Aasif Khan
| |
| Aasif Khan | |
| Born | 13 March 1991 Nimbahera, Chittorgarh district, Rajasthan, India |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | Higher secondary education |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Babar in Mirzapur, Ganesh in Panchayat, Kabir M in Paatal Lok |
| Notable works | Mirzapur, Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, India's Most Wanted, Pagglait, Dehati Ladke |
| Awards | Best Actor – Skylight Film Festival; Best Actor – Cineshorts by Viacom18 |
| Parents | Ayyub Khan (father), Firdous Ayyub Khan (mother) |
| Religion | Islam |
Aasif Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films, television and web series. He gained wide recognition for playing Babar in the crime thriller web series Mirzapur (2018–2020). He has also appeared in several popular projects including India's Most Wanted, Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Pagglait, Human, The Great Indian Family, Dehati Ladke, Kakuda and The Bhootnii.
Khan began his acting journey with small roles and junior artist appearances before developing his skills through theatre. He worked in different jobs in Mumbai while attending auditions and later worked as a casting associate. His experience in theatre and casting helped him understand the entertainment industry and build his career as an actor. His performance in the short film Vacancy earned him Best Actor awards at the Skylight Film Festival and Cineshorts by Viacom18 in 2018.
Early Life & Education
Aasif Khan was born on 13 March 1991 and was raised in Nimbahera, a small town in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, India. His father, Late Ayyub Khan, worked as an employee at J.K. Cement, while his mother, Firdous Ayyub Khan, is a homemaker. He has two brothers and a sister.
During his school years, Khan was an average student but developed a strong interest in acting and the arts. His interest in acting began in 2001 when he performed the role of a servant in his school's annual play Kissa Kursi Ka.
Khan was also inspired by comedian Raju Srivastava's "Shaadiwallah" act on the television show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Inspired by the performance, he participated in a local stand-up comedy competition and won the competition.
The death of his father in 2008 interrupted his plans to pursue acting. He took up small jobs to support his family while continuing his education and completed his higher secondary studies.
Career
Aasif Khan moved to Mumbai in 2010 with the aim of pursuing a career in acting. In the beginning, he worked as a waiter in a hotel to support himself. He later worked in a mall while regularly attending acting auditions.
During this period, he was advised to learn acting and gain experience through theatre. In 2011, he joined the Sarthak and Ujaagar Theatre Group in Jaipur, where he developed his acting skills and performed as a professional theatre artist.
His first theatre play was Abu Hassan, directed by Rajiv Acharya. He continued working in theatre for around five years and performed with different theatre groups and experienced theatre personalities.
In 2015, Khan performed in the Rajasthani musical play Kasumal Sapno, which was adapted from William Shakespeare's comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The play was directed by Ajeet Singh Palawat and was performed at the International Theatre Festival in Karachi, organised by the National Academy of Performing Arts.
Khan returned to Mumbai in 2016 and worked for around a year as a casting associate at Casting Bay, which was owned by his mentor and friend Abhishek Banerjee and Anmol Ahuja. His experience in casting helped him understand the film and television industry while continuing to pursue acting opportunities.
He made early screen appearances as a junior artist in films such as Ready (2011) and Agneepath (2012). He later appeared in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Pari.
In 2017, Khan played the lead role of Durgesh Kumar in the short film Vacancy. His performance received recognition and earned him Best Actor awards at the Skylight Film Festival and Cineshorts by Viacom18 in 2018.
Khan gained major recognition in 2018 when he played Babar, a loyal aide, in the web series Mirzapur. He continued playing the character in the second season, and the role became one of his most recognised performances.
In 2019, Khan made his Bollywood film debut with India's Most Wanted, directed by Raj Kumar Gupta. He played Bittu Sinha alongside Arjun Kapoor. He also appeared as Chintu in Humorously Yours.
In 2020, Khan appeared in several important web projects. He played journalist Anas Ahmad in Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega. He also appeared as Ganesh, a stubborn bridegroom, in Panchayat and played Kabir M in Paatal Lok. His performances in these series helped him gain further recognition among digital audiences.
He continued his association with Mirzapur in its second season and also appeared in the short film Sorry in 2020.
In 2021, Khan appeared in the short film Click and played Parchun in the comedy-drama film Pagglait.
In 2022, he appeared in the web series Human, Dil Se Hero, Murder In Agonda and Ghar Set Hai. He played Omar Pervez in Human, Vikram in Dil Se Hero, Sanket Salelkar in Murder In Agonda and Lakhan in Ghar Set Hai.
Khan later appeared in the film The Great Indian Family as Tulsidas Mishra. He also appeared in the web series Dehati Ladke as Prashant Bhaiya, an UPSC aspirant and mentor figure. He reprised the character in Dehati Ladke Season 2.
Khan returned as Ganesh in the third season of Panchayat. His appearance was well received by audiences, particularly because the character had changed from being disliked in the earlier season to becoming more appreciated in the later season.
He subsequently appeared in the horror-comedy film Kakuda, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, and played Kilvish. The film was released on ZEE5.
In 2025, Khan appeared as Nasir in the horror-comedy film The Bhootnii, which was released in theatres on 1 May 2025.
In 2026, Khan joined the reality television show Bigg Boss 20 as a contestant. His participation marked his appearance in reality television alongside his work in films and web series.
He is also associated with upcoming projects including Ishq Chakkallas, Noorani Chehra and Section 108.
Notable Works
| No. | Film / Web Series | Year | Role / Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ready | 2011 | Junior Artist |
| 2 | Agneepath | 2012 | — |
| 3 | Toilet: Ek Prem Katha | 2017 | Reporter |
| 4 | Pari | 2018 | Ismail |
| 5 | Mirzapur | 2018 | Babar |
| 6 | India's Most Wanted | 2019 | Bittu Sinha |
| 7 | Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega | 2020 | Anas Ahmad |
| 8 | Panchayat | 2020 | Ganesh |
| 9 | Paatal Lok | 2020 | Kabir M |
| 10 | Mirzapur: Season 2 | 2020 | Babar |
| 11 | Pagglait | 2021 | Parchun |
| 12 | Human | 2022 | Omar Pervez |
| 13 | Ghar Set Hai | 2022 | Lakhan |
| 14 | The Great Indian Family | 2023 | Tulsidas Mishra |
| 15 | Dehati Ladke | 2023 | Prashant Bhaiya |
| 16 | Panchayat: Season 3 | 2024 | Ganesh |
| 17 | Kakuda | 2024 | Kilvish |
| 18 | The Bhootnii | 2025 | Nasir |
| 19 | Bigg Boss 20 | 2026 | Contestant |
Achievements and Recognition
Aasif Khan has received recognition for his performances in films, short films and web series. One of the early major recognitions of his acting career came for his performance in the short film Vacancy.
In 2018, Khan won the Best Actor award at the Skylight Film Festival for his performance in Vacancy. He also received the Best Actor award from Cineshorts by Viacom18 for the same performance.
His role as Babar in Mirzapur became one of his most recognised performances and helped establish him as a familiar face among audiences of Indian web series.
Khan continued to receive appreciation for his performances in projects such as Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, Panchayat, Paatal Lok, Pagglait and Dehati Ladke. His ability to portray different types of characters across crime dramas, comedy, social dramas and films has contributed to his growing career.
| No. | Achievement | Year | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best Actor – Skylight Film Festival | 2018 | Won for Vacancy |
| 2 | Best Actor – Cineshorts by Viacom18 | 2018 | Won for Vacancy |
| 3 | Babar in Mirzapur | 2018–2020 | One of his most recognised roles |
| 4 | Ganesh in Panchayat | 2020, 2024 | Recognised web series role |
Personal Life
Aasif Khan was born and raised in Nimbahera, Rajasthan, in a family of four siblings. His father, Late Ayyub Khan, worked for J.K. Cement, while his mother, Firdous Ayyub Khan, is a homemaker.
Khan's early life involved several challenges, particularly following the death of his father in 2008. He worked in different jobs to support himself and his family while continuing his education and pursuing his interest in acting.
His experience of working as a waiter, working in a mall, performing theatre and later working as a casting associate became an important part of his journey as an actor. These experiences helped him develop practical knowledge of the entertainment industry before he established himself through films and web series.
Khan has remained primarily focused on his acting career and has worked across theatre, short films, television, web series and Bollywood films.