Amrita Singh

Amrita Singh Virk (born 1958) is an Indian actress who mainly works in Hindi films. Singh made her acting debut with Betaab (1983). Singh established herself as a popular and leading actress of the 1980s and early 1990s. She has received several accloades including a Filmfare Award and an Indian Telly Award.

Singh went onto appear 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. Post this success, she took a break from acting. Singh returned to films with 23rd March 1931: Shaheed (2002), and received praises for her performance in Kalyug (2005), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), 2 States (2014), Hindi Medium (2017), and Badla (2019).

Singh won the Indian Telly Award for Best Actress in a Negative Role (Jury) for her television debut Kkavyanjali (2005-2006). She was married to actor Saif Ali Khan from 1991 to 2004, with whom she had two children, including actress Sara Ali Khan.

Early life
Amrita Singh was born on 9 February 1958 to Rukhsana Sultana and an army officer Shivinder Singh Virk. 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 Muslim areas of Old Delhi. 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 and her husband was Nasir Khan, who is the brother of Dilip Kumar. Actor Ayub Khan is her uncle (second cousin once removed). 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 English, Punjabi and Hindi.

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 23rd March 1931: Shaheed, 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. In 2014, she was seen in 2 States, produced by Dharma Productions, portraying the role of co-actor Arjun Kapoor's mother. The film was released on 18 April 2014, and was a critical and commercial success, and also earned Singh a second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2016, she appeared in Flying Jat playing Tiger Shroff's mother. In 2017, she appeared in the comedy-drama Hindi Medium as a school principal. In 2019, she appeared in Sujoy Ghosh's psychological mystery thriller Badla, reuniting with Amitabh Bachchan after 18 years. Badla and Singh's performance received widespread critical acclaim upon release. The film proved to be a commercial success, and Singh's performance earned her a third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Personal life
Singh married her cousin (mother's side) actor Saif Ali Khan in January 1991. Singh, who was raised as a Sikh, converted to Islam before marriage and the couple had an Islamic wedding. 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 1993, and son Ibrahim Ali Khan Pataudi on 5 March 2001.

Reception and legacy
Singh is regarded as one of the most popular and leading actress of 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."