Meera (Urdu: میرا), whose real name is Irtiza Rubab (ارتضی رباب), is one of Pakistan’s most iconic and enduring film actresses, models, and television presenters. With a career spanning more than three decades — from her film debut in 1995 to her celebrated comeback in Baaji (2019) — she remains one of the most recognisable faces in Pakistani entertainment history.
She is a two-time Nigar Award winner, a recipient of the Government of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance Award (2012) and Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2012), and the first Pakistani actress to appear in a mainstream Bollywood film after decades of separation between the two industries. She has also been at the centre of some of Pakistani showbiz’s most talked-about personal controversies, earning her the nickname “Controversy Queen” of Lollywood.
This biography covers everything — Meera’s real name, age, family, complete film and TV career, Bollywood journey, awards, personal life, marriage controversies, and her latest news in 2026.
Meera — Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Irtiza Rubab (ارتضی رباب) |
| Stage Name | Meera (میرا) |
| Date of Birth | 12 May 1977 |
| Birthplace | Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Raised In | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Age (2026) | 48 years old |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Religion | Islam |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (162 cm) |
| Weight | Approx. 60 kg |
| Education | Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore |
| Profession | Actress, model, TV host, director, humanitarian |
| Debut Film | Kanta (1995) |
| Bollywood Debut | Nazar (2005) |
| Famous Films | Khilona, Inteha, Salakhain, Baaji |
| Awards | 2× Nigar Award, Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, IPPA Best Actress 2021 |
| Father | Sarwar Shah |
| Mother | Shafqat Rubab |
| @meera_official (verified) |
Who Is Meera?
Meera is the stage name of Irtiza Rubab, a Pakistani actress, supermodel, and television host who rose to national fame in the mid-1990s and became one of Lollywood’s defining stars of that era. She was among the first Pakistani actresses to cross over into Bollywood, doing so at a time when India-Pakistan cultural exchanges were rare and politically sensitive — a move that made her both celebrated and controversial.
Over her career she has appeared in more than 60 films and television productions, across Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi languages. She has worked with some of Pakistan and India’s most respected directors and co-starred with actors including Humayun Saeed, Lucky Ali, Ashmit Patel, and Shaan Shahid. Her 2019 film Baaji — in which she played a fading film star navigating the realities of the modern entertainment industry — was widely regarded as her finest performance and was a major box office success.
Beyond her screen work, Meera is known for her outspoken personality, her advocacy for Pakistan-India cultural dialogue, and her headline-generating personal life. She has described herself as an ambassador of peace between Pakistan and India, and has been quoted saying: “Pakistan is my country and India is the place where I am working. I am the ambassador of peace. I feel India and Pakistan are like two sisters.”
Early Life and Family
Meera was born as Irtiza Rubab on 12 May 1977 in Sheikhupura, a city in Punjab, Pakistan, to parents Sarwar Shah and Shafqat Rubab. She is one of six siblings. Her family later relocated to Lahore, where she spent most of her formative years and launched her career.
Her background was middle class, and she has spoken in interviews about the financial and social challenges her parents faced in supporting her ambitions in showbiz — an industry still regarded with social hesitance in many parts of Pakistani society at the time.
From a young age, Meera showed a strong interest in performance. She participated in school theatre productions throughout her school years and began modelling commercially while still in high school — appearing in advertisements for Pepsi and Lux while in her mid-teens. These early campaigns established her as a face that resonated with mainstream Pakistani audiences long before she appeared on screen.
Education
Meera completed her schooling in Lahore and went on to attend Kinnaird College for Women, one of Lahore’s most prestigious women’s colleges. She studied Interior Design there — a fact she has mentioned in several early interviews, saying she intended to pursue design professionally alongside her entertainment career. Her time at Kinnaird College also coincided with the expansion of her modelling career, with agency work in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad making her one of the country’s most in-demand models while she was still a student.
Modelling Career
Before cinema, Meera built her reputation on Pakistan’s modelling circuit. By her late teens she was appearing in national campaigns for some of Pakistan’s most prominent brands — including multiple Pepsi and Lux commercials, which carried enormous reach and prestige in the Pakistani market. These campaigns made her a household face and created the platform from which her film career launched.
She is widely considered one of the top supermodels Pakistan produced in the 1990s, and her modelling work continued in parallel with her acting career through the 2000s. She has cited modelling — rather than acting — as her first professional love, describing it in early interviews as her preferred medium.
Lollywood Film Career
1995–1998: Debut and breakthrough
Meera made her film debut in 1995 with the Urdu film Kanta. The role was a modest start, but it opened the door to more significant opportunities. Her second major film, Khilona (1996), proved to be a breakthrough. She won her first Nigar Award for her lead performance in Khilona. The film was a major commercial and critical success and established her as one of Lollywood’s leading heroines.
The Nigar Awards, often described as Pakistan’s equivalent of the Oscars for local cinema, gave her performance the kind of institutional validation that cemented her industry standing.
1999–2004: Lollywood’s leading star
Her breakthrough performance as Sara in Inteha (1999), directed by Samina Peerzada alongside Humayun Saeed, won her a second consecutive Nigar Award for Best Actress and solidified her status as a Lollywood star. Inteha was a critical and commercial hit, and back-to-back Nigar Awards in the same era were an achievement very few Pakistani actresses had managed.
She was cast in the award-winning Pakistani thriller Khoey Ho Tum Kahan (2001), which further extended her range and demonstrated her ability to carry serious dramatic material. During this period she appeared in multiple releases per year, becoming one of the most prolific and sought-after actresses in the industry.
In 2004, she played a prominent role in Salakhain, which lifted her image internationally. The film premiered in Mumbai, making her one of the first Pakistani actresses to attend an Indian premiere in the post-partition era.
2014–2019: Return to cinema
After a period that included television work and personal controversies, Meera returned to Lollywood with the psychological thriller Hotal (2014) — the first psychological thriller film in Pakistan. She was honoured with the Best Actress Award at the 3rd Delhi International Film Festival for her performance in Hotal.
Her most celebrated recent film role came in Baaji (2019), directed by Saqib Malik. Her performance as Shameera in the Pakistani film Baaji (2019) gained great accolades from the audience. The film — which told the story of a veteran film actress navigating a changed industry — drew obvious parallels with Meera’s own life and career, lending her performance an additional layer of authenticity. Baaji proved to be a box office success. She was nominated at the Lux Style Awards for Best Film Actress (Viewers’ Choice and Critics’ Choice) for the film in 2020.
Bollywood Career
Nazar (2005) — A historic crossover
In 2005, she acted in the joint Indo-Pakistani film Nazar, with which she debuted in Bollywood. Nazar was a film directed by Soni Razdan and it was the first Indo-Pakistani joint movie venture in 50 years. Meera played the character Divya alongside Indian actor Ashmit Patel.
Her kissing scenes with co-star Ashmit Patel, an Indian Hindu actor, led to much outrage and denunciation among conservative Muslim clerics in Pakistan. Patel’s visa application was rejected by the Pakistani government, while Meera was threatened with the bombing of her press conference and a ban from films. She later called it “a baseless controversy,” defending herself by citing freedom of expression. When asked if she was sorry for being the first Pakistani actress to film a kissing scene, she responded: “Why should I feel sorry? I have not done anything wrong.”
Despite the controversy, the film established her as a serious crossover figure and opened conversations about cultural exchange between the two countries that were ahead of their time.
Further Bollywood work
Her second Bollywood movie was Kasak, starring Lucky Ali. Although Kasak failed critically and commercially, Meera still kept working in Bollywood. Her third film, Paanch Ghantey Mein Paanch Crore, was an average grosser at the box office. However, The Times of India listed the film in Bollywood’s Top 10 Bold Films category of 2012. She also appeared in Bhadaas (2013) and had a role in the Indian film Sheitaan (2017).
Her Bollywood career, while never achieving blockbuster commercial success, was significant for its very existence — she was a symbol of the possibility of Pakistan-India cultural collaboration at a time when political tensions made such exchanges extremely difficult.
Television Career
Meera’s transition to television came later in her career and has added a significant new dimension to her public profile.
In 2010, she played the titular role of Husan Ara in TV One’s Husan Ara Kaun — her television acting debut. She followed this with a role in A-Plus TV’s drama Bichday Toh Ahsaas Hua in 2011.
Her performance in the show Mein Sitara (2016) in which she played the role of Naseem Dilruba, and in the show Naagin (2017) in which she played the role of Madam Kaali, are among her most notable television roles. Mein Sitara, set against the backdrop of Pakistan’s classic film industry, was nominated for a Lux Style Award. The role of Naseem Dilruba — a veteran actress — again carried echoes of Meera’s own industry experience, making it one of her most personally resonant performances.
In 2019, she performed in PTV Home’s drama Abba, which remained very popular.
In addition to drama roles, Meera has worked as a television presenter and host across various formats — including talk show appearances, award ceremony hosting, and guest anchoring.
Directorial Work
In 2016, Meera announced her first project as a director, titled Oscar. The project marked her transition from performer to filmmaker — a move that relatively few Pakistani actresses of her generation had attempted. The project demonstrated her ambition to expand beyond performance and take creative control of her own storytelling.
Awards and Honours
Meera is among the most decorated actresses in Pakistani entertainment history:
Nigar Award for Best Actress — for Khilona (1996/97), one of Pakistan’s most prestigious cinema awards.
Nigar Award for Best Actress of the Year — for Inteha (1999), making her one of a small number of actresses to win the award in consecutive years.
Pride of Performance Award (2012) — awarded by the Government of Pakistan, presented by President Asif Ali Zardari. The Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) is the fourth-highest civilian honour of Pakistan. This recognition placed Meera among the most officially honoured figures in Pakistani entertainment.
Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2012) — a further state honour, announced on Pakistan’s 65th Independence Day.
Best Actress Award, 3rd Delhi International Film Festival (2014) — for her performance in Hotal, recognising her work in Pakistan’s first psychological thriller film.
Best Actress Award, International Pakistan Prestige Awards (IPPA) (2021) — presented in Istanbul, Turkey.
Lux Style Awards Nomination (2020) — Best Film Actress (Viewers’ Choice and Critics’ Choice) for Baaji.
Personal Life and Marriage Controversies
Meera’s personal life has generated as many headlines as her professional career, and remains one of the most discussed aspects of her public identity.
The Attiq-ur-Rehman marriage dispute
In 2009, a Faisalabad-based businessman, Sheikh Attiq-ur-Rehman, claimed that he and Meera were married in 2007. Meera denied that marriage and filed a case against him for making a false claim. But in 2018, a Lahore family court declared Meera to be the wife of Attiq-ur-Rehman by validating the marriage certificate and honeymoon pictures. Meera has continued to contest this ruling, and the matter has not been conclusively resolved to public satisfaction.
Captain Naveed Pervaiz
Meera later married Captain Naveed Pervaiz. Reports of this marriage surfaced around 2013, though the exact date and details were never publicly confirmed by Meera at the time. In 2014, a private video allegedly featuring Meera and a man claimed to be her husband went viral on Pakistani social media. Meera denied the video’s authenticity, called it a smear campaign, and approached legal authorities to investigate its source.
Her marital status has remained a subject of ongoing public speculation, with multiple conflicting claims about her current situation never fully clarified.
Land grab and mother’s kidnapping
In one of the more serious off-screen episodes of her life, Meera publicly alleged that land mafia figures attempted to illegally seize her ancestral family property in Lahore. She stated in an interview with The Express Tribune that the individuals involved also kidnapped her mother, Shafqat Rubab, as part of the pressure campaign. She appealed directly to the Pakistani government for intervention, naming the alleged perpetrator publicly.
Political career
In 2013, Meera contested for the Lahore constituency NA-126 against PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) Party — an unsuccessful bid that nonetheless placed her in Pakistan’s electoral record. In 2022, she announced she would join PTI, saying: “I am heartbroken with the world of showbiz and have decided to join politics.”
Philanthropy and Humanitarian Work
Alongside her entertainment career, Meera has engaged in charitable and humanitarian activity. In 2018, she visited a school for children with special needs in Karachi and announced a donation of PKR 25,000 to the Diamer Bhasha Dam Fund — a government initiative at the time to fund major infrastructure through public contributions. She shared her experience publicly on Twitter, writing: “It was wonderful to celebrate the day with special kids today.”
She has also been described as a humanitarian in multiple official and industry profiles, reflecting a public engagement with social causes beyond showbiz appearances.
Meera in 2026
As of April 2026, Meera remains active in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. In February 2023, she was selected to play the lead role in the Pakistani remake of the Bollywood classic Pakeezah (1972) — a landmark project that, if completed, would mark another significant chapter in her career. She continues to make television appearances and remains one of the most recognisable figures in Pakistani popular culture, regularly appearing in entertainment news and social media discussions.
After three decades in the public eye, she occupies a unique position — simultaneously a living institution of Pakistani cinema and a perpetually current figure whose name trends regularly in entertainment circles.
Meera’s Complete Filmography (Selected)
| Year | Film | Language | Role / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Kanta | Urdu | Film debut |
| 1996 | Khilona | Urdu | Nigar Award – Best Actress |
| 1999 | Inteha | Urdu | Nigar Award – Best Actress |
| 2001 | Khoey Ho Tum Kahan | Urdu | Award-winning thriller |
| 2004 | Salakhain | Urdu | International premiere in Mumbai |
| 2005 | Nazar | Hindi | Bollywood debut – first Indo-Pak film in 50 years |
| 2005 | Kasak | Hindi | Opposite Lucky Ali |
| 2012 | Paanch Ghantey Mein Paanch Crore | Hindi | Times of India Top 10 Bold Films |
| 2013 | Bhadaas | Hindi | Bollywood |
| 2014 | Hotal | Urdu | Pakistan’s first psychological thriller; Delhi IFF Best Actress |
| 2019 | Baaji | Urdu | Major box office success; Lux Style Award nomination |
TV Dramas (Selected)
| Year | Drama | Channel | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Husan Ara Kaun | TV One | Husan Ara (lead) |
| 2011 | Bichday Toh Ahsaas Hua | A-Plus TV | — |
| 2016 | Mein Sitara | TV One | Naseem Dilruba (Lux Style nomination) |
| 2017 | Naagin | — | Madam Kaali |
| 2019 | Abba | PTV Home | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Meera’s real name?
Meera’s real name is Irtiza Rubab (ارتضی رباب). She adopted the stage name Meera when she entered the entertainment industry in the mid-1990s.
How old is Meera in 2026?
Meera was born on 12 May 1977, making her 48 years old as of 2026.
Who is Meera’s husband?
Meera’s marital status is complicated and disputed. A Lahore family court validated a marriage certificate between her and businessman Sheikh Attiq-ur-Rehman in 2018, a claim Meera has contested. She is also reported to have married Captain Naveed Pervaiz around 2013. Her current legal marital status has not been publicly confirmed.
What is Meera most famous for?
Meera is most famous for her back-to-back Nigar Award-winning performances in Khilona (1996) and Inteha (1999), her historic Bollywood debut in Nazar (2005) — the first Indo-Pakistani joint film in 50 years — and her celebrated comeback role in Baaji (2019).
What awards has Meera won?
Meera has won two Nigar Awards for Best Actress, the Pride of Performance Award from the Government of Pakistan (2012), the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2012), the Best Actress Award at the 3rd Delhi International Film Festival (2014), and the Best Actress Award at the International Pakistan Prestige Awards (IPPA) in Istanbul (2021).
Has Meera worked in Bollywood?
Yes. Meera was the first Pakistani actress to appear in a mainstream Bollywood film in 50 years when she starred in Nazar (2005), directed by Soni Razdan, opposite Ashmit Patel. She went on to appear in Kasak (2005), Paanch Ghantey Mein Paanch Crore (2012), and Bhadaas (2013).
What is Meera doing in 2026?
Meera continues to work in Pakistan’s entertainment industry. She was selected in 2023 to star in the Pakistani remake of the Bollywood classic Pakeezah, and remains one of the most-searched Pakistani celebrity names online.
