Honey Irani began her Bollywood career as a child actress with roles in films such as Chirag Kahaan Roshni Kahaan and Bombay Ka Chor. She has acted in over 72 films.

After her divorce, she started doing embroidery on sarees to support her family. Though she had been writing short stories all this while, she never shared them. She narrated the story idea of Aaina (1993) to Pam Chopra, wife of Yash Chopra for a TV series, but he developed it into a film. Yash Chopra had also previously asked her to develop a story idea, which went on to become her debut as a screenwriter, Lamhe (1991), starring Sridevi. The film saw mediocre success, but she won the Filmfare Award for Best Story for the film and it paved her way for a successful career as screenwriter. She won the award again for Kya Kehna in 2002, besides winning Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay with Ravi Kapoor for the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2001.

Honey Irani was born into an Irani Zoroastrian family in Mumbai and her mother-tongue is Gujarati.

Irani met the script-writer and poet Javed Akhtar on the sets of Seeta Aur Geeta. They were married on 21 March 1972 and she was only 17 years old at that time. Her career as a child star had already ended and his career as a script-writer had not yet properly begun. They had no place to live, and were given a room in the house of Irani's older married sister Menaka. Their daughter Zoya Akhtar was born in 1972 and their son Farhan Akhtar in 1974. Irani became a devoted home-maker, but the marriage ended in divorce after her husband became involved with the actress Shabana Azmi in the mid-1970s. The couple separated in 1978 and divorced in 1985. While Akhtar married Shabana Azmi in 1984, Irani devoted herself to the care of her two young children, who were six years and four years old respectively in 1978. She even started doing embroidery on sarees as a way of earning money to support her children. Eventually, she managed to make a second career for herself as a writer of film scripts. Both of Irani's children (son Farhan Akhtar and daughter Zoya Akhtar) grew up to be reasonably successful filmmakers.

Irani is the youngest of three sisters, the other two being Menaka Khan and Daisy Irani. Irani's oldest sister, Menaka, is married to the stunt film-maker Kamran Khan,^[4] and is the mother of film-makers Sajid Khan and Farah Khan. Her other sister Daisy, who was also a famous child-star like herself,^[5] was married (till his death) to screen-writer K.K. Shukla, a Hindu Brahmin, and is the mother of three children.

Screenwriter

• Krrish 3 (2013)
• Har Pall (2007)
• Krrish (2006), screenplay
• Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), screenplay
• Armaan (2003), screenplay and story
• Albela (2001)
• Kya Kehna (2000)
• Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), screenplay
• Laawaris (1999), screenplay and story
• Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (1998), screenplay and story
• Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997), story
• Suhaag (1994), screenplay
• Darr (1993), screenplay and story
• Aaina (1993), screenplay and story (also assistant dialogue writer)
• Parampara (1992), screenplay and story
• Lamhe (1991), screenplay and story

Actor

• Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), as Sheila
• Amar Prem (1971)
• Kati Patang (1970) as Manorama ("Munni")
• Chandi Ki Deewar (1964)
• Soorat Aur Seerat (1962)
• Amar Rahe Yeh Pyar (1961)
• Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959)
• Qaidi No. 911 (1959)
• Pyar ki Pyas (1961) as Geeta.
• Zameen Ke Taare (1960).
• Masoom (1960).

Director

• Armaan (2003)
• Sanju