Farooq Sheikh is an Indian actor, philanthropist and a popular television presenter. He is best known for his films during the 1970s and 1980s. His major contribution was in Parallel Cinema or the New Indian Cinema. He has worked with directors like Satyajit Ray, Muzaffar Ali, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Ketan Mehta. Shaikh was born to Mustafa Shaikh, a Mumbai lawyer and Farida Shaikh, a Parsi, in Amroli in Gujarat's Baroda District near Naswadi village. His family members were Zamindaris, and he grew up in luxurious surroundings. He was the eldest of five children. He went to St. Mary's School, Mumbai and then to St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. He studied law at Siddharth College of Law. Shaikh is married to Rupa Jain, whom he courted for nine years before tying the knot. He has three daughters Shaista, Sanaa and Rubina.