Dinesh Kamath's movie column 'Top Actresses who have become Producers – 4' (Chitrangada Singh) that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Top Actresses who have become Producers – 4

Chitrangada Singh

By Dinesh Kamath

Chitrangada Singh is an Indian film actress who works primarily in Hindi cinema. She has starred in films like Yeh Saali Zindagi, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Desi Boyz, Inkaar, I, Me Aur Main and Baazaar.

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 drew attention after performing in a music video Sunset Point by Gulzar.

A music video of singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya followed. Subsequently, she made her much acclaimed debut with Sudhir Mishra's film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2003. The role got her wide acclaim: a Washington Post review noted her for giving "her character a deep sense of dignity and decency." After that Chitrangada acted in the 2005 film Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow.

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

She then starred in Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz, where she played the role of an economics teacher opposite Akshay Kumar. Desi Boyz also starred John Abraham and Deepika Padukone.

In Sudhir Mishra's movie Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011), Singh played the role of an aspiring singer from Delhi who goes to Mumbai to get fame and money.

In 2012, she performed an item number in Shirish Kunder's Joker.

She got together again with her mentor Sudhir Mishra for a short movie Kirchiyaan and for the film Inkaar in 2013. In 2014, she then appeared in a special song with Suriya in Tamil film Anjaan.

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

Chitrangada 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 and Titan Eye Plus.

Thus Chitrangada has acted in films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow, Sorry Bhai!, Yeh Saali Zindagi Hindi, Joker, Inkaar, Me Aur Main, Kirchiyaan, Anjaan, Gabbar is Back, Munna Michael, Soorma, Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 and Baazaar.

She won the Bollywood Movie Award for Best Female Debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role Award, nominated for Best Female Debut Award and won Young Women Achiever Award.

A few years ago, Chitrangda Singh happened to meet hockey player and former Indian captain Sandeep Singh. Sandeep, who had been paralysed after a freak accident, was determined to get back on the field. He made a full recovery, going on to captain the national team. When Sandeep told her the approach he took to his recovery, how he fought the battle in his mind and how he handled the crisis at such a young age, she was speechless. She was convinced this was a story she needed to tell. Soorma, an inspirational sports biopic, was released last year and with that the actor embarked on a new career path. She is working on a few scripts she’d like to see on screen soon.