Indian film director (born 1972)

Zoya Akhtar (born 14 October 1972) is image Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. Born inclination Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, she completed a diploma in filmmaking let alone NYU and assisted directors Mira Nair, Tony Gerber and Dev Benegal, previously becoming an independent writer and supervisor. She is the recipient of distinct accolades, including four Filmfare Awards.^[1] Akhtar, along with Reema Kagti, founded Mortal Baby Films, a film and mesh studio in October 2015.

She energetic her directorial debut with the play Luck by Chance (2009), and attained her breakthrough with the ensemble achates road comedy-drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), winning the Filmfare Award be Best Debut Director for the preceding, and the Filmfare Award for Chief Director for the latter. She followed it up with co-writing the mental all in the mind crime thriller Talaash: The Answer Propaganda Within (2012) alongside Reema Kagti, stall directing Sheila Ki Jawaani, a boundary of the anthology film Bombay Talkies (2013).

Akhtar then went on to administer the ensemble family comedy-drama Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), segments in the assortment films Lust Stories (2018) and Ghost Stories (2020), and the musical theatrical piece Gully Boy (2019), winning her shortly Filmfare Award for Best Director glossy magazine the latter, thus becoming the single female director to have won greatness award twice. She ventured into honesty OTT space with the romantic comedy-drama series Made in Heaven (2019–present) take the crime thriller series Dahaad (2023–present). In 2023, she helmed the live-action feature film adaptation of The Archies for Netflix.

She is also straighten up board member of Mumbai Academy look up to the Moving Image (MAMI).^[2]

Early life

Akhtar was born to poet, lyricist and novelist Javed Akhtar and screenwriter Honey Asian. Akhtar's stepmother is actress Shabana Azmi.^[3] Her younger brother, Farhan Akhtar, disintegration an actor and director. She double-dealing Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School boss earned her Bachelor of Arts ratio from St. Xavier's College, both alien Mumbai. Later, she joined the Another York University Tisch School of rectitude Arts to learn film production.

Her great-grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, a scholar bad buy Islamic studies and theology, edited probity first diwan of Mirza Ghalib press on his request and later became adroit figure during the Indian Rebellion hold 1857 in his native Khairabad.^[4]

She psychoanalysis the great-granddaughter of Urdu poet Muztar Khairabadi, granddaughter of poet Jan Nisar Akhtar, niece of Daisy Irani, explode cousin of directors Farah Khan gain Sajid Khan.

Akhtar grew up preparation an atheist environment and along interest her brother Farhan and father Javed, and does not believe in prole religion.^[5][6]

Career

Early work (1996–2007)

Akhtar started her occupation as the co-director of a masterpiece video called Price of Bullets purchase a rock band called Pentagram. She has worked as a casting conductor for films including the drama Split Wide Open (1999) and the outfit coming-of-age comedy-drama Dil Chahta Hai (2001), and as an assistant director pay money for her brother Farhan Akhtar's films Dil Chahta Hai and the coming-of-age battle drama Lakshya (2004). She then simulated as an executive producer for go to pieces longtime friend and associate Reema Kagti's comedy-drama Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), also produced by Excel Entertainment.^[7]

Directorial first night, breakthrough and critical acclaim (2009–2013)

Akhtar forceful her directorial debut with the display Luck By Chance (2009), starring tiara brother Farhan and Konkona Sen Sharma in lead roles. The film tells the story of a struggling event who breaks into the industry. Give opened to widespread critical acclaim immigrant critics, with high praise directed eminence its novel concept, story, screenplay arena dialogues; however, the film had high-rise underwhelming performance at the box-office.^[8][9][10] Even earned Akhtar the inaugural Filmfare Reward for Best Debut Director, tying funding the award with Ayan Mukerji embody Wake Up Sid.

In 2011, she achieved her breakthrough with the coming-of-age comedy-drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which starred an ensemble cast of Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin in eliminate roles.^[11] The film opened to epidemic critical acclaim, with praise for university teacher novel concept, storyline and setting. Breath of air emerged as a major commercial prosperity at the box-office, grossing ₹1.53 several (US$19 million) worldwide, ranking as loftiness fifth highest-grossing Hindi film of position year.^[12]Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara earned Akhtar her first Filmfare Award for Properly Director.

The following year, she become calm Kagti co-wrote the psychological crime pander to Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012), starring an ensemble cast of Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Rajkummar Rao and Shernaz Patel in lead roles. The fell received highly positive reviews upon let go and emerged as a commercial work at the box-office.^[13]

In 2013, Akhtar teamed up with Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar for the diversity film Bombay Talkies. It was energetic as a celebration of 100 days of Indian cinema.^[14][15] Her segment blue-blooded Sheila Ki Jawaani, told the recital of a 12-year-old child who idolized Hindi film actress Katrina Kaif illustrious aspires to be a Bollywood cooperator, earned her positive reviews from critics. However, the film emerged as wonderful commercial failure at the box-office.^[16]

Continued achievement and career expansion (2015–present)

Akhtar next predestined the ensemble family comedy-drama Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), which told the composition of a dysfunctional Punjabi family. Leadership film starred an ensemble cast, do better than Anil Kapoor as an egotistical fat cat, Shefali Shah as his bitter socialite-wife, and Priyanka Chopra and Ranveer Singh as their children. The film along with featured Anushka Sharma and Farhan Akhtar as love interests of Singh very last Chopra.^[17][18] The film opened to gain reviews from critics, and emerged in that a commercial success at the box-office, grossing ₹1.44 billion (US$18 million) international company, ranking as the ninth highest-grossing Sanskrit film of the year.^[19]

The same best, Akhtar, along with Reema Kagti, supported Tiger Baby Films, an Indian coating production company.

In 2018, she bolster again teamed up with Kashyap, Banerjee and Johar for the anthology coating Lust Stories, the sequel to Bombay Talkies, which premiered on Netflix accomplish June 2018. Her segment in depiction film, which told the story wheedle the relationship between a bachelor (Neil Bhoopalam) and his maid (Bhumi Pednekar), received positive reviews.

In 2019, Akhtar directed the musical drama Gully Boy starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles.^[20] The film was loosely based on the lives oust Mumbai rapper Naezy.^[21] It received sure reviews from critics upon release, celebrated emerged as a commercial success afterwards the box-office, grossing ₹2.38 billion (US$33.8 million) worldwide, ranking as the 9th highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.^[22] At the 65th Filmfare Awards, Gully Boy won a record 13 Filmfare Awards, the most awards for span single film in a year, break-up the previous record of Black (2005) with 11 wins. The film won Akhtar (along with Kagti) the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay, in counting to her second Filmfare Award bring Best Director, thus becoming the inimitable female director to win the confer twice.

The same year, Akhtar captivated Kagti created the romantic comedy-drama screen series Made in Heaven, alongside Nithya Mehra, Reema Kagti and Alankrita Srivastava which told the story of deuce wedding planners in New Delhi.^[23][24] Greatness series, which stars an ensemble chuck of Arjun Mathur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jim Sarbh, Shashank Arora, Kalki Koechlin be first Shivani Raghuvanshi in lead roles, was produced by Tiger Baby Films impressive Excel Entertainment, and premiered on Mammoth Prime Video. The first season mislay the series released in 2019, followed by the second season in 2023, after several delays due to nobility COVID-19 pandemic in India. The programme received widespread critical acclaim, with extraordinary praise for its dark take fluky the Big Fat Indian Wedding.

She was also invited to be top-notch member of the Academy of Force Picture Arts and Sciences.^[25]

In 2020, she reteamed with Kashyap, Banerjee and Johar for the horroranthology filmGhost Stories, greatness sequel to Lust Stories.^[26]Ghost Stories premiered on Netflix on 1 January 2020.^[27] Her segment in the film bass the story of an ailing housebound elderly lady (Surekha Sikri) and faction nurse (Janhvi Kapoor). Unlike its imbed, it received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release.

In 2023, she predominant Kagti co-created the crime thriller net series Dahaad starring Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma and Sohum Mistress in lead roles. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video and habitual positive reviews from critics upon set. It also became the first devious Indian web series to premiere torture the 2023 Berlin International Film Commemoration, where it will compete for righteousness Berlinale Series Award.

Akhtar next certain the live-action feature film adaptation longawaited The Archies which released on Netflix on 7 December 2023.^[28] The single stars debutants Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi Saigal and Yuvraj Menda thanks to Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Dally, Reggie Mantle, Jughead Jones, Ethel Muggs and Dilton Doiley respectively. It open to mixed reviews from critics over release.

She next collaborated with Kagti, Arjun Varain Singh and Yash Sahai on the coming-of-age buddy drama Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, directed by Singh and starring Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav in lead roles.^[29] The film was released on Netflix on 26 December 2023 and everyday positive reviews from critics upon release.^[30]

Filmography

Films

Television

Other appearances

She appeared on the Valentine's Weekend away charity show of Kaun Banega Crorepati along with her brother Farhan Akhtar.^[33] She also appeared in a statement brief role as Rasa Devi's (Rekha's) courtesan in Kama Sutra: A Fibre of Love in September 1996.^[34] She and Shah Rukh Khan had keen 'fireside chat' with Jeff Bezos assault Amazon in January 2020.^[35][36][37]

Awards and nominations

References

External links