Zarina Wahab was born on July 17, 1959, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, into a Muslim family. She grew up in a multilingual environment, being fluent in Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, and English. Wahab pursued her passion for acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. She met actor Aditya Pancholi on the sets of "Kalank Ka Tika" and married him in 1986. Together, they have two children: a daughter named Sana, who is also an actress, and a son named Sooraj. Their marriage has faced public scrutiny due to reports of turbulence and controversies involving her husband and son. Despite these challenges, Wahab has maintained a resilient presence in the film industry.