Born on May 30, 1985, in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, Kirti Kulhari started her career with TV commercials. She was the face of several ad campaigns. "I started with a bang with so many brands on the platter. I got to share the small screen space with the likes of Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn and Kajol," said Kirti in an old interview with mid-day.

(All pictures/Kirti Kulhari's official Instagram account)

In 2010, Kirti Kulhari made her Bollywood debut with Khichdi: The Movie, where she played JD Majethia's on-screen girlfriend Parminder. But it was Bejoy Nambiar's Shaitan (2011) where Kirti Kulhari got noticed for her performance.

However, did you know as a kid, Kirti dreamt of becoming an air hostess? Later, Kirti also thought of joining the Navy as a career option, since her family has a defence background.

Wait! It did not end there. Kirti's dad wanted her to be a badminton player as she was really good at it. However, it was in college that she got noticed and did a couple of ad campaigns. And then, finally, acting happened!

"When I started out, I was pretty sure that I wanted to be part of feature films someday. So I had to start somewhere. As a result, I decided to go for theatre. It helped me build my art and expressions. It was a huge learning experience being on the stage, performing and assessing the crowd's reaction. I later acknowledged that cinema and theatre are both a lot of fun," said Kirti Kulhari in an interview with mid-day.

After Khichdi and Shaitaan, Kirti featured in films such as Rise of the Zombie, Sooper Se Ooper and Jal, which flopped at the Box Office. But in 2016, Kirti Kulhari grabbed eyeballs for her powerful role in the critically acclaimed Pink.

Well, Kirti proved subtly that one can definitely make it big in showbiz, without a godfather too, if you have the talent.

"From day one, I have been hearing that it's better to have a godfather in the industry. You need to have somebody or else you won't reach the top. But if you ask me, I am just moving along and trying to break the so-called godfather complex," said Kirti in an interview with mid-day.

In June 2019, Kirti Kulhari took to her Instagram account to share her picture with her husband - yes, she is married - Saahil Sehgal. While many were unaware of the fact, Kirti put speculations to rest with this picture and wrote alongside - "They all want to know who u r... Saahil. Ladies and gentlemen presenting my one and only, my dearest husband ... Saahil Sehgal [sic]"

Kirti Kulhari and Saahil Sehgal tied the knot on June 24, 2016, and not many people knew about the wedding. "I met this man at an ad shoot where we exchanged numbers, but nothing happened and five years passed by. Suddenly we met again at another shoot and Woah! He looked so good," Kirti said.

"It was a different vibe at that time and that's when he asked me for my number again to which I told him: do use it this time. The next thing you know was that we were engaged," she added. Saahil Sehgal also is a very private person; he's much more private than Kirti is, in fact. And so he doesn't like Kirti Kulhari posting pictures of them on Instagram.

Coming back to Kirti Kulhari's professional journey, after Pink, Kirti starred in films such as Indu Sarkar (2017), Blackmail (2018), San' 75 Pachattar (2019), Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and the last one being Mission Mangal.

Mission Mangal starred Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen and Sharman Joshi. Kirti essayed the role of Neha Siddiqui, a scientist who believes that 'science has no religion.'

Kirti Kulhari gained super success in the role of a single mother - Anjana and as one of the four sexually unabashed protagonists (Maanvi Gagroo, Sayani Gupta and Bani J) in Amazon Original Series Four More Shots Please!. "This is the first time that I did intimate sex scenes. There are scenes in which I am talking to my vagina as if it is a different entity. So, of course, those things were a little moment of ‘how do I do this', but eventually things were sorted. I found them challenging, but that's fun and that is realistically done."

While it is interesting to observe how -- whether it is in films or in web series -- she has always featured with other actresses, Kirti said the whole concept of playing a lead role is fading away. "Be it my character Falak Ali in 'Pink', Anjana in the web series 'Four More Shots Please', or Seerat Kaur in 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', I only look at the importance of the character in the story. I think actors are getting comfortable with the idea of sharing space with other actors," she said, adding: " The whole talk of 'lead actor' comes in when we are talking about hierarchy and that is so negative and demotivating for any artiste. I do not encourage such a conversation," said Kirti.

As Four More Shots Please - Season 2 too tasted success, Kriti Kulhari revealed that she was initially hesitant to take up the role of a single mother as she was afraid of being typecast. "After reading the script, I was skeptical about how will they position something that's palatable but at the same time make a bold statement? Another big concern for me was the fact that I had to play a mother. I wasn't ready for this and I had the fear of being typecast into that role, which has been quite prevalent in the industry," Kirti said.

"I kept questioning whether I should take the plunge and play a role, which could probably change my image and affect the type of work or opportunity that could come my way. It was my husband who finally gave me the confidence to do this. He is solely responsible for reminding me that I am first and foremost an actor and I just have to push my own boundaries and be the change that I keep talking about," she added.

The second season of Four More Shots Please! picked up from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, bringing backstories of four unapologetically flawed ladies who live, love, blunder and discover what it really takes to build everlasting friendships in Mumbai.

Kirti Kulhari will next be seen in Ribhu Dasgupta's mystery thriller "The Girl On The Train". The film also stars Parineeti Chopra and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Here's wishing good luck and a very happy birthday to Kirti Kulhari!