Zoya Akhtar Quick Info
Height	5 ft 2 in
Weight	60 kg
Date of Birth	October 14, 1972
Zodiac Sign	Libra
Eye Color	Dark Brown

Zoya Akhtar is an Indian screenwriter, film director, producer, casting director, and actor. She has worked on a number of films and shows including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Luck By Chance, Gully Boy, Made in Heaven, Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., Dil Dhadakne Do, Talaash, Lust Stories, Ghost Stories, and Bombay Talkies. Her work has won her many accolades, including at least 6 Filmfare Awards.

Born Name

Zoya Akhtar

Nick Name

Zoya

Zoya Akhtar as seen at Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards 2016 (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0)

Sun Sign

Libra

Born Place

Bombay (later Mumbai), Maharashtra, India

Residence

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Nationality

Education

Zoya Akhtar studied at Maneckji Cooper and then attended St. Xavier’s College, from where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Afterward, she joined the New York University Tisch School of the Arts to learn film production.

Occupation

Screenwriter, Film Director, Producer, Casting Director, Actor

Family

• Father – Javed Akhtar (Poet, Lyricist, Screenwriter, Political Activist)
• Mother – Honey Irani (Film Actor, Screenwriter)
• Siblings – Farhan Akhtar (Younger Brother) (Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Playback Singer, Producer, Television Host)
• Others – Jan Nisar Akhtar (Paternal Grandfather) (Poet, Lyricist), Safiya Siraj-ul Haq (Paternal Grandmother) (Teacher, Writer), Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (Great Grandfather) (A scholar of Islamic studies and theology), Muztar Khairabadi (Great Grandfather) (Urdu Poet), Salman Akhtar (Paternal Uncle) (Poet, Psychoanalyst), Menaka (Maternal Aunt), Daisy Irani (Maternal Aunt) (Actor), Sajid Khan (Cousin) (Film Director, Television Presenter, Comedian, Actor), Farah Khan (Cousin) (Film Director, Film Producer, Actor, Dancer, Choreographer), Kabir (Cousin), Varsha (Cousin), Ritu (Cousin), Shabana Azmi (Stepmother) (Actor), Shakya (Niece), Akira (Niece)

Net Worth

According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, her net worth had been $10 Million.

Build

Average

From Left to Right – Nitya Mehra, Zoya Akhtar, and Katrina Kaif in July 2021 (Zoya Akhtar / Instagram)

Height

5 ft 2 in 157.5 cm

Weight

60 kg or 132 lbs

Race / Ethnicity

Mixed

Zoya Akhtar is of Irani Zoroastrian descent on her mother’s side.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

Short stature

Religion

She had an agnostic upbringing and does not believe in any religion.

Zoya Akhtar (Right) and Reema Kagti in 2011 (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0)

Zoya Akhtar Facts

1. She made her first theatrical film appearance as Rasa Devi’s Courtesan in the 1996 historical erotic romance film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.
2. During the initial phase of her career in the entertainment industry, Zoya Akhtar assisted directors such as Mira Nair, Tony Gerber, and Dev Benegal.
3. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with the Hindi-language drama film Luck by Chance, whose cast included Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Juhi Chawla, Rishi Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sanjay Kapoor, and others. This film won her the 55th Filmfare Award for “Best Debut Director” (shared with Ayan Mukerji for Wake Up Sid).
4. Zoya Akhtar directed the 2011 Hindi-language buddy road comedy-drama film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The film starred Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, and Kalki Koechlin and became a huge commercial success at the box office, winning Zoya the Filmfare Award for “Best Director”.
5. Her great-grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, edited the first diwan of Mirza Ghalib on his request. Later, he became a figure during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in his native Khairabad.
6. Along with her brother Farhan Akhtar, she once appeared on the Valentine’s Day charity show of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati.
7. In January 2020, Zoya and Shah Rukh Khan had a ‘fireside chat’ with Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

Featured Image by Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0