Yasra Rizvi

Yasra Rizvi is a Pakistani actress, director, poet and writer. She is widely recognized for her portrayals of women facing difficult circumstances.

Early life and education

Yasra Rizvi was born in Islamabad on 15 November 1982. She moved to the United Kingdom to pursue higher studies. After completing her Master's degree in London, she returned to Pakistan to begin her professional journey. She initially focused on performing in theatre plays and stage productions.

Career

Rizvi transitioned from the stage to television serials to expand her reach. She earned critical acclaim for her role as a single mother in Mann Ke Moti, which aired on Geo TV in 2013. This series became a commercial hit and was broadcast in India on Zindagi TV. Following this success, she appeared as Fariha in Malika-Aliya in 2014. She also played the character Yasmeen in Woh Dubara during that same year.

In 2016, she portrayed Fatima in the women-centric serial Thoda Sa Aasman. That year, she also worked on a comedy titled Senti Aur Mental alongside Zain Afzal and Yousuf Bashir Qureshi. Although this project was intended to be her directorial debut, it was eventually cancelled in 2021.

Her television work continued through several years with appearances in Iss Khamoshi Ka Matlab (2016), Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain 2 (2016), Baji Irshad (2017) and Aangan (2017). She later appeared in Ustani Jee in 2018. In 2020, she played the lead role of Jugnu Chaudhary in the ZEE5 web-series Churails. Critics praised her performance as an ultra-rich wedding planner; a reviewer from The Express Tribune noted that her performance improves with each episode.

The Khaleej Times described her as delightful and noted her ability to bring humor to tense scenes. In 2020, she also starred in Dunk as a wife seeking justice for her husband. She played an undereducated call girl in the 2021 production Dil Na Umeed To Nahi.

Rizvi expanded into directing with several notable projects. She made her solo directorial debut in 2023 with the mystery-thriller Shanaas on Green Entertainment. A reviewer from DAWN Images praised her direction for its emotional depth and balance. She also directed Working Women in 2023, which is a series about societal challenges written by Bee Gul. Her other directorial ventures include Chand Nagar.

Beyond acting and directing, she is an established poet who writes primarily in Urdu. She became an internet sensation in 2019 due to her poetry. Her verses focus on themes such as identity and resilience. This poetic voice complements her work in the performing arts.

Personal life

Rizvi married Abdul Hadi in Karachi during December 2016. The couple welcomed a baby boy in 2021.