Indian innocent actress Ameesha Patel

Ameesha Patel (born 9 June 1975) is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Patel won critical praise for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, earning her a Filmfare Special Performance Award. She would subsequently star in a number of films, most of which proved unsuccessful at the box office. However, her performance in the 2006 film Ankahee, received critical recognition, and she followed it with a supporting/comic role in the average hit Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. and also co-starred in the hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007).

Her relationship with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt was often talked about in the Indian media as well as her long-running rift with her parents.

 Patel's acting career entered a slump. Despite the relative success of Humraaz, Patel's string of unsuccessful films followed and would continue until 2006, although she did find minor box office success with Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, in which she played a career-oriented young woman who rejects the advances of Aftab Shivdasani's character. In Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, she played the role of Sapna who is caged in protective custody of her own father. She co-starred opposite Hrithik Roshan for the second time in this film. Unlike their successful pairing in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, the film proved to be a disappointment and resulted in a critical and commercial failure. Patel's performance in the film was criticised by a section of the media, but during an interview she clarified that there was an "error" because the scene explaining that her character is supposed to be asthmatic in the film was edited out not knowing that one shot would make such a difference, thus creating confusion to the viewer about her appearing out of breath, as if she's overacting or crying.

Consequently, Patel's unsuccessful follow-up continued with Kranti and David Dhawan's comedy Yeh Hai Jalwa in 2002, followed by her first Tamil language film Pudhiya Geethai and Deepak Bahry's Parwana in 2003. Her releases in 2004, Vimal Kumar's comedy Suno Sasurjee, a delayed production since 2000, and her second Telugu language film Naani, followed. That year she also appeared in the music video for "Kasam" and "Kasam (Unplugged)" by Adnan Sami.

In 2005, she starred in Satish Kaushik's thriller Vaada, playing the role of Arjun Rampal's unfaithful wife who is followed by her obsessive ex-lover. In her next release, Elaan, she played a TV reporter. She later appeared in Ketan Mehta's historical drama Mangal Pandey: The Rising where she played the role of the soft-spoken Jwala, a Bengali widow who gets rescued from committing Sati by a British commanding officer. Patel was cast as a replacement for Aishwarya Rai under the recommendation of Aamir Khan who was impressed by her IQ level when he saw her on BBC under the segment of Question Time India in 2003. The film, which saw her appearing without make-up for the first time, did an average business despite becoming a major grosser. Her other releases that year include Zameer: The Fire Within, a delayed production since 2001, and the Telugu film Narasimhudu, both which proved commercial and critical failures.

Patel featured in six films in 2006, all which failed commercially. She first starred in Mere Jeevan Saathi, a production that had been delayed since 2003. She next appeared as a blind girl in Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai, another delayed production since 2002. The film had a limited release and flopped badly with some critics describing it as "outdated". In Teesri Aankh: The Hidden Camera, she played the role of a mute girl who witnesses a murder. She learned the sign language in order to fit the role. Patel was next cast in Tathastu, based on Denzel Washington's thriller John Q (2002). Her performance as the helpless mother was not well received.

Patel's fifth release in 2006, Ankahee, earned her critical praise despite its failure at the box office. The film centred around an extramarital affair with Patel playing a housewife whose husband cheats on her with a model. To understand the mentality of a wronged wife, Patel spoke to her own grandmother who had undergone a similar situation. Diganta Guha from Hindustan Times noted "...it's Ameesha's performance that remains in your mind. She is dignity personified in the film, playing a woman betrayed in marriage, going all out to save it and in the end choosing her own path." Later that year, she appeared alongside Akshaye Khanna and Priyanka Chopra in Dharmesh Darshan's Aap Ki Khatir.

After appearing in a series of box office flops during 2002–2006, Patel's career prospects began to improve in 2007 when she saw moderate success with Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., playing the role of Karan Khanna's talkative wife who tries to overcome her husband's gay leanings. Patel's comic timing in the film was well received. She later co-starred opposite Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan's hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa as a rejected adopted girl who is accused of trying to disrupt the marriage of her childhood crush.

In an attempt to renew her image, Patel appeared in a bikini item number, Lazy Lamhe, in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008). She learned scuba diving for the song that took 15 days to complete. Although the film flopped at the box office, Patel managed to garner attention for her appearance.

Post the release of Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Patel signed on to Run Bhola Run and Chatur Singh Two Star. However, both films were continuously delayed despite reaching completion in 2009. She next attempted a comeback by signing on to Rajkumar Santoshi's Power, but the film was shelved. Despite repeated attempts to land a starring role, Patel dropped out of several projects due to various reasons. Following a two-and-a-half-year sabbatical, Patel made a brief comeback to the Telugu film industry with Parama Veera Chakra (2011) alongside Nandamuri Balakrishna; the film flopped. Chatur Singh Two Star released in the same year and marked her return to Hindi cinema after three years since the release of Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. However, the film was poorly received both critically and commercially.

On 23 April 2011, Patel hosted an event launching her production company, Ameesha Patel Productions, in collaboration with her friend and business partner Kuunal Goomer. David Dhawan and Priyadarshan were signed on to direct films for her banner.

In 2013, Patel co-starred in Abbas-Mustan's Race 2 as Anil Kapoor's ditzy assistant. Despite being a critical failure, the film was a commercial success. Patel is set to star alongside Neil Nitin Mukesh in Susi Ganeshan's Shortcut Romeo, a Hindi remake of his own 2006 Tamil hit Thiruttu Payale. As of February 2013, Patel will resume filming Bhaiyyaji Superhitt opposite Sunny Deol.