Arriving in Mumbai unable to speak a word of Hindi, Katrina Kaif has gone on to become one of the city’s most famous residents, And with nearly 43 million people following her on Instagram alone, it’s fair to anoint the actress as one of the reigning queens of Bollywood. 7 times Bollywood beauty Disha Patani wowed us on Instagram View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Mar 3, 2020 at 3:56am PST Though a marquee name with more than 40 films under her belt and a career spanning 17 years in India – working in three languages – Ms Kaif prefers to stay tight-lipped about much of her past, which lends her an air of mystery. There’s some debate on the origin of her stage name, she prefers not to disclose her age and, despite being hounded by the paparazzi constantly, no one can confirm who she is or isn’t dating at any given time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Nov 22, 2019 at 9:09pm PST We do know that she was born in Hong Kong and learned Hindi on film sets with private tutors. Since then, she has had an incredible run at the box office with a hit every year for the past decade, making her one of the highest-paid actresses in India. As well as star billing in a number of forthcoming films – including a franchise of action movies in the works – she recently launched her own line of cosmetics: Kay Beauty by Katrina. Ranveer Singh: from Bollywood outsider to Deepika Padukone’s husband We also know that she is a middle child, with three elder sisters (Stephanie, Christine and Natasha), three younger sisters (Melissa, Sonia and Isabel) and an elder brother (Michael). When Katrina did her first film in Mumbai, Boom (2003), the production team thought her professional name – Katrina Turquotte – would befuddle Indian audiences, so her father’s surname was used instead. 5 pioneering Bollywood stars who have spoken up for LGBTQ+ lives Katrina was brought up by her British mother Suzanne Turquotte, with her absentee father, Mohammed Kaif, from Kashmir, moving to the US long ago. But the film’s producers and director have gone on record to state that the actress’ origin story is fictional and her roots do not trace back to Indian soil. The actress has chosen to stay mum about the entire business. View this post on Instagram Happy Mother’s Day.... the best example of positivity, selflessness, and generosity️ A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on May 12, 2018 at 10:33pm PDT Her age also remains a question – asked not only by journalists, but by contemporaries and competitors as well. On a popular Bollywood talk show, Koffee with Karan , a rival actress questioned the veracity of Katrina’s claimed youthful age and asked, “Can I see your passport?” What makes Tina Ambani tick? 5 habits of Mukesh Ambani’s sister-in-law It’s hardly a crime – actors lying about their age is as old as the profession itself. A Google search says Kaif is 37, but unless her critics see a birth certificate and affidavit, you can expect that number to continue to come with an asterisk. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Apr 27, 2017 at 11:21pm PDT Whatever her age, there is no denying her allure. A few years ago, Kaif “broke the internet” with this photo shot by Mario Testino, garnering more than half a million likes and gaining a million followers in 24 hours. She’s got more than just good looks, too. After a decade of “its an honour to be nominated”, in 2019, Katrina Kaif finally won her first acting honours, in a supporting role in the film, Zero . View this post on Instagram Zee cine awards - Best supporting actress for ZERO @AanandLRai Himanshu Sharma thank u so much for this incredible role and this experience A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Mar 19, 2019 at 10:54pm PDT 10 top Bollywood films to look out for in 2020 Reams of print have also been written about her alleged past romances with co-star Salman Khan, then Ranbir Kapoor and currently, alleged flame, Vicky Kaushal. With no confirmation by either star or anything “made official” on Instagram, one can only assume, but not confirm anything about “single till I’m married” Ms Kaif. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .