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PRINCE OF DOCS

Who is Mobeen Azhar and what’s his net worth?

THE Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash and a Conservatorship - a new film that seeks to uncover the truth behind the conservatorship Britney has been held under - airs this weekend.

But who is the film-maker behind the eagerly-anticipated documentary?

Mobeen Azhar is the journalist behind the new Britney documentary
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Mobeen Azhar is the journalist behind the new Britney documentaryCredit: WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' Digit

Who is Mobeen Azhar?

Mobeen has been an investigative journalist and film-maker for more than 15 years, winning a Bafta in 2017 for his work on the BBC Two documentary Muslims Like Us.

The Huddersfield-born star is a second-generation British Asian. His father worked as a bus driver and his mother was a shopkeeper.

Speaking about his upbringing to he said: "I watched my mum and dad talk to people and get the best from them, even when they were barely speaking the same language!

"First and foremost, I'm interested in people, their lives and their stories."

Mobeen decided to pursue a career in journalism after completing a law degree. Speaking to , he said: "I went back to university to study broadcast journalism. I wanted to document peoples’ lives and tell untold stories.

"At last, I'd found my purpose. Flash forward to 2016 and I've reported for Panorama on a Taliban hunting police force in Karachi: I spent a month embedded with a specialist task force. We went on a night raid and actually got shot at by the Taliban."

Mobeen's work includes Hometown: A Killing, A Black and White Killing: The Case that Shook America, The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On, Plastic Surgery Undressed and The Best Pakistani Transgender Retirement Home.

Mobeen has been working as a journalist and film-maker for more than 15 years
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Mobeen has been working as a journalist and film-maker for more than 15 yearsCredit: WARNING: Use of this image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' Digital Picture

What’s his net worth?

It is unclear how much money Mobeen has in the bank, although he has spent a lot of his income on Prince concerts - seeing the Purple Rain star a whopping 53 TIMES!

The journalist, who has written a book and made a documentary about Prince, even managed to get on stage with the musician in 2013.

Mobeen continues to be influenced by Prince. Speaking in a 2015 interview, the film-maker said: "Even today, as a 35-year-old man, when I'm in a situation with work or personal life, I ask, what would Prince do?"

The #FreeBritney campaign is growing across the world
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The #FreeBritney campaign is growing across the worldCredit: AFP

What has he said about his forthcoming documentary Framing Britney Spears?

Speaking of his latest documentary on Britney, the journalist said: "I went to LA in search of the truth of how Britney Spears, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, ended up in a conservatorship.

"I found myself in a world of lawyers, superfans and paparazzi and spent time with many of the people who’ve had a front row seat in Britney’s life.

"This film taps into the energy of the #FreeBritney movement and questions the industry, fandom and the laws that facilitate conservatorships."

The new BBC documentary follows the recent New York Times-produced documentary, Framing Britney Spears, which covered a similar subject.

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