Best supporting actress



Sushmita spent the next few years appearing in a host of forgettable efforts, and it wasn’t until 1999’s Biwi No. 1 that she finally began to live up to her promise. The film, a traditional romantic comedy, wound up taking the box office by storm, and brought Sushmita a truckload of awards and kudos. She won the Indian equivalent of an Oscar for best supporting actress the following year for her performance.

It was also around that time that Sushmita decided to adopt a child, a choice that stemmed from her time as Miss India. “I saw so many poor children… I wanted to adopt a girl child. It took me years to get one." Sushmita decided to name the baby Renee after her mother’s store in Dubai, and though the adoption raised some eyebrows in India, the actress has since admitted that she holds no regrets about her decision.