Apsara Rani Wiki, Age, Height, Net Worth 2026

Apsara Rani — born Anketa Maharana on 12 January 1996 — is an Indian actress and model whose career has run through Telugu, Odia and Tamil cinema and is now headed for Bollywood. The 30-year-old, raised in Dehradun and of Odia heritage, first broke out after maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma renamed her and cast her in his thriller Thriller (2020). She has since built a filmography that includes the item numbers “Bhoom Bhaddhal” (Krack, 2021) and “Pepsi Aunty” (Seetimaarr, 2021) and the crime drama Dangerous (2022). In 2026 she is making her Hindi film debut in Lohitaksha, a psychological thriller written, directed and produced by Bhupindarra, in which she plays a bubbly, culturally rooted housewife opposite Siddhant Issar — a part that required a visible physical transformation, including putting on weight. Rani joins a busy season of 2026 screen newcomers that includes fellow Bollywood debutants like Banita Sandhu and South-cinema crossovers such as Krithi Shetty.

Early Life

Apsara Rani was born Anketa Maharana on 12 January 1996 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, according to entertainment profiles and her Wikipedia entry. Though raised in the foothills of Uttarakhand, she is of Odia heritage — a background central to her public identity since her association with Odia cinema. Profiles describe her as growing up in a four-member middle-class Hindu family in Dehradun.

Her education is reported to have taken place in Uttarakhand, where profiles list her as a graduate of Uttarakhand University. Entertainment write-ups note that she was drawn to acting and modelling from childhood and trained as a dancer — an early interest that later served her on screen. As her screen work took her south, she made Hyderabad her professional base.

Career

Rani’s screen debut came in 2019 with the Telugu romantic drama 4 Letters, directed by R. Raghuraj, in which she played the female lead. She followed it in 2020 with the romantic horror Oollalla Oollalla and with Patnagarh, a bilingual Odia-Telugu film based on the Patnagarh parcel bombing case — her first project to draw on her Odia roots.

The turning point arrived the same year through Ram Gopal Varma. Cast as the lead in his romantic thriller Thriller, opposite newcomer Rock Kacchi, she was renamed “Apsara Rani” at Varma’s insistence — the screen name she has carried ever since. Released on the Shreyas ET app on 14 August 2020 after the pandemic shut theatres, the film drew harsh reviews, but the association with Varma put her firmly on the industry map.

Through 2021 she consolidated that visibility with high-energy special appearances: the song “Bhoom Bhaddhal” in Gopichand Malineni’s Krack (starring Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan), the song “Pepsi Aunty” in Seetimaarr, and a cameo in Varma’s D Company. In 2022 she reunited with Varma for Dangerous, co-starring Naina Ganguly — a film publicised as India’s first lesbian crime action feature — and later expanded into Hindi with Pyara Kulhad (2023). Her recent Telugu work includes Racharikam (2025) and Blood Roses (2026).

Her biggest career reset is Lohitaksha, the Hindi psychological thriller slated for release in 2026. Written, directed and produced by acclaimed Odia actor Bhupindarra in his Hindi directorial debut, and mounted under the Gana Vikash Films banner, the film has been described in coverage as the first Hindi feature shot entirely in Odisha, with filming in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri. Rani plays a cute, bubbly, culturally rooted and responsible housewife — who also holds down a professional career — madly in love with her husband (played by Siddhant Issar) as he slides into complicated mental and emotional struggles. The role is a deliberate break from her glamorous screen image: to play the relatable housewife, she underwent a physical transformation, including putting on weight, and worked on a more emotionally layered performance. Coverage of the October 20, 2026 trailer launch noted viewers’ surprise at her transformation.

Personal Life

Apsara Rani is unmarried and has not publicly confirmed any relationship; entertainment profiles consistently list her marital status as single. Her parents’ names have not been consistently reported across profiles, and she keeps her family life out of the spotlight.

She is based in Hyderabad for work and is active on Instagram, where she shares modelling shoots and film updates with a large following. Profiles list dancing and travelling among her hobbies, and she works out regularly — though she deliberately softened her physique for the Lohitaksha role. She speaks Odia, Hindi, English and Telugu, and her mother tongue is Odia.

Controversies

While promoting Rani on social media, Ram Gopal Varma sparked a controversy with a post saying he had not heard about Odisha since the 1999 super cyclone — a remark that drew sharp reactions in the state. In an interview with OTV, Rani herself addressed it, saying Varma had been genuinely surprised to learn she was from Odisha. The episode briefly put her at the centre of a regional backlash that was directed at the director rather than at her.

Apsara Rani Net Worth 2026

Apsara Rani’s net worth has not been officially disclosed, and no credible published estimate exists. A few entertainment blogs circulate figures, but none cite a verified source, so they should be treated as speculation. Her income streams include acting fees across Telugu, Odia, Tamil and now Hindi films, earnings from special song appearances, modelling assignments and brand work. A lead role in a 2026 Hindi theatrical release positions her for higher fees as her filmography widens.

FAQ

How old is Apsara Rani?

Apsara Rani was born on 12 January 1996, which makes her 30 years old as of October 2026, according to entertainment profiles and Wikipedia.

What is Apsara Rani’s real name?

Her real name is Anketa Maharana. She was renamed “Apsara Rani” by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma when he cast her as the lead in Thriller (2020).

Which films has Apsara Rani acted in?

Her filmography includes the Telugu films 4 Letters (2019), Oollalla Oollalla (2020), Thriller (2020) and Dangerous (2022), the bilingual Patnagarh (2020), special appearances in Krack (2021) and Seetimaarr (2021), and recent Telugu releases Racharikam (2025) and Blood Roses (2026).

Is Lohitaksha Apsara Rani’s Bollywood debut?

Yes. Lohitaksha — written, directed and produced by Bhupindarra — is her first Hindi film as a lead. She plays a bubbly, culturally rooted housewife opposite Siddhant Issar, a role for which she underwent a physical transformation including putting on weight.

What is Apsara Rani’s height?

Entertainment profiles report her height at approximately 5 feet 7 inches, though published figures vary between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 8 inches.

Is Apsara Rani married?

No. She is unmarried and, per entertainment profiles, single — she has not publicly confirmed any relationship.