui, is one of Pakistan's senior most civil servants and an eminent educationist, who also served as the vice-chancellor of Sindh University and is a board member of Hum Network as well, while another of his uncle, Jahangir Siddiqui, is the founder of JS Group. Ali Jehangir Siddiqui, an entrepreneur who also served as ambassador of Pakistan to the United States for few months in 2018, and the businessmen Shunaid Qureshi and Duraid Qureshi, are his cousins.

Munawar Siddiqui relocated to Islamabad along with his family for a brief period of time, when he was young. He was educated at The City School with O Levels there. The family moved back to Karachi a few years later, and he finished his A levels from the Southshore School in Karachi. Munawar later graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).

Three years later, Munawar Siddiqui starred and produced the coming-of-age musical drama Ho Mann Jahaan (2016), a film about three college friends who are passionate about music and face difficulties for their common dream. Co-starring opposite Adeel Hussain and Mahira Khan, he was cast as a struggling musician who falls in love with his best friend. Upon release, the film received mixed reviews from critics, however Munawar was praised for his performance in the film. Commercially, the film went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of 2016. At the annual Lux Style Awards, Munawar was awarded the Lux Style Award Best Supporting Actor for his performance and received an additional nomination in the Best Film category. Following the success of Ho Mann Jahaan, he starred in the romantic comedy 7 Din Mohabbat In (2018). Directed by Meenu–Farjad, his role was of an introverted man who is romantically involved with three women, played by Mahira Khan, Mira Sethi and Amna Ilyas, at different stages of his life. Amna Zaidi of Siddy Says praised Munawar, stating that "Tipu played by Sheheryar Munawar is the highlight of the film, not only does he act like a dorkey 29 year old to perfection, he looks amazing on screen". The film, despite receiving mixed to negative reviews, was a commercial success, with a worldwide earning of .

In 2019, Munawar Siddiqui featured alongside Humayun Saeed and Syra Yousuf in the science fiction Project Ghazi, a film about a group of rogue men try to seize a project. The film was a commercial disappointment. Munawar next played the role of one of a self-confessed aspiring actor in Asim Raza's romantic comedy Parey Hut Love (2019). The film, divided in four chapters, tells the story of a commitment phobic guy who falls in love with an already engaged girl (played by Maya Ali). The film received positive reviews from critics, and Munawar earned critical acclaim for his performance. The Express Tribune worte that "[Sheheryar] has come a long way and that's evident in this movie — he is not the best but definitely not the worst". Dawn noted that "He takes the emotional highs and lows of his character in stride to look within and struggle with introspection and repeated career and personal setbacks." Mahwash Ajaz thought that the film is a "stunning cinematic experience" and added that Munawar is "definitely the new heartthrob of the nation. He's the it boy you've been waiting for. His eyes and vulnerability express a lot and you can't help but root for him and his struggle." Parey Hut Love earned over to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films. He has since created much hype for his upcoming television series, titled as Pehli Si Mohabbat, opposite Maya Ali, that will start airing on Hum TV in 2021.

Personal life Siddiqui announced his engagement to Hala Soomro, a doctor, on his social media account in March 2019. However, the engagement was called off after a few months in October and no reason was given.

On 27 December 2024, Siddiqui married actress Maheen Siddiqui in a traditional Sindhi wedding in Karachi after a courtship of 1 year.

Filmography Films Television Year Title RoleProducerNetwork Notes Ref. 2012 Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley AroojHum TV Supporting role 2013 Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay Zarak KhanARY Digital 2021 Pehli Si Muhabbat AslamARY Digital 2023 Aik Thi Laila QaisExpress Entertainment Cameo

Telefilms Year Title RoleDirectorScreenwriterNetwork Ref. 2023 Budhi Ghori Laal Lagam Geo Entertainment 2023LikhariKabir KhanSee Prime on YouTubeShort film

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Program Result Ref(s). 2013 1st Hum Awards Best New Sensation Male Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley 2016 1st Hum Style Awards Most Stylish Film Actor Ho Mann Jahaan 2017 16th Lux Style Awards Best Supporting Actor Best Actor in a Supporting Role International Pakistan Prestige Awards Best Actor Film Nigar Awards Best Debut Male 2020 Pakistan International Screen Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Parey Hut Love 19th Lux Style Awards Best Actor Viewer's Choice Best Actor Critic's Choice 2021 Filmfare Middle East Awards Best Debutante Filmmaker 20263rd Pakistan International Screen AwardsBest Actor - TV (Popular)