farhan akhtar first wife
Farhan Akhtar’s first wife is Adhuna Bhabani (also known as Adhuna Akhtar), a British hairstylist and entrepreneur born on 30 March 1967 in Liverpool, England. Farhan Akhtar is one of Bollywood’s most versatile talents — an actor, filmmaker, singer, and producer known for films like Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
Long before his second marriage to Shibani Dandekar made headlines, Farhan spent sixteen years married to Adhuna, the hairstylist who quietly built one of India’s most recognized salon brands, BBlunt. In this article, we cover everything about Adhuna Akhtar — her early life, her career, how she and Farhan Akhtar met, their marriage, their two daughters, and where she is today. If you’ve been searching for details on Farhan Akhtar’s first wife, this guide has it all in one place.
Who Is Adhuna Akhtar?
Adhuna Akhtar was born Adhuna Bhabani on 30 March 1967 in Liverpool, England. She was raised in a culturally mixed household — her father, Ashesh (also spelled Ashish) Bhabani, was a Bengali doctor, while her mother, Ann Bhabani, was English and worked as a career counselor. Adhuna has a brother named Osh Bhabani and a twin sister named Nutana Donaldson, making her part of a close-knit, multicultural family.
Her interest in hairstyling started early. As a child, Adhuna regularly accompanied her mother to salons in the UK, and something about the atmosphere of those spaces drew her in. Rather than following a conventional academic path, Adhuna chose to pursue hairdressing directly. At the age of sixteen, she left school to train at Worthington Hair, a well-known salon in Northwest England, completing a three-year apprenticeship there.
At just seventeen, she entered and won the under-21 national junior hairstyling championship — an early sign of the talent that would eventually take her career to India. After her apprenticeship, she worked with Wella as a technical specialist in Northwest England before her career path eventually led her to Mumbai.
Adhuna Akhtar’s Career & Professional Life
Adhuna built her professional identity as a celebrity hairstylist and later as a successful entrepreneur in India’s beauty industry. Her Bollywood career began in 2001 when she styled the cast of Dil Chahta Hai — the very film that also marked Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut. That project became a turning point, launching her into some of Hindi cinema’s biggest productions over the following years.
Adhuna went on to work as a hairstylist for major films, including Lakshya (2004), where she styled Preity Zinta and Hrithik Roshan under extreme shooting conditions in Ladakh, and later projects such as Don (2006) and Baar Baar Dekho (2016). Beyond film sets, Adhuna’s biggest professional achievement was building a haircare brand. In 1998, she launched a salon called Juice with her brother, Osh Bhabani, in Mumbai.
The salon was later rebranded as BBlunt, which grew into one of India’s most recognizable premium hairstyling chains, with outlets across major Indian cities and a full range of haircare products sold in retail stores. Adhuna has also appeared as a co-host on the TLC reality show BBLUNT, built around her salon brand. While an exact net worth figure isn’t publicly confirmed, her income is understood to come primarily from her ownership stake in BBlunt and her continued work as a stylist and entrepreneur.
How Did Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Meet?
Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Bhabani met on the set of Himalay Putra/Dil Chahta Hai, where Adhuna was working as a hairstylist and Farhan was making his directorial debut. Sources describe their connection as immediate, and the two began dating not long after. At the time, Adhuna was already an established name in hairstyling circles, having recently moved her career to Mumbai, while Farhan was stepping into filmmaking through his family’s screenwriting legacy — he is the son of celebrated writers Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani.
The couple dated for around three years before deciding to get married. Given that Adhuna was six years older than Farhan, their relationship drew some attention in Bollywood circles, though the couple largely kept their courtship private, away from heavy media coverage. Their bond reportedly grew stronger through shared creative environments, since both were deeply embedded in the film industry’s production side rather than its front-facing celebrity culture. By the time they decided to marry, they had already built a strong personal partnership rooted in years of working alongside each other on and around film sets.
Marriage & Wedding Details
Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Bhabani got married in the year 2000, following their three-year relationship. Their wedding was a relatively private affair, in keeping with both partners’ preference for staying out of the media spotlight despite Farhan’s growing profile in the Hindi film industry.
One touching detail from their marriage: Farhan later revealed he didn’t have enough money to buy Adhuna a proper diamond ring at the time of their wedding. He made up for it years later, in 2007, by gifting her a diamond ring for her 40th birthday — a gesture that became a well-known part of their love story in later interviews.
The couple went on to build a life together in Mumbai, balancing Farhan’s rising film career with Adhuna’s growing hairstyling business. Their marriage lasted sixteen years before the couple announced their separation in January 2016, with the divorce formally finalized by the Bandra Family Court in January 2017.
Children & Family Life
Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Akhtar have two daughters together: Shakya Akhtar and Akira Akhtar. Both daughters were born during their marriage and have largely been kept away from the public eye and media attention, a choice both parents have maintained even after their divorce. Despite separating in 2016, Farhan and Adhuna have continued to co-parent amicably, with Adhuna retaining custody of their daughters following the split.
Both Farhan and Adhuna have spoken publicly, in a limited way, about prioritizing their daughters’ wellbeing over any post-divorce tension. Farhan has since remarried — to singer and television host Shibani Dandekar in 2022 — while Adhuna has been in a relationship with Nicolo Morea, the brother of Bollywood actor Dino Morea, since 2017. Despite the changes in both their personal lives, reports suggest the extended family maintains a cordial relationship, with the daughters’ upbringing remaining a shared priority for both parents.
Adhuna Akhtar on Social Media
Adhuna Akhtar maintains a presence on social media, primarily used to promote her hairstyling business, BBlunt, and to share glimpses of her personal and professional life. Her content largely revolves around hairstyling trends, salon updates, and occasional family or lifestyle posts.
Unlike many Bollywood-adjacent celebrities, Adhuna keeps a relatively low profile online, focusing more on her brand’s presence than personal celebrity branding. She isn’t among the most followed personalities in the Bollywood ecosystem, but her online presence reflects her identity as a working professional and entrepreneur rather than a public figure defined solely by her past marriage.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Adhuna Bhabani (Adhuna Akhtar) |
| Date of Birth | 30 March 1967 |
| Birthplace | Liverpool, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Profession | Hairstylist, Entrepreneur, Co-host (BBLUNT on TLC) |
| Married to | Farhan Akhtar (m. 2000; div. 2017) |
| Marriage Year | 2000 |
| Children | 2 daughters (Shakya and Akira) |
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed |
FAQ Section
Q: Who is Farhan Akhtar’s first wife?
A: Farhan Akhtar’s first wife is Adhuna Bhabani, an English hairstylist and entrepreneur who founded the salon brand BBlunt. They were married from 2000 to 2017.
Q: How old is Adhuna Akhtar?
A: Adhuna Akhtar was born on 30 March 1967 in Liverpool, England, making her in her late fifties as of 2026.
Q: What does Adhuna Akhtar do for a living?
A: Adhuna Akhtar is a professional hairstylist and entrepreneur best known for founding BBlunt, a popular Indian haircare and salon brand, and for styling actors in several Bollywood films.
Q: When did Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Akhtar get married?
A: Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Akhtar got married in 2000 after dating for three years. They separated in January 2016 and finalized their divorce in January 2017.
Q: How many kids do Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Akhtar have?
A: Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Akhtar have two daughters together, named Shakya Akhtar and Akira Akhtar, from their sixteen-year marriage.
Conclusion
Adhuna Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar’s first wife, is far more than a footnote in the actor-filmmaker’s personal history. She built a successful career as a hairstylist and entrepreneur, founding BBlunt, one of India’s leading salon brands, all while raising two daughters and navigating a very public marriage and divorce with grace.
Though Farhan Akhtar has since moved on with Shibani Dandekar, his sixteen-year partnership with Adhuna and their shared commitment to co-parenting remain a well-regarded chapter of both their lives. For anyone researching Farhan Akhtar’s first wife, Adhuna Akhtar stands out as an accomplished professional whose story extends well beyond her marriage.
