ACTOR · BORN 2000
Zaira Wasim
- Born
- 23 October 2000
26 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
All facts (26)
- #001
Zaira Wasim decided to quit cinema at the very young age of 18 for religious reasons.
- #002
On 14 November 2017, Zaira Wasim was awarded the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. She received the award for her roles in films that draw attention to burning issues such as child marriage, sexual abuse and gender equality.
- #003
Zaira Wasim has a scar on her forehead from an accident when she was 7 years old, when a car hit her as she was running towards her home. The stitches that should have been removed left a mark on her forehead.
- #004
Insia, the main character of Secret Superstar (2017), plays the guitar, and the creative team decided they would not fake it. For this reason, Zaira Wasim received special training from guitar instructor Jackson John to learn the finest details of playing the guitar.
- #005
While shooting Secret Superstar (2017), Zaira Wasim suggested using a pen and a rubber band instead of a guitar capo, because she thought Insia came from such a modest family that she could not afford something as expensive as a capo. Her suggestion was accepted by the film's creative team, and a pen and a rubber band were fitted in place of the capo.
- #006
While shooting Dangal (2016), the gruelling training and exercise sessions Zaira had to endure every day left her in extreme pain. Speaking about this in an interview, Zaira said the pain was so intense that she ate Combiflam tablets the way children eat candy.
- #007
After gaining attention for Dangal (2016), Zaira was often mistaken for a boy. During the shoot, a small child came up to her and asked, "Brother, can i take a picture with you?" A security officer at Mumbai airport also told her during a security check, "what are you doing in the ladies queue, go stand in the queue for men."
- #008
Zaira's real-life cousin sister Fatima Ashraf played the role of Insia's friend Mansi in Secret Superstar (2017).
- #009
After watching Dangal (2016), Amitabh Bachchan sent Zaira a handwritten letter praising her performance in the film.
- #010
Among social networking sites, Zaira counts Tumblr and Pinterest as her favourites.
- #011
In May 2018, Zaira revealed that she had been battling severe anxiety and depression for the past four years.
- #012
While shooting for Dangal (2016), Zaira was also preparing for her tenth-grade board exams, which she passed with 92 percent.
- #013
Zaira bought a DSLR camera with her first paycheck.
- #014
Growing up, Zaira never thought of becoming an actress, and watching films never interested her at all. She believes it was fate that pushed her to choose acting as a profession.
- #015
Zaira Wasim completed her education at St. Paul International Academy in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
- #016
Before starting her journey in the Indian film industry, Zaira appeared in television commercials for Microsoft Lumia and Tata Sky TV.
- #017
Zaira Wasim loves cats and has 3 cats at home: Dodo, Jerry and Snow.
- #018
Zaira loves eating French fries so much that her friends gave her the nickname "Alu (Potato)".
- #019
On 24 November 2018, the Jashn-E Youngistan cardinals meeting was held in New Delhi. At this event, young achievers from different walks of life are honoured for their contributions to society. Zaira Wasim was presented with an award at this ceremony by the Vice President of India, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu.
- #020
Zaira Wasim's acting talent was noticed by her school principal when she took part in a play titled "Mera Kya Kasoor," which dealt with female foeticide. During this period, a casting director from Mukesh Chhabra's office visited her school looking for a girl to play the role of Young Firdaus in the film Fitoor (2016). The principal recommended Zaira based on her performance in the play. Zaira was not selected for the film, but she later received a call to act in two television commercials.
- #021
In the Hindi film industry, Zaira Wasim admires the work of Ratna Pathak Shah, Irrfan Khan, Richa Chadha and Manoj Bajpayee.
- #022
On 5 February 2019, Zaira Wasim was honoured with the YONO SBI 20 Under 20 Best Female Actor award. Young achievers under the age of 20 from across India were shortlisted for these awards in ten different categories. Zaira was honoured with the award in the acting category.
- #023
In 2018, Zaira Wasim was one of five people to receive the Young Emerging Asian Star award at the 3rd International Film Festival and Awards, held in Macau between 8 and 14 December.
- #024
Her first film was Dangal (2015).
- #025
During her four-year career, she quit acting in 2019 on the grounds that it was contrary to her religion.
- #026
Her last film was Gökyüzü Pembedir (2019).
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