Born Sweety Shetty
November 7, 1981 (age 38)
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Other names Sweety, Tommulu
Occupation Actress
Years active 2005-present
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Anushka Shetty (Tulu: ಅನುಷ್ಕ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ; born on 7 November 1981 as Sweety Shetty) is an Indian film actress, working in the Telugu and Tamil film industries. She debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super and rose to fame following her performance in Vikramarkudu (2006). After starring in high-budget productions alongside leading Telugu actors, she went on to become one of Telugu cinema's leading actresses in successive years, while fetching high critical acclaim for her portrayal of the titular character in Arundhati. She rose to stardom in Tamil with her 2010 mega-blockbuster Singam co-starring Tamil Superstar Surya.
Early life
Anushka Shetty was born in a Bunt family of Bellipady in Mangalore. She did her schooling and college in Bangalore. She was also a Yoga Instructor and has trained under yoga guru Bharat Thakur.
Film career
Shetty made her acting debut in Puri Jagannath's 2005 Telugu film Super alongside Akkineni Nagarjuna. The same year, she acted in another film Mahanandi, which was an unsuccessful venture. In 2006, she had four releases, the first being S. S. Rajamouli's Vikramarkudu opposite Raviteja, in which she portrayed the character, Neeraja Goswami. The film went on to become very successful and got her much recognition, which eventually made her very popular in Andhra Pradesh. She next had starred in the film Astram, a remake of the 1999 Hindi film Sarfarosh, following which she debuted in the Tamil film industry, acting in the Sundar C.-directed action flick Rendu, sharing screen space with R. Madhavan. Later that year, she made a special appearance in A. R. Murugadoss' directorial debut in Telugu, Stalin.
Her first release in 2007 was Lakshyam, after which she starred in Raghava Lawrence's Don opposite Nagarjuna again, of which particularly the former did very well at the box office. In 2008 she had appeared in six films. Okka Magaadu was the first release, in which she played one of three female leads. Her subsequent releases Swagatam alongside Jagapati Babu and Bhumika Chawla and Baladur opposite Ravi Teja garnered poor reviews and box office returns. She next appeared in the film Souryam with Gopichand which became a box office hit.
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In 2009, Anushka first starred in the blockbuster hit, the fantasy film Arundhati. In this heroine-centric film, she essayed two roles for the first time.[4] It was a critical as well as commercial success. Critics heaped praise on Anushka for her performance. Idlebrain's Jeevi wrote that she was "simply amazing in two roles" and that she did "exceptionally well with subtle yet impact creating performance", while Rediff claimed that she was "brilliant and breathtaking in parts", labelling Arundhati as "totally Anushka's film". Sify noted that she was "at her best with great performance".[23] She went on to win the Nandi Special Jury Award and the Filmfare Best Actress Award.[25] Her next film was Billa, a remake of the 2007 Tamil film of the same name. The film received mixed reviews, with Rediff stating "Anushka has a super-toned body and indulges in quite a bit of skin show" but had "nothing much to do", while Sify stated, "Anushka was there to show her oomph and glamour which she has done full justice". Her final release in 2009 was her second Tamil feature film, the action masala film Vettaikkaran with actor Vijay and it received generally unfavourable reviews. Rediff said, "Anushka, fresh from her success with Arundhathi, has been relegated to pretty bimbette again and appears conveniently during the romantic numbers of which Oru Chinna Thamarai takes the cake." and Sify said, "Anushka has nothing much to do and hence goes unnoticed."
She had a string of releases in 2010. She portrayed a prostitute in Krish's critically acclaimed anthology film Vedam. For her performance, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, her second consecutive Filmfare Award. Her next Telugu film, Panchakshari, was another heroine-centric film where she again performed double roles. This was followed by the action-comedy Khaleja, where she starred opposite Mahesh Babu for the first time in her career, Nagavalli, the Telugu remake of the Kannada film Aptharakshaka in which she portrayed the famous role of Chandramukhi and Ragada. She also made special appearances in the movies Kedi and Thakita Thakita. However, all these 2010 releases failed to make an impact at the box office. Her sole Tamil release of 2010, the police story Singam co-starring Suriya was a high commercial success. Sify claimed, "Anushka is there only for glamour and songs, but does a decent job". while Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff stated, "Anushka, thankfully, has more to do than just prance around in skimpy clothes (which she does very well). She romances dutifully, but her part picks up when both she and Suriya are in Chennai, tangling with villains."
Success: 2011–present
She reprised the role she played in Vedam in its Tamil remake, Vaanam (2011), which was also critically acclaimed. Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu said, "Boldness and daring mark Anushka's role—the actor's eyes effectively convey joy, helplessness, agony and anger." A critic from Sify wrote that "Anushka is outstanding as the commercial sex worker as she is able to bring out a life-like performance." She next starred in A. L. Vijay's Deiva Thirumagal. The drama centres on the characters of Krishna (Vikram), an intellectually disabled father and his daughter Nila. The film became a critical and commercial success, fetching her laurels for her portrayal as Anuradha, an advocate. Oneindia stated, "Anushka Shetty's character in the film had good scope for performance without being glamorous". She received her first Filmfare nomination in the Tamil category, besides the Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine.
In 2012, Anushka recollabored within A. L. Vijay and Vikram in the action drama Thaandavam. Malathi Rangarajan stated that "the romance between Vikram and Anushka is a beautiful feature of Thaandavam." She later appeared alongside Akkineni Nagarjuna in the fantasy film Dhamarukam, which was her first Telugu release after two years. Karthik Pasupulate from The Times of India said that Anushka "has little to do as far as performance goes and does a good job of upping the glam quotient". Radhika Rajamani of Rediff claimed, "Anushka looks sweet. Nag and Anushka have good onscreen chemistry". Oneindia claimed, "Anushka Shetty has less scope for acting, but she impresses you in song sequences.
Her first release in 2013 was Alex Pandian, an action-masala film, directed by Suraj, co-starring Karthi. The film was a critical and commercial failure. Her second release was Koratala Siva's Mirchi opposite Prabhas. Idlebrain claimed, "Anushka is adorable in a naughty village belle, the dubbing also seems great and the character Vennela is the best role among her recent role in movies". Rediff wrote, "Anushka is bubbly and peps up the film considerably". Sify wrote, "Anushka looks beautiful and livens up the moments and praised her chemistry with Prabhas". She was next seen in Singam II, the sequel to Singam (2010), reprising her role from the first part. Sify said, "Anushka looks jaded, has nothing to do but sizzle with Suriya in two songs" while The Times of India stated, "Anushka is forced to take a back seat even as she reprises her role of Kavya."
Anushka next release was Selvaraghavan's fantasy adventure film Irandam Ulagam opposite Arya, which saw her playing a dual role again, the third time in her career. Anushka played Ramya, a doctor and Varna, a high spirited, warrior-like character, in a parallel world. Rediff wrote, "Anushka not only shares equal screen space with Arya but also plays quite a significant role. In fact, the story revolves around her and she has performed admirably". Behindwoods wrote, "As the shy doctor Ramya and as the fierce warrior Varna, Anushka is simply at her best showcasing a wide range of emotions and stunts. It is her performance that stands as a pivot for the rest of the story to take shape". Her latest release is the Tamil film Lingaa opposite Rajinikanth, released in December 2014. She starred opposite Rajnikanth in Lingaa which opened to mixed reviews.
In 2015, She starred opposite Ajith Kumar in Yennai Arindhaal which opened to positive reviews. Her second release in 2015, is the first part of Baahubali directed by S. S. Rajamouli which became one of the top-grossing films in the Indian film industry. The Hindu noted that Anushka Shetty is gutsy to take on such a role and emotes through her powerful eyes. Her third release in 2015 was Gunashekar's bilingual Rudhramadevi in which she portrays the title role of Kakatiya dynasty queen Rudrama Devi opposite Rana Daggubati and Allu Arjun. AP Herald wrote, "Anushka Shetty was very believable and appreciable as a royal torrid and an honourable woman. Hers is a dual character, that of next to kin 'Rudhradeva' and of powerful 'Rudhramadevi' is superb. She plays her dual role in her characters in style and lends credibility to both the characters." Her Final release in 2015, Size Zero where she played as plus-sized women. The Hindu Claimed, A lot lies on Anushka Shetty’s shoulders. Utterly charming and a treat to watch, she comes up with one of her best performances.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Super | Sasha | Telugu | ||
| 2005 | Mahanandi | Nandini | Telugu | ||
| 2006 | Vikramarkudu | Neeraja Goswami | Telugu | ||
| 2006 | Astram | Anusha | Telugu | ||
| 2006 | Rendu | Jothy | Tamil | ||
| 2006 | Stalin | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "I Wanna Spider Man" | |
| 2007 | Lakshyam | Indu | Telugu | ||
| 2007 | Don | Priya | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Okka Magaadu | Bhavani | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Swagatam | Sailaja (Sailu) | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Baladur | Bhanu | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Souryam | Shweta | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | Chintakayala Ravi | Sunita | Telugu | ||
| 2008 | King | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Nuvvu Ready Nenu Ready" | |
| 2009 | Arundhati | Arundhati / Jejamma | Telugu | ||
| 2009 | Billa | Maya | Telugu | ||
| 2009 | Vettaikaaran | Susheela | Tamil | ||
| 2010 | Kedi | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Kedigaadu" | |
| 2010 | Singam | Kavya Mahalingam | Tamil | ||
| 2010 | Vedam | Saroja | Telugu | ||
| 2010 | Panchakshari | Panchakshari / Honey | Telugu | ||
| 2010 | Khaleja | Subashini | Telugu | ||
| 2010 | Thakita Thakita | Herself | Telugu | Cameo appearance | |
| 2010 | Nagavalli | Chandramukhi (Nagavalli) | Telugu | | |
| 2010 | Ragada | Sirisha | Telugu | ||
| 2011 | Vaanam | Saroja | Tamil | ||
| 2011 | Deiva Thirumagal | Anuradha Raghunathan | Tamil | ||
| 2012 | Saguni | Inspector Anushka | Tamil | Cameo appearance | |
| 2012 | Thaandavam | Meenakshi | Tamil | ||
| 2012 | Damarukam | Maheshwari | Telugu | ||
| 2013 | Alex Pandian | Divya | Tamil | ||
| 2013 | Mirchi | Vennela | Telugu | ||
| 2013 | Singam II | Kavya Mahalingam | Tamil | ||
| 2013 | Irandaam Ulagam | Ramya / Varna / Unnamed | Tamil | ||
| 2014 | Lingaa | Lakshmi | Tamil | ||
| 2015 | Yennai Arindhaal | Thenmozhi | Tamil | ||
| 2015 | Baahubali: The Beginning | Devasena | Telugu | ||
| 2015 | Baahubali: The Beginning | Devasenai | Tamil | ||
| 2015 | Rudhramadevi | Rudrama Devi | Telugu | ||
| 2015 | Size Zero | Soundarya (Sweety) | Telugu | ||
| 2015 | Inji Iduppazhagi | Soundarya (Sweety) | Tamil | ||
| 2016 | Soggade Chinni Nayana | Krishna Kumari | Telugu | Cameo appearance | |
| 2016 | Oopiri | Nandini | Telugu | Cameo appearance | |
| 2016 | Thozha | Nandini | Tamil | Cameo appearance | |
| 2017 | Si3 | Kavya Mahalingam | Tamil | ||
| 2017 | Om Namo Venkatesaya | Krishnamma | Telugu | ||
| 2017 | Baahubali 2: The Conclusion | Devasena | Telugu | ||
| 2017 | Baahubali 2: The Conclusion | Devasenai | Tamil | ||
| 2018 | Bhaagamathie | Bhaagamathie / Chanchala | Telugu | ||
| 2018 | Bhaagamathie | Bhaagamathie / Sanchala | Tamil | ||
| 2019 | Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy | Jhansi Maharani Lakshmi Bai | Telugu | Cameo appearance | |
| 2020 | Nishabdham | Sakshi | Telugu | ||
| 2020 | Silence | Sakshi | Tamil |
List of awards and nominations received by Anushka Shetty
| Year | Category | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Telugu | 52nd Filmfare Awards South | Super | Nominated |
| 2009 | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 56th Filmfare Awards South | Arundhati | Won |
| 2010 | Nandi Special Jury Award | Nandi Awards of 2009 | Won | |
| CineMAA Award for Best Actress | CineMAA Awards | Won | ||
| Ugadi Award for Best Actress | Gemini Ugadi Awards | Won | ||
| Santosham Best Actress Award | Santosham Film Awards | Won | ||
| South Scope Cine Award for Best Actress | South Scope Cine Awards | Won | ||
| Vamsee film Award for Best Actress | Vamsee Film Awards | Won | ||
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine | Vijay Awards | Vettaikaran | Won | |
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 57th Filmfare Awards South | Vedam | Won | |
| 2011 | CineMAA Award for Best Actress (Jury) | CineMAA Awards | Won | |
| Santosham Best Actress Award | Santosham Film Awards | Won | ||
| Vamsee Film Award for Best Actress | Vamsee Film Awards | Won | ||
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 58th Filmfare Awards South | Nagavalli | Nominated | |
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine | Vijay Awards | Singam | Nominated | |
| Edison Award for Best Actress | Edison Awards | Singam | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil | 59th Filmfare Awards South | Deivathirumagal | Nominated |
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Tamil | 1st South Indian International Movie Awards | Nominated | ||
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine | Vijay Awards | Won | ||
| Vijay Award for Best Actress | Vijay Awards | Nominated | ||
| Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize | Tamil Nadu State Film Award | Won | ||
| Jaya Award for Best Actress | Jaya Awards | Won | ||
| ITFA Best Actress Award | International Tamil Film Awards | Vaanam | Nominated | |
| Edison Award for Best Actress | Edison Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Edison Award for Best Actress | Edison Awards | Thaandavam | Nominated |
| Best Heroine Award | TSR -TV9 National Telugu Awards | Dhamarukam | Won | |
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 60th Filmfare Awards South | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor - Female | Hyderabad Times Film Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine | Vijay Awards | Singam II | Nominated |
| Vijay Award for Best Actress | Vijay Awards | Irandaam Ulagam | Nominated | |
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 61st Filmfare Awards South | Mirchi | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Ugadi Award for Best Actress[1] | Ugadi 2016 Film and Music Awards | Rudhramadevi | Won |
| Best actress | Apsara Awards 2016 | Won[2] | ||
| Entertainer of the Year | Won[2] | |||
| CineMAA Award for Best Actress | CineMAA Awards | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Bharatamuni Awards | Won | ||
| Best Actress - Critics Choice | 5th South Indian International Movie Awards | Won | ||
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 63rd Filmfare Awards South | Won | ||
| Santosham Best Actress Award | 16th Santosham Film Awards | Won | ||
| IIFA Utsavam Award for Best Actress- Telugu | IIFA Utsavam | Nominated | ||
| IIFA Utsavam Award for Best Actress - Telugu | Size Zero | Nominated | ||
| Nandi Award for Best Actress | Nandi Awards of 2015 | Won | ||
| Edison Award for Best Actress | Edison Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Best Actress | Cinegoers Association Award | Baahubali 2: The Conclusion | Won |
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 65th Filmfare Awards South | Nominated | ||
| Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine | Vijay Awards | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Zee Cine Awards Telugu | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress Lead role | Behindwoods Gold Medals | Won | ||
| Edison Award for Best Actress | Edison Awards | Nominated | ||
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress (Telugu) | 7th South Indian International Movie Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Zee Cine Awards Telugu | Bhaagamathie | Nominated |
| Favorite Actress | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Radio City Cine Awards | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | TSR -TV9 National Telugu Awards | Nominated | ||
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress (Telugu) | 8th South Indian International Movie Awards | Nominated | ||
| SIIMA Award for Best Actress Critics– Telugu | Nominated | |||
| Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | 66th Filmfare Awards South | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | 1st Dadasaheb Phalke Awards South | Won |
Other Awards and Honours
| Year | Category | Award/rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Kalaimamani Award by Tamil Nadu State Government | Won |
| TSR Lalitha Kala Parishath Award | Won | |
| 2012 | Bangalore Times Most Desirable Women 2012 - Kannada | |
| Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman 2012 - Telugu | ||
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Women 2012 - Tamil | ||
| India's top 50 most desired women of 2012. | ||
| 2013 | Bangalore Times Most Desirable Women 2013-Kannada | |
| Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman 2013-Telugu | ||
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Woman 2013-Tamil | ||
| 2014 | Bangalore Times Most Desirable Women 2014-Kannada | |
| Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman 2014-Telugu | ||
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Woman 2014-Tamil | ||
| 2015 | Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2015 | |
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Women 2015 - Tamil | ||
| 2016 | Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2016 -Telugu | |
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Women 2016 - Tamil | ||
| 2017 | Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2017 -Telugu | |
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Women 2017 - Tamil | ||
| 2018 | Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2018 -Telugu | |
| Chennai Times Most Desirable Women 2018 - Tamil | ||
| 2019 | Sexiest Asian Women of the Decade | |
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