Divya Khosla Kumar is an Indian actress, producer, and director who works in Hindi films. She is married to Bhushan Kumar, the chairman and managing director of T-Series.[1] She has directed two films; the romantic comedyYaariyan (2014) and the romantic drama Sanam Re (2016) and has produced numerous Hindi films and music videos.
Khosla started her career as a model and appeared in various music videos notably Zid Na Karo Ye Dil Ka Mamla Hai and Falguni Pathak's Aiyyo Rama. She started her acting debut with the telugu film Love Today and her Hindi cinema debut with the film Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (both 2004) before taking a hiatus from acting to focus on direction. On completion of a course in cinematography and editing, she directed several music videos before her directorial debut Yaariyan (2014) followed by Sanam Re (2016).
Khosla returned to acting in 2017 through the short film Bulbul, and since 2021 has starred in the action thriller Satyameva Jayate 2, the romantic dramaYaariyan 2 (2023), and the action thriller Savi (2024).
Debut, hiatus and work as director (2003-2016)[edit]
Khosla started her career as a model and later appeared in a number of music videos. In 2003, she starred in the music video Kabhi Yaadon Mein Aaun, sung by Abhijeet Bhattacharya.[7] She also appeared with Salman Khan in the music video Zid Na Karo Ye Dil Ka Mamla Hai, sung by Roop Johri and Kunal Ganjawala.[8] Her acting debut was in the 2004 telugu film Love Today, where she starred opposite Uday Kiran.[9] She also appeared in a music video Aiyyo Rama sung by Falguni Pathak.[10] In the same year, she made her Hindi cinema debut with the film Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, in which she portrayed Shweta, the wife of Major Rajeev Singh played by Akshay Kumar.[11] Patcy N of Rediff noted, "Divya Khosla doesn't have much to do and acts well in a few sequences."[12]
She then took a long break from acting and focused on directing.[13] After completing a course in cinematography and editing, Khosla directed music videos for Agam Kumar Nigam, Jermaine Jackson, Tulsi Kumar, and a few ad films. After directing 20 music videos, Khosla did her first directorial venture Yaariyan in 2014 starring Himansh Kohl and Rakul Preet Singh. Produced by her husband Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar under the banner of T-Series, the film received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success.[14] Divya also choreographed five songs in the film, including Baarish, Maa, Love Me Thoda Aur, Allah Wariya, and Zor Lagake.[15]
Khosla returned to acting in 2017 with the short film Bulbul also acting as the producer.[20][21] In 2021, she starred opposite John AbrahaminSatyameva Jayate 2.[22][23] This film was the sequel to John's 2018 film of the same name. The film received negative reviews; however, the Times of India noted, "Divya Khosla is pleasant and has a fairly prominent part to play in this otherwise male-dominated movie."[24]
In 2019, Khosla appeared in the video song Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi, a remix of a 90s song with the same name, sung by Neha Kakkar.[25] The music video has had over 100 million views in youtube.[26] In 2020, Divya featured in the video song Teri Aankhon Mein with Pearl V. Puri, sung by Darshan Raval and Neha Kakkar.[27]
In 2023, Khosla starred as Laadli Chibber Singh Katyal in Radhika Rao's romantic dramaYaariyan 2.[28] A remake of the Malayalam movieBangalore Days (2014) and a sequel to her directorial debutYaariyan[29] her character Laadli was seen as a recovering thalassemia patient living with her mother in Shimla, where her mother wants her to marry into a good family, but Laadli aspires to win a beauty pageant and build a career.[28] During the trailer launch of the film, Khosla revealed that the role is based on her, and recalled the memories of her when the director cast her after seeing her audition in Delhi when she was just 14.[30] The film received mixed reviews. A critic from Bollywood Hungama praised Khosla’s performance.[31] Vinamra Mathur from Firstpost wrote "Yaariyan 2 can be best described as a silly sequel to Yaariyan. This isn’t just a sequel but a remake of a Malayalam film, which was released in the same year as the first Yaariyan, 2014 to be precise. There’s a lot happening in the first paragraph itself."[32]
Her next film action thriller Savi (2024) focuses on the story of a woman who fights to save her family and others by standing up against the government and administration,[33] directed by Abhinay Deo, alongside Anil Kapoor and Harshvardhan Rane.[34] The film was released to positive reviews from critics,[35] and was a commercial success at the box office.[36] Titas Chowdhury of News18 wrote that "the film marks a revelation of sorts as it sees Divya hitting all the emotional notes right, a feat we haven’t had the opportunity to witness in the past. She skillfully embodies a complex character, showcasing palpable depth in her portrayal of Savi's vulnerability and strength, creating a unique blend of fragility and fearlessness."[37] Abhishek Srivastava of Times of India stated "Divya Khossla takes on the challenging role of Savi, and her hard work is evident in her performance. She remains the focal point throughout the film."[38]
