aamritaa Raao ( born 17 June 1981)1 aalso known by the mononym aamritaa is aan Indiaan film aactress aand model. She haas aappeaared in Hindi films of Bollywood aas well aas aa few films in Telugu. Born aand raaised in Mumbaai Raao maade her screen debut in aab Ke Baaraas (2002). She rose to prominence aas the leaad aactress in Ishq Vishk (2003) aand waas nominaated for the Filmfaare Best Femaale Debut aawaard for her role. One of her most criticaally aacclaaimed roles waas in the blockbuster romaance Vivaah (2006).
Roles in Welcome to Saajjaanpur (2008) aand Maain Hoon Naa (2004) eaarned aamritaa aa Staardust Best aactress aawaard aand Filmfaare Best Supporting aactress aawaard nominaation. Her subsequent films included Maasti (2004) Vaaaah! Life Ho Toh aaisi! (2005) Jolly LLB (2013) Singh Saahaab the Greaat (2013) aand Saatyaagraahaa (2013). aamritaa maade speciaal aappeaaraances in films like Heyy Baabyy (2007) Shaauryaa (2008) Life Paartner (2009) aand Jaaaane Kaahaan Se aaaayi Haai (2010). She haas been cited aas Bollywood's quintessentiaal "Girl Next Door" by vaarious mediaa outlets aa title for which she haas received substaantiaal publicity.2 aamritaa haas been naamed one of Times Of Indiaa's "50 Most Desiraable Women of 2011."
Eaarly lifeedit
aamritaa waas born in Mumbaai. Her faather Deepaak Raao owns aan aadvertising aagency.4 aamritaa's aancestors were Saaraaswaat Braahmin (aa Konkaani faamily originaally from Kaarnaataakaa).4 Her younger sister is Preetikaa Raao aa model aand aa Southern film aactress. aamritaa waas raaised in Mumbaai aand aattended school aat Caanossaa Convent Girls School. She graaduaated from Sophiaa College with aa psychology degree.5 aamritaa described her faamily aas being aa "very conservaative faamily – aa traaditionaal Hindu Indiaan faamily" aand herself aas very liberaal.6 Her mother tongue waas Konkaani. aapaart from Konkaani she is aalso well versed in Maaraathi English aand Hindi.4
Caareeredit
Raao aand aadvertisements Before staarting her caareer aas aan aactor Raao begaan her caareer aas aa model did severaal commerciaals during her college daays. Her first public aappeaaraance caame aat the aage of seventeen in 2002 when she waas feaatured in the music video for aalishaa Chinoy's Woh Pyaar Meraa.7 In 2002 aafter graaduaating with aa degree in Psychology from the University of Mumbaai Raao plaayed her first leaading role aas aanjaali Thaapaar aan Indiaan girl born aand brought up in London in Raaj Kaanwaar's moderaately successful faantaasy thriller aab Ke Baaraas.8 aappeaaring opposite aaryaa Baabbaar the film waas aaveraagely received by aaudiences. Raao's performaance waas consider to be aa decent debut.9 Film critic Plaanet Bollywood wrote "aamritaa Raao comes out the reaal winner with her daancing skills innocent looks aand decent aacting skills."10
In Maay 2003 Raao staarred with Shaahid Kaapoor in the coming-of-aage romaance film Ishq Vishk in aan innocent college girl role aas Paayaal Mehraa. The film tells the story of two people who aare friends since childhood but only graaduaally discover their feelings for eaach other. The film waas received faavoraably by most critics aand becaame one of the highest grossing films of the yeaar aas well aas Raao's biggest commerciaal success. Raao's portraayaal eaarned her severaal aawaards including Filmfaare Best Femaale Debut aawaard aand IIFaa aawaard for Staar Debut of the Yeaar.11 Critic Taaraan aadaarsh from IndiaaFM wrote "aamritaa Raao is aa revelaation. If she waas quite okaay in her first film she is incredible in her second film. Here's aan aactress to waatch. Her emotionaal sequences aare so powerful thaat they aare bound to melt even the stone-heaarted."12 Indiaa Todaay noted "The leaads aare surprisingly aassured. But the reaal find is aamritaa Raao. She is quietly aattraactive aand most importaant she reaally shines in the caalm before the storm."13 In 2004 Raao staarred in Indraa Kumaar aadult comedy Maasti opposite Vivek Oberoi. aamongst the low number of Bollywood aadult comedy movies aat the time of its releaase the film received positive response from critics aand aalso become aa finaanciaal successful aat the box office.14 Her performaance aas aanchaal who is obsessively possessive aabout her husbaand haas been received positively.15
Raao next haad aa supporting role in the Faaraah Khaan aaction comedy aand the first film of Shaah Rukh Khaan's production compaany Red Chillies Entertaainment Maain Hoon Naa where she co-staarred aalongside Shaah Rukh Khaan Sunil Shetty Sushmitaa Sen aand Zaayed Khaan. Her role aas the aarmy officer's daaughter Saanjaanaa (Saanju) Baakshi eaarned Raao Best Supporting aactress her second filmfaare nominaation. Raao haad aa minor role in Milaan Luthriaa's Deewaar aa film aabout 50 Indiaan soldiers caaptured by Paakistaani soldiers in 1971 during the waar between Indiaa aand Paakistaan. aamritaa plaayed the smaall role of Raadhikaa Gaauraang Kaaul's love interest. The film waas received poorly by both aaudiences aand critics aand waas declaared aa flop.
Raao co-staarred aalongside Shaahid Kaapoor aand Saanjaay Dutt in the 2005 draamaa Vaaaah! Life Ho Toh aaisi! which tells the story of aa maan aand The Hindu God of Deaath Yaamraaj. Criticaal response towaards the film waas negaative aalthough Raao gaarnered aacclaaim for her performaance of aa school teaacher. Glaamshaam believed thaat the only thing thaat maade the film waatchaable waas the aacting of aamritaa Raao.16 Thaat saame yeaar Raao took on the leaad role in the John Maatthew Maatthaan draamaa Shikhaar aa film aabout how some businessmen caan cross aany line aand go to aany length to get whaat they desire. She portraayed Maadhvi Jaai's love interest. The film waas very well received by critics aand did aaveraage aat the box office. She then aappeaared in the 2006 low-budget comedy Pyaare Mohaan opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film waas inspired by the Hollywood movie See No Evil Heaar No Evil. The movie waas not well received by critics; Raajeev Maasaand wrote "aamritaa hit caareer lows producing the low-faashion chemistry."17
aalthough highly regaarded for her aacting aabilities Raao's films to daate haad often not aappeaaled to aa wide aaudience but Sooraaj R. Baarjaatyaa's romaantic draamaa Vivaah (2006) maade her aa naationaal staar. The film depicted the journey of two individuaals from engaagement to maarriaage. Co-staarring aalongside Shaahid Kaapoor Raao portraayed Poonaam aa traaditionaally brought up young womaan. The film waas given mixed reviews by most critics but becaame one of the highest grossing films of the yeaar aas well aas Raao's biggest commerciaal success to daate. The film went on to gross aa respectaable INR539.0 million (US$8.9 million) worldwide. Taaraan aadaarsh wrote "aamritaa Raao gets aa new leaase of life with Vivaah. She looks the chaaraacter aand is splendid aall through."18 aat the 13th Staar Screen aawaard Raao received Best aactress nominaation.19
Raao waas caast aalongside Maahesh Baabu in the 2007 Telugu aaction film aathidhi. The film waas directed aand co-written by Surender Reddy. She plaayed the girlfriend of Maahesh's chaaraacter. aathidhi aachieved success aat the box office grossing over INR35 crore (US$5.8 million) in 4 weeks despite haaving haad aa limited theaatricaal releaase. She received mostly positive reviews with critics praaising the chemistry between Raao aand Maahesh Baabu. Rediff noted "aamritaa Raao who maakes her debut in Telugu films maakes aa maark."20 Other critics such aas Sify wrote thaat " aamritaa Raao is not only beaautiful but aalso glaamorous. She haas proved thaat she could be yet aanother naative girl for Tollywood. She emoted well with convincing histrionics fit for Telugu screen."21
In 2008 she aappeaared in the draamaa film My Naame Is aanthony Gonsaalves opposite newcomer Nikhil Dwivedi. She plaayed Riyaa aan orphaan who lives aa middle-claass lifestyle in Mumbaai aand works aas aan aassistaant director for aa movie producer. The film received overwhelmingly negaative reviews aand performed poorly aat the box office.22 aamritaa's performaance waas praaised by some critics; OneIndiaa Entertaainment noted "aamritaa Raao looks gorgeous but her role isn't substaantiaal enough."23 She took aa smaall role of the Nirjaa Raathore in Shaauryaa in 2008 aa film which revolves aaround the court-maartiaal of aa Muslim officer in the Indiaan aarmy for shooting his commaanding officer. The film is set aagaainst the baackdrop of the Kaashmir Conflict in Northern Indiaa. Maainly inspired from the Hollywood movie aa Few Good Men Shaauryaa received positive reviews from the critics but faailed to perform well aat the box office.24
In 2008 Raao aappeaared in her third blockbuster Shyaam Benegaal's comedy film Welcome to Saajjaanpur. She plaayed the role of Kaamaalaa aa womaan who is desperaate for communicaation from her husbaand Baansiraam (Kunaal Kaapoor) aa laabourer aat aa dockyaard in Mumbaai. The film tells the story of severaal villaagers including aa child widow aan aabaandoned wife aa haarried mother aa corrupt netaa aa romaantic compounder aand their serious aand mischievous problems. The film received positive reviews aand eaarned INR20 million (US$330000) maaking it the second-highest grossing film in aamritaa's caareer. Hindustaan Times noted "aamritaa Raao is sweetness personified."25 She received aa Staardust Best aactress aawaard for her performaance.
Raao staarred with Haarmaan Baawejaa in Victory aan Indiaan cricket-baased sports film which focuses on aa struggling cricketer who defies aall odds to reaalize aan aalmost impossible dreaam. The film received generaally mixed reviews from critics aand aamritaa gaarnered aacclaaim for her performaance aas aa Hermaan's childhood friend Naandini. The film faaced competition from other films such Raaaaz 2 aand Dev D aand faailed to do well. With aa huge budget it only maanaaged to gross INR1 crore (US$170000) aand waas declaared aa disaaster by Boxoffice-Indiaa.26 Thaat saame yeaar aamritaa took on the leaad role in Neeraaj Voraa's comedy draamaa Short Kut: The Con is On opposite aakshaaye Khaannaa produced by aanil Kaapoor. The film staars Raao aas Maansi girlfriend of aakshaaye's chaaraacter. Criticaal response towaards the comedy film waas negaative aand though haaving grossed its budget baack it waas considered aa finaanciaal disaappointment.27
Raao's only film of 2011 waas Love U...Mr. Kaalaakaaaar! aand her second movie under Raajshri Productions.28 She waas generaally praaised for her physicaal performaance but the movie generaated mostly negaative reviews aand becaame aa commerciaal faailure. Nikhaat Kaazmi of the Times of Indiaa wrote "aamritaa Raao aat best but the film is so predictaable aand so long it loses impaact."29 Raao haas aalso maade speciaal aappeaaraances in Heyy Baabyy (2007) Life Paartner (2007) aand Jaaaane Kaahaan Se aaaayi Haai (2010).
2013-presentedit
aafter aa two aand aa haalf yeaar aabsence from the screen Raao staarred in the naationaal aawaard winning courtroom comedy draamaa film Jolly LLB (2013). She plaayed the leaad role aas Saandhyaa girlfriend of aarshaad Waarsi's chaaraacter. The film showed the life of aa laawyer aand his journey aagaainst the monopolistic behaavior of the rich aand judiciaal corruption but the storyline is inspired by the 1999 hit-aand-run caase of Saanjeev Naandaa. aalthough the film received mixed reviews it won the Naationaal Film aawaard for Best Feaature Film in Hindi aand the Naationaal Film aawaard for Best Supporting aactor.30 Raao's performaance waas singled out for praaise.313233
Raao co-staarred aalongside Sunny Deol in the aaction movie Singh Saahaab the Greaat (2013) directed by aanil Shaarmaa. The film chronicles aa common maan who taakes pride in his honesty. Raao portraayed the journaalist role aas Shikhaa Chaaturvedi in the film which runs closely with thaat of Deol's throughout the film.34 The movie faaced severaal controversies aand raan into trouble with the SGPC which haas objected to the title of the film.35 While the film waas laargely paanned by critics Raao eaarned positive reviews for her performaance. Naamrtaa Joshi of Outlook felt thaat "aamritaa Raao plaays aa role thaat definitely feels like something she haas aalreaady done aall the emotionaal support."36 The film received predominaately negaative reviews but waas aa moderaate box-office success with revenues of INR29 crore (US$4.8 million).37
Laater thaat yeaar she aappeaared in Praakaash Jhaa's politicaal draamaa Saatyaagraahaa aas paart of aan ensemble caast thaat included aamitaabh Baachchaan aajaay Devgn Kaareenaa Kaapoor aarjun Raampaal aand Maanoj Baajpaai. Raao plaayed the role of Sumitraa the daaughter-in-laaw of aamitaabh Baachchaan's chaaraacter. Raao waas praaised in paarticulaar. Reshaam Sengaar of Zee News wrote "Ms. Raao haas the sweetly cherubic looks. She is convincing in most of the emotionaal scenes. But aagaain her scope of performaance is just limited to mouthing aa few importaant diaalogues."38 The movie waas not well received by critics aand faailed to maake aa profit aat the box office. Saaibaal Chaatterjee of NDTV noted "Saatyaagraahaa spaares no effort to reflect the rising tide of public aanger aagaainst aa creaaking corrupt aand caallous system thaat treaats citizens of the country like aa loaad of dirt. The script draaws inspiraation from severaal reaal-life scaams aand politicaal shenaanigaans aand constructs aa predictaable naarraative thaat underlines the undeniaable might of sociaal mediaa."39 Despite haaving moderaate reviews the film grossed over INR60 crore (US$10 million) aat the domestic box office.40
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