Sukirti Kandpal | |
|---|---|
 Kandpal in 2016 | |
| Born | 1987 or 1988 (age 36–37)[1] |
| Education | Economics Honours fromSophia College for Women, Mumbai |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Dill Mill Gayye Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Story 9 Months Ki Dilli Wali Thakur Gurls[2] |
| Title |
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Sukirti Kandpal is an Indian actress and model who appears inHindi television. She established herself as one of the leading actresses ofIndian Television from the late 2000s through the early 2010s. Recognised for her comic timing and vivacious on-screen persona, she is the recipient of several accolades, in addition to twoIndian Television Academy Awards nominations.
She marked her acting debut with the youth showJersey No 10. Kandpal got recognition after portraying the leading roles of Dr. Riddhima Gupta inDill Mill Gayye and Piya Dobriyal in romantic thrillerPyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani. In 2014, she participated inBigg Boss 8 and finished in 19th place.
Her other notable works include portraying Simran Khanna inKaisa Yeh Ishq Hai... Ajab Sa Risk Hai and Debjani Thakur inDilli Wali Thakur Gurls[2] and as business woman Alia Shroff inStory 9 Months Ki.[3][4][5] After a hiatus of two years she made a comeback on television with the character of freedom fighterPritilata Waddedar inSwaraj. She was last seen portraying Shruti Ahuja inAnupamaa.[6]
Kandpal was born inNainital, Uttarakhand, to B.D. Kandpal (former President of the UttarakhandBar Association, Deputy Advocate General ofUttarakhand High Court) and Manju Kandpal.[7][8] She has two siblings an elder sister, Bhavna Kandpal, and a younger brother, Manjul Kandpal. She attendedSt. Mary's Convent High School, Nainital.[9][10]
Kandpal originally wanted to pursue law as her father was a public prosecutor. She received an honors degree inEconomics fromSophia College for Women,Mumbai.[11][12] She dated Manavendra Singh Shekhawat during the early years of her career but split afterwards.[13]
Kandpal started her television career in 2007 withJersey No. 10 onSab TV,[14][15] an Indian adaptation of the American seriesOne Tree Hill. A creative director fromCinevistaas Limited spotted her at a coffee shop and asked her to meet him later for an audition.[16] In the same year, she also appeared in the various episodics ofIndian horrorthriller televisionanthology seriesSsshhhh...Phir Koi Hai onStar One.[citation needed]
In 2008, she replacedShilpa Anand as Dr. Riddhima Gupta in medical romantic comedy showDill Mill Gayye.[17][18] She worked there for ten months and quit in 2009.[19]
In 2009, she appeared in the official music video of the song "Teri Yaad Mein" from the albumChaandan Mein byKailash Kher.[20]
In 2010, she appeared as Siddheshwari Singh inAgle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo.[21] In June 2010, she participated inImagine TV's reality showMeethi Choori No 1.[22] Later in October 2010, she played a double role inBalaji Telefilms' supernatural romancePyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani as Piya Dobriyal and as Princess Maithili. The show was the first youth centric supernatural series in India,[23] inspired byThe Vampire Diaries[24] andTwilight Saga. The show aired its last episode on 15 December 2011[25] and established her fame and recognition.[26] In the same year, she participated in another reality show for Imagine TV,Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan.
Kandpal took a break before returning to acting in 2012 asNRI Jazz inRab Se Sona Ishq in 2012.[27][28] She appeared as four characters with same face inLife OK's seriesMystery of clones as a part ofHum Ne Li Hai...Shapath[citation needed] and later returned for another episode as a part of team of criminals who escape from prison to take revenge on Shapath team.[citation needed] She co-hosted a special episode based on the harassment of girls in the crime based television seriesGumrah: End of Innocence onChannel V, and later made an appearance on the same show as a college girl in an episode based on the consequences of an open relationship.[29]
In 2013, she starred inKaisa Ye Ishq Hai..ajab sa risk hai onLife OK as lead.[30] In 2014, she participated in the reality showBigg Boss 8 where she survived for two weeks until she got evicted on day 14.[31][32]
In 2015, she played a journalist, Debjani Thakur, in&TV'sDilli Wali Thakur Gurls,[33] which was a TV adaptation ofAnuja Chauhan's novelThose Pricey Thakur Gurls.[34]
In early 2016, opposite Gaurav Khanna, Kandpal appeared as a lead in the episode "Grahan" of &TV's horror fiction showDarr Sabko Lagta Hai. She next played the character of aHaryanvi girl Rajjo in Zee TV'sTashan-E-Ishq.[35]
She was a celebrity host for the travel-centered web seriesDesi Explorers also featuring in two sub series ofDesi Explorers:Desi Explorers Jordan andDesi Explorers Taiwan.[36][37] In 2017, she returned to fictional TV series in season 2 ofZee TV'sKaala Teeka as Naina Yug Choudhary. After this, she decided to have some time off to spend with her family. In July 2019, after a hiatus of two years, she appeared as Saundarya in a five part special crime thriller titled "Chausar"[38] as a part ofSavdhaan India special crime series onStar Bharat.[39]
In November 2020, she made a comeback as a lead character of a successful businesswoman Aliya Shroff inStory 9 Months Ki onSony Entertainment Television.[40][41]Story 9 Months Ki is the first-ever show based on choice motherhood throughIn vitro fertilization onIndian television and explores the journey of a successful single woman towards motherhood on her own terms.[42][43] The show was called "one of the most pathbreaking shows of the year 2021" by Urban Asian.[44] Her character Aliya Shroff was included among a list ofStrong female characters on Indian television and web series byThe Times of India.[3]
In 2023, she made a comeback to the acting after a hiatus of nearly two years withDD National'sSwaraj, aDocudrama series based on the tales of courage of more than 550 Indian freedom fighters and inspired from theAzadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav national campaign of thePrime Minister, ShriNarendra Modi, portraying the character of Bengal's first woman martyrPritilata Waddedar. In March 2024,Swaraj was released onOTT platformAmazon Prime Video byUnion Minister for Information and Broadcasting, ShriAnurag Singh Thakur.[45]
Since December 2023, she is portraying Shruti Ahuja opposite Gaurav Khanna, a photographer inStarPlus'sAnupamaa.[46]
In 2016, she was associated with the "Sarvodaya Women Empowerment" initiative byNainital police in her home state ofUttarakhand.[47][48] In 2020, she was associated with "Main Darpok Hoon", an awareness campaign byHamdard India which was aimed at encouraging people to stay indoors and take preventive measures to stay healthy and safe during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[49][50] In 2021, she received MEGA Achievers Award by Make Earth Green Again (MEGA) foundation for her work for animal welfare.[51]
In aHindustan Times poll on "The Next Big Thing: Television actors" (2011), she was chosen by senior actorVarun Badola as the one who "has the potential to make it big" alongsideRagini Khanna andAnkita Lokhande.[52] She was included inEastern Eye's list of the top 50 sexiest Asian women in 2014,[53] 2015,[54] 2016[55] and 2017.[56][57] An Indian lifestyle website for men, MensXP.com, listed her among the "35 Hottest Actresses In Indian Television" and also included her among the most desired actresses of Indian Television among teens from 2000s.[58][59] In 2016,MissMalini.com listed her among the "28 Sexiest Hindi Television Actresses".[60]
She was ranked 20th Television Personality in a 2015 poll bySabras Radio for her showDilli Wali Thakur Gurls.[61] She has been a regular face of the annual Telly Calendar, featuring popular Indian television actresses by Marinating Films and Balaji Telefilms, and was part of all six of its editions up to 2017.[62][63][64][65] She received the Aadhi Aabadi Women Achievers Award in 2013 for outstanding contributions in her field.[66] She was featured in the list of2021's Top 50 Women of Indian Television by aSouth Asian entertainment websiteUrban Asian for her performance inStory 9 Months Ki.[44]
Kandpal represented India (asMiss India Worldwide India) in the 2011Miss India Worldwide contest held inDubai, won the title Miss Bollywood Diva, and was one of the top ten contenders among the participants spanning over 30 countries.[67][68] She was a judge for the Mrs. India Dubai International Beauty Pageant in 2016, alongsideDia Mirza and Mr and Miss Delhi India in 2017, alongsideAditi Govitrikar andShahnaz Hussain.[69][70]
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Koi Kuch Karta Kyun Nahin | Short film[71] |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Jersey No. 10 | Sakshi | TV debut | [72] |
| 2008 | Ssshhhh...Phir Koi Hai | Rinky / Sumi | ||
| 2008–2009 | Dill Mill Gayye | Dr. Riddhima Gupta | Lead role | [73] |
| 2009–2010 | Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo | Siddheshwari Singh | Antagonist | [74] |
| 2010 | Meethi Choori No 1 | Contestant | ||
| Comedy Circus | ||||
| 2010–2011 | Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani | Piya Dobriyal & Princess Gayatrisinghi Shivranjini Maithali Gaurima Pandher | Dual role | [25] |
| 2011 | Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan | Contestant | ||
| 2012 | Rab Se Sohna Isshq | Jasbeer "Jazz" Pal | Antagonist | [75] |
| Hum Ne Li Hai...Shapath | Monisha, Leena, Sonia & Bindiya (Multiple clones) | [76] | ||
| Gumrah: End of Innocence | Tanvi | Lead role | ||
| 2013–2014 | Kaisa Yeh Ishq Hai... Ajab Sa Risk Hai | Simran "Simmi" Khanna | [77] | |
| 2014 | Bigg Boss 8 | Contestant | 24th place | [78] |
| 2014–2015 | Box Cricket League 1 | Player for TeamRowdy Bangalore | [79] | |
| 2015 | Killerr Karaoke Atka Toh Latkah | |||
| Dilli Wali Thakur Girls | Debjani Thakur | Lead role | [80] | |
| 2016 | Darr Sabko Lagta Hai | Rashmi | Episode "Grahan" | |
| Tashan-e-Ishq | Rajjo | Cameo appearance | [81] | |
| 2017 | Kaala Teeka | Naina Choudhary | Lead role | [82] |
| 2019 | Savdhaan India | Saundarya | [83] | |
| 2020–2021 | Story 9 Months Ki | Aliya Shroff | [84] | |
| 2023 | Swaraj | Pritilata Waddedar | ||
| 2023–2024 | Anupamaa | Shruti Ahuja | Supporting role | [46] |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs | Herself | Guest | [citation needed] |
| 2010 | Geet – Hui Sabse Parayi | Guest (as Piya) | To promotePyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani | |
| Dhoondh Legi Manzil Humein | ||||
| Rang Badalti Odhani | ||||
| Yeh Ishq Haaye | ||||
| 2011 | Koffee With Karan | Guest as Piya | (Season 3, Episode 10) | [85] |
| 2012 | Punar Vivaah - Zindagi Milegi Dobara | Guest | Special Mahasangam episode for Zee TV 20 years celebration | [86] |
| 2013 | Pavitra Rishta | Guest as Jazz | Special appearance in episode 956 | [87] |
| Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq | Guest (as Simran) | Dance performance | ||
| The Bachelorette India: Mere Khayaalon Ki Mallika | Guest presenter in the grand finale | [88] | ||
| 2021 | India's Best Dancer | Guest | To promoteStory 9 Months Ki | [89] |
| 2023 | Hum MahilayenUttarakhand conclave | Guest/panelist | [90][non-primary source needed] |
| Year | Show | Role | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Desi Explorers Jordan | Host | [91] |
| Desi Explorers Taiwan | [92] | ||
| 2020 | NBT Star Homemakers | Herself as jury member | [93] |
| Year | Song | Album | Singer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Teri Yaad Mein" | Chaandan Mein | Kailash Kher |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Indian Television Academy Awards | Best Actress Popular | Kaala Teeka | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 2021 | Best Actress in a Lead Role | Story 9 Months Ki | Nominated | [94] |
