Anushka Sharma was born on 1 May 1988 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. She was raised in Bangalore and studied at Army School before graduating from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She initially pursued a career in modeling and received her first major modeling assignment from fashion designer Wendell Rodricks in 2007.
She made her acting debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), directed by Aditya Chopra. The film was a major success and earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress. She subsequently gained recognition with Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter.
Anushka also established herself as a film producer. In 2015, she co-produced and starred in the crime thriller NH10, which marked an important step in her production career. She later produced projects including Phillauri and Pari, and her production company was also involved with the acclaimed series Paatal Lok.
Her performances in PK, Sultan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and Sanju further strengthened her position as one of the leading actresses of contemporary Hindi cinema.