From Fawad Khan to Shae Gill: 8 Pakistanis amongst top 50 Asian stars of 2022

The list was curated by Eastern Eye, a UK-based publication

Eastern Eye, a UK-based British Asian newspaper released its top 50 Asian stars list across the globe for 2022. While the title says 'Asian', the list was primarily focused on South Asian personalities and many celebrities including Fawad Khan, Shae Gill, and Atif Aslam made the cut. After securing a place on the list in 2021, Sajal Aly and Hadiqa Kiani have bagged a spot this year as well. The list also mentioned globally recognised stars such as Iman Vellani, Kumail Nanjiani and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

According to the publication, the list is curated to celebrate outstanding individuals who have contributed positively to society. The list's ranking is also based on the respective celebrity's philanthropic efforts, social media popularity and fan base.

Fawad, who was lauded for his role in the record-breaking hit film The Legend of Maula Jatt, was second on the list. The Bilal Lashari directorial grossed £315,000 in the UK in its first weekend (four days) from 79 locations. This marked the highest opening weekend collection for any Pakistan-made or Punjabi language film in the UK to date, entering the UK Box Office Top 10 at position 9.

Following Fawad, British Pakistani actor and rapper, Rizwan Ahmed took 17th place on the list for being "a beacon of light in Hollywood," and receiving the Best Live Action Short Film Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards for his film, The Long Goodbye. Speaking of international recognition, Sajal also bagged the 16th position due to her debut in the English film What's Love Got To Do With It? Joining the bandwagon, actor Humayun Saeed also secured the 45th spot on the list for his much-acclaimed role as Dr Hasnat in the Netflix series The Crown.

On another note, Atif took the 13th spot on the list as well, not for his singing, but for his acting debut in Sang-e-Mah. The Aadat crooner's performance on the Hamlet-inspired hit drama serial obtained universal acclaim and won the hearts of many living abroad.

Moving on to music, Grammy-award winner Arooj Aftab bagged the 38th spot for her incredible performance in 2022. Following suit, Shae and Ali Sethi ranked 46th for their perfectly crafted duet Pasoori, which was the most viral Asian song of 2022 and featured on Ms Marvel too. Hadiqa, placed in the 40th position was widely lauded for her inspiring humanitarian work after the devastating floods in Pakistan.

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