Katrina Kaif (pronounced [krina kf]; born Katrina Turquotte, also spelt Turcotte; 16 July

1983) is a British Indian film actress and model. She is primarily known for her work
in Bollywood films, and has appeared in Telugu and Malayalam films. In addition to being one of
Bollywood's highest-paid actresses, Kaif is cited in the media as one of India's most attractive
celebrities.
Born in Hong Kong, Kaif and her family lived in numerous countries for varying lengths of time
before she migrated to India. Kaif received her first modelling assignment as a teenager, and
later pursued a career as a fashion model. During a show in London, Kaizad Gustad cast her in
his film Boom (2003), a critical and commercial failure. While shooting for the picture in India,
Kaif began receiving other assignments. She soon established a successful career as a model,
but filmmakers were hesitant to cast her due to her poor grasp of Hindi. After appearing in a
successful Telugu film Malliswari (2004), she earned commercial success in Bollywood with the
romantic comedies Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) and Namastey London (2007), and garnered
praise for her performance in the latter. She followed with a series of box office hits, but was
criticised for her acting, repetitive roles and inclination to male-centric films.
A performance oriented role in the 2009 terrorism drama New York was more well received,
earning her praise and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. She subsequently featured
in more prominent roles in successful films like Raajneeti (2010), Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara (2011), Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) and Ek Tha Tiger (2012). She also featured
briefly in the action thriller Dhoom 3(2013), which emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood
film of all time. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics for her acting prowess, she has
established herself as a commercially successful actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting, Kaif is involved with her mother's charity and participates in stage shows.
She is known to be particularly guarded about her personal life, of which has been the subject of
extensive media scrutiny. Kaif's background has also been the topic of much discussion, having
being accused by various sources of fabricating her history.