10 Popular Pakistani Celebrities Who Are Non Muslim

Pakistan was founded as a homeland for South Asia’s Muslims, and roughly 96–97% of its population identifies as Muslim today. But the country’s constitution also recognizes several religious minorities — Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, and others — who make up the remaining few percent, tens of millions of people in absolute terms. A number of them have gone on to become household names in Pakistani showbiz, music, fashion, and sport, often while being remarkably open about their faith in a country where that isn’t always easy.

This guide looks at 10 popular Pakistani celebrities who are non-Muslim, covering their religion, background, and career, along with a quick-reference table and answers to the questions people ask most about them.

Quick-Reference Table

1. Sunita Marshall — Christian Actress and Model

Sunita Marshall is one of the most recognizable faces of the Pakistani drama industry. Born and raised in Karachi to a Christian family, she began her showbiz career as a fashion model before transitioning into television acting, where she built a reputation for versatility across romantic, family, and social-issue dramas. She has been open about her Christian faith throughout her career and has spoken publicly about balancing her religious identity with life in the mainstream entertainment industry. She is married to actor and host Hassan Ahmed, and the couple is often featured together in Pakistani media.

2. Bohemia (Roger David) — The Christian “King of Punjabi Rap”

Bohemia, born Roger David on October 15, 1979, in Karachi, is widely credited as the pioneer of Punjabi and Desi hip-hop. He was raised in a Punjabi Christian family whose own ancestors had converted to Christianity from Sikhism generations earlier — a household, he has said in interviews, where both the Bible and the Guru Granth Sahib were present. His family relocated to the United States when he was a young teenager, and he built his music career largely out of California. Bohemia has described his personal outlook as believing in God without being strictly religious, but he identifies his family background as Christian and has never hidden his birth name. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in South Asian hip-hop, with decades of albums, collaborations with major Bollywood and Punjabi artists, and a formative role in bringing rap to Punjabi-language music.

3. Zoe Viccaji — Christian Singer-Songwriter

Zoe Viccaji is one of Pakistan’s most prominent female vocalists, known for her work as a singer, songwriter, and model. Belonging to a Christian family in Karachi, she started writing English-language songs as a teenager before developing fluency in Urdu songwriting and becoming a fixture of Pakistan’s mainstream music scene, including multiple appearances on Coke Studio Pakistan — the country’s flagship music platform. Her career reflects how Pakistan’s non-Muslim artists have shaped the modern sound of Pakistani pop and fusion music rather than staying on its margins.

4. Deepak Perwani — Hindu Fashion Designer

Deepak Perwani is one of Pakistan’s most internationally recognized fashion designers and belongs to the Hindu Sindhi community, one of the oldest religious minority communities in the province of Sindh. Beyond designing, he has worked as a model and occasional actor. Perwani holds a Guinness World Record for designing the world’s largest kurta, and he has been a fixture of Pakistan Fashion Week and Fashion Pakistan Council events for years, mentoring younger designers and serving as a visible ambassador for the country’s fashion industry on the global stage.

5. Shabnam (Jharna Basak) — Hindu Film Legend of Lollywood

Born Jharna Basak on August 17, 1946, in Dhaka (then part of undivided Pakistan, now Bangladesh), Shabnam came from a Bengali Hindu family and was introduced to Pakistani cinema by actor Waheed Murad in the 1968 film Samundar. Over roughly three decades in Lollywood, she starred in more than 150 films and won a record 13 Nigar Awards — the most of any Pakistani actress. After Bangladesh’s independence, she continued her career in Pakistan for years before eventually relocating back to Dhaka in the late 1990s, where she has occasionally returned to acting. In recognition of her contribution to Pakistani cinema, she was awarded Pakistan’s Sitara-i-Imtiaz civil honor.

6. Rachel Gill — Christian Supermodel

Rachel Michelle Gill built her career as one of Pakistan’s leading supermodels, walking as the showstopper for major Pakistani fashion designers and later branching into Lollywood film acting. Based in Karachi, she is a practicing Christian and has been part of the modeling industry’s shift toward international-standard runway shows in Pakistan.

7. Benita David — Christian Model and Actress

Benita David is a Pakistani model and actress and the cousin of fellow celebrity Sunita Marshall. Also Christian by faith, she has worked across modeling campaigns and acting roles, building her profile within Karachi’s entertainment and fashion circuit.

8. Jia Ali — Christian Actress and Model

Jia Ali is a Pakistani actress who has worked across both television dramas and film, alongside a modeling career that began when she was 19. She identifies as Christian and has built a steady career appearing in mainstream Pakistani productions.

9. Danish Kaneria — Hindu Cricketer and Pakistan’s Leading Spinner

Danish Prabha Shanker Kaneria, born December 16, 1980, in Karachi, comes from a Gujarati Hindu family with Marwari roots and is the cousin of Anil Dalpat, Pakistan’s first Hindu Test cricketer. Kaneria made his Test debut in 2000 and went on to become Pakistan’s most successful Test leg-spinner, known for his googly and his ability to run through batting lineups on turning pitches — including a 25-wicket haul in a single series against Bangladesh early in his career. He has spoken candidly in later years about facing discrimination as a Hindu player within Pakistani cricket, and his career ended amid a match-fixing controversy in English county cricket that led to a life ban from the ECB. He remains a widely followed cricket commentator and YouTube personality today.

10. Nadia Malik — Christian Former Model

Nadia Malik was a leading name in Pakistani modeling during her active years, working with major fashion designers of the era. The daughter of a Christian bishop, she later married and stepped away from the spotlight, now living outside Pakistan.

Why Pakistan’s Entertainment and Sports Industries Include Non-Muslim Stars

Pakistan’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and reserves seats in parliament for religious minorities, who are concentrated mainly among Christian and Hindu communities in Punjab and Sindh. While minorities make up a small share of the population, they have long punched above their weight in fields like modeling, music, fashion design, and cricket — professions where visibility and talent tend to matter more than religious background. Figures like Deepak Perwani, Danish Kaneria, and Bohemia are often cited in Pakistani media as examples of minority representation and achievement, even as minority communities more broadly continue to navigate social and legal challenges in the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there non-Muslim celebrities in Pakistan? Yes. Pakistan’s entertainment, fashion, and sports industries include several well-known Christian and Hindu celebrities, including actress Sunita Marshall, designer Deepak Perwani, singer Zoe Viccaji, and cricketer Danish Kaneria.

Which Pakistani celebrities are Christian? Notable Christian Pakistani celebrities include Sunita Marshall, Bohemia (Roger David), Zoe Viccaji, Rachel Gill, Benita David, Jia Ali, and Nadia Malik.

Which Pakistani celebrities are Hindu? Prominent Hindu Pakistani celebrities include fashion designer Deepak Perwani, veteran film actress Shabnam (Jharna Basak), and former Test cricketer Danish Kaneria.

Is Bohemia the rapper Muslim or Christian? Bohemia, whose real name is Roger David, was born into a Punjabi Christian family in Karachi. He has said in interviews that he believes in God but doesn’t consider himself strictly religious, while his family background is Christian.

Who is Pakistan’s most famous Hindu cricketer? Danish Kaneria is widely regarded as Pakistan’s most successful Hindu cricketer and its leading Test-match leg-spinner; his cousin Anil Dalpat was Pakistan’s first Hindu Test cricketer.

Do religious minorities have equal rights in Pakistan? Pakistan’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and reserves minority seats in parliament, though minority communities, including Christians and Hindus, continue to face social and legal challenges in practice. This article focuses only on the public careers of the individuals listed and does not speak to their personal experiences of discrimination unless a celebrity has spoken about it publicly.

This article is based on publicly available biographical information and interviews. Religious identity is a personal matter; details here reflect what these celebrities or verified reporting have stated publicly.