Mouni Roy

Mouni Roy (born 28 September 1985) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films and Hindi television. She made her acting debut with '' Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'' (2006). Roy became one of the highest-paid Hindi television actresses after starring as a shape-shifting serpent in the supernatural thriller '' Naagin'' (2015–2016) and its sequel '' Naagin 2'' (2016–2017). She is a receipent of various awards including Indian Television Academy Awards and Gold Awards.

After featuring in several other shows, she gained wider attention for playing Sati in '' Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev'' (2011). She has participated in ''Zara Nachke Dikha'' (2008) and ''Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7'' (2014).

Roy made her film debut with ''Hero Hitler in Love'' (2011) and her Hindi film debut with ''Gold'' (2018). She received critical acclaim for her performance as Junoon in '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva''.

Early life and education

Roy was born in Cooch Behar, West Bengal on 28 September 1985 into a Bengali Hindu family. Her grandfather, Shekhar Chandra Roy was a well-known Jatra theatre artist. Her mother Mukti was a theatre artist, and her father Anil Roy was an office superintendent of the Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad. She did her schooling till class 12th from Kendriya Vidyalaya in Baburhat, Cooch Behar and then went to Delhi.

She took up mass communication at Jamia Milia Islamia at her parents' insistence, but left the course midway and went to Mumbai to try her luck in the Bollywood film industry. She finished her part 1 exams and did not return to Delhi after that. Mouni had an interest in acting since her childhood and cited actresses Madhubala, Madhuri Dixit and Waheeda Rehman as her acting idols.

Career

Film and television debut (2006–2010)

Roy started her career in 2006 with the Ekta Kapoor drama '' Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'', playing the role of Krishna Tulsi opposite Pulkit Samrat. She then participated and won the first season of ''Zara Nachke Dikha''. Then, she appeared as Shivani in the series '' Kasturi''. In 2008, she participated in '' Pati Patni Aur Woh''. In 2010, she played Roop in '' Do Saheliyaan.''

Breakthrough, success and stardom in television (2011–2017)

In 2011, Roy starred in the Punjabi movie ''Hero Hitler in Love''. She attained fame after playing the role of Sati in Life OK's mythological series '' Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev'' from 2011 to 2014. During that time she played the lead as Meera opposite Aditya Redij in Life OK's '' Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq'' in 2013. In 2014, Roy participated in the dance reality show on Colors ''Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'' in its seventh season along with Punit Pathak.

In 2015, Roy returned to television with Ekta Kapoor's supernatural series '' Naagin'', playing the role of Shivanya. The series topped the TRP charts, making her a household name not only in India but in other countries as well. She became one of the players of Bijlani's team Mumbai Tigers in ''Box Cricket League''. She hosted the dance show ''So You Think You Can Dance'' on &TV. She played a double role in Season 2 of '' Naagin'', with Karanvir Bohra playing the male lead. Her chemistry with Bijlani in season 1 and with Bohra in season 2 was highly appreciated by audience and established her as a leading actress in Indian television. In 2016, Roy voiced the role of Sita in the animated film ''Mahayoddha Rama''. In the same year, she appeared in the song "Nachna Aunda Ni" in '' Tum Bin 2''.

Bollywood debut and break from television (2018–present)

In 2018, Roy made her Bollywood debut alongside Akshay Kumar in ''Gold'' directed by Reema Kagti. Her performance was praised. ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "Mouni Roy as Akshay's wife Monobina is just the right mixture of crotchety and charming. With her grasp of Bengali, she brings that extra something to the film's milieu." Suparna Sharma of ''Asian Age'' reviewed her performance and sensuality: "Her Monobina is created out of Punjabi men and women's fetishised fantasy of married Bengali women – snappy and scolding, but also sexy and sultry." With global earnings of 1.5 billion, ''Gold'' emerged as a commercial success and became first Indian film to have a theatrical release in South Arabia.

Roy followed the success of ''Gold'' with an item number named "Gali Gali" in December 2018; it featured in the Hindi version of '' K.G.F: Chapter 1.'' The song was a recreation of a track from ''Tridev'' (1989).

In May 2019, she made a cameo appearance in the final few episodes of ''Naagin 3'' as Mahanaagrani Shivangi.

Roy's first film release in 2019 was ''Romeo Akbar Walter'', which also starred John Abraham and Jackie Shroff. Her performance as a R&AW spy drew mixed reviews. A Bollywood Hungama review stated, "Mouni Roy has an interesting part to essay. Though she does well, her character gets a raw deal." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV criticised the length of her role: "Mouni Roy, cast as the hero's colleague and beloved, pops up now and then in an eminently forgettable role." ''Romeo Akbar Walter'' underperformed at the box office. Her next film, ''Made in China'' was released on the occasion of Diwali. Roy took Gujarati lessons for the film in which she enacted a disturbed housewife. In a review by Vibha Maru of India Today, her performance was described as "a surprise package. Though given a small role, Mouni comes with much power, owning every bit of the screen time she gets in the film." ''Made in China'' faced competition from ''Housefull 4'' and ''Saand Ki Aankh'', but proved a commercial success.

In 2020, she appeared as a pregnant R&AW spy named Uma Kulkarni in her first OTT feature film ''London Confidential''. Though critics were not impressed by the film, they praised Roy. Rediff.com wrote, "Mouni Roy shows conviction in playing her part and is in a different avatar from her earlier performances in ''Gold'' and ''Made in China''." In 2022, Roy appeared as judge in the fifth season of the reality show ''Dance India Dance Li'l Masters''.

Roy was slated to play the female lead in Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer ''Bole Chudiyan'', but she quit after clashes with the filmmakers. She played the main antagonist ''"Junoon"'' in the 2022 film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva co-starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan. It released on 9 September and Roy received rave reviews from critics and audience alike. She will also be making a guest appearance in Vikas Bahl's ''Ganpath: Part One'' (2022), and has been reportedly signed as the leading lady in Sanjay Gupta's sports drama, opposite Harshvardhan Rane and Meezaan Jafri, and Milan Luthria's web series based on Arnab Ray's book ''Sultan of Delhi: Ascension'', also featuring Tahir Raj Bhasin and Neha Sharma.

Personal life

Roy has been awarded the UAE golden visa due to her frequent visits to the country.

On 27 January 2022, following three years of dating, Roy and Dubai-based businessman Suraj Nambiar got married in traditional Bengali and Malayali ceremonies in Panaji, Goa.

Filmography

Films

Television

Special appearances

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

* List of Hindi television actresses
* List of Indian television actresses
*List of Indian film actresses
*List of Hindi film actresses

References

External links

Mouni Roy
at IMDb
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roy, Mouni
1985 births
Living people
Indian television actresses
People from Cooch Behar
Actresses in Hindi television
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Indian film actresses
21st-century Indian actresses
Bengali actresses
People from Cooch Behar district