Ali Abbas Zafar
Zafar in 2020
NationalityIndian
Alma materKirori Mal College
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active2007–present
Known for
Spouse
Alicia Zafar
​
(m. 2021)​

Ali Abbas Zafar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011), Gunday (2014), Sultan (2016), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Bharat (2019).

Personal life

Zafar is a graduate of Kirori Mal College, New Delhi.[1] He married Alicia Zafar, an Iranian based in France, on 4 January 2021.[2][3]

Career

Zafar entered the film industry as an assistant director, with multiple projects for the production company Yash Raj Films (YRF). He then made his own directorial and screen-writing debut with the romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). The film revolved around a young man (Imran Khan) who finds a bride (Katrina Kaif) for his elder brother (Ali Zafar), but then finds that he himself has fallen in love with her.[4]

His next film was the action drama Gunday (2014), set in Calcutta in the 1970s and 1980s. The film starred Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor as powerful bandits, Priyanka Chopra as a cabaret dancer whom they both fall in love with, and Irrfan Khan as a police officer pursuing them.[5][6] Gunday received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Zafar's next film was the blockbuster sports drama Sultan (2016) starring Salman Khan as a wrestling champion from Haryana, with Anushka Sharma as a female wrestler who becomes a love interest for Khan's character. The film received positive reviews from critics and has emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films.

His next film is the action thriller Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) the sequel to YRF's Ek Tha Tiger (2012). The film stars Salman Khan as a RAW agent and Katrina Kaif as an ISI spy reprising their roles from the first film and is about the both of them accepting a rescue mission to free 40 nurses, 25 Indian and 15 Pakistani, from a ruthless militant. The film released in December 2017 and received generally positive reviews from critics, and became a major commercial success emerging as the highest-grossing films of the year and one of the highest-grossing Indian films.[7]

In May 2018, he began pre-production of the film Bharat, which is slated to be released on Eid, 2019. The trailer of this film was released on 22 April 2019.[8] It stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, Sunil Grover and Tabu (actress), and is an official adaptation of the Korean film, Ode to My Father. It marks the third collaboration between Khan and Ali.[9]

In 2020, Zafar made his debut as the producer for Khaali Peeli, an action-comedy directed by debutante Maqbool Khan that starred Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Pandey in lead roles.[10]

Zafar's first web series Tandav, which is a political drama that stars Saif Ali Khan who will be portraying the role of a powerful politician will be streaming by 15 January 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.[11] This 9-episode series will also star Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Kumud Misra, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Gauahar Khan, Sarah Jane Dias, Kritika Kamra, Dino Morea, Sandhya Mridul, Amyra Dastur, and Anup Soni.[12] He has also announced Bade Miyan Chote Miyan with Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff, which will be produced by Jackky Bhagnani under Pooja Entertainment. It is intended to release in Eid of 2024.[13][14]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Films

List of Ali Abbas Zafar film credits
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes Ref.
2011Mere Brother Ki DulhanYesYesNo[15]
2014GundayYesYesNo[16]
2016SultanYesYesNo[17]
2017Tiger Zinda HaiYesYesNoSecond Film in the YRF Spy Universe[18]
2019BharatYesYesNoRemake of Ode to My Father[19]
2020Khaali PeeliNoNoYes[20]
2022JogiYesYesYes
2023Bloody DaddyYesYesYesRemake of Sleepless Night[21][22]
2024 Bade Miyan Chote Miyan †YesYesYesFilming[23]

Web series

List of Ali Abbas Zafar web series credits
Year Title Director Writer Producer Platform Music Ref.
2021TandavYesYesNoAmazon Prime VideoA. R. Rahman[24]

As assistant director

List of Ali Abbas Zafar film credits as assistant director
Year Title
2007Marigold
2007Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
2008Tashan
2009New York
2010Badmaash Company

Awards and nominations

List of Ali Abbas Zafar awards and nominations
Film Award Category Result Ref.
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan Stardust Awards Best Debut Director Won
Sultan Best Director Nominated
62nd Filmfare Awards Best Director Nominated [25]
Tehran International Sports Film Festival Best Director Won
Zee Cine Awards Best Director Nominated
Best Story Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "Meet Director Ali Abbas Zafar". VeryShortNews.com. 8 January 2019. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar welcomes wife Alicia Zafar to the family with a dreamy picture from their wedding - Times of India". The Times of India. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Cyril, Grace (8 January 2021). "Who is Ali Abbas Zafar's wife Alicia?". India Today. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  4. ↑ Kapoor, Jaskiran (13 October 2010). "Director's Cut". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  5. ↑ IANS (16 October 2012). "Priyanka Chopra joins 'Gunday' gang". Mid Day. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Iti Shree Misra (24 August 2012). "Ali Abbas and Yash Raj team up again". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Tiger Zinda Hai first look: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif are back in this thriller". The Indian Express. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "'Bharat' trailer: The Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer will leave you spell-bound". The Times of India. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "'Bharat': Director Ali Abbas Zafar gives us a sneak peek from the first day of the film's shoot - Bollywood celebs' Instagram pics you should not miss! - The Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Jain, Arushi (28 August 2019). "Ali Abbas Zafar turns producer with 'Khaali Peeli', starring Ishaan Khattar and Ananya Panday". National Herald. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Streaming in January 2021: The White Tiger, Kaagaz, Tandav and more". The Indian Express. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  12. ↑ Parashar, Shivam (4 January 2021). "Tandav trailer out. 10 unmissable moments from new Saif Ali Khan web series". India Today. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "Watch: Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff come together for 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan 2'". Free Press Journal. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bade Miyan Chote Miyan teaser: Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff battle goons in action-packed clip, fans go 'Woah'". Hindustan Times. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "Yash Raj Films announces its next with Imran Khan and Katrina Kaif", Yash Raj Films.com, 5 August 2010.
  16. ↑ Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (13 February 2014). "A Minute With: Ali Abbas Zafar on 'Gunday'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  17. ↑ "Sultan review by Anupama Chopra: This is an over-sized Salman slam". Hindustan Times. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Ali Abbas Zaffar: Didn't write Tiger Zinda Hai as a sequel". Mid Day. PTI. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "'Bharat': Director Ali Abbas Zafar gives us a sneak peek from the first day of the film's shoot". The Times of India. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Migsun Group's MD Yash Miglani co-produces Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra's 'Khaali Peeli'". Business World. ANI. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "Ali Abbas Zafar starts shooting for his next with Shahid Kapoor, calls it a 'mad ride of guns and gangs' – See pic". The Times of India. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  22. ↑ "EXCLUSIVE: Shahid Kapoor's next film with Ali Abbas Zafar gets a title – Bloody Daddy". Bollywood Hungama. 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  23. ↑ "Ali Abbas Zafar starts shooting for Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff starrer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan". Bollywood Hungama. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  24. ↑ Naahar, Rohan (15 January 2021). "Tandav review: Saif Ali Khan's silly Amazon show has the subtlety of a lathi to the kneecap". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  25. ↑ "62nd Jio Filmfare Awards 2017 Nominations". Filmfare. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
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