Heritage · Living legacy

Anushka Sharma

Indian actor and producer whose work includes Hindi films, streaming productions and animal-welfare advocacy.By Confinity Heritage Editorial · 2026-10-15 · 7-minute read

Quiet tools, kept out of the way.

Researched with AI assistance using the sources listed below. This independent profile is not authorised or endorsed by Anushka Sharma.

Acting career

Anushka Sharma is an Indian actor and producer whose work includes Hindi films, thrillers and streaming projects. She made her acting debut in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008. Through Clean Slate Filmz, she later helped produce films including NH10, Phillauri, Pari and Bulbbul, as well as the first season of Paatal Lok. Yash Raj Films career profile, Clean Slate production catalogue

Beginning in Hindi cinema

Her first film placed her opposite Shah Rukh Khan in a production written and directed by Aditya Chopra. Released in December 2008, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi cast Sharma as Taani, whose relationship with Khan’s Surinder becomes the centre of a story involving marriage, unfamiliar identities and dance. YRF’s film record In Band Baaja Baaraat, released in December 2010, she played Shruti, a young Delhi woman intent on building a wedding-planning business. Ranveer Singh played Bittoo, her business partner. The story connected romance with work: their enterprise required planning, customer relationships and negotiated responsibilities, while personal feelings complicated the partnership. Maneesh Sharma directed the film, with a screenplay by Habib Faisal and production by Aditya Chopra. YRF’s film record Her early YRF work also included Badmaash Company and Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. In 2012, she joined Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, directed by Yash Chopra. The film’s credited collaborators included cinematographer Anil Mehta, composer A. R. Rahman and editor Namrata Rao. Sharma received Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2013 Filmfare awards for her performance. YRF career profile, film credits, Filmfare winners archive Her acting work extended beyond YRF. In 2014, Sharma appeared in PK alongside Aamir Khan and Sanjay Dutt. She later starred with Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, released in 2016. PK cast and year, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil cast and year

Roles involving sport and work

In Sultan in 2016, Sharma played Aarfa, an ambitious wrestler, opposite Salman Khan. Written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film required her to prepare for a sport. In a contemporary statement, Zafar described six weeks of preparation involving wrestling instruction, strength training and physiotherapy. His account also noted the work on her accent. YRF’s film record, Zafar’s statement, reported by NDTV Sui Dhaaga - Made in India, released in September 2018, moved into a different working environment. Sharma played Mamta alongside Varun Dhawan as Mauji in a story about a couple seeking a more independent livelihood through their skills. Sharat Katariya directed the film, with Maneesh Sharma and Aditya Chopra producing. YRF introduced the characters through their everyday clothing and small-town setting. Where Sultan centred on sporting ambition, Sui Dhaaga focused on the work of making a living and building something together. YRF’s film record, YRF’s character introduction Sharma also reunited with Shah Rukh Khan in Jab Harry Met Sejal, directed by Imtiaz Ali and released in August 2017. Its search for a missing engagement ring takes the central pair through Europe. In December 2018, she appeared with Khan and Katrina Kaif in Aanand L. Rai’s Zero. These acting credits sit alongside, but are distinct from, the films she helped produce through Clean Slate. Red Chillies’ Jab Harry Met Sejal record, Zero credits and release

Work as a producer

Producing NH10

Sharma and Karnesh Ssharma established Clean Slate Films in 2013. Its first feature, NH10, was released in March 2015, while she was already working in major studio productions. In a later interview, she recalled being questioned about why she wanted to produce at that point in her acting career. Original Mint interview, NH Studioz release record NH10 was directed by Navdeep Singh and written by Sudip Sharma. It begins with a road journey and develops into a violent thriller after the central couple witnesses an honour killing. Anushka Sharma starred with Neil Bhoopalam, Darshan Kumar and Deepti Naval. She shared producer credit with Karnesh Ssharma, Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl and Sunil Lulla. Clean Slate’s production record The thriller brought her acting and producing roles together after earlier romantic comedies such as Band Baaja Baaraat. Its screenplay and direction remained the work of Sudip Sharma and Navdeep Singh. NH10 credits, Band Baaja Baaraat

Phillauri and Pari

Clean Slate’s next two films used the supernatural in different ways. Phillauri, released in 2017, was a comedy involving a ghost and a marriage to a tree. Sharma appeared alongside Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma and Mehreen Kaur Pirzada. Anshai Lal directed, Anvita Dutt wrote the film, and Sharma and Karnesh Ssharma produced it. Clean Slate’s film record Pari, released in 2018, was a horror mystery directed by Prosit Roy and written by Roy and Abhishek Banerjee. Sharma played Rukhsana, a woman discovered in circumstances that initially suggest abuse but develop into a more complicated supernatural story. The cast included Parambrata Chatterjee, Rajat Kapoor, Ritabhari Chakraborty and Mansi Multani. Sharma again shared producer credit with Karnesh. Clean Slate’s film record These productions also created continuing collaborations. Roy directed Pari before co-directing Paatal Lok, while Sudip Sharma moved from writing NH10 to creating that series. Clean Slate’s Paatal Lok credits

Streaming productions in 2020

The first season of Paatal Lok brought Clean Slate into episodic storytelling in 2020. Created by Sudip Sharma and directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy, it followed a police investigation through different social environments. Jaideep Ahlawat led a cast that included Ishwak Singh, Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag, Swastika Mukherjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Anushka Sharma was a producer, not an actor in the series. Clean Slate’s production credits, release-year catalogue In an original interview about the series, she argued for greater respect for writers and credited the writing, performances and technical crew. She also explained a practical attraction of streaming: an episodic format gives a story more time to develop its characters than a feature film permits. Her comments described production as an ongoing process of learning, building on experience from NH10 onwards. Indian Express interview Bulbbul, released on Netflix that year, was written and directed by Anvita Dutt. Tripti Dimri played the title role, with Avinash Tiwary, Paoli Dam, Rahul Bose and Parambrata Chatterjee also appearing. Sharma shared producer credit with Karnesh Ssharma, Saurabh Malhotra and Manoj Mittra. Clean Slate’s film record Dutt described the film as a dark fairy tale rather than simply a horror film. In her own account of its making, she discussed the period setting, the influence of Rabindranath Tagore’s women characters and a mansion whose enclosing walls suited the story. These were the writer-director’s creative decisions within a production Sharma helped support. Dutt’s original interview Speaking about why she backed the film, Sharma connected its central character’s transformation with experiences of being undermined or made powerless. She presented those concerns as reasons for supporting the story, while Dutt’s direction and Dimri’s performance carried its central character onto the screen. Contemporary interview with Sharma and Dutt

Producing decisions and stepping away

In their 2020 Mint interview, Sharma and Karnesh explained that they wanted to support distinctive storytelling voices. Sharma spoke about female-led films creating opportunities to put the story ahead of the demands surrounding a male-star vehicle. Karnesh identified recurring collaborators including Navdeep Singh, Sudip Sharma, Prosit Roy and Anvita Dutt. Their account explains why the catalogue moved among crime, comedy, horror and longer-form drama rather than following a single genre. Original Mint interview In March 2022, Sharma announced that she was stepping away from Clean Slate Filmz and credited Karnesh with shaping the company. She said she intended to focus her professional time on acting, bringing her period of involvement in running the company to a close. Contemporary transcript of her announcement

Animal welfare and relief work

PETA India named Sharma its 2017 Person of the Year. The organisation cited her efforts to raise awareness of animals distressed by fireworks, advocacy concerning horses used for carriage rides in Mumbai, and support for animal shelters. Its announcement also recorded her PAWsitive campaign. PETA India In May 2021, Sharma and Virat Kohli launched a COVID-relief fundraiser through Ketto and contributed ₹2 crore jointly at its outset. The campaign invited others to contribute during the emergency affecting India’s health system. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

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Timeline

2008Makes her screen debut in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
2010Plays Shruti in Band Baaja Baaraat.
2013Wins Filmfare’s supporting-actress award for Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
2015Acts in and is a credited producer of NH10.
2017PETA India names her Person of the Year.
2020Credited producer of Bulbbul and Paatal Lok.
2022Announces that she is stepping away from Clean Slate Filmz.

Sources & further reading (27)

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