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Rana Ayyub Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 May 1984

Age41 Years

BirthplaceSrinagar, J&K, India

ProfessionJournalist, Author, Columnist

NationalityIndian

FamilyFather - Mohd. Ayyub Waquif; Sister - Iffat Shaikh

Rana Ayyub Biography

Rana Ayyub is an Indian journalist, author and columnist from Srinagar known for investigative reporting, work at Tehelka, and public-facing journalism. Tr

Early life and background

Rana Ayyub was born on 1 May 1984 in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Raised in an upper-middle-class family, she completed her early schooling in Srinagar before moving to New Delhi for higher studies. She earned a postgraduate degree in Social Communications and Media from Jamia Millia Islamia.

Her father is Mohd. Ayyub Waquif. Public information lists a sister, Iffat Shaikh; other immediate family details are not publicly documented in the supplied source.

Career

Ayyub built a career in journalism, working as a freelancer for various news channels before joining Tehelka in 2008 as an investigations and political affairs journalist. Her reporting has included investigative work on alleged fake encounters in Gujarat, a piece recognized by Outlook magazine as one of the 20 greatest magazine stories worldwide.

She has experience beyond print reporting, including filmmaking and radio projects, and has taken on roles in other media: in 2016 she portrayed a journalist in the Bollywood film Chalk n Duster. In recognition of her journalism, she received the Sanskriti Award in October 2011 for excellence in the field.

Public profile

Ayyub is identified professionally as a journalist, author and columnist. She has been publicly critical of the Narendra Modi–led Bharatiya Janata Party government. Her work and public positions have placed her in the national spotlight, and she maintains a visible presence in media and cultural circles.

Controversies and legal matters

The supplied information records disputes and legal actions involving Ayyub. She resigned from Tehelka in 2013 amid tensions related to a sexual assault charge against the editor-in-chief at the time. Later, authorities took action related to crowdfunding campaigns she ran. In February 2022, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets reportedly linked to funds raised via an online crowdfunding platform; the agency described the total amount raised through that platform and detailed withdrawals across family members’ accounts, and later filed a chargesheet in October 2022 alleging unlawful acquisition of funds. The sourced summary also references earlier editorial disputes at Tehelka involving dropped stories and editorial decisions.

Personal and miscellaneous

Ayyub’s listed personal details include a height of approximately 168 cm (about 5'6") and a weight around 60 kg (132 lbs). Her eye and hair color are described as black. She is identified as Indian by nationality and as Muslim by religion. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. Hobbies noted in the source include traveling, reading and listening to music.

Latest updates

As of the information provided, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a chargesheet in October 2022 related to the crowdfunding campaigns previously mentioned. No verified information about marital status or a spouse is included in the supplied material.
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Recent Work

Chalk n Duster (role: journalist)

Appeared as a journalist in the 2016 Bollywood film Chalk n Duster.

2016
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined Tehelka in 2008 as an investigations and political affairs journalist
  2. Received the Sanskriti Award for excellence in journalism (2011)
  3. Investigation into alleged Gujarat fake encounters listed by Outlook among greatest magazine stories worldwide
  4. Appeared in the film Chalk n Duster (2016)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rana Ayyub born?

1 May 1984

What is Rana Ayyub known for?

Journalist, Author, Columnist