Antara Biswas

Antara Biswas (born 21 November), known professionally as Monalisa, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Bhojpuri films and Hindi television. She participated as a contestant on Bigg Boss 10 in 2016 and is best known for portraying Mohana Rathod in the supernatural drama Nazar.^[1] Monalisa is considered as one of the highest paid Bhojpuri actress.^[2][3]

Antara Biswas
Monalisa in 2022
Born	Antara Biswas 21 November Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Other names	Monalisa
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1997–present
Spouse	Vikrant Singh Rajpoot ​ ​ (m. 2017)​

Early life

Antara Biswas was born to a Bengali Hindu family on 21 November.^[4][5] She adopted the stage name of Monalisa at the behest of her uncle.^[4] She studied at Julien Day School in Elgin Road, South Kolkata, and graduated from Ashutosh College of the University of Calcutta, earning a BA degree in Sanskrit before starting out a few years ago as a small-time TV actress and model in Odia video albums.^[6]

Career

Monalisa in 2010

Monalisa acted in several low-budget films before making her debut in Bollywood with Blackmail, starring Ajay Devgn and Suniel Shetty.^[6] She then acted in South Indian films before coming to notice through her role in Tauba Tauba opposite Amin Gazi. She acted in a Kannada film titled Jackpot.^[7]

Monalisa made her Bhojpuri film debut with Bhole Shankar alongside Mithun Chakraborty and Manoj Tiwari. The film was a major commercial success and broke the standing record for biggest opening for a Bhojpuri film.^[8] She further established herself as a leading actress in Bhojpuri cinema with successful films such as Hum Bahubali, Saat Saheliyan, Devra Bada Satawela and Devra Bhail Deewana among others.^[9]

Monalisa's most notable role on television include her playing Mohana Mehta Rathod in Nazar, Iravati Verma in Namak Issk Ka and Yamini Raichand in Bekaboo.^[10][11] In 2022, she participated in Smart Jodi with her husband, Vikrant Singh Rajpoot and later played Rama in Favvara Chowk.^[12][13]

Personal life

She married Bhojpuri actor Vikrant Singh Rajpoot in the Bigg Boss house on 17 January 2017.^[14][15]

Media image

Monalisa in 2009

Monalisa is considered in the media as one of the most popular and highest paid Bhojpuri actress.^[16][17] She is also one of the most followed Bhojpuri actress on Instagram with over 5.8 million followers.^[18][19] In 2010, The Hindu stated that Monalisa (along with Rinku Ghosh) was the most sought after actress in the Bhojpuri film industry.^[20]

Filmography

Bhojpuri films

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2008	Bhole Shankar			[21]
	Khatailal Mithailal
	Kaha Jaiba Raja Najariya Ladaike
	Tu Babua Hamaar
	Shrimaan Driver Babu
2009	Ho Gaini Deewana Tohra Pyar Me
	Kahan Jaiba Raja Nazariya Ladai Ke
	Hum Bahubali	Radhika
	Dulha Albela	Dulhan
	Ranbhoomi
	Pratigya	Dancer	Special appearance in song "Lehariya Luta Ae Raja"
	Hum Hai Khalnayak
	Sindur Daan
	Jade Mein Balma Pyara Lage
	Sahar Wali Jaan Mareli
2010	Ek Aur Kurukshetra
	Tu Jaan Hau Hamaar
	Dharmatma
	Nathuniya Pe Goli Maare
	Bhojpuriya Don	Don's lover
	Rangbaz Daroga	Aanchal
	Nainihal
	Saat Saheliyan	Mona
	Devra Bada Satawela	Mona		[22]
	Mrityunjay		Special appearance
	Loafer
	Kanoon Hamra Mutthi Mein
	Daraar
2011	Mora Balma Chail Chabila
	Apne Begaane
	Aakhri Rasta	Bindu
	Barood
	The Great Hero Hiralal	Hiralal's lover
	Gundairaj
	Ladaai La Ankhiyan Ae Lounde Raja
	Kartavya
	Hamaar Devdas	Paro
2012	Bhaiya Hamar Dayavan
	Mehraru Bina Ratiya Kaise Kati
	Dacait			[23]
	Khuddar	Sunita		[23]
	Naagin
	Khoon Pasina	Rama
	Elan E Jung
2013	Bhaiya Hamar Dayavan
	Rang De Pyar Ke Rang Mein
	Jaan Lebu Ka Ho
	Banaraswali
	Pratibandh
	Desh Pardesh
	Kasam Wardi Ke
	Biwi No. 1
	Lagal Sanheiya Ke Dor
	Saala Main To Sahib Ban Gaya
	Ziddi Aashiq
	Saawariyan Tose Laagi Kaisi Lagan
	Mati Preet Jagawale
	Zanzeer
	Ishq Ka Manjan Ghise Hai Piya
	Gumrah
	Ijjat
	Chhamia Bhelwali
	Jeevan Yudhh
	Saiyan Bhailan Pardesiyaa
	Jodi No. 1
	Ghulam
	Mita Deb Raavanraaj
	Budhwa Tamtamwala
	Lagal Ba Pyar Ke Bukhar
	Tulsi Bin Suna Anganwa	Tulsi
	Ganga Putra
	Chedi Ganga Kinarewala
	Natawar Lal
	Ek Nihattha
2014	Devra Bhail Deewana	Mona		[24]
	Khoon Bhari Hamaar Maang	Mona
	Adalat
	Tere Naam
	Kare La Kamaal Dharti Ke Laal
2015	Raja Babu	Dolly Singh
	Prem Leela
	Saiyan Toofani
	Suhag
	Rakhtbhoomi
2017	Sarkar Raj
	Jai Shree Ram
	Pawan Raja	Mona
2018	Jeena Marna Tere Sang	Sita		[25]
	Dulhan Chahi Pakistan Se 2	Dancer	Special appearance in song "Susuk Susuk Ke Royi Thi"	[26]
	Dabangg Mora Balma			[27]
	Mafia			[28]

Other language films

Year	Title	Role	Language	Notes	Ref.
1997	Jayate	Aarti	Hindi
1998	Hamam fi Amsterdam		Odia
1999	Jai Sriram	Rima Das
2001	Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence	Dancer	Hindi	Special appearance in song
2002	Wrong Number		Odia
2003	Top Somrat		Bengali	Bangladeshi film
2004	Adhikar
	Tauba Tauba	Rubina	Hindi		[29]
	Ab Bas!			Special appearance
2005	Ek Hi Bhool	Tanvi
	Jalwa: Fun in Love	Manisha Tripathi / Tanya "Chinky"
2005	Bunty Aur Babli	Dancer		Special appearance in song "Bunty Aur Babli"	[30]
	Blackmail	Dancer
	Bobby: Love and Lust	Bobby D'Costa
2006	Jackpot	Laila	Kannada		[31]
	Half Fry Hyderabadi		Hindi
2007	Love Guru
	Kaafila	Niharika
	Jagadam	Dancer	Telugu	Special appearance in song "36-24-36"
2008	Encounter Dayanayak		Kannada
	Money Hai Toh Honey Hai	Manish Sarraf’s wife	Hindi		[32]
	Vathiyar		Tamil	Cameo appearance
	Nagaram		Telugu
	Silambattam	Herself	Tamil	Cameo appearance
2009	Boni	Dancer	Telugu	Special appearance in song
2010	To The London Calling	Sonia / Urvashi	Hindi
	Ek Chatur Naar
	Royal Utsav
	Hamilton Palace
	Khoobsurat – The Beauty
	Meri Life Mein Uski Wife	Dipal
2011	Khubsurat Naukrani
	Bablu		Telugu
	Kadhalukku Maranamillai		Tamil
2012	En Peyar Kumarasamy
2016	Saugandh Chee Maa Baap Na	Kajal	Gujarati

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2016–2017	Bigg Boss 10	Contestant	6th place	[33][34]
2017	Nach Baliye 8		8th place	[35]
2018–2020	Nazar	Mohana Mehta Rathod		[36]
2019	Kitchen Champion	Contestant
2020	Nazar 2	Madhulika Chaudhary		[37]
2020–2021	Namak Issk Ka	Iravati Verma
2021	Ankahee Dastaan: Nazar	Mohana Rathod	Telefilm
2022	Smart Jodi	Contestant		[38]
2022–2023	Favvara Chowk	Rama		[39]
2023	Bekaboo	Yamini Raichand		[40]
2024	Laal Banarasi	Nayantara Sinha		[41]
	Mata Ki Mahima	Indrayani
	Shamshaan Champa	Mohini
2024–present	Prem Leela	Rudrakshi		[42]

Special appearances

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2012	Bigg Boss 6	Herself	[43]
2016	Comedy Nights Bachao
2017	Comedy Dangal
2019	Divya Drishti	Mohana Mehta Rathod	[44]
2020	Bigg Boss 14	Herself	[45]
2022	Good Night India

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2018	Dupur Thakurpo: 2	Jhuma Boudi
2020-2022	Ratri Ke Yatri	Prostitute	2 seasons	[46]
2022	Dhappa	Meera	Episode: "Raat Ki Baat"	[47]
	Hasratein	Shararat Bai	Episode: "Shararat Bai"	[48]
2023	Bajao	Tanvi Choudhary

Award and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2015	Bhojpuri Film Awards	Best Actor – Female	Adalat	Nominated	[49]
2019	Indian Telly Awards	Best Actress in a Negative Role	Nazar	Nominated	[50]
2020	Kalakar Awards	Most Stylish Vamp		Won	[citation needed]
2025	IIA Awards - 8th Edition	Most Promising Actress	Preemleela	Won	[citation needed]

See also

• List of Bhojpuri actresses