Born on July 27, 1990, Kriti Sanon grew up in Delhi. She did her schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, and then pursued B.Tech in Electronics and Communication from JIIT, Noida. Kriti hit the ramp at the age of five and rubbed shoulders with biggies like Madhu Sapre and Milind Soman on the stage (All photos/Kriti Sanon's Instagram account, AFP)

Before entering Bollywood, Kriti Sanon was a model for several years. However, she describes modelling as a hobby and insists that acting came "naturally" with time. "Modelling has never been a career for me, it was always a hobby. I was modelling while pursuing my B.Tech. So, the obvious choice after finishing my studies was to do a job. But while I was modelling and doing TV commercials, I really loved being in front of the camera. I enjoyed the shooting process," she had said in an interview with mid-day

Kriti Sanon gives credit to modelling for giving a boost to her confidence. "I feel that modelling has groomed my personality and made me a confident person, but even today when I go on the ramp, I get nervous. I am more comfortable being in front of the camera than walking on the ramp," said Kriti

After appearing in various commercials of top brands, Kriti Sanon made her Bollywood debut in 2014 with Heropanti opposite Tiger Shroff. The film was declared a hit at the box office. In the same year, Kriti made her Telugu debut as well. She starred in Mahesh Babu's psychological thriller 1: Nenokkadine

In the consecutive year, Kriti Sanon starred in another Telugu film - Dohchay - starring Naga Chaitanya. The movie was heavily inspired by the British series Hustle, however, fans gave a thumbs up to the film and it did well at the Box Office

"I am open to doing films down South and I want to strike a balance between South and Bollywood industry. I have done films in Telugu and I feel that Southern industry has evolved over the years. So, I am okay doing films in South," she was quoted saying in an interview then.

The actress, who is also blessed with an hour-glass figure, believes that the Southern industry is not only about 'healthy actresses'. "Southern industry is not really about healthy actresses and I was never asked to gain weight to be part of any South film," she added

In 2015, Kriti Sanon also featured in Rohit Shetty's multi-starrer Dilwale. Kriti was paired opposite Varun Dhawan in the film, which also starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Though the film bombed at the Box Office, Kriti and Varun's chemistry in the film was lauded

While shooting for Dilwale, Kriti Sanon had recalled the first scene with Shah Rukh where she had to scold him. The superstar's friendly nature made the shot easy for her. "I have grown up watching his films. For me, he was like Shah Rukh Khan the star. But when I met him, I realised he is very normal. The best thing about him is how comfortable he makes you feel. And his behaviour is the same with everybody whether it's an AD, spot boy or a character artiste. Once you meet and have spoken to him, you don't feel the pressure to act opposite him. It was more of a learning experience to work with him"

After a gap of two years, Kriti Sanon featured in two films back-to-back. While her first release of 2017 - Raabta - opposite Sushant Singh Rajput failed to impress the audience, her second outing - Bareilly Ki Barfi - became a major sucess at the Box Office

On the personal front, Kriti Sanon, who comes from a modelling background, can be described as a fuss-free dresser who loves her ganjis and denims. "I like wearing simple ganjis with denims. I have lots of colourful plain ganjis that I team up with tops, jackets and shirts. Apart from that often sport casual day dresses and maxi dresses. I am more comfortable in western outfits than Indian ones. But I prefer wearing sarees, Patiala salwar suits, anarkalis occasionally on pujas, weddings or festivals," said Kriti while sharing her wardrobe secrets and beauty tips with us

Talking about her favourite style, she said, "Though I prefer wearing denims with simple T-shirts, the saree remains my most favourite outfit. I feel a saree makes a woman look beautiful and sexy at the same time. My favourite accessory is an ear cuff. It's simple and stands out. However, the only thing I wear on a regular basis is a nice watch. In footwear, I prefer flats to heels. It can be simple chappals or pumps or sporty sneakers"

Kriti Sanon's wardrobe must-haves are - "According to me, the five must-haves in a woman's wardrobe are a pair of good and comfortable denims, a white T-Shirt, a black dress, a comfortable day dress and good lingerie to complement various outfits"

On the film front, Kriti Sanon was last next seen in Mimi, which was touted to be the most important film of her career. The film's story is based on surrogacy and has been directed by Laxman Utekar, who made the very successful Luka Chuppi with her in 2019. The actress also bagged a lot of appreciation and awards for the film. She is all set to woo the audience with her upcoming films - Adipurush, Bhediya, Ganpath, Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali, Shehzada, and Bhediya

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Kriti!