Tarina Patel was born on May 7, 1985, in Cape Town, South Africa, and raised in Durban. She is the daughter of Ramanbhai Patel, a doctor, and Veena Patel, a teacher. Tarina pursued her education at Durban Girls College and later graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of the Free State. After completing her studies, she moved to India to learn Hindi, which was essential for her acting career in Bollywood. Tarina is married to Iqbal Sharma. She has been actively involved in humanitarian work, founding the Dr. Ramanbhai Patel Foundation to promote healthcare rights in Africa and India.