Mahima Chaudhry

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Mahima Chaudhry
Mahima Chaudhry at Miraj Group Chairman's daughter Devhooti & Vikas Purohit's reception.jpg
Chaudhry in 2014
Born
Ritu Chaudhry

(1973-09-13) 13 September 1973 (age 51)
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Bobby Mukherji
(m. 2006;div. 2013)
[2]
Children1

Mahima Chaudhry (born Ritu Chaudhry; 13 September 1973), [3] [4] is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Chaudhry did a few modelling assignments and television commercials before venturing into films, with the 1997 romantic drama film Pardes , for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. [5]

Contents

She played the leading lady in several films, including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), and Kurukshetra (2000), and received critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999), Lajja (2001) and Dobara (2004), earning nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dil Kya Kare and Dhadkan.

Early life

Mahima was born as Ritu Chaudhry to a Jat father from Baghpat District of Uttar Pradesh [6] and a Nepalese-origin mother in Darjeeling, India. [7] She attended Dow Hill in Kurseong until class 10 and later moved to Loreto Convent, Darjeeling. [1] Having grown up in the Darjeeling Hills region, she is fluent in both Hindi and Nepalese languages. [1] She won the ‘Miss Darjeeling’ title in a local beauty contest. [8]

Prior to her first release Pardes , she changed her name to Mahima Chaudhry upon the recommendation by her director Subhash Ghai, who believed the letter 'M' to be lucky for leading actresses in his films. [9]

Career

Chaudhry at an event in 2011 Mahima-Chaudhary.jpg
Chaudhry at an event in 2011

Chaudhry started her career as a video jockey. [10] She made her acting debut with Pardes , in 1997. Chaudhry played a village girl opposite Shah Rukh Khan. [11] The film was a major commercial success worldwide. [12] For her performance, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut along with nomination for Best Actress. [13]

Chaudhry's other roles were in Daag: The Fire (1999), [14] where she played a dual role; in Pyaar Koi Khel Nahin (1999) she played a widow forced to marry her brother-in-law; in Dhadkan (2000) she is a loving friend of a man who is madly in love with another woman: in Deewane she plays a singer in love with a thief: in Kurukshetra she plays the stubborn wife of a police officer: in Lajja she plays a young bride forced to fight dowry; in Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001) she plays a stubborn tenant who will not give up her home at any cost; in Om Jai Jagadish she is the loving homemaker; in Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002) she is the sister who would do anything for her sister's happiness; in Dobara she is the frustrated housewife; in The Film she is a desperate struggling screenwriter; in Zameer: The Fire Within she is a paralytic dancer, in Film Star she is an uptight arrogant fading actress; in Home Delivery (2005) she is a South Indian superstar; and in Souten: The Other Woman (2006) she plays a desperate housewife who has an affair with her stepdaughter's boyfriend.

In 2010, Chaudhry starred in a Knightsbridge Media Production film, Pusher, directed by Assad Raja. She also worked in the thriller Mumbhaii - The Gangster , co-starring Om Puri and Sanjay Kapoor.

Political activities

In the 2021 West Bengal elections, Chaudhry campaigned for some candidates from both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress. [15] In 2023, there was speculation of her joining the BJP ahead of the Madhya Pradesh elections, as she met the state Minister, Vishvas Sarang, and hailed the BJP government. [16]

In 2024, Chaudhry came out in support of Prime Minister Modi, calling him an inspirational figure under whom India's respect has increased in the world. [17]

Personal life

In 1999, while shooting for Dil Kya Kare , Chaudhry was involved in a car crash; her car rammed into a truck in Bangalore and multiple pieces of glass had to be removed from her face as a result of the accident. [18]

Chaudhry married Bobby Mukherji in 2006. Their daughter was born in 2007, [19] and the couple separated in 2013. [2]

Chaudhry was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer in 2022. [20] She mentioned that comedy shows such as Kapil Sharma Show helped her during her recovery from illness. [9]

Filmography

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released

Films

YearFilmRoleNotes
1997 Pardes Kusum Ganga
1999 Manasulo Maata Priya Telugu film
Dil Kya Kare Kavita Kishore
Daag: The Fire Kajri Verma / Kajal
Pyaar Koi Khel Nahin Nisha
2000 Dhadkan Sheetal Varma
Deewane Pooja
Kurukshetra Anjali P. Singh
Khiladi 420 Ritu Bhardwaj
2001 Lajja Maithili
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar Saraswati
2002 Om Jai Jagadish Ayesha
Dil Hai Tumhaara Nimmi
2003 Saaya Tanya
Tere Naam HerselfSpecial appearance in song "O Jaana"
Baghban Arpita Alok Malhotra
LOC Kargil Reena Yadav
2004 Dobara Dr. Anjali Sehgal
2005 Zameer: The Fire Within Supriya Maheshwari
Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye Gulab Khan
Sehar Anamika Kant
Film Star Heera Pandit
The Film Sushmita Banerjee
Home Delivery Maya
Bhagmati BhagmatiVoice-over
2006 Souten: The Other Woman Mitali 'Mita' R. Singh
Sandwich Sweet Singh / Sweety Shekar
Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana Anjali
Mr 100%Shilpa
Hope and a Little Sugar Saloni
Sarhad Paar Simran
2008 Gumnaam – The Mystery Ria
2010PusherAnita
2014 Kaanchi: The Unbreakable HerselfSpecial appearance
2015 Mumbhaii - The Gangster Gangster's wife
2016 Dark Chocolate Ishani Banerjee
2024 The Signature Ambika "Ambu"
2025 Emergency Pupul Jayakar Post-production [21]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995–1996Liberty Public DemandAnchor [22]
2008–2009Jalwa Four 2 Ka 1Judge [23]
2012Chhote MiyanJudge [24]
2014 Ticket to Bollywood Judge

Music video

YearTitlePerformer(s)RoleAlbumRef.
2002"Tere Bina Chain Mujhe Ab Aaye Na" Adnan Sami UnnamedTera Chehra

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations
YearFilmAwardCategoryResultRef.
1998 Pardes Filmfare Awards Best Female Debut Won [25]
Best Actress Nominated
Screen Awards Most Promising Newcomer – Female Nominated [26]
Zee Cine Awards Best Female Debut Won [27]
1999 Dil Kya Kare Filmfare Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [28]
2000 Dhadkan Nominated [29]
International Indian Film Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [30]
Screen Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [31]
Bollywood Movie Awards Best Supporting Actress Won [32]
Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Awards Best Supporting ActressWon
2005 Dobara Stardust Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [33]
Zee Cine Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated [34]

See also

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