Kritika Kamra (born 25 October 1988) is an Indian actress known for her unconventional choices and portraying strong women on screen. She has carved a niche in the Indian film industry with her roles in Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed and Amazon Prime Video’s series Tandav and Bambai Meri Jaan. Her most recent release, Gyaarah Gyaarah, has been received well, solidifying her reputation as a versatile actress in the digital space. She is currently filming Matka King, directed by Nagraj Manjule, where she stars opposite Vijay Varma.Kamra began her acting career with television, gaining widespread popularity as Arohi in the show Kitani Mohabbat Hai. Her portrayal of Dr. Nidhi in Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge and Ananya Kashyap in Reporters further cemented her status of as a leading actress in the industry, earning her both critical and popular acclaim.

Early life

Kamra was born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh and grew up in her hometown Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh. She belongs to a Punjabi Hindu family. She did her early schooling at Anand Primary School, Sukhpur, where her father is a dentist and mother a nutritionist and an educationist in Shri Anandpur Trust Charitable Hospital, Ashoknagar. She also briefly attended Tara Sadan Sr. Secondary School in Ashoknagar. She completed her middle school from St. Joseph's Senior Secondary School, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and then pursued secondary and higher secondary studies at Delhi Public School, New Delhi. She then went on to study fashion at National Institute of Fashion Technology but dropped out after her first year, as she was cast for ''Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar''.

Career

Kamra made her acting debut in 2007, with ''Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar''. In 2009, she played a singer, Arohi in ''Kitani Mohabbat Hai'' opposite Karan Kundra. The show was well received and earned her praises. From 2009 to 2010, she played Kajol / Prateeksha in ''Pyaar Ka Bandhan''.From 2010 to 2011, she reprised Arohi in ''Kitani Mohabbat Hai 2'' opposite Karan Kundra. From 2011 to 2013, Kamra received praises for playing Dr. Nidhi Verma Mathur in ''Kuch Toh Log Kahenge'', opposite Mohnish Bahl and Sharad Kelkar.In 2015, Kamra played a reporter, Ananya Kashyap opposite Rajeev Khandelwal, in ''Reporters''. In 2017, she played a princess Chandrakanta in ''Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta'', opposite Gaurav Khanna. ''Chandrakanta'' marks her final appearance in a fiction television show till date. In 2021, she played a college student Sana in the web series ''Tandav''. Nairita Mukherjee of ''India Today'' stated, "Kritika's character populate the screen but fail to claw its way into the audience's mind." In 2022, Kamra first played a princess Kamini in ''Kaun Banegi Shikharwati''. In 2022, Kamra first played a princess Kamini in ''Kaun Banegi Shikharwati''. Saibal Chatterjee noted, "Essaying the liveliest of the four roles, Kritika Kamra makes the strongest impression." Next, she played Dolly, a woman in a troubled marriage in ''Hush Hush''. ''ThePrint''s Tina Das was appreciative of her portrayal of a high society woman.Kamra played a reporter Vidhi, in the 2023 film ''Bheed''. Yatamanyu Narain of ''News18'' found her to be "convincing". In the same year, she played Habiba (based on Haseena Parkar), in ''Bambai Meri Jaan''. Anuj Kumar of ''The Hindu'' noted, "Cast against type, Kritika rises to the occasion as the girl who can shoot and slay with equal felicity."

Debut and work in television (2007-2017)

Kamra made her acting debut in 2007, with ''Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar''. In 2009, she played a singer, Arohi in ''Kitani Mohabbat Hai'' opposite Karan Kundra. The show was well received and earned her praises. From 2009 to 2010, she played Kajol / Prateeksha in ''Pyaar Ka Bandhan''.From 2010 to 2011, she reprised Arohi in ''Kitani Mohabbat Hai 2'' opposite Karan Kundra. From 2011 to 2013, Kamra received praises for playing Dr. Nidhi Verma Mathur in ''Kuch Toh Log Kahenge'', opposite Mohnish Bahl and Sharad Kelkar.In 2015, Kamra played a reporter, Ananya Kashyap opposite Rajeev Khandelwal, in ''Reporters''. In 2017, she played a princess Chandrakanta in ''Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta'', opposite Gaurav Khanna. ''Chandrakanta'' marks her final appearance in a fiction television show till date.

Expansion to films and web series (2018-present)

In 2021, she played a college student Sana in the web series ''Tandav''. Nairita Mukherjee of ''India Today'' stated, "Kritika's character populate the screen but fail to claw its way into the audience's mind." In 2022, Kamra first played a princess Kamini in ''Kaun Banegi Shikharwati''. In 2022, Kamra first played a princess Kamini in ''Kaun Banegi Shikharwati''. Saibal Chatterjee noted, "Essaying the liveliest of the four roles, Kritika Kamra makes the strongest impression." Next, she played Dolly, a woman in a troubled marriage in ''Hush Hush''. ''ThePrint''s Tina Das was appreciative of her portrayal of a high society woman.Kamra played a reporter Vidhi, in the 2023 film ''Bheed''. Yatamanyu Narain of ''News18'' found her to be "convincing". In the same year, she played Habiba (based on Haseena Parkar), in ''Bambai Meri Jaan''. Anuj Kumar of ''The Hindu'' noted, "Cast against type, Kritika rises to the occasion as the girl who can shoot and slay with equal felicity."