Mahima Chaudhary (Bengali:;born Ritu Chaudhry on 13 September 1973) is an Indian actress and a former model who appears in Bollywood films. She made her acting debut in the 1997 film Pardes for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.Chaudhary was born Ritu Chaudhry in Darjeeling, West Bengal. Her father is from Kakripur village in Baghpat, Western Uttar Pradesh. Her mother is a Nepali from Darjeeling. She attended Darjeeling based famous convent school till class X and later moved to Loreto Convent for her plus two levels.