Monica Dogra

{{Infobox person

| name = Monica Dogra

| image = Monica Dogra graces the HT Style Awards 2018 (49) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Dogra at the HT Style Awards in 2018

| birth_date =

| birth_place = Olney, Maryland, U.S.

| nationality = American

| education = New York University (B.A., Musical Theatre)

| occupation = Musician, actress

| years_active = 2006–present

| website = {{URL|http://www.monicadogra.com/}}

}}

Monica Dogra is an American musician and actress.{{cite news |last=Addiego |first=Walter |title='Mumbai Diaries' review: a long way from Bollywood |url=https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Mumbai-Diaries-review-a-long-way-from-Bollywood-2461815.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110126195050/http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-01-21/movies/27041200_1_visual-media-bollywood-key-role |url-status=live |archive-date=January 26, 2011 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 21, 2011}}{{cite news |title=Monica Dogra: Bollywood is changing |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Monica-Dogra-Bollywood-is-changing/articleshow/7317589.cms |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=January 22, 2011 |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}}{{cite news |last=Puente |first=Maria |title=Could 'Mumbai Diaries' represent a Bollywood reboot? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2011-01-20-mumbaidiaries20_ST_N.htm |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=USA Today |date=January 20, 2011}} She has acted in six feature films, as well as released five studio albums with the band Shaa’ir and Func. She is a member on the judging panel of India's first English music talent show, The Stage.{{cite news |last1=Suhasini |first1=Lalitha |title=The Stage review: Starry judges, awesome talent, but why does it sound like a karaoke show? |url=http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-stage-review-starry-judges-awesome-talent-but-why-does-it-sound-like-a-karaoke-show-2465248.html |access-date=June 28, 2017 |work=First Post |date=October 13, 2015}} She hosted four seasons of the music-Docu series The Dewarists that was nominated for a Cannes Lion. She also worked on the Viceland Emmy nominated series Woman produced by Gloria Steinem.

Early life

Monica Dogra is the daughter of Dogra Hindu immigrants from Jammu. Her maternal uncle is Dogri folk music singer Prakash Sharma.{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=Ashutosh |title=City girl to act in Amir Khan movie |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101231/j%26k.htm#10 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=Jammu & Kasmir Tribune |date=December 30, 2010 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830150326/http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101231/j%26k.htm#10 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last=Sharma |first=Ashutosh |title=Need to 'preserve' Dogri folk music |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110101/jkplus.htm#8 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=Jammu & Kashmir Tribune |date=December 31, 2011}} She grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}} She attended Oakleigh Elementary School, Montessori and Dulaney High School.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}} She attended New York University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in musical theatre.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}

Career

File:Monica Dogra.JPG

In 2005, she formed{{cite web |last=Datta |first=Pulkit |title=NRI Profile: Monica Dogra |url=http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2010/10/nri-profile-monica-dogra-singer-turned-actress/ |work=NRI |access-date=December 14, 2011 |date=October 20, 2010 |archive-date=December 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227060537/http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2010/10/nri-profile-monica-dogra-singer-turned-actress |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/friction/future_friction0707.shtml |title=BBC Asian Network - Friction |publisher=BBC |language=en-GB |access-date=June 19, 2017}} the electronic rock group "Shaa'ir+Func", along with guitarist Randolph Correia.{{cite web |title=Bio |url=http://www.shaairandfunc.com/bio/ |publisher=Shaairandfunc.com |access-date=December 14, 2011}} In 2007, they released their first album New Day: The Love Album, followed by Light Tribe in 2008 and Mantis in 2010.{{Cite web |date=May 2, 2011 |title=Her Story |url=https://helterskelter.in/2011/05/her-story/ |access-date=June 4, 2021 |website=Helter Skelter Magazine |language=en-US}} She also sang a song "Dooriyan Bhi Hai Zaroori" with Vishal Dadlani in the film Break Ke Baad and the theme song in English (with Shahid Mallya) for the film Inkaar.

She made her acting debut with a guest appearance in Rock On!!.{{Cite news |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/music/pop-music-is-a-scary-little-monster-monica-dogra/story-ErOev3PXhvrpPlaFKwz51H.html |title=Pop music is a scary little monster: Monica Dogra |date=November 23, 2013 |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=July 16, 2018 |language=en}} In 2008, she was approached by Kiran Rao for the lead role in Rao's directorial debut film Dhobi Ghat - a role Dogra initially turned down, but eventually accepted.{{cite news |title=When Monica Dogra said no to Aamir Khan |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/When-Monica-Dogra-said-no-to-Aamir-Khan/Article1-652251.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122142644/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/When-Monica-Dogra-said-no-to-Aamir-Khan/Article1-652251.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2011 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=January 19, 2011 |agency=Indo-Asian News Service}} In December 2011, she served as a judge for Rolling Stone's Never Hide Sounds musical talent contest.{{cite news |last=Singh |first=Nirmika |title=Bands from across country battle it out |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Music/Bands-from-across-country-battle-it-out/Article1-777746.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206030549/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Music/Bands-from-across-country-battle-it-out/Article1-777746.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 6, 2011 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=December 4, 2011}} She is the host of The Dewarists, a musical collaborative show on STAR World India.{{cite news |last=Sen |first=Jhinuk |title=The Dewarists: Passion and 'things worth doing' |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-dewarists-passion-and-things-worth-doing/211602-45.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108073034/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-dewarists-passion-and-things-worth-doing/211602-45.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |access-date=December 14, 2011 |newspaper=CNN-IBN |date=December 13, 2011}} In 2013, she performed with award-winning violinist Scott Tixier, for a series of shows sponsored by Dos Equis around the US.{{Citation needed|date=June 2017}}

In March 2014, she was featured on the cover page of FHM Magazine.{{cite web |title=Monica Dogra becomes Covergirl of FHM Magazine's March 2014 Issue |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/03/monica-dogra-becomes-covergirl-of-fhm-magazines-march-2014-issue/ |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |publisher=news.biharprabha.com |access-date=March 7, 2014}} In March 2013 and May 2015, she was featured on the cover and had a pictorial in Maxim India Magazine.{{cite web |title=Monica Dogra Sensuous Bikini Body Shoot 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYWaOKGjsF4 |publisher=Bollywood Bogus on YouTube |access-date=January 27, 2017}}

She is now one of the judges for the show The Stage alongside Vishal Dadlani.{{Cite web |title=The Stage could have been fun. Till Monica Dogra began to fat-console |url=http://www.catchnews.com/culture-news/the-stage-is-reality-tv-that-could-have-been-fun-till-monica-dogra-began-to-fat-console-1445767438.html |access-date=July 27, 2020 |website=CatchNews.com |language=en}}

Monica Dogra will be next seen in her upcoming web series The Married Woman, directed by Sahir Raza. The star cast also includes Ridhi Dogra in lead role.{{Cite web |date=February 8, 2021 |first=Shweta |last=Keshri |title=Ekta Kapoor shares The Married Woman poster, web series premieres on March 8 |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/binge-watch/story/ekta-kapoor-shares-the-married-woman-poster-web-series-premieres-on-march-8-1767183-2021-02-08 |access-date=February 11, 2021 |website=India Today |language=en}}

Filmography

class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! Year !! Title !! Role \|Notes
2008	Rock On!!	Shaair	Singer
2011	Dhobi Ghat	Shai
2013	David{{cite news \|last=Pai \|first=Megha \|title=I have a lot on my plate \|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/citytimes/inside.asp?section=citytimes&xfile=/data/citytimes/2012/April/citytimes_April195.xml \|access-date=May 8, 2012 \|newspaper=Khaleej Times \|date=April 19, 2012 \|archive-date=April 21, 2012 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421223009/http://khaleejtimes.com/citytimes/inside.asp?xfile=/data/citytimes/2012/April/citytimes_April195.xml§ion=citytimes \|url-status=dead }}	Noor
2014	Fireflies	Michelle
2015	The Spectacular Jihad of Taz Rahim	Sabrina Jiwan
rowspan="2"\|2016	Teraa Surroor	Elle Jordan, Tara Wadia's lawyer
\| Relapse	Herself	Short film
2020 \|What Are the Odds \|Herself \|Netflix

Television series

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Other notes

rowspan="2" |2021

|The Married Woman

|Peeplika Khan

|ALTBalaji

Cartel

|Maya

|ALTBalaji and MX Player

2023

|Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo

| DJ Naina

|Disney+ Hotstar

Music video appearances

class="wikitable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! Year !! Title !! Artist

|Ref.

2016

"Lay You Down"

DJ Nanok

{{Cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/12/05/this-music-video-starring-monica-dogra-and-anushka-manchanda-cel_a_21620501/ |title=Monica Dogra And Anushka Manchanda Play Same Sex Lovers In This New Music Video |date=December 5, 2016 |work=HuffPost |access-date=May 14, 2018 |location=India}}

Discography

class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! Year !! Title !! Band/Solo
2006	[https://www.discogs.com/Shaair-Func-New-Day-The-Love-Album/release/2470921 New Day: The Love Album] \|rowspan="3"\|Shaair and Func
2008	[https://www.discogs.com/Shaair-Func-Light-Tribe/release/2434248 Light Tribe]
rowspan="2"\|2010	[https://www.discogs.com/Shaair-Func-Mantis/release/2432546 Mantis]
\| "Dooriyan"	For Bollywood movie Break Ke Baad composed by Vishal–Shekhar
2011 \|"Lover" \|Bandish Projekt
2012 \|Changing World \|Rajasthan Roots and Shri{{Cite web \|date=2012-01-19 \|title='There's no need to ape the West' {{!}} The Asian Age \|url=http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/there-s-no-need-ape-west-995 \|access-date=2023-07-15 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119124846/http://www.asianage.com/life-and-style/there-s-no-need-ape-west-995 \|archive-date=January 19, 2012 }}
2013 \|"Inkaar Theme (English Version)" \|Inkaar by Shamir Tandon
rowspan="2"\|2014	Re:cover \|rowspan="3"\| Shaair and Func
\| [https://soundcloud.com/shaairandfunc/sets/align-1 Align]
2016 \|[https://web.archive.org/web/20160403183449/https://itunes.apple.com/in/album/spit/id1076299900?app=music&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Spit]

Television

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Show ! Role ! Result
2015 \|The Stage \|Judge \|
2017 \| Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8 \| Contestant \| Finalist (5th Place)

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Show

! Role

! Result

2015

|The Stage

|Judge

2017

| Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 8

| Contestant

| Finalist (5th Place)