Genelia D'Souza | |
|---|---|
 Genelia in 2012 | |
| Born | Genelia D'Souza (1987-08-05)5 August 1987 (age 37) Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Other names | Genelia Genelia Deshmukh |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Family | Deshmukh (by marriage) |
Genelia Deshmukh (néeD'Souza; born 5 August 1987),[1] also credited professionally asGenelia, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears inTelugu,Hindi, andTamil films. Described in the media as one of the leading South Indian actresses of the 2000s,[2][3] D'Souza has received aFilmfare Award South and twoNandi Awards.[4]
After gaining attention in aParker Pen commercial withAmitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with the Hindi filmTujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognised for her role in the Tamil filmBoys the same year. D'Souza received theFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her performance in the romantic comedyBommarillu (2006). She gave two notable performances in the 2008 romantic comediesSantosh Subramaniam andJaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. D'Souza went onto appear in such commercially successful films asMasti (2004),Sye (2004),Sachein (2005),Happy (2006),Dhee (2007),Ready (2008),Katha (2009),Urumi (2011),Force (2011),Velayudham (2011) andTere Naal Love Ho Gaya (2012).
Following her marriage toRiteish Deshmukh, with whom she has two sons, she took a long hiatus from acting. D'Souza had a career comeback with the Marathi filmVed (2022), for which she received a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Marathi. In addition to acting in films, D'Souza hosted the television showsBig Switch (2009) andLadies vs Gentlemen (2020). She is also a celebrity endorser for several brands and products.[5]
Born inBombay, India[6] D'Souza is aMangalorean Catholic.[7][8] She was raised in theBandra suburb of Bombay. Her mother, Jeanette D'Souza, was a managing director of the Pharma Multinational Corporation. She left her job in 2004 to help D'Souza with her career. Her father, Neil D'Souza, is a senior official withTata Consultancy Services.[9] She also has a younger brother, Nigel D'Souza,[10][11] who works with theBombay Stock Exchange.[12] According to D'Souza, her name means "rare" or "unique", and is aportmanteau of Jeanette and Neil, her mother and father's names. She is also often informally referred to asGeenu, her nickname.[13] D'Souza studied at the Apostolic Carmel High School in Bandra and later joinedSt. Andrew's College in Bandra to pursue her bachelor's degree of Management Studies.[14] She completed her degree while shooting for her first film,Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003 and initially thought that an MNC job would suit her.[15] D'Souza liked sports and studies in college,[15] and was a state level athlete,sprinter,[16] and a national levelfootball player.[17][18]
D'Souza did her first modelling assignment at the age of 15,[19] the result of being spotted as thebridesmaid at a wedding.[15] She was selected for theParker Pen commercial withAmitabh Bachchan, just two days before her exams, and had to shoot the next day. Initially, she refused, because of her exam the next day, but the director persuaded D'Souza to shoot for the commercial.[15][20] She gained wide attention from the Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan,[21] who said "she was good, and her expressions were spontaneous".[22] She further did aFair & Lovely2003 Cricket World Cup advertisement with cricketerKrishnamachari Srikkanth.[20]
When D'Souza was offered a role inTujhe Meri Kasam, initially she turned it down, as she was not keen to pursue a career in acting. But the crew insisted and kept contacting her for two months, and she agreed when she saw theTelugu version of the film.[20] Tamil director,S. Shankar, was impressed with her performance in the Parker Pen commercial and decided to cast her in a leading role in his 2003 Tamil filmBoys.[23] D'Souza was selected among 300 girls, who had auditioned for the movie. She signed three movies simultaneously in three different languages,Tujhe Meri Kasam oppositeRiteish Deshmukh (Hindi),Boys oppositeSiddharth (Tamil), andSatyam oppositeSumanth (Telugu).[24]
D'Souza's professional film career began,[25] with her Hindi film debutTujhe Meri Kasam in 2003.[9] Film criticTaran Adarsh noted, "D'Souza is a wonderful performer. She catches you unaware with a performance that's natural to the core."[26] The film was a box–office success.[27] However, it could not do much to propel her career in Hindi cinema.[28][29] Later, she decided to act in South Indian films.[6] The same year, she made her Tamil debut as the teenage girl Harini inBoys, a story about 5 teenagers having stereotypical teen–boy fantasies. The movie, though noted for its vulgar sexual content, was a box–office success,[30] and subsequently she started receiving Telugu film offers.[23] She leftTamil cinema for a while to concentrate on theTelugu film industry. She made her Telugu debut in 2003 as a medical student inSatyam.[31]Sify noted in their review that, "D'Souza is excellent as her body language is her major asset."[32] The film was well received,[33] and it raised her profile in the Telugu film industry.[23]
In 2004, D'Souza appeared in her second Hindi film,Masti opposite Riteish Deshmukh. The comedy focuses on 3 close friends who reunite after 3 years, but are now married and are being harassed by their wives. D'Souza portrayed the character of one of the wives.[34]Taran Adarsh was complimentary of D'Souza's role, saying, "Amongst the wives, D'Souza is the best, [...] D'Souza looks the stern and demanding wife and is sure to be noticed."[35] The film was a box–office success.[36] The same year, she appeared in two Telugu moviesSamba alongsideJr. NTR,[37] andSye oppositeNithiin,[38] both succeeding at the box office.[39]
After appearing in her first Telugu movie in 2005,Naa Alludu opposite Jr. NTR, she starred in the Tamil romantic entertainerSachein oppositeVijay.[40] A review inThe Hindu noted, "D'Souza, who hardly made an impression inBoys, makes much impact inSachein."[41] The movie evoked mixed response from audiences, but was well received with the younger generation.[42] She later appeared in the Telugu patriotic filmSubhash Chandra Bose alongsideVenkatesh, a box office failure.[43]
The year 2006 marked a significant turning point in D'Souza's career.[44] She completed two Telugu movies in early 2006, one was the romantic comedyHappy oppositeAllu Arjun, which was a moderate success and the other wasRaam opposite Nithiin.[45] She then portrayed the role of Haasini, a vibrant, effervescent and a happy–go–lucky young girl, in the 2006 Telugu romantic comedyBommarillu, reuniting with Siddharth. The film was a blockbuster at the box office,[46][47] and grossed₹250 million (US$2.9 million) in India,[48] and also won the 2006Golden Nandi award.[49] Her performance received high praise,[50] and garnered her theTelugu Filmfare Award for Best Actress,[14] besides theNandi Special Jury Award and theSantosham Award for Best Actress.[44]Sify concluded about her acting in their review that, "The scene stealer is D'Souza with her innocent looks and cute mannerisms. She does not overact and we just fall in love with her character. D'Souza looks like a dream in chic skirts and is the life of the party and raises the bar of the film."[51]
Following the success ofBommarillu, D'Souza played the role of the daughter of a local don, in the Tamil gangster filmChennai Kadhal alongsideBoys co-starBharath.[52] Sriram Iyer fromRediff.com criticised her commenting: "D'Souza stands up yet again to prove the point that if you are pretty and well dressed, you can get away with anything, without acting."[52] Shortly afterward, she played the role of the sister of a notorious gangster in the blockbuster Telugu filmDhee alongsideVishnu Manchu, set against a gang war backdrop.[53][54] Jeevi ofIdlebrain.com was appreciative of her portrayal and contribute to the film.[55]
The following year, D'Souza appeared in the Telugu romantic thrillerMr. Medhavi withRaja, in which she portrayed the role of a student from Canada. The film was successful,[56] with Radhika Rajamani complimenting her performance saying, "D'Souza is her effervescent self – full of joie–de–vivre and lights up the screen."[57] She made herKannada debut inSatya in Love the same year oppositeShiva Rajkumar, which was a box office success.[58] Later, she was cast in a leading role inSantosh Subramaniam oppositeJayam Ravi, a Tamil remake ofBommarillu. The film turned out to be successful just like its predecessor.[56]Sify described D'Souza's portrayal as "the soul of the film" and the film's "biggest strength",[59] howeverRediff.com's Pavithra Srinivasan described her character as "appears a little too good to be true."[60]
In June 2008, following a nearly 5–year gap from Hindi cinema, she appeared inMere Baap Pehle Aap alongsideAkshaye Khanna,[61] which failed to make profit at the box office.[62]Sukanya Verma noted, "besides her apparent cuteness, brings in tons of freshness and traits to the youthful characters she chooses to play",[63] while Sonia Chopra criticised her stating, "D'Souza is sprightly but has a standard two–three expressions bank in this film."[64] She later appeared in the Telugu love storyReady oppositeRam Pothineni, playing a NRI girl. The film was well received and became one of thehighest grossing Telugu fim of 2008.[56][65] Radhika Rajamani opined that D'Souza "lights up the screen" with her performance.[66]
That year, her breakthrough performance came with the blockbuster romantic comedy-dramaJaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, in which she portrayed the central character of a college student, Aditi oppositeImran Khan.[67] It was a major commercial success across India and overseas, grossing₹564 million (US$6.6 million).[68] Her role was widely admired for her sweetness and freshness, with Raja Sen describing her acting as a "spark that has been missing in Hindi cinema for well over a decade now".[69] While,Khalid Mohamed ofHindustan Times found her to be "consistently spontaneous".[70]
In 2009, she appeared in the Telugu romantic comedySasirekha Parinayam alongsideTarun.[71] The film received favourable reviews, with critics calling her "the life of the film" and praising her portrayal of emotions.[72] D'Souza then appeared oppositeFardeen Khan in the Hindi filmLife Partner a box office average, whereRajeev Masand noted: "The adorable little imp fromJaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na has turned into a nagging harridan in this film, and how you wish she'd immediately enroll for acting lessons."[73] Her next appearance was in the Telugu thrillerKatha withAdith Arun, which was well received,[56] and for which she won the 2009Nandi Special Jury Award.[74]123telugu was appreciative of her well-sketched character and added that her efforts shows up.[75]
In 2010, D'Souza first played a chronographer oppositeShahid Kapoor inChance Pe Dance, which received poor reviews from critics.[76] Rajeev Masand criticised her "half-baked role".[77][78] D'Souza then played a college student who believes in true love in the Telugu filmOrange oppositeRam Charan, which too received poor reviews from critics, but a critic fromRediff.com praised her portrayal and chemistry with Charan.[79][80][81] In her final film of the year, she appeared in the Tamil filmUthama Puthiran oppositeDhanush, a remake of her filmReady. The film became a moderate success.[82] A critic fromThe Times of India found her getting "stereotyped" in a similar role of a bubbly girl.[83]
In her first release of 2011, D'Souza made herMalayalam film debut, starring as the Muslim warrior princess Arackal Ayesha, inUrumi alongsidePrithviraj Sukumaran.[84][85] The film is about a fictional story happening inCalicut,Kerala during the 15th century, about a boy who plots to assassinate the Portuguese explorerVasco Da Gama.[86] For her role, she learned horse riding, and spent two weeks of training to use the sword, the short stick, and movements of theDravidian martial art,Kalarippayattu.[87][88] It was a major commercial and critical success, withThe New Indian Express stating: "Genelia breaks her perpetual imbecility morphing into Ayesha, the warrior princess. Her character is not reduced to the customary cheer-leader role and she claims an equal share of valour and gallantry."[89] She next played an independent woman in the Hindi film,Force oppositeJohn Abraham, which received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success.[90] In his review forBollywood Hungama, Taran Adarsh found D'Souza to be "strikingly sweet and subdued".[91] Later, she played a journalist alongside Vijay in the Tamil filmVelayudham, which was commercially successful.[92]CNN-IBN in its review noted that D'Souza got a substantial role and fits in it "adequately".[93]
In 2012, D'Souza first reunited with Deshmukh in the Hindi filmTere Naal Love Ho Gaya.[94] A critic fromNDTV stated that she delivers an "energetic performance" as Mini. It became a box office success.[95][96] Later that year, she appeared oppositeRana Daggubati in the Telugu film,Naa Ishtam, which was a moderate success.[97] In its review,The Times of India stated the she performs her role with "panache".[98] FollowingNaa Ishtam, D'Souza took a break from full-time acting and appeared only in cameo roles in films such as the Hindi film,Jai Ho and the Marathi film,Lai Bhaari both in 2014.[99][100] In 2016, she reprised her role inForce 2, a sequel ofForce, appearing as the ghost of Maya.[101]
Deshmukh with her husband Riteish Deshmukh started their production company, Mumbai Film Company in 2018. She became a producer with her husband's Marathi filmMauli, where she also appeared in a song.[102] In 2020, her much delayed Hindi remake ofBommarillu,It's My Life was released directly onZee Cinema, where she appeared oppositeHarman Baweja.[103]
Deshmukh made her comeback to full-time acting after 10 years with the 2022 film,Mister Mummy opposite Riteish Deshmukh.[104] She played a woman who finds out her husband is pregnant with their child. The film received negative reviews and failed at the box office.[105] That year, she made her Marathi film debut withVed, where Deshmukh played a wife whose husband is still in love with his lover, opposite Riteish Deshmukh who also directed the film.[106][107] The film received positive response and emerged as thehighest-grossing Marathi film of the year.[108] Mayur Sanap opined: "Genelia has a luminous presence and conveys more with her expressions than dialogues." Deshmukh also won several accolades including a nomination forFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Marathi.[109]
Deshmukh played a single mother who orders a father for her son on a 30-day trial period, in her only film of 2023,Trial Period oppositeManav Kaul.[110] Nandini Ramnath ofScroll.in noted: "Genelia Deshmukh turn out lovely performance, either as a make-believe couple [with Kaul] or as individual trying to do what is best for Romi."[111]
Deshmukh will next appear oppositeAamir Khan inSitaare Zameen Par.[112] She will also make her comeback to Telugu and Kannada cinema, with the bilingual filmJunior.[113]
D'Souza is deeply religious and says that she regularly attends Sunday Mass at St. Anne's Parish (Bandra), and whenever the family is home, a part of their evening is reserved for saying therosary together.[10] In an interview withThe Times of India, she comments, "I keep a Novena every Wednesday atSt. Michael's Church inMahim."[19] In an interview withDaily News and Analysis, she said, "My communication with God is conversational, [...] I'm God's favourite child; I believe that God has always been kind to me."[10]
Tabloids repeatedly linked D'Souza romantically withRitesh Deshmukh, ever since they starred together in their debut filmTujhe Meri Kasam in 2003.[114] They were reportedly ready to get engaged, but Ritesh's father, the then–Maharashtra Chief Minister,Vilasrao Deshmukh did not agree.[115] D'Souza later denied any rumours of a relationship with Deshmukh, and responds that she was just friends with him.[21] However, the couple eventually got married on 3 February 2012, according to Marathi marriage traditions in aHindu wedding ceremony,[116] they had aChristian wedding in the church on next day.[117] The couple's first child, a son named Riaan, was born on 25 November 2014.[118][119] Their second son, Rahyl, was born on 1 June 2016.[120][121]
D'Souza was a part of Tamil directorMani Ratnam's stage show,Netru, Indru, Naalai, an event which seeks to raise funds forThe Banyan, a voluntary organisation which rehabilitates homeless women with mental illness inChennai.[122] She was one of the judges at the grand finale ofGladrags Mega Model and Manhunt 2009 contest on 28 March 2009.[123] She also walked the ramp alongsideTushar Kapoor for fashion designerManish Malhotra at the Lakme Fashion Week 2009 on 28 March 2009.[124] On 5 April 2009, D'Souza was among several Hindi film celebrities to perform at thePantaloons Femina Miss India 2009 finale in Mumbai.[125] In October 2009, she appeared as a showstopper for jewellery designerFarah Khan Ali on the second season ofHousing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) India Couture Week.[126][127] On 24 October 2009, D'Souza began hostingBig Switch, a television show based on slum kids to reach a bigger audience.[128][129][130]
D'Souza has been the brand ambassador ofFanta,Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack,LG Mobiles,Garnier Light,Margo, and Perk in India.[131] She unveiled Spinz Black Magic deodorant on 7 October 2009 in Mumbai, and the Ceres Store retail outlet.[132] At the Chennai International Fashion Week (CIFW) in December 2009, she appeared as a showstopper for designer Ishita Singh's spring–summer indigenous collection of 2010.[133] She was a part of online market portaleBay's 2010 "Dream House" challenge, where she transformed an empty three-room apartment inBandra into an attractive home with online shopping. She had been provided a budget of₹450,000 (US$5,300) and two weeks to create a look she wants with items on sale on the website.[134][135] On the occasion ofChildren's Day (14 November), D'Souza auctioned a few items from the apartment. All proceeds received from the auction were given toAseema, a Non–governmental organisation (NGO), which aims to provide education to underprivileged children.[136]
.jpg)
D'Souza has been considered in the media as one of the leading South Indian actresses of the 2000s.[137][138] She has been often tagged by the media as the "bubbly girl", after portraying the role of a young energetic girl in several movies, particularly inBommarillu (2006) andJaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008).[139] D'Souza holds a Limca world record of delivering four successful [super hit] films in four different languages:Ready (Telugu),Satya in Love (Kannada),Santosh Subramaniam (Tamil) andJaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (Hindi), in a span of one calendar year.[140]
D'Souza appeared alongsideShahid Kapoor on the fourth episode ofTere Mere Beach Mein, a celebrity chat show, hosted byFarah Khan. The theme of the show was "Second Innings" since both D'Souza and Kapoor had the same history of failures initially and success later in their acting careers.[141][142] In June 2010, D'Souza was crowned as the "Brand Ambassador of the Year" at theCNBC Awaaz consumer awards, for endorsing nine brands.[131] She is now the brand ambassador of the soft drinkFanta (replacingRani Mukherjee), the chocolate Perk (replacingPreity Zinta),[143]Virgin Mobile India (along withRanbir Kapoor),[144] Fastrack watches and accessories,[145]LG mobiles (along withJohn Abraham andAbhay Deol),[146]Garnier Light fairness cream,[147]Dabur Vatika hair oil,Margo soap,[131] and Spinz deodorant.[132]
In June 2010, she was the subject of a controversy, when a Tamil daily reported that she had attended the controversial2010 IIFA Awards inColombo.[148] Several Hindi film actors and the South Indian film industry had boycotted the event, over the alleged killing ofTamilian civilians at the height of the conflict between theSri Lanka Army and theLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.[149] The rumours of her visit to Colombo started after her friend Ritesh Deshmukh was seen at the festival in Colombo. Immediately, various Tamil groups andKollywood associations demanded her films to be banned.[148]
In 2011, a controversy broke out for her filmForce, in a wedding sequence scene of herself andJohn Abraham. Sources claim that the wedding ceremony and rituals conducted were so authentic that they would have actually been husband and wife in real life.[150] Instead of a junior artiste, a real priest was called for the scene. Again, following the reports ofRitesh Deshmukh and D'Souza's marriage plans, the priest landed up at producerVipul Amrutlal Shah's office to register a complaint. He insisted that the couple couldn't get married, as D'Souza has been already married to John Abraham, as all marriage rituals were observed, from wearing amangalsutra (a sacred thread is worn by Indian women as a symbol of their marriage), to exchanging garlands and taking theseven steps around the holy fire.[151] Shah dismissed the claims as a publicity stunt.[152]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Tujhe Meri Kasam | Anjali "Anju" Khanna | Hindi | ||
| Boys | Harini | Tamil | Credited as Harini | [153] | |
| Satyam | Ankita | Telugu | |||
| 2004 | Masti | Bindiya Saxena | Hindi | ||
| Samba | Sandhya | Telugu | |||
| Sye | Indu | ||||
| 2005 | Naa Alludu | Gagana | |||
| Sachein | Shalini | Tamil | |||
| Subhash Chandra Bose | Anitha | Telugu | |||
| 2006 | Happy | Madhumathi "Madhu" | |||
| Raam | Lakshmi | ||||
| Bommarillu | Hasini Rao | ||||
| Chennai Kadhal | Narmada | Tamil | |||
| 2007 | Dhee | Puja | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Mr. Medhavi | Swetha | |||
| Satya in Love | Veda | Kannada | |||
| Santosh Subramaniam | Hasini Govindan | Tamil | |||
| Mere Baap Pehle Aap | Shikha Kapur | Hindi | |||
| Ready | Puja | Telugu | |||
| Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na | Aditi "Meow" Mahant | Hindi | |||
| King | Herself | Telugu | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2009 | Sasirekha Parinayam | Sasirekha | |||
| Life Partner | Sanjana Jugran | Hindi | |||
| Katha | Chitra Singh | Telugu | |||
| 2010 | Chance Pe Dance | Tina Sharma | Hindi | ||
| Uthamaputhiran | Pooja Padmanabhan | Tamil | |||
| Orange | Jaanu | Telugu | |||
| 2011 | Urumi | Arakkal Ayesha / Urmila[a] | Malayalam | ||
| Force | Maya Singh | Hindi | |||
| Velayudham | Bharathi | Tamil | |||
| 2012 | Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya | Mini Bhatti | Hindi | ||
| Naa Ishtam | Krishnaveni Naidu | Telugu | |||
| 2014 | Jai Ho | Suman Sharma | Hindi | Cameo appearance | |
| Lai Bhaari | Herself | Marathi | Cameo appearance | ||
| 2016 | Force 2 | Maya Singh | Hindi | Cameo appearance | |
| 2018 | Mauli | Herself | Marathi | Also producer; cameo appearance | |
| 2020 | It's My Life | Muskaan Mathur | Hindi | [154] | |
| 2022 | Mister Mummy | Gugloo | [155] | ||
| Ved | Shravani Jadhav | Marathi | Also producer | [106] | |
| 2023 | Trial Period | Anamaya "Ana" Roy Choudhary | Hindi | [156] | |
| 2025 | Sitaare Zameen Par† | TBA | Hindi | Completed | [157][158] |
| Junior† | TBA | Telugu Kannada | Completed | [113] |
| Year | Film | Role | Platform | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Big Switch | Host | UTV Bindass | Season 1 | [129] |
| 2020 | Ladies vs Gentlemen | Flipkart Video | [159] |
D'Souza is a recipient of several awards including aFilmfare Award South, twoNandi Awards, twoInternational Indian Film Academy Awards and threeMaharashtracha Favourite Kon? Awards. She won theFilmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her filmBommarillu, and won twoNandi Special Jury Award, forBommarillu andKatha.[160][161]
Some of her films likeBommarillu,Dhee,Ready,Santosh Subramanian,Mr Medhavi andKatha have all been well received
As another initiative to inch closer to the youth and take the brand to the next level, Ranbir Kapoor and Genelia D'Souza have been appointed as the new brand ambassadors for Virgin Mobile in India.
The company has roped in Bollywood stars John Abraham, Genelia D Souza and Abhay Deol to be the face of LG Mobiles.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
