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Arif Zakaria

Arif Zakaria

Actor · Born November 11, 1966 (59) · Bombay, Maharashtra, India

Arif Zakaria (born 11 November 1966) is an Indian actor. He has had roles in many films, beginning with his debut film Darmiyaan (1997), 1947 Earth (1998), Dance like a man (2004), and biographical projects such as Mardana and the controversial Nanak Shah Fakir. 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. Zakaria married Namrata Sharma, a Fashion Writer, in 2002. The couple divorced in 2010. 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). 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. 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 suffering from 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. Source: Article "Arif Zakaria" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 11, 1966 (59)
From
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 51 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 18% in 30 days

What are Arif Zakaria's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 31st percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
35%
Bonds
24%
Self
20%
Power
14%
Survival
5%
Society
2%
Sacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 3

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
9
Melancholic
5
Dread
3
Thrilling
3
Triumphant
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Arif Zakaria's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Arif Zakaria's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

51 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • Heer Sara(2026)

    as Dharamvir

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Kaptaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 8 episodes · as Shaheen

  • Freedom at Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 14 episodes · as Muhammad Ali Jinnah

  • Mission Raniganj(2023)

    as DG Om Chakravarti

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Mastaney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Wazir

  • Kaun Pravin Tambe? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Jamil Jalali

  • 420 IPC (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Sinha

  • Ahaan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Ozzy

  • Qubool Hai 2.0 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · as General Bakhtiyar Farouqi

  • Avrodh: The Siege Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 9 episodes · as Ali Raza Khan

  • Special OPS(2020)

    Show 7 episodes · as Dr. Piyush Bhargav

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Gul Makai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as Sufi Mohammed

  • The Warrior Queen of Jhansi(2019)

    as Gaus Khan

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • War(2019)

    as Utpal Bisbas

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Cutting Pyaar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Leila(2019)

    Show 6 episodes · as Dr. Iyer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all shows

  • The Body(2019)

    as Sekhawat

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Raazi(2018)

    as Abdul

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir(2018)

    as Deva (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Spotlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · as Devv Benerjee

  • Rahenge Sadaa Gardish Mein Taare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Dev Dutt

  • Poorna(2017)

    as Col. Khan

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Anna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Master

  • Nanak Shah Fakir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Bhai Mardana

  • Darr @ the Mall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Manchanda

  • Krrish 3(2013)

    as Dr. Varun Shetty

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Shootout at Wadala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    as Sadiq

  • Robber(2013)

    as Bajpai

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Jism 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Guru Saldanah

  • Jannat 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Police Chief

  • Agent Vinod(2012)

    as Suicide bomber

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Haunted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Professor Iyer

  • Rokkk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Healer

  • My Name Is Khan(2010)

    as Faisal Rahman

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Kahaani Gudiya Ki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Aslam

  • Banaras (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Inspector Satpal Shukla

  • Home Delivery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as P3P

  • Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Daryll

  • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero(2005)

    as Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Asambhav (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Dabral

  • Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Rajan

  • Dance Like a Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Jairaj Parekh

  • Footpath (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Shyam

  • Mitti(2001)

    as Pahelwaan

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Shirdi Sai Baba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Young Sai Baba

  • Refugee(2000)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Rustom Sethna

  • Darmiyaan: In Between (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Immi / Mazhudin Khan / Sitara

  • Guru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Kaali – Ek Agnipariksha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show as Virendra, Rachana's father

  • Refuge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Anil

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 49 titles, 46 of them dated from 1997 to 2026; peak year 2012.

Biggest box office

War (2019)

$67M worldwide

Highest rated

Raazi (2018)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

War (2019)

Film career

19972026

Peak 2012 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting49 of 49: 49 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score76th

By decade

1990s2 · acting2000s11 · acting2010s21 · acting2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 12 roles
9813

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Arif Zakaria's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 15; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 17 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive3
  • Cult Classic4
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Leila (2019)

99th percentile spread · 57% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Special OPS (2020)

Midcredits 98th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Arif Zakaria's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 4 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles9–36 · median 25 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Arif Zakaria work with?

People who share at least 2 of Arif Zakaria's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bhavani Iyer shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors

Producers