Every year on May 1, Bollywood star Anushka Sharma blows out candles on her birthday cake and today she blew 35 candles. An actor par excellence, Anushka carved a niche for herself in the industry. She achieved both name and fame by dint of hard work and perseverance.

It’s interesting to note that Anushka had no ambition of becoming an actress. Born to Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma and attended Army School in Bangalore, modeling was Anushka’s first love. She had even aspired to make it big in the modeling world. She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks’s Les Vamps Show and was hand picked to be Rodricks’s finale model at the Spring Summer ’07 Collection.

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Since then, she has campaigned for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio. Eventually Aditya Chopra spotted and offered her a break. Thus she landed the first acting assignment of her life and grabbed the role in his film Rab Ne Banadi Jodi opposite no less an actor than the badshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan. After that, she never looked back.

Here are some of the best films of Anushka Sharma.

Rab Ne Banadi Jodi 2008

Anushka made her Bollywood debut with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Even though she had no Bollywood background, she did remarkably well on the screen and the audience loved her beauty and amazing acting skills. She played the character of Taani Sahni, a young woman caught in a loveless marriage and her passion for dance. The actress was appreciated worldwide and earned her nomination for Best debut at several awards functions.

Band Baja Baarat 2010

Anushka’s role as the feisty wedding planner Shruti Kakkar in this romantic comedy was a turning point in her career. Her chemistry with co-star Ranveer Singh was widely praised and the film’s success cemented her position as a rising star in Bollywood. Great dance numbers and the acting skills of both Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh were the main highlights of this film.

NH 10, 2015

Anushka’s first production venture NH 10 was a gritty thriller that saw her play the role of Meera, a woman who sets out on a road trip with her husband and gets embroiled In a horrifying chain of events. Her performance was lauded by critics and earned her a nomination for Best actress at the Filmfare awards.

PK 2014

Anushka’s role as Jagat Janani in this satirical comedy – drama was well received by the audience. Her character as a television journalist who helps an alien played by Aamir Khan find his way back to home was both endearing and relatable. Her new look and appearance was appreciated by her fans and from this movie she became the top most paid actress in the industry at that time.

Sultan 2016

In this sports drama, Anushka played the role of Aarfa Hussain , a female wrestler who trains and falls in love with the titular character which was played by Salman Khan. Her powerful performance earned her nomination for the Best supporting actress at the Filmfare awards. She put in a lot of hard work to become physically fit for the role and has done a commendable job as a female wrestler.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 2016

Anushka‘s portrayal of the free-spirited and independent Alisa Khan in this romantic drama was widely admired by the audience. Her chemistry with co-star Ranbir Kapoor was particularly noteworthy. Playing a complex character in this movie proved that she is one of the top most actresses in the industry. This film earned a lot of appreciation and money at the box office. Her look in the film had become a style statement that year.

Puri 2018

Anushka’s second production venture was a horror film in which she played the Lead role of Rukhsana, a woman with supernatural abilities. Her nuanced performance in the film was much praised by critics.

Zero 2018

In this romantic drama, Anushka played the role of Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder, a scientist with cerebral palsy who falls in love with the character played by Shahrukh Khan. Her portrayal of a disabled character was widely praised and earned her nomination for Best actress at the Filmfare awards.

Anushka has worked with top actors and directors and acted in some of the most popular films in her ten-year career. Anushka also founded Clean Slate Films in 2014, which has produced three of her films.

Anushka is happily married to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. The couple tied the knot in December 2017 in Tuscany, Italy in the presence of family.