Mahira Khan holds onto Sexiest Pakistani Crown

List of Sexiest Asian Women by Eastern Eye is out now

Popular actress Mahira Khan held onto her crown of the sexiest Pakistani woman on the planet and once again ranked in the top five of the globally renowned 50 Sexiest Asian Women In The World list, published annually by UK based Eastern Eyenewspaper. Mahira Khan came in fourth behind overall winner Deepika Padukone (1), Priyanka Chopra (2) and Nia Sharma (3).

This rounded off another great year for Mahira, who continued to be a strong symbol of girl power, which included being the first Pakistani to walk the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival in a major way, raising money for charity, highlighting social causes and inspiring young girls. “I am grateful to be part of this list once again. My fans are my strength so thank you to them. I think personally sexy is what sexy does and I hope to continue to work hard at what I do with as much as passion as I have been from the start,” said Mahira Khan.

Now in its 15th year,the longest running list of its kind is based on many millions of votes sent in by fans around the world, media coverage, impact and heat generated across various social media platforms. The mass interest in the 2018 edition list was such that it trended on social media across different countries during the voting process. Eastern Eye’s award-winning entertainment editor Asjad Nazir, who founded the list and puts it together annually, was full of praise for Mahira. “She is a talented actress and very beautiful, but what makes Mahira Khan really special is the way she is being a powerful global ambassador for Pakistan and empowering women in the process. The shining symbol of positivity is making a big difference with her work, by raising money for charity, highlighting social causes and inspiring working mothers to follow their dreams,”said Asjad Nazir.

By topping the list overall, Deepika Padukone rounded off another dream year that began with playing the lead role in blockbuster hit Padmaavat and ended with her marrying A-list star Ranveer Singh. Her many magical moments in 2018 ranged from a stunning turn on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet to continuing the quest to spread mental health awareness through her Live Love Laugh Foundation. For Deepika Padukone it is what is on the inside that matters and she said, “Honesty and authenticity, I find that extremely attractive. It’s empowering and liberating.”

 Commenting on Deepika Padukone topping the list for a second time in three years, Asjad Nazir said:“She is the undisputed queen of Bollywood, but Deepika Padukone also has a big heart and has remained grounded throughout her remarkable rise. Deepika’s humility has been inspirational and the way she makes a positive impact through raising awareness about mental health is showing everyone that being yourself and letting your inner light shine is the new sexy.”

Last year’s winner Priyanka Chopra came in second and had another year of making a huge impact globally. Talented actress Nia Sharma came in at number three and held onto her crown as the sexiest television star in the list for a stunning third year in a row. “As much as I want to hide my excitement right now, I cannot help but smile brightly and let out a big hurray because it truly feels awesome. I have to acknowledge my amazing fans who have made it happen for a third time in a row, telling me you own it. I want to tell them we own it. Also a big thanks to Asjad Nazir,” said Nia Sharma.

The rest of the top 10 from the 2018 list was made up of Shivangi Joshi (5), Alia Bhatt (6), Sonam Kapoor (7), Hina Khan (8), Katrina Kaif (9) and Niti Taylor (10).

The highest place newcomer in the list is rising star Ashi Singh (18) and the youngest in the list is 20-year-old television actress Shivangi Joshi (5), who continues to shine on hit TV serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.The first editor’s choice and the oldest in the list is 51-year-old actress Madhuri Dixit (45).The second editor’s choice for 2018 is actress Sanam Saeed, who ranked at number 19 and played a lead role in Pakistan’s official 2019 Oscar entry Cake along with regularly speaking about a wide array of important social issues including women’s empowerment. “Fast emerging talent Sanam Saeed is pushing creative boundaries and giving Pakistan a global sensibility with her work. The strong symbol of girl power is also building creative bridges in a way no other artist is in Pakistan. This will open up more opportunities including inspiring producers to write more powerful roles for women,” said Asjad Nazir.

The other women of Pakistani descent featured in the 2018 list are Armeena Rana Khan (24), Momina Mustehsan (32), Mehwish Hayat (40), Mawra Hocane (42), Iqra Aziz (46) and Sair Khan (49).

Other names in the 2018 list include Helly Shah (11), Drashti Dhami (12), Erica Fernandes (15), Surbhi Chandna (16), Gauahar Khan (17), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (30), Athiya Shetty (31), Jasmin Walia (38) and Jacqueline Fernandez (47).

The complete 50 Sexiest Asian Women list for 2018 is published in Eastern Eye newspaper on December 7 and the list of 50 Sexiest Asian Men is released on December 14.

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