Farhan Akhtar | |
|---|---|
 Akhtar with wife Shibani Dandekar in 2025 | |
| Born | (1974-01-09)9 January 1974 (age 51) Mumbai,Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater | H. R. College |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2[1] |
| Parent(s) | Javed Akhtar (father) Honey Irani (mother) |
| Relatives | Akhtar family |
| Awards | Full list |
Farhan Akhtar (born 9 January 1974)[2] is anIndian actor, filmmaker and singer who works inHindi films. Born to screenwritersJaved Akhtar andHoney Irani, he established the production companyExcel Entertainment, along withRitesh Sidhwani, in 1999.[3]
Akhtar made his directorial debut with the coming-of-age filmDil Chahta Hai (2001),[4] receiving critical acclaim for portraying realistic modern Indian youth, and winning theNational Award for Best Hindi Film and Filmfare Awards forBest Film (Critics) andBest Screenplay.[5] He then directed the war filmLakshya (2004),[6] the action thrillerDon (2006) and its sequelDon 2 (2011).[7]
As an actor, Akhtar made his screen debut with the musical dramaRock On!! (2008),[8] for which he won a second National Film Award for Best Hindi Film (as producer) as well as theFilmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He starred in, wrote the dialogues for, and produced the buddy-road filmZindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011),[9] which won him Filmfare Awards forBest Film,Best Supporting Actor andBest Dialogue. Akhtar then portrayed athleteMilkha Singh in the biopicBhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013),[10] winning theFilmfare Award for Best Actor. His subsequent roles were in the family dramaDil Dhadakne Do (2015), the crime thrillerWazir (2016), and the dramasThe Sky Is Pink (2019) andToofaan (2021).
Farhan Akhtar was born inMumbai, the second child of screenwritersJaved Akhtar andHoney Irani. He has one elder sister, the writer–directorZoya Akhtar. His ancestors belonged toGwalior,Madhya Pradesh. He was very young when his parents divorced; his father married actressShabana Azmi in 1984.[11] His mother retained the family home inBandra Bandstand and raised her children there. Akhtar studied at Maneckji Cooper School inMumbai and then pursued a law degree atHR College, also in Mumbai.[12] Akhtar's father, aMuslim by birth and culture, is a socialist and has described himself as anatheist; Akhtar's mother, born into anIrani Zoroastrian family in India, is indifferent to religion, and was content to let her children grow up with no religion. Akhtar has stated that he is an atheist.[13]
Akhtar's family hails fromKhairabad in theAvadh region of present-dayUttar Pradesh, and he comes from a long lineage ofUrdu poets. He is the grandson of Urdu poetJan Nisar Akhtar and great-grandson of Urdu poetMuztar Khairabadi.[14][15] On his mother's side, Akhtar is the nephew of the child actressDaisy Irani and the first cousin of choreographer & directorFarah Khan and film directorSajid Khan.[16][17]
Akhtar marriedAdhuna Bhabani in 2000, after being in a relationship with her for 3 years.[18][19] They first met during the filming of his directorial debutDil Chahta Hai, which also marked Bhabani's debut as a Bollywood hairstylist.[20] The couple has two daughters named Shakya and Akira.[21] On 21 January 2016, they announced their separation after 16 years of marriage.[22] Their divorce was finalised on 24 April 2017, with Bhabani having custody of their children.[23]
Akhtar started datingVJShibani Dandekar in 2018.[24] On 19 February 2022, they got married in a non-religious ceremony at hisKhandala farmhouse.[25]
Akhtar worked as an apprentice in film distribution and direction forYash Chopra'sLamhe (1991)[26] when he was 17 years old and later moved to an advertisement production house named "Script Shop" to spend an approximate 3 years there.[27] He also assistedPankaj Parashar as a director inHimalay Putra (1997)[28] before launching himself into direction and writing.[29]
Akhtar made his writing and directorial debut with the critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy-dramaDil Chahta Hai (2001), produced byExcel Entertainment, a production company he established along withRitesh Sidhwani in 1999.[30] It was shot over a period of three months inSydney,Goa andMumbai.[31] Due to its acclaim, he called it a "turning point" in his career.[32] The film dealt with the lives ofwesternised urban youth inMumbai. Akhtar had written the script based on his trips toGoa andNew York City, as well as a narration of a story outline by a friend of his, Kassim Jagmagia, who would eventually become a co-producer at Excel Entertainment in the future.[33] It received international critical acclaim and attained an iconic status, with Akhtar receiving credit for starting a "new wave" in Indian cinema.[34] Critic Ziya Us Salam praised Akhtar's direction and commented forThe Hindu: "In his maiden venture,Javed Akhtar's son shows enough glimpses of his pedigree to indicate that promise will attain fulfilment sooner than later."[35] Various award shows conferred accolades on the film and nominated it for several categories. The film won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for 2002, in addition to theFilmfare Award for Best Film (Critics).[36] It was also screened at theInternational Film Festival of India,[37] thePalm Springs International Film Festival,[38] and theAustin Film Festival.[39] In the same year, he and his sisterZoya Akhtar assisted theirfather in writing the English lyrics of a song inLagaan, for which the soundtrack was scored byA. R. Rahman.[40]
Akhtar's next project was the war dramaLakshya (2004), a film about an aimless youngster finally setting a goal for himself, starringAmitabh Bachchan,Hrithik Roshan andPreity Zinta. It was shot inLadakh,Dehra Dun andMumbai, and marked the beginning of the collaborations between Akhtar and Roshan.[41] He had to research the army before writing the script and directing the venture.[42] The theme of the film, as stated by Akhtar, was about "finding oneself". He also believed that if the same characters and situation were set elsewhere, the main core of the story would remain the same as the film was not about war, as it had been reported.[41] Post-release, the film failed to make a mark at the box office and became a commercial failure.[43] Parul Gupta ofThe Times of India gave it a negative review and explained that "It's hard to reconcile to such triviality when it comes from Farhan Akhtar, considered the ultimate symbol of cool in Hindi filmdom."[44] On the contrary, Manish Gajjar fromBBC wrote, in his positive review: "Young Farhan Akhtar, proves yet again that he is one of the finest directorsBollywood has to date. He has paid full attention to the script and the technical aspects, giving rise to a polished product".[45] Over the years, the film became a cult classic and was praised to be one of the best movies ever made.[46] 20 years after Lakshya was released, Akhtar, in an interview, stated that the movie made a huge impact in motivating youth across India to join theIndian Army.[47]
Meanwhile, Akhtar wrote the English lyrics ofGurinder Chadha'sHollywood filmBride and Prejudice (2004), along with his sister,Zoya Akhtar, after being recommended by hisfather.[48] The music for the film was composed byAnu Malik and consisted of a mixture ofHindi songs,West Side Story,Fiddler on the Roof andGrease.[49]
In 2006, Akhtar directed, produced and wrote the screenplay ofDon starringShah Rukh Khan in the title role alongsidePriyanka Chopra, a remake ofDon (1978), starringAmitabh Bachchan andZeenat Aman.[50] It marked his first project holding the status of a remake. The character ofDon became iconic and popular. Despite this, he noted that he did not mean to be a "torchbearer of the remake brigade" and did not feel comfortable with being credited for the trend of remakes in the film industry.[51] The film released on 20 October 2006 and was declared a "hit" at the box office, grossing around₹1.05 billion (equivalent to₹3.4 billion or US$40 million in 2023) worldwide.[52] The film was particularly noted for its dialogues.[53] However, critics predominantly condemned Akhtar's direction and screenplay.Taran Adarsh ofBollywood Hungama said Akhtar had "climbed the ladder as far as craftsmanship is concerned [every frame is well decorated and makes a spellbinding impact] but despite a readymade classic at his disposal, the storyteller just doesn't get it right this time."[54]
In 2007, Akhtar produced the filmHoneymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., directed by debutantReema Kagti and starringAbhay Deol,Minissha Lamba,Shabana Azmi andBoman Irani. The music for the film was composed byVishal–Shekhar, marking their first collaboration with him.[55] Akhtar was supposed to make his acting debut with the film, but he had to be replaced byAbhay Deol as he was involved withDon.[56] The film was financed and funded by Exim Bank.[57] This was the first time Excel Entertainment collaborated with a different director as all their previous projects had been involving Akhtar as a director. The story of the film revolved around six couples who went toGoa on a honeymoon.[citation needed] The film opened up on 23 February and received mixed reviews from critics,[58] and ended up with an "average" box office result.[59]
In the same year, Akhtar directedPositive, a film produced by Shernaz Italia and Frenzy Kodaiji, starringBoman Irani andShabana Azmi.[60] It was a short film running for 12 minutes. Dealing with a family's attitude towards a person suffering fromHIV-AIDS, the film was shot inMumbai and aimed at creating awareness about the problem. It also introducedArjun Mathur in the film industry. Speaking about the purpose of the project, Akhtar stated that "Just as a social stigma, many people believe that anHIV patient should be isolated. They also have certain misconceptions about dealing with the disease. And sinceIndia has a lot of joint families, it becomes very important for them to understand the value of support to the person who has acquired this disease. This is exactly what Positive talks about." The film had its background score composed byRam Sampath but had no soundtrack.[61] It was a part of the "AIDS JaaGo" ("AIDS Awake"), a series of four short films, directed byMira Nair,Santosh Sivan,Vishal Bhardwaj and himself, in a joint initiative ofMira Nair'sMirabai Films, voluntary organisationsAvahan and theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[62]
Akhtar's first project in 2011 as a writer and producer was themysterythrillerGame, directed byAbhinay Deo.[63] The lead cast consisted ofAbhishek Bachchan,Kangana Ranaut,Boman Irani andJimmy Shergill. The film received highly negative reviews post release, with critics panning almost all the aspects of it.[64] At the box office, it had a poor opening, and later resulted in giving losses for the distributors, due to a heavily negative word-of-mouth. It was described as a "washout" by trade analysts.[65]
Later that year, Akhtar wrote, produced and directedDon 2, a sequel to his previous ventureDon (2006). It marked his return to direction after a gap of nearly 5 years. His decision of making a sequel was explained by him in an interview: "I am wary of sequels having to be made. WithDon 2 I could finally make an action thriller the way I wanted to. Good story, classic action and simple plot which has one goal and work towards it effectively and dramatically."[66] The film was a major success inIndia and went on to become the year's highest-grossingBollywood production in overseas markets[67] with a worldwide gross of₹2.1 billion (equivalent to₹4.0 billion or US$47 million in 2023).[68] It received predominantly positive reviews from critics,[citation needed] withKhalid Mohammed stating: "Throughout, you can't help feeling that Farhan Akhtar could have made three far more valuable films out of the budget squandered on this thriller where cars are smashed as if they were tea cups."[69]
In 2012, Akhtar produced and wrote the script of theneo-noir thrillerTalaash: The Answer Lies Within.[70] His production work was followed by the comedy filmsFukrey (2013),Bangistan (2015) andFukrey Returns (2017), the time-travel romanceBaar Baar Dekho (2016) and the action filmRaees (2017).[71][72]
In 2008, Akhtar made his solo acting and singing debut in the musical dramaRock On!!, for which he wrote the script and also produced. The film was directed byAbhishek Kapoor, and co-starredPrachi Desai,Arjun Rampal andPurab Kohli.[73] As he had been learning guitar ever since the start of his directing career, he had been well-versed with it and used it for the film. He played the role of Aditya, the lead singer of the rock band "Magik". He sang five songs for the soundtrack album.[74]Rock On!! received critical acclaim upon release. Gaurav Malani ofThe Economic Times wrote that the film seemed to be "clearly designed by Farhan Akhar as his own acting debut and he doesn't let himself down. Lending voice to all his songs helps him to get into his character with effortless ease. One could certainly overlook the lisp in his dialogue delivery."[75] Manish Gajjar ofBBC wrote of his performance: "Director-turned-actor, Farhan Aktar surprises all with his superb, flawless performance, transforming from a hippy-style lead-singer to a subdued, dismal workaholic banker."[76] Akhtar received several accolades for his debut performance. The film, in addition won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. However, it did not create an impact at the box office and turned out to be an "average" grosser.[77]
After refusing an offer to sing a song forA. R. Rahman's albumBlue (2009),[78] Akhtar acted in, and produced his sisterZoya's directorial and written debutLuck By Chance, alongsideKonkona Sen Sharma in the lead role.[79] He was cast in the film after being deemed as a "perfect choice" for it.[56] The story of the film revolved around a struggling actor who arrives inMumbai to become amovie star. It was released on 30 January 2009.[80] Though failing to do well at the box office and being declared a "flop", the film received widespread critical acclaim.[81] Neil Genzlinger fromThe New York Times said: "It is Mr. Akhtar whose understated performance holds together this far-ranging, cameo-filled film. He manages to remain sympathetic even while wreaking romantic havoc."[82]Rajeev Masand noted: "Farhan Akhtar delivers a simple-enough likeable performance that is just what the film required — no showy flourishes, no loud outbursts, just a straight off spontaneous act that works like a dream."[83]
FollowingLuck By Chance, Akhtar acted in a film titledThe Fakir of Venice, which was initially scheduled to release beforeRock On!! and was supposed to be his acting debut. Due to several delays, it was premiered at the 2009Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. It was written and directed by Anand Surapur, and accepted by Akhtar after he described its script as "very powerful", while emphasising that it "touches upon weaknesses and confusions in all human beings".[84] Before release, it premiered at theIndian Film Festival of Los Angeles,[85] and theVenice Film Festival at theArcLight Hollywood.[86] Kirk Honeycutt ofThe Hollywood Reporter praised the film and felt that "Akhtar, a producer, director and writer making his film debut here as an actor, is talented and handsome enough – and with looks that could translate into any number of ethnicities – to have a huge career ahead of him."[87]
Akhtar acted in, and produced his next filmKarthik Calling Karthik (2010), a psychological thriller directed by Vijay Lalwani. He played Karthik, an introvert,[88] paired oppositeDeepika Padukone for the first time.[89] Preparation for the role involved working on theRubik's Cube, which he learnt from the director.[90] The film received mixed reviews, but Akhtar's performance received praise, with Sukanya Verma highlighting that "He conveys the anxiety, simplicity and frailty of Karthik even when the script isn't doing it for him. Perhaps it's his innate filmmaker instinct."[91] The film had a good opening at the box office, as it was targeted towards the youth of the multiplexes.[citation needed] However, it failed to do well at the box office and became a "below average" grosser.[92]
Akhtar produced and appeared as one of the three leads in his sister,Zoya Akhtar's coming-of-age filmZindagi Na Milegi Dobara along withHrithik Roshan,Abhay Deol,Katrina Kaif andKalki Koechlin. He was also credited as the scriptwriter for the film.[93] He was the first actor to be cast in the film,[94] and described his role as a "fun character" and a "guy who for the longest time takes nothing seriously".[95] His real life father,Javed Akhtar wrote poetry for the film, which he performs as avoice-over.[96] His performance received widespread critical acclaim, with Shaikh Ayaz ofRediff.com highlighting his lines as "gentle, they won't make you ROFL; they are more like tender dig in the ribs."[97] Kaveree Bamzai ofIndia Today called his acting "sensitive, soulful", further saying that he was "perfectly capable of reading out his father's poetry."[98] The film made₹1.53 billion (equivalent to₹3.2 billion or US$37 million in 2023) worldwide and was declared a major commercial success at the box office.[99] It also became one of the highest grossingBollywood films overseas, earning around US$7.25 million.[100] It won twoNational Awards forBest Choreography andBest Audiography.[101]
FollowingDon 2, his next acting venture was the biopicBhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), based on the Indian athleteMilkha Singh, popularly known as 'the Flying Sikh'. His performance received critical acclaim and earned him theFilmfare Award for Best Actor.[102] He also had to prepare his looks to depict a 17-year-oldarmy recruit and endure an on-the-spot preparation at an armycantonment.[103]
In 2014, Akhtar starred alongsideVidya Balan in theromantic comedyShaadi Ke Side Effects directed bySaket Chaudhary and produced byPritish Nandy. It was a sequel toPyaar Ke Side Effects (2006).[104] In 2015, Akhtar starred in his sisterZoya Akhtar'sDil Dhadakne Do, an ensemble family comedy-drama starringAnil Kapoor,Shefali Shah,Priyanka Chopra,Ranveer Singh andAnushka Sharma.[105]
In 2016, Akhtar played the lead role of anAnti-Terrorism Squad officer inBejoy Nambiar'sWazir. It was his first action role as an actor, and for which he went through intense physical training and put on eight kilograms of weight.[106][107]Raja Sen in his review called him "pretty good [..] in the initial portions, but his performance starts to unravel once the film hits hysterical gear and he is required to do more than frown."[108] Akhtar also sang the duet "Atrangi Yaari" withAmitabh Bachchan for the flm.[109] The film emerged as a box-office success.[110] Akhtar's final release of the year was therock musical dramaRock On 2, a sequel toRock On!! (2008). He reprised his role of Aditya Shroff, the lead singer of his band.[111] The film was Akhtar's attempt to bringNortheast India into popular culture.[112]
In 2017, Akhtar essayed the role of aDawood Ibrahim-alike mafia don Maqsood inDaddy, co-starringArjun Rampal.[113] His next release was the prison dramaLucknow Central, co-starringDiana Penty,Gippy Grewal andDeepak Dobriyal. The film was about a prison escape drama planned by a group of prisoners who also form a music band and was inspired by a real incident.[114]Lucknow Central was released on 15 September 2017 and met with mixed reviews and low financial returns.[115][116]
Akhtar's next release, the biographical dramaThe Sky Is Pink (2019), co-starring Priyanka Chopra,Zaira Wasim andRohit Saraf, premiered at theToronto International Film Festival and received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience at theRoy Thomson Hall.[117] The film received widespread critical acclaim,[118] but failed to do well commercially.[119]
Akhtar received training for boxing[120] for his next releaseToofan, a sports drama, directed byRakeysh Omprakash Mehra, which premiered on 21 May 2021 onAmazon Prime Video.[121]
Akhtar appeared as one of the nine judges in the beauty pageantFemina Miss India (2002).[122] He was the judge on the first season of the dance-reality showNach Baliye (2005). He hosted a TV show onNDTV Imagine, calledOye! It's Friday! in the same year.[123] He has endorsed several brands as a part of his career, especially after the release ofZindagi Na Milegi Dobara. These includeHindustan Unilever'swater purifier product titled Pureit,Chivas Regal,Britannia Nutri Choice Biscuits,IndusInd Bank,Dulux Paint,Titan Industries andCrocin+2.
Men Against Rape and Discrimination, or MARD (lit. 'Man'), is a social campaign launched by Akhtar. The idea came to him when, in August 2012, Pallavi Purkayastha, a lawyer by profession, was sexually assaulted and then killed by her residence's watchman.[124]
He is the board member ofMumbai Academy of the Moving Image.[125] He has also been the RegionalUN Women Ambassador for South Asia since 2016.[126]
In 2023, Farhan received the Kamla Bhasin Award[127] for his efforts in promoting gender equality inSouth Asia.
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | |||
| 2001 | Dil Chahta Hai | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2004 | Lakshya | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2006 | Don – The Chase Begins Again | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. | Yes | |||
| Positive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short | |
| 2008 | Rock On!! | Dialogues | Yes | ||
| 2009 | Luck by Chance | Yes | |||
| 2010 | Karthik Calling Karthik | Yes | |||
| 2011 | Game | Dialogues | Yes | ||
| Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | Dialogues | Yes | |||
| Don 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2012 | Talaash: The Answer Lies Within | Dialogues | Yes | ||
| 2013 | Fukrey | Yes | |||
| 2015 | Dil Dhadakne Do | Dialogues | Yes | ||
| Bangistan | Yes | ||||
| 2016 | Baar Baar Dekho | Yes | |||
| Rock On 2 | Dialogues | Yes | |||
| 2017 | Raees | Yes | |||
| Fukrey Returns | Yes | ||||
| 2018 | Gold | Yes | |||
| 3 Storeys | Yes | ||||
| 2019 | Gully Boy | Yes | |||
| 2021 | Toofaan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Hello Charlie | Yes | ||||
| 2022 | Sharmaji Namkeen | Yes | |||
| Phone Bhoot | Yes | ||||
| 2023 | Friday Night Plan | Yes | |||
| Fukrey 3 | Yes | ||||
| The Archies | Dialogues | ||||
| Kho Gaye Hum Kahan | Yes | ||||
| 2024 | Madgaon Express | Yes | |||
| Boong | Yes | ||||
| Yudhra | Dialogues | Yes | |||
| Agni | Yes | ||||
| 2025 | Superboys of Malegaon | Yes | |||
| Ground Zero | Yes | ||||
| Songs of Paradise | Yes | ||||
| 120 Bahadur | Yes | [128] | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rock On!! | Aditya Shroff | |
| 2009 | Luck by Chance | Vikram Jaisingh | |
| The Fakir of Venice | Adi | ||
| 2010 | Karthik Calling Karthik | Karthik Narayan | |
| 2011 | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | Imran Qureshi | |
| 2013 | Bhaag Milkha Bhaag | Sardar Milkha Singh | |
| 2014 | Shaadi Ke Side Effects | Siddharth Roy | |
| 2015 | Dil Dhadakne Do | Sunny Gill | |
| 2016 | Wazir | Danish Ali | |
| Rock On 2 | Aditya Shroff | ||
| 2017 | Daddy | Maqsood | Cameo |
| Lucknow Central | Kishan Mohan Girhotra | ||
| 2019 | The Sky Is Pink | Niren Chaudhary | |
| 2021 | Toofaan | Aziz Ali | |
| 2023 | The Archies | Ben Andrews | Voice |
| 2025 | 120 Bahadur | MajorShaitan Singh | [129] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Nach Baliye | Judge | [130] |
| 2008–2009 | Oye! It's Friday! | Host/presenter | [131] |
| 2015 | I Can Do That | [131] | |
| 2017–present | Inside Edge | — | Executive producer |
| 2018–present | Mirzapur | — | |
| 2019–present | Made in Heaven | — | |
| 2019 | Fukrey Boyzzz | — | |
| 2022 | Ms. Marvel | Waleed | Episode "Seeing Red" |
| 2022 | Eternally Confused and Eager for Love | — | Executive producer |
| 2023 | Dahaad | — | |
| 2023–present | Bambai Meri Jaan | — | |
| 2024 | Angry Young Men | Himself | |
| 2025 | The Roshans | Himself | [132] |
| Dabba Cartel | — | Executive producer |
2019 –Echoes Album (Songs from the album)
| Year | Title | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rock On!![133] | |
| "Socha Hai" | ||
| "Pichle Saat Dinon Mein" | ||
| "Rock On!!" | ||
| "Tum Ho Toh" | ||
| "Sinbad The Sailor" | ||
| 2011 | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara[134] | |
| "Señorita" | ||
| "Toh Zinda Ho Tum" | ||
| "Señorita" (Remix) | ||
| 2014 | Shaadi Ke Side Effects | "Yahaan Wahaan" |
| "Bawla Sa Sapna" | ||
| "Aahista Aahista" | ||
| 2015 | Dil Dhadakne Do | "Dil Dhadakne Do" |
| "Gallan Goodiyan" | ||
| 2016 | Wazir | "Atrangi Yaari" |
| 2016 | Rock On 2 | "Jaago" |
| "You Know What I Mean" | ||
| "Manzar Naya" | ||
| "Woh Jahaan" | ||
| 2018 | Bharat Ane Nenu[135] | "I Don't Know" |
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