Who are Falaq Naaz and Shafaq Naaz, actresses and sisters of Sheezan Khan, and why they are not on talking terms

Television actress Tunisha Sharma’s sudden death on Saturday sent the industry and fans into a shock. The death, which was ruled a suicide by the police, led to her co-star Sheezan Khan being arrested for abetment. Initially, Sheezan’s family maintained a silence over the issue but a few days ago, they issued a statement requesting for privacy. Sheezan’s sisters Shafaq Naaz and Falaq Naaz are actresses themselves.

Shafaq and Falaq both hail from a middle-class family from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Shafaq, the older of the two, was born on February 7, 1993. Falaq was born 10 months later on December 2. Both sisters started their careers in entertainment in their late teens. Shafaq made her debut with the show Sapna Babul Ka..Bidaai in 2010, while Falaq’s first role was of Sita in Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev the following year.

Shafaq went on to play minor episodic roles in a number of popular shows like Crime Patrol, Adaalat, and Savdhaan India. She got her big break playing Kunti in the 2013 Star Plus show Mahabharat, and followed it up with the much-loved role of Mayuri in the SAB TV show Chidiya Ghar from 2014-17. In 2017, she made her film debut with a small role in Guest iin London. She was last seen in Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin.

Like her sister, Falaq also started her journey with episodic and small roles before her breakthrough role of Jhanvi in Sasural Simar Ka in 2013, where she appeared for almost four years. She went on to appear in popular shows like Laal Ishq and Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush. She co-starred with Tunisha in Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap.

In 2016, the two sisters had a public falling out after Shafaq accused their mother of mismanaging her money and trying to control her career. Since then, Shafaq has lived separately and as per reports, severed ties with the rest of the family. “For the past two years, I haven’t heard anything from Shafaq. We are not in contact and I would request people to stop asking me about Shafaq or what she is up to these days,” Falaq told Times of India in 2018.

 The two sisters did reunite last week after Sheezan was arrested. Their statement to the media was jointly signed by them. They also accompanied their mother to Tunisha’s funeral in Mumbai earlier this week.