Anushka Sharma (born 1 May 1988) is an Indian actress and former producer who works primarily in Hindi films. She has won numerous honours, including a Filmfare Award. She is one of India's highest-paid actresses, having been in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 since 2012 and Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 list in 2018.
Sharma, who was born in Ayodhya and reared in Bangalore, got her first modelling job for fashion designer Wendell Rodricks in 2007 and then relocated to Mumbai to pursue a full-time modelling career. She made her acting debut in the top-grossing romantic film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), opposite Shah Rukh Khan, and rose to prominence with starring roles in Yash Raj Films' romances Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Sharma went on to receive recognition for her performances as strong-willed women in the criminal thriller NH10 (2015), as well as the dramas Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), and Sui Dhaaga (2018). Her highest-grossing films were the sports drama Sultan (2016), as well as Rajkumar Hirani's PK (2014) and Sanju (2018). Following that, I took a break from acting.
Sharma was a co-founder of Clean Slate Filmz, where she produced various films and web series, including NH10 and Paatal Lok (2020). She is an ambassador for several businesses and products, has created her own women's apparel line called Nush, and supports a variety of charities and causes, including gender equality and animal rights. Sharma is married to cricketer Virat Kohli and has a daughter with him.
Childhood and modelling career
Anushka Sharma was born in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on May 1, 1988. Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma, her father, is an army officer, while her mother, Ashima Sharma, is a housewife. Her ancestral home is on Naishvilla road in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, where her father stayed before entering the Indian army. Urmila, Anushka Sharma's grandma, still resides in their home. Sharma spent her childhood in Sheela Bhawan on Naishvilla Road.
Her father is from Uttar Pradesh, and her mother is from Garhwal. Karnesh Sharma, her elder brother, is a film producer who formerly served in the Merchant Navy. Sharma has remarked that growing up as a military brat shaped her as a person and contributed to her life. In a 2012 interview with The Times of India, she stated, "I take pride in saying that I am an army officer's daughter even more than being an actor."
Sharma grew up in Bangalore. However, she attended St. Mary's School in Margherita, Assam, for her elementary education. Sakshi Dhoni, M.S Dhoni's wife, was a classmate of hers at the time. She finished her education at Army School in Bangalore. She then earned her bachelor's degree in arts from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore.
She had no plans to become an actress when she decided to pursue a career in modelling or journalism. Sharma relocated to Mumbai after college to pursue her modelling profession. She enrolled in Elite Model Management and was trained by style consultant Prasad Bidapa. Sharma made her Lakme Fashion Week runway debut in 2007 for designer Wendell Rodricks' Les Vamps Show and was chosen as his finale model for the Spring Summer 2007 Collection. She has since worked on campaigns for the companies Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewellery, and Fiat Palio. "I think I was born to emote and act," Sharma later recalled. "I used to walk down the ramp and smile, and they used to say, 'give us a blank look.' It was really difficult not to smile." Sharma enrolled in an acting school and began applying for film parts while modelling.
Career as an actor
Breakthrough (from 2008 to 2013)
Sharma made her acting debut with Shah Rukh Khan in Aditya Chopra's love movie Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008). She took a day to prepare for her Yash Raj Films screen test and refused to conduct an impromptu one. She signed a three-film deal with the business and was cast as Tani Sahni, a young bride to a middle-aged man played by Khan. In the film, Khalid Mohamed of Hindustan Times believed she was "assured and upright," whereas Nikhat Kazmi thought she "lacked all chutzpah and can barely hold your attention." The film was a commercial success, being the second-highest grossing Hindi film of that year, and Sharma was nominated for Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and Best Female Debut. Sharma starred in the crime comedy Badmaash Company, directed by Parmeet Sethi and co-starring Shahid Kapoor, Vir Das, and Meiyang Chang two years later. The film, which follows four underachieving pals who start a scam business, received mixed reviews.
Later same year, Sharma wrapped off her three-film deal with Yash Raj Films by appearing in Band Baaja Baaraat, a romantic comedy directed by Maneesh Sharma and co-starring rookie Ranveer Singh. Her character was Shruti Kakkar, an ambitious middle-class Punjabi girl who launches her own wedding planning company. Sharma learnt to speak in Punjabi dialect in preparation for the role, which she characterised as the most difficult aspect of the role; she described the way the lead characters in the film communicate as "crude but cute," and it required her to "talk fast, sometimes mix words, and even omit words completely." Trade observers questioned Band Baaja Baaraat's commercial prospects, citing the mediocre response to Yash Raj Films' previous projects, the lack of a male star, and Sharma's status as a "almost-forgotten" actress. Band Baaja Baaraat, on the other hand, received good reviews and became a sleeper smash. Critics complimented Sharma's performance, with many citing it as her best work to that point. Sharma "comes into her own as the ambitious Delhi girl who dreams of upgrading to multi-crore Sainik Farms weddings," observed critic Anupama Chopra. Sharma won her second Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in the film.
Sharma's first non-Yash Raj Films production was the drama Patiala House (2011), directed by Nikkhil Advani and co-starring Akshay Kumar. The film depicts the story of a rising cricketer (played by Kumar) who struggles to persuade his father of his chosen profession; Sharma was cast as Kumar's love interest. Rediff.com's Sukanya Verma appreciated Sharma's work, calling her a "metaphor for energy." She re-teamed with co-star Ranveer Singh and director Maneesh Sharma for the comedy-drama Ladies versus Ricky Bahl the following year. She played Ishika Desai, a salesgirl hired to outwit a conman (played by Singh) who instead falls in love with him. The film and Sharma's portrayal were met with mixed reactions, with NDTV's Piyali Dasgupta calling her "believable but not endearing." Despite conflicting reviews, the picture was a moderate box office success.
Sharma co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif in Yash Chopra's "swan song," the romance Jab Tak Hai Jaan, in 2012. It was her seventh work with Yash Raj Films and her second with Khan. She played Akira Rai, a Discovery Channel reporter with dreams of becoming a documentary filmmaker. While Rajeev Masand stated that Sharma "brings a spark to the film," Raja Sen stated that "while Anushka can indeed play spunky, she needed to tone it down several notches here." She got the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Jab Tak Hai Jaan finished 2012 as the third highest-grossing Bollywood film.
Sharma next acted in Vishal Bhardwaj's political satire Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013), set in a Haryana village. Sharma co-starred in the film with Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan, and Shabana Azmi as Bijlee Mandola, a strong-willed girl who has a passionate affair with Khan's character despite being engaged to another man. Critics gave the picture positive to mixed reviews, and it flopped at the box office. Several critics remarked that Sharma was being stereotyped as a noisy and obnoxious young lady; Raja Sen noted that she "is great in a couple of scenes near the climax," but Kanika Sikka of Daily News and Analysis was more harsh, calling her "unconvincing."
Established actress with a foray into film production (2014-2016).
In Rajkumar Hirani's religious satire PK, Sharma plays a television journalist who befriends an alien (played by Aamir Khan). Saibal Chatterjee, a critic, commended Sharma for playing "a feisty poetry-loving girl who knows her mind far more than most Hindi film heroines are allowed to" and for "holding her own" against Khan. Critically acclaimed, PK became the highest-earning Bollywood film, grossing over $7 billion (US$88 million) worldwide. Sharma established Clean Slate Filmz, the first release of which was Navdeep Singh's thriller NH10 (2015), in which she also starred. It was shown at the 5th Beijing International Film Festival and depicts the story of a married couple whose lives are jeopardised after a run-in with a gang of criminals. Sharma spent three months preparing by doing interval training to increase her stamina. The film was described as a "taut and riveting thriller" by Saibal Chatterjee, who praised Sharma for "conveying a range of moods as she moves from the vulnerable to the fearless in a battle in which the odds are stacked heavily against her," and Prarthana Sarkar of International Business Times praised her for breaking away from her romantic comedy image. The film was also a box office triumph.
Sharma co-starred with Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar in Anurag Kashyap's period crime thriller Bombay Velvet (2015), which was based on the historian Gyan Prakash's book Mumbai Fables. Her role was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, Helen, and Waheeda Rehman. Sharma prepared by watching 1950s and 1960s films as well as documentaries about hair and make-up. She also employed temporary lip enhancers for the role, describing it as the reason for her new look on a chat show in 2014, and disputed media rumours that she had undergone plastic surgery. Bombay Velvet was shown at the Locarno and Bucheon film festivals, where it received mixed reviews. Ritika Bhatia of Business Standard commended Sharma's performance in "Dhadaam Dhadaam," writing, "she fills the stage with such raw emotion that her mascara-laden tears and fake eyelashes flutter with arresting passion." The film, however, failed to return its 1.2 billion (US$15 million) cost. In the same year, Sharma appeared as a dancer aboard a cruise ship in Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, an ensemble comedy-drama in which she co-starred with Ranveer Singh. Her and Singh choreographed the song sequence "Pehli Baar," and Reuters' Shilpa Jamkhandikar lauded their on-screen chemistry as "crackling." Sharma received Filmfare Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her roles in NH10 and Dil Dhadakne Do, respectively.
Sharma next worked with Yash Raj Films on Sultan (2016), a romantic sports drama directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. She played Aarfa Hussain, a Haryana wrestler who inspires the title character (Salman Khan) to take up the sport. Sharma was initially hesitant to play the role because she did not have the physique of a wrestler; she researched different weight categories to "beat people's perception that all wrestlers are huge." She trained in the sport for six weeks, learned the Haryanvi dialect, and interacted with female wrestlers from the state. The film and her performance were met with mixed reactions. Critics praised her significant role in an androcentric film, with Rachit Gupta of Filmfare calling her "the best thing in the film" and noting that "even though she doesn't have the physique of a wrestler, her spirited performance makes you believe in her tough but emotional character." However, Suprateek Chatterjee of The Huffington Post thought she was unconvincing as a wrestler, writing that "she possesses literally zero muscles and somehow
Later that year, Sharma was cast as Alizeh Khan, a free-spirited girl trapped in a loveless relationship, in Karan Johar's romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai. The Guardian's Mike Maccahil noted how much Sharma's "terrific spikiness" and chemistry with Kapoor aided a lousy film. Sweta Kaushal of the Hindustan Times commended Sharma's empowered female lead in another mixed assessment. The film grossed over 2 billion (US$25 million) globally, and Sharma was nominated for Best Actress at the 62nd Filmfare Awards. With two top-grossing films in 2016, Sharma was named the most successful Bollywood actress of the year by Bollywood Hungama.
Career shifts, production priorities, and a pause (2017-present)
Suraj Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh co-starred in the 2017 fantasy comedy Phillauri, in which Sharma played a friendly ghost who longs to reconnect with her sweetheart. Sharma, in addition to starring and producing, also sung a song in the film. She then reunited with Shah Rukh Khan for the third time in Imtiaz Ali's Jab Harry Met Sejal, a romantic comedy about a Gujrati tourist (Sharma) who falls in love with her tour guide in Europe. Uday Bhatia of Mint appreciated Sharma's performances in Phillauri and Jab Harry Met Sejal, praising her talent for "straight-faced com". Bhatia, on the other hand, disliked her coupling with Khan, who is 22 years her senior, in the latter film. In contrast to her 2016 offerings, both of these flicks were box office duds.
Sharma's debut 2018 film release was the horror picture Pari, in which she both starred and produced. It follows Rukhsana (Sharma), a damaged young woman living in the bush who is saved by a kind guy (Parmbrata Chatterjee). Though Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express called the film "scatter-brained," adding that "nothing can save it, not even a leading lady who is determined to do something different with her producing heft," Sukanya Verma included her performance in Rediff.com's annual list of best actresses, writing, "going from unhinged to ghastly to mesmeric, here's an actress who's game for everything." In Rajkumar Hirani's biopic Sanju, starring Ranbir Kapoor in the titular role, Sharma plays a biographer recording the life of troubled actor Sanjay Dutt. Rajeev Masand praised the cast but criticised Sharma's performance, noting that she "stands out with strange hair and a stranger accent." Nonetheless, it became her third release to gross more than 5 billion (US$63 million) globally.
In the same year, Sharma collaborated for the seventh time with Yash Raj Films on Sui Dhaaga, a comedy-drama co-starring Varun Dhawan about an impoverished, young couple who start their own small-scale clothing business. The Times of India's Ronak Kotecha commended the delicate chemistry between the leads and lauded Sharma for easily playing the constrained character. She was nominated for a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. Sharma had her final film appearance of the year in Zero, a drama about a dwarf's romantic troubles involving two ladies in which she reunited with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. She played a NASA scientist with cerebral palsy, for which she saw an occupational therapist and an audiologist; she also stayed in character and used a wheelchair between takes. Anupama Chopra found her representation of the condition "inconsistent and clumsy," whereas The Hindu's Namrata Joshi found her "earnest and invested." Zero, like her previous collaboration with Khan, was a commercial flop.
Sharma served as executive producer for her company's crime thriller series Paatal Lok, which debuted on Amazon Prime Video in 2020, and she produced the horror film Bulbbul for Netflix. Anna M. M. Vetticad discovered "feminism and the paranormal" themes in several of her company's films and praised Sharma for her "courageous, non-conformist" decisions as a producer. Sharma revealed in 2022 that she would relinquish her production obligations for her banner Clean Slate Filmz and that her brother would become the sole owner of the company.
Sharma will return to acting after four years with Chakda 'Xpress, a biopic of cricketer Jhulan Goswami that will be released on Netflix.
Off-screen career and personal life
Sharma began eating vegetarianism in 2015. She was named one of "Bollywood's hottest vegetarian celebrities" by The Times of India. She has also been selected "The Person of the Year" on many occasions by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She is a devoted student of Transcendental Meditation. Sharma has admitted to having an anxiety issue and sought treatment for it.
Sharma, a practising Hindu, attends Anant Dham Atmabodh Ashram in Haridwar with her family. The ashram is led by Maharaj Anant Baba, her family's spiritual teacher, and the actress is a frequent visitor. Sharma's romantic relationship with cricketer Virat Kohli has received extensive media coverage in India, despite her reluctance to discuss it publicly. On December 11, 2017, the pair married in Italy. Sharma gave birth to a daughter, Vamika, on January 11, 2021.
Anushka Shama publicly chastised the Times Group on June 14, 2022, for releasing a photo of her daughter taken on vacation without her consent. Anushka is highly discreet about her personal life and has frequently asked the media and paparazzi not to publish photos of her daughter.
Sharma walked the runway in a fashion show organised in remembrance of the late filmmaker Yash Chopra in September 2013. She attended the 2015 Indian Premier League opening event in Kolkata, among other celebrities such as Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Farhan Akhtar, and composer Pritam.
Sharma, in addition to performing, supports a lot of charities and causes. She walked the runway to raise funds for Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Welfare Society, a non-governmental organisation that works to empower women. She promised to promote the education of India's young girls in 2013, alongside other Bollywood stars, as part of NDTV's "Our Girls, Our Pride" initiative. That same year, she participated alongside other celebrities in a National Film Development Corporation of India commercial to raise awareness about children's "Right to Education." Sharma auctioned off the leather jacket she wore in Jab Tak Hai Jaan on eBay in December 2014, with the money benefiting flood-ravaged Kashmir and Assam. Sharma had also led a fundraising campaign for the victims of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. She is a supporter of the annual Mumbai Film Festival and gave money to it in 2015. Sharma has been vocal about the discrepancy in compensation between women and their male colleagues in the film business. In 2016, she provided a voice over for India's first transgender band, the 6-Pack Band (started by Y-Films), in their first single, "Hum Hain Happy."
On social media, Sharma has also advocated for animal rights. In April 2014, she took to Twitter to demand that horse-drawn carriages be banned in Mumbai. In June 2015, she criticised China's Yulin Dog Meat Festival and urged her admirers to sign an online petition to put an end to it. She launched 'Pawsitivity,' a campaign to educate people about the harmful impacts of noise, air, water, and soil pollution on animals, in October 2015. Sharma debuted her own apparel line, Nush, in October 2017.
Image from the media
at 2017, Sharma worked at the Prime Minister's Office.
The Times of India's Priya Gupta said, "the best part of [Sharma's] stardom is that she does not have the trappings of a star." Firstpost's Kalpana Nair said, "actresses like Sharma command the respect they do in a largely conservative and male-dominated industry, and the fact that their fan base grows when they take on roles that are not conventional is good reason for us to beam widely and walk with a spring in our step." Forbes writer Samar Srivastava described her as "unafraid," adding that "you would be hard-pressed to associate Sharma with the stereotype of a mainstream leading lady." The Times of India stated that "she never shies away from putting [her] opinion across."
Sharma was named one of "Bollywood's Best Actors" by Rediff.com for his roles in Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) and NH10 (2015). She was included on their list of "Bollywood's Best Dressed Actresses" from 2012 to 2013. She was ranked sixth on The Times of India's poll of the "Most Desirable Woman" in 2011. She has appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012, a list based on the income and popularity of Indian celebrities. She peaked at 16th place in 2018 with an estimated annual earning of 45.83 crore (US$5.7 million), making her the country's third highest-paid actress and female celebrity. Sharma has a Twitter account as well as a Facebook one. On social media, she is regarded as one of the most popular Indian celebrities. She was named one of The Huffington Post's "100 Most Influential Women on Twitter" in 2015. She also topped the Times Celebex list of Bollywood stars in terms of biggest box-office collection that year. In 2016, she was named one of the 'Most Engaging on Twitter' Hindi film actors by The Times of India. She was named "Amazing with Androgyny" in Filmfare magazine's 2015 fashion poll, and she "... has carved a niche for her easy breezy high street style." She was also named to Verve magazine's "Best Dressed 2015" list. Sharma was named to Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 list and Fortune India's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list in 2018. She was named to Fortune India's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list once more in 2019. Sharma is a famous brand and product spokesperson for a variety of companies and products, including TVS Scooty, Nivea, Elle 18 cosmetics, Bru coffee, and Pantene.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi | Taani Sahni | |
| 2010 | Badmaash Company | Bulbul Singh | |
| Band Baaja Baaraat | Shruti Kakkar | ||
| 2011 | Patiala House | Simran Chaggal | |
| Ladies vs Ricky Bahl | Ishika Desai | ||
| 2012 | Jab Tak Hai Jaan | Akira Rai | |
| 2013 | Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola | Bijlee Mandola | |
| 2014 | PK | Jagat "Jaggu" Janini | |
| 2015 | NH10 | Meera | Also producer |
| Bombay Velvet | Rosie Noronha | ||
| Dil Dhadakne Do | Farah Ali | ||
| 2016 | Sultan | Aarfa Hussain | |
| Ae Dil Hai Mushkil | Alizeh Khan | ||
| 2017 | Phillauri | Shashi Kumari | Also producer and playback singer for song "Naughty Billo" |
| Jab Harry Met Sejal | Sejal Zaveri | ||
| 2018 | Pari | Rukhsana | Also producer |
| Sanju | Winnie Diaz | ||
| Sui Dhaaga | Mamta Sharma | ||
| Zero | Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder | ||
| 2020 | Bulbbul | — | Producer only |
| 2022 | Qala | Devika | Cameo |
| 2023 | Chakda 'Xpress | Jhulan Goswami | Biopic |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Paatal Lok | — | Producer | Amazon Prime Video |
| Year | Title | Performers |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | "Kudi Nu Nachne De" | Vishal Dadlani, Sachin–Jigar |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Anu, Nushie |
| Profession(s) | Actress, Producer |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in feet inches- 5' 9" |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms- 55 kg in pounds- 121 lbs |
| Figure Measurements (approx.) | 34-26-34 |
| Eye Colour | Hazel Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 1 May 1988 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 34 Years |
| Birthplace | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | She basically belongs to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh but she grew up in Bengaluru and now she is settled in Mumbai. |
| School | Army School, Bengaluru |
| College/University | Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Masters in Economics (Correspondence) |
| Debut | Film: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Brahmin |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Political Inclination | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| Address | Badrinath Towers, 20th floor, Seven Bungalows, Andheri, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Dancing, Reading |
| Awards, Achievements | Filmfare Awards Best Supporting Actress Award for Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2013) International Indian Film Academy Awards • Best Actress Award for Band Baaja Baaraat (2011) • Best Supporting Actress Award for Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2013) |
| Boys, Affairs, and More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 11 December 2017 |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Virat Kohli |
| Children | On 11 January 2021, Anushka and her husband, Virat, blessed with a baby girl. |
| Parents | Father- Ajay Kumar Sharma (Army officer) Mother- Ashima Sharma |
| Siblings | Brother- Karnesh Sharma (Merchant Navy) Sister- None |
| Favourites | |
| Actor | Shah Rukh Khan |
| Actress | Rani Mukerji |
| Film | Bollywood: Jab We Met, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Chak De! India and Dil Se Hollywood: The Shawshank Redemption, Life Is Beautiful, In the Mood for Love, Fish Tank |
| Colour(s) | White, Grey, Black, Navy blue |
| Perfume | Ralph Lauren Blue |
| Travel Destination(s) | The Himalayas, Goa |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Range Rover SUV |
| Expensive Things/Valuables | She has a collection of luxury watches including Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (priced at Rs 38 lakhs). |
| Money Factor | |
| Assets/Properties | An eight-acre land at Alibaug, a coastal town situated in the south of Mumbai - Reportedly, Virat and Anushka jointly bought the property in two separate deals, and it cost around Rs 19 crores. |
| Salary (approx.) | Rs. 8 Crore/Film (as of 2018) |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $9 Million |
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
