Mouni Roy

In 2004, Roy appeared as a background dancer in the song "Nahi Hona" in Run. She started her career in 2006 with the Ekta Kapoor drama Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, playing the role of Krishna Tulsi opposite Pulkit Samrat.[15] She then participated and won the first season of Zara Nachke Dikha along with Karishma Tanna and Jennifer Winget. Roy then appeared as Shivani in the series Kasturi. In 2008, she participated in Pati Patni Aur Woh along with Gaurav Chopra. In 2010, she played Roop in Do Saheliyaan.

Roy at an event in 2015

In 2011, Roy starred in the Punjabi movie Hero Hitler in Love. She attained fame after playing the role of Sati in Life OK's mythological series Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev from 2011 to 2014.[16] During that time she played the lead as Meera opposite Aditya Redij in Life OK's Junoon – Aisi Nafrat Toh Kaisa Ishq in 2013.[17] In 2014, Mouni participated in the dance reality show on Colors Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa in its seventh season along with Punit Pathak.

In 2015, Roy returned to television with Ekta Kapoor's supernatural series Naagin, playing the role of Shivanya opposite Arjun Bijlani and Adaa Khan. The series topped the TRP charts, making her a household name not only in India but in other countries as well. She became one of the players of Bijlani's team Mumbai Tigers in Box Cricket League. She hosted the dance show So You Think You Can Dance along with Rithvik Dhanjani on &TV. She played a double role in Season 2 of Naagin, with Karanvir Bohra playing the male lead. Her chemistry with Bijlani in season 1 and with Bohra in season 2 was highly appreciated by audience and established her as a leading actress in Indian Television Industry.[18][19] In 2016, Roy voiced the role of Sita in the animated film Mahayodha Rama. In the same year, she appeared in the song "Nachna Aunda Ni" in Tum Bin 2.[20]

Roy promoting Gold in 2018

In 2018, Roy made her Bollywood debut alongside Akshay Kumar in Gold directed by Reema Kagti.[21] Her performance was praised. Hindustan Times wrote, "Mouni Roy as Akshay's wife Monobina is just the right mixture of crotchety and charming. With her grasp of Bengali, she brings that extra something to the film's milieu."[22] Suparna Sharma of Asian Age reviewed her performance and sensuality: "Her Monobina is created out of Punjabi men and women's fetishised fantasy of married Bengali women – snappy and scolding, but also sexy and sultry."[23] With global earnings of ₹1.5 billion, Gold emerged as a commercial success and became first Indian film to have a theatrical release in South Arabia.[24]

Roy followed the success of Gold with an item number named "Gali Gali" in December 2018; it featured in the Hindi version of K.G.F: Chapter 1.[25] The song, a recreation of a track from Tridev (1989), became extremely popular, and she was praised for her dance.[25] Since then, it has garnered over 3.5 billion views on YouTube.[26]

In May 2019, she made a cameo appearance in the final few episodes of Naagin 3 as Mahanaagrani Shivangi.[27]

Roy's first film release in 2019 was Romeo Akbar Walter, which also starred John Abraham and Jackie Shroff. Her performance as a R&AW spy drew mixed reviews. A Bollywood Hungama review stated, "Mouni Roy has an interesting part to essay. Though she does well, her character gets a raw deal."[28] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV criticised the length of her role: "Mouni Roy, cast as the hero's colleague and beloved, pops up now and then in an eminently forgettable role."[29] Romeo Akbar Walter underperformed at the box office.[30] Her next film, Made in China was released on the occasion of Diwali. Roy took Gujarati lessons for the film in which she enacted a disturbed housewife.[31] In a review by Vibha Maru of India Today, her performance was described as "a surprise package. Though given a small role, Mouni comes with much power, owning every bit of the screen time she gets in the film."[32] Made in China faced competition from Housefull 4 and Saand Ki Aankh, but proved a commercial success.[33]

In 2020, she appeared as a pregnant R&AW spy named Uma Kulkarni in her first OTT feature film London Confidential.[34] Though critics were not impressed by the film, but praised Roy.[35] Rediff.com wrote, "Mouni Roy shows conviction in playing her part and is in a different avatar from her earlier performances in Gold and Made in China."[36]

She was slated to play the female lead in Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Bole Chudiyan, but she quit after clashes with the makers of the film.[37]

Roy also has an upcoming major project in 2022, the superhero trilogy Brahmāstra, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Amitabh Bachchan. The film is directed by Ayan Mukherjee and produced by Karan Johar. She will play the main antagonist in the film.[38][39] It is slated to release on 9 September.[40]