For many Bollywood actors, life after films involves endorsements, reality shows or occasional comeback roles. For former actress Perizaad Zorabian, it involved something far less glamorous, but ultimately far more transformative- chicken.

The actress, remembered for films such as Joggers’ Park, Dhoom, Mumbai Matinee and Ek Ajnabee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, quietly stepped away from the spotlight and entered her family’s poultry business. Years later, she is helping run one of India’s most recognised poultry brands, Zorabian Chicken, a business reportedly valued at around Rs. 120 crore according to recent media reports.

From movie sets to poultry farms

Long before she became a familiar face in Bollywood, business was already part of Zorabian’s life. Born into an entrepreneurial family, she earned an MBA from Baruch College in New York and later trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. After returning to India, she pursued acting and built a successful career through the 2000s.

Yet the family business was never far away.

In a recent podcast witj Suketu Shah, Zorabian spoke about admiring her father, entrepreneur Khoram Zorabian, who founded Zorabian Chicken in 1982 and who she called a “go-getter with work.” The company initially began by supplying quality chicken to restaurants and retailers before expanding into a full-fledged poultry enterprise.

Why she chose business over Bollywood

For many actors, leaving Bollywood can be difficult. For Zorabian, the transition appears to have been surprisingly natural. She has previously said that while acting happened almost accidentally, she always imagined herself becoming an entrepreneur like her father.

During the podcast, she revealed, “When I actually got back to work (in Bollywood) after I married, Dad was at an all-time low. We were putting up this plant and there were people who work with him come and talk to me and say ‘Daddy ko roko’ (Stop your father). He was deep debt. Our chicken business was primarily wholesale and from a price point we were no longer competitive. We then started our tray pack, which was swapped, and moved towards the retail line.”

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She added, “All those transitions happened out of need, the need for survival, because we continued to stay a wholesale brand, we would have been extinct by now.”

Building a national poultry brand

Under the family’s leadership, Zorabian expanded far beyond its origins as a supplier of fresh chicken. She added that her father never let anything easy because she was a ‘chokri’ (girl). Admitting that she was a work horse, she also shared that she would often pull all-nighters to scale up the company.

Gradually, the company entered categories such as frozen foods, ready-to-cook products and marinated offerings, helping it tap into India’s growing demand for convenient protein options. The brand gradually expanded beyond Maharashtra and established a presence across multiple states and cities.

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Today, Zorabian operates poultry farms spread across approximately 150 acres in Maharashtra and has built a significant presence in cities including Mumbai and Pune. The company says it now serves customers across 15 states and more than 20 cities. The company also employs over 700 people.

While audiences may remember Perizaad Zorabian from the big screen, her second act has arguably been even more impressive. Few actors successfully transition into managing large-scale businesses. Fewer still choose poultry farming and food production as their next chapter.