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Meghna Gulzar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth13 December 1973

Age51 Years

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra

ProfessionWriter, Film Director, Producer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseGovind Sandhu

FamilyFather - Gulzar; Mother - Rakhee; Children - Son: Samay Sandhu

Meghna Gulzar Biography

Meghna Gulzar is an Indian writer, director and producer from Mumbai. The only child of lyricist Gulzar and actress Rakhee, she has built a career across a

Early life and background

Meghna Gulzar was born on 13 December 1973 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Raised as the only child of celebrated lyricist Gulzar and veteran actress Rakhee, she spent a portion of her childhood in Kashmir while her parents worked on extended film projects. She attended St. Xavier's High School in Fort, Mumbai, and later graduated in sociology from St. Xavier's College. In 1995 she took a short filmmaking course at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

Meghna began her working life as a freelance writer, contributing to publications such as the Times of India and an NFDC journal. Early in her film career she worked as an assistant director for filmmaker Saeed Akhtar Mirza and later assisted her father on films including Maachis and Hu Tu Tu. Alongside this, she wrote scripts, directed documentaries for Doordarshan and produced music videos.

Her first credited film work as a screenwriter appears on Hu Tu Tu (1999), and she made her directorial debut with Filhaal in 2002. While her first two feature films, Filhaal and Just Married, did not make a commercial impact, she continued to develop a clear cinematic voice and to take on projects rooted in real events and social themes.

In 2015 she directed Talvar, written by Vishal Bhardwaj, a dramatization of the widely reported 2008 Noida double murder case; the film received both critical and commercial notice. Her 2018 film Raazi, starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal and adapted from Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat, won major recognition, earning Best Film and Best Director awards at the 63rd Filmfare Awards.

Meghna has often chosen material drawn from real lives: in 2019 she completed principal photography on Chhapaak, a film based on the story of acid-attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, starring Deepika Padukone. Around the same time she announced a biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, with Vicky Kaushal associated with the project.

Public profile

Meghna has said she prefers the term Hindi Film Industry over the colloquial Bollywood. Beyond directing and writing, she is also a poet whose work has appeared in Poetry Society of India anthologies. She has cited film and music figures she admires and named favourites from actors to songs, reflecting a broad interest in cinema and the arts.

Personal life

Meghna Gulzar is married to businessman Govind Sandhu; the couple married on 9 January 2000 and have a son, Samay Sandhu. She is based in Mumbai, and her listed hometown and birthplace are both Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her listed height is approximately 163 cm (5'4").

Latest updates

In 2019 Meghna said she had wrapped shooting on Chhapaak, which was scheduled for release on 10 January 2020. She was also reported to be working with producer Ronnie Screwvala on the Sam Manekshaw biopic, a project that had Vicky Kaushal linked to the lead role.

Awards and recognition

Meghna Gulzar’s work has received national recognition: Raazi earned major Filmfare awards for Best Film and Best Director in 2018. At the 71st National Film Awards her film Sam Bahadur received the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values, a prize that also carried a cash award.

Interests and miscellany

Beyond filmmaking, Meghna is reported to enjoy painting, gardening and listening to music. She is identified with Sikhism and has remarked in interviews about personal hopes such as directing her mother Rakhee in a film.
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Recent Work

Chhapaak

Feature film based on the life of acid-attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, starring Deepika Padukone; principal photography completed in 2019 and set for release on 10 January 2020.

2020
Sam Bahadur

Biopic on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw; reported collaboration with Ronnie Screwvala and casting association with Vicky Kaushal.

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Career Highlights

  1. Directorial debut with Filhaal (2002)
  2. Directed Talvar (2015), a dramatization of the 2008 Noida double murder case
  3. Directed Raazi (2018), winner of Best Film and Best Director at the 63rd Filmfare Awards
  4. Sam Bahadur received the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values at the 71st National Film Awards
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Meghna Gulzar born?

13 December 1973

What is Meghna Gulzar known for?

Writer, Film Director, Producer

What is Meghna Gulzar’s marital status?

Married

Who is Meghna Gulzar married to?

Govind Sandhu