Top 10 Iconic Comedians of Pakistan

Comedy, Comedians, Pakistani celebs

There are many comedians in Pakistan who use their comedic talent to entertain the people of their country. All of them are funny and talented individuals who make Pakistani people laugh. These comedians have been making people laugh for many years and are some of the most well-known faces in Pakistani comedy. They have appeared on television shows, movies, and stage plays. Our list of top 10 includes:

Umer Sharif

Pakistan’s legendary comedian Umer Sharif is immensely popular for his impeccable timing and witty one-liners. His career spans over four decades in which he has entertained audiences across the globe with his brand of humor.

Sharif was born in Karachi in 1960 and started his career as a stage actor in the 1970s. He soon made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian and went on to star in several Pakistani films. He has also appeared in Indian films and television shows.

The Shareef Show, Sharif’s own late-night chat show, premiered on Geo TV in October 2009. On the programme, he spoke with a lot of actors, musicians, celebrities, and politicians. Along with Navjot Singh Siddhu and Shekhar Suman, he also made an appearance as a guest judge on the Indian stand-up comedy competition The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.

Sharif is considered one of the pioneers of stand-up comedy in Pakistan. He has inspired many young comedians and continues to be a popular entertainer. His work has been appreciated by audiences and critics alike, cementing his place as one of Pakistan’s most loved celebrities.

In 1992, Sharif won national accolades for Mr. 420 as both the best actor and director. Ten Nigar Awards were given to him. The only actor to win four Nigar Awards in one year was Sharif. Three Graduate Awards were given to him. Tamgha-e-Imtiaz was also awarded to Sharif.

Moin Akhtar

Akhter was born in Karachi in 1950. At the age of 13, Akhter began his career as a child actor. In the theater production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, he portrayed Shylock.

Akhter has a very varied and lively sense of humor. On September 6, 1966, Pakistan Television (PTV) broadcast a variety show to commemorate Pakistan’s first Defense Day, marking his television debut. When he first began performing as a comedian in 1966, he impersonated the Hollywood actor Anthony Quinn and parodied a John F. Kennedy address. He has played a number of characters in stage productions for television.

Akhter appeared in over 400 episodes of the talk show Loose Talk, which debuted on ARY Digital in 2005. He played a different character on each episode and was interviewed by the show’s writer and TV host Anwar Maqsood. Additionally, he briefly served as host of the Pakistani version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Kya Aap Banaingay Crorepati. Moin Akhter performed on stage with Indian legends like Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, and Madhuri Dixit while hosting events with prominent individuals.

He received the Honorary Citizenship of Dallas in 1996 for his achievements. He won several awards including the Special Award for Comedy in The 1st Indus Drama Awards in 2005, Pride of Performance in 1996 by the Government of Pakistan, Best Actor Award at PTV Awards in 2000, and Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2011.

Related: Emerging Comedic Talent of Pakistan

Sikander Sanum

In Karachi, Sikandar Sanam was born in 1960. He was a stand-up comedian, actor, singer, and stage performer from Pakistan. He gained notoriety in Pakistan as the performer who remodelled stage impersonation.

In the year 2000, Sikander Sanam debuted as a young vocalist and artist on stage. He chose to pursue a career in show business because he loved acting to singing. From Mohammad Sikandar to Sikandar Sanam, he changed his name (Sanam meaning beloved in Urdu).

Shakeel Siddiqui

In Karachi, Shakeel Siddiqui was born in 1964. He is a Pakistani stand-up comedian on television who is also known as “Teeli” there. He is acknowledged as one of Pakistan’s greatest comedic actors. Siddiqui became well-known in Bollywood after participating in Comedy Circus as a participant.

In Pakistani theatrical productions like “Bakra Qistoon Pay” (Goat on installments), “Yeh to Housefull Hogaya” (Full House), “Nayee Ammi Purana Abba” (New Mother Old Father), and many more, he has collaborated with comic Umer Sharif.

For that performance, he was hailed as the king of stage humor in India. He served as the production manager for the television programme Be-Lagaam (2002). In 2008, he also made appearances as a celebrity guest on Salman Khan’s reality television show Dus Ka Dum and as a judge on the dance competition Boogie Woogie.

Sohail Ahmed

Azizi, also known as Sohail Ahmed, was born in Gujranwala in 1963. He is a theater and TV actor, and comedian from Pakistan. Sohail began portraying the role of Azizi in the Dunya News programme Hasb-e-Haal in January 2009. In this role, he offers comedic commentary on current events and other subjects.

He has acted in the majority of Pakistan Television Corporation’s television productions. Sohail Ahmed is distinctive in that he frequently uses impromptu speech in comic performances.

He has acted in numerous TV dramas and films, including Punjab Nahi Jaungi, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Dum Mastam, London Nahi Jaunga, and Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne.

He received Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2011. In addition, the President of Pakistan awarded him Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award in 2013.

Amanullah Khan

In Gujranwala, Amanullah Khan was born in 1946. He is referred to as The King of Comedy and goes by the name Amanullah in the workplace. One of the best comics on the Indian subcontinent, he was a Pakistani Punjabi theater artist, comedian, and TV personality.

He is regarded as one of the top observational comedians in the world since he gained knowledge from his surroundings and commonplace events. Both people and artists were influenced by him. Khan holds the record for the most plays performed in one year.

Tufail Niazi, a well-known Pakistani musician of his time who found Amanullah’s potential and provided him the opportunity to showcase his comic abilities to the world, introduced him to the entertainment industry. Amanullah immediately became well-known and established himself in the field. He has played several different characters in a variety of theater productions. He is still among the oldest stage actors and is known for his sharp humor and ability to make people laugh.

On account of his exceptional skills and comedic performances, he received the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2018.

Related: Top 10 Pakistani Social Media Influencers to Follow

Nasir Chinyoti

Actor and comedian Nasir Chinyoti hails from Chiniot, Pakistan. He has performed stand-up, comedy for television and movies. Numerous comedians, such as Babu Baral, Sohail Ahmad, Iftikhar Thakur, Zafri Khan, Anwar Ali, Tariq Teddy, and Sakhawat Naz, have shared the stage alongside Nasir Chinyoti.

Nasir Chinyoti made several satirical appearances on Geo News’ Khabarnaak comedy show (Pakistan). He is regarded as one of Pakistan’s top comics. He performed on Neo News’ Khabaryar comedy show, in which he performed various of the most loved parts. Nasir then performed in Khabardar on Express News as well. Currently, he is performing on Aftab Iqbal’s Khabarhar programme on Samaa News.

Zaid Ali T.

Zaid Ali Tahir, also known online as ZaidAliT, is a Canadian-Pakistani YouTuber, influencer, and social media star. He is well-known for posting humorous videos to his second YouTube channel, “ZaidAliT,” as well as vlogs to his first channel, “ZaidAliT Vlogs,” which has 3.38M subscribers.

Hecrose to fame when the Indian diva Sonakshi Sinha tweeted about one of his videos, “Bollywood Dialogue in Real Life”, which becamd his most well-known and most popular videos. His comedy often pokes fun at social issues and cultural differences between Pakistan and the West.

In addition to YouTube, he has also made appearances on a variety of discussion shows, such as “Good Morning Pakistan” on ARY Digital and BBC Asian Network. He traveled to Pakistan in 2017 and shared the stage with some of the country’s biggest stars at the QMobile Hum Style Awards. On February 8, 2020, he also received the “Vlogger of the Year PISA2020” award.

Saad Haroon

Saad Haroon is a comedian, actor, and writer from Pakistan. He founded Pakistan’s first improv comedy group, “BlackFish,” and his “Saad Haroon: Very Live” tour included the country’s first stand-up comedian to perform in English in Pakistani cities. The Real News, the first comedy television programme in English to air in Pakistan, was conceived and hosted by Haroon.

In the Laugh Factory competition in October 2014, he received 59,213 votes, placing him as the second most hilarious person around the globe.

In 2008, Haroon worked on “SHARK,” the first improv group to perform long-form improv comedy on tour in Pakistan. The SHARK tour featured performances in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore where Pakistani audiences saw musical improv comedy and the Harold, a long form improv framework, for the first time. Haroon, Danish Ali, Umair Pervez, Jaffar Ali, Daniyal Ahmed, Sohaib Khan, and Sana Nasir are among the SHARK cast members.

In addition, Haroon is the author, co-writer, and director of the original format play “We’ve made contact,” which was written for the British Council’s Connecting Futures Project and produced in Manchester, England. Saad Haroon hosts open mic nights at which budding comedians, authors, poets, and other other gifted enthusiasts.

Related: Top 20 Pakistani Youtubers That You Should be Following

Danish Ali

Danish Ali, a Pakistani stand-up comedian, actor, doctor, and social media personality, was born in 1983. He currently resides in Pakistan.

He is the first comedian from Pakistan to be invited on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored comedy tour of the country. He will perform in Worcester, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island in addition to Dartmouth College and the New York Friars Club.

Together with Saad Haroon, he created and hosted The Real News, Pakistan’s first comic television programme in the English language. He is a member of the improv comedy group “Shark” and one of the earliest comics to perform in English in Pakistani cities. Additionally, he had his television debut as Umer in the Hum TV series Hum Tum (2022 TV Series).

The Bottom Line

These comics have made a name for themselves with their sharp wit and clever observations on Pakistani as well as the global society. While Pakistani comedy may not be as well-known as that from other countries, it is slowly but surely gaining attention from audiences around the world. These world-class comedians are doing their best to make Pakistan known for all positive aspects that are not shown in worldwide media coverage.

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