Syed Sajid Hasan (born 5 January 1958) is a Pakistani actor, screenwriter, film director, TV hosts, and film producer. He has demonstrated political ambitions, but has not achieved significant success. As an actor he is best-known for his comic role of Dr. Irfan in the PTV classic Dhoop Kinare (1987).

Personal life

Hasan was born in Karachi into a Shi'a family and has one sister and three brothers. In 2009, one of his brothers and his wife were killed in a terrorist attack during a Muharram procession on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road in which the family participated. Hasan himself was injured in the attack. Hasan is married to Shakila Chapra, a fitness trainer and yoga instructor, and they have three sons. In 2018, Hasan publicly shared on social media about undergoing a hair transplant surgery. The procedure went wrong, resulting in a severe infection on his scalp and high fever. This incident brought significant attention to the hair transplant industry, raising concerns about its hygienic standards.

Media career

Actor

Hasan began in theatre as a stage actor, collaborating with Rahat Kazmi, with whom he'd open the theatre company Theatre Walley, before making his television debut with the PTV drama Khaleej (1986) and getting his breakthrough with the role of Dr. Irfan, the comic relief in Dhoop Kinare (1987). He participated in Indian television serials, including Tanha in 1999, becoming the first actor from Pakistan to feature in an Indian drama. Hasan made his film debut in 2004 with the movie Salakhain, in which he played the antagonist. He also had a role in the Angelina Jolie film A Mighty Heart.

Screenwriter and playwright

Hasan has written television dramas, including Kachwa aur Khargosh (1989), in which he also acted. Hasan has also written stage plays, including Hua Kuch Yoon in 2017, described as a love story set before and after the Partition and spanning some 80 years, staged in seven cities for a year.

Director and producer

Hasan was nominated in the "Best Director for Sitcom" category during the 1st Indus Drama Awards in 2005. He's also a producer, producing Dasht-e-Tanhai (2015) for PTV Home, also being part of the cast.

Host

In 2021, Hasan began hosting Zindagi With, a talk show airing on ARY Zindagi where he interviews celebrities.

Political career

Hasan has pursued political ambitions multiple times, joining various political parties to contest democratic elections as a candidate. In April 2018, Hasan joined the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Two month later, he announced his candidacy for the National Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi’s NA-256 constituency, covering North Nazimabad. He finished seventh out of 16 candidates, receiving 7,587 votes, which was just 3.82% of the total votes. In 2024, he joined the Jahangir Tareen-led Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

Filmography

Television serials

Telefilms

Films

Awards and nominations