Being called the 'national crush' of India isn't an official honour. You don't get a sash, crown or a title you can flaunt or even realistically, add to
your Instagram bio - but somehow, it's a ton more affable than fighting it out with co-contendors to pageant titles - that's because it entails possessing an indescribable 'X' factor that just lands you right in the hearts of people one fine day. It all 'officially' began with Priya Prakash Varrier who literally turned into a nationwide sensation overnight following her still-infamous wink in the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love back in 2018. There wasn't much talk about this all-encompassing title for a while - but that's only till Rashmika Mandanna swept in to claim it; it's been a while since she was first crowned with it and her fandom swears by the fact that she still is the national crush of India. Triptii Dimri too has been a consistent crownee in this regard, especially after her stint with Ranbir Kapoor in Animal blew up in December 2023. Other people flitting in and out of the race have been Sai Pallavi for her simplicity, Shraddha Kapoor for her bubliness, Sonam Bajwa for her sensuality and Sreeleela for her grace. And now, there's a new contendor in town. Meet Tanya Mishra.
Born in Gaya, Dreaming of Mumbai
Tanya was born in Bihar's bustling Gaya, on January 31, 1999. She eventually moved to Mumbai because she was always clear about wanting to pursue a career in modelling and eventually, the big screen. That being said, prior to it she wrapped up her education, completing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Magadh University. Tanya opted for every which modeling job she could get her hands on, quickly expanding her portfolio and experience across fashion shows, magazine nuggets and ramp walks. All this visibility of course helped her get spotted, eventually paving her way to music videos, films and web projects.
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Transitioning to the Screen
Tanya has garnered quite the impressive acting credits thus far. The Gaya-born star on the rise has already been a part of films like Ghaznavi and Chase - while the former helped her step foot into the world of proper acting, the latter helped her showcase how she had the ability to take on more nuanced roles. Then came the web series Chidiya Udd where she got to share screen space with acting heavyweights and well-known names like Jackie Shroff, Sikandar Kher and Bhumiika Chawla.
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That being said, if one were to pick a forte that is currently more of Tanya's stronghold, music videos would make for her lottery spin. The actress on the rise has starred in as many as seven music videos, which is honestly, the most foolproof way to not only gather an audience, but also have them root for you on your journey from phone screens to theatres.
