He started his early education at the prestigious Aitchison College. His first acting venture came at a boy scout bonfire. He won the best actor award in a play called "Alif Noon", playing a comedy character, but never took acting seriously as a career. After Aitchison, he left for New York, United States and joined Newtown High School. Dreaming of being a lawyer, he always thought he had the talent to become one. He stayed in New York for seven years, then returned to Pakistan for a vacation where he took up the family business, Riaz Shahid Films. At the age of 19, he acted in his first film, "Bulandi", which was released in 1990.