Nargis Fakhri

Nargis Fakhri (born 20 October 1979) is an American model and actress who acts in Indian movies.^[2] She has appeared on America's Next Top Model.^[3] Fakhri started her acting career in the 2011 Bollywood movie Rockstar. She went on to star in the Bollywood movies Madras Cafe (2013), Main Tera Hero (2014), and had a supporting role in the Hollywood movie Spy (2015).^[3]

Nargis Fakhri
Fakhri at the IIFA Awards in 2017
Born	Nargis Fakhri (1979-10-20) October 20, 1979 (age 45)[1] Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupations	Actress model
Website	www.nargisfakhri.com

Early life

Fakhri was born on 20 October 1979 in Queens, New York City, to a Pakistani father, Mohammed Fakhri, and a Czech mother, Marie Fakhri. She also has a younger sister, Aliya. Her parents separated when she was six, and her father later passed away. She moved with her mother to Mohegan Lake in Yorktown, New York. Fakhri describes herself as a "global citizen".^[4]

Her parents separated when she was six, and her father passed away when she was still young. She was raised in Mohegan Lake, Yorktown, New York, and describes herself as a "global citizen". Reflecting on her mixed background, Fakhri said she grew up “not really Indian enough and not Czech enough," but this very ambiguity sparked her curiosity to explore and connect with her roots.^[4]

At 16, she began her modeling career in the U.S., appearing in freelance fashion shows. In 2004, she was twice selected for the early stages of America's Next Top Model. Her breakthrough came with the 2009 Kingfisher Calendar, leading to her debut in Bollywood via Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar (2011)."Nargis Fakhri Biography". IMDb.

Acting career

2011–2015: Debut and rise

Fakhri debuted in Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar (2011) alongside Ranbir Kapoor, receiving praise for her visual appeal. Despite mixed critical opinions, the film was a commercial success.

Fakhri returned to the big screen in 2023 with the dramedy Shiv Shastri Balboa and made a major comeback in June 2025 with the ensemble comedy Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani.^[5]

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala revealed that he met Fakhri by chance in an elevator at PVR Juhu, where she told him, “Hey, I miss you, we should work together again.” A few days later, he offered her a role in *Housefull 5*. Fakhri described the film set as “supportive and fun.”^[6]

She followed with roles in Madras Cafe (2013) as journalist Jaya, Main Tera Hero (2014), and did special appearances including the song “Yaar Na Miley” in Kick (2014). In 2015, she appeared in Hollywood’s Spy alongside Melissa McCarthy.

2016–present: Continued roles

Fakhri continued with films like Azhar and Housefull 3 (2016). After a brief hiatus, she returned to the big screen in the dramedy Shiv Shastri Balboa (2023), and later made a major comeback in June 2025 with the ensemble comedy Housefull 5, directed by Tarun Mansukhani.^[5]

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala revealed that she was approached by chance in an elevator at PVR Juhu: “I told him, ‘Hey, I miss you, we should work together again.’ And a few days later he called and said ‘Housefull 5.’” Fakhri described the set as “supportive and fun.”^[6]

Released on 6 June 2025, Housefull 5 introduced a unique “dual climax” format (Versions A and B), each featuring a different murderer reveal. The film received early praise as a “hilarious joyride” and grossed ₹111 crore in its opening weekend, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025.^[7][8][9]