Anushka Shetty Biography: Age, Family, Movies, Marriage and Latest News

Anushka Shetty (born 7 November 1981) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Telugu and Tamil films. Born Sweety Shetty in Mangaluru, she was a yoga instructor before debuting in Puri Jagannadh’s Super (2005). She is known for Arundhati, Vedam, Mirchi, Rudhramadevi, Bhaagamathie and her role as Devasena in Baahubali. She has won three Filmfare Awards. Her Malayalam debut and 50th film, Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer, is awaiting release.

Anushka Shetty Latest News (October 2026)

• Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer: Her Malayalam debut, a period fantasy thriller directed by Rojin Thomas with Jayasurya in the lead, is planned as the first of two parts. It is also her 50th film. Filming wrapped in October 2024, and the makers have released a first look, but a final release date has not been confirmed.
• Ghaati: Her 2025 Telugu action drama, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi, is now streaming on Prime Video. Its heavy use of visual effects, including digital slimming in some scenes, sparked a debate among fans on social media.
• Birthday: She turns 45 on 7 November 2026.

Anushka Shetty Profile, Age and Wiki

Anushka Shetty Early Life, Family and Education

Anushka was born Sweety Shetty in Mangaluru into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family from Bellipady village in Puttur taluk, Dakshina Kannada. Her parents are A. N. Vittal Shetty and Prafulla, and she has two elder brothers, Gunaranjan and Sai Ramesh. She grew up in Bengaluru and earned a Bachelor of Computer Applications from Mount Carmel College.

Before films, she trained in yoga under Bharat Thakur and worked as a yoga instructor. Her screen name came during her first film, Super: the producers and director liked the name of singer Anushka Manchanda and suggested she use “Anushka”, which she has kept ever since.

Anushka Shetty Career

Debut and Commercial Hits (2005–2008)

Anushka made her debut opposite Nagarjuna in Puri Jagannadh’s action film Super (2005), which earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She followed it with S. S. Rajamouli’s Vikramarkudu (2006) opposite Ravi Teja, a major hit, and made her Tamil debut with Rendu (2006). For the next few years, she was a regular presence in commercial Telugu films.

Arundhati and the Rise of a Lead Star (2009–2012)

Kodi Ramakrishna’s fantasy horror film Arundhati (2009) changed her career. Playing a queen and her reincarnation, she carried the film on her own, and it became one of the biggest Telugu hits of its time. It won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu and the Nandi Special Jury Award. She won the Filmfare Best Actress award again for Krish’s anthology Vedam (2010), in which she played a sex worker. In Tamil, she starred with Suriya in the action hit Singam (2010) and appeared in Deiva Thirumagal (2011), which won her a Vijay Award.

Mirchi, Rudhramadevi and Baahubali (2013–2017)

She paired with Prabhas in the hit Mirchi (2013) and then took on the title role of the Kakatiya queen in Gunasekhar’s historical drama Rudhramadevi (2015), winning her third Filmfare Best Actress award. For the comedy Size Zero (2015), she famously gained a large amount of weight for the role. Her biggest success came as Devasena, the princess of Kuntala, in Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), which became among the highest-grossing Indian films ever.

Bhaagamathie to Ghaati (2018–2025)

Anushka led the horror thriller Bhaagamathie (2018), another solo hit, before becoming more selective. She starred in the thriller Nishabdham (2020), released on streaming, and returned with the comedy Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty (2023) opposite Naveen Polishetty, which was well received. In 2025, she reunited with Vedam director Krish for the action drama Ghaati.

Kathanar and Her 50th Film (2026)

Anushka’s next release is Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer, a large-scale Malayalam period fantasy produced by Gokulam Movies. Directed by Rojin Thomas and starring Jayasurya as the priest-sorcerer Kathanar, it also features Prabhu Deva. The film is planned in two parts and will be dubbed into several languages, making it a pan-Indian release.

Anushka Shetty Movies List (Selected)

Awards and Honours

• Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for Arundhati, Vedam and Rudhramadevi.
• Nandi Special Jury Award for Arundhati, one of two Nandi Awards.
• Two SIIMA Awards and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
• Kalaimamani honour from the Government of Tamil Nadu (2010).
• Vijay Award for Favourite Heroine for Deiva Thirumagal.

Anushka Shetty Personal Life

Anushka is unmarried and is known for keeping her personal life out of the public eye. Over the years, she has faced frequent rumours about relationships, including with her Baahubali co-star Prabhas, which both have consistently described as friendship. She rarely gives interviews or posts about her private life, and she is selective about public appearances.

Her yoga background remains part of her identity, and she has spoken about how it shaped her discipline.

Anushka Shetty and Prabhas

Anushka and Prabhas are one of Telugu cinema’s most popular screen pairs. They first worked together in the action film Billa (2009), then in the hit Mirchi (2013), and finally in both Baahubali films, where Devasena’s romance with Amarendra Baahubali became one of the saga’s emotional centres. Their long friendship has fuelled years of wedding rumours, which both have repeatedly dismissed. Fans still regularly ask for a fifth film together.

Why Anushka Shetty Stands Out

Few actresses in Telugu cinema have carried big films on their own, and Anushka has done it repeatedly with Arundhati, Rudhramadevi and Bhaagamathie. She also took physical risks for roles, such as gaining weight for Size Zero, at a time when that was rare for leading actresses. Her role in Baahubali made her a pan-Indian name, and Kathanar will test whether that reach extends into Malayalam cinema.

Lesser-Known Facts About Anushka Shetty

• Her real name is Sweety Shetty.
• She was a yoga instructor trained by Bharat Thakur before acting.
• Her screen name was inspired by singer Anushka Manchanda.
• She has a degree in computer applications.
• Kathanar will be her 50th film.

Related Biographies

• Prabhas Biography – co-star in Baahubali and Mirchi
• Rana Daggubati Biography – co-star in Baahubali
• Nagarjuna Biography – co-star in her debut, Super
• Trisha Biography
• Kajal Aggarwal Biography
• More stars: Tollywood biographies

Anushka Shetty FAQs

How old is Anushka Shetty?

Anushka Shetty was born on 7 November 1981, so she is 44 years old (as of 2026).

What is Anushka Shetty’s real name?

Her real name is Sweety Shetty. She took the name Anushka during her first film, Super (2005).

Is Anushka Shetty married?

No. Anushka Shetty is not married.

What was Anushka Shetty’s first movie?

Her first film was the Telugu action film Super (2005), directed by Puri Jagannadh and starring Nagarjuna.

What role did Anushka Shetty play in Baahubali?

She played Devasena, the princess of Kuntala, in Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).

What is Anushka Shetty’s next movie?

Her next film is Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer, a Malayalam period fantasy with Jayasurya directed by Rojin Thomas. It is her Malayalam debut and 50th film. The release date has not been confirmed.

How many Filmfare Awards has Anushka Shetty won?

She has won three Filmfare Awards for Best Actress – Telugu, for Arundhati, Vedam and Rudhramadevi.

Where is Anushka Shetty from?

She was born in Mangaluru, Karnataka, and her family comes from Bellipady village in Puttur taluk, Dakshina Kannada. She grew up in Bengaluru.

How many films has Anushka Shetty done with Prabhas?

Four: Billa (2009), Mirchi (2013), Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).

Sources

• Anushka Shetty – Wikipedia
• Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer – Wikipedia
• Anushka’s Kathanar look and the Ghaati debate – Gulte