Arshi Khan is an Indian model, actress and reality TV personality from Bhopal. Most viewers know her from Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss 11 in 2017, and she went back to Bigg Boss 14 as a challenger in 2020. In late 2025 and 2026 she was in the news again over reports that she would marry Afghan cricketer Aftab Alam. She has said the two are only friends.
Quick facts
- Full name: Arshi Khan
- Date of birth: November 29, 1989 (some older profiles say November 28)
- Age: 36 as of November 2026 (she turns 37 on November 29, 2026)
- Birthplace: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, according to Wikipedia
- Profession: Model, actress and television personality
- Known for: Bigg Boss 11 (2017) and Bigg Boss 14 (2020 to 2021)
Arshi Khan is an Indian model and actress who started out in Tamil films and later made her name on Hindi television. She first drew wide attention in 2015, when she posted on Twitter that she had been physically involved with Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi. The post went viral in both India and Pakistan. In 2017 a childhood friend of hers told the press that she made the claims to become famous. Arshi later said the tweet was a mistake and that she respects Afridi a great deal.
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Early Life and Afghan Roots
Arshi Khan was born on November 29, 1989, and grew up in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Wikipedia gives Bhopal as her birthplace. Many older profiles say she was born in Afghanistan and came to India at the age of four, but she has disputed that.
Her family’s roots are in Afghanistan. In interviews she has called herself an Afghan Pathan from the Yusufzai ethnic group. She has also said her grandfather came to India from Afghanistan and worked as a jailer in Bhopal. She has made clear that she is an Indian citizen. She has also said that people often wrongly assume she is from Pakistan.
She went to school and college in Bhopal. Theatre interested her from childhood. After her studies she moved to Mumbai to build a career in modelling and entertainment.
Career
Arshi Khan began in films and music videos, but her big break came from reality television.
- Films: Her first film was the Tamil movie Malli Mishtu. Sources disagree on its release year.
- Bigg Boss 11 (2017): She was a contestant on the Colors TV show hosted by Salman Khan. It made her a household name in India.
- Television after Bigg Boss: She appeared in Ishq Mein Marjawan and Savitri Devi College & Hospital. She also did a dance number to the song “Bidi Jalaile” on Bitti Business Wali.
- Web and music: She played a journalist in the web series Mail Trail and acted in Raat Ki Rani Begum Jaan. She has also appeared in music videos.
- Bigg Boss 14 (2020 to 2021): She went back into the house on Day 66 as one of six former contestants who entered as “challengers,” alongside Rakhi Sawant, Vikas Gupta, Manu Punjabi, Rahul Mahajan and Kashmera Shah.
Her time in Bigg Boss 11 brought fresh trouble too. While she was inside the house, a court in Jalandhar issued an arrest warrant against her, according to Wikipedia and Pakistan’s Express Tribune.
Politics
In 2019 Arshi Khan joined the Indian National Congress to take part in the Mumbai elections. Later the same year she resigned from the party, saying she had professional commitments.
Controversies
Most of Arshi Khan’s fame comes from controversy, a point she has made herself in interviews. The best-known cases are:
- Shahid Afridi (2015): Her tweet claiming she had been involved with the cricketer went viral, and media covered it again during Bigg Boss 11. She later called the tweet a mistake. Reports since then have described the claim as untrue.
- Radhe Maa (2015): Wikipedia records that she made a public claim about the spiritual leader that same year.
- Bigg Boss 14 finale (2021): Social media users trolled the dress she wore to the finale, calling it a copy of a Lady Gaga outfit.
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Relationship Status
Arshi Khan is not publicly confirmed to be married or engaged as of November 2026.
- 2021: She told the media she was due to get engaged in October 2021 to an Afghan cricketer her father had approved. She said the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could end the match, and later reports said the engagement was called off.
- Late 2025: Entertainment sites, citing a Tellychakkar report and unnamed sources, said she would marry Afghan cricketer Aftab Alam in February 2026.
- Her answer: In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, she said she has known Aftab Alam since 2020 and that they are good friends. She said a romance or marriage is not possible because he is already married and has five children. Aftab Alam has not made a public statement.
Arshi Khan Age, Height and Wiki
Arshi Khan is 36 years old (born November 29, 1989). Fan-run profile sites usually give her height as about 5 ft 5 in (165 cm). She has never confirmed that figure herself.
- Name at birth: Arshi Khan
- Nickname: Arshi
- Occupation: Model, actress, dancer and television personality
- Date of birth: November 29, 1989
- Place of birth: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India (some profiles list Afghanistan, which she has disputed)
- Nationality: Indian
- Ethnic roots: Afghan Pathan (Yusufzai)
- Hometown: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Debut film: Malli Mishtu (Tamil)
- Best-known TV: Bigg Boss 11 (2017), Bigg Boss 14 (2020 to 2021)
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FAQ
How old is Arshi Khan?
Arshi Khan was born on November 29, 1989. That makes her 36 as of November 2026, and she turns 37 on November 29, 2026. Some older profiles give November 28, but Wikipedia lists November 29.
How tall is Arshi Khan?
Celebrity profile sites usually list her at about 5 ft 5 in, or 165 cm. She has not published an official height, so treat this figure as an estimate.
Is Arshi Khan married to Aftab Alam?
No marriage has been confirmed. Reports in late 2025 said the two would marry in February 2026, but Arshi Khan later said they are only friends and have known each other since 2020. She added that he is already married with five children.
Is Arshi Khan from Afghanistan or India?
She is an Indian citizen with Afghan roots. She grew up in Bhopal, and Wikipedia gives Bhopal as her birthplace. She has said her family belongs to the Yusufzai Pathan group and that her grandfather came to India from Afghanistan.
What is Arshi Khan known for?
She is best known as a contestant on Bigg Boss 11 in 2017 and a challenger on Bigg Boss 14. She first made headlines in 2015 with a viral tweet about cricketer Shahid Afridi, which she later called a mistake.
What is Arshi Khan doing now?
In 2025 and 2026 she has mostly been in entertainment news through interviews about her Bigg Boss days and the Aftab Alam wedding reports, which she has denied. No major new film or TV project of hers has been confirmed for 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Arshi Khan
- Siasat Daily: “Not Pakistani, I’m Afghani Pathan,” Arshi Khan on her nationality
- The Tribune (India): Arshi Khan almost got engaged to Afghan cricketer
- IBTimes India: Ex-Bigg Boss contestant Arshi Khan resigns from Congress
- CricTracker: Arshi Khan admits the Afridi tweet was a mistake
- Express Tribune: Arrest warrant issued against Bigg Boss contestant Arshi Khan
- Prabhat Khabar: Arshi Khan responds to Aftab Alam relationship reports
- India.com: Reports of a February 2026 wedding with Aftab Alam
- IMDb: Arshi Khan
