Jennifer Winget

Jennifer Winget (born 30 May 1985) is an Indian actress and television host. She is one of highest-paid television actresses and also the recipient of several accolades including Indian Television Academy Awards.^[1] She started her career as a child actor with the 1995 film Akele Hum Akele Tum and made her TV debut in 2002 with Shaka Laka Boom Boom.

Jennifer Winget
Winget in 2020
Born	(1985-05-30) 30 May 1985 (age 39) Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Kasautii Zindagii Kay Dill Mill Gayye Saraswatichandra Beyhadh Bepannah
Spouse	Karan Singh Grover ​ ​ (m. 2012; div. 2014)​
Awards	Full list

She gained recognition for her roles as Sneha Bajaj in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Ganga Bhatia in Sangam and Dr. Riddhima Gupta in Dill Mill Gayye.^[2] Winget established herself as an actress with her portrayal of Kumud Sundari Desai in Saraswatichandra, Maya Mehrotra in the psychological thriller series Beyhadh and Zoya Siddiqui in romantic drama series Bepannah.

Winget ventured into webseries with ALT Balaji's crime drama Code M for which she was nominated at the Filmfare OTT Awards for Best Actress Series (Female).^[3]

Early life

Winget was born on 30 May 1985^[4] in Bombay, (present-day Mumbai), India.^[5] She is the daughter of a Punjabi Hindu mother, Prabha, and a Maharashtrian Christian father, Hemant Winget, and is often mistaken for a person of non-Indian origins due to her western first name.^[6]

Career

Early work (1995–2009)

Winget started her career as a child actor with the 1995 film Akele Hum Akele Tum and later appeared as a School kid in 1997 film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat which starring Rani Mukerji. At the age of 15 she was seen in the 2000 film Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya as Tanu,^[6] and then appeared as a supporting actor in the Indian film Kuch Naa Kaho at the age of 18.^[7] Later, she went on to work in various Indian TV shows.^[7][8][9] Winget's big break as the lead in television came with the show Karthika, where she played the role of a struggling singer who dreams of making it big.^[10]

She later starred in Kasautii Zindagii Kay, where she played Sneha, the daughter of the protagonists Shweta Tiwari and her performance was praised.^[11] Then she replaced Kavita Kaushik as Natasha in Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa. In 2007, she was seen playing Svetlana in StarPlus popular drama Kahin To Hoga. From 2007–2009 she was portrayed the female protagonist Ganga Bhatia in StarPlus drama Sangam.

In 2008, she participated in Star One's dance reality show Zara Nach Ke Dikha 1 and emerged as the Winner of the show.^{[citation needed]} After winning the former, she hosted the second season of the show along with Dekh India Dekh and the comedy Laughter Ke Phatke both 2009–2010.^{[citation needed]}

Breakthrough in Saraswatichandra (2010–2015)

The same year, she replaced Sukirti Kandpal as Dr. Riddhima Gupta in the medical youth show Dill Mill Gayye opposite Karan Singh Grover and Karan Wahi.^[12] It revolves around Young aspiring medical interns join Sanjeevani in hopes of becoming the best doctors.

Winget at a shoot for Star Plus in 2011

In 2011, she was seen hosted the comedy show Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala and the dance show Nachle Ve with Saroj Khans finale episode. Two years later, In 2013, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's television show Saraswatichandra as the protagonist Kumud Desai opposite Gautam Rode. The story revolves around classic tale of love and heartbreak, Saras and Kumud are soulmates who are repeatedly denied the joy of being together. For her performance she received several accolades including the Indian Television Academy Award for Best Actress Critics.^[13]

Established with Beyhadh and Bepannaah (2016–present)

Following a two year absence, Winget returned in 2016 portrayed her notable role Maya Mehrotra in Sony TV's psychological thriller series Beyhadh. Her portrayal of a complex and obsessive character earned her critical acclaim and a massive fan following.^[14][15] For her performance she earned numerous accolades and appreciation including Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actress (Jury) respectively.

In 2018, she starred as Zoya Siddiqui in Colors TV's romantic drama series Bepannaah opposite Harshad Chopda.^[16][17] It focuses the story of two protagonists Zoya and Aditya who meet in the most unfortunate circumstances. She received praise for her exceptional acting skills, At the Gold Awards, she earned Best Actress (Jury) and Indian Telly Awards for Best Actress in Lead Role.

After the success of first season, In 2019, she starred portrayed the role of Maya Jaisingh in Sony TV's revenge romantic thriller Beyhadh 2 a spiritual successor 2016 series of Beyhadh opposite Ashish Chaudhary and Shivin Narang.

From 2020-22, She ventured into web world with ALT Balaji's crime drama series Code M where she portrayed the role of Major Monica Mehra. Ruchi Kaushal for Hindustan Times wrote "Winget makes an impressive debut on the digital platform as an army lawyer who delves into a high-profile case just days before her wedding".^[18] For her performance she was nominated at the Filmfare OTT Awards for Best Actress Series (Female).^[19]

Personal life

Winget married Karan Singh Grover on 9 April 2012.^[20][21] In November 2014, Winget stated that she and Grover had separated.^[22][23]

Media image

Winget in 2012

Winget has established herself as one of the most popular and highest paid television actress in India.^[24] She is widely noted for her powerful and impactful onscreen roles and performances.^[25] She ranked 5th in Rediff's Top 10 Television Actresses list of 2014.^[26]

In UK-based newspaper Eastern Eye's List of 50 Sexiest Asian Women, she ranked 21st in 2012.^[27] In 2013, she ranked 15th. In 2018, she ranked 13th.^[28] Winget became Times of India's was ranked in Times 20 Most Desirable Women on Television List at 2nd in both 2017 and 2018.^[29][30]

She has also been cover model for various magazines.^[31]

In 2022, Winget contributed to the fight for India’s elephants by spending three days volunteering with Wildlife SOS.^[32]

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1995	Akele Hum Akele Tum	Young girl	Child actor
1997	Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat	School kid
2000	Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya	Tanu		[33]
2003	Kuch Naa Kaho	Pooja		[34]
2013	Life Reboot Nahi Hoti	Aisha Mittal
2018	Phir Se...	Kajal Kapoor

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2002–2003	Shaka Laka Boom Boom	Piya		[35]
2003	Kkusum	Simran		[35]
	Kkoi Dil Mein Hai	Preeti		[36]
2004	Karthika	Karthika
2005–2007	Kasautii Zindagii Kay	Sneha Bajaj		[37]
2006	Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa	Natasha		[38]
2007	Kahin To Hoga	Svetlana		[35]
2007–2009	Sangam	Ganga Bhatia		[39]
2008	Zara Nach Ke Dikha 1	Contestant	Winner	[40]
2009	Dekh India Dekh	Host
	Laughter Ke Phatke			[41]
	Comedy Circus 3	Contestant		[42]
	Dill Mill Gayye	Dr. Riddhima Gupta		[11]
2010	Zara Nach Ke Dikha 2	Host		[43]
2011	Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout	Contestant		[44]
	Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala	Host		[45]
	Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan		Finale episode	[46]
2013–2014	Saraswatichandra	Kumud Desai		[47]
2016–2017	Beyhadh	Maya Mehrotra		[48]
2018	Bepannaah	Zoya Siddiqui		[16]
2019–2020	Beyhadh 2	Maya Jaisingh		[49]

Web Series

Year	Show	Role	Platform	Ref.
2020–2022	Code M	Major Monica Mehra	ALT Balaji	[50][51]
2024–present	Raisinghani VS Raisinghani	Anushka Raisinghani	Sony LIV	[52]

Music videos

Year	Title	Singer	Ref.
2023	Guli Mata	Shreya Ghoshal, Saad Lamjarred	[53][54]

Special appearances

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2006	Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii	Herself		[35]
2007	Kumkum – Ek Pyara Sa Bandhan	Ganga Bhatia		[35]
2009	Perfect Bride	Herself	Dance performance	[55]
2012	Teri Meri Love Stories	Neeti		[56]
2013	Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai	Kumud Desai		[35]
2014	Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai			[35]
2015	Kumkum Bhagya	Herself		[35]
2016	The Kapil Sharma Show	Maya Mehrotra		[57]
2018	Laado 2 – Veerpur Ki Mardani	Zoya Siddiqui		[16]
	Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka			[58]
	Dev 2			[16]
	Udaan			[16]
	Dance Deewane			[16]
2020	Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein	Maya Jaisingh		[49]

Accolades

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Winget

See also

• List of Hindi television actresses
• List of Indian television actresses
• List of Indian film actresses

References

1. "From Rupali Ganguli to Jennifer Winget: Five Highest Paid TV Actresses". Outlook India. February 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
2. "On Television star Jennifer Winget's birthday, take a look at her television journey and stardom". The Indian Express. 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
3. "Bepannah Actress Jennifer Winget Believes She's Headed in the Right Direction. Here's Why". NDTV.com. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
4. "Jennifer Winget Birthday Bumps: 10 Things to know about the Indian TV star!". India.com. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
5. "Jennifer Winget gears up for cinematic debut with Kunal Kohli's 'Phir Se'". The News Reports. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
6. Mehrotra, Mohini (17 August 2007). "Sarees, not mini skirts for Jennifer". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
7. Unnithan, Chitra (14 August 2007). "'I never plan things,' Jennifer". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
8. K, Prema (23 July 2007). "Star Plus to expand primetime with launch of 'Sangam'". Indian Television. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
9. Roy, Priyanka (20 August 2007). "She spreads her wings". The Telegraph. Kolkota. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 28 February 2008.
10. "From a child artist to working in Aashiqui 3: A look back at Jennifer Winget's career". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
11. "Telly heartthrobs' soapy ride to success". The Times of India. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
12. "Will the Original Dr. Riddhima return?". Times of India. TNN. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
13. "Karan Singh Grover, Devoleena bag top honours at ITA awards". in.com. 24 October 2013. Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
14. "Watch: Kushal Tandon saves Jennifer Winget from fire on Beyhadh sets". 8 February 2017.
15. "Jennifer Winget to play a negative character in an upcoming show". India Today. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
16. "Jennifer Winget: Bepannaah presents the idea of second chances in love". The Indian Express. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
17. "Jennifer Winget and Harshad Chopda's Bepannaah makes a smashing debut; rakes in ratings". India Today. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
18. "Code M review: Jennifer Winget, Rajat Kapoor offer a crackling thriller". Hindustan Times. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
19. "Exclusive! Check The Nominees For The Flyx Filmfare OTT Awards". filmfare.com. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
20. "Karan Singh Grover's link ups - Karan Singh Grover's link-ups - The Times of India". The Times of India. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
21. Maheshwari, Neha (22 April 2012). "I've no strategies to keep Karan tied down: Jennifer Winget". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
22. Bajwa, Dimpal (9 December 2014). "Karan Singh Grover confirms divorce with Jennifer Winget on Twitter". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
23. "Jennifer admits her marriage to Karan Singh Grover is over". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
24. "Kapil Sharma to Jennifer Winget, 10 highest-paid Indian TV actors who charge a hefty amount per episode". GQ India. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
25. "Author-backed to experimental roles: 6 reasons why Jennifer Winget is the undisputed queen of Indian Television". India Today. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
26. "Television's Top 10 Actresses". Rediff. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
27. "Priyanka Chopra named world's sexiest Asian woman". archive.mid-day.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
28. "Sexiest Asian Women List 2018: Deepika Padukone reclaims sexiest Asian woman on the planet crown". Eastern Eye. 5 December 2018.
29. "Meet The Times 20 Most Desirable Women on TV - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
30. "Meet TV's most desirable actresses - Times of India". The Times of India. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
31. "Exclusive! Jennifer Winget's summer style is spot on in this magazine cover". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
32. "A Volunteer To Remember: Indian Actress Jennifer Winget, With Wildlife SOS For Elephants!". Wildlife SOS. 14 August 2022.
33. "Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya(2000)". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012.
34. Vaid, Kritika (6 May 2018). "Did You Know Jennifer Winget and Aishwarya Rai Once Shared Screen Space? Check Pics". India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News | India.com. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
35. "Jennifer wants to experiment". The Times of India. 30 June 2008.
36. "Sony to debut Balaji's next 'Kkoi Dil Mein Hai'". MUMBAI: Indian Television Dot Com Pvt Ltd. 29 November 2003. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
37. "My man should be like Richard Gere". The Times of India. 10 August 2007.
38. "Jennifer Winget to romance filmmaker Kunal Kohli". The Times of India. 3 October 2014.
39. "Sangam hoga ki nahi?". Hindustan Times. 9 June 2008. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015.
40. "Zara Nachke Dikha reunion: Jennifer Winget, Karishma Tanna, Narayani Shastri & others party hard". 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
41. "It's not funny, 'Laughter Ke Phatke' going off air?". MSN. 13 January 2010. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
42. "Comedy Circus returns with 'Teen Ka Tadka'". The Times of India. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
43. Dubey, Rachana (8 May 2010). "Entry, exit!". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
44. "Anchor effect". Hindustan Times. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
45. "There is no question of being overshadowed by the stars in Comedy ka maha muqabla : Jennifer Winget". Yahoo!. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
46. "Jennifer Winget Sunil Grover Genelia Saroj Khan On Shooting Sets Of Dance Reality Show Nachle Ve At RK Studios In Mumbai 2". Rediff.com. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
47. Maheshwri, Neha (25 February 2013). "Saraswatichandra: A lavish love story". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
48. "'Behad' is a good change for me:Jennifer Winget". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
49. "Jennifer Winget confirms being part of Beyhadh 2". The Indian Express. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
50. "Jennifer Winget to Play Army Officer in ALTBalaji's Code M". news18.com. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
51. "Code M review: Jennifer Winget, Rajat Kapoor offer a crackling thriller". Hindustan Times. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
52. "Jennifer Winget, Karan Wahi's 'Raisinghani V/S Raisinghani' First Look Unveiled". The Times of India. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
53. "Shreya Ghoshal and Arabic popstar Saad Lamjarred come together for a musical delight". Mid-day. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
54. Sohail, Safoora (13 July 2023). "Shreya Ghoshal's Arabic singing skills leave fans spellbound [Video]". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
55. "Perfect Bride Rumpa weds Hitesh on TV". The Times of India. 9 December 2014.
56. "Jennifer Winget returns acting with a telefilm". Hindustan Times. 24 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014.
57. "PICS: Sunil Grover flirts with guest Jennifer Winget on The Kapil Sharma show". The Times of India. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
58. "Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka written update, September 11, 2018: Mauli gets suspicious about Nandini and Kunal's relationship". The Times of India. 12 September 2018.

External links

• Jennifer Winget at IMDb
• Jennifer Winget at Bollywood Hungama