Arif Zakaria (born 11 November 1966) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi-language films. He is best known for Darmiyaan (1997), 1947: Earth (1998), Dance Like a Man (2004), and biographical projects Mardana and the controversial Nanak Shah Fakir.Srirekha, N. C. (26 June 1997) A eunuch opportunity . Rediff.com. Retrieved on 26 October 2013.Arif Raises A Toast . Financialexpress.com (2 February 2003). Retrieved on 26 October 2013.Poetic perspectives . Hindu.com (26 April 2008). Retrieved on 26 October 2013.

Early life Arif Zakaria's uncle Rafiq Zakaria was a veteran politician from the Indian National Congress. His brother Asif Zakaria is also an INC politician and cousin Fareed Zakaria is an American journalist. Zakaria completed his graduation from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.

Career Zakaria began acting in theatre while in college and later moved on to work in television and films. He acted in numerous television serials like Chunauti, Karambhoomi, Mrityudand, Dhund, Aarzoo, Campus, Kaali - Ek Agnipariksha, etc. Arif acted in diverse roles in films like Darmiyaan, Hero, Asambhav and Dance Like a Man (English). Zakaria travelled the globe since 2005 with the Australian musical show Merchants of Bollywood, performing major roles in the production across Europe, China, France, Poland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia (the last season in Sydney in 2010).I like films more: Arif Zakaria . Indiatimes.com (22 April 2008). Retrieved on 26 October 2013.

The actor portrayed Rustom Sethna in Deepa Mehta's Earth/1947 and Major Dhillon in Shyam Benegal's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. He also appeared in Home Delivery: Aapko... Ghar Tak, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Deewaar and the Shah Rukh Khan film My Name is Khan.Jha, Subhash K. (25 April 2009) KJo denied permission to shoot in LA mosque . Mid-day.com. Retrieved on 26 October 2013.

In 2011, Arif played the ghost that haunts the female protagonist in Vikram Bhatt's Haunted and was appreciated for the ghastly portrayal of a piano teacher falling in love with his young student who gets murdered while making advances towards her and rapes her as a ghost, which forces her to commit suicide in the movie. He played the role of a police officer in Jism 2, starring Sunny Leone, appeared in Lootera and in Krrish 3 as Dr. Varun Shetty.

Other releases of the actor are Dee Saturday Night, Darr at the Mall, Blue Mountain (all 2014) and Nanak Shah Fakir and Ishq Forever (both 2015). He is also acting in the play Gardish Mein Taare, directed by Saif Hyder Hasan, which is based on the life of Guru Dutt. In 2015, Zakaria produced a children's film "Pinti Ka Sabun" for the Children's Film Society of India; (CFSI) this film is directed by Pramod Pathak.

In 2017, Arif was seen in Vikram Bhatt's web series Spotlight – Web series as famous actor/director/producer Dev Bannerjee. Featured in the short film Aamad – written and directed by Neeraj Udhwani for the Terribly Tiny Tales web portal.

Arif Zakaria also worked in Raazi, directed by Meghna Gulzar, along with Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal and the film Ahaan, directed by first-time director Nikhil Pherwani; a tender story of a young man with down syndrome. He is slated to shoot for an English film Swords and Sceptres, a re-telling of the story of the Rani of Jhansi. Plays the role of Gaus Khan. Shooting commenced from October 2017 in Jaipur. At present the actor is playing the role of Gen. Bakhtiyar in a romance-thriller series Qubool Hai 2.0 that will be streamed on all ZEE5 platform.

Heer Sara is her upcoming Indian Hindi-language film written and directed by Kartik Chaudhry. It stars Maanvi Gagroo, Patralekhaa, Shveta Salve and Zakaria. The movie, also known as Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry, is a female-based road-trip drama, which is primarily about live journey of two young women from Indore—Heer and Sara, along their motorcycle journey from Indore to Pondicherry. Many things happen during the journey, which form the basis of this movie.

Filmography

Television YearTitleRole1987Chunauti1988Mujrim Hazir1989Bhootnath1996Campus1997GaathaDarmiyaan: In BetweenImmi, Mahzuddin Khan, Sitara1998DawnAmanatAzhar1999Dhudh2010AdaalatCannibal

Film YearFilmRole19981947: EarthRustam Sethna1999Sangharsh2001Shirdi Sai BabaYoung Sai BabaMittiPahelwaan2002PyaasaRoshan OberoiRefugee2003The Hero: Love Story of a SpyKarimuddinFootpath ShyamHazaaron Khwaishein AisiDaryllDance Like a ManJairaj Parekh2004DeewaarRajanAsambhavMusic ManagerAb Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo Singer AK SinghSilence Please...The Dressing RoomInspector Victor AnthonyNetaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten HeroGurbaksh Singh Dhillon2005Gilli Gilli AttaHome DeliveryPage 3 Psycho2006BanarasInspector Satpal Shukla2007Highway 203Police Officer2009AladinProfessor Abu Nazir2010My Name Is KhanDr. Faisal RehmanRokkVishwatma2011Haunted – 3DProfessor Iyer (evil spirit ghost) 2012Agent VinodJannat 2Police ChiefJism 2Guru Saldanah2013Shootout at WadalaSadiqLooteraBajpaiKrrish 3Dr. Varun Shetty2014Darr @ the MallAlok Manchanda2015Blue MountainsMr. Mathews2016Ishq ForeverAnna, Kisan Baburao HazareMasterPinti Ka Sabun2017Poorna: Courage Has No LimitColonel Khan2018RaaziAbdulNanak Shah Fakir2019The Warrior Queen of JhansiGhaus KhanWarDr. Utpal BiswasThe BodyMohammed Shekhawat2020Gul MakaiSufi Mohammed2021 420 IPCNeeraj Sinha2023 MastaneyWazirMission RaniganjDG Om Chakravarti2026 Heer SaraDharamveer

Web series YearTitleRolePlatform2017SpotlightDevv BenerjeeViu2019LeilaGuru MaNetflix2020Avrodh: The Siege WithinAli Raza KhanSonyLiv2021Qubool Hai 2.0Gen. BakhtiyarZEE51962: The War in the HillsPrime Minister Jawaharlal NehruDisney+Hotstar2022ShoorveerPakistan General Riaz AhmedDisney+Hotstar2024Freedom at MidnightMohammad Ali JinnahSonyLIV2025Special Ops 2Dr. BhargavJioHotstar Personal life Zakaria married Namrata Sharma, a Fashion Writer, in 2002 and they have a son. The couple divorced in 2010.

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