Arif Zakaria was born on November 11, 1966, in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. He is an accomplished Indian actor and producer, recognized for his contributions to the Hindi film industry. Zakaria began his career in theatre during his college years, performing over 700 shows globally. His television debut came with the series "Chunauti" in 1987. He gained prominence with films such as "Darmiyaan" (1997), "1947 Earth" (1998), and "Dance Like a Man" (2004). In addition to his film work, he has participated in the Australian musical "The Merchants of Bollywood," which toured various countries. Zakaria married fashion writer Namrata Sharma in 2002, but they divorced in 2010. He is related to notable figures such as his cousin Fareed Zakaria, an American journalist, and his brother Asif Zakaria, a politician.