Both her parents were closely associated with the "progressive" communist movement in India, and Shama grew up in a strongly left-wing environment.

She has a bachelor's degree in English from Delhi University, and a diploma in stage design from the Slade School of Art, London.

[citation needed] Zaidi became interested in costume design while in school at Woodstock, Mussoorie, which had extensive theatre activities.

Also due to the influence of her mother Qudsia Zaidi, who started the Hindustani Theatre in the late 1950s with Habib Tanvir and other friends.

In her college days at Miranda House she started helping out with the stage productions there, apart from taking an active interest in Hindustani Theatre.

(Apprentice in stage, film and TV design to Herr Hein Heckroth, Frankfurt am Main, West Germany.

Direction Shyam Benegal; Screenplay Shama Zaidi Based on Habib Tanvir's retelling of a famous Rajasthani folk tale.

Direction Robin (Rabindra) Dharmraja; Script & Dialogues Shama Zaidi & Javed Siddiqi Based on the novel by Jaywant Dalvi.