Celebrity In The Spotlight: Anushka Sharma

Shining under our spotlight this month is an actress who had a dream start in Bollywood and went on to impress many with her subsequent performances. Despite having had some ups and downs and making headlines for all the wrong reasons, she is back to doing what she does best with her self-produced NH10, releasing later this month. That's right! We're talking about none other than the talented beauty with a figure to kill for, Anushka Sharma!

 

Hailing from an army background, Sharma was born on May 1st 1988, in Uttar Pradesh, but was raised in Bangalore. Her older brother, Karnesh, is in the Merchant Navy, and used to be a state-level cricketer (which we think helps explain her love of cricket). Despite getting a Bachelor in Arts from the Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, she knew her real calling was in the world of glamour. So, the spunky lass moved to Mumbai to further her modeling career. She got her big break in the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week when she was selected as a model for popular designer Wendell Rodricks' show. She went on to star in numerous ad campaigns for brands like Whisper, Fiat Palio, Silk and Shine, etc.

 

However, she knew something was amiss when she found herself wanting to emote more than a ramp model was allowed to. Luck seemed to be in her favor, because this was around the time that she was asked to audition for Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite the King Khan himself, Shah Rukh Khan. Her talent managed to impress and she was signed for a three film contract with Yash Raj Films. While this guaranteed her a good start in the industry, it also held her back after the immense success of her debut. Bound by the contract, she did not grace the big screen till 2010, where she was seen opposite Shahid Kapoor in the mediocre and easily forgettable Badmaash Company. Later that year, Anushka starred in Band Baaja Baaraat, opposite the young and dashing Ranveer Singh. With an unconventional story and no star power, there were next to no expectations from the movie. However, it ended up being a hit and proved to be beneficial for Sharma in more ways than one. Not only was her performance applauded by critics and audiences alike, she also found love in the form of her handsome co-star. However, not all love stories have a happy ending, and this one too met its demise in 2012, opening up the path for both to move on to bigger and better things.

 

After her three film YRF stint, Sharma was seen in Patiala House (2011) opposite Akshay Kumar and Ladies vs Ricky Behl (2012) opposite then-beau Ranveer Singh. Though both movies were moderate successes, they left a lot to be desired in terms of Sharma's acting. She received mixed reviews for both and just managed to keep her fans satisfied. To numerous people, her career had plateaued and she was quickly getting stereotyped as the talkative, loud, bubbly girl. Sharma was quick to prove her naysayers wrong with Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), where she played a supporting role to Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif. SRK's magic, Kaif's non-existent role and Sharma's impeccable portrayal of the lovable reporter Akira Rai worked in her favor, and Sharma's sleepy career took off once again. She received her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

 

2013 saw Sharma proving her acting mettle in Vishal Bharadwaj's political satire Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. While the movie failed to impress, Anushka's acting caught some eyes. However, what really caught everyone's attention was her (in)famous appearance in a February 2014 episode of "Koffee with Karan" in a new and questionably improved look. The discussion surrounding her all-of-a-sudden pouty lips caused quite a whirlwind and propelled her straight into the media spotlight, just in time for the promotional campaign of her next film, Rajkumar Hirani directed and Aamir Khan starrer P.K. (2014). The movie was a huge success and she finally received a unanimous nod from the critics for her performance.

However, her professional life wasn't the only big success for Sharma last year, as 2014 also saw her finding love in the arms of one of the nation's biggest (and hottest, we might add) cricket star, Virat Kohli. While the two started being seen together in the latter half of the year and drove the media and fans into a tizzy, they were tight-lipped until Kohli spilled the beans by asking everyone to use common sense since they have been spotted together so often. He made it even further clear by blowing a kiss towards his lady luck during one of his matches in December 2014, which lead to commentator Michael Slate mistakenly referring to Sharma as his wife, which may be a psychic premonition of things to come. While the two are kept apart for now because of new BCCI rules of no partners being allowed in the same hotel during the ICC World Cup, we hope their relationship continues to perform as strongly as Team India's current streak.

 

Sharma has recently donned the hat of a producer as well for her next release NH10, releasing on March 13th. Touted as a thriller, the film will see her like never before in a violent, avenging avatar. She will also be seen in Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, opposite Ranbir Kapoor, a period drama which apparently required her to temporarily enhance her lips. Next will be Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do, which will once again see her playing Ranveer Singh's love interest. She will finish the year with Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which marks the return of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and also stars Ranbir Kapoor.

 

 

 

Here's to hoping Sharma has a successful and productive year in both her professional and personal lives, and we are sure the entirety of the country is hoping that she continues to prove to be a lucky charm for her beau. 

Author: Gunia K.

Editor: Mohini N. and Hershi J.
Graphics: Marsh P.

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