Sonam Kapoor

At 39 years old, Sonam Kapoor has this physical status:

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja (born September 9, 1985) is an Indian film actress.

She has been recognized for a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award, and from 2012 to 2016 she has been featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list based on her income and fame. Kapoor, the niece of actor Anil Kapoor, began her work as an assistant director on filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black.

She made her acting debut in Bhansali's romantic drama Saawariya (2007), a box office fiasco, and her first commercial success with the romantic comedy I Hate Luv Story (2010).

However, this was followed by a string of commercial flops and repetitive roles, earning her negative feedback.

The 2013 box office in Raanjhanaa marked a turning point in Kapoor's career, earning her praise and Best Actress awards at several award shows.

Kapoor had her best commercial success in supporting roles in Bhaag's (2013) and Sanju (2018), as well as a lead role in the romantic romance Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015); the former two film stars have been ranked among the top-grossing Bollywood films.

Neerja Bhanot, a female lead in the 2016 biographical thriller Neerja, received the National Film Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Critics Award, and she followed it with a lead role in the 2018 female buddy film Veere Di Wedding, which both of which are among the top-grossing female-led Hindi films. Kapoor supports the increasing visibility of breast cancer and LGBT rights.

She is often credited as one of India's most popular celebrities, owing to her outspoken personality.

She is married to businessman Anand Ahuja.

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Life and career

Kapoor was born in Bombay's Chembur (present-day Mumbai) on June 9, 1985. Anil Kapoor, the son of late filmmaker Surinder Kapoor and the creator of the Anil Kapoor Films Company, is her father. Sunita, her mother, is a retired model and designer. Kapoor has two younger siblings: film director Rhea and brother Harshvardhan. She is the niece of film producer Boney Kapoor and actor Sanjay Kapoor; actress Sridevi and producer Mona Shourie (Boney's wives) were her aunts. Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, and Mohit Marwah are among Kapoor's paternal cousins, while her maternal second cousin, Ranveer Singh, is the actor.

When Kapoor was one month old, the family moved to Juhu's suburb. She was educated at Arya Mandir School in Juhu, where she confessed to being a "naughty" and "carefree" child who would bully the boys. She excelled at rugby and basketball, and she trained in Kathak, classical music, and Latin dance. Kapoor, a Hinduism girl, says she is "quite religious" and that it is a way to "remind myself that I must be grateful for so much."

At age 15, Kapoor's first job was as a waitress, but it was only for a week. She suffered with her weight as a child: "I had every symptom related to weight that I could have." "I was fat, I had bad skin, and my hair was growing on my face." Kapoor was diagnosed with insulin resistance and polycystic ovarian disease, and has since begun a campaign to raise diabetes awareness. Kapoor completed her pre-university education at the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, where she concentrated on theatre and arts. Since graduating from University of East London, she continued her bachelor's degree in the same fields but then returned to Mumbai soon after. When working on Black (2005), actor Rani Mukerji, a family friend, visited her family in Singapore on holiday. Kapoor, who had aspired to be a writer and author, had expressed a desire to work as a crew member on the film. She was appointed as her assistant after her father's recommendation to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

As Bhansali announced that he wanted to cast her in the lead in his upcoming film, Saawariya, during the production of Black. She was advised to shed weight, but she was still weighed 80 kilograms (180 lb). Bhansali's love for her drove her to her death, she gained 35 kilograms (77 lb) in two years. Kapoor studied with Roshan Taneja, Jayati Bhatia, and Feroz Abbas Khan, and has cited actress Waheeda Rehman and Nutan as influences, admiring their "path-breaking films... [and] their [quality of doing different things."

Kapoor played a Muslim woman against Mukerji, Ranbir Kapoor, and Salman Khan. Sony Pictures Entertainment's first Indian feature film was produced in India by a Hollywood studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment. Saawariya's success was both a major strategic and commercial loss. Jaspreet Pandohar wrote about the film on BBC, describing it as a "misfire-on-a-misfire-on-a-massive-scale." Raja Sen of Rediff.com said her laugh was "most infectious as her father's," but she wished she had been "allowed to simper softly" rather than having a very overdubbed plastic giggle plastered onto her." The film received a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut nomination and the Stardust Award for Best Female Debut nomination, as well as the Female Superstar of Tomorrow – Female.

Kapoor appeared in the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra-directed social drama Delhi-6 in 2009 as an aspiring singer opposite Waheeda Rehman and Abhishek Bachchan. Critical remarks were mixed on the film, and it was a box-office failure. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN referred to Kapoor as a "revelation," noting that she was "a firecracker, intuitive, and uninhibited in a role that isn't even a female lead." Despite the "typical Delhi-girl dish," Sonia Chopra of Sify characterized Kapoor as a "earnest and effortless performer" and found her image to be appealing.

Punit Malhotra's romantic comedy I Hate Luv Storys, opposite Imran Khan, was Kapoor's first publication in 2010. She played an engaged woman with a one-sided passion for her devotion-phobic coworker. "We'd be shooting a scene from many angles," Khan said of Kapoor's art, "for three or four hours, you're doing the same scene, the same lines—and here is this person [Kapoor] who brings consistency to her work, from the way she talks to her accent." Despite Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express's description of Kapoor's appearance as "stiff and rehearsed," Daily News and Analysis' Johnson Thomas found her "likeable and believable." I Hate Luv Storys was Kapoor's first commercial success, grossing 75.2 million (US$9.1 million) worldwide.

Kapoor appeared in Aisha, an ensemble romantic comedy-drama based on Jane Austen's book Emma, which was produced by her sister Rhea. "A meddlesome busbody with a passion for matchmaking and playing Cupid," she described her character. Abhay Deol, Ira Dubey, Cyrus Sahukar, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Arunoday Singh, and Lisa Haydon appeared on Abhay Deol, Ira Dubey, Ira Dubey, Cyrus Sahukar, Amrita Puri, Amrita Puri, Anand Tiwari, Arunoday Singh, and Lisa Haydon. According to an Indo-Asian News Service reviewer, Kapoor had stood out in the ensemble with her appearance, "the best of a very rare opportunity for an Indian leading lady to be part of a Bollywood film that celebrates Victorian mores and Delhi's elitist affects in a single clear sweep."

Kapoor appeared in Thank You, a comedy about three women who teach a lesson to their philandering husbands. Poor feedback followed Kapoor's role in the film, and The Times of India's Nikhat Kazmi described her "terribly out of sync" as a result of her visit. Shahid Kapoor's love affair in the Pankaj Kapur-directed romantic drama Mausam was also poorly received. Despite rumors regarding her acting skills, NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee agreed that Kapoor conveyed "the innate vulnerability of a girl under constant assault," bringing out just the right mixture of feminine fragility and indigenous resolve. Kapoor played a computer hacker opposite Abhishek Bachchan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Bipasha Basu in the Abbas-Mustan-directed heist film Players, a remake of 2003's The Italian Job. Katrina Kaif's role was originally written for her but she was unable to attend the film. Although journalists had a soaring hopes, it fell short on commercially, and Rediff.com's Sukanya Verma said remarkably that Kapoor "truly entertains with her kidnalist hacker" with her childish insistence. Kapoor's string of poorly received films began to hinder her career.

Kapoor's role in the Anand L. Rai-directed romantic drama Raanjhanaa (2013) was a turning point in her career; Geety Sahgal said it was her best performance to date in The Indian Express. After the assassination of her Sikh lover, Kapoor's character was that of Zoya Haider, a young Muslim student from Varanasi who has been drawn into politics. Kapoor met with students, attended lectures, and trained with theatre groups associated with Jawaharlal Nehru University to prepare for her role. She also studied Jaya Bachchan's work in Guddi (1971), which she said was "ideal" for her role. Kapoor outlined her role in the film: "I have always wanted to do different films and...." I try to be different from every other person. I like trying new things to push myself to the limit in every way, and I don't like to repeat myself." Even though Raanjhanaa received mixed to positive feedback, her performance was lauded; Rajeev Masand wrote that she "does some of her finest work here, going from innocent to cynical, without ever losing Zoya's inherent vulnerability." Raanjhanaa was a commercial success, and Kapoor was nominated for the Best Actress award at over 1 billion (US$13 million).

Kapoor continued Raanjhanaa's success with a brief appearance in Bhaag, a biopic on actor Milkha Singh. She earned 11 (14) US$3.9 million) for the film, citing her admiration for director Rakeysh Mehra and the film itself as reasons for her appearance. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was one of the year's best-grossing Bollywood films, according to a critic. Sarita A. Tanwar, a feminist, wrote in her essay that despite her minor role, Kapoor proved to "be the ultimate warm counterpart to Milkha." Both Raanjhanaa and Bhag Milkha Bhaag were nominated for Best Film award by Filmfare, the latter of which was nominated.

In the Yash Raj Films comedy-drama Bewakoofiyaan, Kapoor played banker Mayera Sehgal opposite Ayushmann Khurrana and Rishi Kapoor in a role that film critic Anupama Chopra found to be poorly written and a "uphill climb." She appeared in the romantic comedy Khoobsurat, an adaptation of the 1980 film of the same name, for Rekha. Though she received a Filmfare Best Actress award for her appearance, critics were split on her reaction, with Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters comparing her to a teen Anne Hathaway and referring to her "Julia Roberts-like smile" when she was introduced in The New York Times' Andy Webster comparing her to a young Anne Hathaway. She discovered entrepreneur-model Sahir Berry on a social media network and started a romantic affair with him, but the two friends broke up a few months later.

Kapoor appeared in Dolly Ki Doli, a runaway bride starring Pulkit Samrat, Rajkummar Rao, and Varun Sharma, a heist comedy co-starring Dolly Ki Doli in 2015. Udita Jhunwala of Mint slammed Kapoor's role in the film, saying that her "range is too small to bring to life a character that may have heaps of potential on paper." "Kapoor is in almost every frame, and you should have filled them all," Shubhra Gupta wrote. The character's care, on the other hand, shows her flaws." Despite the poor reviews she received for her performance, she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Kapoor contracted swine influenza while filming with Salman Khan in Gondal, Gujarat, in February 2015. Kapoor portrayed Rajkumari Devi, a princess looking for love in a film. The film became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time. Rachit Gupta lauded her for her royal image, and Komal Nahta believes that the role was significant enough to be a turning point in her career. Nonetheless, she was rewarded with the Golden Kela Award for Worst Actress.

Kapoor appeared in Coldplay's "Hymn for the Weekend" music video (featuring Beyoncé), and he appeared in Ram Madhvani's biographical thriller Neerja (2016). Neerja Bhanot, the eponymous air hostess, was cast in 1986. She died while assisting the passengers of the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73. Kapoor felt accountable for the initiative because it is about real life, and she spent time in Bhanot's household as a preparation for her role. The film received critical acclaim, and several commentators said Kapoor's performance was her best to date. Raja Sen found her role to be life-defining, while Hindustan Times' Rohit Vats wrote that "she carries [the film] entirely on her shoulders." She is both earnest, afraid, benevolent, and bold at the same time." Sen. Kapoor was named as the best actress in Hindi cinema in 2016, while Rajeev Masand welcomed her to his annual best actresses roundtable. Kapoor received a National Film Award – Special Mention and a Filmfare Best Actress (Critics), in addition to a Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Neerja is one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films starring a female protagonist with a worldwide gross of over 1.35 billion (US$17 million).

Kapoor played a social worker in R. Balki's comedy-drama Pad Man (2018), based on a short story in Twinkle Khanna's book The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad. Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte's co-starring the film is based on Arunachalam Muruganantham's life, who campaigned for menstrual hygiene in rural India. As long as the film has "relevance beyond just having a good time at the movies," Kapoor said, the length of the role is irrelevant to her. She loved being involved in a film that addresses critical social issues and is about more than just entertainment. Saibal Chatterjee wrote that Kapoor "makes the most of the rare opportunity"; Anna M. Vetticad of Firstpost praised her screen presence but opposed a romantic subplot involving her and Kumar, arguing their chemistry and age difference.

Kapoor married Indian businessman Anand Ahuja in a traditional Sikh wedding in Bandra, Mumbai, on May 8, 2018; the couple's son was born in August 2022). Kareena Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania appeared in Shashanka Ghosh's Veere Di Wedding, a female buddy film co-starring Kareena Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar, and Shikha Talsania. The film was formulaic and clichéd, according to Namrita Joshi of The Hindu, while Sweta Kaushal of Hindustan Times thought the film had "style but no soul" and was partly impressed with Kapoor's performance. The film was not released with earnings of over 1.3 billion (US$17 million). It was her second top-grossing Hindi film not starring a well-known male actor. Kapoor appeared in Rajkumar Hirani's biopic of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, titled Sanju, as one of Dutt's love interests later this month. Despite her brief appearance, Kapoor said she accepted the challenge to work with Hirani and reunite with Ranbir Kapoor after her debut. Anna M. Vetticad sluggishly sluggish in the film's effort to whitewash Dutt's misdeeds, but Kapoor's portrayal of her small role was "sweet." On the other hand, Rajeev Masand called the film "consistently entertaining" and claimed that Kapoor "hit the right notes as Sanjay Dutt's [partner]]. Sanju became one of India's highest-grossing films, breaking multiple box-office records.

Kapoor appeared in Ek Ladki Toh Aisa Laga (as Sonam K Ahuja), co-starring her father, Juhi Chawla, and Rajkummar Rao in 2019. She was a closeted lesbian who had trouble relating to her conservative family. She committed to the initiative to debunk myths of same-sex in India. Critics were encouraged of the positive representation of homosexuality in the media, but it did not do well commercially. Kapoor appeared in Abhishek Sharma's film adaptation of Anuja Chauhan's romantic comedy book The Zoya Factor, in which she played the central role of a clumsy woman who is a lucky charm for the Indian cricket team. Ankur Pathak of HuffPost was appreciative of her comedic timing but moaned that "she's out of depth in scenes that call for her to express more emotion."

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