Divya Khosla Kumar is an Indian actress, producer, and director who works in Hindi films. She has directed various advertisements and has also been featured in several music videos. She is married to Bhushan Kumar, the chairman and managing director of T-Series music label and film production company. She has directed two films; the romantic comedy Yaariyan (2014) and the romantic drama Sanam Re (2016).

Personal life

She married Bhushan Kumar on 13 February 2005 at the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The couple has a son born in October 2011.

Career

Divya started her career as a model and later appeared in a number of music videos. In 2003, she starred in the popular music video ''Kabhi Yaadon Mein Aaun'', sung by playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya. She also appeared with Salman Khan in ''Zid Na Karo Ye Dil Ka Mamla Hai'', sung by Roop Johri and Kunal Ganjawala. Her acting debut in Telugu cinema was in the 2004 film ''Love Today'', where she starred opposite Uday Kiran. She also appeared in a music video for the pop song 'Aiyyo Rama,' sung by Falguni Pathak. In the same year, she made her Bollywood debut with the film ''Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo'', where she portrayed Shweta, the wife of Major Rajeev Singh (played by Akshay Kumar). The film also featured Amitabh Bachchan and Bobby Deol in main roles. Patcy N of ''Rediff'' noted, "Divya Khosla doesn't have much to do and acts well in a few sequences."She then took a long break from acting and focused on directing. After completing a course in cinematography and editing, Divya directed music videos for Agam Kumar Nigam, Jermaine Jackson, Tulsi Kumar, and a few ad films. After directing 20 music videos, Divya did her first directorial venture ''Yaariyan'' in 2014. The film had a production budget of 9 crore and was produced by her husband Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar under the banner of T-Series. The film received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success. Divya also choreographed five songs in the film, including ''Baarish'', ''Maa'', ''Love Me Thoda Aur'', ''Allah Wariya'', and ''Zor Lagake''.Her second directorial project was ''Sanam Re'', which was a romantic drama released on 12 February 2016. The film starred Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam, Urvashi Rautela, and Rishi Kapoor. The film's title song, ''Sanam Re'', was a hit at Radio Mirchi topping Mirchi Music Top 20 Countdown chart for 21 weeks. In April 2016, the song received the GiMA Award for being the Most Streamed Song of the Year. Kumar has also co-produced many films with T-Series, alongside her husband. In 2021, she appeared opposite John Abraham in ''Satyameva Jayate 2'', playing politician. This film was the sequel to John's 2018 film of the same name. The film received negative reviews; however, the ''Times of India'' noted, "Divya Khosla is pleasant and has a fairly prominent part to play in this otherwise male-dominated movie." Satyameva Jayate 2 revolves around fighting against injustice and misuse of power. The film also starred Rajeev Pillai, Anup Soni, and Sahil Vaid in pivotal roles.In 2019, Divya appeared in the video song ''Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi'', a remix of a 90s song with the same name, sung by Neha Kakkar. The song was released on 16 November 2019, and by 9 December, it had over 100 million views. In 2020, Divya featured in the video song ''Teri Aankhon Mein'' with television actor Pearl V. Puri, sung by Darshan Raval and Neha Kakkar.In 2023, Divya starred as Laadli Chibber Singh Katyal, Abhay's wife, in Radhika Rao's romantic drama ''Yaariyan 2''. The film was a remake of a 2014 Malayalam movie and a sequel to Divya's 2014 Hindi directorial debut film ''Yaariyan''. Radhika Rao directed the film alongside Vinay Sapru, and it was produced under the T-Series banner. Besides Divya, the film featured Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V Puri in lead roles. Divya played the character Laadli, a recovering thalassemia patient living with her mother in Shimla. Her mother wants her to marry into a good family, but Laadli aspires to win a beauty pageant and build a career. The trailer of the film was launched in September 2023. During the trailer launch, Divya revealed that the role in the film is based on her, and the director cast her after seeing her audition in Delhi when she was just 14. The film was released on October 20, 2023, and received mixed reviews. Dhaval Roy of the ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Yaariyan 2 may appeal to fans of romance and drama as it’s packed with both. But a tightly-knit narrative would have made the film far more engaging." The film was released on October 20, 2023, and received mixed reviews. Dhaval Roy of the ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Yaariyan 2 may appeal to fans of romance and drama as it’s packed with both. But a tightly-knit narrative would have made the film far more engaging." Subhash K Jha of ''Times Now'' awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising the co-directors for their adaptation of Anjali Menon’s Malayalam film and their effective depiction of the dynamics among the three cousins. A critic from ''Bollywood Hungama'' described ''Yaariyan 2'' as a decent entertainer, highlighting Divya Khosla’s fine performance. Vinamra Mathur from ''Firstpost'' stated that "rawness" in Khosla Kumar's performance "prevails". On May 5, 2024, Divya announced her next film ''Savi'', which tells the story of a woman who fights to save her family and others by standing up against the government and administration. On May 5, 2024, Divya announced her next film ''Savi'', which tells the story of a woman who fights to save her family and others by standing up against the government and administration. This Hindi action thriller film was directed by Abhinay Deo, who previously directed Delhi Belly and Force 2. Apart from Divya, the film also stars Anil Kapoor and Harshvardhan Rane. The third teaser of the film was released on May 8, 2024. The film was released in theaters on May 31 and received mostly positive reviews.Titas Chowdhury of ''News18'' wrote in her review "the film marks a revelation of sorts as it sees Divya hitting all the emotional notes right, a feat we haven’t had the opportunity of witnessing in the past. She skillfully embodies a complex character, showcasing palpable depth in her portrayal of Savi's vulnerability and strength, creating a unique blend of fragility and fearlessness." Abhishek Srivastava of ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, stating "Divya Khossla takes on the challenging role of ''Savi'', and her hard work is evident in her performance. She remains the focal point throughout the film." Film critic and trade analyst, Komal Nahta wrote "Divya Khosla acts convincingly in the title role. She is able to effectively convey her helplessness and emotions in a foreign land with no help from any legal quarters."She will next appear in the Telugu film ''Hero Heeroine,'' directed by Suresh Krissna. The film was announced with the first look featuring Divya as the lead actress released on January 24, 2024.

Debut, break and work as director (2004-2016)

Divya started her career as a model and later appeared in a number of music videos. In 2003, she starred in the popular music video ''Kabhi Yaadon Mein Aaun'', sung by playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya. She also appeared with Salman Khan in ''Zid Na Karo Ye Dil Ka Mamla Hai'', sung by Roop Johri and Kunal Ganjawala. Her acting debut in Telugu cinema was in the 2004 film ''Love Today'', where she starred opposite Uday Kiran. She also appeared in a music video for the pop song 'Aiyyo Rama,' sung by Falguni Pathak. In the same year, she made her Bollywood debut with the film ''Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo'', where she portrayed Shweta, the wife of Major Rajeev Singh (played by Akshay Kumar). The film also featured Amitabh Bachchan and Bobby Deol in main roles. Patcy N of ''Rediff'' noted, "Divya Khosla doesn't have much to do and acts well in a few sequences."She then took a long break from acting and focused on directing. After completing a course in cinematography and editing, Divya directed music videos for Agam Kumar Nigam, Jermaine Jackson, Tulsi Kumar, and a few ad films. After directing 20 music videos, Divya did her first directorial venture ''Yaariyan'' in 2014. The film had a production budget of 9 crore and was produced by her husband Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar under the banner of T-Series. The film received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success. Divya also choreographed five songs in the film, including ''Baarish'', ''Maa'', ''Love Me Thoda Aur'', ''Allah Wariya'', and ''Zor Lagake''.Her second directorial project was ''Sanam Re'', which was a romantic drama released on 12 February 2016. The film starred Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam, Urvashi Rautela, and Rishi Kapoor. The film's title song, ''Sanam Re'', was a hit at Radio Mirchi topping Mirchi Music Top 20 Countdown chart for 21 weeks. In April 2016, the song received the GiMA Award for being the Most Streamed Song of the Year. Kumar has also co-produced many films with T-Series, alongside her husband.

Return to acting (2017-present)

In 2021, she appeared opposite John Abraham in ''Satyameva Jayate 2'', playing politician. This film was the sequel to John's 2018 film of the same name. The film received negative reviews; however, the ''Times of India'' noted, "Divya Khosla is pleasant and has a fairly prominent part to play in this otherwise male-dominated movie." Satyameva Jayate 2 revolves around fighting against injustice and misuse of power. The film also starred Rajeev Pillai, Anup Soni, and Sahil Vaid in pivotal roles.In 2019, Divya appeared in the video song ''Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi'', a remix of a 90s song with the same name, sung by Neha Kakkar. The song was released on 16 November 2019, and by 9 December, it had over 100 million views. In 2020, Divya featured in the video song ''Teri Aankhon Mein'' with television actor Pearl V. Puri, sung by Darshan Raval and Neha Kakkar.In 2023, Divya starred as Laadli Chibber Singh Katyal, Abhay's wife, in Radhika Rao's romantic drama ''Yaariyan 2''. The film was a remake of a 2014 Malayalam movie and a sequel to Divya's 2014 Hindi directorial debut film ''Yaariyan''. Radhika Rao directed the film alongside Vinay Sapru, and it was produced under the T-Series banner. Besides Divya, the film featured Meezaan Jafri and Pearl V Puri in lead roles. Divya played the character Laadli, a recovering thalassemia patient living with her mother in Shimla. Her mother wants her to marry into a good family, but Laadli aspires to win a beauty pageant and build a career. The trailer of the film was launched in September 2023. During the trailer launch, Divya revealed that the role in the film is based on her, and the director cast her after seeing her audition in Delhi when she was just 14. The film was released on October 20, 2023, and received mixed reviews. Dhaval Roy of the ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Yaariyan 2 may appeal to fans of romance and drama as it’s packed with both. But a tightly-knit narrative would have made the film far more engaging." The film was released on October 20, 2023, and received mixed reviews. Dhaval Roy of the ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Yaariyan 2 may appeal to fans of romance and drama as it’s packed with both. But a tightly-knit narrative would have made the film far more engaging." Subhash K Jha of ''Times Now'' awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, praising the co-directors for their adaptation of Anjali Menon’s Malayalam film and their effective depiction of the dynamics among the three cousins. A critic from ''Bollywood Hungama'' described ''Yaariyan 2'' as a decent entertainer, highlighting Divya Khosla’s fine performance. Vinamra Mathur from ''Firstpost'' stated that "rawness" in Khosla Kumar's performance "prevails". On May 5, 2024, Divya announced her next film ''Savi'', which tells the story of a woman who fights to save her family and others by standing up against the government and administration. On May 5, 2024, Divya announced her next film ''Savi'', which tells the story of a woman who fights to save her family and others by standing up against the government and administration. This Hindi action thriller film was directed by Abhinay Deo, who previously directed Delhi Belly and Force 2. Apart from Divya, the film also stars Anil Kapoor and Harshvardhan Rane. The third teaser of the film was released on May 8, 2024. The film was released in theaters on May 31 and received mostly positive reviews.Titas Chowdhury of ''News18'' wrote in her review "the film marks a revelation of sorts as it sees Divya hitting all the emotional notes right, a feat we haven’t had the opportunity of witnessing in the past. She skillfully embodies a complex character, showcasing palpable depth in her portrayal of Savi's vulnerability and strength, creating a unique blend of fragility and fearlessness." Abhishek Srivastava of ''Times of India'' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, stating "Divya Khossla takes on the challenging role of ''Savi'', and her hard work is evident in her performance. She remains the focal point throughout the film." Film critic and trade analyst, Komal Nahta wrote "Divya Khosla acts convincingly in the title role. She is able to effectively convey her helplessness and emotions in a foreign land with no help from any legal quarters."She will next appear in the Telugu film ''Hero Heeroine,'' directed by Suresh Krissna. The film was announced with the first look featuring Divya as the lead actress released on January 24, 2024.