CEO / Editor-in-Chief: Kaniz Ali

Managing Director: Sibgha Batool

Art Director: Mirza Yasir Baig

Photographer: Danny Singh

Make Up Styling: Kaniz Ali

Jewellery: The Jewellery Trunk, UK

Location: Colonel Saab, London Holborn, UK

Shazia Mirza is a force of nature. A trailblazing British-Pakistani Muslim stand-up comedian, writer and actress from Birmingham, she has spent decades breaking barriers, shattering stereotypes and making the world laugh on her own terms. From performing in the Swiss Alps to Hong Kong, Cambodia to Kosovo, Shazia has taken her fearless, razor-sharp comedy to every corner of the globe. She has graced our television screens in some of Britain’s most demanding productions, survived Bear Grylls’ The Island and SAS: Who Dares Wins, appeared in the nation’s beloved EastEnders, and had the honour of meeting Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II not once, not twice, but three times. Oh and she once shared a stage with Robin Williams. Yes, really. Equal parts warrior and wit, Shazia Mirza is unapologetically herself and that is precisely what makes her unmissable.

Kaniz: Tell us about your background
Shazia: I am from a traditional Muslim Pakistani family, born in Birmingham, England. My parents came from Pakistan in the 1960s and were very strict with us. There were five of us, three brothers and two sisters, and they were adamant that we would all be educated and successful.
My mother was a tennis champion in Pakistan before she married my father, and she took us to participate in all kinds of sports from a very young age: swimming, football, tennis, athletics, gymnastics and cricket. We were a very sporty family, and we all went to university. My parents had a typical immigrant attitude: work hard, don’t bring shame on the family, and you must all become doctors!

Kaniz: What inspired you to head into the world of stand-up comedy?
Shazia: I feel like it wasn’t a choice, it was my calling. It is what I am meant to do in this life, and I feel there is nothing else I should be doing. It is something I love, despite how hard it can get sometimes.
I never planned to pursue this path. I would say I was guided to it, and it simply feels like the right thing. Comedy itself is such a strange pursuit that it must be something that chooses you, rather than you choosing it.

Kaniz: What aspect of comedy do you love the most?
Shazia: The laughter. When I am on stage and on a roll, when I see people laughing — nothing comes close, no feeling, no emotion compares.
Laughter is everything. It is healing, uplifting, therapeutic, joyful and hopeful. It is one of the great wonders of the world and one of the things that truly makes you feel alive.

Kaniz: What has been your most challenging role to date?
Shazia: I appeared in EastEnders a few months ago — one of Britain’s biggest soap operas. I played a paediatrician, so I finally became a doctor! It was a real challenge, however, to play such a serious role without being able to make a single joke.

Kaniz: How do you handle disagreements with fellow actors?
Shazia: I focus on my craft. That is the most important thing to me — to be the best comedian I can be. I always try to remember why I do what I do, and it is because, fundamentally, I love it.

Kaniz: How do you maintain your physical and emotional wellbeing whilst working on demanding projects?
Shazia: I exercise every day. I try to swim three or four times a week, I work hard, and I leave the rest to Allah.

Kaniz: How do you balance home life and work life with a demanding schedule?
Shazia: I try to manage my time wisely and avoid wasting it on social media or simply staring out of the window daydreaming.

Kaniz: If you weren’t a comedian, what would you be?
Shazia: I would probably be a very unhappy science teacher trying to escape my life — which is, in fact, what I used to be.

Kaniz: What is the best advice you would give to someone starting out in the world of media?
Shazia: Work hard. Do what you believe in. Perseverance, determination and tenacity are everything. And if you truly love what you do, never give up and never give in.

Kaniz: What are your three favourite make-up products and why?

Shazia:

1. Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Eyeliner — simply the best eyeliner I have ever used. It glides on effortlessly and, crucially, it stays on. I use the shades Black, Cocoa and Olive.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow — a brilliant product for highlighting and bronzing the face. So easy to use and the results are beautiful.

3. MAC Strobe Cream — I have been using this for years. It gives the most gorgeous glow to the skin before foundation and never lets me down.

Kaniz: What do you love doing in your spare time?

Shazia: I love watching any film with Al Pacino in it. I also love watching football.

Kaniz: What is your most favourite memory from your comedy career?
Shazia: Working with Robin Williams in America.

Kaniz: What is your life motto?
Shazia: “Tie your camel, but trust in God.”

Kaniz: What advice would you give to someone looking to start out in stand-up comedy?
Shazia: Ask yourself honestly do you really want to do this? If you simply want to be rich and famous, do something else, because this is genuinely hard.
There are far easier ways to become famous: date someone in the spotlight, leak a video online, take your clothes off. But jokes? That takes enormous effort and a great deal of failure.

Kaniz: You appear on television very regularly, how did that come about?
Shazia: Many years of trying, failing and trying again.

Kaniz: What are your most cherished memories and accomplishments to date?
Shazia: Meeting Queen Elizabeth II three times. Performing comedy in extraordinary places the Swiss Alps, Pakistan, Kosovo, Cambodia, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Sweden and Norway. Taking on some truly challenging television The Island with Bear Grylls and SAS: Who Dares Wins.
But my greatest accomplishment? I am still here, still doing what I love.