Athar ul-Haque Malik (; born 13 November 1952), known as Art Malik, is a British-Pakistani actor. He achieved international fame in the 1980s through his starring and supporting roles in assorted British television serials and films. His breakout role was as Hari Kumar in the television serial The Jewel in the Crown (1984), which earned him a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor.
Malik starred as Zubin Khan on the BBC One medical drama Holby City (2003–2005), Francesc Gacet on Borgia (2011–2014), and Bunny Latif on Homeland (2014–2020). He is also well-known for his roles as Kamran Shah in the James Bond film The Living Daylights (1987) and the villain Salim Abu Aziz in the action comedy film True Lies (1994).
Early life and education Malik was born Athar ul-Haque Malik on 13 November 1952 in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, the son of Zaibunisa and Mazhar ul-Haque Malik, a doctor who worked as an ophthalmic surgeon in Britain. When his father got a job as a surgeon in Moorfields Eye Hospital, Malik was brought to London in 1956, aged three. From the age of eleven, he attended Bec School in Tooting.
Following an unsatisfactory stint of business studies and a term studying acting at The Questors Theatre, he won a scholarship to Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Before long, he was working with The Old Vic and Royal Shakespeare companies.
Career In 1982, five years after leaving Guildhall, Malik was cast as Hari Kumar in the Granada Television production of The Jewel in the Crown, based on Paul Scott's Raj Quartet.
In 1987, he played Kamran Shah, an Afghan mujahideen leader who allies with James Bond and leads a raid against Soviet invaders in the 007 film The Living Daylights.
Malik played the role of the son of an Indian mobster in the 1992 film City of Joy and, in 1993, narrated Salman Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories on BBC television's Jackanory.. Video from 51:24
In 1994, Malik played his first big screen villain, Salim Abu Aziz, a stereotypical Islamist, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies. Malik accepted the role, which he described as "a hoot", at a time when he had been 14 months without work and was being pursued by the Inland Revenue for £32,000. Following his appearance in True Lies, Malik was offered several roles in other action films, but turned them down, later explaining, "I didn't want to do action movies that weren't as good." He instead accepted a role in the film Clockwork Mice. Malik took a lead role of Nirad Das in the premiere in Guildford and West End production of Tom Stoppard's 1995 play Indian Ink.
In 1999, Malik played the supporting role of Olympos, the court doctor to Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, in the ABC miniseries Cleopatra.
In 2001, he narrated the television documentary Hajj: The Journey of a Lifetime for broadcast on BBC Two and in 2002 he narrated the three part television mini-series The British Empire in Colour for TWI/Carlton Television.The British Empire in Colour, imdb.com. Retrieved 16 March 2021.Documentary: The British Empire in Colour, britishempire.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
He also played Milkha Singh's father in the 2013 Hindi language film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, his first appearance in a film produced in India. Malik had a starring role in Tom Fontana's historical television series Borgia, which ran from 2011 to 2014.
In 2014, Malik played Bunran "Bunny" Latif, a retired Pakistani general in season four of Homeland, returning in the same role in season eight in 2020.
In 2017 he appeared in the first series of Bancroft.
Malik appeared in the second episodes of both series 8 of the show Doc Martin in 2017 and series 11 of Doctor Who, "The Ghost Monument" in 2018.
Personal life By Malik's account, the sudden success he enjoyed in 1984 resulted in his excessive drinking. "I was surrounded by people who admired me and I took all of that home with me" he said when interviewed in 2003. "I paid lots of attention to my ego, and not enough to my spirit. It was totally unhealthy, like an illness". The result was a strain on his marriage, leading to his wife leaving him. He also ran up high bills on his credit card, and by 1993 he owed £55,000 to the bank and £32,000 to the Inland Revenue, and was on the verge of being declared bankrupt when he got the lucrative part of Salim Abu Aziz, a terrorist, in James Cameron's True Lies. He and his wife reunited.
Malik played a big role in fundraising for relief work for victims of the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, and also appeared on the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal advertisement in 2010. He lives with his wife Gina Rowe, a fellow student at the Guildhall, whom he married in 1980. They have two daughters, Jessica and Keira. Although from a Muslim background, and having insisted that his character on Holby City should be a Muslim, Malik describes himself as "not a practising Muslim. I'm probably an apostate, and liable for any right-minded Muslim fundamentalist to put me on a list of people to stamp out".
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1979Arabian AdventureMamhoud1980Richard's ThingsDr. Mustag1984A Passage to IndiaAli1985UnderworldFluke1987The Living DaylightsKamran Shah1992Turtle BeachKananCity of JoyAshok GhatakYear of the CometNicoHostageKhalim1994UncoveredAlvaroTrue LiesSalim Abu Aziz1995Clockwork MiceLaney1995A Kid in King Arthur's CourtLord Belasco1997Booty CallAkmedUncredited1998Side StreetsBipin Raj2001TabloidPhilip Radcliffe2002Out DoneInspector Harrison2003TempoGeorge Maldonado2004FakersFoster Wright2006Nina's Heavenly DelightsRaj Khanna2008Dean SpanleySwami Nala PrashFranklynTarrant2010The WolfmanSinghSex and the City 2Shiekh Khalid2011Everywhere and NowhereUncle MirzaGhostedAhmed2012John CarterZodangan General2013Bhaag Milkha BhaagSampuran SinghDianaSamundar2016The InfiltratorAkbar BilgramiMirzyaSuchitra's father2017Halal DaddyAmir Aziz2023 The Little MermaidGrimsby2024 The GlassworkerTomas Oliver2025HamletKing ClaudiusThe Woman in Cabin 10Dr. Robert Mehta2026FortitudeIan FlemingUpcoming film
Television
YearTitleRole Notes1978Mixed BlessingsFredEpisode: "The Loneliness of the Long Term Unemployed"Doctor2 episodes1979ITV PlayhouseDaveEpisode: "The Reaper"1981Crown CourtAziz Ul HaqueEpisode: "Freedom to Incite: Part 1"1982TurkEpisode: "Be Lucky Uncle"1983BergeracRavi ChavanEpisode: "A Miracle Every Week"ChessgameFaroukEpisode: "Digging Up the Future"1984Zarin2 episodesHari Kumar6 episodesMinderShamyEpisode: "What Makes Shamy Run?"1985Julius Court5 episodes1986HaremTarik PashaTelevision filmWest of ParadiseSam McBrideFaroukDeath Is Part of the ProcessIndres1988HothouseDr. Ved Lahari7 episodes1989After the WarJerome LeBlanc2 episodesShadow of the CobraCharles Sobhraj1990StolenSalim6 episodesBoonAlex CavendishEpisode: "The Tender Trap"1991OrpheusEpisode: "Orpheus & Eurydice"1992Covington CrossSalimEpisode: "Revenge"1993JackanoryReaderEpisode: "Haroun and the Sea of Stories"Age of TreasonPertinaxTelevision film1994Karim Jackson2 episodes1996Kavanagh QCAshok Prasad QCEpisode: "Job Satisfaction"Peak PracticeMr. HussainEpisode: "Heart and Soul"1997Turning WorldShams3 episodesPath to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center BombingRamzi YousefTelevision film1998Big WomenJemalEpisode: "Well, I'm Sorry"Colour BlindHassan2 episodes1998, 2015Goodness Gracious MeVarious1998–1999Unfinished BusinessTam7 episodes1999Vicious CircleHarrisonTelevision filmTaita3 episodesLife SupportDr. Kamran Blake6 episodesCleopatraOlympos2 episodes2000In the BeginningRamesses IISecond Sight: Hide and SeekFaiz AhmedTelevision film2001Hotel!Radochek ZeiglerMessiahD.C.S. Emerson2 episodesNarratorTelevision film2002Fun at the Funeral ParlourDuke of HypnotismEpisode: "A Pocket Full of Gravel"Murder in MindPaul AsherEpisode: "Flashback"2003Messiah 2: Vengeance Is MineD.C.S. Emerson2 episodes2003–2005Holby CityZubin Khan94 episodes2005Saaman "Sam" SaharTelevision film2006Marcus IllingworthEpisode: "Late of This Parish"Dalziel and PascoeAahil Khan Episode: "A Death in the Family"Colonel Raymond Malik2 episodes200810 Days to WarAbdul Aziz al-HakimEpisode: "$100 Coffee"Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor AdventuresAbbot AbsoluteEpisode: "The Skull of Sobek"2009LewisProfessor Hamid JassimEpisode: "Allegory of Love"2010Agatha Christie's PoirotSir Bartholomew StrangeEpisode: "Three Act Tragedy"Ben HurSheikh Ilderim2 episodesNicolaus4 episodes2010–2012Upstairs DownstairsMr. Amanjit Singh9 episodes2011–2014BorgiaFrancesc Gacet32 episodes2012Masterpiece MysterySir Bartholomew StrangeEpisode: "Poirot XI: Three Act Tragedy"2013New TricksJonathan EpsteinEpisode: "The Little Brother"2014–2020HomelandBunny Latif7 episodes2015Arthur & GeorgeRev Shapurji Edalji3 episodesUndercoverRaffiEpisode #1.62016Indian SummersMaharajah2 episodesCold FeetEddie Zubayr7 episodes2017SherlockPrison GovernorEpisode: "The Final Problem"Doc MartinJohn RahmanzaiEpisode: "Sons and Lovers"BancroftAlan Taheeri4 episodes2018Erasmus Nash5 episodesDoctor WhoIlinEpisode: "The Ghost Monument"2019Silent WitnessArthur PujariEpisode: "Betrayal"President Quan3 episodes2020–2025Man Like MobeenUncle Khan6 episodes2020PenanceFr. Tom Hayesall 3 episodes2024 Renegade NellHenry Taplow1 episode The Famous FiveSir Lincoln AubreyEpisode: "The Eye Of The Sunrise"
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