Kangana Ranaut born 23 March 1987) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works primarily in Hindi films. She is known for her portrayals of strong-willed, unconventional women in female-led films. Kangna Amardeep Ranaut was born on 23 March 1987 at Bhambla (now Surajpur), a small town in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, into a Rajput family.

At the age of sixteen, She briefly took up modelling before being trained under theatre director Arvind Gaur. She made her film debut in the 2006 thriller Gangster, for which she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, and received praise for portraying emotionally intense characters in the dramas Woh Lamhe (2006), Life in a Metro (2007) and Fashion (2008). For the last of these, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Kangana Ranaut also appeared in the commercially successful films Raaz: The Mystery Continues (2009) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai (2010) but was criticized for being typecast in neurotic roles. A comic role in Tanu Weds Manu (2011) was well-received.

In 2013 when she played a mutant in the superhero film Krrish 3, one of the highest-grossing Indian films. She went on to win two consecutive National Film Awards for Best Actress for playing an abandoned bride in the comedy-drama Queen (2014) and a dual role in the comedy sequel Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015), which was the biggest-earning female-led Hindi film at the time. Her successful venture in this period was her co-directorial venture, the biopic Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (2019). Her portrayal of the titular warrior in it and her part as a sportswoman in Panga (2020) jointly earned her a fourth National Film Award.

In 2020, Kangana Ranaut launched her own production company, Manikarnika Films, where she works as a director and a producer. She has been credited in the media as being one of the best-dressed celebrities, and is known to be outspoken.

Kangana Ranaut is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards, and has featured six times in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list. In 2020, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award.