Rishibala Naval, (born 4 April 1976), known mononymously as Simran is an Indian actress, producer, dancer and singer who works predominantly in Tamil films. She has also appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films. She is considered to be one of the most versatile actresses of her time and is recognized for her dancing skills. She is the recipient of numerous accolades including three Filmfare Awards South.
Simran joined the Indian film industry after being noticed as an anchor in the show Superhit Muqabla. She achieved her first success with Tere Mere Sapne (1996). Subsequently, she made her debut in South Indian cinema through the Malayalam film Indraprastham (1996) and Kannada film Simhada Mari (1997). She won the inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South for her work in V. I. P. (1997) and Nerrukku Ner (1997) which was followed by a string of commercial successes early in her career. In 1999, Simran received critical praise in the Tamil films Thulladha Manamum Thullum and Vaali, establishing herself as the most successful actress in Tamil cinema at the time. In 2000, she played the role of an antagonist in Parthen Rasithen and a family girl who falls in premarital agreement in Priyamaanavale, both went on to become commercial and critical successes.
In 1998, Rediff has called her "one of Tamil cinema's top female draws." In 1999, she was featured in Forbes Magazine as the most prolific actress with diverse portfolio from the Indian sub continent. In 2002, Simran played the mother of an adopted 9-year-old daughter in Kannathil Muthamittal and received her first Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actress the following year. The same year she also appeared in two blockbuster comedy films; Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchathantiram. In Telugu, Simran starred in a series of commercially successful films; Samarasimha Reddy (1999), Kalisundam Raa (2000) and Narasimha Naidu (2001). Following the success of the 2004 sci fi film New, Simran became more selective about the projects she pursued during a time period that coincided with the birth of her two children. In 2008, she made a comeback to Tamil cinema with Vaaranam Aayiram which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2019, she was featured opposite Rajinikanth in Karthik Subbaraj's Petta which became the highest grossing film of her career. She reunited with R. Madhavan in Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, the latter's directional debut which earned her critical acclaim.
Early and personal life
Simran was born Rishibala Naval on 4 April 1976 to Punjabi parents in Mumbai. Simran has two younger sisters, Monal and Jyothi Anand, and a younger brother Sumeet Naval.
Simran completed her schooling at St. Anthony’s high school and high schooling at Children Welfare Centre in Mumbai. She married Deepak Bagga, her childhood friend, on 2 December 2003. The couple has two sons.
