Amrita Rao | |
|---|---|
 Rao in 2020 | |
| Born | (1981-06-07)7 June 1981 (age 44)[1] |
| Alma mater | Sophia College for Women |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1[3] |
| Relatives | Preetika Rao (sister) |
Amrita Rao (born 7 June 1981) is an Indian actress who primarily works inHindi films. Known for her quintessential girl-next-door portrayals, Rao is the recipient of several accolades including anIIFA Award and twoStardust Awards, along with nominations for twoFilmfare Awards.[4][5]
Rao made her acting debut withAb Ke Baras (2002), which earned her a nomination forFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Rao won theIIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female for her portrayal of a college student in the romantic dramaIshq Vishk (2003), her first commercial success. She had further success in the masala action comedyMain Hoon Na (2004), the romantic dramaVivah (2006), the comedyMasti (2004) and the satireWelcome to Sajjanpur (2008), winning theStardust Award for Best Actress for her performance in the lattermost.
Following a career downturn, Rao achieved box office success with theNational award winning filmJolly LLB (2013).[6] She also began playing supporting parts with the action dramaSingh Saab the Great (2013), the political dramaSatyagraha (2013) and the biopicThackeray (2019). Rao expanded to television with the soap operaMeri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai (2016), portraying a singer.[7]
Rao has never publicised her birthday details.[8]Hindustan Times reported her birthdate as 7 June.[9] She comes from aKonkani - speakingChitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family.[10][11][12] Rao studied at Canossa Girls School, Andheri (Bombay) then to Sophia College (Mumbai) to pursue a graduate degree in Psychology but dropped out to pursue a modeling career. She has a younger sisterPreetika Rao, who is also an actress.[13]
Before starting her career as an actor, Rao along with her sister Preetika appeared in several commercials during her college days. Her first public appearance was in the music video forAlisha Chinai's songWoh Pyar Mera.[14]
In 2002, Rao played her first leading role as Anjali Thapar in Raj Kanwar's fantasy thrillerAb Ke Baras alongside debutanteAarya Babbar.[15][16] The film, which depicts the story of U.S based girl (played by Rao) having recurrent dreams of a parallel life in India, proved to be financially unsuccessful; however, Rao received a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance. Rao next starred alongsideAjay Devgn in thebiographicalperiod filmThe Legend of Bhagat Singh.[17] In the film, which narrates the story ofIndian independenceFreedom FighterBhagat Singh, she played the role of Mannewali (Bhagat's fiancé). The film did not perform well at the box office, grossing only ₹129 million (US$2.7 million in 2002).[18] In May 2003, Rao starred in thecoming-of-ageromance filmIshq Vishk oppositeShahid Kapoor, in their first of several collaborations, as a college student. The film was a success at the box office proving to be a breakthrough for Rao. Both the film and Rao's performance received critical acclaim. Rao's portrayal earned her theIIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female.[19][20]
In 2004, Rao starred in three films. Her first release of the year was Indra Kumar's adult comedyMasti, opposite Vivek Oberoi.[21][22][23] The film featured anensemble cast (Ajay Devgn,Vivek Oberoi,Riteish Deshmukh,Aftab Shivdasani,Lara Dutta,Tara Sharma, andGenelia D'Souza) and earned around₹34.14 crore (US$4.0 million) worldwide. The film received mixed reviews from critics and also did well at the box office.[24] Rao's performance as the over-possessive wife was well received by critics.[25] Rao next had a supporting role in the Farah Khan'smasala filmMain Hoon Na, where she co-starred alongsideShah Rukh Khan,Suniel Shetty,Sushmita Sen, andZayed Khan. The film emerged as the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2004 with over₹84 crore (US$9.9 million) in revenue worldwide. Her role as an army officer's daughter Sanjana (Sanju) Bakshi received positive reviews and earned her a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[26] Her third and final release of 2004 wasMilan Luthria's action dramaDeewar. Rao had a minor role named Radhika,Akshaye Khanna's love interest.[27][28]
Rao co-starred in the 2005 dramaVaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! alongside Shahid Kapoor.[29] Critical response to the film was negative, although Rao garnered acclaim for her performance as a school teacher.[30][31] That same year, Rao took the lead role in theJohn Matthew Matthan dramaShikhar, in which she portrayed Madhvi.[32] She then appeared in the 2006 comedyPyare Mohan, a film loosely based on the 1989 American filmSee No Evil, Hear No Evil, and her second collaboration with Vivek Oberoi. The movie received mixed reviews from critics;Rajeev Masand wrote, "Amrita hit career lows, producing the low-fashion chemistry".[33]
Rao played the female lead role inSooraj R. Barjatya's romanceVivah (2006). The film depicted the journey of two individuals from engagement to marriage. In her fourth collaboration with Shahid Kapoor, Rao portrayed Poonam, a traditionally raised young woman. The film received mixed reviews by critics but became one of the highest-grossing films of the year, as well as Rao's biggest commercial success to date.[34] Taran Adarsh wrote, "Amrita Rao gets a new lease of life with Vivah. She looks the character and is splendid all through."[35] Rao received a nomination for theScreen Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[36]
Rao was cast alongsideMahesh Babu in the 2007 Telugu action filmAthidhi. The film was directed and co-written bySurender Reddy. She received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between Rao and Mahesh Babu. Radhika Rajamani forRediff.com noted, "Amrita Rao, who makes her debut in Telugu films, makes a mark."[37] "Moviebuzz" forSify wrote, "Amrita Rao is not only beautiful but also glamorous. She has proved that she could be yet another native girl of Tollywood. She emoted well with convincing histrionics fit for the Telugu screen."[38]
Rao had two major releases in 2008: dramaMy Name Is Anthony Gonsalves opposite newcomerNikhil Dwivedi, andShyam Benegal'scomedy filmWelcome to Sajjanpur.My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves received overwhelmingly negative reviews and performed poorly at the box office.[39] Rao's performance as an orphan who lives a middle-class lifestyle was praised by a few critics;OneIndia Entertainment noted, "Amrita Rao looks gorgeous, but her role isn't substantial enough."[40] InWelcome to Sajjanpur, Rao played the role of Kamala, a woman who is desperate for communication from her husband Bansiram (Kunal Kapoor), a laborer at a dockyard in Mumbai. Successful in creating an impact at the box office, the film obtained positive reviews from critics and earned₹20 million (US$240,000), making it the second-highest-grossing film in Rao's career.Hindustan Times noted, "Amrita Rao is sweetness personified."[41] She received theStardust Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.[42] In the same year, Rao made a guest appearance as Nirja Rathore in the courtroom dramaShaurya.[43]
Rao made her debut as a Judge with the 2009 television showPerfect Bride.[44] She Judged the show alongsideShekhar Suman andMalaika Arora. She next starred withHarman Baweja in the 2009 filmVictory. The film faced competition from other films such asRaaz 2 andDev.D and failed to do well. With a huge budget, it only managed to gross₹1 crore (US$120,000) and was declared a disaster byBoxoffice-India.[45] That same year, Rao took on the lead role inNeeraj Vora's comedy-dramaShort Kut: The Con is On oppositeAkshaye Khanna, produced byAnil Kapoor. The film stars Rao as Mansi, the girlfriend of Akshaye's character. Critical response towards the film and Rao's performance received negative reviews:The Indian Express's Shubhra Gupta noted: "Everything is loud and plastic, and the actors all chant their lines at the top of their voices."[46] Gaurav Malini ofThe Times of India stated, "Amrita Rao tries too hard to look hot but lacks oomph in every possible angle".[47] Though having grossed its budget back, it was considered a financial disappointment.[48]
Rao's only film of 2011 wasLove U...Mr. Kalakaar! and her second collaboration withRajshri Productions.[49] The movie generated mostly negative reviews and emerged as a commercial failure. Though, her performance as the daughter of a businessman was praised by the critics.Nikhat Kazmi ofThe Times of India wrote, "Amrita Rao at best, but the film is so predictable and so long, it loses impact".[50] In later years, Rao made special appearances in comedy-dramaHeyy Babyy (2007), romantic-comedyLife Partner (2007), and science fiction romanceJaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010).
In 2013, Rao starred in thenational award-winning,courtroom,comedy-dramaJolly LLB. She played the lead role of Sandhya, the girlfriend ofArshad Warsi's character. The film received positive reviews and won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.[51] Rao with limited performance in the film received average applause. Mohar Basu ofKoimoi commented, "Amrita Rao could have been avoided in the film altogether. Though she is immensely pleasant, she and her role have nothing to contribute to the film".[52]
Anil Sharma'saction dramaSingh Saab the Great was her next release. Co-starring alongsideSunny Deol, Rao played a journalist Shikha Chaturvedi.[53][54] The film was largely panned by critics but Rao's performance earned positive reviews.[55] Namrata Joshi ofOutlook said, "Amrita Rao plays a role that feels like something she has already done, all the emotional support".[56] The film received predominately negative reviews, nevertheless was an above-average grosser at the box office with revenues of₹29 crore (US$3.4 million). Later that year, she appeared alongsideAmitabh Bachchan,Ajay Devgn,Kareena Kapoor,Arjun Rampal, andManoj Bajpai inPrakash Jha's political dramaSatyagraha. Rao played the role of Sumitra, the daughter-in-law of Amitabh Bachchan's character. Rao was praised in particular; Resham Sengar ofZee News wrote, "Ms. Rao has the sweetly cherubic looks. She is convincing in most of the emotional scenes. But again, her scope of performance is just limited to mouthing a few important dialogues."[57] The film was poorly received by critics and failed to make a profit at the box office.[58] Despite having moderate reviews, the film grossed over₹60 crore (US$7.1 million) at the domestic box office.[59]
Rao made her television acting debut in 2016 with&TV'sMeri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai portraying the elder sister Kalyani Gaikwad. The story showed three generations of two sisters whose lives revolve around music.[60] Her character's older version was played byDeepti Naval.[61]
After a five-year absence from the screen, Rao played a leading role in Abhijit Panse's 2019 filmThackeray, a biopic based on a right-wing pro-Marathi politicianBalasaheb Thackeray. Rao played the role of Meena Thackeray, wife of Balasaheb Thackeray. The film as well as Rao received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Shilpa Jamkhandikar ofReuters wrote, "Amrita Rao, who plays Thackeray's wife, has the cosmetic role of providing endless cups of tea to visitors and gaze at her husband dotingly".[62]
Rao reprised her role as Sandhya inJolly LLB 3 opposite Arshad Warsi in 2025. The film marked her return to cinema after a six year hiatus.[63][64] The film received generally positive reviews from critics.[65]
After seven years of dating, Rao married her boyfriend, Anmol Sood, aRadio Jockey on 15 May 2016 inMumbai.[66] She gave birth to a baby boy, Veer on 1 November 2020.[citation needed] In February 2023, the couple launched their book "Couple of Things", and they own aYouTube channel with the same name.[67]
Rao has been part of many successful films and is often cited by the media as Bollywood's "quintessential girl-next-door".[68] Kalwyna Rathod ofFemina termed Rao a "darling of the audience".[69] In theTimes Most Desirable Women list, Rao has been placed 24th in 2009, 16th in 2010 and 23rd in 2011.[70][71][72]Femina further placed her in its "50 Most Beautiful Women" list.[73]
Vivah is termed as a significant success in Rao's career and is noted among her best roles.[74]Bollywood Hungama placed her andShahid Kapoor in its list of the top 10 best romantic couples of the decade.[75]M. F. Husain pronounced Rao as his second muse, 11 years after he paintedMadhuri Dixit and made several paintings dedicated to the actress's role inVivah (2006).[76][77] On her career, Rao said, "I have done some unforgettable films that I believe will hold relevance for a very long time. Perhaps many newcomers today haven't even seen the back-to-back success that I have seen right from the start of my career. My journey has been easy, yet difficult, because I had to carve my own path by trial and error. But the taste of being self-made is the sweetest."[78] In 2023, Rao turned author, and published her memoirCouple of Things, along with her husband.[79]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ab Ke Baras | Anjali Thapar / Nandini[a] | [80] | |
| The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Mannewali | [81] | ||
| 2003 | Ishq Vishk | Payal Mehra | credited as Amrita | [82] |
| 2004 | Masti | Aanchal Mehta | [21] | |
| Main Hoon Na | Sanjana "Sanju" Bakshi | [83] | ||
| Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home | Radhika Saluja | [84] | ||
| 2005 | Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! | Piya | [85] | |
| Shikhar | Madhavi | [86] | ||
| 2006 | Pyare Mohan | Priya Sharma | [87] | |
| Vivah | Poonam "Bitto" Mishra Bajpayee | [88] | ||
| 2007 | Heyy Babyy | Herself | Special appearance in song "Heyy Babyy" | [89] |
| Athidhi | Amrita | Telugu film | [90] | |
| 2008 | My Name is Anthony Gonsalves | Riya Singh | [91] | |
| Shaurya | Neerja Rathore | [92] | ||
| Welcome to Sajjanpur | Kamla Kumbharan | [93] | ||
| 2009 | Victory | Nandini "Nandu" | [94] | |
| Short Kut | Mansi | [95] | ||
| Life Partner | Anjali Kumar Oberoi | Cameo appearance | [96] | |
| 2010 | Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai | Tia | [97] | |
| 2011 | Love U...Mr. Kalakaar! | Ritu | [98] | |
| 2013 | Jolly LLB | Sandhya | [99] | |
| Singh Saab the Great | Shikha Chaturvedi | [100] | ||
| Satyagraha | Sumitra Anand | [101] | ||
| 2014 | Sulemani Keeda | Herself | Special appearance | [102] |
| 2019 | Thackeray | Meena Thackeray | [103] | |
| 2025 | Jolly LLB 3 | Sandhya "Sandhu" Tyagi | [104] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Perfect Bride | Judge | [105] | |
| 2016 | Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai | Kalyani Gaikwad | [106] |
| Year | Title | Singer(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Woh Pyar Mera" | Alisha Chinoy | [14] |
| 2008 | "Chalte Chalte Phir" | Jal Band | [107] |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Filmfare Awards | Best Female Debut | Ab Ke Baras | Nominated | [108] |
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Female Debut | Nominated | [109] | ||
| Screen Awards | Most Promising Newcomer – Female | Nominated | [19] | ||
| Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Awards | Most Promising Debut Actress | Ab Ke Baras &The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Nominated | [19] | |
| 2004 | International Indian Film Academy Awards | Fresh Face of the Year | N/a | Won | [110] |
| Star Debut of the Year – Female | Ishq Vishk | Won | [20] | ||
| Stardust Awards | Superstar of Tomorrow – Female | Won | [19] | ||
| 2005 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Main Hoon Na | Nominated | [108] |
| Bollywood Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [111] | ||
| People's Choice Awards India | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [19] | ||
| 2006 | Gr8! Women Achievers Award | Young Achiever | N/a | Won | [112] |
| 2007 | Screen Awards | Best Actress | Vivah | Nominated | [113] |
| Anandalok Puraskar | Most Promising Actress | Won | [114] | ||
| 2009 | Stardust Awards | Best Actress | Welcome to Sajjanpur | Won | [115] |
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