Amrita Rao (born 7 June) is an Indian actress who is known primarily for her work in Hindi films. Rao made her acting debut in Ab Ke Baras (2002), which earned her a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut in 2003. She subsequently appeared in several successful films including the romantic dramas Ishq Vishk (2003), Main Hoon Na (2004), Vivah (2006) and comedy thriller Masti (2004) eventually being “Bollywood’s quintessential girl-next-door”. She is the recipient of IIFA Award and two Stardust Awards.
She made her debut in the Telugu film industry with the film Athidhi (2007). In 2008, she appeared in the successful film Welcome to Sajjanpur, which won her Stardust Award for Best Actress. Post this, most of her films turned out to be commercial failures. She then appeared in the National Award winning film Jolly LLB (2013). Following this, she appeared in films including Singh Saab the Great (2013), Satyagraha (2013) and Thackeray (2019).
Rao appeared as the Judge on the reality show, Perfect Bride in 2009. She made her TV debut with the show Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai in 2016. M. F. Husain pronounced Amrita Rao as his second muse and made several paintings dedicated to the actress’s role in Vivah.
Early life
Rao has never publicised her birthday details. Hindustan Times reported her birthdate as 7 June. She comes from a Konkani-speaking Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family. 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 sister Preetika Rao, who is also an actress.
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Personal life
Rao married her boyfriend, Anmol, a Radio Jockey after seven years of dating on 15 May 2016 in Mumbai. She gave birth to a baby boy, Veer on 1 November 2020. Rao has been part of many successful films and is often termed as “Bollywood’s quintessential girl-next-door”. In Times Most Desirable Women List, she ranked 24th in 2009 and 23rd in 2011. M. F. Husain pronounced Amrita Rao as his second muse 11 years after he painted Madhuri Dixit and made several paintings dedicated to the actress’s role in Vivah (2006).
Amrita Rao Age Boyfriend Husband Family Biography
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Amrita Deepak Rao |
| Nickname | Ammu |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 163 cm in meters– 1.63 m in feet inches– 5’ 4” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 50 kg in pounds– 110 lbs |
| Figure Measurements (approx.) | 34-26-34 |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Bollywood Film: Ab Ke Baras (2002) Telugu Film: Athidhi (2007) Hindi TV: Perfect Bride (2009) |
| Award(s) | 2004 • International Indian Film Academy Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female for the film, Ishq Vishk (2003) • Stardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow – Female for the film, Ishq Vishk (2003) • Sansui Award for Best Female Debut for the film, Ishq Vishk (2003) 2007 • GR8 Women Award for Young Achiever for the film, Vivah (2006) • Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the film, Vivah (2006) • Anandalok Award for Most Promising New Talent for the film, Vivah (2006) • Sports World Award for Jodi of the Year (along with Shahid Kapoor) for the film, Vivah (2006) 2009 Stardust Award for Best Actress for the film, Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008) 2012 Kolkata Kalakar Award for Best Actress Category (Bollywood) for the film, Love U…Mr. Kalakaar! (2011) 2017 ERTC Herald Global Award for among 50 Most Inspirational Women of Maharashtra |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | She never shared her actual date of birth with media. During a media interaction, she said, “I have been a very private person, so when it comes to my personal details, I like to keep it away from the public glare. I don’t celebrate my birthday with the media. So, whenever the media asked me about my age, I used to give those Shakuntala Devi type of answers, like never ask a woman her age and a man his wage. I have never disclosed the details.” |
| Age (as in 2023) | 42 Years (June 7, 1986) |
| Birthplace | Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mangalore, Karnataka, India |
| School | Canossa Convent Girls’ School, Mumbai |
| College/University | Sophia College for Women, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | College Dropout |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Saraswat Brahmin |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Hobbies | Reading Short Stories, and Singing |
| Controversies | • At the time of the shooting of the film, Pyare Mohan (2006), there were catfights between Esha Deol and Amrita Rao. In one of the interviews, Esha said Yes, I slapped Amrita. One day after pack-up, she abused me in front of my director, Indra Kumar and my cameraman and I thought that was totally out of line. To protect my self-respect and dignity, in the heat of the moment, I slapped her. I have no regrets because she totally deserved it for her behaviour towards me at that point in time. I just stood up for myself and my dignity.” • In 2007, there was a controversy between Amrita Rao and Ranbir Kapoor. Yash Raj Films offered her a film where she had to kiss Ranbir Kapoor on-screen. However, she denied and rejected that offer of the film. • In March 2018, she targeted Wikipedia on her twitter account for mentioning her wrong information on their website. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Anmol Sood (Radio Jockey) |
| Marriage Date | In an interview, she revealed that she tied the knot in a secret wedding in 2014. |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Anmol Sood (Radio Jockey) |
| Children | Son– Veer Daughter– None Note: In April 2022, Amrita Rao and RJ Anmol revealed that they lost a baby via surrogacy. |
| Parents | Father– Deepak Rao (runs an advertising agency in Mumbai) Mother– Kanchan Rao |
| Siblings | Sister– Preetika Rao (Actress; Twin with Amrita Rao) |
| Favourite Things | |
| Food | Vegetable Stew, Corn Soup, Red Thai Curry, Curd Rice, and Chocolate Cake |
| Cuisine(s) | Italian, Mangalorean, and Thai |
| Drink (non-alcoholic) | Mocktail (Blue Driver) |
| Restaurant | Out of The Blue in Mumbai |
| Actor(s) | Aamir Khan, Govinda, and Salman Khan |
| Actress(es) | Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, and Deepika Padukone |
| Film | Andaz Apna Apna (1994) |
| Film Director(s) | Sooraj Barjatya and Farah Khan |
| Singer(s) | Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar |
| Song(s) | • Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya by Mohammed Rafi • Aap Yun Hi Agar Humse Milte Rahe by Mohammed Rafi • Abhi Na Jaao Chhodkar Ke Dil Abhi Bhara Nahin by Mohammed Rafi • Tum Mujhe Yun Bhula Na Paoge by Mohammed Rafi |
| Colour(s) | Pink and Beige |
| Designer | Jerry D’Souza |
| Travel Destination | Goa |
Debut, Breakthrough and Success
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 for Alisha Chinai’s song Woh Pyar Mera.
In 2002, Rao played her first leading role as Anjali Thapar in Raj Kanwar’s fantasy thriller Ab Ke Baras alongside debutante Aarya Babbar. 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. Rao next starred alongside Ajay Devgn in the biographical period film The Legend of Bhagat Singh. In the film, which narrates the story of Indian independence Freedom Fighter Bhagat 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). In May 2003, Rao starred in the coming-of-age romance film Ishq Vishk opposite Shahid Kapoor, in her first of several collaborations with him, as a college student. The film became successful 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 Filmfare Best Female Debut Award (2003) and IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year for Star Debut of the Year, (2004).
In 2004, Rao starred in three films. Her first release of the year was Indra Kumar’s adult comedy Masti, opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film featured an ensemble cast (Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Lara Dutta, Tara Sharma, and Genelia D’Souza) and earned around ₹34.14 crore (US$4.3 million) worldwide. The film received a positive response from critics, and also did well at the box office. Rao’s performance as over-possessive wife was well-received by critics. Rao next had a supporting role in the Farah Khan action comedy Main Hoon Na, where she co-starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Sushmita Sen, and Zayed Khan. The film emerged as the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2004 with over ₹84 crore (US$11 million) in revenue worldwide. Her role as an army officer’s daughter Sanjana (Sanju) Bakshi earned Rao Best Supporting Actress, her second Filmfare award nomination. Her third and final release of 2004 was Milan Luthria’s action drama Deewar. Rao had a minor role named Radhika, Akshaye Khanna’s love interest.
Rao co-starred in the 2005 drama Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! alongside Shahid Kapoor. The critical response to the film was negative, although Rao garnered acclaim for her performance as a school teacher. That same year, Rao took the lead role in the John Matthew Matthan drama Shikhar, in which she portrayed Madhvi. She then appeared in the 2006 comedy Pyare Mohan, a film loosely based on the 1989 American film See 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”.
Rao played the female lead role in Sooraj R. Barjatya’s romantic drama Vivah (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 was given mixed reviews by most critics but became one of the highest-grossing films of the year, as well as Rao’s biggest commercial success to date. Taran Adarsh wrote, “Amrita Rao gets a new lease of life with Vivah. She looks the character and is splendid all through.” At the 13th Star Screen Awards, Rao received a Best Actress nomination.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ab Ke Baras | Anjali Thapar/Nandini |
| The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Mannewali | Special appearance |
| 2003 | Ishq Vishk | Payal Mehra |
| 2004 | Masti | Aanchal Mehta |
| Main Hoon Na | Sanjana “Sanju” Bakshi | |
| Deewaar | Radhika | |
| 2005 | Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! | Piya |
| Shikhar | Madhavi | |
| 2006 | Pyare Mohan | Priya |
| Vivah | Poonam Mishra Bajpayee | |
| 2007 | Heyy Babyy | Herself |
| Athidhi | Amrita | Telugu film |
| 2008 | My Name is Anthony Gonsalves | Riya Singh |
| Shaurya | Neerja Rathore | |
| Welcome to Sajjanpur | Kamla Kumbharan | |
| 2009 | Victory | Nandini “Nandu” |
| Short Kut | Mansi | |
| Life Partner | Anjali Kumar Oberoi | Special appearance |
| 2010 | Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai | Tia |
| 2011 | Love U…Mr. Kalakaar! | Ritu |
| 2013 | Jolly LLB | Sandhya |
| Singh Saab the Great | Shikha Chaturvedi | |
| Satyagraha | Sumitra Anand | |
| 2014 | Sulemani Keeda | Herself |
| 2019 | Thackeray | Meena Tai Thackeray |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Perfect Bride | Judge |
| 2016 | Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai | Kalyani Gaikwad |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Singer(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Woh Pyar Mera | Alisha Chinoy | Tips Music |
| 2008 | Chalte Chalte Phir | Jal Band | Cornetto Icecream |