Zeyn Shaw is an Indian actor. He came into the limelight after appearing in the Hindi-language Netflix series Class in which he played the lead role of Veer Ahuja.
Wiki/Biography
Zeyn Shaw was born in New Delhi, India. He attended a boarding school in Singapore. Fascinated by acting since childhood, Zeyn often participated in various cultural functions in his school. He performed at the annual theatre showcase in his school in first grade, following which he decided to make a career in acting.
A childhood image of Zeyn Shaw and her sister, Lylah Shaw (right)
After completing his schooling, he pursued a Bachelor of Science in Journalism at Suffolk University, Boston. Later, he pursued a course in theatre and acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, New York.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Zeyn Shaw’s mother, Shiba Shaw, is a homemaker. His father’s name is Sakib Shaw. Zeyn’s sister, Lylah Shaw, owns Ituvana, a clothing brand.
Zeyn’s sister, Lylah Shaw (left), his mother, Shiba Shaw (centre), and Zeyn Shaw
Career
Zeyn, while pursuing an acting course at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York, used to perform in various stage plays and productions. He has worked in more than 50 improvisational plays, a type of theatre where the actors work without a script and the story is created spontaneously. In 2023, Zeyn made his digital debut with the Netflix series Class, wherein he played the role of Ahuja.
Zeyn Shaw as Veer Ahuja in a still from the Netflix series Class (2023)
In the same year, he debuted in Bollywood with a thriller Hindi film titled ‘Farrey’ in which he appeared as ‘Prateek.’
Zeyn Shaw as ‘Prateek’ in the film ‘Farrey’ (2023)
Facts/Trivia
- Fond of acting since childhood, Zeyn used to visit Mumbai during his summer vacations; he used to work as an intern on the sets of Bollywood films and commercials.
- Soon after Zain moved to Mumbai in 2018, gave multiple acting auditions; however, he was often rejected due to his fair complexion. Later, in 2020, Zeyn was selected in the acting audition for his debut series ‘Class’ (2023). In an interview, Zain talked about this and said,
It actually started with a lot of rejections. I was studying at a film school in New York. I spent about a year doing 50–60 improv shows and moved to Mumbai in 2018. People used to reject me while auditioning since I have a fair complexion. After countless rejections, the audition for Class came to me during the pandemic. They liked me and took my screen test with the locked cast. I got the role in October 2020. I am literally a pandemic actor (laughs).”
- According to Zeyn, the Netflix series Class was his first project in which he acted before the camera. He had never worked in any commercial or show before the series. In an interview, Zeyn talked about the cast and experience of working on his debut series ‘Class.’ He said,
I was terrified since Class was my first ever experience in front of the camera. I haven’t even done an ad before. When I walked out to the sets, I freaked out seeing so many people around and big cameras, but I became comfortable within four-five days of the shoot. I was blessed to have a director, who kind of helped me a lot.”
- He is trained in stage combat, a specialised technique used in theatre to create the illusion of a physical fight without causing any harm to performers.
- In an interview, Zeyn said he had a unique ability to balance a fidget spinner in his nose for more than ten minutes.
- Zeyn is quadrilingual; he can converse in Hindi, English, French, and Spanish.
- Zeyn often smokes and consumes alcohol on various ocassions.
A picture of Zeyn Shaw holding a cigarette
- In 2023, in an interview, Zeyn said that he was star-struck after meeting Salman Khan.