Genelia Deshmukh (née D’Souza), born on August 5, 1987, is an Indian actress known for her work in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as one of the leading South Indian actresses of the 2000s, she has received accolades including a Filmfare Award South and two Nandi Awards. She gained initial recognition through a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan before debuting in the Hindi film Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003), and earned further acclaim with her role in the Tamil film Boys the same year.

Her breakthrough came with the Telugu film Bommarillu (2006), which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Throughout the 2000s, she starred in several successful films such as Masti (2004), Sye (2004), Santosh Subramaniam (2008), and the Bollywood hit Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008). Her filmography also includes notable titles like Force (2011), Velayudham (2011), and Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (2012).

After marrying actor Riteish Deshmukh and starting a family, she took a hiatus from acting. Genelia made a successful comeback with the Marathi film Ved (2022), which earned her a Filmfare Award nomination. Besides acting, she has hosted television shows such as Big Switch (2009) and Ladies vs Gentlemen (2020), and remains a popular brand ambassador for various products.