Nayyar Ejaz is a celebrated Pakistani film and television actor. He is popular for playing the antagonist Salman in the Pakistani TV serial Dhuwan (1994) and Kali Das in Laag (1998).
Wiki/Biography
Nayyar Ejaz was born on 11 September in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. His zodiac sign is Virgo. Later, he moved to Lahore to pursue his studies, where he lived with one of his elder brothers. Initially, Nayyar Ejaz wanted to be a cricketer, and he played at the under-19 level. He has also played a few first-class matches and grade cricket. While he was pursuing cricket in Lahore, he had to return to Quetta owing to his father’s illness. It was Quetta that he was discovered as an actor by Tariq Mairaj, a PTV director, at a clothing store owned by his friend. At that time, he was completing his matriculation. Later, after a short stint with the Federal Government in Quetta, he pursued a FA, BA, and MA in political science.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 6′
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Nayyar Ejaz’s family hails from Dharampura, Lahore. He belongs to a family of renowned musicians. His father, Ustad Sharif Khan (deceased), worked for Radio Pakistan and was transferred to Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan in 1957. His mother died in 2014. Nayyar Ejaz is the second youngest out of 12 siblings. Only 3 of the 12 siblings, including Ejaz, are in showbiz. His elder brother Salamat Ali is a well-known classical vocalist and gazal singer; he is married to Azra Riaz. Salamat Ali and Azra Riaz are a celebrated husband-and-wife duo who have performed numerous popular ghazals and geets together. His brother Riaz (deceased) was a poet, singer, music director, and actor who worked in the Pakistani entertainment industry. One of his siblings’ names is Mumtaz.
Nayyer Ejaz with his elder brother Salamat Ali
Salamat Ali and Azra Riaz
Nayyar Ejaz’s brother Riaz (right) in London
Nayyar Ejaz (leftmost) with his brother and nephew Faizan Ali
Wife & Children
Nayyar Ejaz got married on 19 November 2005. The name of his wife is not known. The couple had a child, who died years ago.
Nayyer Ejaz with his wife
Religion/Religious Views
Nayyar Ejaz follows Islam.
Career
Television
Nayyar Ejaz ventured into the Pakistani entertainment industry around 1984 or ’85. Ejaz was standing at a friend’s clothing store when his husky voice and captivating demeanour attracted Tariq Mairaj. After four days, Mairaj approached Ejaz for casting him in a drama. At first, Ejaz was hesitant to enter showbiz due to a lack of acting skills. However, upon a little encouragement, he agreed to work in the drama. Soon, Ejaz made his acting debut with the TV show Zindagi Jis Ke Naam, Asghar Nadeem Syed’s first play, in which he played a sleazy profit-hungry producer. He gained recognition with the TV show Dasht (1993) in which he played a stammering youngster named Shaikh, who witnessed his parents’ murders.
Nayyar Ejaz as Shaikh in Dasht (1993)
At the beginning of his career, Ejaz worked a lot for the channel PTV. In 1994, he came into the spotlight with the TV show Dhuwan he played the role of Salman, a business tycoon and drug kingpin who has connections to narcotics and other criminal activities. The show was telecast on PTV Home.
Nayyar Ejaz as Salman in Dhuwan (1994)
In 1997, he amassed immense appreciation for the role of Guru of transgenders in PTV’s Janjaal Pura.
Nayyar Ejaz as Guru in the TV show Janjaal Pura (1997)
He gained popularity for playing the role of Major Kaali Das in the action crime drama serial Laag (1998) on PTV.
Nayyar Ejaz as Major Kaali Das in Laag (1998)
Other shows on PTV in which he appeared include Madar (1990) as Gul Mast, Baarish Kay baad (1993) as Qadir Bakhsh, Haqeeqat (1999) as Lala, Aan (2000) as Mehfooz, and The Castle: Aik Umeed (2001) as Munawar Mama. In 2007, he appeared in the show Sarkar Sahab in which he played the antagonist Mir Alam on ARY TV.
Nayyar Ejaz as Mir Alam in Sarkar Sahab (2007)
Other ARY TV’s shows in which he appeared include Hania (2019) as Vohra Sahab, Barfi Laddu (2019) as Iqbal Halwai, and Khwaab Nagar Ki Shehzadi (2021) as Jamil Khan.
Film
In 1995, he made his film debut with the Pakistani film Shartiya Mithay. Thereafter, he appeared in various Pakistani films like Chand Girhan (1997) Moosa Khan (2001), Zill-e-Shah (2008), and Saltanat (2012). In 2014, he played the role of an evil and corrupt politician in the Urdu-language action drama film The System.
Nayyar Ejaz as a corrupt politician in The System (2014)
In the 2016 Pakistani socio-comedy film Actor in Law, he played the role of an anti-feminist lawyer. He appeared in the historical war film Saya e Khuda e Zuljalal (2016) as a terrorist preacher named Molvi Nasser. In the 2017 action comedy film Na Maloom Afraad 2, he played an antagonist Sheikh Sultan al-Baklawa.
Nayyar Ejaz as Sheikh Sultan al-Baklawa in Na Maloom Afraad 2 (2017)
In 2017, he appeared in the romantic socio-comedy film Mehrunisa V Lub U in which he played the role of Marzi, a transgender don.
Nayyar Ejaz (right) as Marzi in Mehrunisa V Lub U (2017)
In the 2018 romantic action comedy film Teefa in Trouble, he played Sheikh Sahab.
In 2019, he played the role of Chand Kamal, a surreptitious talent manager-cum-journalist, in the romantic drama film Baaji.The role earned him the Best Supporting Actor Award at Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (2019) in Mississauga, Canada.
Nayyar Ejaz as Chand Kamal in Baaji (2019)
In the 2022 Pakistani Punjabi-language action drama film The Legend of Maula Jatt, he played the role of Jagoo Natt.
Nayyar Ejaz (centre) as Jagoo Natt in The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022)
Other Pakistani films under his belt include O21 (2014), Janaan (2016), Geo Sar Utha Kay (2017), and Ghabrana Nahi Hai (2022)
Facts/Trivia
- In an interview, Nayyer Ejaz and Salamat Ali attributed their eloquent speech and melodious voice to their mother.
- In an interview, he revealed that once he got slapped in public because of one of his villainous roles. Ejaz played a role in which the character was shaving his face and singing a song when in the back of his mind he thinks that his wife is having an affair with his friend. In anger, the character cuts the face of his wife with a blade. Ejaz said that after that film, one day he was sitting at the Islamabad airport when a lady approached and asked him to stand up. As he stood up, she slapped him hard on his face. Amazed and confused, Ejaz asked her the reason behind the disgrace. She said that for 30 years she used to talk to her husband while he shaved his face, but due to Ejaz’s vicious character in the film, she got afraid that her husband might cut her face with a blade.
- For his versatile roles, Dawn Icon honoured Nayyer Ejaz with the title “The man with a thousand faces” in 2021.