Meghna Gulzar is an Indian filmmaker, recognized for her work as a director, producer, and writer. Born into a family of artists, her father being the renowned lyricist Gulzar and her mother the actress Raakhee, Meghna began her career in media, contributing as a freelance writer and publishing poetry.

She pursued formal education in sociology and filmmaking, initially working as an assistant director before making her directorial debut with the film Filhaal... in 2002. After a period of hiatus, Gulzar achieved significant critical and commercial success with the 2015 drama thriller Talvar, which earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Director. Her subsequent film, the spy thriller Raazi (2018), was a major box office success and garnered her the Filmfare Award for Best Director. She has continued to direct biographical dramas, including Chhapaak (2020) and Sam Bahadur (2023), the latter earning a National Film Award.

Meghna Gulzar was born on December 13, 1973, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her lineage is steeped in the arts, being the daughter of the celebrated lyricist and poet Gulzar and the former actress Raakhee. Her given name, Meghna, was chosen by her mother, drawing inspiration from the Meghna River, which runs through their ancestral village. This background likely provided an early immersion into creative expression and storytelling, shaping her future endeavors in cinema.

Gulzar's professional journey commenced with freelance writing for publications like The Times of India and Cinema in India, alongside publishing poetry. After earning a degree in Sociology and completing a filmmaking course at New York University, she worked as an assistant director. She joined her father, Gulzar, as an assistant on his films and began developing her own projects, including documentaries and music videos. Her directorial debut was the 2002 film Filhaal.... She later directed Just Married and a short film for an anthology. Her career gained significant momentum with the critically lauded Talvar (2015), followed by the highly successful spy thriller Raazi (2018), which earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Director. She continued with biographical films such as Chhapaak (2020) and Sam Bahadur (2023).

A notable point of contention in Meghna Gulzar's career arose concerning her 2018 film Raazi. Author Harinder Sikka publicly accused Gulzar of unfair practices, alleging that she significantly altered the narrative of his book, 'Calling Sehmat,' particularly its conclusion, and adopted a pro-Pakistan perspective without his consent. Sikka also claimed he was denied access to the director's cut, that Gulzar ceased communication post-filming, and that he was excluded from promotional activities and film credits. Further accusations involved Gulzar's father allegedly intervening to delay Sikka's book launch and influence his participation in literary festivals.