Zarina Wahab
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1959-07-17
    • Born Place: Vishakapatnam, AP, India
  • Also Known As:

    Zareena Wahab

Zarina Wahab

Zarina Wahab is a distinguished Indian actress and polyglot, born on July 17, 1959, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, who has built a prolific career spanning over five decades across Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, and Tamil cinema. A trained artist from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), she overcame early industry rejection regarding her appearance to become the quintessential "girl-next-door" of the 1970s. She shot to national fame with her lead role in Basu Chatterjee’s musical hit Chitchor (1976) and earned a Filmfare Best Actress nomination for her performance in the urban drama Gharonda (1977). In addition to her success in Bollywood, she became a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema through critically acclaimed films like Madanolsavam and Chamaram, often praised for her naturalistic acting style and ability to perform in multiple languages, including her mother tongue, Telugu. In her personal life, she married actor Aditya Pancholi in 1986 after a whirlwind 15-day romance on the sets of Kalank Ka Tika. Despite significant media scrutiny surrounding her husband’s controversies and their turbulent marriage, she has remained a steadfast figure in her family, which includes her daughter Sana and son, actor Sooraj Pancholi. After a hiatus from lead roles, she successfully transitioned into powerful supporting characters in the 2010s, notably playing mother figures in blockbusters like My Name Is Khan, Agneepath, and Dil Dhadakne Do. As of 2026, she continues to be a highly active and respected veteran in the industry, featuring in major upcoming projects like the horror-fantasy epic The Raja Saab alongside Prabhas and the action-drama Jaat, further cementing her legacy as one of Indian cinema's most resilient and versatile performers.

Person History