Dinesh Kamath's movie column 'Top Actresses who have become Producers - 5' (Anushka Sharma) that was published in Newsband

Movie World

Top Actresses who have become Producers - 5

Anushka Sharma

Produced: NH10, Phillauri, Pari and Bulbul

By Dinesh Kamath

Anushka Sharma is an Indian actress and film producer who works in Hindi films. One of the most popular and highest-paid actresses in India, she has received several awards, including a Filmfare Award, and was featured by Forbes Asia in their 30 Under 30 list of 2018.

Born in Ayodhya and raised in Bangalore, Sharma had her first modelling assignment for the fashion designer Wendell Rodricks in 2007 and later moved to Mumbai to pursue a full-time career as a model. She made her acting debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the highly successful romantic film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), which earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. She rose to prominence with starring roles in Yash Raj Films' romances Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012); the latter, in which she played an aspiring filmmaker, won her a Best Supporting Actress award at Filmfare.

Sharma went on to earn praise and several acting nominations for playing a woman troubled by criminals in the 2015 crime thriller NH10, which also marked her production debut, a dancer in the 2015 comedy-drama Dil Dhadakne Do, and a free-spirited woman in the 2016 romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Sharma's highest-grossing releases came with the sports drama Sultan (2016), and Rajkumar Hirani's religious satire PK (2014) and biopic Sanju (2018); all three rank among the highest-grossing Indian films.

In addition to acting in films, Sharma is the ambassador for multiple brands and products and has designed her own line of clothing for women, named Nush. She supports various charities and causes, including gender equality and animal rights, and is the co-founder of the production company Clean Slate Films. Sharma is married to the cricketer Virat Kohli.

Sharma came up with movie NH10 in 2015, which marked her production debut. Her performances in NH10 and Dil Dhadakne Do earned Sharma Filmfare Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.

The year 2017 witnessed Anushka Sharma’s Career fluctuations and further production ventures

Sharma's first film release of 2018 was the horror film Pari, which she starred in and produced. It tells the story of Rukhsana (Sharma), a battered young woman living in the wilderness, who is rescued by a benevolent man (played by Parambrata Chatterjee). It earned ₹400 million (US$5.6 million) worldwide against a production budget of ₹180 million (US$2.5 million).

Sharma will next produce two projects for streaming television: an as-yet untitled cop drama series for Amazon Video and a period drama film entitled Bulbul for Netflix.

Thus Anushka Sharma teamed up with her brother Karnesh to set up Clean Slate Films in 2014. What she enjoys most about producing is hand-picking and curating content that is diverse, and [finding] stories she wants to tell. As a producer, she always wanted to push the envelope and produce disruptive content that provokes thought or a conversation. After the success of their first film, NH10, the actor’s script choices have veered towards the paranormal, with 2017’s Phillauri, and 2018’s Pari. Sharma’s vision as a producer is focused, progressive and has already created a niche in itself—her films stay true to her vision of creating content that cuts through the clutter, but more importantly, addresses themes like superstition and misogyny that other filmmakers tend to be wary of. Coming up next is Bulbul, a Netflix original and period horror film that touches upon child marriage and abandonment in a village haunted by a ‘chudail’ with inverted feet. She likes to come up with non-conformist stories.