Nargis Fakhri (born October 20, 1979) is a Pakistani American actress and model who works predominantly in Hindi-language films in India. Her first film performance was in the 2011 romance movie Rockstar, for which she received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Female Debut. She later acted in the commercially successful comedy Main Tera Hero (2014), Spy (2015, her first Hollywood film), and Housefull 3 (2016), as a war journalist in the political thriller Madras Cafe (2013), and as a war correspondent in the political thriller Madras Cafe (2013).
Childhood and modelling
Fakhri was born in Queens, New York City, on October 20, 1979, to Mohammed Fakhri and Marie Fakhri, a former police officer. Her father is from Pakistan, and her mother is from the Czech Republic. Aliya, her younger sister, is her only sibling. When Fakhri was six years old, her parents divorced, and her father died a few years later. Fakhri considers herself a "global citizen" because of her mixed Pakistani-Czech heritage and American nationality.
Fakhri began her modelling career at the age of 16. She then featured as a participant on America's Next Top Model's second and third cycles (2004). Despite being chosen for the first two challenges in both cycles, Fakhri did not advance to the third round for the top twelve participants. She went on to model professionally in America, working for freelancing agencies and attending fashion events on a regular basis. Fakhri rose to prominence after appearing in a successful Indian print campaign for the 2009 Kingfisher Calendar. Imtiaz Ali, an Indian filmmaker, was drawn to her image in the Kingfisher Calendar. He chose her for the lead part in the Hindi love drama Rockstar. Fakhri later stated that she agreed to work in India to "relate to [her] culture" and get "close to [her] roots [Pakistan]" because India and Pakistan have similar civilizations.
Career as an actor
Beginnings and breakthroughs in my career (2011-2015)
In 2011, Fakhri made her acting debut as the female lead in Imtiaz Ali's musical love drama Rockstar. Following the loss of his passionate lover, the film traces the journey of an ambitious singer from humble beginnings to international stardom. Rockstar was the first film in India to depict a Kashmiri Pandit wedding, and portrayed Fakhri as a free-spirited affluent brat from a Kashmiri Pandit family. Fakhri's voice was dubbed over by voice artist Mona Ghosh Shetty due to her weak command of Hindi. The film earned overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, but their feelings about her were varied, despite the fact that she was complimented for her appearance. Taran Adarsh, a film reviewer, commented, "Nargis is a stunner in terms of looks, but isn't persuasive in poignant moments," but he commended her on-screen chemistry with co-star Ranbir Kapoor. Rediff's Raja Sen called her a "exotically ravishing heroine, one so pretty we forgive her occasionally stilted diction," while Nikhat Kazmi commended her portrayal, saying Fakhri "stands tall as the delectable Heer who sizzles on screen with her unconventional ways." Rockstar was one of the year's highest-earning Hindi films, grossing $1.07 billion (US$13 million). Fakhri's performance in the film won her multiple accolades for Best Female Debut at numerous award events, including a Filmfare nomination.
Her next film was Madras Cafe (2013), a political thriller directed by Shoojit Sircar set around the Indian engagement in the Sri Lankan civil war and the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Her character was a British war correspondent in Sri Lanka, and she was influenced by several other war correspondents, notably Anita Pratap. In contrast to her initial film, Fakhri dubbed her own dialogues and was approached by Sircar because he wanted "a girl who looked Indian but had a [English] accent." Madras Cafe garnered positive reviews from critics at its initial release, and the principal actors' performances were praised. Fakhri "hits the right notes," according to Saibal Chatterjee, while Rajeev Masand described her as "pleasantly competent." According to Anuj Kumar of The Hindu, Fakhri has proven that she is more than just a "prominent pout" in the film. Later that year, she made a cameo appearance in the action comedy Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, singing "Dhating Naach" with the film's lead star Shahid Kapoor.
The next year, Fakhri worked on the romantic comedy Main Tera Hero with Varun Dhawan and Ileana D'Cruz, an adaptation of the 2011 Telugu film Kandireega, produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and directed by David Dhawan. She portrayed Ayesha, a Don's daughter who falls for an impetuous brat in the Bangkok-set film. The picture was a financial success, but critics gave it mixed reviews. Rohit Khilnani praised Fakhri's acting in the film, saying that she "is not bad" and that "she fits well in this masala comedy and doesn't disappoint." Taran Adarsh, on the other hand, disagreed, saying that while she "looks great," she needs to "polish her acting skills." She then acted in Sajid Nadiadwala's action movie Kick in a hit item song titled "Yaar Naa Miley" opposite Salman Khan. The song was favourably welcomed by critics and a huge hit with the audience. Later that year, she made her Hollywood debut in Paul Feig's action comedy Spy. The plot revolves around the transformation of desk-bound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (McCarthy) into a field agent attempting to thwart the black market sale of a suitcase nuclear. Fakhri, who co-starred with Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, and Jude Law, was cast in her first antagonist role as Lia, a secret agent. Critics praised both the film and her performance. Entertainment Tonight's John Boone remarked on how much she stood out in the "fewer quieter scenes" of the film. Fakhri's performance garnered her a nomination for an MTV Movie Award for Best Fight. Spy was one of the year's highest-grossing films, grossing $235.7 million worldwide.
Recent roles (2016-present) Fakhri began 2016 with a cameo in the Tamil film Saagasam, performing in the item number "Desi Girl" alongside the film's lead actor Prashanth. Raju Sundaram choreographed the song, which was described as a "bar number," and it involved hundreds of extras. Fakhri next acted in the biographical sports drama Azhar, opposite Emraan Hashmi and Prachi Desai. She played actress Sangeeta Bijlani, the second wife of cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin. Azharuddin stated in an interview with Mid-Day that the film is about his God, marriage, and match-fixing. Azhar sparked controversy when a CBI officer investigating his case during the match-fixing claimed to have a video tape on which Azharuddin confessed to his role in the match-fixing, but he was unable to substantiate it. Critics enjoyed the film's narrative but were divided over her performance. Namrata Joshi of Outlook said she was "likeable" in her role, whereas Devesh Sharma of Filmfare said she had "plasticky expressions." The picture had a minor commercial success at the box office. She then appeared in the third episode of the Housefull film series as a supporting actress. In the ensemble comedy film, she played a privileged brat who falls in love with a con artist (Abhishek Bachchan). The film and her performance received mostly poor reviews. Subhash K. Jha, writing for Firstpost, chastised Fakhri for choosing a film in which she was "treated as visual attraction [...] and nothing else." Despite this, the picture was a huge commercial success, grossing 1.88 billion (US$24 million) worldwide. Fakhri then appeared in the adventure comedy Dishoom in a tiny part. Her character was described as a "cameo" of star Saqib Saleem's pal.
In Ravi Jadhav's musical Banjo, Fakhri played Christina, an American citizen looking for an instrumentalist who can play the banjo. The film, which also stars Riteish Deshmukh, has been billed as a tribute to rappers living in Mumbai's ghettos. The film received mixed reviews upon its initial release and underperformed at the Box Office India. Renuka Vyavahare of the Times of India wrote that she "overdoes the American accent but grows on you eventually." "Why would you waste your money watching Nargis' acting and Riteish juggling between his Lai Bhaari and Rockstar characters?" Koimoi wrote. According to NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee, her role in the drama is the film's "biggest undoing." Fakhri was chosen as a One Young World counsellor, alongside Kofi Annan, Doutzen Kroes, and Cher, to speak at their conference in Bogota in October 2017. Fakhri then appeared in her second Hollywood film, the romantic comedy 5 Weddings (2018), co-starring Rajkumar Rao. The Times of India's Reza Noorani disliked the chemistry between Fakhri and Rao, saying she "doesn't bring much to the table." Fakhri began 2019 with the horror movie Amavas, directed by Bhushan Patel. The picture, like her previous production, garnered mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office.
As of March 2019, Fakhri had finished filming the action thriller Torbaaz with Sanjay Dutt.
Private life
In 2013, Fakhri began dating actor Uday Chopra. The romance received extensive media coverage in India, and they speculated on a possible marriage. However, the couple divorced at the end of 2017. Fakhri verified and revealed her romance with filmmaker Matt Alonzo on Instagram in May 2018. She calls herself an eggetarian.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Rockstar | Heer Kaul | |
| 2013 | Madras Cafe | Jaya Sahni | |
| Phata Poster Nikhla Hero | – | In special song "Dhating Naach" | |
| 2014 | Main Tera Hero | Ayesha Shingal | |
| Kick | Angel | Special appearance in song "Yaar Na Miley" | |
| 2015 | Spy | Lia | Hollywood film |
| 2016 | Saagasam | – | Tamil film Special appearance in song "Desi Girl" |
| Azhar | Sangeeta Bijlani | ||
| Housefull 3 | Saraswati "Sarah" Patel | ||
| Dishoom | Samaira Dalal | Cameo appearance | |
| Banjo | Christina "Chris" | ||
| 2018 | 5 Weddings | Shania Dhaliwal | English-language film |
| 2019 | Amavas | Ahaana | |
| 2020 | Torbaaz | Ayesha | Released on Netflix |
| 2023 | Shiv Shastri Balboa | Siya | |
| Hari Hara Veera Mallu | Roshanara | Telugu film; filming |
| Year | Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | If My Indian Dad Was A Rapper | Lilly Singh |
| Habitaan Vigaad Di | Parichay | |
| Woofer | Snoop Dogg | |
| 2018 | Tere Vaastey | Satinder Sartaaj |
| 2022 | Palabi Kothai | Tasnim Anika |
| 2022 | Fayaah Fayaah | Guru Randhawa |
| Year | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Habitaan Vigaad Di | Parichay as a featured artist |
| Woofer | feat. Snoop Dogg |
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Rockstar | IIFA Awards | Hottest Pair (shared with Ranbir Kapoor) | Won |
| Filmfare Awards | Best Female Debut | Nominated | ||
| Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Female | Nominated | ||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Female Debut | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Madras Cafe | BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Actor in a Social/Drama Film – Female | Nominated |
| 2015 | Main Tera Hero | Stardust Awards | Breakthrough Supporting Performance – Female | Nominated |
| Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards | Ciroc Not The Usual Award | Won | ||
| 2016 | Spy | MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight (with Melissa McCarthy) | Nominated |
| 2017 | Housefull 3 | BIG Zee Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Actor in a Comedy Film – Female | Nominated |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Actress, Model & Singer |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height [1]Vogue India | in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in feet & inches- 5’ 9” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black (dyed red, golden blonde & brown) |
| Career | |
| Debut | Bollywood: Rockstar (2011) as 'Heer Kaul' Hollywood: Spy (2015) as 'Lia' Singing: "Habitaan Vigaad Di" (single; 2017) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • 2012: IIFA Awards - Hottest Pair (shared with Ranbir Kapoor) for the film "Rockstar" • 2015: Life OK NOW Awards - Best Supporting Actor-Female for the film "Main Tera Hero" • 2015: Bollywood Life Awards - Most Motivational Celeb on Social Media for the film "Main Tera Hero" • 2015: Filmfare Glamour and Style Awards - Ciroc Not The Usual Award for the film "Main Tera Hero" |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 20 October 1979 (Saturday) |
| Age (as in 2022) | 43 Years |
| Birthplace | Queens, New York City, US |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Nationality | American |
| Hometown | Queens, New York City, US |
| College/University | Queens College, City University of New York |
| Educational Qualification | BA with a Major in Fine Arts and Minor in Psychology from Queens College, City University of New York |
| Religion | She does not follow any religion but considers herself a spiritual person. |
| Ethnicity | Pakistani-Czech |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Gardening, Travelling & Yoga |
| Tattoo | Queen Crown with initials of her boyfriend, Matt Alonzo's and her name on her hand. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father- Mohammed Fakhri Mother- Marie Fakhri (Former Mechanical Engineer & Drafter) |
| Siblings | Brother- none Sister- Aliya |
| Favourite Things | |
| Food | Butter Chicken, Dal Gosht, Tacos, Pizza, Churros, Tom yum Soup, Paella, Pad thai, Zucchini Pasta with Avocado cream sauce |
| Cuisines | Malvani, Japanese |
| Dessert | Gajar Ka Halwa, Chocolate chip ice-cream, Red velvet cake, Gulab Jamun, Kheer, Bengali Sweets |
| Actor | Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan |
| Co-Actor | Varun Dhawan |
| Actress | Kajol |
| Film(s) | The Chronicles of Narnia Series, Beauty and the Beast (1991), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) |
| Singer | Taylor Swift |
| Rap Artist | Snoop Dogg |
| Song | 'Nobody Knows The Troubles I’ve Seen' by Louis Armstrong |
| Director | James Cameron |
| Musician | A. R. Rahman |
| Colour | Orange |
| Restaurant(s) | Olive in Mumbai, JW Marriott in Juhu, Wasabi at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, Blue Jade at Ritz Carlton in Dubai |
| Travel Destination(s) | Greece, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Denmark |
It was in upstate New York where we had to live in tents, fetch water, cook our meals, and even dig our own toilet bowls. At the end of our 14-day camp, a bear came and broke our tents and pooped all over it. So we had to travel to a new spot and sleep in sleeping bags. I’m really grateful for those experiences because I met a lot of amazing adults.”
When I first arrived, there were a lot of things that reminded me of my Dad, certain smells, the food, the colours and even the clothes, but it was a culture-shock for sure. My father did not raise me, so I was extremely American and unaware of how things were in India. It took me a long time to adjust and digest the changes, but that is the beauty of it all. I am totally OK now and I call Mumbai home”
I really enjoyed working with Dr. Zeus and Zora and the entire BeingU team. This was a really awesome experience. For me, I grew up listening to Snoop Dogg so when this came my way, I was completely thrilled to give it a shot and sing with someone as iconic as him.”
Bollywood is a part of the larger journey — I don’t spend a lot of time here and hardly have more than two friends. My real friends are in the US, Europe, Dubai, and Thailand
I accept ladies need to feel and look delightful at any age. Along these lines, I don’t believe there’s anything the issue with picking surgeries or different medications. Each vehicle needs upkeep and I’m not against up keeping.”
Nothing in life comes easy. We all have to work for it. The key is being consistent. Have discipline and the ability to stay focused and you can reach any goal. I was 179 lbs but today i am 152lbs. It’s taken about 6 months or more to lose that weight the right way! But I’m doing it. I’m on my way to a fitter me!
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
