From Modeling To Directing BA Pass 2, Shadab Khan Gets Candid About His Showbiz Journey

Shadab Khan, a filmmaker whose ascent has been nothing short of cinematic. Known for Delhi 47 KM, BA Pass 2, X or Y. His critically acclaimed drama Rabia and Olivia earned 13 global awards and was ranked among the Top 30 Hollywood films of the year, solidifying his position as a filmmaker with global command talks about his showbiz journey.

He recalls, "It has been a 30-year journey. I started my career in 1996 as an assistant editor and later worked on a few television shows as a production assistant and assistant director. From 2000 onwards, I got into modelling almost accidentally, but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful phases of my life. Over the years, I became the face of brands like Raymond, Gillette, Siyaram, and Brylcreem, along with many other male grooming campaigns. I walked the ramp for top designers, featured in music videos, and shot thousands of catalogues till around 2010."

He continued, "After that, I did a film as an actor, but eventually I found myself more connected to the creative process behind the camera. This time, I was more confident because experience teaches you far more than success alone. Direction gave me the space to express stories with maturity and vision. Coming from a small town and reaching a stage where my work received Oscar consideration has truly been a blessed and humbling journey."

His latest feature, Adhura Khwaab, produced under Nawazuddin and Faizuddin Siddiqui's Side Hero Entertainment, has already garnered 11 international awards, praised for its emotional depth, lyrical storytelling, and strong cinematic voice.

An international award-winning storyteller, Khan is celebrated for his raw emotional intensity, precise cinematic rigor, and visually arresting style. He further talks about why he didn't consider acting.

He shared, "Acting is a wonderful craft and I genuinely respect actors a lot because I have experienced that world myself. But somewhere along the way, I realized my deeper connection was with storytelling as a whole. I enjoy shaping emotions, performances, visuals, and the complete atmosphere of a project."

"Being behind the camera gives me a larger creative canvas. My journey through modelling and acting helped me understand performers better, which eventually became an advantage in direction. So while acting gave me recognition and experience, direction gave me purpose," he concluded.

In the OTT space, Khan delivered five consecutive streaming superhits-Galat, Heartbreaker Blackmail, Galat 2, and Junoon-each produced and written by veteran creator Vikram Bhatt. Khan's electric direction in Galat earned him the Best Director (Micro-Series) honour at the Youth Icon Awards.