Adah Sharma is a Tamil Brahmin born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Her father S. L. Sarma, who hailed from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, was a captain in the merchant navy and her mother, a native from Nattupura is a classical dancer.

Adah did her schooling from Auxilium Convent High School in Pali Hill, Bandra, Mumbai.

When she was in Class X, she had already decided to become an actress. She wanted to drop out of school but her parents insisted that she at least complete her schooling. After finishing her Plus Two, she stopped studying.

She has been dancing since the age of three and has completed her graduation in Kathak from the Natraj Gopi Krishna Kathak Dance Academy in Mumbai.

She also learned salsa for four months in the US, besides jazz and ballet and has stated to be "very good" at belly dancing as well.

Trying to enter the film industry, Sharma auditioned for several roles in Mumbai, but was rejected either because of her curly hair or because the makers felt that she looked too young.

She made her acting debut with a leading role in the 2008 Hindi language horror film 1920, a box office success.

By the release of her critically and commercially successful romantic comedy film Hasee Toh Phasee (2014), she ventured into the South Indian film industries.

In 2014, Sharma had two releases, Puri Jagannadh's romance Heart Attack opposite Nithiin, that marked her Telugu debut.

As of 2015, Sharma has several projects at various productions, which includes the Telugu romance flicks Kshanam and Garam.

She is filming Untitled Project, which will mark her debut in Tamil films, the film is scheduled to release by 2016.