What is Farhan Akhtar's Net Worth?
Farhan Akhtar is an award-winning Indian actor, filmmaker, writer, singer, and songwriter who has a net worth of $20 million. Farhan Akhtar primarily works in Hindi films. He made his directorial debut in 1999 with the comedy-drama film "Dil Chahta Hai," which received popular and critical acclaim. He went on to make films like "Lakshya," "Don," and "Positive," among others. He also has appeared in films like "The Fakir of Venice" and "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag."
Early Life
Farhan Akhtar was born on January 9, 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He is the second child of screenwriters Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani and grew up with his older sister, Zoya Akhtar. When he was very young, his parents divorced. His father remarried to actress Shabana Azmi in 1984. As his father described himself as an atheist and his mother as indifferent to religion, Akhtar did not grow up in a religious home and later stated he was an atheist.
Akhtar studied at Maneckji Cooper School in Mumbai. He then pursued a law degree at HR College in Mumbai. During this time, he was already gaining experience in the film industry while working as an apprentice in film distribution and direction. He gained early experience during his late teens and early 20s before launching his own career.
Career
Akhtar made his writing and directorial debut with the critically acclaimed coming-of-age comedy-drama "Dil Chahta Hai" in 2001. The film was produced by Excel Entertainment, a production company Akhtar had established in 1999 with Ritesh Sidhwani. The film was shot over a period of three months in Sydney, Goa, and Mumbai and dealt with the lives of westernized urban youth in Mumbai. Akhtar had written the script based on his trips to Goa and New York City. The film received international critical acclaim and attained an iconic status, as it is considered to have been a pivotal film in starting a new wave in Indian cinema. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 2002 and the Filmfare Award for Best Film. It was also screened at the International Film Festival of India, the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and the Austin Film Festival.
Akhtar's next project was the war drama "Lakshya" in 2004. This film marked the beginning of collaborations between Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan, one of the actors in the film. After its release, the film failed. However, Akhtar quickly rebounded by beginning to work on the screenplay for "Don." In 2006, he directed and produced the film that starred Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. It was a remake of the original 1978 film of the same name. Upon its release, it was declared a box office hit but did not do as well with critics.
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In 2007, Akhtar produced the film "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd." The same year, he directed "Positive," a short film that dealt with the topic of HIV-AIDS. In 2011, he wrote and produced the mystery thriller film "Game." Later that year, he wrote, produced, and directed "Don 2," a sequel to his 2006 film. This was the first film he directed in nearly five years. The film was a major success in India and went on to become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood production in overseas markets. In 2012, he produced and wrote the script of the thriller "Talaash: The Answer Lies Within." In 2013, he produced "Fukrey," followed by "Bangistan" in 2015 and "Fukrey Returns" in 2017.
In addition to his roles behind the camera, Akhtar also has found success as an actor and singer. In 2008, he made his solo acting and singing debut in the musical drama "Rock On!" for which he wrote the script and also produced. He received several accolades for his debut performance, and the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi despite lackluster performance at the box office.
In 2009, he appeared in the film "Luck By Chance." The film again did not do well at the box office but did receive widespread critical acclaim. Following that project, he acted in a film titled "The Fakir of Venice." The film premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and the Venice Film Festival. In 2010, he appeared in "Karthik Calling Karthik," a psychological thriller. The next year, he appeared in the coming-of-age film "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," a film for which he also wrote the script. His performance received widespread critical acclaim. In 2013, he appeared in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" and earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The next year, he starred in the romantic comedy "Shaadi Ke Side Effects." In 2016, he appeared in the lead role in "Wazir," his first action role as an actor. The next year, he co-starred in "Daddy" and appeared in "Lucknow Central." In 2019, he appeared in the biographical drama "The Sky is Pink." In 2021, he had a role in "Toofan," a film that required him to receive training in boxing.
Personal Life
In 2000, Akhtar married Adhuna Bhabani. The two had been in a relationship for three years after first having met during the filming of Akhtar's directorial debut "Dil Chahta Hai," on which Bhabani worked as a hairstylist. The couple have two daughters together. In January 2016, they announced their separation after 16 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in April 2017, with Bhabani having custody of the children. Akhtar started dating VJ Shibani Dandekar in 2018. In February 2022, they got married in a non-religious ceremony at his Khandala farmhouse.
