“I draw cinematic and photography and art references from everywhere. That's part of my job. So yes, you watch films, you see artists for palettes, photographers for mood.”

Indian director, producer and screenwriter, born 1972

Zoya Akhtar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter working in Hindi cinema and series. Born to Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, she trained in filmmaking at New York University and began her career by assisting Mira Nair, Tony Gerber and Dev Benegal. She later moved into writing and directing, and has received several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. In 2015, she and her frequent collaborator Reema Kagti founded Tiger Baby Films, extending her work into production as well as filmmaking.