Aalia Furniturewalla

Biography:

Alaya F, originally named Aalia Furniturewalla, was born on November 28, 1997, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She is the daughter of actress Pooja Bedi and businessman Farhan Ebrahim Furniturewala. Her diverse heritage includes Parsi and Gujarati Khoja Muslim roots from her father’s side and Punjabi, Haryanvi, British, and Bengali ancestry from her mother’s side. Additionally, she is the granddaughter of renowned actor Kabir Bedi and classical dancer Protima Bedi.

Alaya F pursued her education at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai. Prior to her film debut, she honed her acting skills by earning a diploma from the New York Film Academy and subsequently adopted the name Alaya F. Currently, she is actively training in contemporary and Kathak dance forms. In 2011, she made an appearance on the reality show “Maa Exchange.”

Her film career took off with her debut in Nitin Kakkar’s “Jawaani Jaaneman” (2020), a family comedy-drama, where she portrayed a 21-year-old woman who pretends a 40-year-old man, with an aversion to marriage, is her father. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with Bollywood Hungama praising her confident performance and India Today lauding her natural on-screen presence. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her role in the movie.

In her subsequent film, “Freddy” (2022), she played the role of Kainaaz Irani, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage, opposite Kartik Aaryan. Her performance was appreciated for its grace and depth by critics from News18 and Filmfare.

Alaya continued her acting career with the 2023 film “Almost Pyaar” alongside DJ Mohabbat, opposite Karan Mehta. India Today commended her growth as an actor and her ability to portray her characters with ease and perfection, although the film faced commercial challenges at the box office.

In addition to her acting career, Alaya F has become a celebrity endorser for various brands and products, including Lenskart and Nykaa. She notably became the face of Nykaa’s “A Million Nakhras” campaign in 2022. Her popularity also earned her a place in Times’ “50 Most Desirable Women List of 2020” and Eastern Eye’s “30 under 30 Asians” list in 2023.