Background and career
Genelia Deshmukh (née D'Souza; born 5 August 1987), also credited professionally as Genelia, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil films. Described in the media as one of the leading South Indian actresses of the 2000s, D'Souza is a recipient of several accolades including a Filmfare Award South and two Nandi Awards.
After gaining attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with the Hindi film Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003), and earned recognition in the Tamil film Boys, the same year. D'Souza received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for portraying a bubbly girl in the romantic comedy Bommarillu (2006). She further earned praises for her portrayals in the 2008 romantic comedies Santosh Subramaniam and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. D'Souza established herself with commercially successful films—Satyam (2003), Masti (2004), Sye (2004), Sachein (2005), Happy (2006), Dhee (2007), Ready (2008), Katha (2009), Urumi (2011), Force (2011), Velayudham (2011) and Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (2012). Her performances in Bommarillu and Katha earned her two Nandi Special Jury Award.
Following her marriage, she took a hiatus from acting. D'Souza had a career comeback with the Marathi film Ved (2022), for which she received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Marathi. She further earned box office success with Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) and Raja Shivaji (2026). In addition to acting in films, D'Souza hosted the television shows Big Switch (2009) and Ladies vs Gentlemen (2020).
D'Souza is married to actor Riteish Deshmukh, with whom she has two sons. She is a celebrity endorser for several brands and products.
