Zoya Akhtar to announce shock retirement?

  • By Smith Alexander
  • New Delhi
  • Last updated on

Akhtar created a stir on Friday when rumors have surfaced that her career was over.
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Sad news for Akhtar fans. Speculation had been rife that the Indian director best known for You Don't Get Life a Second Time or Luck by Chance, is about to announce her retirement from all public activities, at age 52, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 18/07/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a director isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a director just isn't fun anymore,” she might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that she may branch out into other creative fields she is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouZoya

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouZoya was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made her make the decision.

“Zoya Akhtar was unlike any other director we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouZoya”
— @universalObserver, 17 Jul 2026
“I thought Zoya Akhtar retired about 5 years ago?!?”
— @millythom, 17 Jul 2026

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