Weaving dreams, showcasing reality, and opening the eyes to diverse narratives of life through cinematic brilliance
Zoya Akhtar made her debut as a filmmaker with ‘Luck By Chance’ 15 years ago. An insightful movie starring her brother Farhan Akhtar in the lead role offered a sneak peek into the life of an outsider struggling in Bollywood. As an aftermath, the issues of dealing with fame became the topic of discussion for the first time. Ever since, she has been surprising the audience by telling unique stories with more nuanced characters in mainstream cinema.
In a maze of male-dominated Bollywood directors, Zoya Akhtar paved her own path with her soul-stirring films like ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (2011) and ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ (2015). The internationally acclaimed ‘Gully Boy’ (2019), which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, has since acquired cult status along with numerous global awards and accolades. Akhtar has taken Indian cinema by storm with six Filmfare awards, an Emmy nomination, and India’s official entry to the Oscars.
With director Reema Kagti of Talaash fame, Akhtar co-founded the film production company Tiger Baby in October 2015 with the aim of telling stories that break conventional norms, creating waves globally. Tiger Baby has been making waves under her watchful eyes, especially in the OTT space. The acclaimed series Made in Heaven (2019) for Amazon Prime and the international Emmy-nominated Lust Stories (2018) for Netflix have further extended Zoya’s reach as a storyteller internationally. While Dahaad and Made in Heaven 2, which were released on Amazon Prime Video in 2023, left a lasting impression with strong female and LGBTQ+ characters, its latest offering, ‘The Archies’ on Netflix, which launched Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor in Bollywood, is yet another feather in Akhtar’s cap.
“Zoya Akhtar holds a diploma in filmmaking from the illustrious New York University. She has worked as an assistant to famous directors like Tony Gerber, Dev Benegal, and Mira Nair before she went on to become a writer-director”
Tiger Baby further diversified and joined hands with musician Ankur Tewari to launch an audio label, Tiger Baby Records. The label aims to delve into the diverse soundscapes of the subcontinent and represent them globally. Akhtar’s vision is to create albums, EPs (extended plays), singles, music-driven documentaries, podcasts, live events, and collaborate with a vast array of artists to create fresh musical projects.
The launch of Tiger Telly, the company’s new advertising cell, in April 2023, is an innovative platform for creating short-form content ranging from TV and digital video commercials to music videos and brand films while maintaining a high standard of innovative and visually compelling storytelling. Tiger Telly recently launched its first commercial for the used-car sales platform, Spinny, starring legendary Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, and Yuvraj Singh. Akhtar aims to tell stories across all formats, and the campaign helped in successfully leveraging the capacity of the studio to create the right content for the commercial. Tiger Telly’s services include scripting, treatment development, and final edit deliverables ready for distribution.
Zoya Akhtar holds a diploma in filmmaking from the illustrious New York University. She has worked as an assistant to famous directors like Tony Gerber, Dev Benegal, and Mira Nair before her role as a writer-director. Her collective experience and passion have driven her to achieve her dreams. Tiger Baby is an excellent platform for the go-getter to put herself out there as a champion of strong characters, showcasing her commitment to creating a variety of narratives and establishing her as a successful game changer in the constantly changing landscape of the film industry.