While Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Alia Bhatt have had the privilege of coming from film families, there are many top actresses who have made it without being Bollywood royalty. Some have made it on the basis of sheer talent and hard work, while others have had strong industry support and connections. Here’s a look at the top actresses who have no filmy lineage.Radhika Apte: The dusky and exotic beauty got noticed in Onir’s I Am and Shor In The City and has recently attained star status with her roles in Badlapur and Hunterrr. She will be seen in a bold short film for the international market by Anurag Kashyap next.Ileana D’Cruz: The slim Southern import won accolades for her complex debut in Barfi! Her next successful outing was the more mainstream Main Tera Hero and Happy Ending did not help her career. She has her hands full with endorsements at the moment and a mysterious role in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Fan.Kangna Ranaut: We absolutely adore her success story. Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, the unconventional looker has been mocked for her accent, written off, been in bad relationships, ostracised, called a gold digger et al, but she has stayed strong and allowed her work to speak for itself. She has won two National Awards in less than a decade. Gangster, Fashion, Queen, Krrishh 3, Tanu Weds Manu, Revolver Rani are her career milestones. She is known for speaking her mind and her fierce independence. Today, the industry has embraced her with open arms. Tanu Weds Manu Returns is riding on her shoulders.Priyanka Chopra: The bombshell is among the top three superstars in the country and has constantly pushed the envelope with every performance and film. She has also expanded into an international career in singing and acting. Aitraaz, Don, Fashion, Kaminey, Mary Kom, are among the top films of her career. We also admire her fashion evolution. After years of ceaseless enthusiasm and hard work, PC is a force to reckon with and will be seen next in Dil Dhadakne Do.Deepika Padukone: The dusky, dimpled beauty was written off as a non-actress soon after a dazzling debut in Om Shanti Om. A string of flops followed and her career was going nowhere. Homi Adajania’s Cocktail changed the game for her and she became an actor-star to reckon with. The talented all-rounder has been on a rampage since then with a string of blockbusters such as Ram Leela, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Happy New Year, and Piku.Kalki Koechlin: The French-Indian beauty has made it on the basis of sheer talent and unconventional choices. She made a memorable debut as Chanda, the streetwalker with a heart of gold in Dev D, directed by her former husband Anurag Kashyap. Kalki has given stellar performances in independent, festival-favourite flicks like That Girl in Yellow Boots and Margarita With a Straw and balanced it with strong roles in commercial cinema like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.Yami Gautam: She is the Fair and Lovely girl and her commercials are all over television. After a stint in television, the pretty girl from Chandigarh made a successful debut in Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor and played the female lead in Badlapur.Katrina Kaif: Love her or hate her, you cannot ignore her! Katrina Kaif is one of a kind and she has conquered Bollywood unlike anyone else! Of course, a lot of credit goes to Salman Khan for her career but she has backed it up with hard work and determination. Namastey London, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, Welcome, Partner, Race, Singh is Kinng are among her early successes and have earned her the reputation of being lucky for her films but she has also done performance-driven films like New York, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and the upcoming Fitoor, Phantom, and Jagga Jassoos.Nimrat Kaur: The wholesome beauty was known as the Cadbury Silk girl but became an overnight, international star post the success of indie-flick The Lunchbox in which she played a destitute housewife. People could not stop raving about her talent and beauty. However, that did not translate into film offers. She took up a significant role in American television series Homeland last year. This year, she has finally begun shooting for the big-budget thriller, Airlift, opposite Akshay Kumar, and the role is a far cry from The Lunchbox. We wonder how she will surprise us next.
