Filmmaker Bushra Sultan lands a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia for Arts
A total of seven Pakistanis have been honoured on the list.
Superstar Hania Aamir and filmmaker Saman Kamraan have landed spots on the prestigious 30 under 30 Asia list by US magazine Forbes in the entertainment category.
The list, which recognises 30 young people who have made a significant mark in their fields, is running its 11th edition this year, with a history of including the best and brightest of Pakistan in its annual rosters.
Aamir, Pakistan’s “most followed woman” on Instagram — she recently hit 20 million followers — has been recognised for her work as an actor. In her 10-year career, she has starred in a number of crowd-favourite dramas, including Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum and Meri Zindagi Hai Tu.
She’s also set to star in Pakistan’s first Netflix original, Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo.
The actor is also actively involved in social work, having been named UN Women’s National Goodwill Ambassador in October.
Kamraan is a filmmaker who isn’t afraid to talk about topics most Pakistanis wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole.
Her short film The Bed She Made was the only Pakistani work at the Busan International Short Film Festival this year. It addressed the link between climate change and fertility in a Pakistani context.
“Through its interplay of grace and violence, this metaphorical and highly symbolic film alternates between choreographic sequences and stark depictions of domestic oppression. By turning personal suffering into embodied outcry, it confronts the systemic silencing and abusive treatment of women in rigid patriarchal societies,” programmer Professor Sébastien Simon described her film in the catalogue for the festival.
Before making The Bed She Made, Kamraan was an assistant director on Umro Ayyar, one of Pakistan’s rare sci-fi feature films.
While Pakistani artists were notably absent from the 2025 list — javelin champ Arshad Nadeem was there to represent the country — they’ve had a marked presence in earlier years, with filmmaker Bushra Sultan making it onto the list in 2024.
Other honourees include Rastah founder Zain Ahmed (2022), music producer Abdullah Siddiqui and artist Misha Japanwala (2021) and singer Momina Mustehsan (2018).