Biografia
Born and raised in Pakistan, her family lived across Southeast Asia before eventually settling in Vancouver, BC. Along with her suitcase, she brought her passion for performing. Zara has been a notable presence in Vancouver's entertainment scene for nearly a decade, taking on roles such as actress, model, television host, producer, director, and activist. Through her work, she aims to make a positive impact on the world.
The year 2010 was especially busy for Durrani as she balanced multiple projects and roles. She landed a lead role opposite Balinder Johal in the short film Sindoor, which enjoyed a successful festival run worldwide, earning four Leo Award nominations and opening the Vancouver Asian Film Festival that year. Sindoor also won Best Short Film at VAFF and the Golden Kahuna Award at the Honolulu Film Awards. Zara was named Official Reporter for the We Canada campaign, a Canadian initiative for the 2012 Earth Summit in Rio. She represented the organization at various charity events and interviewed celebrities and campaign ambassadors to promote sustainable living. That same year, Durrani was selected as Field Producer and Host for the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival (VISAFF), which aims to connect South Asian talent with mainstream audiences. Zara played a key role as the festival’s ambassador in 2010 and 2011. Soon after, she was invited to produce and host VanEssence on Novus TV with the Suhrwardy Brothers. VanEssence showcased Vancouver’s fashion, music, arts, and culture, highlighting the city’s diversity and vibrancy. The show was well-received, leading Durrani to establish her own production company and create the popular talk show Life & Style with Zara, which aired on four networks across Canada. She interviewed many influential Canadians and Hollywood stars, including David Suzuki, Severn Suzuki, Bif Naked, Rick Campanelli (ET Canada), Adam Beach (CBC Arctic Air), Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, Lana Parrilla (CW’s Once Upon a Time), Thomas Dekker (CW’s Secret Circle), Agam Darshi (Sanctuary, Played), and David Sutcliffe. Built on values of fairness, equality, spirituality, and inspiration, Life & Style with Zara completed its 13-episode first season, premiering in July 2011. The show aired nationally on CHEK and JOY TV, as well as on Shaw TV and Novus Community Channel in Vancouver. It secured a prime-time slot on CHEK News at 7 pm until fall 2012 and was broadcast up to 10 times weekly on three Canadian networks, becoming a staple for TV viewers. Zara continues to produce online content for the show.
In 2012, Zara returned to her first passion—acting—with an exciting and busy year. She completed four feature films across Canada, the US, and Mexico. She played a supporting lead in Kavi Raz’s three-part feature film Maple Heart/Rukh/BC Gangs. Director and writer Mr. Raz selected her from among 300 actresses auditioning in Los Angeles and Vancouver. For her role in Maple Heart, Zara underwent physical training to prepare and learned Punjabi. The film is loosely based on the life of Bindy Johal, a deceased South Asian gangster, and addresses themes of drugs and human trafficking. In December, she finished filming Cancel, written and produced by renowned Iranian director Mohammad Rahmanian, playing the lead role of a street performer struggling with depression and addiction.
In January 2013, Zara Durrani was chosen as the international Spokes Model Ambassador for Fashion Hope, a campaign that raises awareness and funds within the fashion industry and partners with NGOs rescuing and rehabilitating survivors of human trafficking. Fashion Hope CEO Marc Palmer praised Zara as a "triple threat" for her grace, beauty, humanitarian compassion, and tenacity in advocating for the cause. He expressed gratitude for her involvement during the organization’s early growth and looked forward to collaborating with her on awareness campaigns. Most recently, Zara secured a guest star role on the USA Network show Psych, now in its eighth season. She continues to work on various film projects while fulfilling her responsibilities as Fashion Hope’s Global Ambassador.
