Tisca Chopra is an Indian actress, author and public speaker, known primarily for her work in Hindi cinema and television. She has appeared in films across mainstream and independent Indian cinema, and is widely recognised for her role as Maya Awasthi, the mother of a dyslexic child, in Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par (2007).
| Name | Tisca Chopra |
|---|---|
| Born | Tishaa Chopra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress, author, speaker |
| Notable film | Taare Zameen Par (2007) |
| Notable book | Acting Smart: Your Ticket to Showbiz (2014) |
| Language of work | Hindi, English |
Tisca Chopra grew up in a Punjabi family and was educated in Delhi, where she studied at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She trained in theatre and dance before moving into screen acting. Early in her career she was sometimes credited as Tishaa Chopra.
Chopra began her career in the 1990s with appearances in Hindi films and television serials. She acted in Platform (1993) and went on to feature in a number of supporting roles in Hindi and regional cinema during the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the Tamil-language film Kaadhal Kavithai (1998).
Her performance as Maya Awasthi in Taare Zameen Par (2007), directed by Aamir Khan, brought her wider critical recognition. She subsequently appeared in films such as Firaaq (2008) directed by Nandita Das, Good Boy, Bad Boy (2007), Pune-52, Qissa (2013) directed by Anup Singh and starring Irrfan Khan, Rahasya (2015), Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013), and Hichki (2018) opposite Rani Mukerji.
Chopra has worked in Indian television since the 1990s, including roles in serials such as Sea Hawks and Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat. She has also appeared in web series on streaming platforms, including roles in productions on Netflix and Hotstar. Her short films include Chutney (2016), in which she also acted in the lead role and which received a wide online viewership, and Rubaru and The Hidden MIC, both of which she directed.
In 2014, Chopra authored Acting Smart: Your Ticket to Showbiz, a guidebook published by HarperCollins India aimed at aspiring actors. She has also written What's Up With Me?, a book for adolescents. She is a regular speaker at literary and cultural forums and has delivered a TEDx talk.
Chopra is regarded as one of the Hindi film industry's character actors who has worked steadily across mainstream cinema, parallel cinema and short-form digital content. Her work in Taare Zameen Par contributed to broader public conversation in India about learning disabilities and parenting. As an author and speaker, she has engaged with topics such as the craft of acting, gender in the Indian film industry, and adolescent wellbeing.