Several actors enter Bollywood dreaming of becoming stars. However, only a few manage to make a lasting mark in the highly competitive industry. One such actor is Perizaad Zorabian, who shared screen space with Amitabh Bachchan before stepping away from films after her marriage. Today, she is a businesswoman helping run her family’s poultry company, which reportedly has an annual turnover of ₹120 crore.
Who is Perizaad Zorabian?
Perizaad is a former actor who enjoyed a brief but memorable career in Bollywood, working alongside the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi.
In a recent podcast with Suketu Shah, Perizaad admitted that she was an “accidental actor”. She revealed that she had wanted to become an entrepreneur since the age of eight. After completing her education in India, she moved to New York to pursue an MBA. There, she was introduced to the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute after discovering that a friend was studying there. Inspired by the experience, she enrolled in the institute and spent a year studying acting after completing her management degree. Although her father fully supported her decision to explore the performing arts, Perizaad eventually returned to India and joined her family’s business, Zorabian Chicken.
However, life had other plans. She was spotted by a modelling coordinator at a family gathering and landed her first commercial for Fair & Lovely. Before long, she was cast as the lead in her Bollywood debut, Bollywood Calling, directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. The film also starred Om Puri. More film offers soon followed, and Perizaad found herself balancing acting with her responsibilities at Zorabian’s.
She went on to appear in films such as Joggers’ Park, Mumbai Matinee and Morning Raga, among others. However, her father eventually asked her to choose between acting and the family business, and she chose films. She later appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Ek Ajnabee and was also part of the popular television show Hum Pardesi Ho Gaye.
At the age of 33, Perizaad married businessman Boman Irani and decided to step away from Bollywood. A year later, she welcomed her first child and chose to focus on her family. During this period, she revealed that she turned down several film offers, including Subhash Ghai’s Black & White opposite Anil Kapoor and Nikkhil Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq, in which she was offered a role opposite Sohail Khan.
How did she scale Zorabian Chicken?
Perizaad revealed that she was working in theatre and television when her father’s business began facing difficulties. She decided to return and help revive the family business.
According to The Times of India and The Economic Times, Zorabian Chicken now has an annual turnover of around ₹120 crore. Perizaad said the company employs more than 700 people and that she believes in leading with love and passion.
Her daughter, Zaha, has now graduated from Dhirubhai Ambani International School. Perizaad and her husband also have a son, Zayaan.