Zarine Khan
Zarine Khan is an Indian actor, best known for Tamil cinema. Zarine Khan began their career in 1995 and has been a prominent figure in the industry for over 31 years. With 30 credits to their name, Zarine Khan remains one of the most prolific and celebrated talents in the industry. Spanning 30+ years, Zarine Khan's career remains one of the longest and most celebrated in Tamil cinema.
- Born
- Age
- 39
Biography
Zareen Khan (also spelled Zarine Khan) is an Indian actress working primarily in Hindi cinema, known for her debut opposite Salman Khan in the 2010 period action film Veer. Her highest-grossing releases include Housefull 2 (2012) and the erotic thriller Hate Story 3 (2015) alongside Sharman Joshi and Karan Singh Grover; she received a Zee Cine Award nomination for Best Female Debut for Veer. She also appeared in the Tamil film Naan Rajavaga Pogiren (2013) and the biographical thriller Veerappan (2016), demonstrating cross-industry reach beyond Bollywood. Her later films include Wajah Tum Ho (2016), Aksar 2 (2017), and Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (2020), the last of which addressed LGBTQ+ themes.
Career Milestones
Bollywood debut as Princess Yashodhara, nominated for Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut
View film →Item number 'Character Dheela' boosted mainstream visibility
View film →Appeared in highest-grossing release, playing Jelo/JLo in ensemble comedy
View film →Lead role in erotic thriller, cementing bold-content niche
View film →LGBTQ+ road drama marking transition to independent/parallel cinema
View film →Iconic Roles
Veer
Zareen Khan's Bollywood debut as a princess in this Salman Khan-led period action epic, which earned her a Zee Cine Award nomination.
Housefull 2
Her role in this blockbuster comedy ensemble brought her widespread mainstream recognition and remains one of her most commercially visible appearances.
Hate Story 3
Her lead role in this erotic thriller, as a woman drawn into a dangerous revenge plot, is considered her most prominent dramatic role and boosted her profile significantly.
Defining Moments
Debut as Princess Yashodhara — a striking lookalike of Katrina Kaif, she was personally spotted and cast by Salman Khan, making her debut the talk of Bollywood
Her debut generated enormous buzz due to her resemblance to Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan's personal endorsement; she received a Zee Cine Award nomination for Best Female Debut
View film →Item number 'Character Dheela Hai' — a high-energy dance sequence alongside Salman Khan that became one of the biggest item numbers of 2011
The song was a massive chart hit and cemented her image as a glamorous screen presence, giving her mainstream visibility beyond her debut
View film →Playing Jelo/JLo in the ensemble comedy — her comic glamour role in Bollywood's biggest comedy franchise boosted her commercial appeal
Housefull 2 became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2012 and remains her biggest box-office success
View film →Lead role as Siya Deewan in the erotic thriller — bold, sensual performance that marked her return to Bollywood in a dramatically different avatar
Widely discussed for its bold content; the film was a commercial success and showed her willingness to take on daring roles in the adult thriller genre
View film →Special appearance in the song 'Mahi Ve' — a seductive, visually striking cameo that became one of the most-watched sequences from the film
The song garnered tens of millions of YouTube views and is frequently cited as one of her most iconic on-screen moments for its picturization and her screen presence
View film →Zarine Khan by the Numbers
If you watched every Zarine Khan film back-to-back, you'd be at it for roughly 1 day and 1h. Most-paired with Vishal Pandya — 2 films together.
Filmography
See all 30 credits →
Collaboration Network
The Constellation
Top 7 most-paired collaborators. Bubble size and line thickness reflect how many films they share with Zarine Khan.
Career Analytics
Genre Breakdown
Language Distribution
Films by Decade
Top Co-Actors
See all →Zarine Khan has worked most frequently with Vishal Pandya (2 films), Asin Thottumkal (2 films), Salman Khan (2 films), Sharman Joshi (2 films), and Mithun Chakraborty (2 films).
Did You Know?
Zarine Khan made her film debut in the 2010 historical drama 'Veer', starring opposite Salman Khan.
She was discovered by Salman Khan, who recommended her for the lead role in 'Veer'.
She has also appeared in Tamil and Punjabi language films, in addition to her work in Hindi cinema.
She played the role of Jelo in the 2012 ensemble comedy 'Housefull 2'.
She starred in the 2020 film 'Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele', which was a story about a gay man and a lesbian woman.
Photos
See all →
News & Stories
Zarine Khan is all set to romance 3 men in Aksar 2
31/5/2016
Zarine Khan instead of Kangana Ranaut for Irrfan Khan
10/5/2016
Actress Zarine Khan Cute Stills
14/5/2015
Legacy & Influence
Zarine Khan entered the Hindi film industry with significant attention, making her debut in the 2010 historical drama 'Veer', produced by and starring Salman Khan. Her debut positioned her as a leading actress in a major studio film, capitalizing on a blend of traditional period aesthetics and mainstream commercial appeal. While her subsequent filmography has not been extensive, she has maintained a presence in the industry through roles in comedies like 'Housefull 2' and 'Ready', and ventured into more intense genres with films such as 'Hate Story 3'. Her career trajectory reflects a model who transitioned to acting, often cast in roles that emphasize glamour and physical presence, contributing to a specific archetype within early 2010s Bollywood. Her work in the 2020 film 'Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele', a story about a lesbian woman and a gay man, marked a notable shift towards a more content-driven, socially conscious narrative, showcasing a willingness to explore different cinematic spaces. Overall, Zarine Khan's contribution lies in her sustained visibility as a model-actress within commercial Hindi cinema, navigating both large ensemble casts and smaller, character-driven projects, thereby representing a career path followed by several contemporaries in the industry.