Notable alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia include actor Shah Rukh Khan, cricketer Virender Sehwag, filmmakers Kiran Rao and Kabir Khan, actor Mouni Roy, and journalists Barkha Dutt, Anjana Om Kashyap and Arfa Khanum Sherwani. Many of them studied at Jamia’s AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, one of India’s best-known media schools.
Jamia turned 100 in 2020, and its list of former students has only grown since. It now ranks among India’s top universities, and its alumni have added National Awards, Oscar nominations and a Pulitzer Prize to their names. Here is an updated look at the university and the people it shaped.
Jamia Millia Islamia: quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 29 October 1920, Aligarh |
| Current campus | Okhla, New Delhi (moved in the mid-1930s) |
| Central university status | 1988, by an Act of Parliament |
| NAAC grade | A++ (2021) |
| NIRF 2025 | 4th among universities, 13th overall |
| Vice-Chancellor | Mazhar Asif (appointed 2024) |
A short history of Jamia
Jamia Millia Islamia was founded in Aligarh on 29 October 1920, during the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Shaikhul Hind Maulana Mahmud Hasan laid its foundation. Leaders such as Hakim Ajmal Khan, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari and Abdul Majeed Khwaja were among its early backers.
The university moved to Karol Bagh in Delhi in 1925 and later to its present campus in Okhla. When it faced a severe money crunch in the mid-1920s, Gandhi is reported to have told Hakim Ajmal Khan that he was ready to beg to keep Jamia running. It became a deemed university in 1962 and a central university in 1988.
Notable alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia
Actors
1. Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan joined Jamia’s AJK Mass Communication Research Centre for a master’s in mass communication but left to pursue acting. Three decades later he is one of the biggest film stars in the world. In August 2025 he won his first National Film Award, for Best Actor for Jawan, sharing the honour with Vikrant Massey.
2. Mouni Roy
Mouni Roy studied at Jamia before leaving to work in television. She became a household name with Naagin and moved to films, including Gold and Brahmastra: Part One, Shiva.
3. Nidhi Bisht
Nidhi Bisht is known for her work with TVF, including Permanent Roommates. She has also worked as a casting director on TVF projects.
4. Naved Aslam
Naved Aslam is a film and television actor and writer who has worked in Hindi cinema and TV for more than two decades.
5. Harsh Chhaya
Harsh Chhaya is a television and film actor, familiar to TV audiences from the 1990s and 2000s and seen in several Hindi films since.
Sportspersons
6. Virender Sehwag
Sehwag studied at Jamia while building his cricket career in Delhi. He became the first Indian to score a Test triple century and later added a second. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2023.
7. Gagan Ajit Singh
Gagan Ajit Singh is a former India hockey forward and Arjuna Award winner. He was part of India’s team that won the 2001 Junior Hockey World Cup.
Scholars and academics
8. Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi
An Islamic scholar and author known for his writings on Islamic teachings in Urdu, Hindi and English.
9. Yasin Mazhar Siddiqi
A noted historian of early Islam who served as director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at Aligarh Muslim University.
10. Muzaffar Alam
A leading historian of Mughal India, Muzaffar Alam is a professor at the University of Chicago.
Filmmakers
11. Kiran Rao
Kiran Rao studied mass communication at Jamia. She directed Dhobi Ghat (2011) and Laapataa Ladies (2024), which was India’s official entry for the Oscars and streams on Netflix.
12. Kabir Khan
A former documentary filmmaker and Jamia MCRC graduate, Kabir Khan directed Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, 83 and Chandu Champion.
Journalists
13. Arfa Khanum Sherwani
Senior editor at The Wire and a well-known anchor for its video interviews and news shows.
14. Barkha Dutt
Barkha Dutt studied at Jamia’s MCRC and rose to fame at NDTV, especially for her Kargil war reporting in 1999. She now runs the digital platform Mojo Story.
15. Anjana Om Kashyap
Anjana Om Kashyap is a prominent news anchor and executive editor at Aaj Tak, and studied journalism at Jamia.
More famous names from Jamia
- Danish Siddiqui: photojournalist who shared the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. He was killed while on assignment in Afghanistan in 2021.
- Shaunak Sen: director of All That Breathes, nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
- Rintu Thomas: co-director of Writing With Fire, also an Oscar-nominated documentary.
- Loveleen Tandan: co-director (India) of Slumdog Millionaire.
- S. Y. Quraishi: former Chief Election Commissioner of India.
For more on these stars, see our celebs section and other lists in listicles.
Frequently asked questions
Did Shah Rukh Khan study at Jamia Millia Islamia?
Yes. He enrolled in the master’s programme in mass communication at Jamia’s AJK MCRC but left before finishing to pursue acting.
Which cricketer studied at Jamia Millia Islamia?
Virender Sehwag, the former India opener, studied at Jamia Millia Islamia.
Who founded Jamia Millia Islamia?
Jamia was founded in 1920 during the Non-Cooperation Movement. Maulana Mahmud Hasan laid the foundation, with support from leaders such as Hakim Ajmal Khan and Dr M. A. Ansari.
What is Jamia Millia Islamia’s NIRF ranking in 2025?
Jamia was ranked 4th among universities and 13th overall in the NIRF 2025 rankings.
Sources: Wikipedia: Jamia Millia Islamia, Wikipedia: List of Jamia Millia Islamia people, JMI press release, September 2025.
