Kangana Ranaut was born in the small town of Bhambhla near Manali, Himachal Pradesh on 23 March, 1987. Her father, Amardeep, is a businessman and contractor and her mother, Asha, is a schoolteacher. Kangana, was an academically sound student who attended DAV School in Chandigarh and was all set to fulfil her parents’ dream by becoming a doctor when she unexpectedly failed a Chemistry unit test in 12th standard. This made her rethink her life goals.

At the tender age of 16, Kangana left home and moved to Delhi. She started modelling for Elite Modelling Agency but soon turned away from a full-time career as a model as it gave her little scope for creativity. She then joined Asmita Theatre Group where she trained under Arvind Gaur. Her performances in Gaur’s plays were well-received and encouraged her to pursue acting.

Ranaut was sent to Mumbai for an assignment by her modelling agency and was sitting in a café when director Anurag Basu spotted her. Basu was looking to cast the lead in his upcoming film Gangster (2006) and felt Kangana, with her curly hair and lean body, had the right look for the role of Simran. He asked her to come and audition for the part and after three auditions and a month-long wait, she finally got her breakthrough role. Ranaut’s critically acclaimed performance in Gangster (2006) earned her numerous awards for Best Debut by a Female Actor. The same year, she appeared in another Mahesh Bhatt- written film, Woh Lamhe (2006) in which she portrayed the complexity and trauma of the life of Parveen Babi. While the film was not as successful as her debut, Kangana’s expressiveness and skill was noticed by the industry. Anurag Basu cast her again in his ensemble drama Life in a…Metro (2007).

One of her most memorable performances came a year later in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion (2008). Although she played a supporting role in the film, her powerful portrayal of the drug addicted supermodel Shonali Gujral made a huge impact on critics and audiences alike. She won all the major awards for Best Supporting Actress, including her first National Film Award.

After the success of Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009), her next two films Kites (2010) and No Problem (2010), failed at the box office. It was with Tanu Weds Manu (2011) that Ranaut got a much-needed commercial success after a long time.

Perhaps her most definitive role came in Vikas Bahl’s popular coming-of-age film, Queen (2014). The film generated a lot of buzz for featuring a strong female protagonist and the charming naivete and courageous independence of Kangana’s ‘Rani’ endeared her to audiences and had critics raving about her performance.

She most recently appeared in Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), which is a sequel to her earlier hit film. This too was a highly successful film and her performance in two roles was praised.

Kangana’s creativity and free spirit are not only reflected in her choice of roles, but also in her sense of style. A fashion icon, known for being bold and experimental, she was voted Best Dressed Personality by People magazine in 2012.