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Anu Aggarwal Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth11 January 1969

Age56 Years

BirthplaceNew Delhi

ProfessionFormer Actor, Model, Author, Motivational Speaker, and Yoga Trainer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Ramesh Prakash Arya; Mother - Urmila Arya

Anu Aggarwal Biography

Anu Aggarwal is an Indian former actor, model, author, motivational speaker and yoga trainer best known for her lead role in the 1990 film Aashiqui. After

Early life and background

Anu Aggarwal was born Anita Aggarwal on 11 January 1969 in New Delhi. She grew up in the city and completed her higher education at Delhi University, earning a degree in sociology. Her academic performance was notable; she graduated with distinction and later went on to work briefly in market research in Bombay before being drawn into modelling.

Career

Aggarwal’s first screen work came on television in 1988 with the Doordarshan serial Isi Bahane. That early exposure led to modelling assignments, including an advertisement campaign for Schweppes Indian Tonic in 1989, and to a film debut that would define her public profile.

In 1990 she played the female lead, Anu Verghese, in Aashiqui. The film became a major commercial success and made her widely recognised as the film’s heroine. Over the next several years she appeared in a series of films across Hindi cinema, with credits that include Ghazab Tamasha (1992), King Uncle (1993), Khal-Naaikaa (1993), Janam Kundli (1995) and Return of Jewel Thief (1996). She also worked in Tamil cinema, debuting in Thiruda Thiruda (1993).

During the mid-1990s she was part of the launch-era programming for MTV India, appearing as a VJ on the show Oye MTV, which later became BPL Oye! By 1995 she had come to feel that feature films were not where she wanted to remain, and she began travelling internationally and exploring practices outside the entertainment industry.

A major turning point came after a serious car accident in 1999 that left her with multiple fractures, a skull injury and a long period of recovery. She spent nearly a month in a coma and experienced temporary memory loss and facial paralysis. The recovery process prompted a deep personal shift toward yoga and spiritual practice. In the years after the accident she trained at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger, Bihar, and reoriented her public life around teaching, speaking and wellness.

Later work and public contributions

Aggarwal has worked as a yoga trainer and motivational speaker, and she delivered a TEDx talk in 2015. That same year she published Anusal: Memoir of a Girl Who Came Back From the Dead, an account of her experiences and recovery. After rebuilding her physical strength she also took up amateur power-lifting and competed in a number of events.

Public profile

Although she stepped back from mainstream acting, Aggarwal’s association with Aashiqui has remained a prominent part of her cultural identity. She has been featured on magazine covers from her time in the glamour industry and continues to appear publicly at events; in February 2020 she reunited with her Aashiqui co-stars on The Kapil Sharma Show.

Personal life

Aggarwal’s parents are Ramesh Prakash Arya, who worked as a teacher at Hans Raj College in Delhi, and Urmila Arya. She has been described as unmarried. Her hometown is New Delhi and her nationality is Indian. Physically, sources list her height at approximately 168 cm (about 5 ft 6 in) with black hair and black eyes.

Latest updates

In recent years Aggarwal has focused on yoga, spiritual teaching and public speaking while maintaining a low-profile presence in media. Her memoir and motivational appearances have been central to the way she has shared her recovery story with audiences.
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Recent Work

Anusal: Memoir of a Girl Who Came Back From the Dead

Personal memoir recounting her accident, recovery and spiritual journey.

2015
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Career Highlights

  1. Television debut in Isi Bahane (1988)
  2. Breakthrough film role as Anu Verghese in Aashiqui (1990)
  3. Tamil film debut in Thiruda Thiruda (1993)
  4. VJ on Oye MTV during MTV India launch era
  5. Published memoir and delivered TEDx talk in 2015
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Anu Aggarwal born?

11 January 1969

What is Anu Aggarwal known for?

Former Actor, Model, Author, Motivational Speaker, and Yoga Trainer

What is Anu Aggarwal’s marital status?

Unmarried