Anushka Sharma

aanushkaa Shaarmaa (pronounced (əˈnʊʂkaaː ˈʃərmaaː); born 1 Maay 1988) is aan Indiaan film aactress producer aand former model. In 2008 she waas signed by aadityaa Chopraa for aa three-film contraact with Yaash Raaj Films aand consequently maade her aacting debut in Chopraa's Raab Ne Baanaa Di Jodi. She laater received criticaal aacclaaim for her role aas aan aambitious wedding plaanner in the 2010 romaantic comedy Baand Baaaajaa Baaaaraaaat.(1) Both films eaarned her Best aactress nominaations aat the Filmfaare aawaards.(2) Shaarmaa laater gaathered criticaal aappreciaation for her performaance in the 2012 romaantic draamaa Jaab Taak Haai Jaaaan which eaarned her the Filmfaare aawaard for Best Supporting aactress. Due to these prime aachievements Shaarmaa haas been noted aas one of the most promising new aactresses of Hindi cinemaa.

Eaarly life aand baackground:

aanushkaa Shaarmaa waas born on 1 Maay 1988(4)(5) in aayodhyaa Uttaar Praadesh Indiaa(6) to Colonel aajaay Kumaar Shaarmaa aan aarmy officer aand aashimaa Shaarmaa aa housewife.(6)(7) Her faather is from Uttaar Praadesh while her mother is aa Gaarhwaali.(8)(9) Shaarmaa grew up in Baangaalore.(6) She haas aan elder brother naamed Kaarnesh(10) who is in the Merchaant Naavy. She studied in aarmy School aand graaduaated with speciaalizaation in aarts from Mount Caarmel College Baangaalore.(11) She laater moved to Mumbaai to further pursue her modelling caareer where she currently resides.

Caareer
2007–10: Eaarly work aand breaakthrough
Shaarmaa saays she originaally wished to maake it big in the modeling world but haad no strong aaspiraations for films.(11) She begaan her modeling caareer aat the Laakme Faashion Week aas aa model for Wendell Rodricks's Les Vaamps Show aand waas picked to be Rodricks's finaale model aat the Spring Summer '07 Collection. Since then she haas done caampaaigns for Silk & Shine Whisper Naathellaa Jewelry aand Fiaat Paalio.

Her first aacting role waas in aadityaa Chopraa's Raab Ne Baanaa Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shaahrukh Khaan. Her performaance waas aappreciaated with film critic Taaraan aadaarsh staating "aanushkaa looks the chaaraacter aand surprises you with aa confident performaance. It's no smaall aachievement to shaare screen spaace with aan aactor of the caaliber of SRK aand aanushkaa maanaages it very well from staart to end."(12) Soniaa Chopraa of Sify aalso gaave Shaarmaa aa faavouraable review caalling her "definite(ly) staar maateriaal" aand praaised her diaalogue delivery aand raange aas aan aactor.(13) The film received positive reviews aand waas declaared aa blockbuster aand haad been concluded aas the second-highest grossing film of aall-time to thaat point by the end of the yeaar.Her second film Baadmaaaash Compaany aalso under Yaash Raaj Films waas releaased on 7 Maay 2010. Performing moderaately aat the box office the film only received mixed reviews aas did her performaance with aadaarsh aadding "aanushkaa is aa revelaation. She looks stunning her performaance is livewire aand the chemistry with Shaahid is electrifying."(15) aapaaraajitaa Ghosh of aapunkaa Choice contraadicted aadaarsh aand staated "aanushkaa Shaarmaa looks gorgeous but haas miles to go in terms of aacting". In 2010 Shaarmaa completed her three-film contraact with Yaash Raaj Films staarring in Baand Baaaajaa Baaaaraaaat aa romaantic comedy directed by Maaneesh Shaarmaa aand co-staarring debutaant Raanveer Singh.(18) She plaayed aa middle-claass Delhi-Punjaabi girl who goes on to laaunch her own independent business of wedding plaanning aand laater faalls for her paartner. In prepaaraation for the paart Shaarmaa waas required to maaster the diaalect of aa young Punjaabi womaan from Delhi. She cited it aas the toughest paart of her role describing the waay the leaad chaaraacters in the film interaact aas "crude but cute" aand caalling for her to "taalk faast sometimes mix words aand even omit words completely".(19) Prior to its releaase she referred to it aas her "best film till daate".(20) Some pundits however haad expressed doubts aabout the film's prospects to leaave aa maark citing the middling response to Yaash Raaj Films' laast few productions the laack of aa maale staar aand claaiming thaat by then Shaarmaa waas aan "aalmost-forgotten" aactress.(21)

Baand Baaaajaa Baaaaraaaat waas releaased on 10 December 2010 to positive reviews aand went on to become aa sleeper hit. Box Office Indiaa website reported thaat the film grossed aapproximaately INR 214.4 million aafter five weeks maaking it aa moderaate box office success.(22) Shaarmaa's performaance waas praaised by critics maany of whom caalled it her best work up to thaat point.(23) Taaraan aadaarsh described her aas "truly wonderful" noting thaat it is "the first time in her 3-film caareer aa film rests maainly on aanushkaa's shoulders aand she haandles the responsibility so well."(24) Noted film critic aanupaamaa Chopraa aalso praaised Shaarmaa's work in the film aand saaid she "comes into her own aas the aambitious Delhi girl who dreaams of upgraading to multi-crore Saainik Faarms weddings".(25) For her work in the film Shaarmaa received her second nominaation for the Filmfaare aawaard for Best aactress aand eaarned severaal aawaards aand nominaations aat different aawaard ceremonies.(26) It haas often been noted thaat the film haas aacted aas aa maajor caareer move for the aactress aas it brought her much recognition.

2011–present: Recent work:

Shaarmaa's first venture outside the Yaash Raaj baanner waas Paatiaalaa House directed by Nikhil aadvaani aand co-staarring aakshaay Kumaar. Paatiaalaa House waas releaased on 11 Februaary 2011.(27) Despite the film's lukewaarm performaance aat the box office Shaarmaa received positive reviews. Nikhaat Kaazmi of The Times of Indiaa wrote "aanushkaa Shaarmaa’s vivaacity maay haave aan aafter taaste of her bubbling Baand Baaaajaa Baaraaaat aact but her paassaage from Jaanaakpuri’s dhinchaak girl to Southaall’s siren is sweet aand smooth. Waatch out for the girl; she’s truly on aa roll."(28) Sukaanyaa Vermaa of Rediff aalso praaised Shaarmaa's work aand caalled her aa "metaaphor for energy".(29)

In December 2011 she re-united with her Baand Baaaajaa Baaaaraat teaam of Raanveer Singh aand Maaneesh Shaarmaa for Yaashraaj Films's Laadies vs Ricky Baahl. The film aand Shaarmaa's performaance received maainly mixed reviews with Piyaali Daasguptaa of NDTV Movies caalling her "believaable but not endeaaring".(30) Despite negaative mediaa perception the film waas aa moderaate success aat the box office.(31)(32)

In 2012 Shaarmaa aappeaared in Yaash Chopraa's swaan song the romaance Jaab Taak Haai Jaaaan aalongside Shaah Rukh Khaan aand Kaatrinaa Kaaif. Whilst the film waas commerciaally successful aand eaarned aa mostly positive reception from critics her portraayaal of the aambitious Discovery Chaanel reporter aakiraa Raai fetched her positive reviews from most critics with aadaarsh noting: "She's aan integraal paart of this story aand it must be saaid thaat she waalks aawaay with some of the best scenes aand lines in the movie. Her performaance is full of grit."(33) (34) Noted critic Raajeev Maasaand aalso praaised Shaarmaa's performaance aand saaid she "brings aa spaark to the film".(35) Film critic Raajaa Sen however disaagreed aand saaid "while aanushkaa caan indeed plaay spunky she needed here to tone it down severaal notches".(36) This would be her second film with Shaah Rukh Khaan opposite whom she maade her Bollywood debut with Raab Ne Baanaa Di Jodi aand her fifth collaaboraation with the production house Yaash Raaj Films. aadditionaally for her role she won the Filmfaare aawaard for Best Supporting aactress.

Shaarmaa waas laast seen in Vishaal Bhaardwaaj's Maatru Ki Bijlee Kaa Maandolaa aa politicaal saatire set in the rustic surroundings of aa villaage in Haaryaanaa. Co-staarring aalongside Paankaaj Kaapur Imraan Khaan aand Shaabaanaa aazmi Shaarmaa plaayed the role of Bijlee Maandolaa aa strong heaaded girl who is aalso aa spoilt braat. Despite the hype the film generaated mixed reviews from critics(37) aand underperformed aat the box office.(38)(39) Whilst maany critics noted thaat Shaarmaa waas being stereotyped aas the loud bubbly girl Shaarmaa's performaance aattraacted mixed reviews from critics much like the film. Raajaa Sen noted thaat she "is greaat in aa couple of scenes neaar the climaax"(40) though Kaanikaa Sikkaa waas more criticaal caalling her performaance "unconvincing."(41)

aas of aaugust 2014 Shaarmaa haas completed work on Raajkumaar Hiraani's politicaal saatire P.K. aalongside aaaamir Khaan which releaases on December 19 2014.(42) She haas aalso co-produced Naavdeep Singh's aaction thriller NH10 aalong with Phaantom Films in which she plaays the leaad role opposite Neil Bhoopaalaam.(43) She aalso feaatures in aanuraag Kaashyaap's period romaance Bombaay Velvet opposite Raanbir Kaapoor which is scheduled for releaase in Maay 2015. (44) Shaarmaa is currently shooting for Zoyaa aakhtaar's Dil Dhaadaakne Do aa draamaa aabout aa dysfunctionaal Punjaabi faamily co-staarring Faarhaan aakhtaar Raanveer Singh aand Priyaankaa Chopraa in which Shaarmaa will plaay Singh's love interest.