Urwa Hocane (also known as Urwa Tul Wusqua or Urwa Hussain) is a Pakistani actress, model and video jockey (VJ) based in Islamabad, Pakistan. She mostly appears in Pakistani/Urdu TV serials and soap operas and runs television programs on Pakistani TV channels.
Hocane made her film debut in the 2014 romantic comedy Na Maloom Afraad. Hocane is the elder sister of popular Pakistani as well as Bollywood actress Mawra Hocane.
As of 2016, Urwa Hocane works as a VJ and mostly appears in Pakistani films and TV series. She is constantly in the media limelight in Pakistan for her popularity as an actress, but also her high-profile romantic relationship with the popular Pakistani singer Farhan Saeed.
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 | NATIVE NAME: | عروہ حسین | |||
 | BIRTHDAY: | 2 July 1991 | |||
 | BIRTHPLACE: | Karachi, Pakistan | |||
 | PROFESSION: | Actress, VJ, model | |||
 | FAMOUS FOR: | Na Maloom Afraad | |||
 | HEIGHT: | 5’ 7” | |||
 | ALUMNI: | Bahria College | |||
 | BOYFRIEND: | Farhan Saeed (as of 2016) | |||
 | NATIONALITY: | Pakistani | |||
 | ETHNICITY: | Asian | |||
 | RELIGION: | Muslim | |||
 | FAMILY MEMBERS: | Mushtaq Hussain (father) | Mawra Hocane (sister) | Ins E Yazdan (brother) | |
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Early Life & Education
Urwa Hocane was born as Urwa Hussain on 2 July 1991 in Karachi, Pakistan. Her father Mushtaq Hussain worked as an officer in the Pakistani army and her mother is a housewife. Her father had military postings in different parts of Pakistan and, as a result, Hocane’s family moved along with him, living in different parts of the country. Hocane has a younger sister, Mawra Hocane, who appears in Bollywood movies and is a popular VJ, model and actress based in Pakistan. Hocane has a younger brother, Ins E Yazdan, who is also a Pakistani actor and mainly appears in TV serials.
The Hocane siblings attended a prestigious school in Pakistan and after completing secondary education, Urwa Hocane joined Bahria College in Islamabad for further education.
From Urwa Hussain to Urwa Hocane
Hocane’s sister, Mawra, decided to change her surname from Hussain to Hocane when she was studying in grade 7. Once her surname became popular in Pakistan and abroad, Urwa, too, decided to change her surname from Hussain to Hocane. Although her academic certificates and official documents still bear her ancestral surname, she uses the changed surname, Hocane, in her verified social media accounts.
Urwa Hocane with her siblings Ins E yazdan and Mawra Hocane.Urwa Hocane As a TV Host, Model and Actress
Before starting a career in television, Hocane took up different roles as a theatre artist. In an interview with the Express Tribune, an English daily in Pakistan, she said that at the age of 17, she participated in a nationwide VJ hunt competition, and ultimately won it. She then signed her first contract as a VJ, while she was still a teenager.
Hocane started working as a VJ at ARY Musik, a Pakistani Urdu-English music channel. Her popularity started to soar as her presentation style as a VJ was loved by many. Already a popular face due to a successful stint as a VJ, she started signing up for TV series and movies, nonetheless, unlike her sister, limiting herself mainly to Pakistan.
Hocane started her acting career in 2012 with the role of Zuni, appearing in a serial called Country Love. Since then she has appeared in many other TV series, often playing prominent roles, in popular drama series such as Eh Shaadi Nahin Ho Sakti, Meri Ladli and Madiha Maliha. When asked which had been her favourite series, she often says in interviews that Marasim was her personal favourite. In Marasim, she plays the role of a girl who is forced to marry a stranger due to family pressures.
Two years later, in 2014, Hocane made her film debut in Na Maloom Afraad, which further strengthened her popularity in Pakistan and among Pakistanis living in the diaspora.
As of 2016, she still works as a VJ and is, reportedly, doing 3 new movies, Maalik, Jhol and Two+Two.
Personal Life
Urwa Hocane, according to media reports, has been in a relationship with popular Pakistani singer Farhan Saeed. Though tabloids in Pakistan frequently cover their romantic relationship, as of 2016, nothing has been publicly announced about any upcoming wedding plans.
When asked about her acting inspirations, in a media interview, Hocane said that she liked Drew Barrymore and Kate Winslet. In addition, Bollywood actresses Kareena Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut were also her acting inspirations.
Urwa Hocane Controversies
In March 2016, various tabloids, including the Daily Pakistan, published Hocane’s photos taken in an Indian nightclub. In the photos, Hocane is drunk and can be seen drinking straight from a bottle. The incident, reportedly, took place when she visited India for a possible movie deal. After the photos were widely shared online, she suffered a social media backlash, as many commenters blatantly criticised her, supposedly, ‘un-Islamic’ lifestyle.
