Shriya Saran (born September 11, 1982) is an
Indian film actress. She began her career acting in music videos, while also attending an acting studio to follow her dream to act. After her debut in 2001 with
Ishtam, she gained
Telugu cinema's attention in 2002 by playing the role of Bhanu in
Santhosham, her first major hit. Following the film she appeared in several
Telugu films with prominent actors, whilst, also making in-roads in
Bollywood as well as the
Tamil film industry. In 2007, Saran became a national figure after her performance alongside
Rajinikanth in
Sivaji: The Boss, after which she has signed several
Bollywood,
Kollywood and also a
Hollywood film.
Saran performs predominantly in leading heroine roles in high-budget and major studio films, ranging from
romantic comedies and
drama to
science fiction and
action thrillers. Her most popular released films include
Santhosham (2002),
Tagore (2003),
Sivaji: The Boss (2007) and
Kanthaswamy (2009).
Career
Early career
Shriya's first opportunity to appear in front of the camera came whilst she studied her second year at the LSR College in
Delhi, which she quit to participate for the shoot. Saran's first screen appearance was in the music video of
Tirakthi Kyon Hawa by Reenu Nathan, which she was given a chance to perform in by her dance teacher who had recommended her. The video shot at
Banaras gave her fame, prompting Ramoji Films to offer her the lead role of Neha in their film
Ishtam starring and directed by newcomers. Saran despite wanting to only try one film eventually catapulted to fame. Before the release of
Ishtam, Saran signed three mega-budget films;
Santosham,
Nuvve Nuvve and
Tagore with the industry's top heroes,
Nagarjuna,
Tarun and
Chiranjeevi respectively.
