There are two ways an actor can gain prominence in today’s times. The first is through a big film where their work or screen presence gets noticed. The second is being a small but significant part of something cult. For young Pratibha Ranta, the month of May 2024 has brought a bit of both. The actress, who made her Bollywood debut earlier this year, was noticed for two projects – Laapataa Ladies and Heeramandi. Her appearance in both and casual charm on screen have led many to dub her the new national crush of India.
Who is Pratibha Ranta?
Born in 2000 in Shimla, Pratibha Ranta made her acting debut in the 2020 TV show Qurbaan Hua opposite Karan Jotwani. The show had Pratibha in the lead role but was cancelled in September 2021 due to low ratings. The actress was then seen in Aadha Ishq, another TV show. In March this year, Pratibha appeared in her first film – Kiran Rao’s Lapataa Ladies, alongside fellow young actors Sparsh Srivastava and Nitanshi Goel. Her performance in the film won her applause from both critics as well as the audiences. Her stature received a boost when Laapataa Ladies received an OTT release in May.
How Pratibha Ranta became the national crush after Heeramandi
Pratibha’s next on-screen appearance was in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix show Heeramandi. The young actress played Shama, the ambitious daughter of Sanjeeda Sheikh’s character Waheeda. Despite the presence of heavyweights like Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, and Aditi Rao Hydari, Pratibha managed to leave a mark in the show. Online, many have commented that she was more impressive than Sharmin Segal, one of the show’s lead stars. Her simplicity and screen presence led to her being called the new national crush, a term that has been used in the past for actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, and Shraddha Kapoor among others.
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