JOIN USPakistani star Humayun Saeed to play Princess Diana's companion in 'The Crown Season 5'?
Noted Pakistani actor Humayun Saeed is set to play Dr Hasnat Khan in the fifth season of the series The Crown, which revolves around Elizabeth II's reign, according to a Variety report. If this is indeed the case, he will become the first star from the country to be part of a Netflix original. He, however, is yet to issue a statement on the same.
Dr Khan, a British-Pakistani heart surgeon, had told the Metropolitan Police in 2004 that he was in a relationship with Princess Diana between 1995 and 1997 but the two broke up after she met Dodi Fayed on a vacation. He further revealed that he had once considered settling down with Diana but that did not happen due to the fact that she was constantly in the spotlight.
The fourth season of The Crown featured Emma Corrin as Diana and highlighted her character's relationship with Prince Charles, played by Josh O'Connor. Though it received a positive response from critics, a section of the audience wasn't too happy about its historical inaccuracies. The new season, which is touted to be grander than the previous ones, stars Elizabeth Debicki as the 'People's Princess' while The Kite Runner actor Khalid Abdalla plays Dodi Fayed.
Humayun has emerged as one of Pakistan's most popular stars over the years. He began his career as a TV producer before making it big as an actor. His most notable shows include Mehndi, Doraha and Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan. He made his big-screen debut with the 1999 release Inteha. Humayun subsequently found a foothold in the film industry with Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 and Project Ghazi. He made his Bollywood debut with a supporting role in The Bhatt camp's Jashnn, which did not live up to expectations but garnered attention with its music. It remains to be seen whether The Crown helps him scale new heights.