Shraddha Kapoor (born March 3, 1992) is an Indian film actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor. She made her film debut in the 2010 film Teen Patti for which she earned a nomination in the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut category. Later, she received wide critical acclaim for her performance in the 2013 romantic musical drama Aashiqui 2. The film also gained her much popularity and got her public recognition. In addition to her acting career, she participates in stage shows and is a celebrity endorser for several brands.

Kapoor, was born and raised in Mumbai into a mixed ethnic family. She is the daughter of actor Shakti Kapoor. On her father's side, Kapoor is of Punjabi descent, and on her mother's side, she is of predominantly Marathi ancestry. Like her mother, Kapoor has stated that she is a complete Marathi.^[4] Her father, Shakti Kapoor, and mother, Shivangi Kolhapure Kapoor, are both actors in Hindi films. She is the niece of actress Padmini Kolhapure and director Tejaswini Kolhapureand she is the grandniece of singers Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar.^[5] Her older brother, Siddhanth Kapoor, is a former disc jockey, and actor. She enrolled in the American School of Bombay. While there she played soccer and handball competitively.^[6] Later, she went to Boston, but left to appear in her debut film after she was seen on Facebook by producer Ambika Hinduja who cast her for a role in Teen Patti.^[7]

Kapoor debuted in the 2010 drama Teen Patti alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley and R. Madhavan. She played the role of a college girl. The film received generally positive reviews and her performance attracted positive reception from critics. Preeti Arora writing for Rediff.com stated that "[Kapoor] has a lot of potential.″^[8] Nikhat Kazmi said that "Shraddha Kapoor makes an interesting debut as the edgy youngster who sheds her specs for sleaze, with alacrity."^[9] Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama noted how much Kapoor stood out in the film.^[10] Kapoor was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.. But, the film failed to do well at the box-office.^[11][12][13]

After her debut, she signed a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films and featured in their 2011 teen comedy Luv Ka The End.^[14] Kapoor portrayed the role of a teenager college student who plots against her boyfriend after he betrays her.^[15] The film also underperformed at the box office.^[16] The film received mixed reviews from critics and Kapoor received positive reviews. Taran Adarsh commented that ″Shraddha is a revelation, catching you unaware with a confident performance. She's electrifying in the sequence when she breaks down after getting to know the true intentions of her lover.″^[17] Komal Nahta noted that ″Shraddha Kapoor does well. She performs very confidently and impresses in her second film.″^[18] For her performance, Kapoor received the Stardust Award for Best Actress.^[19] Later Kapoor was offered the lead role in Aurangzeb as a part of her deal with Yash Raj. However, she signed Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui 2, thereby cancelling the three-film contract with Yash Raj Films.^[14]

 

In 2013, Kapoor appeared in the romantic musical drama Aashiqui 2, the sequel to the 1991 classic Aashiqui. Her character, Aarohi Keshav Shirke, is a small-town bar singer who becomes a successful playback artist with the help of singing superstar Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur). The film was a major box office success with global revenue over 1 billion (US$16 million) and was credited a "blockbuster" by Box Office India.^[20][21] Kapoor earned wide critical acclaim for her performance and is considered as her breakthrough. Film critic Anupama Chopra called her a "real triumph" and added that her "porcelain face has a haunting vulnerability."^[22] Taran Adarsh further commented that ″Shraddha [...] gets to sink her teeth into this challenging character and the attractive youngster is simply amazing, more so towards the demanding moments in the second hour.″^[23] However, Vinayak Chakravorty wrote that she "looks pretty [though] fails to add [...] spark."^[24] That year, she appeared in a cameo role in the romantic comedy film Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, playing the fiancée of Imran Khan.

Kapoor has several films in different stages of production. She is filming Mohit Suri's The Villain (her second collaboration with Suri) produced by Ekta Kapoor, where she will feature opposite Sidharth Malhotra and Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet titled Haider with Shahid Kapoor, Irrfan Khanand Tabu.^[25][26] She has also signed for Radhakrishna Jagarlamundi's Gabbar alongside Akshay Kumar.^[27]

In addition to acting in films, Kapoor has supported charitable organisations and performed for stage shows. In late 2013, she performed in a fund raising event organized by STAR India.^[28]

In 2011, she walked the ramps of Lakme Fashion Week^[29] and India International Jewellery Week.^[30] She has been ambassador of brands including Lakmé,^[31]Wella^[32] and Vaseline^[33] In 2013, BollywoodHungama, called her "one of the most wanted names" in the advertising industry.^[34]

In late 2013, a poll conducted by FHM India ranked Kapoor #5 on ″100 Sexiest Women In The World 2013″.^[35]