Mrunal Thakur | |
---|---|
Born | Dhule, Maharashtra, India | 1 August 1992
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2012–present |
Mrunal Thakur (born 1 August 1992) is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Hindi and Telugu films. Thakur is a recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award South, two South Indian International Movie Awards and an Indian Television Academy Award. [1]
Thakur began her acting career with the television soap operas Mujhse Kuchh Kehti...Yeh Khamoshiyaan (2012) and Kumkum Bhagya (2014–2016), winning the ITA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the latter. She made her Hindi film debut with Love Sonia (2018) and gained recognition with the 2019 biographical films Super 30 and Batla House . Following a series of poorly received Hindi films, she achieved success with the Telugu romantic dramas Sita Ramam (2022) and Hi Nanna (2023). The former won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. [2]
Mrunal Thakur was born on 1 August 1992 to a Marathi-speaking family [3] [4] [5] in Dhule, Maharashtra. She attended St. Joseph's Convent School, Jalgaon, and Vasant Vihar High School, near Mumbai. [6] Thakur left KC College without graduating as she was pursuing a television career at the time. [7] [8]
While attending college, Thakur landed a lead role as Gauri Bhosle opposite Mohit Sehgal in the Star Plus series Mujhse Kuchh Kehti...Yeh Khamoshiyaan . The show aired from 2012 to 2013. Later in 2013, Thakur appeared in an episodic appearance on the mystery thriller Har Yug Mein Aayega Ek – Arjun , in which she played a journalist named Sakshi Anand. [9]
In February 2014, Thakur was cast for Zee TV's soap opera Kumkum Bhagya , for which she began shooting the following month. [10] The show, co-starring Sriti Jha, Shabir Ahluwalia, Arjit Taneja, and Supriya Shukla, started airing on 15 April, and saw Thakur portray Bulbul Arora Khanna, a woman who along with her elder sister (played by Jha) helps their mother (played by Shukla) run a marriage hall. The show received mostly positive to mixed reviews from critics. Thakur quit the show in January 2016. [11]
Thakur appeared as a Contestant on Box Cricket League 1 in 2014 and Nach Baliye 7 in 2015. In 2016, she danced in a special episode of &TV's SauBhagyalaxmi [ citation needed ] and had a Guest appearance in Tuyul & Mbak Yul Reborn . Her final appearance before she retired from television was on the Indonesian serial Nadin, where she played Tara.
Thakur made her film debut with the Marathi film Vitti Dandu , which was released in 2014. She played Sandhya. Her next Marathi film was Surajya , where she played the role of Dr. Swapna.
In 2016, Thakur began work on her first Hindi project, the international film Love Sonia , for which she stayed at Kolkata. The film was released in September 2018 after various delays and featured her in the titular role of a village girl who brings to light the issue of global human trafficking. For preparation, Thakur stayed at a brothel to study the body language of prostitutes. Although the film was generally well reviewed, it was a failure at the domestic box office. [12]
Thakur's Bollywood debut came in 2019 with Vikas Bahl's biographical drama Super 30 , narrating the story of mathematician Anand Kumar (played by Hrithik Roshan in the film) and his educational program of the same name, in which she portrayed Supriya, a classical dancer and Kumar's love interest. It emerged as a commercial success and one of the top-grossing Hindi films of 2019. [13] In the same year, she played John Abraham's wife Nandita Kumar in Nikkhil Advani's Batla House , based on the 2008 Batla House encounter case. It grossed over ₹1.11 billion (US$13 million) worldwide becoming a commercially successful venture. [14]
In 2020, Thakur appeared in a Netflix venture, the four-part anthology horror film Ghost Stories as Ira in the Segment: Karan Johar's segment. [15] The same year she appeared in a music video "Gallan Goriya", alongside John Abraham.
In 2021, Thakur starred in the sports drama, Toofaan , [16] directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and co-starring Farhan Akhtar, which premiered on 16 July 2021 on Amazon Prime Video. [17] In addition, she co-starred in the action thriller Dhamaka , directed by Ram Madhvani and co-starring Kartik Aaryan and Amruta Subhash, which released on Netflix on 19 November 2021. [18] She also appeared in two music videos in the year 2021, "Bad Boy x Bad Girl" with Badshah and "Aise Na Chhoro" with Guru Randhawa.
Thakur's first film of 2022, Jersey , a remake of the 2019 Telugu film of the same name, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, released on 22 April 2022. [19] The film received mixed reviews from critics, praising the performances, direction and soundtrack; it was a commercial failure at the box office. [20] [21] Thakur made her Telugu film debut co-starring Dulquer Salmaan and Rashmika Mandanna in Hanu Raghavapudi's period romantic drama Sita Ramam , which released on 5 August 2022. [22] The film received positive reviews upon release and emerged as a success at the box-office, thus proving to be a breakthrough for her and she was praised for her portrayal. [23] [24] [25] [26]
Thakur had five releases in the year 2023. She starred opposite Aditya Roy Kapur in the Hindi film Gumraah , which was a remake of the 2019 Tamil film Thadam . The film underperformed commercially, becoming a box-office bomb. [27] After this, she appeared opposite Angad Bedi in Netflix's Lust Stories 2 . [28] Thakur appeared opposite Abhimanyu Dassani and Paresh Rawal in the multi-starrer comedy Aankh Micholi . The film underperformed commercially, becoming a box-office bomb. [29] Following this, she was paired with Ishaan Khatter in the war action film Pippa , which received mixed reviews from critics. [30] In her final film of the year, Thakur appeared in Hi Nanna opposite Nani. [31] The film and her performance received positive reviews from critics. Hi Nanna would become her only successful film of the year. [32]
In 2024, Thakur played an entrepreneur Indu, in her third Telugu film, The Family Star opposite Vijay Deverakonda. [33] The film received negative reviews from critics and was a flop in box office . [34] Thakur will next appear in Maddock Films Pooja Meri Jaan alongside Huma Qureshi. [35]
The Telegraph finds Thakur to be "honest and heartwarming". [36] On her choice of films, she said, "I just want to be associated with good scripts, to play woman of substance, and see what she's contributing to." [37] Thakur ranked 8th in Eastern Eye 's Top 30 under 30 Global Asian Stars List of 2021. [38] In 2022, Thakur curated a food donation drive in collaboration with "All About Them", a foundation that helps stray and community animals. [39] Thakur is a celebrity endorser for several brands and products, including Lakme and Dulux. [40] [41]
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Hello Nandan | Rubi | Marathi | ||
Vitti Dandu | Sandhya Jain | [42] | |||
Surajya | Dr. Swapna | [43] | |||
2018 | Love Sonia | Sonia | Hindi | [44] | |
2019 | Super 30 | Supriya | [45] | ||
Batla House | Shobhna Yadav | [46] | |||
2020 | Ghost Stories | Irawati "Ira" Kapoor | Karan Johar's segment | [15] | |
2021 | Toofaan | Dr. Ananya Prabhu Ali | [47] | ||
Dhamaka | Saumya Mehra | [48] | |||
2022 | Jersey | Vidya Rao Talwar | [49] | ||
Sita Ramam | Sita Mahalakshmi/Princess Noor Jahan [lower-alpha 1] | Telugu | [50] | ||
Jahaan | Ghazal | Hindi | Short film | [51] [52] | |
2023 | Selfiee | — | Special appearance in song "Kudiyee Ni Teri" | [53] | |
Gumraah | Shivani Mathur | [54] | |||
Lust Stories 2 | Veda Kaushal | R. Balki's segment | [55] | ||
Aankh Micholi | Paro Singh | [56] | |||
Pippa | Radha Mehta | [57] | |||
Hi Nanna | Yashna/Varsha [lower-alpha 1] | Telugu | [58] | ||
2024 | The Family Star | Indeshwari Reddy aka Indu | [59] | ||
Kalki 2898 AD | Divya | Cameo appearance | [60] | ||
Pooja Meri Jaan† | Pooja | Hindi | Post-production | [61] | |
2025 | Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai† | TBA | Filming | [62] | |
Son of Sardar 2† | TBA | Filming | [63] |
Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012–2013 | Mujhse Kuchh Kehti...Yeh Khamoshiyaan | Gauri Bhonsle | Star Plus | Lead Role | [9] |
2013 | Arjun | Sakshi Anand | |||
2014–2016 | Kumkum Bhagya | Bulbul Arora Khanna | Zee TV | [10] | |
2014 | Box Cricket League 1 | Contestant | Sony Entertainment Television | Team: Mumbai Warriors | [64] |
2015 | Nach Baliye 7 | Contestant | Star Plus | 8th place | [65] |
2016 | Saubhagyalaxmi | Herself | &TV | Guest appearance | [66] |
Tuyul & Mbak Yul Reborn | Herself | ANTV | Indonesian TV show; Guest appearance | [67] | |
2017 | Nadin | Tara | Indonesian TV show; Special appearance | [68] | |
2023 | Made in Heaven 2 | Adhira Arya | Amazon Prime Video | Episode: "Beauty and the Beast" | [69] |
Year | Title | Singer(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | "Gallan Goriya" | Dhvani Bhanushali, Taz | [70] |
2021 | "Bad Boy x Bad Girl" | Nikhita Gandhi, Badshah | [71] |
"Aise Na Chhoro" | Guru Randhawa | [72] |
Supriya Pathak Kapur is an Indian actress who works in Gujarati and Hindi films and television. She garnered widespread recognition and acclaim with her portrayal of Hansa Parekh in the Khichdi franchise. She has received several awards including a Filmfare OTT Award and three Filmfare Awards. She also featured in the hit TV serial Idhar Udhar in the 1980s.
Yarlagadda Sumanth Kumar, known mononymously as Sumanth, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Telugu cinema. He is the eldest grandson of Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao. He is also a partner in Annapurna Studios.
Excel Entertainment is an Indian production company, founded by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar in Mumbai in 1999. They mainly produce Hindi films.
Vikrant Massey is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films and television. Noted for his versatility, Massey is the recipient of a Filmfare Award.
Dulquer Salmaan is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Purdue University and worked as a business manager in Dubai before pursuing a career in acting. Dulquer is a recipient of several awards including, five Filmfare Awards South and a Kerala State Film Award.
Brinda Gopal, known professionally as Brinda Master, is an Indian dance choreographer and director who primarily works in South Indian cinema. She has choreographed dance sequences for various Indian films. She has won one National Film Award for Best Choreography, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Choreographer, twice and Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography, four times.
Nazriya Nazim Fahadh is an Indian actress and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films. Nazriya is a recipient of several accolades including two Kerala State Film Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award and one Filmfare Award South.
Sobhita Dhulipala is an Indian actress. She won the Femina Miss India Earth 2013 title at Femina Miss India 2013 pageant and represented India at Miss Earth 2013. Dhulipala made her acting debut in Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) and subsequently played the lead role in the Amazon Prime Video drama series Made in Heaven (2019–2023).
Rashmika Mandanna is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. She has received four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, she was featured in Forbes India's 2024 list of "30 Under 30".
Dulquer Salmaan is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Purdue University and worked as a business manager in Dubai before pursuing a career in acting. Dulquer is a recipient of several awards including, five Filmfare Awards South, a South Indian International Movie Award, a Kerala Film Critics Association Award and a Kerala State Film Award.
Karwaan is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language road comedy-drama film written by Bejoy Nambiar and directed by debutant Akarsh Khurana for producers Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Irrfan Khan and Mithila Palkar in main leads and marks the Bollywood debut of Dulquer Salmaan. It was released on 3 August 2018
Janhvi Kapoor is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born to film actress Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, she made her acting debut in 2018 with the romantic drama Dhadak, which was a commercial success. Her subsequent theatrical releases were commercially unsuccessful, but she received nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for playing the titular aviator in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) and a woman trapped in a freezer in Mili (2022). She later featured as an aspiring cricket player in the sports drama Mr. & Mrs. Mahi (2024).
Abhimanyu Dassani is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. The son of actress Bhagyashree, he made his acting debut in 2018 with the action film Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, for which he won Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He has since starred in the romantic comedy Meenakshi Sundareshwar (2021) and the action film Nikamma (2022).
Avinash Tiwary is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and series. Tiwary had his first major roles in the television series Yudh (2014) and in the film Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016). He gained recognition for starring in the romance Laila Majnu (2018) and the supernatural film Bulbbul (2020). Tiwary has since starred in the crime series Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022), Bambai Meri Jaan (2023) and Kaala (2023), and in the comedy film Madgaon Express (2024).
Jersey is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, being his Hindi directorial debut and the remake of his 2019 Telugu film of the same title. It stars Shahid Kapoor as a former cricketer who returns to the game for his son's wish of buying a Jersey T- Shirt, alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapoor. The film is produced by Geetha Arts, Dil Raju Production, Sithara Entertainments and Brat Films.
SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Telugu is presented by Vibri media group as part of its annual South Indian International Movie Awards, for the best acting done by a female actor in a leading role in her debut Telugu film. The award was first given in 2012 for films released in 2011.
Sita Ramam is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language period romantic drama film directed by Hanu Raghavapudi. Produced by C. Aswani Dutt, under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema, it starred Dulquer Salmaan and Mrunal Thakur in the title roles, alongside Rashmika Mandanna.
Sita Ramam is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language soundtrack album to the film of the same name composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar. The film's musical score is composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar in his third collaboration with Raghavapudi after Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha (2016) and Padi Padi Leche Manasu (2018).
Hi Nanna is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film directed by Shouryuv, in his directoral debut, and produced by Vyra Entertainments. The film stars Nani and Mrunal Thakur in lead roles.