Updated 11 Jan, 2022 11:00am

From Mahira Khan to Ali Zafar: Celebrities ecstatic that Humayun Saeed will star in Netflix's The Crown

Humayun Saeed is already a superstar in Pakistan, with a number of hit shows and movies under his belt, but he now has the chance to become an international star with his newest role in the fifth season of Netflix's The Crown. He will be playing Dr Hasnat Khan, a surgeon whom the late Princess Diana had a relationship with.

Saeed has been mum so far but the news was officially confirmed by Variety.

Dr Khan was a British-Pakistani heart surgeon who practiced at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London. He will star alongside Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi Fayed.

Pakistan's entertainment industry is cheering the news and stars have been taking to social media to congratulate the actor for adding another feather in his cap, a year after being awarded the Pride of Performance.

Actor and style icon Ayesha Omar took to Twitter to call this the "best news ever". "Wow! So happy for our superstar, And so so proud! MashAllah! Can’t wait for this one," she wrote.

Saeed's Meray Paas Tum Ho costar Adnan Siddiqui also congratulated him on the news. "I am sure you will bring nuance to the character with your acting," he said.

RJ Anoushey Ashraf said Saeed was the "most humble superstar there ever was", calling the casting well-earned and well-deserved.

Actor Sami Khan retweeted the news with a congratulations.

Fakhar-e-Alam said he was so very proud of Saeed. "May you continue to shine brighter."

Actor Osman Khalid Butt and singer Ali Zafar also congratulated the actor on landing the role in a hit serial.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed also shared the news with a congratulatory message for Saeed.

However, some people were unhappy with the casting as it was initially speculated that Fawad Khan will be seen playing the character of Dr Khan. Fans have been sharing their disappointment online and actor Sakina Samo agreed with them.

In a now deleted tweet she had said, "I just saw the latest photo of Dr Hasnat. Humayun may look like him now, but they are showing 90s Dr Hasnat. I still think Fawad Khan would have been a class act but alas."

Samo later responded to a fan who said that Saeed had blocked her for something she said. The Dobara actor tweeted that he might block her as well and that she will no longer watch The Crown.

Twitter might be split over whether Saeed is the perfect fit for the character but most of the entertainment industry seems happy with the casting. Only time will tell whether he does justice to the character. The fifth season of The Crown will release this November and we can't wait to see what Saeed does for the role. It's about time we get a Pakistani playing the role of a Pakistani on screen.

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