Mahima Chaudhry (born Ritu Chaudhry on 13 September 1973) is an Indian actress and model who worked in Hindi films. During the 1990s, Chaudhry did a few modelling assignments and appeared in several television commercials before venturing into films. She made her acting debut in the 1997 film patriotic romantic drama Pardes, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

She established a career with several popular movies including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), Kurukshetra (2000), Baghban (2003), and received critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999), Lajja (2001) and Dobara (2004), earning nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dil Kya Kare and Dhadkan.

Mahima was born as Ritu Chaudhry to a Jat father^[3] and a Nepalese-origin mother in Darjeeling, India.^[4] She attended Dow Hill in Kurseong until class 10 and later moved to Loreto Convent, Darjeeling.^[1] Having grown up in the Darjeeling Hills region, she is fluent in both Hindi and Nepalese languages.^[1] She won the ‘Miss Darjeeling’ title in a local beauty contest.^{[citation needed]}

Prior to her first release Pardes, she changed her name to Mahima Chaudhry upon the recommendation by her director Subhash Ghai, who believed the letter 'M' to be lucky for leading actresses in his films.^[5]

Chaudhry started her career as a Video jockey.^[6] In films, she has played a variety of roles, starting with a village girl in Pardes (1997). Her other roles were in Daag: The Fire (1999),^[7] where she played a dual role; in Pyaar Koi Khel Nahin (1999) she played a widow forced to marry her brother-in-law; in Dhadkan (2000) she is a loving friend of a man who is madly in love with another woman: in Deewane she plays a singer in love with a thief: in Kurukshetra she plays the stubborn wife of a police officer: in Lajja she plays a young bride forced to fight dowry; in Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001) she plays a stubborn tenant who will not give up her home at any cost; in Om Jai Jagadish she is the loving homemaker; in Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002) she is the sister who would do anything for her sister's happiness; in Dobara she is the frustrated housewife; in The Film she is a desperate struggling screenwriter; in Zameer: The Fire Within she is a paralytic dancer, in Film Star she is an uptight arrogant fading actress; in Home Delivery (2005) she is a South Indian superstar; and in Souten: The Other Woman (2006) she plays a desperate housewife who has an affair with her stepdaughter's boyfriend.

In 2010, Chaudhry starred in a Knightsbridge Media Production film, Pusher, directed by Assad Raja. She also worked in the thriller Mumbhaii - The Gangster, co-starring Om Puri and Sanjay Kapoor.

In the 2021 West Bengal elections, Chaudhry campaigned for some candidates from both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress.^[8] In 2023, there was speculation of her joining the BJP ahead of the Madhya Pradesh elections, as she met the state Minister, Vishvas Sarang, and hailed the BJP government. ^[9]

In 2024, Chaudhry came out in support of PM Modi, calling him an inspirational figure under whom India's respect has increased in the world.^[10]

In 1999, while shooting for Dil Kya Kare, Chaudhry was involved in a car crash; her car rammed into a truck in Bangalore and multiple pieces of glass had to be removed from her face as a result of the accident.^[11]

She married architect Bobby Mukherji in 2006. The couple separated in 2013.^{[citation needed]}

Chaudhry was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer in 2022.^[12] She mentioned that comedy shows such as Kapil Sharma Show helped her during her recovery from illness. ^[13]

• List of Indian film actresses