Anusha Dandekar
Dandekar in 2023
Born (1980-01-09) 9 January 1980 (age 44)
Khartoum, Sudan
NationalityAustralian
Occupations
  • VJ
  • host
  • actress
  • singer
  • model
Years active2003–present
Relatives

Anusha Dandekar (born 9 January 1980) is an Indian-Australian MTV VJ, actress and singer, who is best known as a VJ and a host who has hosted several shows.

Early life

Dandekar was born in Sudan on 9 January 1982[1][2] into a Marathi family of Shashidhar and Sulabha Dandekar, originally from Pune, India.[3] She and her sisters, actress and model Shibani Dandekar and Apeksha Dandekar grew up in Kingsgrove, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia.[4]

Career

Dandekar at the launch of her first single

In 2002, at the age of 19, Dandekar moved to Mumbai, Maharashtra to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She was cast as an anchor in MTV's House of Style. She later hosted MTV Dance Crew, MTV Teen Diva, MTV News and MTV Love School[5] for the network.

In 2008, she won Best VJ at the Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female Awards.[6] As of 2014, Dandekar is a judge on India's Next Top Model alongside model-actress Lisa Haydon.[7][8]

In 2003, Dandekar made her acting debut in Bollywood with Mumbai Matinee and went on to do Viruddh in 2005,[9] alongside Bollywood veterans Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Sharmila Tagore and John Abraham.[10] Her performance in the film won her the Best Debut Award at the Maharashtra Times Awards in 2006.[11] She then went on to star in the musical Miss Bollywood. Later in 2006, she starred in Anthony Kaun Hai? alongside Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt.[12] In 2012, she made her Marathi film debut with her role in Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha.[13]

In 2012, Dandekar made her music debut with single Better Than Your Ex. The song, in the English language, was released in June.[14][15]

A fashion icon, Dandekar has also graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, Elle and Seventeen. She has also endorsed the brands Reebok, Toni & Guy, Crocs and Lee Jeans.[16]

In 2017 she became a mentor on a show India's Next Top Model, which is aired on MTV India.

Discography

Year Title Peak chart positions Notes
US CAN UK
2012 Better Than Your Ex — — — Single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Filmography

Year Title Role
2003 Mumbai Matinee Anusha the Temptress
2005 Viruddh Jenny
2006 Anthony Kaun Hai? Rosa
2008 Hello Shefali
2010 City of Gold Manasi
Lalbaug Parel Manasi
2011 Delhi Belly VJ Sophaya
2012 Jai Jai Maharashtra Maaza Ashwini Stevenson
2018 Bhavesh Joshi Superhero Dancer in the song "Chavanprash"
2023 Baap Manus

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2008 MTV Dance Crew Host
2009 MTV Teen Diva
2010 MTV Rock On
2015-2018 India's Next Top Model
2016-2019 MTV Love School
2019-2021 Supermodel of the Year

Special appearances

Year Title Role Notes
2018 MTV Troll Police Guest
Ace of Space 1

Awards and nominations

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2004 Mumbai Matinee Stardust Award for Most Exciting New Face Nominated
2006 Viruddh Stardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female Nominated
2006 Viruddh Maharashtra Times Sanmaan Best Debut Award Won
2007 Herself Filmfare Award for Best Face Nominated
2009 Herself Cosmopolitan Fun Fearless Female Award for Best VJ Won [6]
2010 Herself Femina's List of 50 Most Beautiful Women in India Award Won

References

  1. ^ "Long distance love". The Telegraph. 22 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ Gahlaut, Kanika (16 June 2003). "Not an item". India Today. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ^ Kharade, Pallavi (9 August 2006). "People like anything about celebrities". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 January 2012. Very few people know that, being a Maharashtrian, Anusha speaks fluent Marathi.
  4. ^ Sen, Zinia (1 July 2009). "I've never faced racism". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Anusha Dandekar not keen to work on small screen". The Times of India. 15 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Cosmopolitan awards 2008". masala.com. 25 November 2008.
  7. ^ "We need to bring back concept of supermodels: Anusha Dandekar". Zee News. 3 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Anusha Dandekar, Lisa Haydon launch 'India's Next Top Model'". Sify. 1998–2014. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  9. ^ Mulla, Zainab (9 January 2017). "Anusha Dandekar birthday: MTV Love School 2 hosts Karan Kundra & Anusha Dandekar are truly in love!". India.com.
  10. ^ "Can you recognise this young girl? She has grown up to be one of India's most popular VJ". The Times of India.
  11. ^ "Here are the talkies!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 14 September 2005. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  12. ^ "Anthony Kaun Hai". Zee News. 1 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.((cite news)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. ^ "How Anusha overcame her nauvari woes". Pune Times. 6 June 2012.
  14. ^ "Anusha's Better Than Your EX!". MTV India. 7 June 2012.
  15. ^ Chaudhuri, Nupur (29 April 2012). "MARATHI MULGI GETS HER DUE". The Times of India.
  16. ^ "OC INTERVIEW: OPEN CHEST INTERVIEW WITH MTV VEEJAY, ANUSHA DANDEKAR". openchest.com. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anusha Dandekar.
Authority control databases: Artists
Categories