Preeti Nigam

Preeti Nigam was born and raised in Hyderabad in a Kayastha family with roots in Uttar Pradesh.{{cite news |date=17 November 2015 |title=విలన్‌గా భయపెడుతున్నా |url=https://andhrajyothy.com/telugunews/abnarchievestorys-173699 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518084356/https://andhrajyothy.com/telugunews/abnarchievestorys-173699 |archivedate=18 May 2020 |work=Andhra Jyothi |language=te}} Her ancestors migrated from Uttar Pradesh to the Nizam's dominions and settled in Hyderabad several years ago. She spent her early years in the Sultan Bazar area and initially did not know Telugu. Coming from a family with a strong background in the arts, Preeti received training in classical dance forms such as Kathak and Kuchipudi. During her school years, she gave her first stage performance at the Birla Mandir.

Despite her interest in acting, Preeti's entry into the industry was met with resistance from her father, who questioned the necessity of acting for girls. However, her mother encouraged her passion. Preeti initially faced challenges due to her lack of proficiency in Telugu. Her acting debut came in 1989 in a dance-based documentary film, where she delivered a small dialogue. Her first notable role was in the Doordarshan serial Aaradhana, where she was initially hired as a choreographer but was later asked to act. Unable to speak Telugu at the time, she played a mute character, relying solely on her expressive eyes.

Preeti initially struggled with Telugu but learned the language to advance her career. She gained recognition for her performance in Ruthuragalu (1996–1999), a popular serial where she portrayed the character of Haritha. The serial’s title song became immensely popular, and Preeti's portrayal earned her widespread acclaim. She continued to rise to fame with other notable roles in serials like Kasturi, Adadhi, Endamavulu, Kavyanjali, and Santhi Nivasam. Her career further soared when she portrayed negative roles, particularly in Chandramukhi. She has also appeared in serials like Swati Chinukulu, America Ammayi, and Sravana Sameeralu, balancing both positive and negative shades of characters.

In addition to her extensive television career, Preeti has acted in several Telugu and Hindi films. She featured in films such as Student No: 1, Sai, Chakali Ailamma, Jai Telangana, and Tripura. She played supporting roles in several films including the Hindi films Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008) and Well Done Abba (2009) before portraying the lead role of the revolutionary Chakali Ilamma in the film of the same name in 2013.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=T. Lalith |date=6 December 2013 |title=Serial performer Preeti Nigam now awaits her big test |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/serial-performer-preeti-nigam-now-awaits-her-big-test/article5426672.ece |work=The Hindu |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=25 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625231914/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/serial-performer-preeti-nigam-now-awaits-her-big-test/article5426672.ece |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=T Lalith |date=15 April 2018 |title=Pretty Preeti's performance peps up small screen |url=https://telanganatoday.com/pretty-preetis-performance-peps-small-screen |access-date=27 January 2021 |website=Telangana Today |archive-date=25 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625034210/https://telanganatoday.com/pretty-preetis-performance-peps-small-screen |url-status=live }}

Preeti is married to Nagesh Karra, whom she met during the shooting of Ruthuragalu. They have two children, Adithi Sri and Aryan. Their son Aryan was selected to represent India in the World Roller Games in Barcelona (Spain) in 2019.{{Cite news |last=Subrahmanyam |first=V. v |date=7 May 2019 |title=Telangana teenagers skate their way into world meet |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/telangana-teenagers-skate-their-way-into-world-meet/article27052084.ece |access-date=2 July 2021 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=5 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605104126/https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/telangana-teenagers-skate-their-way-into-world-meet/article27052084.ece |url-status=live }}

• All television shows are in Telugu, unless otherwise noted.

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Category:Actresses in Telugu television

Category:Actresses in Telugu cinema

Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)