Umar Daraz began his acting career with a
PTV play in 1968. In 1971, Daraz embarked on his Pashto film career, playing a defiant tribal chieftain in
Dara Khyber. According to his younger brother, Ishrat Abbas, Daraz was never cast as the hero of a film. He played the villain in nearly 700 Pashto films and 350 Urdu and
Punjabi films. He acted in
Pashto and
Hindko dramas. Daraz's hit Pashto movies include
Goongai,
Speen Sterge,
Da Oche Khan,
Khabara Da Izzat Daa, and
Lewanai. His most successful Urdu film is
Ghazi Ilam Deen Shaheed, while his most well-known Punjabi film is
Paani. After the decline of the film industry, Daraz ended his film career, but later started performing in CD dramas. However, during the last part of his life, he struggled with finances. ==Recognition==