Chitrangda Singh (born 30 August 1976) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi films.[1] She made her acting debut with the crime drama Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005), for which she won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Female Debut. She is also known for appearing in a variety of item numbers.

Chitrangda Singh
Singh in 2019
Born30 August 1976 [1]
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active2005–present
Height1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)
FamilyDigvijay Singh Chahal (elder brother), Chitra Sarwara (sister in law)

Singh went onto appear in successful films including the crime thriller Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), the romantic comedies Desi Boyz (2011), and I, Me Aur Main (2013), the financial thriller Baazaar (2018), the crime thriller Bob Biswas (2021) and the mystery thriller Gaslight (2023).[2] She turned Producer with the sports drama Soorma (2018). Singh made her web debut with the romantic comedy anthology Modern Love Mumbai (2022).

Early life and education edit

Chitrangda Singh was born on 30 August 1976 [1] in Jodhpur, Rajasthan,[3] growing up there as well as in Kota, Rajasthan, and also Bareilly and Sophia Girls' School, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, the latter city being the last where her father, Col. Niranjan Singh, an ex-Indian Army officer with a transferable job, was posted.[4] Her brother Digvijay Singh Chahal is a golfer. After her schooling in Meerut at Sophia Girls' School, she completed her graduation in Home Science (food and nutrition) from Lady Irwin College, New Delhi.[5]

Personal life edit

Chitrangda Singh was married to golfer Jyoti Randhawa. After a five-year-long courtship, the couple married in 2001. They have a son named Zorawar. Chitrangada and her husband separated in 2013 and then formally got divorced in April 2015. The custody of their son was granted to Chitrangada.[6][7]

Career edit

Modelling career edit

Singh began her career as a model before making the transition to the silver screen. After completing her college education she began modeling with brands like ICICI bank and Alukkas Jewellery among others. She got fame highlighted in Tum To Thehre Pardesi Album sung by Altaf Raja.

She drew attention after performing in a music video Sunset Point by Gulzar.[8] A music video of singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya followed.

 
Singh at Bombay Times Fashion Week

Film debut and sabbatical (2005-2010) edit

Singh made her much acclaimed debut with Sudhir Mishra's film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2005.[9] The role got her wide acclaim: a review in The Washington Post noted her for giving "her character a deep sense of dignity and decency."[10] After that Chitrangada acted in the 2005 film Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow.

She took a break from acting from 2005 to 2008.[11][12] In 2008, she made her comeback with the leading role opposite Sanjay Suri in the director Onir's romantic-comedy, Sorry Bhai!.[13] Its release over the weekend of the Mumbai terror attacks proved disastrous at the box office.[14][15]

Commercial cinema (2011–present) edit

She starred in Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz in 2011.she played the role of an economics teacher opposite Akshay Kumar. Desi Boyz also starred John Abraham and Deepika Padukone. In 2012, she performed an item number in Shirish Kunder's Joker.[16]

Her next movie was I, Me Aur Main with John Abraham in 2013.[17] She got together again with her mentor Sudhir Mishra for a short movie Kirchiyaan and for the film Inkaar in 2013.[18] In 2014, she then appeared in a special song with Suriya in Tamil film Anjaan.

 
Singh promoting Baazaar in 2019

In 2015, she again performed a special song with Akshay Kumar for the second time in his film, Gabbar Is Back.

In 2019, Singh starred in Baazaar opposite Saif Ali Khan.

Other work edit

 
Singh in 2018

Singh is a brand ambassador for Airtel, Parachute, Puma, Borges Olive Oil, Garnier, Aliva Crackers, Taj Mahal Tea and Joyalukkas Jewellers. She also endorses Tata Group's Tanishq[citation needed] and Titan Eye Plus.[19]

Filmography edit

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released

Films edit

  • All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2005 Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Geeta Rao Film debut
Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow Bhavana Dayal
2008 Sorry Bhai! Aaliya
2011 Yeh Saali Zindagi Priti
Desi Boyz Tanya Sharma
2012 Joker Herself Special appearance in the song Kafirana
2013 Kirchiyaan Prostitute Short film by Sudhir Mishra
Inkaar Maya Luthra
I, Me Aur Main Anushka Lal
2014 Anjaan Herself Special appearance in the song "Sirippu En"; Tamil film
2015 Gabbar Is Back Herself Special appearance in song "Aao Raja"
2017 Munna Michael Judge of Dancing Star Cameo appearance
2018 Soorma Producer
Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 Suhani
Baazaar Mandira Kothari
2020 Ghoomketu Herself Cameo appearance
2021 Bob Biswas Mary Biswas ZEE5 film [20]
2023 Gaslight Rukmani Disney+ Hotstar film [21]

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2018 DID Li'l Masters 4 Judge TV debut [22]

Web series edit

Year Title Role Platform Notes Ref(s)
2022 Modern Love Mumbai Latika Amazon Prime Web series debut [23]

Awards and nominations edit

Year Film Award Category Result
2006 Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Bollywood Movie Awards Best Female Debut Won
2006 Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Zee Cine Awards Best Female Debut Nominated
2006 Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Star Screen Awards Best Female Debut Nominated
2006 Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi Apsara Film Producers Guild Awards Best Actress Nominated
2009 Sorry Bhai! Stardust Awards Superstar of Tomorrow - Female Nominated
2013 Inkaar Star Screen Awards Best Actress Nominated
2022 Bob Biswas Hit List OTT Awards Best Supporting Actor - Female Nominated [24]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Personal Agenda: Chitrangda Singh". Hindustan Times. 16 March 2012. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  2. ^ "Chitrangda Singh Mini Biography". Perfectpeople.net. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Why did Chitrangda Singh get nostalgic on the sets of Sahib Biwi Aur Gangster 3?" Archived 6 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine (14 November 2017), Mid-Day. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  4. ^ "'Chitrangda likes black. She thinks she looks thin in it'" Archived 6 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine (6 March 2013), Rediff. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Lady Irwin was strict: Chitrangda Singh". Hindustan Times. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  6. ^ "The Jyoti Randhawa and Chitrangda Singh love story: Wedding to divorce". India Today. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Chitrangda Singh, Jyoti Randhawa granted divorce". Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  8. ^ "The next Smita Patil". The Telegraph (Calcutta). Calcutta, India. 14 April 2005. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  9. ^ The Comeback Girl Archived 11 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine Indian Express, 11 November 2008.
  10. ^ 'A Thousand Dreams': Impassioned in India Archived 17 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine by John Pancake, The Washington Post. 21 April 2005
  11. ^ 'Chitrangada is just taking a break' Archived 8 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Ashok Chatterjee, TNN, The Times of India, 8 November 2005.
  12. ^ "Chitrangada not in golfing news". The Times of India. 6 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  13. ^ "Chitrangada is back!". Rediff. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  14. ^ Sorry Bhai is new beginning for me, says Chitrangada Singh Archived 29 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine IANS, Sify.com, Wednesday, 29 October 2008.
  15. ^ Me and slapstick humor? Not sure: Chitrangda Singh Archived 25 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Indian Express, 19 December 2008.
  16. ^ "Chitrangda turns playback singer". The Times of India. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  17. ^ "Chitrangada: I wasn't taken seriously as an actor". Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  18. ^ "Sudhir Mishra, Chitrangada Singh team up again in Kirchiyaan". First Post. 31 January 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  19. ^ "Chitrangada bags another brand" Archived 3 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 26 March 2015
  20. ^ "BOB BISWAS: ABHISHEK BACHCHAN, CHITRANGADA SINGH LOOKS DIFFERENT ON THE SETS". PTC Panjab. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  21. ^ "Gaslight: Chitrangda Singh to play parallel lead alongside Vikrant Massey and Sara Ali Khan". The Tribune India. 11 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Chitrangda Singh to debut on TV as a Judge with DID Li'l Masters Season 4". Bollywood Hungama. 13 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Modern Love Mumbai trailer: From millennial love to same-sex love, a show on different shades of love". The Indian Express. 28 April 2022.
  24. ^ Chakrabarty, Madhushree (8 December 2020). "Winners of the Hitlist Web Awards 2019-2020 were announced". Media Infoline. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

External links edit