This chapter explores Zoya Akhtar's career as a screenwriter and defines her signature style of filmmaking. On the face of it, the four feature films written and directed by Akhtar, Luck by Chance (2009), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) and Gully Boy (2019), may not appear to have much in common, either in terms of the story or setting. However, a central thread running through her films is the high quality of their ensemble performances. A deeper analysis of the creative influences in her life and her writing style reveals that Akhtar is motivated to make films for the mainstream audience even if her choice of subjects appears rather niche. Akhtar's scripts invariably inhabit an urban Indian milieu (even when abroad, the characters bring this urban mentality with them) and tend to stem from her own social environment and personal experiences. Further, the very particular settings of each film, from the Hindi film industry to luxury European holidays to the gully rap scene of Mumbai, make her work seem as if she must be targeting a specific audience, as the worlds her characters inhabit are ones with which most audiences have little in common. In spite of these specificities, she is skilful in ensuring the widespread appeal of these stories by weaving them around universal themes such as self-esteem, freedom, family or class. These themes are explored throughout her films not just through one character, but through the multiple, well-crafted and intriguing lead and supporting characters who each bring a distinct story and personality to the film and reinforce the universality of the films’ themes as they spill beyond one character and, inevitably, from the specific to the popular.

Akhtar's signature style of filmmaking is writing a strong ensemble that takes a niche story to a mainstream audience. Her writing process can be broken down into two key elements: a love for observation and a collaborative spirit. While her keen understanding of human behaviour spills over into the wide range of characters she writes, her collaborative style allows her to benefit from others’ life experiences and develop authenticity in each character's graph. Ultimately, it is a combination of an inherited love for film and a voracious appetite for studying people that makes Akhtar the eclectic scriptwriter that she is, with her ability to develop rich storylines with even richer characters.