Maya Ali

One of Pakistan’s highest-paid actresses, Ali has received several accolades including three Hum Awards and a Lux Style Award.

Maya Ali
Ali in 2016
Born	Maryam Tanveer Ali (1989-07-27) 27 July 1989 (age 34) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Education	Queen Mary College (MSc)
Occupation(s)	Actress and Model
Years active	2010–present

Ali made her debut with a supporting role in the telenovela Durr-e-Shehwar but later received praise for portraying the titular character in the romantic comedy, Aun Zara (both 2012) and the social drama, Shanakhat (2014). She achieved her breakthrough when starring in the romance Mann Mayal (2016) which earned her the Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress. She received further acclaim for her role as Zuleikha in the romantic drama, Mera Naam Yousuf Hai and in the ensemble family drama Diyar-e-Dil (both 2015), the latter of which earned her a nomination at the Lux Style Awards for Best Television Actress.

Ali made her film debut with the romantic action comedy, Teefa in Trouble (2018) and achieved similar success in the romantic comedy Parey Hut Love (2019), both ranking amongst the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time with the latter earning her two nominations at the Lux Style Awards. Following a short departure from television, she returned with the romantic drama Pehli Si Muhabbat (2021).

Maya Ali was born Maryam Tanveer Ali on 27 July 1989 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, to Muslim parents. Her father, Tanveer Ali, was a businessman, and her mother, Shagufta Nazar, is a homemaker. She has one younger brother, Afnan. Initially, Ali's father disapproved of her joining the film industry and ultimately did not speak to her for eight years, however, they reconciled before his passing in 2016.

Ali started her career at an early age, working as a video jockey for the channels Samaa TV, Waqt News and Dunya News. She completed her master's degree in mass communication from the Queen Mary College.

Early work and breakthrough (2012–2016)

In 2012, Ali made her television debut with a supporting role in the Haissam Hussain-directed drama Durr-e-Shehwar, portraying the younger sister of the eponymous character; it was telecasted on Hum TV. Following this, she had her first lead role in the adaptation of the novel of the same name, Aik Nayee Cinderella opposite Osman Khalid Butt and Faizan Khawaja. This was her second project to be directed under Hussain. Critic Fatima Awan criticised the drama, finding it to "underestimate the taste and sensibility of viewers", while dismissing Ali's performance. She then starred in the comedy drama Aunn Zara, once again under the direction of Hussain. Playing the title role of Zara, she reunited with Butt as his wife. Writing for Dawn, Abbas Hussain lauded Ali as a "complete natural" and appreciated the improvement made from her previous drama.

In 2013, Ali starred in the Fahim Burney-directed Khoya Khoya Chand alongside Ahsan Khan and Sohai Ali Abro. She followed this with her portrayal of a possessive sister in Ranjish Hi Sahi, with Awan praising Ali for her progressively improving performance as the series advanced. Ali's third and final project of 2013 was as an unrequited lover in Amin Iqbal's Meri Zindagi Hai Tu. The drama marked her second with Ahsan Khan and also starred Ayeza Khan. Critic Maaz Ahmed Siddiqui praised Ali's performance, describing her as "absolutely successful" in showcasing the nuances of her character.

Directed by Waseem Abbas, Ali's role in the family drama Ladoon Mein Pali (2014) generally went unnoticed. However, her second release in the social-drama series Shanakht proved to be a significant advancement in her career in which she portrayed a devout Muslim woman who faces criticism from her family due to her beliefs. The drama was a major success with critics and Ali gained further recognition. Critic Zahra Mirza was appreciative of Ali's alteration of her dialogue delivery. She then went on to star as a headstrong, protective daughter in Zid alongside Ahsan Khan in which her performance was poorly received. A critic for Dawn found little appeal in Ali's character due to the absence of emotional depth in her portrayal.

In 2015, Ali starred in Mehreen Jabbar's romantic drama Mera Naam Yousuf Hai, which was loosely based on the story "Yusof-o Zulaikhā" (یوسف و زلیخا) by Jami in his book, Haft Awrang. She essayed the role of Zulaikha opposite Imran Abbas. Dawn's Sadaf Siddique commended Ali’s "restrained performance". In her final project of the year, she played an estranged granddaughter in Momina Duraid's ensemble family drama, based on Farhat Ishtiaq's novel of the same name, Diyar-e-Dil alongside Osman Khalid Butt, Abid Ali, Sanam Saeed, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Hareem Farooq and Ali Rehman Khan. Ali was awarded the Hum Award for Best Actress Popular and earned her first Lux Style Award for Best Actress nomination. The drama emerged the highest rated of 2015.

In 2016, Ali made a major breakthrough with her role in Haseeb Hassan’s Mann Mayal, alongside Hamza Ali Abbasi, Gohar Rasheed and Aisha Khan. While Ali gained national recognition for her role as a resilient and determined young woman who navigates through life's challenges in an effort to achieve her dreams, the latter half of the drama received negative reviews, with some criticism regarding her performance. The News International’s Aamna Haider Isani found Ali to "go overboard every now and then" but described it as "refreshing" to watch "a female protagonist who is boisterous and lively and unafraid to speak her mind". Regardless, the drama became one of the highest rated and viewed of all time and Ali earned the Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress. She then appeared amongst an ensemble in the romance Sanam, once again directed by Haseeb Hassan. Initially, the series garnered positive reviews; however, as it advanced, critics became ambivalent towards its storyline.

Career expansion (2017–present)

In 2018, Ali made her film debut opposite Ali Zafar in Ahsan Rahim’s romantic action comedy Teefa in Trouble. Along with the film’s positive reception, Ali's performance as a rebellious Polish-born daughter was particularly praised. Omair Alavi of Samaa wrote that Ali came as a "breath of fresh air and looks naturally beautiful", however, she "needs to work on her dialogue delivery but here it suited her character". OyeYeah thought that Ali had the "required energy" for the role and handles the "acting, dancing part right". At the time of its release, the film was the most expensive Pakistani film ever made. It went on to become the fifth highest-grossing Pakistani film and Ali's most successful venture, despite facing protests due to sexual harassment claims made against Zafar and film piracy following its release.

Directed by Asim Raza, the romantic comedy Parey Hut Love (2019) opposite Sheheryar Munawar was Ali's second film. Structured in four segments, the movie narrates the tale of a hopeful actor (Munawar) who becomes enamoured with a woman already committed to someone else. She described the character as her "most powerful yet". The film received divergent reception from critics. While Dawn's Mahnoor Bari criticised Ali's character, finding it "unclear whether Saniya’s character is a case of rushed writing or acting", The Express Tribune lauded her for the way she "handle[d] her character with maturity; [she] impresses the audience in almost every scene". Even so, the film earned over Rs. 300 million (US$1.0 million) to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time. She earned two Lux Style Best Actress nominations.

Following a five-year hiatus from television, Ali returned with the romantic drama Pehli Si Muhabbat (2021); it marked her second collaboration with Munawar and fifth with Faiza Iftikhar. Directed by Anjum Shahzad, the series received generally positive reviews from critics, however, Ali's performance was listed in the worst of 2021 by many publications. Later that year, she starred opposite Wahaj Ali in the historical drama Jo Bichar Gaye. Set against the backdrop of the Independence of Bangladesh and subsequent 1971 Indo-Pak War including the Fall of Dhaka, she portrayed a patriotic Art student at the University of Dhaka. The series, along with Ali’s performance, earned critical acclaim but underperformed in terms of ratings and viewership. Sadaf Haider of Dawn praised her for "showing us what a good actor can achieve if she is given something more than the one-dimensional bholi larkiyan [innocent girls] our dramas are littered with", further adding that Ali's "dialogue delivery, body language and expressions convey all of Soniya’s stubborn individualism and courage at every step". Ali's sole release of 2023 was as the title straightforward American returnee in Yunhi, opposite Bilal Ashraf. Critics were generally ambivalent towards the serial, though Ali received praise with The Brown Identity's Sophia Qureshi describing her performance as "exceptional".

Ali will next star in the Shoaib Mansoor-helmed film, Aasmaan Bolay Ga opposite Emmad Irfani and will also be seen in the Netflix Original Series, Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo, an adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq’s Urdu-language novel of the same name. She is also set to reunite with Wahaj Ali and Haseeb Hassan for the romantic-drama Sun Mere Dil.

Mohammad Kamran Jawaid of Dawn noted that Ali has the ability to recognise the quality of a script before accepting a project.

Ali is brand ambassador of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and has visited different institutions to raise awareness of breast cancer among young girls. Ali, along with her two cousins, has also launched her own clothing brand, MAYA Pret-A-Porter. She hosted Eid special show, named Milan, on 7 February 2017. She is the brand ambassador of Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League. On 19 April 2017, she and Ali Zafar performed at the sixteenth ceremony of the Lux Style Awards on Zafar's song "Ishq". Ali walked the ramp of Bridal Week 2018 as showstopper for Nomi Ansari and has been a brand ambassador for him several years after.

She serves as an ambassador for a number of brands and products, such as Lux, QMobile and Sprite. She has appeared as a guest on many television shows, including Sunrise from Istanbul, that was hosted by Maria Wasti in Turkey, The Afternoon Show with Yasir, Tonite with HSY and With Samina Peerzada. With over 7 million followers on Instagram, she is one of the most followed actresses in the country. In January 2021, the clothing brand, Alkaram Studio, announced Ali as the next Alkaram Woman for the year 2021.

Films

Television

Music video