Amrita Singh (born 9 February 1964)
Singh appeared as a leading lady in commercially successful films such as Mard (1985), Chameli Ki Shaadi (1986), Naam (1986), Khudgarz (1987), Thikana (1987), Waaris (1988), Toofan (1989), Dil Aashna Hai (1992), Aaina (1993), and Rang (1993). For Aaina, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1993, Singh took a break from acting. She returned to films with (2002), and received praise for her performance in Kalyug (2005), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), 2 States (2014), Hindi Medium (2017), and Badla (2019).
Singh has also starred in the television soap opera Kkavyanjali
Early life
Amrita Kaur was born 9 February 1958
to
Rukhsana Sultana and an army officer Shivinder Singh Virk, son of Sardar Jaspal Singh of Jandiala Guru in
Amritsar and of Sardarni Mohinder Kaur, daughter of the late Sir and Lady Sobha Singh of
New Delhi and Hadali. Amrita's aunt Raymon Singh is married to HH Raja Vijayendra Singh, the present Raja Sahib of Nalagarh
Princely state.
She has a half-sister named Aneesa and a half-brother named Jaiveer from her dad's second marriage. Her father remarried when Amrita was 11 years old post his divorce with Rukshana Sultana.
Her mother was a political associate of
Sanjay Gandhi during the
Indian Emergency in the 1970s, who became known for leading Sanjay Gandhi's sterilisation campaign in the
Muslim areas of
Old Delhi.
[Gwatkin, Davidson R. "Political will and family planning: the implications of India's emergency experience." Population and Development Review (1979): 29-59.] Through her paternal grandmother Mohinder Kaur, Amrita is the great-granddaughter of Sobha Singh, one of the builders of New Delhi, the grandniece of the late novelist
Khushwant Singh, and great-grandniece of politician
Ujjal Singh. The actress
Begum Para is her great-aunt, whose husband, Nasir Khan, is the brother of
Dilip Kumar.
Singh was a childhood friend of Shah Rukh Khan. Their mothers often worked together in the Old Delhi area and Singh attended the same school as Khan's sister, Shahnaz.
Singh attended Modern School in New Delhi and is fluent in Cantonese, Swahili language, and Punjabi language.
Career
1983–1993
Singh made her
Hindi cinema debut in 1983 with
Betaab, a highly successful romantic drama in which she was paired with
Sunny Deol. This was quickly followed by a succession of hits, such as
Sunny (1984),
Mard (which was the biggest hit of 1985) and
Saaheb (also 1985),
Chameli Ki Shaadi and
Naam (both 1986),
Khudgarz (1987), and
Waaris (1988). Singh made a successful pair in several films, not only with
Sunny Deol,
Sanjay Dutt, and
Raj Babbar, but also with
Jeetendra,
Vinod Khanna,
Anil Kapoor and
Amitabh Bachchan, some of the leading actors of the 1980s.
As well as playing leading roles, she also played supporting negative roles in films such as
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992),
Suryavanshi (1992) and
Aaina (1993), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the lattermost. Her comic timings in films such as
Saaheb and
Chameli Ki Shaadi are still remembered. She decided to retire into family life and quit acting after her appearance in
Rang (1993).
2002–present
Singh returned to acting in 2002 with
, in which she played the mother of
Bhagat Singh (played by
Bobby Deol). She joined the television industry with
Ekta Kapoor's family drama
Kavyanjali, which aired on
StarPlus in 2005. In the show, Singh was seen in a negative role that soon gained immense popularity.
Later that year, she received critical acclaim for her performance in yet another negative role for the film
Kalyug, which earned her a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. In 2007, Singh played the role of gangster
Maya Dolas' mother, Ratnaprabha Dolas, in the
Sanjay Gupta film
Shootout at Lokhandwala, directed by Apoorva Lakhia.
Vivek Oberoi played the role of Maya Dolas. Later on, she appeared in the
anthology film Dus Kahaniyaan, where she appeared in the short story
Poornmasi.
Continuing her acting journey, Singh was seen in Kajraare (2010), and also appeared in Aurangzeb (2012) under the Yash Raj Films banner, where she was paired with Jackie Shroff after almost two decades, after having paired together in Aaina.
Personal life
Singh was engaged to actor
Sunny Deol in 1985. She married actor Saif Ali Khan in January 1991. Singh, who was raised as a
Sikh, converted to Islam before marriage and the couple had an
Nikah.
6 years younger,
Khan is the son of former Indian test cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the ninth Nawab of Pataudi and actress
Sharmila Tagore and is a member of the royal family of the erstwhile
Bhopal State and
Pataudi State. Despite controversies, they remained married.
She gave up acting after her marriage to Khan. After thirteen years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2004.
Their daughter Sara Ali Khan Pataudi was born on 12 August 1995, and son Ibrahim Ali Khan Pataudi on 5 March 2001.
Artistry and legacy
Singh is regarded as one of the most popular and leading actress of the 80s.
Her debut film
Betaab made her an overnight sensation.
Sukanya Verma of
Rediff.com noted, "Amrita Singh is a heroine who breathed fire and shushed up anyone who dared disagree with her flare-ups and fury."
Lakshana N Palat of
Indian Express said that her career, comprised "a strong filmography" and noted, "With her narrowed eyes, and reverberating voice, Amrita created a new leading heroine. She has made a mark in every role that she has played — a 90’s vamp, a heroine, a mother, she has done it all."
Ritika Nath of
PTC Punjabi said, "From 1983 to 1993, Amrita Singh had the reigning ten years in the industry."
Filmography
Films
Television
Awards and nominations
|
|
| 1994 | Aaina | Best Supporting Actress | |
| 2006 | Kalyug | Best Performance in a Negative Role | |
| 2015 | 2 States | Best Supporting Actress | |
| 2020 | Badla | |
|
| 2006 | Kalyug | Best Performance in a Negative Role | |
| 2015 | 2 States | Best Supporting Actress | |
| 2021 | Badla | |
|
| 2005 | Kkavyanjali | Best Actress in a Negative Role (Popular) | |
| Best Actress in a Negative Role (Jury) | |
|
| 2015 | 2 States | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | |
|
| 2019 | Badla | Best Supporting Actress | |
|
| 2003 | | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | |
| 2006 | Kalyug | Best Performance in a Negative Role | |
| 2020 | Badla | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | |
|
External links
