Shraddha Kapoor

Shraddha Kapoor is an Indian film actress and singer who appears in Bollywood films. The daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor, she began her acting career with a brief role in the 2010 heist film Teen Patti, and followed it with her first leading role in the teen drama Luv Ka The End (2011). Kapoor received a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination for her breakthrough role in the highly successful romantic drama Aashiqui 2 (2013). She subsequently starred in the top-grossing thriller Ek Villain (2014).

Early life and background

Kapoor, was born and raised in Mumbai into a mixed ethnic family. On her father's side, Kapoor is of Punjabi descent, and on her mother's side, she is of predominantly Marathi ancestry. Like her mother, Kapoor has stated that she is a complete Marathi. Kapoor's family members, including her parents, Shakti Kapoor and Shivangi Kapoor, her older brother, Siddhanth Kapoor and her two aunts Padmini Kolhapure and Tejaswini Kolhapure are actors in Hindi films. She did her schooling at Jamnabai Narsee School and then enrolled in the American School of Bombay. While there she played soccer and handball competitively. Later, she went to Boston, but subsequently left to appear in her debut film after she was seen on Facebook by producer Ambika Hinduja who cast her for a role in Teen Patti.

Career

Kapoor with her father Shakti Kapoor, who appeared in a cameo in Teen Patti

Kapoor made her acting debut in the 2010 drama Teen Patti alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley and R. Madhavan. She played the role of a college girl. The film received generally negative reviews though her performance was better received. Preeti Arora writing for Rediff.com stated that "[t]hough a bit raw, she has a lot of potential." Nikhat Kazmi reviewed: "Shraddha Kapoor makes an interesting debut as the edgy youngster who sheds her specs for sleaze, with alacrity." Kapoor was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, however, the film failed to do well at the box-office.

After her debut, she signed a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films and featured in their 2011 teen comedy Luv Ka The End with Taaha Shah. Kapoor portrayed the lead role of a teenage student who plots against her boyfriend after he cheats on her. The film underperformed at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. However, Kapoor's performance received a positive critical reception. Taran Adarsh wrote: ''Shraddha is a revelation, catching you unaware with a confident performance. She's electrifying in the sequence when she breaks down after getting to know the true intentions of her lover.'' Komal Nahta added: ''Shraddha Kapoor does well. She performs very confidently and impresses in her second film.'' For her performance, Kapoor received the Stardust Searchlight Award for Best Actress. Kapoor was subsequently offered the lead female role in Aurangzeb as a part of her deal with Yash Raj Films. However, she signed on to Vishesh Films' Aashiqui 2 instead, thereby cancelling the three-film contract with Yash Raj Films. Kapoor performing at the promotional concert for Ek Villain, 2014

In 2013, Kapoor found her breakthrough role in Mohit Suri's romantic musical drama Aashiqui 2, the sequel to the 1990 film Aashiqui. She was cast as Aarohi Keshav Shirke, a small-town bar singer who becomes a successful playback artist with the help of a popular male singer (played by Aditya Roy Kapur). The film was a major box office success with a global revenue of INR 1.09 billion (US$18 million). Film critic Anupama Chopra called Kapoor a "real triumph" and added that her "porcelain face has a haunting vulnerability." However, Vinayak Chakravorty of India Today wrote that she "looks pretty [though] fails to add [...] spark." Kapoor received several nominations in the Best Actress category, including one at the Filmfare Awards. That year, she also appeared in a guest appearance for the romantic comedy Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, playing the fiancée of Imran Khan's character.

Kapoor next reunited with Suri for the thriller Ek Villain (2014), for which she also sang the song "Galliyan". The film tells the story of a hardened criminal (played by Sidharth Malhotra) whose terminally ill wife (played by Kapoor) is brutally murdered by a serial killer. The film was generally perceived to be plagiarised from the Korean film I Saw the Devil, although Suri claimed that it was an original film. In her review, Raedita Tandon of Filmfare called the film a "gritty, engaging thriller", and stated that Kapoor was a revelation in it. The film eventually emerged as a major commercial success with domestic revenues of over INR 1 billion (US$17 million).

As of June 2014, Kapoor has completed work on Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, entitled Haider, co-starring Shahid Kapoor and Tabu. She has signed on to appear in a sequel to the dance film ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, entitled ABCD 2, opposite Varun Dhawan, and will also reunite with Aditya Roy Kapur in Tigmanshu Dhulia's romantic drama Milan Talkies.

Off-screen work

In addition to acting in films, Kapoor has supported charitable organisations and performed for stage shows. In 2011, she walked the ramps of Lakme Fashion Week and India International Jewellery Week. In late 2013, she performed in a fund raising event organized by STAR India.

She is the brand ambassador of several products including Lakmé, Wella, Vaseline, Gitanjali and Titan. In 2013, BollywoodHungama, called her "one of the most wanted names" in the advertising industry.

In late 2013, a poll conducted by FHM India ranked Kapoor #5 on ''100 Sexiest Women In The World 2013''.

Galleries of Shraddha Kapoor