Early life
Maya Ali was born Maryam Tanveer Ali on 27 July 1989 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, to Punjabi Muslim parents. Her father, Tanveer Ali, was a businessman, and her mother, Shagufta Nazar, is a homemaker. [3] [4] She has one younger brother, Afnan. [5] 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. [6]
Ali started her career at an early age, working as a video jockey for the channels Samaa TV, Waqt News and Dunya News. [7] [8] She completed her master's degree in mass communication from the Queen Mary College. [9] [10] [11]
Career
Early work (2012—2015)
In 2012, Ali made her screen debut with a supporting role as the younger sister of Sanam Baloch's character in Haissam Hussain’s drama Durr-e-Shehwar . [12] [13] [14] She next had her first lead role in the adaptation Haissam Hussain's adaptation of Cinderella, Aik Nayee Cinderella alongside Osman Khalid Butt and Faizan Khawaja. Critic Fatima Awan criticised the drama, finding it to "underestimate the taste and sensibility of viewers" and dismissed Ali's performance. She then starred in the comedy drama Aunn Zara, once again under the direction of Hussain. [15] 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 projects. [16]
In 2013, Ali starred in the unremarkable Fahim Burney-directed Khoya Khoya Chand alongside Ahsan Khan and Sohai Ali Abro. [17] She followed this with her portrayal of a possessive sister in Ranjish Hi Sahi , with Fatima 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. [18] The drama was her second with Ahsan Khan and also starred Ayeza Khan. Critic Maaz Ahmed Siddiqui said thought that Ali was "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. [19] [20] However, her second release in the social-drama series Shanakht proved to be a significant advancement in her career; she played Qurratulain, a devout Muslim woman who faces disapproval from her family because of her beliefs. [21] [22] Reception to the drama was generally favourable; [21] Critic Zahra Mirza was appreciative of Ali's improving abilities. She then went on to star as a headstrong, protective woman in Zid alongside Ahsan Khan, in which her performance was poorly received. [23] A critic for Dawn found little appeal in Ali's character due to the absence of emotional depth in her portrayal. [24]
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. [25] Dawn's Sadaf Siddique was appreciative of Ali’s "restrained performance". [26] In her final project of the year, she played an estranged granddaughter in Momina Duraid's family drama, based on Farhat Ishtiaq's novel of the same name, Diyar-e-Dil among an ensemble that included Osman Khalid Butt, Abid Ali and Sanam Saeed. Ali was awarded the Hum Award for Best Actress Popular and earned her first Lux Style Award for Best Actress nomination. [27] [28] The drama emerged as the highest rated of 2015. [29]
Breakthrough and career expansion (2016—2019)
In 2016, Ali had her breakthrough with her role in Haseeb Hassan's Mann Mayal opposite Hamza Ali Abbasi. 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". [30] The drama became one of the highest rated and viewed of all time and Ali earned the Lux Style Award for Best Television Actress. [31] She then appeared amongst an ensemble in the positively received romance Sanam , once again directed by Haseeb Hassan. [32]
In 2018, Ali made her film debut opposite Ali Zafar in Ahsan Rahim’s romantic comedy Teefa in Trouble. [33] [34] Along with the film’s positive reception, Ali's performance as a rebellious young woman was particularly praised. [35] Omair Alavi of Samaa wrote that Ali came as a "breath of fresh air and looks naturally beautiful", however, added that she "needs to work on her dialogue delivery but here it suited her character". [36] Additionally, OyeYeah thought that Ali had the "required energy" for the role and handles the "acting, dancing part right". [37] At the time of its release, the film was the most expensive Pakistani film ever made. [38] 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. [39] [40]
Directed by Asim Raza, the romantic comedy Parey Hut Love (2019) opposite Sheheryar Munawar was Ali's second film. [41] Structured in four segments, the movie narrates the tale of an aspiring actor who becomes enamoured with a woman engaged to someone else. [42] She described the character as her "most powerful yet". [43] The film received divergent reception from critics; [44] 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 "handles her character with maturity" and manages to "impress the audience in almost every scene". [45] [46] The film earned over Rs. 300 million (US$1.0 million) to emerge as one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time. [47] She earned two Lux Style Best Actress nominations. [48]
Career setbacks (2020–present)
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. [49] Directed by Anjum Shahzad, the series received generally positive reviews from critics, [50] however, Ali's performance was negatively. [51] Later that year, she starred opposite Wahaj Ali in the historical drama Jo Bichar Gaye. [52] 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. [53] The series earned critical acclaim but underperformed in terms of ratings and viewership. [54] [55] 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" and appreciated the subtleties she brought to the character. [56] [57] Ali's sole appearance of 2023 was in Yunhi , in which portrayed an American tourist who falls in love with a man in Pakistan. Reception was generally mixed towards the serial. [58] [59]
In 2024, Ali reunited with Wahaj Ali and Haseeb Hassan for the romantic drama Sunn Mere Dil. [60] She 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 novel of the same name. [61] [62] [63]
Mohammad Kamran Jawaid of Dawn noted that Ali has the ability to recognise the quality of a script before accepting a project. [64]
Ali is brand ambassador of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre [65] and has visited different institutions to raise awareness of breast cancer among young girls. [66] [67] Ali, along with her two cousins, has also launched her own clothing brand, MAYA Pret-A-Porter. [68] She hosted Eid special show, named Milan, on 7 February 2017. [69] She is the brand ambassador of Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League. [70] On 19 April 2017, she and Ali Zafar performed at the sixteenth ceremony of the Lux Style Awards on Zafar's song "Ishq". [71] [72] [73] Ali walked the ramp of Bridal Week 2018 as showstopper for Nomi Ansari and has been a brand ambassador for him several years after. [74]
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 . [75] [76] Ali is among the most followed Pakistani actresses on Instagram. [77] In January 2021, the clothing brand, Alkaram Studio, announced Ali as the next Alkaram Woman for the year 2021. [78]
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