Payal Rohatgi is a model and an Indian actress / item number dancer who appears in Bollywood films.

Payal Rohatgi was born on 9th November, 1982 in Hyderabad. She is approximately 5'6" tall.

Payal is the daughter of Veena Rohatgi and Shashank Rohatgi. She has a brother named Gaurav Rohatgi.

She was brought up in a middle class family and grew up in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. She completed her schooling from Udgam School and did her engineering from L.D. College of Engineering, Ahmedabad. She is a Software Engineer by profession.

Payal Rohatgi was always attracted to the modelling and fashion world. Payal Rohatgi started her career by modeling for popular brands like Amul, Nirma, and Nescafe. She gained attention after appearing in a television ad for Cadbury's Temptations Chocolates. Around this time she also appeared in music videos by rock band, Silk Route and Indipop artist, Kay Kay.


In 2002, she participated in the Femina Miss India contest, where she stands in the last nine beauties. In the same year, she won the Miss Tourism World in Medellin, South America. These successes encouraged Payal to enter the entertainment industry and so she moved to Bollywood.

After starting her career in Bollywood, Rohatgi has cut back on the number of advertisements she works in. However, she appeared along with cricketer Virender Sehwag in an ad film for Dabur's Lal Dantmanjan. The film was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She was also seen in an ad film for Eveready battery in 2006 with Amitabh Bachchan, which was directed by Pradeep Sarkar.


Payal Rohatgi is known for her sizzling adventures in bunch of B grade movies. Payal made her Bollywood debut in 2002 with Harry Baweja's, "Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?", a Hindi remake of the Hollywood teen flick American Pie.

In later years, she appeared in the films, Plan (2003), Police Force (2003) and Rakht (2004). She shot into the limelight by doing some B & C grade small budget films, but seemed to have a change of heart as Payal Rohatgi realised that these small budget films were not of her sensibility as these films released badly and were shot badly.

In 2006, she got her major breakthrough with the film, 36 China Town. She also starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, and Paresh Rawal. Later that year in July, she appeared in the critically acclaimed, Corporate, in which she played the part of an item girl.


Payal Rohatgi is hot, sexy and an incredibly good dancer to boot. When she scorched the big screen and sent temperatures soaring with her raunchy number ‘Ayee re mahi’ in Kulbhushan Gupta’s ‘Police Force’ we knew Payal was Bollywood’s new item girl.

In 2007, her first release was Priyadarshan's Dhol, produced by the Percept Picture Company. She played a positive second lead character, paired opposite Arbaaz Khan.

In 2008, she was seen in a cameo opposite Ranvir Shorey in PNC film Ugly Aur Pagli which was released in August. In mid-September, she appeared opposite Irrfan Khan in a TV18 film Dil Kabaddi. She played the role of an aerobics instructor in the film.

She has been doing theater workshops with Quasar Thakur and has made debut on stage in Vandana Sajnani Khattar's English play Four Play on October 16, 2010 in Mumbai.


In August 2008, Rohatgi appeared in season 2 of the reality television show, Bigg Boss on Colors TV as a contestant. The same year, she was seen in the adventurous game show, Khatron Ke Khiladi on Colors TV.

In 2009, Rohatgi performed a comedy skit as a celebrity performer in Comedy Circus - Chinchpokli to China on Sony Television.


In 2008, during the second season of the show, Bigg Boss, Rohatgi was romantically linked with fellow inmate, Rahul Mahajan. The couple broke up later, with Rohatgi citing abuse and physical assault as the main reasons of their split. Reports have also surfaced of her dating South African cricketer, Herschelle Gibbs in 2010.

Rohatgi is actively associated with the cause of rehabilitation of drugs addicts and alcoholics and celebrated World Anti Drugs Day with them. She is also actively working for an NGO Jeevan Dhara in Mumbai.

On 2 May 2010, Rohatgi received her first award for excellence in the field of arts by International Creative Arts Society ICAS in Ahmadabad.

Payal has worked with many of the Bollywood Stars. Her fashion sense has been appreciated by many. She is always ahead of the fashion Industry. Now she is spoken of as a Bollywood actress in the same caliber as Neha Dhupia, and Mallika Sherawat.