Pakistani actor Humayun Saeed has been cast as Diana’s companion Dr Hasnat Khan in the fifth season of the Netflix show The Crown, as confirmed by Variety. It was earlier reported that actor Fawad Khan would essay Dr Hasnat Khan’s role.
Actor Mahira Khan tweeted, “Finaaaallly it’s out!!!! So proud! So excited!!! MashAllah mashAllah. What a show! What a star :) @iamhumayunsaeed@TheCrownNetflix.”
Humayun Saeed made his acting debut in 1995 with Karooron Ka Aadmi and also won an award for best actor for his role in Ab Tum Ja Saktay Ho. He also won the National Award for Best Actor for his debut film Inteha directed by Samina Peerzada.
Who is Dr Hasnat Khan?
Hasnat Khan’s statement, read out at Diana's inquest, mentioned that his relationship with Diana began in 1995 and they met at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, BBC reported.
He stated that they were together till 1997 and she ended the relationship after she met Dodi Fayed. Khan believes that to be the reason since she wasn’t “her normal self” after she returned from a trip with Mohamed Al Fayed and his family.
Dr Hasnat Khan also revealed that he and Diana had discussed getting married but he believed that the constant “press intrusion” would make his life miserable. He believed that they’d only be able to live a normal life if they went back to Pakistan.
Diana had talked to Jemima Khan, who was then married to cricketer Imran Khan, and Dr Hasnat Khan said, “Later I got the impression she did not consider living there (Pakistan) a possibility.” Imran Khan is now Pakistan’s Prime Minister.
Jemima Khan had told Sarah Ellison of Vanity Fair, “Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan, and that’s one of the reasons why we became friends.”
Diana and Dodi Fayed passed away in a road accident in the Pont d’Alma tunnel in Paris in 1997.
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