Meet actress who quit studies after school, was rejected due to looks, then led record-breaking blockbuster, is now...

From Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra to even star kids like Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, several actors and actresses have struggles before embarking on their illustrious careers in Bollywood. One such upcoming successful actress is Adah Sharma, who faced multiple rejections before her debut and then headlined a record-breaking blockbuster.

Born in Mumbai, Adah Sharma's father SL Sharma, hailing from Tamil Nadu, was a captain in the Indian Merchant Navy, and her mother Sheila Sharma hails from Kerala and is a classical dancer. She quit her studies after school to take up dance and movies. She completed her graduation in Kathak and has also learnt other dance forms such as salsa, jazz, and ballet.

Adah auditioned for several roles when she tried to enter the Hindi film industry but was rejected due to her looks. The actress talked about the same in an interview with IB Times in 2020, when she said, "Yes, during the initial phase of my career, I was told that 'you don't look good' and I took it to my heart. Gradually l realised that if they want to reject they will reject me irrespective of however I look. But if I am fit for a role, and have a flaw, they will rake you for a project."

The actress finally made her debut in the 2008 horror film 1920 and has since then starred in multiple films such as Hasee Toh Phasee, S/O Satyamurthy, Kshanam, and Commando 3 across multiple languages. In 2023, Adah made headlines when she headlined the controversial film The Kerala Story.

She played the role of Shalini Unnikrishnan, a Hindu woman in Kerala who is forced to convert to Islam, take the name Fatima after her marriage to a Muslim man, and join the terrorist organisation ISIS. Even after facing opposition from several political parties, The Kerala Story became a massive blockbuster and minted Rs 302 crore worldwide.

The 2023 release became the highest-grossing female-led film in India with the net collections of Rs 242 crore in India, surpassing Kangana Ranaut's Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Alia Bhatt's Gangubai Kathiawadi, which had earned Rs 150 crore and Rs 132 crore net in India respectively.

Adah is now reuniting with The Kerala Story filmmaker Sudipto Sen and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah for Bastar - The Naxal Story. She plays IPS officer Neerja Madhvan fighting to eradicate the Naxals from India. The film is slated to release in cinemas on March 15. Adah, Sudipto, and Vipul will hope to recreate The Kerala Story's success story with Bastar - The Naxal Story.

READ | The Kerala Story OTT release: Adah Sharma-starrer blockbuster to finally start streaming on this date