Sameera Reddy (born 14 December 1978) is a former Indian actress who primarily worked in Hindi films, in addition to Tamil and Telugu language films. Reddy is one of the few Indian Actress who worked in more than six languages. She made her film debut with the 2002 film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya.[1] She is best known for starring in films such as Darna Mana Hai (2003), Musafir (2004), Jai Chiranjeeva (2005), Taxi No. 9211 (2006), Ashok (2006), Race (2008), Vaaranam Aayiram (2008), De Dana Dan (2009), Aakrosh (2010), Vettai (2012) and Tezz (2012).
Sameera Reddy | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Reddy in 2017 | |
| Born | 14 December 1978 |
| Alma mater | Sydenham College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–2013, 2024 |
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Spouse |
Akshai Varde (m. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Sushama Reddy (sister) Meghna Reddy (Sister) |
Early life
editSameera Reddy was born on 14 December 1978 in Bombay (present day Mumbai), Maharashtra[2] to a Telugu father and a Mangalorean Konkani mother.[3][4] Her mother Nakshatra,[5] referred to as Niki by her daughters and the media, was a microbiologist and worked with an NGO.[6][7] She has two siblings, Meghna Reddy, a former VJ and supermodel,[8] and Sushama Reddy, a Bollywood actress and model,[9] both elder to her.[10] She did her schooling at Bombay Scottish School in Mahim, Mumbai and graduated from Sydenham College.
Reddy described herself as a "tomboy" and "the ugly duckling in the family", while citing: "I was plump, had glasses and my glam quotient was rather low till I was 19."[10]
Career
edit
Reddy first appeared in ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas's "Aur Aahista" music video in 1997.[11] She was meant to make her debut as an actress in Saravana Subbiah's Tamil film Citizen, during the early 2000s, but eventually did not feature.[12] She caught the attention of Bollywood and was cast in a pivotal role in the 2002 Hindi film Maine Dil Tujhko Diya. In 2004, she appeared in Musafir, opposite Anil Kapoor, Aditya Pancholi and Koena Mitra.
Reddy had a huge fan base in south India after her debut in Vaaranam Aayiram. Reddy is also the first Indian actress to have her own video game, Sameera the Street Fighter.[13] Reddy was a judge for the Miss Sri Lanka Online contest in 2012.[14]
Personal life
editReddy married Akshai Varde, an entrepreneur, on 21 January 2014, in a traditional Maharashtrian ceremony.[15][16] They have a son and daughter.[17][18]
Being a fan of American talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey, Reddy met and presented a saree to Winfrey during her visit to India.[19]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Role(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Maine Dil Tujhko Diya | Ayesha Verma | Hindi | ||
| 2003 | Darna Mana Hai | Shruti | Hindi | ||
| 2004 | Plan | Sapna | Hindi | ||
| Musafir | Sam | Hindi | |||
| 2005 | Narasimhudu | Palakad Papa | Telugu | ||
| Casualty | Anita | English | BBC Medical drama | [20] | |
| Jai Chiranjeeva | Sailaja | Telugu | |||
| No Entry | (Beach Girl) | Hindi | cameo appearance | ||
| 2006 | Taxi Number 9211 | Rupali | Hindi | ||
| Ashok | Anjali | Telugu | |||
| Naksha | Riya | Hindi | |||
| 2007 | Migration | Divya | Hindi | Short film | |
| Fool & Final | Payal Khanna | Hindi | |||
| Ami, Yasin Ar Amar Madhubala | Rekha | Bengali | |||
| 2008 | Race | Mini | Hindi | ||
| One Two Three | Laila | Hindi | |||
| Kaalpurush | Supriya | Bengali | |||
| Vaaranam Aayiram | Meghna | Tamil | Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress | ||
| 2009 | De Dana Dan | Manpreet Oberoi | Hindi | ||
| 2010 | Aasal | Sarah | Tamil | ||
| Oru Naal Varum | Meera | Malayalam | |||
| Red Alert: The War Within | Lakshmi | Hindi | |||
| Aakrosh | ——— | Hindi | Special appearance in song Isak Se Meetha | ||
| 2011 | Nadunisi Naaygal | Sukanya | Tamil | ||
| Vedi | Parvathi Paaru | Tamil | |||
| 2012 | Vettai | Vasanthi | Tamil | ||
| Tezz | Megha | Hindi | |||
| Chakravyuh | ——— | Hindi | Special appearance in the song "Kunda Khola" | [21] | |
| Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum | ——— | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Sai Andri Nanu" | [22] | |
| 2013 | Varadhanayaka | Lakshmi | Kannada | ||
| 2024 | Naam | Lovely | Hindi | Filmed in 2004; Released after 20 years |
[23] |
Music videos
edit| Title | Year | Role | Performer(s) | Album | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahista | 1998 | — | Pankaj Udhas | Stolen Moments | [24] |
| Tere Aane Ki Jab Khabar Mehke | 2000 | — | Jagjit Singh | Saher |
Video games
edit| Title | Year | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sameera:The Street Fighter | 2006 | Ancient Warrior Princess | [25][26] |
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Sameera Reddy Reveals A Secret About Her Casting In Pankaj Udhas' 1998 Song Aur Ahista". NDTV.com. 25 April 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ "Watch: Sameera Reddy is turning 42 and her message for women is inspiring". The News Minute. 10 December 2020.
- ^ "Spicing it up". 21 October 2011.
- ^ "Reddy-made memories, Lifestyle — Leisure — Pune Mirror, Pune Mirror". Punemirror.in. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Haute and spicy". MiD DAY. 15 September 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ Basu, Arundhati (10 December 2005). "The Telegraph — Calcutta : Weekend". The Telegraph (India). Calcutta, India. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Girl interrupted". MiD DAY. 17 February 2006. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Mumbai (Bombay), India, Sari and Catsuit, 1999, Photo of the Day, Picture, Photography, Wallpapers". National Geographic. 25 June 2001. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ Barkha MathurBarkha Mathur, TNN (9 February 2008). "Why star siblings don't make it big — The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.comTimes of India. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Metro Plus Kochi / Cinema : Reddy reckoner". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 11 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "I love the bombshell tag: Sameera Reddy — Entertainment — DNA". Daily News and Analysis. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Tamil Movies Online ::::: News". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Ahead of her game". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ "Maria Alkasas Wins First Ever Online Beauty Pageant". AdaDerana.lk. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ^ "Sameera Reddy ties the knot today". The Times of India. 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
- ^ "Sameera Reddy and Akshai Varde to marry in April 2014". Biharprabha News. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ^ ""Motherhood is very humbling" - Sameera Reddy"
- ^ "Sameera Reddy shares pic with daughter asks 'how in our country the girl child was considered a burden'". Hindustan Times. 17 November 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (19 January 2012). "Sameera Reddy gifts saree to Oprah Winfrey : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "Sameera "Reddy" for Casualty experience". Biz Asia. 14 March 2005. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Sameera Reddy - Chakravyuh"
- ^ "Sameera Reddy|Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum"
- ^ "AJAY DEVGN - ANEES BAZMEE: 'NAAM' TRAILER OUT NOW... 22 NOV RELEASE... (Taran Adarsh)". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 8 November 2024.
- ^ "Aur Aahista Kijiye Baatein Lyrics - Stolen Moments (1998)". LyricsBogie. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Sameera turns Street Fighter". Bollywood Hungama. 31 August 2006. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
- ^ "Sameera: Warrior princess". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 November 2019.