Zoya Akhtar

Perhaps the single-most influential female director of this generation with her contemporary treatment of characters, Zoya Akhtar is a master storyteller who has carved out a unique space for herself in Bollywood.

The new-age, unconventional filmmaker who gave us the country’s most critically-acclaimed films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy is one of the few female directors in the male-dominated Hindi film industry.

Born to the legendary poet and lyricist,  Javed Akhtar and screenwriter, Honey Irani, she has always been surrounded by a highly creative environment. She joined the New York University Film School to learn film production.

Before making her individual debut, she has worked as an assistant director and executive producer for many established filmmakers from the industry. 

She made her debut as director with the critically acclaimed 'Luck By Chance' in 2009.

She's been an advertising copywriter and even co-directed a music video called 'Price of Bullets' for the rock band Pentagram. She has worked as a casting director for 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Kamasutra' and 'Split Wide Open'. She was assistant director to brother Farhan Akhtar on 'Lakshya and Dil Chahta Hai'. 

She has even worked as executive producer on fellow-director and longtime friend Reema Kagti's 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd'. 

After Gully Boy, her next venture in collaboration with Reema Kagti, Nitya Mehra and Alankrita Shrivastava titled 'Made in Heaven' was released on Amazon Prime in 2019 which became a super hit.

Today, she is one of the most renowned directors and screenwriters in the industry, who has an impressive body of work. 

She is all set to work her magic with her upcoming release 'The Archies' comics.