Sonakshi Sinha is celebrating her 31^st birthday today. Born on June 2, 1987, to veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha and wife Poonam Sinha, the actress who made her debut opposite Salman Khan in Dabangg in 2010, was once upon a time overweight and weighed a whopping 90 kgs. On Salman’s insistence and motivation, Sonakshi lost oodles of weight and made her debut in the film. Moreover, she battled the perception boldly that the film industry associated with her; of the saree-clad wife or homely Indian girl.

Sonakshi was stereotyped in her earlier films into playing the quintessential Indian girl dressed in saris and salwar kameez. However, the Sinha girl did not let this notion remain for long. What she couldn't achieve in the films, she did on the red carpet events and photoshoots, showing off her curves with oodles of glamour.

Kareena Kapoor Khan once ridiculed Sonakshi on Karan Johar's show Koffee With Karan stating that an alternate career choice for her would be of a housewife. However, taking such remarks on the chin, the actress carved a niche for herself by choosing action-oriented roles in Akira and Force 2. 

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She made everyone sit up and take notice of her acting skills in a demure and submissive but spunky role as Pakhi in Lootera. 

Sonakshi, who made her debut much before Alia Bhatt and the new crop of actresses was stereotyped in her initial days as most of the films that she worked in, gave her bit roles opposite Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. Although she was appreciated for her camera presence and dialogue delivery, the behenji-mold was hard to break out of. But this didn't deter the actress, who kept working on her body and started trying her hand at different roles dabbing with comedy, drama, and action.

Sonakshi lead from the front in the film Noor which saw her spearheading the cast. The film might not have done a great booming business at the box office, but her comic sense was highly appreciated. In Ittefaq opposite Sidharth Malhotra and Akshaye Khanna, Sonakshi maintained her stand and proved that she can also do a serious and thriller role with shades of grey. She essayed the complicated character with aplomb.

Talking about her fitness Sonakshi had said that it was her willpower that made her lose weight, she said, “It was not easy at all for somebody like me. I am the kind of person who hates the gym. I am allergic to the gym. I want to run away from it. But I think once I put my mind to something, I go out and achieve it, and I guess I did that.”

We guess we can say the same thing for her film career as well, it has been her own willpower that has kept her still in the reckoning and in the limelight even though she has not given any stupendous hits in her film career.

The Dabangg actress will be next seen in Abhishek Varman directed Kalank which is being produced by Karan Johar and has a stellar ensemble cast. Besides, Sonakshi, the film stars Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt, Kunal Kemmu and Aditya Roy Kapur. She will also be seen in Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi and Dabangg 3. Here’s wishing the pretty actress a very happy birthday!