Swara Bhasker (also spelled Bhaskar; born 9 April 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films.
Best known for her supporting work in mainstream productions and starring roles in independent films, she has won two Screen Awards and has received four Filmfare Award nominations.
Swara Bhasker was born on 9 April 1988 in Delhi to C. Uday Bhaskar, an Indian Navy officer of Telugu descent, and his wife Ira Bhaskar, a professor of cinema studies in Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi who is of Bihari origin.
Her maternal grandmother was from Varanasi.
Bhasker grew up in Delhi, where she did her schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya.
She subsequently studied English literature at Delhi University's Miranda House where she was classmates with another actress, Minissha Lamba.
She did her master's degree in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
Before Bhasker started acting in films she was associated with N. K. Sharma's "Act One" theater group in Delhi.
2008
She shifted to Mumbai in 2008 and made her acting debut with the 2009 film Madholal Keep Walking, which was screened at the 33rd Cairo International Film Festival but underperformed at the box office India.
2009
Swara made her film debut with a supporting role in the 2009 drama Madholal Keep Walking, a commercial failure.
2010
She then played a supporting role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's drama Guzaarish (2010), alongside Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.
Bhasker then appeared in Srinivas Sunderrajan's black and white thriller The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project, which was touted as India's first mumblecore film, made on the budget of inr 40000 and completed in one year, was also the first Indian film to be screened at the Transilvania International Film Festival.
However, both Guzaarish and The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project were box-office failures and Bhasker remained unnoticed for her performances.
2011
She got wider recognition for her supporting role in the commercially 2011 successful romantic comedy-drama Tanu Weds Manu.
Her performance in the film was well received by critics and earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination.
Bhasker garnered widespread recognition from critics and audiences with a supporting role in the 2011's commercially successful romantic comedy-drama Tanu Weds Manu in which she played the role of Payal, the best friend of the film's lead actress Kangana Ranaut.
She received praise and several nominations for her performance, including her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In her first release, she reprised her role of Payal in the romantic comedy-drama Tanu Weds Manu Returns, a sequel to the 2011 film Tanu Weds Manu.
The film and Bhasker's performance received high critical acclaim.
The film was a financial success as well and became one of the few women-centric films that rank among the highest-grossing Indian films.
Her next release was the romantic family drama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, in which she played the role of Rajkumari Chandrika alongside Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor.
Directed by Sooraj Barjatya, the film received mixed reviews.
However, Bhasker's performance was well received by critics and audiences.
With an estimated collection of inr 4000000000, the film became one of the highest-grossing Indian films.
That same year, she played a minor role in the collaborative bilingual X: Past Is Present.
The film was directed by eleven filmmakers, and Bhasker appeared in Nalan Kumarasamy's segment, Summer Holiday, which revolves around a young boy (played by Anshuman Jha), who goes to South India for summer holidays where an Aunty seduced him so that her husband can rape him.
Although the film received mixed reviews, but her role of Aunty was particularly praised.
2013
Swara garnered further praise for her performance in the critically acclaimed romantic drama Raanjhanaa (2013), earning her a second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination.
In 2013, she played the lead role in Listen... Amaya (2013), which also saw the reunion of actors Farooq Sheikh and Deepti Naval after 28 years, and earned positive reviews from critics.
She then appeared in Raanjhanaa, along with Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor, which was one of the highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year.
She received high critical praise as well as her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role of Bindiya in the film.
She appeared in a lead female role in the box-office flop Sabki Bajegi Band opposite Sumeet Vyas and in the moderate successful Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai with Bhanu Uday.
Bhasker served as a host for Shyam Benegal's television mini-series Samvidhaan, which was based on the making of the Indian Constitution.
2014
The series aired on Rajya Sabha TV from March 2014 to May 2014.
2015
In 2015, she reprised her role from Tanu Weds Manu in the film's sequel and later appeared in the family drama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo; both productions were among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of the year.
On her trip to Lahore, Pakistan, Bhasker appeared as a guest in the Pakistani TV comedy show, Mazaaq Raat which was aired in April 2015.
Bhasker had three releases in 2015.
2016
Her starring roles in the independent films Nil Battey Sannata (2016), and Anaarkali of Aarah (2017) earned her further acclaim.
She won the Screen Award for Best Actress (Critics) for the former and was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for the latter.
2018
In 2018, she starred in the comedy-drama Veere Di Wedding, which earned her critical acclaim and a third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
