Anya Chalotra Parents Are from Different Cultures & the Actress 'Grew up on Bollywood'

Anya Chalotra was born to English and Indian parents who hoped their daughter would pursue a traditional career, such as a doctor or journalist. However, the "The Witcher" star revealed that she had loved acting since she was young.

Anya Chalotra was born in South Staffordshire, England, to an English mother and an Indian father. Although the actress grew up in Europe, she felt deeply connected to her Indian roots and yearned to learn more.

After growing up watching Bollywood movies to learn more about her father's culture, Anya Chalotra developed a knack for acting and has since shared the screen with Hollywood A-listers like Henry Cavill.

Anya Chalotra's Parents Wanted Her to Choose a Different Career Path

Following her birth, Chalotra's parents named her after the award-winning journalist and broadcaster Anya Sitarama, hoping their daughter would follow her scholarly path. The actress said:

"[...] my dad typically wanted me to be a doctor or a dentist or a pharmacist or a journalist or… Anything that was more academic than, you know, prancing about in costume for a living."

Despite her parents' expectations of her, Chalotra worked hard to land a spot in a drama school. "I loved the feeling of acting," Chalotra shared. Although Chalotra's parents had different aspirations for their daughter, that did not stop them from sharing a close relationship with the actress.

In July 2021, she attended the Studio 7 By Cartier exhibition in London with her mother, and in 2022, the actress with mixed heritage shared a beautiful throwback of her mother on Instagram.

Anya Chalotra Feels a Deep Connection to Her Indian Ethnicity

Growing up, Chalotra's father used to show his daughter Bollywood films to give her a taste of their Indian culture. Although the actress loved both sides of her family equally, a part of her yearned to know more about her Indian side.

And in 2019, she was able to live out that dream as she traveled to Pathankot, Punjab, India, to meet her Indian relatives for the first time. The actress revealed:

"It completely got me. It was very special to go with my dad. [...] Even though we'd never met, we became so close so soon. It was everything I expected Indian culture to be—where your cousins are actually like your siblings."

Chalotra had aunts and cousins who still lived in India, and as a means to grow closer to her culture, the "The Witcher" star revealed that she was taking Hindi classes.

Acting Was a Way for Anya Chalotra to Explore Different Personalities

Although being a middle child seeking attention led Chalotra to act, she has blossomed into a talented actress. "I was raised largely by my Indian culture, and acting gave me the freedom to explore different personalities outside of that," she revealed.

Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Anya Chalotra has shared the small screen with Toni Collette in "Wanderlust," John Malkovich in "The ABC Murders" and Henry Cavill and Joey Batey in "The Witcher."

However, following the announcement that Liam Hemsworth would replace Cavill in the starring role of "The Witcher," Chalotra shared, "That news was hard to take because he's family."