Zoya Akhtar

Profile Overview

Zoya Akhtar (born 14 October 1972) is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi films and series. Born to Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, she completed a diploma in filmmaking from NYU and assisted directors Mira Nair, Tony Gerber and Dev Benegal, before becoming a writer and director. She is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. Akhtar and frequent collaborator Reema Kagti founded the production company Tiger Baby Films in 2015.
Akhtar made her directorial debut with the drama Luck by Chance (2009), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director. She achieved her breakthrough with the comedy-drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Director. She has since directed the comedy-drama Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), segments in the anthology films Lust Stories (2018) and Ghost Stories (2020), and the musical drama Gully Boy (2019), which won her a second Filmfare Award for Best Director. She has also worked on the streaming drama series Made in Heaven (2019–2023) and the crime thriller series Dahaad (2023).