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Zoya Akhtar (Film Director) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth14 October 1972

Age51 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionFilm Director and Screenwriter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried (rumoured)

SpouseSharic Sequeira (rumoured)

FamilyFather - Javed Akhtar; Mother - Honey Irani; Step-Mother - Shabana Azmi; Brother - Farhan Akhtar; No sisters listed; Pet dog - Zen

Net worth$10 million

Zoya Akhtar (Film Director) Biography

Zoya Akhtar is an Indian film director and screenwriter from Mumbai. Trained at St. Xavier’s College and New York’s Tisch School of the Arts, she emergedas

Early life and background

Zoya Akhtar was born on 14 October 1972 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She grew up in the city that remains her hometown and was educated at Maneckji Cooper School in Juhu. For higher education she attended St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai and later studied at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Akhtar was raised in a family active in film and literature. Her father is lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar and her mother is Honey Irani, a former actress and screenwriter. Her brother is Farhan Akhtar, who works as an actor, producer, director, screenwriter and singer. Her stepmother is actress Shabana Azmi. The family background includes several generations connected to Urdu poetry and literary figures.

Career

Zoya Akhtar began working in film in roles behind the camera. Early credits include assistant director work on Bombay Boys (1998) and contributions as casting director on projects such as Dil Chahta Hai and Split Wide Open. She also co-directed a music video for the rock band Pentagram and spent time as an executive producer on Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007).

Her feature directorial debut came with Luck By Chance (2009), for which she also shared screenplay and story credits. That year she received recognition as a debut director, an honor she shared with Ayan Mukherji. Akhtar continued to build her profile with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), a film that earned her Best Director awards at both the Filmfare Awards and the IIFA Awards and was noted for its box-office success and critical reception.

Across her career she has worked in multiple creative capacities: director, screenwriter, assistant director and executive producer. Her collaborations and long-term professional relationships have included work with Excel Entertainment and filmmaker Reema Kagti.

Public profile

Akhtar is known for a public persona shaped by both her films and her family connections. She is described in the available information as agnostic in matters of religion. Physical details listed include an approximate height of 160 cm (about 5'3"), weight around 65 kg (143 lbs), dark brown eyes and black hair. Personal interests noted are writing, reading and travelling, and she is a dog lover who has a pet dog named Zen.

Personal life

Public material lists Sharic Sequeira, an assistant director and producer, as a long-term partner; some sources describe them as married but that detail is presented as rumoured in the available information. Akhtar’s parents and siblings are publicly documented: father Javed Akhtar, mother Honey Irani, stepmother Shabana Azmi and brother Farhan Akhtar.

Other information and recognitions

Zoya Akhtar has earned multiple industry awards, including Filmfare and IIFA recognition for Best Director for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011. Her debut film earned a best debut director award in 2009.

Latest updates

In October 2021 she was publicly noted for commenting “just married” on an Instagram post connected to a friend of Sharic Sequeira. Other personal details included among less central facts are favourite fruits listed as litchi and mango, and a noted preference for actor Hrithik Roshan.
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Recent Work

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Director; film that won Best Director awards at Filmfare and IIFA in 2011 and achieved notable box-office success.

2011
Luck By Chance

Directorial debut; also credited for screenplay and story.

2009
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.

Executive producer credit on the 2007 film.

2007
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Career Highlights

  1. Directed debut feature Luck By Chance (2009)
  2. Won Filmfare Best Director for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
  3. Won IIFA Best Director for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
  4. Worked as assistant director, casting director and executive producer early in career
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Net Worth

$10 million

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Zoya Akhtar (Film Director) born?

14 October 1972

What is Zoya Akhtar (Film Director) known for?

Film Director and Screenwriter

What is Zoya Akhtar (Film Director)’s marital status?

Married (rumoured)

Who is Zoya Akhtar (Film Director) married to?

Sharic Sequeira (rumoured)

What is Zoya Akhtar (Film Director)’s net worth?

$10 million