Mahima Chaudhry, born as Ritu Chaudhry on 13 September 1973, is a renowned Indian actress and model who has left an indelible mark in the Hindi film industry.

Born to a Jat father and a Nepalese-origin mother in Darjeeling, India, Mahima attended Dow Hill in Kurseong until class 10 and later moved to Loreto College, Darjeeling. She won the ‘Miss Darjeeling’ title in a local beauty contest.

Mahima started her career as a Video jockey. During the 1990s, she did a few modelling assignments and appeared in several television commercials before venturing into films. She made her acting debut in the 1997 film patriotic romantic drama Pardes, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. She established a career with several popular movies including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), Kurukshetra (2000), Baghban (2003), and received critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999), Lajja (2001) and Dobara (2004).

Mahima's performances have been recognized with several awards. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role in Pardes. She also received nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dil Kya Kare and Dhadkan.

Mahima got married to architect businessman Bobby Mukherji in 2006. However, due to incompatibility and differences, the couple started living separately and got divorced in 2013. She has a daughter named Ariana from her marriage. There were also rumors of her relationship with Ajay Devgn.

Mahima retired from films post her marriage to architect Bobby Mukherjee in 2006. She has been on a sabbatical since 2010. In 2022, she opened up about her breast cancer journey. She revealed that the cancer was detected during the yearly routine check-up. Despite the challenges, she has shown immense courage and resilience.