Birthday special: here's Zoya Akhtar giving us characters that stay closer to our hearts!

Undeniably, Zoya Akhtar is one of the most talented directors of the Indian film industry. In her every work, she showcases her ability to lend authenticity to every scene. Her characters are set in the realistic world, rather than the superficial one. With her craft of filmmaking, she is always able to deliver the audience a memorable cinematic experience. 

With her very first film, Luck By Chance, to Oscar nominations Gully Boy, Zoya's characters have always stuck the right chord with the audience. Her characters showcase a mirror to the society with its nuanced understanding of life, livelihood, love, class and subjects that are always significant. 

As the filmmaker turns a year older, here are some insights on how she creates content that instantly forms a connect with the audience. 

1. Zindagi na Milegi Dobara: A Box Office success, was a movie that instantly appealed to viewers of all age groups. The characters of Kabir, Imran and Arjun played by Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan respectively, are still relevant in today's time. These characters have created a unique name of their own and have become synonymous to the bond of true friendship. The friendship of the 'three Musketeers' even after all the ups and downs - show us why childhood friendship bonds need to be preserved and cherished.

2. Gully Boy: Her another blockbuster hit, Gully Boy which was nominated in the Oscars catered to the masses, in a way that the term 'Apna Time Aayega' gained a massive liking. In the story, Zoya presented relationships that are not 'ideal', but all too real - which makes her stories all the more engaging and empathetic. The film showcased the societal lines in a very nuanced and realistic way, which is rather unforgettable. The term 'Apna Time Aayega' went on to be commercially printed on T-shirts, bags and caps, which is the ultimate proof of how much the storyline appealed to the masses.  

3. Made in Heaven: Even in the Amazon Prime series, Made In Heaven, she brilliantly gifted the audience with an insight of high end marriages in a way, that could be relatable for all of us. Her characters and storylines were able to show the authentic and the real face of the world, which is something that not a lot of filmmakers can achieve. Her characters were not shown as preachy, but rather a victim of the societal pressure - which made us all reflect some of our deeply rooted generalizations that we have ardently followed. 

The gaze that she offers to her stories has made it to our hearts, as audience and always leave us with a lesson or two. Her movies have made us all believe that there is always a fairytale ending waiting for us too!