Kriti Sanon

Early life

Sanon was born on 27 July 1990 in New Delhi. Her mother Geeta Sanon is a physics professor at the University of Delhi while her father Rahul Sanon is a chartered accountant. She belongs to a Punjabi Hindu family. Her younger sister, Nupur Sanon, is also an actress.

Sanon attended Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram and later secured a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida. She briefly worked as a model before becoming an actress.

Career

Early work and recognition (2014–2020)

Sanon made her acting debut in 2014 with the Telugu psychological action thriller 1: Nenokkadine, playing the love interest of Mahesh Babu's character. The part required her to participate in action sequences filmed at sea; she has said that the experience made her nervous as she did not know how to swim. Reviewers for The Times of India and Sify took note of her beauty and were encouraging of her acting prowess. After completing the first schedule of 1: Nenokkadine, Sanon was signed on for Heropanti, a Hindi action film opposite newcomer Tiger Shroff; she divided her time between both films. Trade journalist Taran Adarsh opined that Sanon "has the trappings of a star", but critic Srijana Das of The Times of India criticised her emoting, calling it "more cheesy than sharp". Heropanti emerged as a commercial success. Sanon won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Female for Heropanti.

The following year, Sanon had her second Telugu film release in the crime drama Dohchay, co-starring Naga Chaitanya. She was next cast in Rohit Shetty's action comedy Dilwale with Varun Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, which emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films at that time, grossing more than worldwide. Anupama Chopra disliked the film and wrote that Sanon and Dhawan "work as bait, meant to bring in the critical youth segment".

After a yearlong absence from the screen, Sanon teamed with Maddock Films producer Dinesh Vijan, in their first of many collaborations, in his directorial debut Raabta (2017), which featured her and Sushant Singh Rajput as star-crossed lovers. In a scathing review, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com labelled the film "embarrassingly daft" but took note of Sanon's "statuesque, spirited presence". The film failed commercially. Sanon's starring role as a headstrong small-town woman aspiring to a better life in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's romantic comedy-drama Bareilly Ki Barfi was better received. Co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao as her love interests, the film was an adaptation of French writer Nicholas Barreau's novel The Ingredients of Love. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV noted that "the burden of making Bareilly Ki Barfi work rests upon Kriti Sanon and she doesn't put a foot wrong", but Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express thought that despite Sanon's effort, her performance lacked naturalism.

Sanon worked in two of Vijan's productions in 2019. She starred in cinematographer Laxman Utekar's Hindi directorial debut, Luka Chuppi, a satire on live-in relationships, which paired her opposite Kartik Aaryan. Devesh Sharma of Filmfare was appreciative of her comic timing. A commercial success, Luka Chuppi grossed worldwide. Following an appearance in the unremarkable comedy Arjun Patiala, Sanon played one of the leading ladies in the reincarnation comedy Housefull 4, the fourth instalment of the Housefull franchise, which paired her opposite Akshay Kumar. Despite poor reviews, Housefull 4 was one of the biggest grossers of the year, earning over . In her final appearance of 2019, Sanon portrayed Parvatibai opposite Arjun Kapoor's Sadashivrao Bhau in Ashutosh Gowariker's period drama Panipat, based on the Third Battle of Panipat, which emerged as a box-office bomb.

''Mimi'' and career fluctuations (2021–2023)

Sanon collaborated once again with Vijan and Utekar in the comedy-drama Mimi (2021), which proved to be a turning point in her career. A remake of the 2011 Marathi drama Mala Aai Vhhaychy!, it starred her in the title role of an aspiring actress who becomes a surrogate mother. Sanon gained 15 kg of weight for scenes involving her character's pregnancy. The film was released digitally on Netflix and JioCinema. Critics were generally unimpressed with the film, but Sanon's performance received praise, with Mashable India deeming it a career-best. Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of WION wrote that Sanon had succeeded in her "attempt to establish herself as a standalone actor, not just a pretty heroine" and took particular note of the subtlety in her performance. Sanon received several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and the National Film Award for Best Actress (shared with Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi). Her next release, the comedy Hum Do Hamare Do (2021) opposite Rajkummar Rao, premiered on Disney+ Hotstar. Saibal Chatterjee found hers to be "the most noteworthy performance in [the] unfunny caper".

Sanon’s first release in 2022 came with the action comedy Bachchhan Paandey, which marked her second collaboration with Akshay Kumar. Adapted from the 2014 Tamil film Jigarthanda, Sanon played a part originally portrayed by a male actor. The film was unable to recoup its investment. Sanon starred with Varun Dhawan in Bhediya, the third instalment in Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe. It was shot over a span of two months in various locations of Arunachal Pradesh. Sonal Dedhia of News18 noted how much she stood out in the film despite her limited screen time.

In 2023, Sanon played the leading lady opposite Kartik Aaryan in Shehzada, a remake of the Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo. The film was a critical and commercial failure, with Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today dismissing her as "completely wasted". She played Janaki in Om Raut's mythological film Adipurush, based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, co-starring Prabhas as Raghava. She agreed to the project as she deemed such films "educational for kids". Filmed simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu, it had a production budget of around , making it one of the most-expensive Indian films. Critical reception to the film was negative; Devesh Sharma opined, "Sanon is divinely beautiful as Janki but doesn't have much to do here, except look the part of a damsel in distress." Amidst several controversies, it emerged as another box-office bomb for Sanon. She then reunited with Tiger Shroff in Vikas Bahl's science fiction action film Ganapath. Once again, it was a critical and commercial failure.

Established actress (2024–present)

In 2024, Sanon starred with Shahid Kapoor in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, a science fiction romantic comedy between a man and a robot, in which she played Sifra, a humanoid robot. Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times was appreciative of her look and body language as a robot, but bemoaned that "the poor storyline doesn't really let her go all out". She next starred with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the female-led heist comedy Crew, in which the trio played flight attendants. In preparation, they received training from former cabin crew members. WIONs Shomini Sen was appreciative of Sanon for holding her own in the presence of Tabu and Kapoor Khan. Both Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and Crew emerged as commercial successes, ranking among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2024.

Sanon launched her own production company, named Blue Butterfly Films, under which she produced Do Patti, a mystery film for Netflix co-starring Kajol and Shaheer Sheikh. She expressed that her role in Mimi inspired her to seek out more well-written roles and pursue greater creative freedom in her career. Sanon played dual roles of Saumya and Shailee, twin sisters with contrasting personalities. In a negative review of the film, Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in praised Sanon for being "compelling in her anguish as well as her inner strength".

In Aanand L. Rai's romantic drama Tere Ishk Mein (2025), Sanon starred opposite Dhanush as a woman in a toxic relationship. News18's Titas Chowdhury wrote that, After Do Patti, Sanon "plays another abuse victim in yet another problematic fashion, setting a dangerous precedent". However, Nirali Kanabar of Times Now still felt that she "deliver[ed] one of her most sincere and emotionally layered performances" despite the film's poor writing. Sanon, who typically undertakes extensive preparation for her roles, said that she "completely surrendered" herself to Rai's vision for the film. Tere Ishk Mein emerged as a successful financial venture. She will next feature alongside Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in the sequel to Cocktail.

Other work and image

Commenting on her career growth in 2017, Chandni Sehgal from Vogue India wrote that she was "more introspective, focused and less insecure" than when she started out. A journalist for Hindustan Times called Sanon a "confident performer" who "can switch from to small town personas with ease." In 2021, Sukanya Verma featured her in Rediff.coms list of "Best Bollywood Actresses". Harper's Bazaars Meghna Sharma stated: "Counted amongst the top female actors in the country today, Kriti's quiet determination can be credited for her steady rise." Nibandh Vinod from News 18 calls Sanon "one of the most versatile actresses of Bollywood" and credits her "dedication and hard work over the years" for carving "a place for herself in the film industry".

In 2019, Sanon appeared in Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, ranking 38th with an estimated annual income of . In 2022, the Indian edition of GQ featured her among the nation's "30 Most Influential Young Indians" list. In 2024, she was placed 25th on IMDb's List of 100 Most Viewed Indian Stars. Sanon has often gained attention for her sense of style. Sanon has a large social media footprint, with over 54 million followers on Instagram. In 2021, she modelled for designer Manish Malhotra's bridal collection "Nooraniyat". During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanon donated a sum to government's fund. She later collected funds for Kailash Sathyarthi Children's Foundation. Sanon has performed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Indian Premier League and the 2023 Women's Premier League.

Sanon is an endorser for several brands and products including Coca-Cola, Titan's Raga, Parachute and Tissot. In the Times of India 50 Most Desirable Women list, she ranked 14th in 2017, 13th in 2018, 15th in 2019 and 19th in 2020. Sanon has been vocal on various topics, including pay disparity in Hindi cinema and the "patriarchal mindset" prevalent in the industry. In 2016, Sanon launched her own clothing line, named Ms. Taken. In 2022, she co-founded a fitness startup called The Tribe, and the following year, she launched her skincare brand Hyphen. Within its first year, Hyphen generated revenue of ₹100 crore (US $12 million), which grew to ₹400 crore (US $47 million) in its second year.

Filmography

Main article: Kriti Sanon filmography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Kriti Sanon

Sanon is a recipient of a National Film Award Best Actress for her performance in Mimi (2022) and has received three Filmfare Awards nominations: Best Female Debut for Heropanti (2014), Best Actress for Mimi (2021), and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2025) and winning the former two.

References

References

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49. "69th National Film Awards 2023 complete winners list: Rocketry, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Allu Arjun, RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi win big". The Indian Express.
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77. (6 July 2023). "Kriti Sanon ventures into production; launches her banner Blue Butterfly Films". The Hindu.
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79. (22 October 2024). "Do Patti satisfied Kriti Sanon's craving for layered roles, after she faced difficulty finding well-written characters for herself". [[The Indian Express]].
80. (14 October 2024). "Kriti plays good and bad in double role, Kajol stuns as police inspector in 'Do Patti' trailer".
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96. (27 December 2022). "Kriti Sanon's style is the perfect mix of chic and comfort". The Indian Express.
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98. (2 August 2022). "Kriti Sanon celebrates 50 million followers on Instagram with a special video".
99. (24 August 2021). "Kriti Sanon looks stunning as she turns muse for designer Manish Malhotra".
100. "SRK, Saifeena, Kriti Play Good Samaritans, Donate For Covid-19 Relief".
101. "Jet Ski with Kriti Sanon to support Kailash Sathyarthi Children's Foundation".
102. (9 April 2017). "IPL 2017: Kriti Sanon gives Disha Patani a run for her money with brilliant performance in Bengaluru opening ceremony". Zee News.
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104. (30 June 2018). "Why both premium, mass brands love Kriti Sanon". Livemint.
105. (3 June 2019). "UrbanClap appoints Kriti Sanon as brand ambassador for beauty vertical".
106. (6 June 2014). "Kriti Sanon to endorse a cola brand". The Times of India.
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109. (10 May 2018). "Here are the other winners of The Times 50 Most Desirable Women 2017".
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111. "The Times Most Desirable Woman of 2020: Rhea Chakraborty – Living through a trial by fire, gracefully".
112. (August 2021). "Exclusive! Kriti Sanon on pay disparity: The patriarchal mindset is so normal that it will take a little time to change and to grow".
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115. Service, Tribune News. "Kriti Sanon turns entrepreneur". The Tribune.
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