Katrina Kaif is a British 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 action and romantic films, as well as for her dance numbers. She has received several nominations at major Indian film awards and has been featured in popular culture lists by publications such as Forbes India.
| Full name | Katrina Kaif (born Katrina Turquotte) |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 July 1983 |
| Place of birth | Hong Kong |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Debut film | Boom (2003) |
| Hindi debut | Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) |
| Spouse | Vicky Kaushal (m. 2021) |
| Business venture | Kay Beauty (cosmetics, with Nykaa) |
Katrina Kaif was born in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri father, Mohammed Kaif, and an English mother, Suzanne Turquotte, who is a lawyer and charity worker. Her parents separated when she was young, and she was raised primarily by her mother along with her seven siblings. The family lived in several countries, including Hawaii, China, Japan, France, Switzerland, Poland and Belgium, before settling in London. She received much of her early education through home-schooling.
She began modelling at the age of 14 in London, working in jewellery and beauty assignments. While modelling at a fashion show in London, she was noticed by filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who cast her in the Indian English-language film Boom.
Kaif made her acting debut with Boom (2003), which performed poorly at the box office. She subsequently worked in Telugu cinema with Malliswari (2004) and in Malayalam cinema with Balram vs. Tharadas (2006). Her early Hindi films, including Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) opposite Salman Khan and Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) opposite Akshay Kumar, established her in supporting commercial roles, although her dialogues were often dubbed by other artists in this period due to her unfamiliarity with Hindi.
Her commercial breakthrough came with Namastey London (2007), directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, in which she played a British-Indian woman opposite Akshay Kumar. This was followed by a string of successful films including Partner (2007), Welcome (2007), Race (2008), Singh Is Kinng (2008), New York (2009) directed by Kabir Khan, and Raajneeti (2010) directed by Prakash Jha. Her performance in New York earned her several award nominations, including a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress.
Kaif appeared in the item number "Sheila Ki Jawani" in Tees Maar Khan (2010), which became widely popular. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), the latter directed by Zoya Akhtar, were both critical and commercial successes. The song "Chikni Chameli" from Agneepath (2012) further cemented her standing in dance numbers. Ek Tha Tiger (2012), directed by Kabir Khan and co-starring Salman Khan, became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films at the time. She subsequently appeared in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), the final film of director Yash Chopra, and Dhoom 3 (2013) opposite Aamir Khan.
After a series of less successful releases, Kaif returned to wider acclaim with Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger. She subsequently appeared in Zero (2018), Bharat (2019), Sooryavanshi (2021) directed by Rohit Shetty, Phone Bhoot (2022), Tiger 3 (2023) and Merry Christmas (2024), the last directed by Sriram Raghavan.
In 2019, Kaif co-founded the cosmetics brand Kay Beauty in partnership with Nykaa, the Indian beauty and lifestyle retailer. The brand offers a range of makeup products and is available through Nykaa's online and offline channels.
Kaif married actor Vicky Kaushal on 9 December 2021 at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. She has often spoken about her practice of yoga and her involvement with charitable causes, including initiatives related to Project Nanhi Kali, which supports the education of underprivileged girls in India.
Katrina Kaif is regarded as one of the most prominent female stars of Hindi cinema in the 2000s and 2010s. Her career is notable for its commercial consistency in mainstream Bollywood productions and for her crossover identity as a British actress who became a leading name in Indian films. She has been a recurring presence on lists of the highest-paid Indian celebrities and has featured multiple times in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 rankings.