Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas among others named in Top 50 Asian celebrities

Eastern Eye, a UK-based British Asian newspaper released its top 50 Asian celebrities list across the globe for 2021. While the title says ‘Asian’, the list was primarily focused on South Asia only, and many celebrities including Sajal Aly, Yumna Zaidi, Hadiqa Kiani, Bilal Abbas and others made it to list amongst the globally recognised stars Riz Ahmed, Kumail Nanjiani, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The list ranked celebrities based on their impactful, extraordinary work. The list lauded artists for not only inspiring people but leaving a long-lasting positive mark on their fans. The list included names from the music industry, television, literature, and social media, from Bollywood, Hollywood and the Pakistani entertainment industry.

For the top 10 of the list, Riz Ahmed, Kumail Nanjiani and Sajal Aly made us proud coming second, sixth and seventh respectively.

The Khel Khel Mein starlet said the achievement was a ‘great honour’ for her. “The challenges Covid-19 brought with itself continued in 2021, but this did not deter me from working hard," Aly spoke with pride about the accolade. She further said, “In fact, 2021 was one of my busiest years with two films and two dramas back-to-back. As we are inching closer to 2022, I would like to take this moment to reiterate my commitment towards my craft and would like to assure my fans around the world there are more exciting projects to witness in 2022.” She also reposted the top 10 list on her Instagram story.

The mastermind behind the list, journalist Asjad Nazir, called Aly an icon for the new generation. "Sajal is breaking new grounds for Pakistani actresses with roles she is taking on like her first big international project and setting a new benchmark with incredible performances. She is blazing a trail and others are following in her footsteps,” shared the journalist.

Other Pakistanis in the list included Atif Aslam (25), Hadiqa Kiani (30), Yumna Zaidi (35) and Bilal Abbas Khan (39). It also included Indian actor Prabhas, Mindy Kaling, Priyanka Chopra and singer Shreya Goshal.

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