Overview
Shraddha Kapoor is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. Among the highest-paid actresses in India during the 2010s, she is known for her work in commercial romantic dramas, horror films, and action thrillers. She has also pursued a parallel career as a playback singer, performing songs in several of her own films.
Key facts
| Full name | Shraddha Kapoor |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 March 1987, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Father | Shakti Kapoor (actor) |
| Mother | Shivangi Kolhapure |
| Brother | Siddhanth Kapoor (actor) |
| Education | American School of Bombay; Boston University (briefly) |
| Occupation | Actress, playback singer, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2010 onwards |
| Industry | Hindi cinema (Bollywood) |
Background
Shraddha Kapoor was born into a film family in Mumbai. Her father, Shakti Kapoor, has worked extensively as a character actor and villain in Hindi films since the late 1970s, and her mother, Shivangi Kolhapure, belongs to the Kolhapure family of performers; the playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are her grand-aunts through this side of the family. Actress Padmini Kolhapure is her maternal aunt.
She studied at the American School of Bombay before enrolling at Boston University in the United States. She left her studies after being offered a role in Hindi films and returned to Mumbai to pursue acting.
Career
Debut and early work
Kapoor made her screen debut with a small role in Teen Patti (2010), directed by Leena Yadav. She followed this with a leading role in Yash Raj Films' youth comedy Luv Ka The End (2011). Her early films did not perform notably at the box office.
Breakthrough
Her breakthrough came with Mohit Suri's musical romance Aashiqui 2 (2013), opposite Aditya Roy Kapur. The film was a major commercial success and earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. She also performed two songs from the film's soundtrack, marking her debut as a playback singer.
Established career
Subsequent prominent films include Ek Villain (2014), Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider (2014) — an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet set in Kashmir, in which she played Arshia — ABCD 2 (2015), Baaghi (2016) opposite Tiger Shroff, and the biographical drama Haseena Parkar (2017), in which she played the title role of the sister of Dawood Ibrahim.
She had further commercial successes with Stree (2018), a horror-comedy directed by Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films, Saaho (2019) opposite Prabhas, Chhichhore (2019) directed by Nitesh Tiwari, and Baaghi 3 (2020). After a gap, she returned to leading roles with Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (2023) opposite Ranbir Kapoor and reprised her role in Stree 2 (2024), which became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year.
Playback singing
In addition to songs in Aashiqui 2, Kapoor has lent her voice to tracks in Ek Villain, Haider, Rock On 2 (2016), in which she also acted, and other projects.
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Teen Patti | Aparna |
| 2011 | Luv Ka The End | Rhea Dewan |
| 2013 | Aashiqui 2 | Aarohi Keshav Shirke |
| 2014 | Ek Villain | Aisha Verma |
| 2014 | Haider | Arshia Lone |
| 2015 | ABCD 2 | Vinnie |
| 2016 | Baaghi | Sia Khurana |
| 2016 | Rock On 2 | Jiah Sharma |
| 2017 | Half Girlfriend | Riya Somani |
| 2017 | Haseena Parkar | Haseena Parkar |
| 2018 | Stree | The Stree |
| 2019 | Saaho | Amritha Nair |
| 2019 | Chhichhore | Maya |
| 2020 | Baaghi 3 | Siya |
| 2023 | Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar | Tinni |
| 2024 | Stree 2 | The Stree |
Other ventures
Kapoor has been associated with various consumer brand endorsements and has invested in or partnered with several start-ups in lifestyle and beauty segments. She has also participated in social causes related to education, animal welfare, and women's safety.
Significance
Kapoor is regarded as one of the leading commercial actresses of her generation in Hindi cinema. Her work spans mainstream romantic and action films as well as content-driven projects such as Haider and Chhichhore. The success of franchises such as Baaghi and Stree has reinforced her standing as a bankable lead in big-budget productions.