Rishibala Naval (born 4 April 1976), better known by her stage name Simran , is an award-winning Indian actress who has acted in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films.
She is one of actress who used the glamour trend of 90's in Tamil/Telugu film industry to rise to fame. She has appeared in several commercially successful movies such as Nerrukku Ner (1997), V.I.P (1997), Natpukkaga (1998), Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1998), Kannedhirey Thondrinal (1998), Samarasimha Reddy (1999), Anari No.1 (1999), Jodi (1999), Narasimha Naidu (2001), Bava Nachadu (2001), Daddy (2001), Thamizh (2002), Panchathantiram (2002), Ramana (2002) and New (2004).
Her noted performance oriented successful films include Thulladha Manamum Thullum (1999), Vaali (1999), Kalisundam Raa (2000), Nuvvu Vastavani (2000), Priyamaanavale (2000), Parthen Rasithen (2000), Pammal K. Sambandam (2002) and Kannathil Muthamittal (2002). She recently appeared in the 2008 blockbuster Tamil film Vaaranam Aayiram directed by Gautham Menon, costarring Surya Sivakumar.
She was born Rishibala Naval, as the first daughter, to Ashok Naval and Sharada Naval on 4 April 1976. She has two sisters, late Monal, an actress who committed suicide, and Jyoti Naval and a brother named Sumit. She did her schooling at St. Anthony's high school, versova, and finished her B. Com., in Mumbai while modeling simultaneously. Then she came to film industry. She speaks Punjabi, Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu.
She married Deepak Bagga, her long time family friend, on 2 December 2003. They have a son, Adheep, born in June 2005. She made her debut with the 1995 Hindi film Sanam Harjai directed by Saawan Kumar. Jaya Bachchan saw her in "Superhit Muqabla" on Doordarshan’s Metro channel and offered her a leading role in Tere Mere Sapne. She then held supporting roles in Muqaddar, Angaara, Daadagiri, Bal Bramhachari, Agni Morcha and Gunda Gardi. Meanwhile she was acting in Tamil and Telugu films. In 1999, she starred in Anari No.1.
She moved to south Indian movies by acting first in the Malayalam film, Indraprastham. Then she was introduced in Tamil movie industry by Vasanth with Nerukku Ner in 1997 which included a dance number to the song Manam Virumbudhe. Then she starred in several movies such as V.I.P (1997), Natpukkaga (1998), Aval Varuvala (1998) and Kannedhirey Thondrinal (1998) and Thulladha Manamum Thullum in 1999. She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress for Thulladha Manamum Thullum.
