Sonakshi Sinha (born 2 June 1987) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi cinema. She made her acting debut in 2010 with the action thriller Dabangg, which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut after working as a costume designer in small films. She rose to notoriety as the main lady in a number of male-dominated action flicks, including Rowdy Rathore (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Dabangg 2 (2012), and Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014), as well as a number of item numbers.
Sinha received critical acclaim for her performance as a troubled woman suffering from tuberculosis in the historical drama Lootera (2013), for which she received a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress. With the exception of Mission Mangal (2019), this success was followed by a string of commercially disappointing films.
Sinha has dabbled in singing in addition to acting, beginning with a song in her film Tevar (2015). In 2015, she released her debut single, "Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai."
Background and early life
Sinha was born in Patna, Bihar, on June 2, 1987, to actors Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha (née Chandiramani). Her father is from a Bihari Kayastha family, and her mother from a Sindhi Hindu family. Her father was a Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament before switching to the Indian National Congress in 2019. Sinha is the youngest of three siblings, with two (twin) brothers named Luv Sinha and Kush Sinha. She attended Arya Vidya Mandir and afterwards graduated in fashion design at Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University's Premlila Vithaldas Polytechnic.
Career Breakthrough and Success from 2005 to 2014
Sinha began her career as a costume designer, working on films such as Mera Dil Leke Dekho in 2005. She made her acting debut in the 2010 film Dabangg, co-starring with Salman Khan. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of 2010 and eventually became an all-time classic. Sinha had to shed three kilograms in order to play a country girl. Sonakshi Sinha's performance was warmly appreciated, with prominent reviewer Taran Adarsh remarking, "Sonakshi Sinha looks fresh, acts confidently, and pairs off very well with Salman." Most importantly, she delivers the proper expressions and is not overshadowed by the cast's galaxy of stars." Despite the fact that Sinha had no film releases in 2011, she earned honors for her debut. Among these were the Filmfare and IIFA Awards, among many others.
Sinha had four films released in 2012, the first of which was Prabhu Deva's Rowdy Rathore, in which she starred alongside Akshay Kumar. The film received mixed reviews from reviewers, but it had a successful opening day at the box office, grossing over $150.6 million (US$1.9 million) and eventually becoming a blockbuster. Despite this, writer Rajeev Masand attacked Sinha's decorative role, writing that Sinha "seems to exist in this film only to be repeatedly pinched by Akshay Kumar." Shirish Kunder's Joker, in which she co-starred with Akshay Kumar, was a box office flop and earned mostly poor reviews. Her third film, Ashwni Dhir's Son of Sardaar, in which she co-starred with Ajay Devgn, earned mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success. NDTV critic Saibal Chatterjee observed that Sinha "attempts to be pretty and dainty amid all the madness." Arbaaz Khan's Dabangg 2, the sequel to her hugely popular original, received little respect from reviewers despite being a huge financial success. Sinha also voiced Tooth in the Hindi version of Rise of the Guardians.
Sinha's debut 2013 film was Vikramaditya Motwane's period love drama Lootera, in which she starred alongside Ranveer Singh. Despite a mediocre box office reception, the film earned great reviews, with Sinha's portrayal of Pakhi, a Bengali girl dying of tuberculosis, earning considerable praise from critics. According to Sarita Tanwar, "the star of the film is undeniably Sinha [who gives] a mature and refined performance." She is the character in both body and soul." "Sinha plays Pakhi beautifully," says Raja Sen, "creating a character who is immaculately wide-eyed and possesses casual, yet unmistakable, grace." It's a dreamily gentle performance that gradually becomes more intense, and she does well-etched dialogue justice like few actresses can. Pakhi has a palpable sensitivity throughout the film, and Sinha captures it brilliantly without ever exaggerating it." She next appeared in Milan Luthria's criminal romance thriller Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara!, alongside Akshay Kumar and Imran Khan. The film was a commercial flop, and critic Mohar Basu described her as "a chatterbox replete with idioticity, which the director frames as naiveté." Sinha then starred in Tigmanshu Dhulia's flop Bullett Raja, opposite Saif Ali Khan. Prabhu Deva's R... Rajkumar, in which she co-starred with Shahid Kapoor, was her penultimate release of the year. Although the picture was a moderate monetary success, both it and her performance garnered unfavorable reviews. Taran Adarsh called her "repetitive" and advised her to "reinvent herself."
After voicing Jewel in the Hindi-dubbed Rio 2, Sinha appeared in A.R. Murugadoss's action movie Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, a remake of the director's Tamil film Thuppakki, in 2014. Sinha played a boxer opposite Akshay Kumar in the film. It earned mixed to good reviews from critics and became a box office success. "Sonakshi has nothing to do much in the film and overacts in places," Jyoti Sharma Bawa observed of Sinha's depiction. This is obviously a bummer for an actor who has already proven her acting chops." Sinha co-starred in the Superstar music video with Yo Yo Honey Singh. Sinha and his partners purchased a World Kabaddi League franchise in July. Prabhu Deva's Action Jackson, starring Ajay Devgn and Yami Gautam, was her second 2014 release. She made her Tamil film debut with Rajinikanth in KS Ravikumar's Lingaa, her final 2014 release.
2015–present: Career ups and downs
She starred alongside Arjun Kapoor in Boney Kapoor's version of Okkadu, Tevar, in 2015. Rajeev Masand commented in his review, "Sonakshi Sinha, playing another simpering damsel in another South remake, once again has nothing to do." She seems pleased to turn up for a few dance routines and wait for a man to save her." Tevar flopped at the box office and was one of the year's greatest disappointments. Sonakshi released her debut single "Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai" with Meet Bros on December 23, 2015. The next year, Sinha acted in Akira, an action-drama directed by AR Murugadoss that was a remake of the 2011 Tamil film Mouna Guru in which she played an arrogant college student. Akira had the best start at the box office of any female-focused picture in 2016. The film had an initial recovery of 15.5 crore, and it grossed over 33 crore at the box office, making it an average grosser. Then she starred alongside John Abraham in Abhinay Deo's action movie Force 2. The low-budget picture garnered over 58.75 crore and was declared an average grosser. Despite the fact that Sinha's character was classified as an unformed agent, her performance earned some praise. According to Bollywood Life, "Sonakshi Sinha is believable in action scenes she got and ably supports John."
She appeared in Sunhil Sippy's comedy film Noor, based on Saba Imtiaz's novel Karachi, You're Killing Me!, in 2017. She played the title character Noor alongside Kanan Gill, Shibani Dandekar, and Purab Kohli. Her portrayal was widely praised, with one critic stating, "Sonakshi Sinha pulls off her character without appearing to try too hard." "Sonakshi looks quite convincing with the grimaces, pouts, eye rolls, scowls, and goofy grins - displaying an amusing dorkiness," said the Hindustan Times. Even when her character becomes somber, Sonakshi demonstrates her talent and masters the harsh expressions." The picture was a commercial disappointment. Her final movie of the year was Abhay Chopra's Ittefaq, an adaptation of the 1969 murder mystery Ittefaq, in which she starred alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Akshay Khanna. The picture did well at the box office. It was a commercial disaster. Sinha stated in March 2017 that she was working on a new single. Despite anticipation that she might be the opening act for Canadian artist Justin Bieber's Purpose World Tour event at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on May 10, her appearance did not take place.
In 2018, she appeared in the comedic spoof film Welcome to New York, alongside Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Johar, and others. The film was shot during the 2017 IIFA Awards and was the first to be based on an award event. The film garnered overwhelmingly unfavorable reviews, with Rajeev Masand of News 18 stating, "Not very funny, unfortunately, is Sonakshi Sinha, who comes off exaggerated and out-of-step even in a film of such ridiculously low standards." She spends the majority of her screen time contorting her face like Jim Carrey, but without the same results.'' The film was likewise a box-office failure, grossing only Rs. 75 lakh on its opening day. The next year, Sinha co-starred alongside Diana Penty in the female-oriented comedy film Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi. The movie was released on August 24, 2018. Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi, like her last release, was a commercial flop. Then she made a cameo in a song from Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se.
In 2019, she sang "Mungda" in the comedy film Total Dhamaal. She then acted in the historical drama Kalank, alongside Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan. The picture did not fare well commercially. In 2019, Sinha was cast in the drama film Mission Mangal, alongside Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, and Taapsee Pannu. Jagan Shakti directed the project, which started filming in 2018. The film was a huge commercial success at the box office, generating over 200 crore on a 30 crore budget, and earned positive critical reviews.
Sinha co-starred in the war drama film Bhuj: The Pride of India with Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, and Parineeti Chopra. She then repeated her role in Prabhu Deva's Dabangg 3 alongside Salman Khan.
Private life
In 2014, Sinha began dating her Tevar co-star Arjun Kapoor. They split up after a year of dating. She is presently in a relationship with Zaheer Iqbal, who co-starred with her in the 2022 film Double XL and confirmed their relationship on social media. Sinha is a vegetarian.
In a recent interview, Sinha claimed that even after purchasing her own home, she chooses to live with her parents, Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha. When questioned if she had any plans to leave her parents' home, she quickly added that remaining alone is a difficult thing for her and she does not want to do it.
Work done away from the camera
Sinha has stated that she loves animals and has posed for a PETA campaign promoting for the adoption and sterilization of dogs and cats. She appeared in a one-minute video PSA asking people to adopt and sterilize their pets. "Breeders, pet stores, and people who don't sterilize their animals are responsible for all the animals who end up homeless," she has been quoted as saying. Every time a person purchases a dog or cat from a breeder or pet store, a homeless animal on the streets or in an animal shelter loses a shot at a home and a good life." PETA India named her Person of the Year for 2022 in 2022.
She also advocates for breaking down misconceptions about conventional body sizes.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Dabangg | Rajjo Pandey | |
| 2012 | Rowdy Rathore | Parvathi "Paro" Bharadwaj | |
| Joker | Diva | ||
| OMG – Oh My God | Herself | Special appearance in song "Go Go Govinda" | |
| Son of Sardaar | Sukhmeet Kaur Sandhu | ||
| Dabangg 2 | Rajjo Pandey | ||
| 2013 | Himmatwala | Herself | Special appearance in song "Thank God It's Friday" |
| Lootera | Pakhi Roy Chaudhary | ||
| Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara | Jasmine Sheikh | ||
| Boss | Herself | Special appearance in songs "Party All Night" and "Har Kisi Ko" | |
| Bullett Raja | Mitali | ||
| R... Rajkumar | Chanda | ||
| 2014 | Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty | Saiba Thapar | |
| Action Jackson | Khushi | ||
| Lingaa | Mani Bharathi | Tamil film | |
| 2015 | Tevar | Radhika Mishra | |
| All Is Well | Herself | Special appearance in song "Nachan Farrate" | |
| 2016 | Akira | Akira Sharma | |
| Force 2 | Kamaljit Kaur | ||
| 2017 | Noor | Noor Roy Chaudhary | |
| Ittefaq | Maya Sinha | ||
| 2018 | Welcome to New York | Jinal Patel | |
| Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi | Harpreet "Happy" Kaur | ||
| Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se | Herself | Special appearance in song "Rafta Rafta" | |
| 2019 | Total Dhamaal | Herself | Special appearance in song "Mungda" |
| Kalank | Satya Chaudhry | ||
| Khandaani Shafakhana | Babita "Baby" Bedi | ||
| Mission Mangal | Eka Gandhi | ||
| Laal Kaptaan | Noor Bai | ||
| Dabangg 3 | Rajjo Pandey | ||
| 2020 | Ghoomketu | Herself | Special appearance |
| 2021 | Bhuj: The Pride of India | Sunderben Jetha Madharparya | |
| 2022 | Double XL | Saira Khanna | |
| 2023 | Kakuda | TBA | Completed |
| Nikita Roy and The Book of Darkness | TBA | Post-production | |
| Bade Miyan Chote Miyan | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Indian Idol | Herself | Reality Series; Judge |
| Indian Idol Junior | |||
| 2017 | Nach Baliye | ||
| Om Shanti Om | |||
| 2019 | Myntra Fashion Superstar | Judge | |
| 2023 | Dahaad | Anjali Bhaati | |
| 2023 | Heeramandi | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Betiyaan" (Save the Girl Child) | Shankar Mahadevan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam |
| 2022 | "Blockbuster" | Ammy Virk, Asees Kaur |
| Year | Title | Album/Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Let's Celebrate" | Tevar |
| "Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai" | Non-album single | |
| 2016 | "Rajj Rajj Ke" | Akira |
| 2017 | "Move Your Lakk" | Noor |
| 2018 | "Chin Chin Choo" | Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi |
| "Rafta Rafta Dekho Medley" | Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se | |
| 2021 | "Hum Hindustani" | Non-album single |
| "Mil Mahiya" | Non-album single |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards | Best Female Debut | Dabangg | Won |
| Filmfare Awards | Best Female Debut | Won | ||
| International Indian Film Academy Awards | Star Debut of the Year – Female | Won | ||
| Star Screen Awards | Most Promising Newcomer – Female | Won | ||
| Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Female | Won | ||
| Best Thriller/Action Actress | Nominated | |||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Female Debut | Won | ||
| Best International Female Icon | Nominated | |||
| 2013 | People's Choice Awards India | Favorite Youth Movie Icon | Herself | Nominated |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards India | Best Movie Actress | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Awards India | Favorite Movie Actress | Rowdy Rathore | Nominated | |
| Stardust Awards | Best Thriller/Action Actress | Nominated | ||
| Dabangg 2 | Nominated | |||
| Best Comedy/Romance Actress | Son of Sardar | Nominated | ||
| BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Actor in a Comedy Film – Female | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | BIG Star Entertainment Awards | Most Entertaining Actor in a Romantic Role – Female | Lootera | Won |
| Most Entertaining Film Actor – Female | Nominated | |||
| Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated | ||
| Screen Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| Popular Choice (Female) | Nominated | |||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Actress (Critics) | Won | ||
| International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Stardust Awards | Best Thriller/Action Actress | Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty | Nominated |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Sona |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 169 cm in meters- 1.69 m in Feet Inches- 5' 6” |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 70 kg in Pounds- 154 lbs |
| Figure Measurements (approx.) | 35-27-35 |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Hindi Film: Dabangg (2010) Tamil Film- Lingaa (2014) Singing- "Aaj Mood Ishqholic Hai" (2015) Television- Indian Idol Junior as Judge (2015) |
| Awards | 2011 (Film - Dabangg, Best Female Debut) • Filmfare Awards • Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards • International Indian Film Academy Awards • Star Screen Awards • Zee Cine Awards 2013 (Film - Son of Sardar, Most Entertaining Actor in a Romantic Role – Female) • BIG Star Entertainment Awards 2014 (Film - Lootera, Best Actress) • Zee Cine Awards |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 2 June 1987 (Tuesday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 35 Years |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Patna, Bihar, India |
| School | Arya Vidya Mandir, Mumbai |
| College/University | Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University (SNDT), Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation in Fashion Designing |
| Food Habit | Vegan |
| Address | 49, Ramayan, 9th Road, JVPD Scheme, Juhu, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Photography, Reading books, Doing yoga, and Dancing |
| Tattoo | She has a star tattoo inked on her right collarbone |
| Controversy | Sonakshi was once linked to a leaked MMS, which had gone viral on WhatsApp. However, it was proved later that the video was fake. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father- Shatrughan Sinha (actor and politician) Mother- Poonam Sinha (homemaker) |
| Siblings | Brothers- 2 • Luv Sinha (Elder) • Kush Sinha (Elder) |
| Favourites | |
| Food | Goanese fish curry |
| Actor(s) | Hrithik Roshan, Russell Peters |
| Actress(es) | Sridevi, Rekha, Rani Mukerji |
| Film | Bollywood: Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge Hollywood: Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Zoolander, Primal Fear, About A Boy, Love Actually, Notting Hill |
| Director | Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Books | Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown |
| Colour(s) | Green and Yellow |
| Fashion Designer(s) | Manish Malhotra, Salvatore Ferragamo, Narendra Kumar, and Vikram Phadnis |
| Perfume(s) | Victoria's Secret Pink, Jean Paul Gaultier Classique |
| Travel Destination(s) | Paris and London |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo (GT) |
Breeders, pet stores and people who don’t sterilize their animals are responsible for all the animals who end up homeless. Every time someone buys a dog or cat from a breeder or pet store, a homeless animal roaming the streets or waiting in an animal shelter loses a chance at a home and a good life.”
Sonakshi Sinha, playing another simpering damsel in another South remake, once again has nothing to do. She appears content showing up for a few dance numbers, and waiting around for a man to save her.”
How i got myself off twitter and away from the negativity. Some people are celebrating like they won something… im happy for you, tumhe laga raha hai na… lagne do, kisi ko koi farak nahi padh raha (I am happy that you feel this way. Continue feeling like that, nobody gives a damn).”
Meat ban in Mumbai due to the ongoing Jain festival. She had tweeted, "This is a free country! Welcome to BAN-istan… I meant india.. Stupid.”
I got my first pay cheque when I volunteered as an usher at a fashion week. I was still in college then and I was being paid Rs 500 a day. By the time the event ended, I had earned Rs 3000. I gave the cheque to my parents. My mother has framed it and kept it as a memento.”
In the same conversation, she added that whatever amount she earned from movies and songs, she hand over it to her parents. She added,
Till date, every cheque I get, goes to my parents. I have few needs so whenever I need money, I ask them.”
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
