Tisca Chopra

Tisca Chopra was born on 1 November 1973 in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh into a family of educationists. She grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, as her father was posted as the principal of India International School and later moved back to Delhi. She graduated from Apeejay School, Noida, where her father was the principal. Later she studied English literature at Hindu College, University of Delhi. She also started working actively with amateur theatre. While at college, she started writing for several publications and acting in plays for an amateur theatre group and college festivals. After finishing her education, she moved to Mumbai and trained in acting with notable theatre greats Feroz Abbas Khan and Naseeruddin Shah. She is the grand-niece of the prominent Indian writer Khushwant Singh.

She has won two Filmfare Awards (Chutney (2016)- Best Actress and Best Short Film) Filmfare Short Film Awards#Winners' announcement. For her role in Taare Zameen Par (2007), her best known film, she won Filmfare nominations. In 2011, she appeared in the Love Breakups Zindagi with Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan. Rahasya (2015), won her The People's Choice and Best Actress at Big Star Entertainment Awards. She made her film debut with Platform (1993), opposite Ajay Devgan. She also starred in the hit play Dinner With Friends, where her character of Dia is a complex role of a failed artist. In 2004 she played the role of Prabhavati Devi in Prakash Jha's Loknayak. In 2007, she appeared in Taare Zameen Par with Aamir Khan, where her performance was much lauded. She acted in Nandita Das's directorial debut, Firaaq (2008). In 2011, she appeared in Madhur Bhandarkar's Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji.

For 10ml Love, which is based on the Shakespearean play Midsummer Night's Dream, Tisca was nominated for Best Actress at the 11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival. Her film Ankur Arora Murder Case, written and produced by Vikram Bhatt released in May 2013. Her other notable films are Anup Singh's Qissa, with Irrfan Khan released in 2013, has travelled to over 20 festivals, winning over almost all top awards and much appreciation from audiences and critics, and Rahasya, by UVI Film Production Pvt. Ltd. She has worked in the Marathi film Highway with Umesh Kulkarni and Hindi and Tamil remakes of the Marathi film Kaksparsh, directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.

Theatre

She acted in various plays in Mumbai and soon her work was seen Feroz Abbas Khan's Mahatma vs Gandhi, All The Best and Satyadev Dubey's Inshah Allah. She also starred in Dinner With Friends, a Pulitzer Award-winning play. The play and Tisca garnered a lot of praise from both critics and audiences and has travelled to many cities across the world.

Television

Starting her Television stint with the immensely popular short film format called Star Bestsellers, Tisca starred in two popular films, Ek Shaam Ki Mulaqat and Hum Saath Saath Hain Kya?. This paved the way for leading parts in shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (Star Plus), Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani (Zee TV), Sarkarr:Rishton Ki Ankahi Kahani (Zee TV) and Mariyam Khan - Reporting Live (Star Plus). She hosted a consumer grievances show on (Star News) called Main Hoon Na. Tisca hosted Prayschit - Gunahon Ke Zakhm on Sony Entertainment Television, where she got a chance to reveal the transformation that criminals go through after or during their prison sentence. She starred in 24, in the year 2013. The series was a remake of the American series of the same name, produced by Anil Kapoor, directed by Abhinay Deo, which was premiered on Colors.

Advertising

Tisca has appeared in advertisements for big brands like Tanishq, Titan Eyewear, Dish TV, Kelloggs-All Bran, Horlicks-Gold, and Olay.

Chopra is married to Capt. Sanjay Chopra who is a pilot with Air India. She lives in Mumbai with her husband and her daughter, Tara. She works with several NGOs, supporting education and women's rights.

Films

Television

Short films

Won

• People's Choice: Stardust Best Supporting Actress Award - Taare Zameen Par
• BIG Star Entertainment Awards - Best Actor (In a negative role) - Rahasya
• Tisca won the "Best Actor Female" for Chutney at the Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards 2017. It's a project she not just acted in, but also produced and co-wrote. The "Best Film" (Fiction) award also went to Chutney.
• 24, won Best Television series at The Indian Television Academy (ITA).

Nominated

• Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award - Taare Zameen Par
• Stardust Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Female) - Firaaq
• Star Screen Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Female) - Taare Zameen Par
• V. Shantaram Awards: Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Taare Zameen Par
• Zee Cine Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Female) - Taare Zameen Par
• Indian Film Festival of New York Best Actress - 10ml Love