Meet Indian actresses who aspired to become IAS officers: 2 cracked UPSC exams, THIS 35-year-old beauty worked with Shahid Kapoor & John Abraham

Indian actresses who aspired to become IAS officers: In this features today, we will try to scroll through some famous names from the showbiz industry and dig out information related to actual aspirations of these stars. We have curated a list of female actors who initially aspired to become IAS officers and serve the nation. Interestingly, some quit acting to pursue their big dreams and successfully realised it too. Check out the names of these actresses: 

(Pic Courtesy: Instagram)

HS Keerthana made her debut in Kannada movies where she played a child actor alongside many popular stars. She worked in then-daily soaps like Janani, Chiguru, and Puttani agent. However, her passion for UPSC was bigger it seems. She appeared in more than 32 films and 48 TV shows reportedly. She quit acting at 15 reportedly and went on to pursue a career in administrative services. 

According to Times Of India report, the former child artist has cracked the UPSC exam and joined her first posting as an Assistant Commissioner of Mandya District, Karnataka. She worked hard and cleared the exam in her sixth attempt. She then served her probationary period for two years and took over the charge as the current Assistant Commissioner, Mandya, Karnataka. Reportedly, before sitting for the UPSC exam, Keerthana had also given her Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) examination in 2011 and cleared it.

Simala Prasad's mother Mehrunnisa Parvez is a renowned writer who was honored with the Padma Shri award, while her father, Dr. Bhagirath Prasad, is a former IAS officer, a university vice-chancellor, and served as an MP from Bhind (2014–2019). In addition to being a UPSC officer herself, Simala made her acting debut in 2016 film 'Alif', directed by Zaigham Imam. She later appeared in the 2019 movie Nakkash, where she shared the screen with acclaimed actors such as Kumud Mishra, Sharib Hashmi, and Rajesh Sharma.

She also featured in 'The Narmada Stor', a film based on true events. The movie also features well-known actors like Raghubir Yadav, Mukesh Tiwari, and Anjali Patil.

Simala was serving as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Betul district, Madhya Pradesh, after clearing the MPPSC exam. Simala cracked the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt without any coaching. She became an IPS officer in 2010, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 51.

The famous 'bahu' in Ekta Kapoor's K-dramas, Sakshi Tanwar, was preparing for the civil services examination to become an IAS officer before her entertainment career began. Daughter of a retired CBI officer, Sakshi graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi. She made her television debut 1998 with Albela Sur Mela.

She is widely known for starring in superhit daily soaps Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii (2000-2008) and Priya Sharma Kapoor in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain (2011-2014). She also co-starred Aamir Khan in Dangal ( 2016).

Raashii Khanna works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. She made her acting debut in Madras Cafe (2013) opposite John Abraham and subsequently appeared in Telugu film Oohalu Gusagusalade (2014). In an interview with IndiaGlitz Telugu, she revealed that her original dream was to become an IAS officer; civil service was her true calling before fate intervened.

In another candid interview with Bollywood Bubble, Raashii opened up about her middle-class upbringing. Her father worked in business, her mother was a school principal, and her brother served in the merchant navy. She recalled how her brother once handed her a list of prestigious institutions. Inspired, she doubled down on her studies and ended up topping her class.

Bollywood's famous face Yami Gautam aspired to become an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer before pursuing a career in acting. She was in fact, studying law and preparing for civil services, but changed paths at age 20 and ventured into the showbiz world through a TV show Chand Ke Paar Chalo.