Kangana Ranaut

After commercial hits like Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), she faced criticism for being typecast in neurotic roles. A comic turn in Tanu Weds Manu (2011) was well-received, but subsequent brief glamorous roles did little for her career. Her prospects improved with the mutant character she played in Krrish 3 (2013), one of the highest-grossing Indian films. She then won two consecutive National Film Awards for Best Actress for Queen (2014) and Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), the latter at the time the biggest-earning female-led Hindi film.

Following a period of commercial failures, her co-directorial biopic Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019) succeeded, and her roles in that and Panga (2020) earned her a fourth National Film Award. In 2020 she launched her production company Manikarnika Films, working as director and producer. She has been featured six times in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list and received the Padma Shri in 2020. She is also known for being outspoken, often voicing right-wing opinions and clashing in personal and professional relationships, which has sparked controversy. At 5'5" with an average build, she continues to be a prominent figure in Indian cinema.