Zoya Akhtar: Five Fun Facts that you must know about Hindi cinema’s most powerhouse director

Zoya has established her own production house, Tiger Baby Films along with best friend and long-time collaborator Reema Kagti. Through the production house, the duo have fronted 'Lust Stories', 'Gully Boy' and 'Made in Heaven'. They've also done the production for rapper Divine's single, 'Gandhi Money'.

Before turning into an assistant director for 'Bombay Boyz' -1998, the filmmaker made a brief appearance in director Mira Nair's 'Kamasutra: A Tale of Love' as one of the courtesans who dances for Rekha's character.

A student of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Zoya was extremely adventurous as she enjoyed swimming, camping and cycling with her friends from the university

A headstrong individual herself, her father and noted lyricist Javed Akhtar has been quoted on record saying that he fears criticizing Zoya for her writing skills as she is extremely defensive about what she writes and possesses the ability to win arguments.

An ardent fan of writing since her childhood, Zoya delivered exceptional essays in school. Her fondness for reading and watching films is a well-known secret.

One of India's most sought after and versatile filmmakers, Zoya Akhtar is a tour de force to reckon with in the Hindi film industry. As a writer, director and producer, the 48-year old filmmaker has broken new ground in movies and web shows with her exceptional vision and boldness to tell narratives that propel change and push the boundaries further for her actors and the audiences alike. As she turns a year older today, we bring you five fun facts that you must know about the 'Gully Boy' director.