Disha Patani is an Indian actress and model who works primarily in Hindi cinema, with additional credits in Telugu and Chinese films. She rose to prominence with her role in the Telugu biographical sports film M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) and has since appeared in several commercial Hindi productions.
| Full name | Disha Patani |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 June 1992 |
| Birthplace | Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Languages of work | Hindi, Telugu, Mandarin Chinese |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Film debut (Telugu) | Loafer (2015) |
| Film debut (Hindi) | M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) |
Patani was born and raised in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, in a family with a background in public service; her father served in the Uttar Pradesh Police. She studied at Amity University, Lucknow, before shifting her career focus to modelling and acting. She came into public attention after being a finalist at the Femina Miss India Indore contest in 2013.
Following her Femina Miss India placement, Patani worked on print and television commercials for several brands. Her appearances in advertising campaigns, including a Cadbury Dairy Milk commercial, increased her visibility and led to film offers in southern Indian cinema.
Patani made her acting debut in 2015 with the Telugu film Loafer, directed by Puri Jagannadh, opposite Varun Tej. The following year, she made her Hindi film debut as Priyanka Jha, the first love interest of cricketer M. S. Dhoni, in Neeraj Pandey's biographical drama M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), which starred Sushant Singh Rajput. Her performance in the film earned her a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Female Debut.
In 2017, Patani featured in the Chinese-Indian co-production Kung Fu Yoga opposite Jackie Chan, directed by Stanley Tong. She subsequently appeared in mainstream Hindi commercial films including Baaghi 2 (2018) opposite Tiger Shroff, Bharat (2019) with Salman Khan, and Malang (2020) directed by Mohit Suri. She also featured in Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai (2021), Ek Villain Returns (2022), and the action film Yodha (2024).
Patani is regularly featured in fitness and lifestyle publications and is known for her interest in martial arts and gymnastics, elements which have informed her selection in action-oriented film roles. She is among the most-followed Indian actresses on social media platforms and endorses several consumer brands across categories including apparel, beverages, and personal care.
Patani's career reflects a pattern common to several contemporary Indian actresses who have transitioned from regional advertising and modelling into mainstream Hindi cinema, with parallel work in pan-Asian productions. Her casting in cross-border projects such as Kung Fu Yoga contributed to a brief period of Indian-Chinese film collaboration in the late 2010s.