Mannara Chopra
Chopra in 2017
Born
Barbie Handa

(1991-03-29) 29 March 1991 (age 32)
Ambala, Haryana, India
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Years active2014–present
RelativesSee Chopra family[1]

Mannara Chopra (born Barbie Handa; 29 March 1991) is an Indian actress and model who predominantly works in Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada films. Chopra is a recipient of several accolades including two Santosham Film Awards.[2]

The maternal cousin of actresses Priyanka Chopra and Parineeti Chopra,[3][4] Chopra made her film debut with the romance Prema Geema Jantha Nai and Bollywood debut with the thriller Zid, both in 2014. Chopra went onto appear in films such as Thikka (2016), Rogue (2017) and Sita (2019). In 2023, Chopra earned wider recognition with the reality show Bigg Boss 17, where she emerged as the 2nd runner-up.[5][6]

Early life and family

Chopra was born on 29 March 1991, in Ambala Cantonment, Haryana.[7] Her mother, Kamini Chopra Handa is a jewellery designer and her father Raman Rai Handa, is an advocate at Delhi High Court. She has a younger sister, Mitali Handa, who has studied commerce and is a fashion stylist.[7][8] Chopra completed her schooling from Summer Fields School, New Delhi and pursued a BBA degree and is a fashion designer.

Actresses Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra and Meera Chopra are her cousins.[1] Born as Barbie Handa, she later changed her name to Mannara Chopra, on her cousin sister Priyanka's advice.[2]

Career

Early work and debut (2012-2015)

After completing her education in Delhi, Chopra moved to Mumbai, where she started her career in modelling and moved into advertising.[9] She acted in 40 commercials, Suzuki with Salman Khan, Dulux paints with Farhan Akhtar, Parle Marie with Imtiaz Ali, Myntra, three of them alongside her cousin Priyanka Chopra,[10] including one for Dabur Amla, which she said won her "instant recognition" and landed her an offer in Telugu films.[11] Chopra is the original face of Ganna commercial, and appeared in Amit Trivedi's song '"Bas Bajna Chahiye", the theme song for Gaana.[12] Before making her film debut, she also worked as a fashion designer and as an assistant choreographer, being trained in dance forms like hip hop and belly dancing.[13]

Chopra with her cousin Priyanka Chopra[14] during the music success bash of the film Zid in 2014

By 2014, Mannara ventured into acting, signing up for films in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada. Chopra made her acting debut with the Telugu film Prema Geema Jantha Nai (2014), then credited under her birth name, which featured her as a "very talkative college going girl" opposite Sreerama Chandra.[11] The same year, Chopra made her Hindi debut with Anubhav Sinha's Zid, co-starring Karanvir Sharma. Her portrayal of an obsessive lover was met with mixed reviews.[15] Mohar Basu of Koimoi called her "radiant" though noted that, she needed "a good deal more of experience".[16] The film was a commercially profitable venture.[17]

In 2015, Chopra had special appearance in a song in two Tamil films: Sandamarutham and Kaaval.[18][19]

Career expansion (2016-2022)

Chopra made her comeback to Telugu films and had two releases in 2016. She first appeared opposite Sunil in Jakkanna, which was a hit at the box office. A reviewer for 123 Telugu stated that Chopra had nothing much to do in the film but despite that, she makes a decent debut and does her role "sincerely".[20] In the same year, she also played the lead opposite Sai Dharam Tej in Thikka.[21] The film was a commercial failure but won her the Special Jury Award at the 15th Santosham Film Awards.[22]

Chopra made her Kannada film debut in 2017, with the bilingual Rogue, opposite Ishaan.[23][24] She received another Special Jury Award at 16th Santosham Film Awards for the film. Chopra played Anjali, a women threatened by a goon. Mukta Badipatla of Times of India stated that she "fits in her role perfectly".[25] Post a year break, Chopra played Rupa, a personal assistant in Sita in 2019.[26][27] Hemanth Kumar of Firstpost said that Chopra gets a "poorly written" part.[28]

In 2021, Chopra played Niharika, a singer in the Hindi short film Haale Dil on Broken Notes, opposite Gautam Vig. In 2022, she played Gayi, one of the five friends in Hi Five - Fun and Gun. A reviewer of Times of India found her to be "fantastic" in the film.[29]

Bigg Boss 17 and beyond (2023-present)

Chopra with Ankita Lokhande in Bigg Boss 17

From 2023 to 2024, Chopra appeared on the reality show Bigg Boss 17, marking her Hindi television debut.[30][31] She became one of the highest-paid contestant of the season.[32][33] Chopra emerged as the 2nd runner-up.[34]

In 2023, Chopra also made her web debut with ALT Balaji's Bhootmate, in which she played a ghost Pari.[35] Chopra will next appear in the Telugu film Thiragabadara Saami, opposite Raj Tarun and in the Punjabi film Ohi Chann Ohi Raatan.[36]

Other ventures

Chopra at an event in 2014

In addition to her acting career, Chopra has appeared in various music videos such as Na Hona Tumse Door with Gajendra Verma, Ham Reh Gaye Akele with Pranav Vatsa and Sukoon with Ashmit Patel. Chopra also appeared as a showstopper for Ashima S at the 2017 India Runway Week.[37] In 2023, Chopra made her singing debut with Zara Zara Behekta Hai.[38]

In 2024, Chopra appeared in the music video Saanware opposite Abhishek Kumar, her first project post Bigg Boss.[39]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Films

Year Title Role Language Notes Ref.
2014 Prema Geema Jantha Nai Kaveri Telugu
Zid Maya Hindi [40]
2015 Sandamarutham Herself Tamil Special appearance in a song
Kaaval Dancer Tamil
2016 Jakkanna Sahasraa Telugu
Thikka Virisha Telugu
2017 Rogue Anjali Telugu, Kannada Bilingual film [41]
2019 Sita Rupa Telugu
2021 Haale Dil on Broken Notes Niharika Hindi
2022 Hi Five - Fun and Gun Gayi Telugu
TBA Thiragabadara Saami † TBA Telugu Completed [42]
Ohi Chann Ohi Raatan † TBA Punjabi Completed [43]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2023–2024 Bigg Boss 17 Contestant 2nd Runner-Up [44]
2023 Bhootmate Pari AltBalaji series [35]
2024 Dance Deewane 4 Herself Guest appearance [45]

Music videos

Year Title Singer(s) Ref.
2021 Na Hona Tumse Door Gajendra Verma [46]
2022 Ham Reh Gaye Akele Pranav Vatsa [47]
2023 Sukoon Kartikeya Tiwari [48]
Zara Zara Behekta Hai Mannara Chopra [49]
2024 Saanware Akhil Sachdeva [50]

Awards

Year Award Category Film Ref.
2015 Lions Gold Awards Best Female Debut Zid [51]
2017 Santosham Film Awards Jury Award: Best Actress Thikka [52]
2018 Rogue [53]

References

  1. ^ a b Coutinho, Natasha (2 September 2013). "Chopra family thrilled". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Priyanka Chopra's cousin, Mannara is riding high on success". 17 January 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2023 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  3. ^ Dibyojyoti Baksi (8 November 2014). "Mannara: The latest Chopra sister to enter B'wood". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Here's Priyanka Chopra's another cousin on the block!". India Today. 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  5. ^ Behera, Snigdha (13 October 2023). "Bigg Boss 17: Ankita Lokhande-Vicky Jain, Mannara Chopra, Isha Malviya to enter Salman Khan's reality show". Independent News Service. India TV. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Bigg Boss 17: Mannara Chopra gets eliminated at third spot". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  7. ^ a b Priyanka Chopra is my guardian angel Archived 7 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. The Times of India. (21 January 2013). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  8. ^ 'I was unsure of going topless' – Rediff.com Movies Archived 9 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Rediff.com (10 November 2014). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  9. ^ "From advertising to assistant choreographer: Unknown facts about Bigg Boss 17's contestant Mannara Chopra". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Priyanka Chopra's sister Mannara to debut in Bollywood with Zid". The Times of India. 27 October 2014. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  11. ^ a b There’s a new Barbie in town – Bangalore Archived 26 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine. The Hindu (5 March 2013). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  12. ^ Amit Trivedi's new song 'Bas bajna chahiye' celebrates nostalgia Archived 27 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Times of India. (10 November 2014). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  13. ^ Taking Life as it Comes Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The New Indian Express (11 November 2014). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Priyanka Chopra's sister Mannara is not new to acting" Archived 20 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Times of India. (24 November 2014). Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Barbie Handa rechristens herself as Manaara for Anubhav Sinha's Zid". Bollywood Hungama. 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Zid Movie Review | Mannara, Karanvir Bohra" Archived 13 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Koimoi.
  17. ^ "Zid (2014) - Movie". Box Office India.
  18. ^ "Sandamarutham Movie Review". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Kaaval review: We have seen this tale of corrupt cops before". hindustantimes.com/. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Movie Review : Jakkanna – Mass Comedy". 123 Telugu. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Sai Dharam Tej's Thikka movie launch". Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Thikka review: All over the place". The Hindu. 13 August 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Rogue trailer: Puri Jagannadh, Ishaan pack a punch in this potboiler". India Today. 2 March 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Mannara Chopra busy in Tollywood" Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  25. ^ "ROGUE MOVIE REVIEW". The Times of India. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  26. ^ Adivi, Sashidhar (3 November 2018). "Mannara is all praise for Teja". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  27. ^ "Exclusive! Mannara Chopra reveals details about her next 'Sita' with Kajal Aggarwal". dna. 15 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Sita movie review: Kajal Aggarwal tries her best to elevate a film that has no clue how boring it is". Firstpost. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  29. ^ "Hi Five - Fun and Gun Movie Review". The Times of India. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  30. ^ "Bigg Boss 17: Actress Mannara Chopra enters the stage with 'Laal Dupatta'". The Times of India. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  31. ^ "Bigg Boss 17: Mannara Chopra becomes the first contestant to enter, demands a Golgappe wala, Nail artist and Salon". The Times of India. 17 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  32. ^ "From Ankita Lokhande to Mannara Chopra: highest-paid Bigg Boss 17 contestants". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  33. ^ "Not Ankita Lokhande but Mannara Chopra is the highest-paid BB17 contestant". Zee News Hindi. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  34. ^ "Mannara Chopra's 'Bigg Boss 17' journey ends as the second runner-up". India Today. Archived from the original on 29 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  35. ^ a b "ALT Balaji's series Bhootmate starring Mannara Chopra - Trailer". ALT Balaji - YouTube. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Raj Tarun's 'Thiragabadara Saami' completes filming; set for Feb release". The Hans India. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Mannara Chopra walked the ramp for Ashima S Couture who presented it's [sic] Misty Monochrome Hues Collection dedicated to all the empowered women at IFFD". Fashion and Flick. 30 April 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  38. ^ "Mannara Chopra: I rediscovered my love for music and singing during the pandemic". Times of India. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  39. ^ "Bigg Boss 17's Abhishek Kumar and Mannara Chopra share BTS moments from their music video; netizens praise their chemistry". Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Zid trailer crosses million hits online". The Times of India. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  41. ^ "Angela Krislinzki and Mannara Chopra to make Sandalwood debut with Rogue". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  42. ^ "Mannara Chopra reacts to Kiss controversy during 'Thiragabadara Saami' promotions". Outlook India. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  43. ^ "Yuvraaj Hans and Mannara Chopra begin shooting for their next 'Ohi Chann Ohi Raatan'". PTC Punjabi. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  44. ^ "Bigg Boss 17: Mannara Chopra and Munawar Faruqui's journey in the house brings tears to all". Mid Day. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  45. ^ "Dance Deewane 4: Check out Madhuri Dixit and Mannara Chopra's style diaries". NDTV India. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  46. ^ "Na Hona Tumse Door Full Song - Gajendra Verma ft. Mannara Chopra". YouTube. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  47. ^ "Ham Reh Gaye Akele Full Song - Pranav Vatsa ft. Mannara Chopra". YouTube. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  48. ^ "WATCH! Kartikeya Tiwari's new song released, Ashmit Patel-Manara Chopra pair up for Sukoon". News18 India. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Zara Zara Behekta Hai ft. Mannara Chopra". Saregama Music - YouTube. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  50. ^ "Saanware Full Song - Akhil Sachdeva ft. Mannara Chopra and Abhishek Kumar". YouTube - Play DMF. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  51. ^ "The Fabulous Chopra Girls: Priyanka, Parineeti, Mannara, Meera". NDTV. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  52. ^ Nymisha (13 August 2017). "Santosham South India Film Awards 2017 Winners". Telugu360.com. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  53. ^ "16వ 'సంతోషం' అవార్డ్స్: ఉత్తమ నటుడు చిరంజీవి". Samayam Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 27 November 2020.

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