Himani Shivpuri

{{Infobox person

| image = Himani shivpuri.jpg

| caption = Himani Shivpuri at the launch of her show, I Luv My India.

| name = Himani Shivpuri

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India

(present-day Uttarakhand, India)

| education = The Doon School
National School of Drama

| spouse = {{marriage|Gyan Shivpuri||1995|end=his death}}

| children = 1

| birth_name = Himani Bhatt

| death_place =

| yearsactive = 1984–present

| othername =

| occupation = Actress

| website =

| awards =

}}

Himani Bhatt Shivpuri is an Indian actress who is known for her character roles in Hindi films and Hindi soap operas.{{Cite web |last=Today |first=Telangana |date=8 June 2021 |title=Always great to be back on set: Himani Shivpuri |url=https://telanganatoday.com/always-great-to-be-back-on-set-himani-shivpuri |access-date=7 May 2022 |website=Telangana Today |language=en-US}} She is best known for her role in the films including Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Raja (1995), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Khamoshi (1996), Hero No. 1 (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Bandhan (1998), and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). She has also starred in several other films including Biwi No.1 (1999), Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003).

She is currently working as Katori "Katto" Amma in &Tv's show Happu Ki Ultan Paltan.

Personal life

Shivpuri was born in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, to a Garhwali Brahmin family. Her father, Haridutt Bhatt Shailesh, was a Hindi teacher and mother Shail Bhatt, is a homemaker.{{Cite news |date=22 March 2018 |title=Himani Shivpuri's mother passes away in Varanasi |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/himani-shivpuri-puts-up-a-brave-act-despite-mothers-ill-health/articleshow/63398312.cms |access-date=25 June 2023 |issn=0971-8257}} Himani has a brother, Himanshu Bhatt. She was educated at the all-boys boarding school, The Doon School, where her father, was a Hindi teacher as well as a poet with the pen name “Shailesh”.{{Cite web |date=15 September 2020 |title=Himani Shivpuri: Biography |url=https://www.zee5.com/zee5news/himani-shivpuri-biography |website=Zee5 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305015059/https://www.zee5.com/zee5news/himani-shivpuri-biography |archivedate=5 March 2021 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article2890613.ece?css=print |title=Himani Shivpuri returns to the small screen |last=Tankha |first=Madhur |date=14 February 2012 |work=The Hindu |location=Chennai, India |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619183845/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/himani-shivpuri-returns-to-the-small-screen/article2890613.ece?css=print%2F |archivedate=19 June 2023 |url-status=dead}} At Doon, she was actively involved in dramatics. She began a parallel career in theatre while studying for a postgraduate degree in Organic Chemistry from DAV College Dehradun, India. Later on she took admission in National School Of Drama for pursuing her acting career in 1982. She worked in Phir Wahi Talash as a supporting actress.

She married Kashmiri Pandit actor Gyan Shivpuri, who died in 1995.{{Cite web |url=http://uttaranchal.ws/himani.htm |title=Himani Shivpuri |date=21 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021043835/http://uttaranchal.ws/himani.htm |archive-date=21 October 2007}} She has a son, Katyayan.

Career

After graduating from the National School of Drama in 1982,{{cite news |url=http://chatinterviews.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1373696.cms |title=Himani Shivpuri at indiatimes |work=The Times of India |date=16 January 2006 |access-date=31 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060213172430/http://chatinterviews.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1373696.cms |archive-date=13 February 2006 |url-status=dead}} Shivpuri worked briefly with the NSD Repertory Company and then moved to Mumbai.

Shivpuri made her film debut in 1984 with Ab Ayega Mazaa, followed by In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones a TV film, in (1989), also starring Shahrukh Khan. She acted in many art films thereafter like Shyam Benegal's Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1993) and Mammo (1994), though her big commercial break came with Sooraj R. Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994).

She made her television debut with the serial Humrahi (DD National), directed by Kunwar Sinha, which gave her considerable popularity as her role of Devki Bhojai was widely appreciated. Earlier, she had made brief appearances in Lekh Tandon's TV show Phir Wahi Talash and Shyam Benegal's Yatra. After Humrahi, she became a regular feature on Indian television, starring in serials like Hasratein on Zee TV in 1995 as an unsatisfied wife forced to marry a man double her age and looking out for extramarital affairs to satiate her needs, Kasautii Zindagi Kay, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi as Raksha, Chandni, Dollar Bahu (Zee TV), Josh (Star Plus), Ek Ladki Anjaani Si and most recently in Ghar Ek Sapna (Sahara One) and India Calling (Star One). She has starred Baat Hamari Pakki Hai on Sony Entertainment Television Asia.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Though she works mainly in character actor, she has done some memorable roles in films like Koyla (1997), Pardes (1997), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Anjaam (1994), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001).

Over the years she has worked for many film production houses including Yash Raj Films (owned by director Yash Chopra), Rajshri Productions and Dharma Productions (owned by Yash Johar).

She was seen in J. P. Dutta's film Umrao Jaan.

Himani Shivpuri played Kul in Zee's Hamari Betiyoon Ka Vivaah until 2009.

She briefly appeared in a short documentary film The Facebook Generation. produced by Blue Strike Productions and Dev Samaj Modern School and Directed by Sahil Bhardwaj. The film competed in the Reel to Real film making competition at Harmony 2012 organised by The Global Education and Leadership Foundation and was among the top 10 finalists.