Mouni Roy

Mouni Roy (born 28 September 1985) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi television series and films. She became famous with the supernatural thriller series Naagin (2015–2016) and its sequel Naagin 2 (2016–2017). She has won several awards, including an IIFA Award and two ITA Awards, as well as nominations for two Filmfare Awards.

Roy started her acting career in 2006 with the television show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She then portrayed Sati in Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev and Meera in Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq. Roy made her film debut with the Punjabi romantic film, Hero Hitler in Love (2011). She made her Hindi film debut with the 2018 period sport film, Gold, receiving a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut nomination. In 2022, Roy received praise for her performance in the fantasy film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, which earned her the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life and education
Roy was born in Cooch Behar, West Bengal on 28 September 1985, into a Rajbongshi family. Her grandfather, Shekhar Chandra Roy, was a well-known Jatra theatre artist. Her mother Mukti was a theatre artist, and her father Anil Roy was an office superintendent of the Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad. She studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Baburhat until 12th class, and went to Delhi afterwards.

She studied mass communication at Jamia Milia Islamia at her parents' insistence, but left the course midway and went to Mumbai to try her luck in the Hindi film industry. She finished her Part 1 exams and did not return to Delhi after that. Mouni was interested in acting since childhood and has cited actresses Madhubala, Madhuri Dixit and Waheeda Rehman as her acting idols.

Debut and initial career (2006–2010)
Roy started her career with the Ekta Kapoor drama Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006, portraying Krishna Tulsi opposite Pulkit Samrat and Akashdeep Saigal. She then participated in, and won, the first season of dancing competition show Zara Nachke Dikha. Then, she portrayed Shivani Sabharwal in Kasturi. In 2008, she participated in Pati Patni Aur Woh. In 2010, Roy played Roop in Do Saheliyaan opposite Jatin Shah.

Success and establishment in television (2011–2017)


In 2011, Roy starred in the Punjabi film Hero Hitler in Love. She attained fame after portraying Sati in Life OK's mythological series Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, opposite Mohit Raina, from 2011 to 2014. In 2013, she played the lead as Meera, opposite Aditya Redij, in Life OK's Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq. In 2014, Roy participated in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 along with Punit Pathak, and she finished in fourth place.

In 2015, Roy returned to television with Ekta Kapoor's supernatural series Naagin, portraying Shivanya opposite Arjun Bijlani. The series topped the TRP charts, making her a household name not only in India but in other countries as well. She became one of the players on Bijlani's team the Mumbai Tigers in Box Cricket League. She hosted the dance show So You Think You Can Dance on &TV.

In 2017, Roy portrayed a dual role in the second season of Naagin, opposite Karanvir Bohra. Her chemistry with Bijlani in season 1, and with Bohra in season 2, was highly appreciated by audiences, and established her as a leading actress in Indian television. In 2016, Roy voiced the role of Sita in the animated film Mahayoddha Rama. In the same year, she appeared in the song "Nachna Aunda Ni" in Tum Bin 2.

Return to Hindi cinema and progression (2018–2022)
Roy made her full-fledged Hindi film debut alongside Akshay Kumar as a housewife in the 2018 period sport film Gold. Jyoti Sharma Bawa of Hindustan Times noted, "Roy as Akshay's wife Monobina is just the right mixture of crotchety and charming. With her grasp of Bengali, she brings that extra something to the film's milieu." Devesh Sharma of Filmfare stated: "Mouni infuses the film with a dash of sensuality and her stern wife's role adds a bit of a comic touch as well." With global earnings of ₹1.5 billion, Gold emerged as a commercial success. Roy followed the success of Gold with an item number called "Gali Gali" in the Hindi version of K.G.F: Chapter 1.



In 2019, Roy made a cameo appearance in the final few episodes of Naagin 3 as Mahanaagrani Shivangi. Roy's first release in 2019 was Romeo Akbar Walter alongside John Abraham and Jackie Shroff. For her performance as a RAW agent, Bollywood Hungama wrote, "Mouni Roy has an interesting part to essay. Though she does well, her character gets a raw deal." Romeo Akbar Walter underperformed at the box office. In her next film the same year, Made in China, Roy played a disturbed housewife alongside Rajkummar Rao. Vibha Maru noted: "Mouni is a surprise package. Though given a small role, she comes with much power, owning every bit of the screen time she gets." Made in China proved to be a commercial success.

Roy played a pregnant RAW agent in her first OTT feature film, London Confidential. Joginder Tuteja from Rediff.com stated, "Mouni Roy shows conviction in playing her part and is in a different avatar from her earlier performances." In 2021, she played an actress in Velle alongside Abhay Deol. Hiren Kotwani of Times of India wrote, "Mouni has limited scope to perform. Nonetheless, she lights up the screen every time she appears in the film." Roy appeared as the judge in Dance India Dance Li'l Masters 5 in 2022.

The same year, Roy played the main antagonist Junoon in Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva. Roy received rave reviews from critics and audience alike. Tushar Joshi of India Today noted, "Roy as the villain is terrific and breaks the Naagin stigma with this career-altering performance." Prateek Sur from News18 wrote, "The real find of the film, Roy is simply terrific and really holds herself in this elaborate cast and effortlessly shines as the nemesis." The film became the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022. Her performance in the film earned her the IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Web expansion and recent work (2023-present)
In 2023, Roy made her web debut with Milan Luthria's Sultan of Delhi opposite Tahir Raj Bhasin and Anjum Sharma. She played a cabaret dancer, Nayanthara in the series. Saibal Chatterjee stated that the script doesn't allow her to perform.

In her first release of 2024, Roy played Yasmine Ali, an actress opposite Emraan Hashmi in the series Showtime. Writing for Hindustan Times, Devansh Sharma stated, "Mouni does get some moments to shine, especially a close-up shot where reel life echoes the real, but her arc is strictly work-in-progress." Later the year, she appeared as a TV host in Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2. Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost was appreciative of her cameo. She then played Shruti, a woman-on-the-run alongside Vikrant Massey in Blackout. The film received negative reviews and Sukanya Verma opined that Roy's character was "reduced to chumps".

Roy has completed filming her next, The वरGIN Tree with Sunny Singh.

Personal life
Roy has been awarded the UAE golden visa due to her frequent visits to the country.

Mouni dated actor Gaurav Chopra for a period but later they broke up.

Following a three year relationship, Roy and Dubai-based Malayali businessman Suraj Nambiar got married in traditional Bengali and Malayali ceremonies on 27 January 2022, in Panaji, Goa.

Other work and media image


Roy has established herself as one of the most popular and highest paid television actresses in India. Times of India labeled Naagin a "game-changer" for Roy. After the release of Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, Mayukh Majumdar of Filmfare termed her "the undisputed star of the film". Financial Express stated that Roy's Junoon will be the "best antagonist Bollywood has seen in a while". Roy has frequently featured on Times of India's "50 Most Desirable Women" list. She ranked 35th in 2017, 32nd in 2018, 41st in 2019 and 44th in 2020. She placed 3rd in the same publication's "20 Most Desirable Women on TV" list in 2017.

Roy is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products including Bryan & Candy, Joy and Spawake. In March 2023, Roy performed in various cities in the United States for "The Entertainers" tour, alongside Akshay Kumar, Disha Patani, Nora Fatehi, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, Stebin Ben and Zahrah S Khan. Roy also supports a number of social causes. During the COVID-19 crisis, she donated a sum for people in need. In 2020, after the cyclone Amphan, she joined with an NGO and auctioned her paintings in order to raise funds for victims. Roy also donated to the Iskcon Foundation for medical facilities in Mayapur in 2021. Roy and her husband Suraj Nambiar launched "Ultimate Gurus", a global education platform, in 2022. In May 2023, Roy opened a restaurant named Badmaash in Mumbai. Roy is also one of the most followed television actress on Instagram.

Films

 * All films are in Hindi unless otherwise noted.

Accolades
Roy has received two Filmfare Awards nominations: Best Female Debut for Gold and Best Supporting Actress for Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva. Roy also won the ITA Award for Best Actress Popular for Naagin.