Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha | |
|---|---|
 Chadha in 2019 | |
| Born | 18 December 1986 |
| Education | St. Stephen's College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Richa Chadha (born 18 December 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi cinema.[1] She made her acting debut with a small role in the comedy film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008).[2] Chadha's breakthrough came in 2012 with the crime film Gangs of Wasseypur, in which her role as the foul-tongued wife of a gangster earned her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.[3] In 2023, the Government of France awarded her with the Order of Arts and Letters.[4]
Her career progressed with a supporting role in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and a leading role in the drama film Masaan (2015).[5] She had her biggest commercial success with the comedy film Fukrey (2013) and its sequels in 2017 and 2023, and has also starred in the film Section 375 (2019), and series Inside Edge (2017–2021) and Heeramandi (2024).[6]
Early life and education
[edit]Chadha was born in Amritsar, Punjab, to a Punjabi father and a Bihari mother.[7][8] She was educated at Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, Delhi,[9] and thereafter at St. Stephen's College, Delhi.[10]
Chadha's father, Somesh Chadha, owns a management firm, and her mother, Kusum Lata Chadha, is a professor of political science at PGDAV College of Delhi University who has authored two books and also works with Gandhi Smriti.[11][12]
Career
[edit]Initial struggles (2008–2011)
[edit]Chadha began her career as a model and then she moved to theater. She has performed plays touring in India under Barry John.[13][14]
Chadha made her acting debut in a supporting role as Dolly in Dibakar Banerjee-directed 2008 film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. She appeared in the 2010 comedy film Benny and Babloo as Fedora. In the meanwhile, a Kannada movie in which she had acted, titled Nirdoshi was released in 2010 after a delay of almost three years.[15][16]
Breakthrough and recognition (2012–2015)
[edit]
In 2012, she acted in Anurag Kashyap's crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1. She stated in an interview that this role as Nagma Khatoon helped her get 11 film roles.[17] The film premiered at the 65th Cannes Film Festival. She reprised her role as Nagma Khatoon in the sequel Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2. The film premiered in the Cannes Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival with its prequel. Chadha won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics), in addition to a Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.[18]
Chadha's first release of 2013 came in the Mrighdeep Singh Lamba-directed coming-of-age comedy film Fukrey, in which she portrayed a tough-talking female don Bholi Punjaban. She then appeared in one of the segments in the Anurag Kashyap-produced anthology film Shorts titled "Epilogue". Chadha and Shirvastav play a dysfunctional couple who seem extremely unhappy with each other.[19]
Chadha next appeared in a supporting role as Rasila in Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed drama film Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. She received a nomination for the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film. Chadha next appeared in Navneet Behal-directed 2014 film Tamanchey in the role of Babu, a criminal. It was screened out of competition at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.[20] Her next movie was a biopic of Charles Sobhraj, Main Aur Charles.[21]
Critical and commercial success (2016–present)
[edit]In January 2016, Chadha appeared as a journalist in the social-drama Chalk n Duster.[22][23] She later appeared in Sarbjit, a biographical-drama film based upon the life of Sarabjit Singh. She portrayed the role of Sukhpreet, and shared screen alongside Aishwarya Rai and Randeep Hooda. Her performance in the film earned her a second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[24]
In 2017, Richa acted in an Indian web-series Inside Edge, playing the lead character of a struggling actress.[25] The series was positively received by both critics and audience.[26] In the same year, Jia Aur Jia was released. The film received unfavorable reviews from critics and did not perform well at box office too.[27][28] After that, she reprised her role as Bholi Punjaban in Fukrey Returns, a sequel to 2013 film Fukrey.[29][30][31]
Richa Chadha worked in Sudhir Mishra's version of the Devdas saga, entitled Aur Devdas as Paro.[32] Her much-delayed film with Pooja Bhatt, Cabaret, released on 9 January 2019.[33] Chadha also worked for David Womark's Indo-American production Love Sonia. The film had its world premiere at the London Indian Film Festival on 21 June 2018.[34] The film was released in India on 14 September 2018.[35] Her two films, Section 375, a courtroom drama produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak and directed by Ajay Bahl,[36] co-starring Akshaye Khanna was released on 13 September 2019.[37] And her second film, Panga, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari with Kangana Ranaut as main lead, was released on 24 January 2020. The film earned her a third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[38] She also starred in the web-film, Lahore Confidential, a ZEE5 spy thriller film, which included a cross-border love story for RAW Agent Ananya, played by Chadha. It released on 11 December 2020.[39] Her next theatrical release, Shakeela released on 25 December 2020.[40] In 2021, she started her own film production company named Pushing Buttons Studios with Ali Fazal.[41][42]
In 2024, Chadha played a courtesan, Lajjo, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's series Heeramandi.[43] Shomini Sen of WION noted, "Richa Chadha in her limited screen time creates an impact with her tragic character."[44] Shubhra Gupta stated that "she brings a 'thaska' to the proceedings, but is confined to a brief part".[45] Her upcoming film includes Anubhav Sinha’s Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai.[46]
Personal life
[edit]In 2006, Chadha directed and wrote a 20-minute documentary film called "Rooted in Hope". In 2008, she participated in the "Gladrags Megamodel Contest." Chadha considers B. R. Ambedkar as her icon.[47][48][49]
Chadha had been in a relationship with Ali Fazal.[50][51] On 23 September 2022, she and Fazal announced their impending marriage and said that the ceremony would be eco-friendly.[52] On 4 October 2022, she married Fazal at a ceremony in Lucknow.[53][54] On 16 July 2024, Chadha and Fazal welcomed their first child, a baby girl.
Off-screen work
[edit]Modeling and endorsements
[edit]In 2014, she posed as a mermaid for a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ad campaign, encouraging people to avoid eating fish and to go vegetarian.[55] The same year, she walked the ramps of Lakme Fashion Week[56] and performed in a play called Trivial Disasters.[57]
Political activism
[edit]In January 2020, the actress had expressed solidarity with the students victimized in the JNU attack joining other actors from the film fraternity like