Esha Deol (born 2 November 1981) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of Bollywood actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini.

Personal life and education

Deol is the elder daughter of actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini. She has a younger sister named Ahana. She was a state level soccer player and was selected in the Indian national team. She is part Punjabi and part Tamil and speaks Tamil with her mother Hema Malini and sister Ahana Deol. She is also the half-sister of actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol. She is a Jatt on her father's side and Iyengar on her mother's. Deol attended Mithibai College in Mumbai where she planned to be become a fashion designer.

Deol is also trained in the Odissi and Bharatanatyam dancing styles. Deol studied under Mumbai Odissi guru Rabindra Atibuddhi.

Career

Deol's film career began with Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche for which she won three awards. She released several unsuccessful films in 2003, but in 2004 received a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress as the villain heroine in Dhoom.[citation needed] The same year she played a French teacher in Aayutha Ezhuthu. She went on to repeat the role in the Hindi remake Yuva.

Deol's portrayal of a notorious and vengeful ghost in Ram Gopal Verma's Darling (2007) was reviewed positively. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted that, "Esha Deol is excellent in a role that’s nothing short of a challenge. It would’ve boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career."

She is set to star in her mother's next directorial venture with Rekha and Abhishek Bachchan and also a film in which she is cast with her mother.

Deol's next film is called Tell Me Oh Khuda. She will portray the lead role in the film opposite Rishi Kapoor. She will also appear in Shivam Nair's Ghost Ghost Na Raha with Rahul Bose and Ayaz Khan.