Sonakshi Sinha, a (Dub)Smash Hit at 29

It's been a while since we saw Dabangg girl Sonakshi Sinha on the silver screen, but the actress is entertaining fans nevertheless by making good use of the new smart phone app 'Dubsmash' and sharing a series of goofy videos in which she lip syncs dialogues from old films on social media.

Bollywood welcomed her with open arms and she began her film career with films opposite Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, two of Bollywood's biggest names. Being Shatrughan Sinha's daughter may have opened some doors but Sonakshi's success rate proves she's a star in her own right.
Here's a pictorial journey through her life as she turns a year older.

Sonakshi was born on June 2, 1987 to actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and former beauty queen Poonam.

She has two brothers, Luv and Kush Sinha.

Sonakshi began her showbiz career as a model, walking the ramp at Lakme Fashion week in 2008 and then again in 2009.

Sonakshi famously lost 30 kgs to play svelte village belle Rajjo, her first film role, in Dabangg.

Her debut film, Dabangg (2010) opposite Salman Khan, became a blockbuster hit and broke box office records.

She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in Dabangg.

Sonakshi had no releases in 2011 but a lot of awards came her way - the Most Promising Newcomer trophy at the Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards, Stardust Awards and Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards.

We saw a lot of Sonakshi in 2012. While her Rowdy Rathore opposite Akshay Kumar and Son Of Sardaar opposite Ajay Devgn were big hits, Joker, again with Akshay, was a flop.

Sonakshi's last film of 2012, Dabangg 2 opposite Salman Khan, was also a box office hit though it received mixed reviews from the audience and critics alike.

We also saw her in a retro look in the item number Thank God It's Friday from the movie Himmatwala (2013).

Four of Sonakshi's films released in 2013. Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera, a period romance in which she featured with Ranveer Singh, did average business at the box office but earned her rave reviews from the audience and critics alike. Milan Luthria's Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara!, the sequel to the 2010 hit film Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, which also featured Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonali Bendre, turned out to be a damp squib at the box office.

2014 saw Sonakshi act opposite Akshay Kumar in the AR Murugadoss-directed Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. The film did brisk business at the box office and was among the Rs 100-crore films of the year. Action Jackson opposite Ajay Devgn, which released the same year, did not do as well. Lingaa, opposite Rajinikanth, which released at the end of the year, met with an even worse fate and ran into losses.

2015 began on a lackluster note with Tevar, a remake of Okkadu, opposite Arjun Kapoor which was declared a flop at the box office.

Sonakshi is currently busy shooting for AR Murugadoss's Akira, the Hindi remake of the Tamil hit Mounaguru. She will also soon be seen as a judge on the TV show Indian Idol Junior 2.

> Here's wishing the versatile Sonakshi a very happy birthday and a fantastic year ahead.