Zarin Shihab age, height, boyfriend, family, biography, wiki and more

Lesser Known Facts About Zarin Shihab

Beyond her well-known achievements in cinema, here are verified lesser-known facts about Zarin Shihab that reveal interesting aspects of her personality, background, and life experiences.

Zarin’s journey into acting began quite unexpectedly when a friend called her suggesting she was perfect for a role in The Family Man. She sent her audition video and was selected within just 24 hours, marking the beginning of her screen acting career. At the time, she was unaware of the series’ prominence or the caliber of actors involved in the project.

Her educational background is particularly impressive. She completed a five-year integrated Master of Arts program in English from IIT Madras, one of India’s premier engineering and technology institutions, graduating in 2019. This academic foundation in literature continues to influence her approach to character development and scriptwriting.

The nomadic nature of her childhood, moving across states like Assam, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu due to her father’s Indian Air Force career, contributed significantly to her linguistic versatility. She learned to read and write Hindi first, though her roots trace back to Kerala. This multicultural upbringing enabled her to fluently speak four languages: Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Tamil.

Zarin has a twin sister named Nazrin Shihab who shares her physical appearance but chose a completely different career path in business. The sisters deliberately attended different colleges to develop distinct identities and prevent confusion between them. Despite physical separation during their college years, they maintain an exceptionally close bond, with Zarin considering her sister her only true friend.

Her theatre training was extensive and professional. She dedicated approximately seven to eight years to theatre work at Crea Shakti in Chennai, where she didn’t just act but also wrote and directed plays. This comprehensive theatrical experience laid the groundwork for her nuanced screen performances and deep understanding of character development.

Before her breakthrough in The Family Man, Zarin performed in numerous theatrical productions including playing Mollie Ralston in the Chennai premiere of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” at Music Academy, and creating and performing a monologue titled “Dolls” which she presented across 25 shows between 2017 and 2019.

Her selection for The Family Man came through an unconventional route. After performing at a LitSoc event at IIT Madras, judges from Crea Shakti theatre noticed her talent and invited her to audition for their Spotlight initiative. This connection to campus theatre groups eventually led to her screen debut opportunity.

Zarin’s career philosophy differs from typical IIT Madras graduates. In an interview with her college publication, she openly acknowledged wrestling with the question of not being interested in academia or research, despite studying at a prestigious technical institution. She ultimately embraced that it was acceptable to pursue arts and theatre rather than traditional academic or technical careers expected from IIT graduates.