This Bollywood actor was once rejected for being ‘too good looking', now runs ₹100 cr skincare brand, fitness studios

Mint

a day ago

Bollywood is filled with insiders and outsiders. While unarguably, it is a tad bit easier to make a debut and shine with the right connections and filmy family ties, this one outsider made it big despite having no industry backing. In fact, she hailed from a completely different background. An engineer by qualification, she made her debut opposite Tiger Shroff, son of actor Jackie Shroff, in Heropanti (2014) and quickly rose to fame.
However, success didn't come to her easily. After facing several rejections, including ones where she was told she was 'too good-looking' to be an actor, she braved it all and eventually bagged a National Award. Today, she is the proud owner of a ₹ 100 crore skincare brand and manages several fitness studios.
The outsider in Bollywood who defied all odds is Kriti Sanon.
Today, Kriti is one of the most popular female actors in the industry, who has worked alongside industry legends like Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale (2015). Over the years, she delivered multiple box office hits such as Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chuppi, and Housefull 4. She won the prestigious National Film Award for her acclaimed performance in Mimi (2021).
She was last seen in Do Patti.
While Kriti's journey is truly commendable, she had to audition multiple times before landing her debut role. Talking about rejections, she once told Hindustan Times in 2017, "There were days when I was annoyed and irritated. On some days, I used to cry, because there was nothing to keep me busy. There were also times when I met a few people who told me that something was not right about me — someone told me, 'You're too good-looking. There has to be some sort of imperfection in you to look real on screen.' I think I did feel low, but at the same time, I did have people who believed in me a lot. That's what you need. I think that gave me a little more confidence.'
Not just films, Kriti is also a smart investor and among the new businesswomen in town.
Kriti launched her own skincare brand, Hyphen, in 2023.
Being an actor, Kriti, who is surrounded by makeup and beauty products, once told NDTV, "I'm a skin nerd; I really got into skincare during the Covid lockdown.'
She co-founded the brand with PEP Technologies, the company behind the popular brand mCaffeine. Hyphen earned ₹ 100 crore in just its first years, as per Forbes.
Hyphen is clashing big with other celebrity brands like Katrina Kaif's Kay Beauty, Mira Rajput's Akind and more.
While many might think that Kriti entered her entrepreneurial era with Hyphen, she was already into business with her fitness venture, The Tribe.
Launched in 2022, The Tribe was inspired by the role in Mimi, where she portrayed a pregnant woman. For the role, Kriti had gained around 15 kg. With gyms shut during COVID, Kriti struggled to return to her shape.
'I gained 15 kgs and I didn't know what to do,' she told Raj Shamani.
Later, she connected with four trainers and managed to lose all the weight by working out virtually in her room. Her experience sparked the idea of creating a fitness brand, which we know now as The Tribe. Kriti opened the first The Tribe fitness studio in 2022 in Mumbai's Juhu area. Following its success, she launched a second studio in Bandra in 2024, further expanding her brand.
Besides this, Kriti also has her own production house, Blue Butterfly Films, which she launched in 2023. In fact, her last film was backed by her production banner.
Kriti Sanon has also made some major investments in real estate. As per a Moneycontrol report, the actor has moved into a lavish apartment in Sandhu Palace, a premium building located in Mumbai's Bandra area. She is reportedly paying a monthly rent of ₹ 17 lakh, which totals nearly ₹ 2 crore annually.
She recently purchased a 2,000 sq ft plot in Alibaug in 2024, worth over ₹ 2 crore. It is a seaside property, a part of a high-end project that also includes a 10,000 sq. ft. plot owned by Amitabh Bachchan.
According to multiple reports, Kriti Sanon's net worth is currently estimated to be around ₹ 82 crore as of last year.