Bhubaneswar: Bollywood diva Anushka Sharma turns 34 today. The outsider, who scripted her own success in tinsel town, started out playing chirpy characters in films like Band Baaja Baaraat and Ladies V/S Ricky Bahl, but later reinvented herself in films such as Pari and NH 10.
Her upcoming film is Chakda Express, based on the life of woman cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Here are some less-known facts about the actor:
* Anushka was born in Ayodhya and raised in Bengaluru. Her father is Col. Ajay Kumar Sharma, who took part in the 1999 Kargil War.
* MS Dhoni’s wife Sakshi was Anushka’s classmate at St. Mary’s School, Margherita, Assam.
* Acclaimed artist MF Hussain wanted to draw a portrait of Anushka after he saw her in Band Baaja Baaraat. It is learnt that Hussain watched the movie more than 25 times.
* Do you know Anushka was in the race to be paired opposite Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots? Yes, you heard that right. Anushka auditioned for the role of “Pia”.
* The couple ‘Virushka’ (Viraat Kohli and Anushka Sharma), who dated for almost four years before tying the knot, actually met in a shampoo commercial shoot.
* Before stepping into the film industry, she modelled for Wendell Rodricks, which later helped her bag her debut role in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.
* Anushka is the owner of a clothing line named Nush, which features a personalised collection of fashionable clothes designed especially for her fans.