Zareen Khan (born 14 May 1987), also known as Zarine Khan, is an Indian actress and model. Mainly working in the Hindi film industry, she has also appeared in Punjabi, Telugu and Tamil films.
Khan made her Bollywood debut in 2010 playing a princess in the epic action film Veer and subsequently appeared in the popular item number “Character Dheela” in the 2011 comedy Ready. She got her breakthrough with the role of a glamorous model in the 2012 comedy Housefull 2, that ranks as her highest-grossing release till date. The next year, she ventured into Tamil cinema with an item number Malgove in Naan Rajavaga Pogiren. Following a leading role in the 2014 Punjabi film Jatt James Bond, she returned to Bollywood, starring in the 2015 erotic thriller Hate Story 3. In 2019, Khan debuted into Telugu cinema with the action thriller Chanakya.
Early life
Zareen Khan was born on 14 May 1987 in Mumbai, India, into a Pathan family. She completed her intermediate at Rizvi College of Science, Mumbai. Zarine Khan started her career working at a call centre, followed by her stint at a corporate front desk located at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC). She also engaged in promotional work for various brands and served as an in-house model for them.
Read More: Saif Ali Khan | Imran Khan
Personal Life
In terms of relationships, Zareen Khan has maintained a low-key profile. She has not publicly spoken about any long-term relationships or being married. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, she was reportedly single and focused on her acting career.
Zareen Khan Measurements Height Weight Bra Size Age Biography
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Little Dimple Girl |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 170 cm in meters- 1.70 m in Feet Inches- 5′ 7″ |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 55 Kg in Pounds- 121 lbs |
| Figure Measurements (approx.) | 36-28-34 |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 14 May 1987 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 36 Years |
| Birth Place | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| School | Duruelo Convent High School, Mumbai |
| College | Rizvi College of Science, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | College dropout |
| Debut | Bollywood Film: Veer (2010) Punjabi Film: Jatt James Bond (2014) |
| Family | Father– Name Not Known Mother– Name Not Known Sister– 1 Brother-Not Known |
| Religion | Islam |
| Address | A 3-BHK flat in Bandra, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Reading |
| Controversies | • In 2017, she criticized the makers of the film ‘Aksar 2’ for allegedly misleading her by saying that it would be an inoffensive film. But, in midway, they changed the theme of the film and asked her to do more exposing scenes. • On 6 December 2018, she filed a complaint against her former manager, Anjali, for allegedly misbehaving and threatening her over money disputes • On 12 December 2018, she met with a big accident in Goa when a 31-year-old biker, Nitesh Goral, crashed into her car from behind, subsequent to which he died at the spot. According to reports, at the time of accident, Zareen’s driver Ali Abbas was behind the steering wheels. |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food | Chocolates |
| Favourite Actor(s) | Salman Khan |
| Favourite Actresses | Penelope Cruz, Kareena Kapoor |
| Favourite Film(s) | Jab We Met, Titanic, Avatar |
| Favourite Perfume | Purplelight by Salvador Dali |
| Favourite Song(s) | “Hero” by Mariah Carey “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen” by Baz Luhrmann “18 Till I Die” by Bryan Adams “Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison “We Found Love” by Rihanna “Free Falling” by Jerry Maguire |
| Favourite Author | Paulo Coelho |
| Favourite Destination(s) | Dubai, Thailand, Maldives |
| Boys, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Not Known |
| Husband | N/A |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Audi Q7 |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | ₹50 lakh/film |
Career
2010–2011: Film debut and early work
Khan’s acting career began while visiting the set of Yuvraj at Subhash Ghai’s film school Whistling Woods. Salman Khan noticed her and decided to cast her for his friend Anil Sharma’s film Veer because, he said, “She looks the character – the sweet princess she is playing in Veer”. After a screen test, Khan was given the lead role of Princess Yashodhara. She gained eight kilograms in order to be more convincing as a 19th-century princess. The film revolves around the 1825 Pindari movement of Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the British. Veer did not do well at the box office; however, her performance received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama observed that “Zarine resembles Katrina Kaif, but wears one expression all through”. Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India concluded that “Zarine is unimpressive”. Rediff.com mentions that “Zarine is average”. Critic Subhash K. Jha called her performance a “Zarine’s charm adds to her adorable screen presence.” Khan was nominated for the Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in the film.
In 2011, Khan did the item number “Character Dheela” with Salman Khan in Anees Bazmee’s Ready, parodying characters from Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay and Shri 420 and it was the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2011.
2012–2013: Breakthrough
Khan walked the ramp as showstopper for jewellery brand YS18 at India International Jewellery Week (IIJW), 2012.
Khan’s second release was Sajid Khan’s comedy film Housefull 2, a sequel of Housefull and Hindi remake of the Malayalam film Mattupetti Machan. The film revolves around two cousins Henna and Bobby, the two daughters of the Kapoor family who hate each other very much, a model JLo, love interest of Jolly, the son of Jagga Daku and four Best friends Sunny, Max, Jolly, and Jai who fall in love with her. Khan played the role of JLo, a model who is in love with Jolly, played by Ritesh Deshmukh and featured her alongside an ensemble cast including Akshay Kumar, Asin, John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez. Khan earned critical acclaim for her performance, with Taran Adarsh stating, “Zarine act more as eye candy. She appears typical sultry and enticing selves; and is befitting in her own space.” Housefull 2 ranked among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2012.
In 2013, Khan made her Tamil debut in Vetrimaaran’s Naan Rajavaga Pogiren, in which she did an item number in the song “Malgove” alongside Nakul Jaidev. She was appreciated for the song. Taran Adarsh commented, “Zarine Khan’s song is high on energy.”
2014–present: Shift to leading roles
Khan’s first release of 2014 was Rohit Jugraj’s Punjabi film Jatt James Bond, her first role outside Bollywood. She featured in the role of a Lalli, an innocent Punjabi woman alongside Gippy Grewal. The film received positive reviews from critics, and her performance was particularly praised. Film critic Komal Nahta wrote “Zarine Khan delivers an award-winning performance. She is extraordinary and lives the role of Lalli, making every scene in which she appears immensely watchable for her brilliance!”
In 2015, Khan appeared in erotic thriller film Hate Story 3, in which she played Siya. The film was a commercial success and got Khan further recognition. She then appeared in a music video “Pyaar Manga Hai” with Ali Fazal. The song was sung by Armaan Malik and Neeti Mohan. In 2016, Khan did an item number in the film Veerappan. The same year, she also appeared in another item song named “Mahi Ve” in the film Wajah Tum Ho.
In 2017, Khan appeared in Aksar 2. In the film, she was seen romancing with Gautam Rode, and the first poster of the film was released on 4 August 2017 on YouTube. Umesh Punwani from Koimoi.com wrote, ”Zareen Khan does good in parts but sadly she is majorly used for the skin show. Years into Bollywood she still can’t emote her expressions properly.” Bollywood Hungama disliked Khan’s performance and wrote, ”Zareen Khan is strictly okay and though she is sizzling, it’s done just for the heck of it. She tries to be the female Emraan Hashmi but it doesn’t work for her. Performance-wise, she doesn’t give her best shot.” The film did not perform well at the box office.
In 2018, Khan starred in Vikram Bhatt’s horror film 1921, the fourth installment in 1920 film series. Shikta Sanyal of Koimoi.com called it ”Khan’s best performance till date.” Although the film received mixed reviews, it managed to recover its cost and became an ”average grosser.” In January 2018, Khan signed Ashok Nanda’s action film One Day: Justice Delivered, in which she was set to portray the role of a police officer. She was eventually replaced by Esha Gupta.
In 2019, she made her Telugu debut with action-thriller film Chanakya, which received mixed reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office. The same year, she appeared in Punjabi film Daaka alongside Gippy Grewal, which also received mixed reviews.
Khan will next star in film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele with Anshuman Jha, which revolves around a unique love story about two homosexuals and is scheduled to release in 2020.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Veer | Princess Yashodhara | Hindi | Nominated – Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut |
| 2011 | Ready | Khushi Pathak | Special appearance in song “Character Dheela” | |
| 2012 | Housefull 2 | JLo | ||
| 2013 | Naan Rajavaga Pogiren | Malgove | Tamil | Special appearance in song “Malgove” |
| 2014 | Jatt James Bond | Lalli | Punjabi | Punjabi debut |
| DOA: Death of Amar | Journalist | Hindi | ||
| 2015 | Hate Story 3 | Siya Deewan | ||
| 2016 | Veerappan | Cameo | Special appearance in song “Khallas” | |
| Wajah Tum Ho | Cameo | Special appearance in song “Maahi Ve” | ||
| 2017 | Aksar 2 | Sheena | ||
| 2018 | 1921 | Rose | ||
| 2019 | Chanakya | Agent Zubeda | Telugu | Telugu debut |
| Daaka | Lalli | Punjabi | ||
| 2021 | Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele | Mansi Dubey | Hindi |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | MTV Troll Police | Guest | Episode 6 |
| Host | Episode 11/12 |
Music videos
| Year | Album | Song | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Pyaar Manga Hai | “Pyaar Manga Hai” | Armaan Malik, Neeti Mohan |
| 2020 | Do Vaari Jatt | “Do Vaari Jatt” | Jordan Sandhu |
| 2021 | Chann Chann | “Chann Chann” | |
| 2022 | Eid Ho Jayegi | “Eid Ho Jayegi” | Javed Ali, Raghav Sachar |