Zahida Rahemtulla grew up in a big family in Burnaby on the unceded territories of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-speaking peoples, and later spent years living in Metchosin, Abu Dhabi, and Toronto. 

Her first play, The Wrong Bashir, premiered to sold-out runs in Vancouver and Toronto (Touchstone Theatre, 2023; Crow’s Theatre, 2024), and an audio version was released by CBC’s PlayME in 2025. Her second play, The Frontliners, a comedic drama about refugee resettlement, received multiple awards, including a Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award, and was recently nominated for a 2025 Outstanding Original Script Jessie.

Zahida is developing new acting training programs to support community actors of colour over 55—many of whom have spent their lives working outside the arts—in pursuing professional training to join the industry at a later age in life. She has recently worked on these programs with Nightswimming Theatre and Talk Is Free Theatre. 

Zahida enjoys teaching very much and is currently an instructor in the Community Development and Outreach Department at Capilano University, where she teaches Adult Education. She also works at Blind Tiger Comedy in access.