Biography

Sixteen years of hustle, on and off camera

Naveed Raza was born and raised in Karachi and holds a BBA before turning his attention fully to performance. Standing 5'7" and known for a disciplined, gym-built physique, he has spent over a decade and a half building a career across Pakistani television and cinema — as an actor, a model, and more recently a producer.

Today he lives in Karachi with his wife, Kanwal Raza, whom he married in 2013, and their daughter, Manal.

Naveed Raza, studio portrait

The journey

From a talent contest in Lahore to sustained work across two decades of Pakistani showbiz.

2009

A talent show, and a false start

Raza won a talent competition in Lahore, with the prize being a lead role in a film by veteran director Syed Noor. The project, shot over thirty consecutive days, was ultimately shelved and never released — an early lesson in the industry's unpredictability. Around the same time, he assisted on another Syed Noor production.

Early career

Mentorship from Shabbir Jan

Senior actor Shabbir Jan became his first real support system in the industry, coaching him on comic timing and screen craft in the years before his television debut.

TV Debut

Mehmoodabad Ki Malkaayein

Actor-producer Humayun Saeed gave Raza his first major acting opportunity, casting him in his production Mehmoodabad Ki Malkaayein — a project that also launched the career of co-star Saboor Aly.

Through the 2010s

A run of primetime serials

A steady string of hit drama serials followed, including Riffat Aapa Ki Bahuein, Bashar Momin, Jahez, Akeli, Bhabhi Sambhal Chabi, We Are Family, Dehleez, Dil To Kacha Hai Jee and Kis Din Mera Viyah Howay Ga, establishing him as a familiar face across Pakistan's biggest networks.

2017–2018

Moving onto the big screen

Raza expanded into feature films, appearing in Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Raasta (2017) and Saaya (2018), alongside continued television work on serials such as Daraar and Haal-e-Dil.

2022–2025

Continued range, and a producer's chair

Later credits include the film Chakkar (2022) and Leech (2024), plus the serial Mera Dil Mera Dushman, as Raza's role in the industry broadened from performer to producer.

He credits two men above all for shaping his path — Shabbir Jan for teaching him the craft, and Humayun Saeed for handing him the opportunity that started everything. From an interview reflecting on his early mentors
Beyond the screen

Giving back

Alongside his on-screen work, Raza has taken on an ambassadorial role in Pakistan's health and social sector — lending his profile to the Sindh AIDS Control Programme, IRD Pakistan, and Kiran Sitara, in support of public-health awareness and community welfare initiatives.