Nabhaan Rizwan: Biography, Ethnicity, Family, BAFTA

There’s something quietly compelling about watching an actor step into a role that feels like it was written for them — and then realizing they’re just getting started. Nabhaan Rizwan, the British actor who burst onto screens as the lead in BBC’s Informer, has since carved a path through some of the most talked-about productions of the past few years.

Born: 7 February 1997 ·
Birthplace: Redbridge, Essex, England ·
Nationality: British ·
Occupation: Actor, Writer ·
Known for: 1917, Informer, KAOS ·
BAFTA nominations: Rising Star (2025), Best Male Performance in a Comedy (2025)

Eight key facts, one pattern: Nabhaan Rizwan’s career is defined by rapid ascent through high-profile, diverse roles — from gritty BBC drama to Oscar-winning cinema and Netflix mythology.

Are Mawaan Rizwan and Nabhaan Rizwan twins?

Age difference and birth dates

• Nabhaan Rizwan was born on 7 February 1997 (IMDb – professional filmography).
• Mawaan Rizwan was born on 1 May 1993 (Radio Times – entertainment magazine).
• They are brothers, not twins — nearly four years apart.

Family relationship

• Both are siblings, born to the same parents: Shahnaz Rizwan (former child actress) and a father who worked as a playwright and interpreter (Wikipedia – English biography).
• Both are actors and writers, but they have built separate careers — Nabhaan in drama, Mawaan in comedy and YouTube (Radio Times – entertainment magazine).

What this means: The Rizwan brothers demonstrate how two siblings from the same creative family can forge entirely separate lanes in British entertainment.

What ethnicity is Nabhaan Rizwan?

Heritage and background

• Nabhaan Rizwan is of Pakistani descent (Silver Screen Magazine – film industry publication).
• He was born in England to Pakistani parents (Wikipedia – English biography).
• Some sources specify his family roots in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan (EthniCelebs – celebrity ethnicity database).

Representation in media

• He identifies as a British Pakistani actor, a fact that casting directors have explicitly used in roles like Raza in Informer — a British-Pakistani man recruited as a counter-terrorism spy (Elle UK – fashion and culture magazine).
• His mother, Shahnaz Rizwan, is a former child actress in Indian television, adding a transnational layer to his cultural identity (Wikipedia – English biography).

Is Nabhaan Rizwan Indian?

Nationality clarification

• Nabhaan Rizwan is British, not Indian (Wikipedia – English biography).
• His family heritage is Pakistani, not Indian. The confusion may arise because his mother acted in Indian television and his surname is common across South Asia (Elle UK – fashion and culture magazine).

Common misconceptions

• Some online sources incorrectly label him as Indian due to his mother’s Bollywood connection (Wikipedia – English biography).
• He was born and raised in England, specifically in Ilford, east London (Elle UK – fashion and culture magazine).

How many Rizwan brothers are there?

Siblings overview

• Nabhaan has one older brother, Mawaan Rizwan (IMDb – professional biography).
• They are the only two Rizwan brothers in the public eye; no other siblings are known (Wikipedia – English biography).

Mawaan Rizwan’s profile

• Mawaan Rizwan is a comedian, writer and actor who gained early prominence through his YouTube channel and later TV work (Radio Times – entertainment magazine).
• He wrote and starred in the BBC series Juice, which featured his real family, including Nabhaan (BBC – British public service broadcaster).

The pattern: The Rizwan brothers are a creative duo — Nabhaan in dramatic acting, Mawaan in comedy — but they often collaborate, with Mawaan casting his family in his projects.

Is Mawaan Rizwan a queer?

Mawaan Rizwan’s sexuality

• Mawaan Rizwan is openly queer (BBC – British public service broadcaster).
• He has spoken about his sexuality in interviews, noting how it influences his creative work (Elle UK – fashion and culture magazine).

Impact on his work

• His queer identity has shaped his comedy and writing, particularly in Juice where he explores LGBTQ+ themes through a British-Pakistani lens (BBC – British public service broadcaster).
• Mawaan’s visibility as a queer South Asian comedian adds to the diversity of representation in British entertainment (Radio Times – entertainment magazine).

Two brothers, one creative family — a comparison illustrates how their paths diverge and converge.

“Nabhaan Rizwan has stated that his childhood in east London was shaped by his mother’s efforts to expose her children to different creative pursuits while he was more focused on cricket.”

Elle UK

“Mawaan Rizwan is a comedian, writer and actor who gained early prominence through his YouTube channel and later TV work.”

Radio Times

For the British entertainment industry, the Rizwan brothers represent a shift: two siblings from a Pakistani heritage family, each carving distinct lanes — one in prestige drama with BAFTA nominations, the other in queer-led comedy on digital and broadcast. The implication is clear: if you’re a young British Pakistani actor, the path is no longer limited to a single narrative. Nabhaan and Mawaan show that it’s possible to break through in both the mainstream and the fringe, and to bring your family with you. Nabhaan Rizwan’s trajectory confirms that talent from a British Pakistani background can now command lead roles across the industry.

Related reading: Joseph Quinn · Tom Hardy

The actor’s rise from Informer to KAOS is chronicled in Nabhaan Rizwans biography, which also touches on his Pakistani heritage.

Frequently asked questions