Biography
Zafar Hai serves as the Managing Partner of Haimark Films in Mumbai and is a Partner alongside Tabrez Noorani at The Malabar Film Company in Los Angeles. He has written and directed a feature film and produced and directed numerous TV commercials, documentaries, promotional films, and art history films shot worldwide, earning numerous awards.
Zafar directed the English-language feature film 'The Perfect Murder,' produced by Ismail Merchant, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Walter Lassally as Director of Photography.
His films have received National and Filmfare Awards, as well as international honors like the Prix-ITB Berlin—for 'Timeless India,' narrated by Michael York, and 'The Taj of Apollo Bunder,' a centenary film for the Taj Mahal Palace hotel featuring Roshan Seth.
Past works include 'Keepers of the Flame,' focusing on Jamsetji Tata and JRD Tata, narrated on-camera by Kabir Bedi, and 'Crucible of Fire,' with narration by Jeremy Irons, weaving Tata Steel's history with significant historical events.
From 'Jewels & Marble Palaces,' evoking royal grandeur, to 'Merchant Princes of Bombay,' chronicling the era of fortunes made through the opium trade, Zafar's films cover diverse subjects marked by his signature uncompromising quality and imaginative technique.
He directed four films for a history of art TV series on India's major heritage sites, premiered at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC before airing on the Discovery Channel. He has created biopics on business magnates like Aditya Birla and Anil Agarwal of Vedanta. Amitabh Bachchan has narrated two of his films, with music composed by maestros such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Sultan Khan, and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma.
Among his upcoming projects is a limited series for an international audience based on John Zubrzycki's book 'The Mysterious Mr. Jacob,' about a fascinating British Raj figure and his connection to the world's largest brilliant-cut diamond.
In recognition of his significant contributions to advertising, Zafar received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Club, Bombay.
Zafar earned a B.A. Honours in English Language and Literature from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and later studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at University College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he directed and acted in numerous theater productions, laying the groundwork for his film career.
