Aaditi Pohankar

Aaditi Pohankar was born to Sudhir and Shobha Pohankar, both athletes. While in school, she represented Maharashtra in athletics and won medals in 100 metres and 200 metres races.{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |date=25 March 2020 |title='I have arrived': How web series 'She' has given Aaditi Pohankar the role of a lifetime |url=https://scroll.in/reel/956971/i-have-arrived-how-web-series-she-has-given-aaditi-pohankar-the-role-of-a-lifetime |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Scroll.in}}

Pohankar began her career in theatre and had her first film role in Kunasathi Kunitari.{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/straddling-stage-screen-and-stadium/article4040260.ece |title=Straddling stage, screen and stadium |first=K. |last=Santhosh |date=28 October 2012 |website=The Hindu |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323115913/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/straddling-stage-screen-and-stadium/article4040260.ece |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Aaditi-to-debut-in-Mollywood/articleshow/16653417.cms |title=Aaditi to debut in Mollywood |website=The Times of India |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=4 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204073539/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Aaditi-to-debut-in-Mollywood/articleshow/16653417.cms |url-status=live}} She was spotted by director Nishikant Kamat when he saw Makarand's play Time Boy in Mumbai, where the actress starred as a seven-year-old boy.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Kamat made her go through two days of screen tests for a role in his Marathi film Lai Bhaari (2014) and cast her opposite Riteish Deshmukh after being impressed with her temperament. Pohankar revealed that during the shoot, Kamat gave her the liberty to do what she wanted as an actress and to get into her character, she visualized herself as "an evil person".{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Lai Bhaari opened to positive reviews, with Pohankar's villainous character receiving praise.{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-lai-bhaari-is-awesome/20140711.htm |title=Review: Lai Bhaari is awesome |website=Rediff |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323115912/https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-lai-bhaari-is-awesome/20140711.htm |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://starblockbuster.com/aditi-pohankar-vile-yet-beautiful |title=Interview : Aditi Pohankar : Vile Yet beautiful |website=Satarblockbuster |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425115437/http://starblockbuster.com/aditi-pohankar-vile-yet-beautiful |archive-date=25 April 2017}} The film went on to become one of the highest-grossing Marathi films.{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/riteish-deshmukh-would-be-a-fantastic-father-aaditi-pohankar/ |title=Riteish Deshmukh would be a fantastic father: Aaditi Pohankar |date=27 November 2014 |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323115915/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/riteish-deshmukh-would-be-a-fantastic-father-aaditi-pohankar/ |url-status=live}}

In 2017, Pohankar starred alongside Atharvaa in the Tamil film Gemini Ganeshanum Suruli Raajanum.{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Anandhi-walks-out-now-Aaditi-in-Atharvaas-film/articleshow/54938584.cms |title=Anandhi walks out; now, Aaditi in Atharvaa's film |website=The Times of India |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=11 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011231905/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/Anandhi-walks-out-now-Aaditi-in-Atharvaas-film/articleshow/54938584.cms |url-status=live}}

Three years later, Pohankar starred in the Netflix web series She (2020), playing a police constable used as a honeytrap. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in found Pohankar to be "riveting" in the role, adding that she successfully "unlocks her character's complexity".{{cite web |last1=Ramnath |first1=Nandini |title='She' review: Profane games and limp erotic thrills in Imtiaz Ali's first web series for Netflix |url=https://scroll.in/reel/956416/she-review-profane-games-and-limp-erotic-thrills-in-imtiaz-alis-first-web-series-for-netflix |website=Scroll.in}}

Later in 2020, she starred in Aashram, playing the role of a young wrestler who is attracted to the seemingly democratic setup of the ashram, upon learning that her being a Dalit is keeping her from success due to casteism. She gained wider attention for her roles in the Hindi web series She and Aashram (both 2020–present).{{Cite web |date=30 January 2021 |title=Aaditi Pohankar: I want people to remember my roles |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/aaditi-pohankar-i-want-people-to-remember-my-roles-101612009281041.html |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Hindustan Times}}{{Cite web |last=Sachin |first=Ambica |date=24 November 2020 |title=Aaditi Pohankar basks in the success of 'Aashram' |url=https://www.khaleejtimes.com/citytimes/bollywood/aaditi-pohankar-basks-in-the-success-of-aashram |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Khaleej Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=bureau |first=Odisha Diary |date=2 September 2020 |title=Actress Aaditi Pohankar Speaks About Her Journey In MX Player Originals 'Aashram' |url=https://orissadiary.com/actress-aaditi-pohankar-speaks-about-her-journey-in-mx-player-originals-aashram/ |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Odisha Diary |language=en-US}} For this role, she was trained by wrestler Sangram Singh.{{Cite web |title=Ashram 2: Sangram Singh trains Aaditi Pohankar for her role as a wrestler in Aashram |url=https://www.mumbailive.com/en/digital/ashram-2-aditi-pohankar-learned-wrestling-from-world%27s-biggest-wrestler-57510 |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=Mumbai Live}} A reviewer for IANS opined, "Aaditi Pohankar's zestful Pammi stands out for the way the actress traces the character arc."{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Pohankar has appeared in over twenty brand ads and commercials including for Cadbury Munch, Godrej AER, Airtel, Lenskart and Samsung, in which she was directed by Shoojit Sircar.{{cite web |url=https://urbanasian.com/whats-happenin/2015/10/when-aaditi-pohankar-went-fishing-with-the-king-sushant-singh-rajput/ |title=When Aaditi Pohankar went fishing with the King - Sushant Singh Rajput! |date=6 October 2015 |website=Urban Asian |access-date=23 March 2020 |archive-date=23 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323115914/https://urbanasian.com/whats-happenin/2015/10/when-aaditi-pohankar-went-fishing-with-the-king-sushant-singh-rajput/ |url-status=live}}

Pohankar was ranked in The Times Most Desirable Women at No. 47 in 2020.{{Cite web |title=The Times Most Desirable Women of 2020 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/the-times-most-desirable-woman-of-2020-rhea-chakraborty-living-through-a-trial-by-fire-gracefully/articleshow/83312150.cms |url-status=live |access-date=7 August 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608013431/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/the-times-most-desirable-woman-of-2020-rhea-chakraborty-living-through-a-trial-by-fire-gracefully/articleshow/83312150.cms |archive-date=8 June 2021}}

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Category:Indian film actresses

Category:21st-century Indian actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema

Category:Actresses in Marathi cinema

Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema

Category:Female models from Mumbai

Category:1994 births