Born on January 8, 1986, Sagarika Ghatge belongs to a royal family as Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur is her forefather. Her father Vijasinh Ghatge is a member of the royal family of Kagal. Sita Raje Ghatge, grandmother of Sagarika is the daughter of Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar III of Indore. (All photos/Sagarika Ghatge's official Instagram page)

Sagarika Ghatge lived in Kolhapur till the age of eight. She later shifted to Ajmer, Rajasthan to attend Mayo College Girls School.

Very few know that Sagarika Ghatge was a national-level hockey player. And quite ironically, her Bollywood debut too was a sports-drama based on hockey.

In 2007, Sagarika Ghatge made her Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Chak De! India. She played a headstrong hockey player, who dumps her cricketer boyfriend for undermining her passion for hockey.

Two years later, Sagarika Ghatge starred in Fox, co-starring Arjun Rampal, Sunny Deol and Udita Goswami.

Asked why she took so long to come up with her second project, she said that her 'instincts didn't allow' her to agree on any other project that was offered in recent times. 'Choosing the films I want to do is an instant decision I make based on my instincts. Besides, the gap wasn't intentional as 'Fox' also took a while to release,' she said.

The film flopped at the Box Office. However, the two-year gap didn't wipe out Sagarika from the audience's memory as her portrayal of Preeti Sabharwal in Chak De! India stayed on with them.

'I take the whole thing very positively. 'Chak De!...' was a huge success and people appreciated my role with their heart. It's okay if they remember me for having played Preeti Sabharwal, but at least its stayed on. The only way to come out of it is to do a film of the level of 'Chak De!...,' she said.

Though, the 'next level' never came in Sagarika Ghatge's career. She went on to star in films such as 2011's Miley Naa Miley Hum (co-starring Chirag Paswan and Kangana Ranaut), 2012's Rush (co-starring Emraan Hashmi, Aditya Pancholi, Neha Dhupia) and 2017's Irada (co-starring Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Divya Dutta), which bombed at the Box Office.

While her Bollywood films did not fare well at the Box Office, she, in the meanwhile, tried her hands on regional cinema too.

In 2012, she featured in a Marathi film Premachi Goshta opposite Atul Kulkarni and in 2015, she made her debut in the Punjabi film industry with the film Dildariyaan.

Sagarika Ghatge also faced her fears through TV show Khatron Ke Khiladi - Darr Ka Blockbuster Returns in 2015.

For someone who's grown up in Mumbai, the brief winters that the city witnesses are something that Sagarika Ghatge looks forward to every year.

Jogging in the mornings is one of the favourite things, Sagarika Ghatge likes to do in 'Mumbai' winters. 'I like everything about winters. The weather being so pleasant becomes a great season to go restaurant hopping and indulge my taste buds. It's that season of the year where I usually give my gym a break and switch to morning jogs enjoying the weather.'

Sagarika Ghatge loves dressing up for winters too! 'It is so much fun. My ideal winter outfit would be a fitted pair of denim with a pastel-coloured cardigan teamed with an overcoat and boots. Bright colours like reds, pinks and oranges look great in this weather. Scarves, stoles and jackets in these colours can be used to accessorise any dull outfit. As for taking care of my skin and hair in this weather, I believe it's important to moisture your skin especially if it is dry. My hair is not that much of a struggle to maintain since unlike summers, they do not get greasy. But conditioning them after a shampoo is a must,' she said.

In 2019, Sagarika Ghatge made her web-debut with the web-series - BOSS: Baap of Special Services by ALT Balaji. She plated ACP Sakshi in the series, that starred Karan Singh Grover.

On the personal front, Sagarika Ghatge, who played a headstrong hockey player, who dumps her cricketer boyfriend for undermining her passion for hockey, ironically got married to former Indian speedster Zaheer Khan, exactly 10 years on.

Talking about her relationship and the connection with the 'Chak De! India' role, Sagarika had said in an interview, 'When I think of it, there is an irony in that, but it's definitely not planned. I don't know how to look back at it, but we can definitely call it ironic.'

In picture: This photo is among the first ones to be shared by Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge after they made their relationship official

Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge had shared this picture while announcing their engagement. Sagarika Ghatge got engaged to Zaheer Khan on April 24, 2017. 'Partners for life !!! #engaged @ImZaheer,' wrote Sagarika Ghatge while announcing her engagement with Zaheer Khan.

'More than me, a lot of people think of it like, 'Oh my God, she is actually marrying a cricketer because she dated a cricketer'. But that was a movie, this is my real life. So, I don't know how I can associate both,' Sagarika Ghatge said.

In picture: Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge with Ashish Chowdhry, Samita Bangargi, Vidya Malavade and other friends at a bash

Sagarika Ghatge wed her fiance, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan on November 24, 2017. Before her D-Day, speaking about her marriage to Zaheer Khan, Sagarika Ghatge was quoted saying, 'Like everybody who is getting married, I think there is always stress, yet there is a lot of excitement because it's a wedding that you are planning. So, we have all those emotions going on right now.'

In picture: Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge pose for a picture with friends at a party

Sagarika Ghatge had earlier told mid-day in an interview, 'Let's just say I am in a very happy space right now. I have never spoken about my personal relationships. In fact, I have never spoken about anything to the press. Personal space is not for discussion.'

Before her marriage, when asked about the pressures of dating a cricketer, Sagarika Ghatge evasively answered in an interview with mid-day, 'I will remain just the way I am: low profile as ever. Why should I be any different just because I am linked to someone? I am not the kind who can put up a farce. I have no shame in admitting that I draw into my shell easily and come out only when I have to speak.'

Sagarika Ghatge says her love for her husband and cricketer Zaheer Khan stems from the friendship they share and that he is the centre of her world.

'Zaheer is the centre of my world. The love we have for each other stems from a great friendship and a deep connection,' said Sagarika.

Zaheer Khan and his wife Sagarika Ghatge strengthen and support each other's career, the couple had said earlier.

'He (Zaheer) is usually the person I go to for any advice and someone who I will always look up to. I always take pointers from him before I do anything and make sure I give mine to him,' said Sagarika.

Well, Sagarika Ghatge has turned into her husband Zaheer Khan's personal stylist. 'She is my stylist now! I'm often told by my friends that my dressing sense has improved because of her,' quipped Zaheer Khan, who retired from international cricket in October 2015 after playing for around 14 years.

Here's wishing Sagarika Ghatge a very happy birthday!