Genelia D'Souza (born August 5, 1987) is an Indian actress, model, and host. She has appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognized for her role in Boys the same year, and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films during 2003–2005.
D'Souza received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, Bommarillu, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in Santosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu, and the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. Having acted in several commercially successful movies in Telugu and Tamil, D'Souza has established herself as one of the leading actresses of the South Indian film industry.[1][2] In addition to movie acting, D'Souza has hosted the television show Big Switch, and is the brand ambassador of Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, and Perk in India.[3]
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Early life and educational background
She gained wide attention from the Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan,[17] who said "she was good, and her expressions were spontaneous".[18] She further did a Fair and Lovely 2003 Cricket World Cup advertisement with cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth.[16]
Acting career
Debut and recognition, 2003–2005
When D'Souza was offered a role in Tujhe Meri Kasam, initially she turned it down, as she was not keen to pursue a career in acting. But the crew insisted and kept contacting her for two months, and she agreed when she saw the Telugu version of the movie.[16] Tamil director, S. Shankar, was impressed with her performance in the Parker Pen commercial and decided to cast her in a leading role in his 2003 Tamil film Boys.[19] D'Souza was selected among 300 girls, who had auditioned for the movie. She signed three movies simultaneously in three different languages, Tujhe Meri Kasam (Hindi), Boys (Tamil), and Satyam (Telugu).[6]D'Souza's professional movie career began,[20] with her Bollywood debut Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003.[8] Indian film critic Taran Adarsh noted, "Genelia is a wonderful performer. She catches you unaware with a performance that's natural to the core."[21] The movie garnered poor box office returns,[22] and it failed to propel her career in Bollywood.[23] Following her poor debut in Bollywood, she decided to act in South Indian films.[4] Later the same year, she made her Tamil debut as the teenage girl Harini in Boys, a story about five teenagers having stereotypical teen-boy fantasies. The movie, though noted for its vulgar sexual content, was a box-office success,[24] and subsequently she started receiving Telugu film offers.[19] She left Tamil cinema for a while to concentrate on the Telugu film industry. She made her Telugu debut in 2003 as a medical student in Satyam.[25] Sify noted in their review that, "Genelia is excellent as her body language is her major asset."[26] The movie was well received,[27] and it raised her profile in the Telugu film industry.[19]
In 2004, D'Souza appeared in her second Bollywood movie, Masti. The comedy focuses on three close friends who reunite after three years, but are now married and are being harassed by their wives. D'Souza portrayed the character of one of the wives.[28] Taran Adarsh was complimentary of D'Souza's role, saying, "Amongst the wives, Genelia is the best, [...] Genelia looks the stern and demanding wife and is sure to be noticed."[29] The film fared well at the UK box office.[28] The same year, she appeared in two Telugu movies Samba,[30] and Sye,[31] both succeeding at the box-office.[32]
After appearing in her first Telugu movie in 2005, Naa Alludu, she starred in the Tamil romantic entertainer Sachein.[33] A review in The Hindu noted, "Genelia, who hardly made an impression in Boys, makes much impact in Sachein."[34] The movie evoked mixed response from audiences, but was well received with the younger generation.[35] She later appeared in the Telugu patriotic movie Subhash Chandra Bose.[36]
Turning point in South Indian films, 2006–April 2008
The year 2006 marked a significant turning point in D'Souza's career.[37] She completed two Telugu movies in early 2006, one was the romantic comedy Happy, and the other was Raam.[38] She then portrayed the role of Haasini, a vibrant, effervescent and a happy-go-lucky young girl, in the 2006 Telugu romantic film Bommarillu. The movie, a blockbuster at the box-office,[39][40] grossed
250 million (US$5.43 million) in India,[41] and also won the 2006 Golden Nandi award.[42] Her character was well-received,[43] and garnered her the Telugu Filmfare Award for Best Actress,[13] besides Nandi Special Jury Award and Santosham Award for Best Actress.[37] Sify concluded about her acting in their review that, "The scene stealer is Genelia with her innocent looks and cute mannerisms. She does not overact and we just fall in love with her character. Genelia looks like a dream in chic skirts and is the life of the party and raises the bar of the film."[44]Following the success of Bommarillu, D'Souza played the role of the daughter of a local don, in the Tamil gangster film Chennai Kadhal.[45] Rediff criticized her commenting, "Genelia stands up yet again to prove the point that if you are pretty and well dressed, you can get away with anything, without acting."[45] Shortly afterwards in 2007, D'Souza played the role of sister of a notorious gangster in the blockbuster Telugu movie Dhee,[46] set against a gang war backdrop.[47]
The following year, D'Souza appeared in the 2008 Telugu romantic thriller Mr. Medhavi, in which she portrayed the role of a student from Canada. The movie was successful,[48] with Rediff complimenting her performance saying, "Genelia is her effervescent self -- full of joie-de-vivre and lights up the screen."[49] She made her Kannada debut in Satya In Love the same year.[50] Later, she was cast in a leading role in Santhosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu. The film also turned out to be rather successful as its predecessor.[48] Sify described D'Souza's portrayal as "the soul of the film" and the film's "biggest strength",[51] however Rediff described her character as "appears a little too good to be true."[52]
Return to Bollywood and recent work, June 2008–present
In June 2008, following a nearly five year hiatus in Bollywood, she appeared in Mere Baap Pehle Aap,[53] which failed to make profit at the box-office.[54] A Rediff review noted, "besides her apparent cuteness, brings in tons of freshness and traits to the youthful characters she chooses to play",[55] while a Sify review criticized her stating, "Genelia is sprightly but has a standard two-three expressions bank in this film."[56] She later appeared in the Telugu love story Ready alongside Ram, which was well received.[48][57] Her breakthrough performance in 2008 was through the portrayal of the role of Aditi Mahant in the blockbuster Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, which was an economic success across India and overseas, grossing564.1 million (US$12.24 million).[58] Her role was widely admired for her sweetness and freshness, and new style of acting, with Rediff describing her acting as a "spark that has been missing in Hindi cinema for well over a decade now".[59] In that same year, D'Souza acted in the Telugu romantic comedy Sasirekha Parinayam.[60] The movie received favorable reviews, and Sify noted in their review that, "The life of the film is definitely Genelia and she has shown the varied emotions from innocence, sadness, romance and anger in equal proportions without a hitch."[61]In 2009, D'Souza was cast in the Hindi film Life Partner, in which she was criticized for her performance. Indian fim critic Rajeev Masand commented, "The adorable little imp from Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na has turned into a nagging harridan in this film, and how you wish she'd immediately enroll for acting lessons."[62] Her next appearance in 2009 was in the Telugu thriller Katha, which was well received,[48] and for which she won the 2009 Nandi Special Jury Award.[63] In 2010, D'Souza appeared in Chance Pe Dance, Uthama Puthiran, and Orange, all three receiving poor reviews from critics.[64][65][66][67][68][69][70]
Upcoming movies
She will appear in David Dhawan's film Hook Ya Crook, co-starring John Abraham and Shreyas Talpade.[71] D'Souza is set to appear in It's My Life, which would be a remake of Bomarillu in Hindi with Harman Baweja. Genelia has signed Santosh Sivan's Malayalam film Urumi. The film is about a fictional story happening in the 15th century, about a boy who plots to assassinate the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama. D'Souza plays the role of a Portuguese princess in the movie.[72]Other work and events
She has unveiled Spinz Black Magic deodorant on October 7, 2009 in Mumbai, and the Ceres Store retail outlet.[82] At the Chennai International Fashion Week (CIFW) in December 2009, she appeared as a showstopper for designer Ishita Singh's spring-summer indigenous collection of 2010, showcasing the best of Indian and Western dresses.[83] She also holds a Limca world record of delivering four different super hit films in four different languages, Bommarillu (Telugu), Satya In Love (Kannada), Santosh Subramaniam (Tamil), and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (Hindi) in a span of one calendar year.[84]
She was a part of online market portal eBay's 2010 "Dream House" challenge, where she transformed an empty three room apartment in Bandra into an attractive home with online shopping. She had been provided a budget of
4.5 lakh (US$9,800) and two weeks to create a look she wants with items on sale on the website.[85][86] On the occasion of Children's Day (November 14), D'Souza auctioned a few items from the apartment. All proceeds received from the auction was given to Aseema, a Non-governmental organization (NGO), which aims to provide education to underprivileged children.[87]Popular reception
D'Souza has been often tagged in the media as the "bubbly girl", after portraying the role of a young energetic girl in several movies, especially Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008).[88] She appeared alongside Shahid Kapoor on the fourth episode of Tere Mere Beach Mein, a celebrity chat show, hosted by Farah Khan. The theme of the show was "Second Innings", since both D'Souza and Kapoor had the same history of failures initially and success later in their acting careers.[89][90] In June 2010, D'Souza was crowned as the "Brand Ambassador of the Year" at the CNBC Awaaz consumer awards, for endorsing nine brands.[3] She is now the brand ambassador of the soft drink Fanta (replacing Rani Mukherjee), the chocolate Perk (replacing Preity Zinta),[91] Virgin Mobile India (along with Ranbir Kapoor),[92] Fastrack watches and accessories,[93] LG mobiles (along with John Abraham and Abhay Deol),[94] Garnier Light fairness cream,[95] Dabur Vatika hair oil, Margo soap,[3] and Spinz deodorant.[82]Personal life
D'Souza is deeply religious and says that, she regularly attends Sunday Mass at St. Anne's Parish (Bandra), and whenever the family is home, a part of their evening is reserved for saying the rosary together.[9] In an interview with The Times of India, she comments, "I keep a Novena every Wednesday at St. Michael’s Church in Mahim."[7] In an interview with Daily News and Analysis, she said that "My communication with God is conversational, [...] I'm God's favourite child; I believe that God has always been kind to me."[9] Tabloids have repeatedly linked D'Souza romantically with Ritesh Deshmukh, ever since they starred together in their debut film Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003.[96] They were reportedly ready to get engaged, but Ritesh's father, the then-Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh did not agree.[97] Ever since then, D'Souza has strongly denied any rumors of a relationship with Deshmukh, and responds that she has just friendly relations with him.[17] She currently resides in Bandra (Mumbai), where she was brought up.[10] Her mothertongue is Konkani.[5]In June 2010, she was the subject of a controversy, when a Tamil daily reported that she had attended the controversial 2010 IIFA Awards in Colombo.[98] Several Bollywood actors and the South Indian film industry had boycotted the event, over the alleged killing of Tamilian civilians at the height of the conflict between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.[99] The rumours of her visit to Colombo started after her friend Ritesh Deshmukh was seen at the festival in Colombo. Immediately, various Tamil groups and Kollywood associations demanded her films to be banned.[98]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes and Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Tujhe Meri Kasam | Anjali (Anju) | Hindi | Nominated, Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female |
| Boys | Harini | Tamil | ||
| Satyam | Ankitha | Telugu | ||
| 2004 | Masti | Bindhiya | Hindi | |
| Samba | Sandhya | Telugu | ||
| Sye | Indu | Telugu | ||
| 2005 | Naa Alludu | Gagana | Telugu | |
| Sachein | Shalini | Tamil | ||
| Subhash Chandra Bose | Anitha | Telugu | ||
| 2006 | Happy | Madhumathi | Telugu | |
| Raam | Lakshmi | Telugu | ||
| Bommarillu | Hasini Rao | Telugu | Winner, Nandi Special Jury Award[37] Winner, Telugu Filmfare Award for Best Actress[37] Winner, Santosham Award for Best Actress[37] | |
| Chennai Kadhal | Narmadha | Tamil | ||
| 2007 | Dhee | Puja | Telugu | |
| 2008 | Mr. Medhavi | Swetha | Telugu | |
| Satya In Love | Veda | Kannada | ||
| Santosh Subramaniam | Hasini Govindan | Tamil | Nominated, Filmfare Best Tamil Actress Award Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Actress | |
| Mere Baap Pehle Aap | Shikha Kapur | Hindi | ||
| Ready | Puja | Telugu | ||
| Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na | Aditi Mahant | Hindi | Nominated, Star Screen Award for Best Actress Nominated, Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow – Female | |
| King | herself | Telugu | Cameo appearance | |
| 2009 | Sasirekha Parinayam | Sasirekha | Telugu | |
| Life Partner | Sanjana Jugran | Hindi | ||
| Katha | Chitra Singh | Telugu | Winner, Nandi Special Jury Award[63] | |
| 2010 | Chance Pe Dance | Tina Sharma | Hindi | |
| Uthama Puthiran | Pooja | Tamil | ||
| Orange | Jaanu | Telugu | ||
| It's My Life | Natalie Chopra (Geenu) | Hindi | Post-production | |
| 2011 | Hook Ya Crook | Sonia Rai | Hindi | Post-production |
| Urumi | Arakkal Ayesha | Malayalam | Post-production | |
| Velayudham | Tamil | Filming | ||
| Force | Hindi | Filming |
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