bollywood

Sridevi

2008-03-10T01:31:00.000-07:00

Sridevi , born on August 13, 1963, is an Indian actress who has starred in hundreds of Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam language films. She started acting at the age of four, and made her debut as an adult in the early 80s. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of her times, and although she left the industry in 1997, she has been regarded by the industry members, as one of the most talented and prominent actresses of India.

Personal Life

Sridevi was born and brought up in Sivakasi, a district in Tamil Nadu. Her mother tongue is Tamil. Her father's name was Ayyapan and her mother's name was Rajeswari. Sridevi has a sister, Srilatha, and a younger brother named Satish. Her father died while she was filming Lamhe, her mother while she was making Judaai. Although it is the Hindu custom that the son lights the funeral pyre, Sridevi lit the pyre for her mother's last rites.
Numerous sources claim that Sridevi had a relationship with actor Mithun Chakraborty from 1986 to 1987, and ended the relationship when she found out that he had not divorced his wife, Yogita Bali. Many versions of this story say that the couple was secretly married and the marriage was later annulled. It is not clear how much of this story is true and how much is gossip.
Sridevi married film producer Boney Kapoor on June 2, 1996. Boney and his first wife Mona Shourie Kapoor had accommodated Sridevi in their home during Sridevi's stay in Mumbai.At that time Boney and Mona had been married for several years and had two children Arjun and Anshula. Mona Kapoor stayed in Boney Kapoor's parents home for 10 years after the divorce to give her children a sense of family. The couple has two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi. Through her husband she is related to the large Surinder Kapoor film clan (see List of Bollywood film clans). Actor Anil Kapoor, her co-star in a number films, is her brother-in-law.

Career

Sridevi started her career as a child artist in the Tamil movie Kandhan Karunai (1967) and acted in many Telugu and Tamil movies. During her early adult career, she acted in a number of Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam movies. Many of her Malayalam movies were directed by I. V. Sasi. Some examples of her notable Malayalam movies are: Aadhyapaadam, Aalinganam, Kuttavum Sikshaiyum, Aa Nimisham. In 1976, she got her first big break as a heroine in K. Balachander's Moondru Mudichu, where she starred opposite Kamal Haasan and Rajnikanth. In many ways, this movie was a landmark in Tamil filmdom. It was also one of Rajnikanth's first major movies.After Moondru Mudhchu, Sridevi had a succession of huge hits with both these Tamil superstars. With Kamal Haasan, she acted in movies such as Guru, Sankarlal, Sigappu Rojakkal, Thaayillamal Naanillai, Meendum Kokila, Vaazhve Maayam, Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu, Neela Malargal, Moondram Pirai, 16 Vayathinile. With Rajnikanth, she acted in movies such as Dharmayuddham, Priya, Pokkiri Raja, Thanikattu Raja, Adutha Varisu, Nan Adimai Illai, etc. She was the number one actress in Tamil films during the period 1979-83.During the same time, Sridevi also made inroads into Telugu language movies. She acted with all major heroes in Telugu. A number of her Telugu movies were made by K. Raghavendra Rao. With N. T. Rama Rao, she acted in movies such as Konda Veeti Simham, Vetagadu, Sardar Paparayudu, Bobbili Puli etc. With A. Nageswara Rao, she acted in movies such as Mudulla Koduku, Premabhishekham, Bangaru Kanku, Premakanuka etc. With Krishna she acted in movies such as Kanchu Kagada, Kalavari Samsaram, Krishnavatharam, Borripellum Bolludu, Khaidi Rudrayya etc. After Kamal Haasan, Sridevi has acted the most number of movies with Krishna. Towards the tail end of her Telugu career, she started acting in Hindi movies. Many of her initial Hindi movies starred Jeetendra and were remakes of her Telugu movies, mostly directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, and K. Bappaiah.
In 1978, she starred in her first Hindi film, Solva Saawan which failed at the box office. However, her second movie, Himmatwala, went on to be a success and established her status in Bollywood. The film also earned her the famous nickname Thunder Thighs. This was followed by the critically acclaimed drama Sadma, which is often cited by critics as the most definitive child-woman performance of her career. Throughout the 1980s, she starred in a galaxy of box office hits, including Tohfa, Nagina, Mr. India, Chandni and Chaalbaaz, in which her double-role won her the first Hindi Filmfare Best Actress Award. The commercially successful Nagina is remembered for her iconic dance sequence in the film's climax. Her performance in Shekhar Kapur's blockbuster Mr. India won her rave reviews, and her comic-timing was praised. Yash Chopra's poetic fairy-tale mega-hit Chandni earned her another nomination at the Filmfare.Yash Chopra again directed her in the path-breaking modern day classic Lamhe (1991), where the sensitive and intense double-role act immortalised her forever in Hindi Cinema. It also won her, her second Filmfare Best Actress Award. She followed it with acclaimed performances in films like Khuda Gawah, Gumrah and Laadla. Kshanam Kshanam released in 1992 won her the fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. She is one of the few Bollywood actresses who dictated terms and for whom exclusive roles were written. The failure of the multicrore Roop ki Rani Choron ka Raja proved to be a major setback. After the drama Judaai (1997), she left the industry in order to marry filmmaker Boney Kapoor and raise her two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.
After a six-year hiatus, an aged Sridevi returned to the small screen, briefly, in the popular Sahara sitcom Malini Iyer (2004-2005). She also appeared on Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai for Karishma Kapoor (2004) and as a judge in the TV show Kaboom (2005). She is a member of the Board of Directors at the Asian Academy of film and television. She performed an 80's medley at the 52nd Filmfare Awards 2007.

Raveena Tandon

2008-03-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

Raveena Tandon (born October 26, 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is a National Film Award winning, Indian Bollywood actress, producer, and a former model.
Tandon made her acting debut with Patthar Ke Phool (1991), and won a Filmfare Lux New Face Award for her performance in the film. During the 90s, she was a popular star and was part of several commercial successes such as Mohra (1994), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996) and Ziddi (1997), followed by many more, yet she was not particularly recognized as an actor though. However, she surprised critics and audiences in the early 2000s, when she ventured into more serious roles and turned to work in art and parallel cinema. She was highly acclaimed for her performances in films like Aks (2001) and Satta (2003), and had the peak of her career in 2002, when she won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kalpana Lazmi's Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001).

Early life

During her time as an intern she got her first film offer from Shantanu Sheorey which she accepted. She attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu and studied at Mithibai College. She completed her first and second years at the college but by the beginning of her third year, was in the same class as current actor Fardeen Khan. she was getting more film offers. She dropped out of college and decided to pursue her film career.

Career

Raveena got her name from a combination of her father's name Ravi Tandon and mother's name Veena. Her father was a producer and director of some films in the 1970s and 1980s. She has a brother called Rajiv Tandon.
Her first film Patthar Ke Phool (1991) was a hit, she received the Filmfare Lux New Face Award for her debut performance.
Her next films Mohra (1994) and Dilwale (1994) were big hits at the box office whilst Laadla although an average performer, still earned her a Filmfare nomination as best supporting actress. Mohra was the second biggest hit of 1994. Her other releases of that year included the thriller Imtihaan and the comedy Andaz apna apna. The former was an average performer whilst the latter was unsuccessful at the box office but has since gained a strong cult following over the years. She reportedly got into a fight with her co-star Karisma Kapoor on the sets of the film. In 1995, she starred with Shahrukh Khan for the first time in Zamana Deewana, the film failed to do well. Her following films failed to do well at the box office and her career saw a drop in her success. Her career was back on track with hit films like Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996) and Ziddi (1997), being big hits each of its respective year.
In 1998, Tandon had eight releases. Her last release of that year Bade Miyan Chote Miyan co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda turned out to the second biggest hit of the year. Coincidentally, Tandon was offered the second lead in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai which went on to be the biggest hit of 1998, but she turned it down. Her other releases of that year were Gharwali Baharwali which gained a below average status and Vinashak, Pardesi Babu and Aunty No. 1 all of which were un-successful.
In the 2000s, Tandon turned her career professionally. She went on to work more with art film directors and realistic cinema. It proved to be a good turning as films like Shool (1999), Bulandi (2000) and Aks (2001) won her huge acclaim. She won many awards as well as the Filmfare Special Performance Award for her performance in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Aks.
Her years in the industry paid off when she won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kalpana Lazmi's Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence (2001), where she played a battered wife to an abusive husband. She surprised critics and audiences with her performance in the film and received much appreciation for her work. Critic, Taran Adarsh said "Raveena Tandon lends credibility to the role of a battered wife and walks away with the honours. The pathos she conveys through her expressions makes you realise that she's a performer of substance".
Since then, she has starred in a number of critically acclaimed films, such as Satta (2003) and Dobara (2004), but has not had much box office success. Her role as a middle class woman thrust into the world of politics in the former was praised. Critic, Taran Adarsh wrote "Raveena Tandon delivers a bravura performance. The actress takes giant strides as a performer, giving the right touches to her character. Here's a performance that's bound to be noticed". Her role as a schizophrenic in Dobara was also praised with one critic saying, "Raveena is in sync with her character, essaying her part with elaan".
Her last release was Sandwich in 2006 which opened to poor reviews and reception. She has not acted in films since.
Tandon has produced the films Stumped (2003) and Pehchaan: The Face of Truth (2005), neither had much success at the box office.

Personal life

She adopted two children Pooja and Chhaya as a single mother in the 1990s. Tandon previously dated actor Akshay Kumar from 1997 and they were set to be engaged, however they broke up soon after.
Tandon began dating film distributor Anil Thadani during the making of her film Stumped (2003). Their engagement was announced in November 2003. She married Thadani on February 22, 2004 in Jag Mandir Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan according to Sikh rites. She gave birth to a baby girl called Rasha on March 16, 2005. She gave birth to her second child, a boy, on July 12, 2007.

Commitments

In November 2002, Tandon signed on to support the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. She posed in many ad campaigns joining the likes of Shilpa Shetty, Amisha Patel and John Abraham. On the issue of cows being slaughtered for their skin, she said "their abuse at the hands of corrupt skin and meat traders must be stopped".
In June 2006, Tandon contributed to the Lotus Eye Hospital in Mumbai for underprivileged children

Vinod Khanna

2008-03-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

Vinod Khanna (born 6 October 1946) is an Indian actor, film producer and politician.

Career

Vinod Khanna debuted in Sunil Dutt's 1968 film Man Ka Meet as a villain. He acted in multi-starrer films often playing supporting and negative roles in hit films such as Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Sachaa Jhutta (1970) and Mera Gaon Mera Desh(1971). His big break was in the 1971 film Mere Apne directed by Gulzar. His sensitive performance as an army officer facing death row in another Gulzar scripted and directed 1973 film Achanak was critically acclaimed. The songless film echoed the true life story of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra and Khanna portrayed Kawas Nanavati, the real life Navy officer.
He went on to star in many hits throughout the mid 1970s and early 1980s, including Parvarish (1977), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Khoon Pasina (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), The Burning Train (1980) and Qurbani (1980). Having peaked in Bollywood, he became a follower of the spiritual teacher Osho (Rajneesh) and left the film industry in 1979 for eight years. At this time, he was the most successful actor in the Bollywood, competing with Amitabh Bachchan. He rejoined the industry, eight years later in mid 1980s. He continued to appear in many notable films from the mid 1980s to the 1990s such as Dayavan (1988), Chandni (1989), Kshatriya (1993) Eeena Meena Deeka (1994) and Ekka Raja Rani (1994).In 1997 he introduced his son Akshaye in the film Himalay Putra which he produced and also starred in. In 1999 he received a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the film industry for over three decades. He has since acted in fewer films playing character roles. His most recent films were Deewaanapan (2002) and Risk (2007).
He is currently acting as the lead in the Hindi serial Mere Apne produced by Smriti Irani which airs on the new channel 9x.he plays the role of the male lead Kashi Nath and is paired with producer Smriti Irani who also acts as the female lead in the serial.

Politics

In 1997, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was nominated from Gurdaspur, East Punjab in the next year's Lok Sabha poll.
The star-factor helped him oust five time Lok Sabha member Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder. Bhinder's perceived inability to develop the area outweighed the "outsider" tag applied to Khanna. The latter became union minister for culture and tourism in July 2002. Six months later he was moved to the more important ministry of external affairs (MEA) as minister of state. In 2004 he won re-election from Gurdaspur.
He was the highest taxpayer in Mumbai in 1990-91. Presently, he continues to participate in the film business based out of Dubai. His sons Akshay Khanna and Rahul Khanna are Hindi film actors.

Saif Ali Khan

2008-03-04T00:58:00.000-08:00

Saif Ali Khan ( born 16 August 1970 in New Delhi, India) is an award-winning Indian actor who stars in Bollywood films. He is the son of the Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and the actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters; actress Soha Ali Khan, and Saba Ali Khan.
Khan made his debut in 1992 with Parampara. He had his major success with the 1994 films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Yeh Dillagi. After starring in several box office failures throughout the 1990s, he gained acclaim and rose into prominence with his performance in Dil Chahta Hai (2001), and went on to turn his career professionally after that. He was praised for his performance in Nikhil Advani's hit Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), which won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, and won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in another hit Hum Tum (2004). He then had commercial success with films like Salaam Namaste (2005) and Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007), and starred in numerous critically acclaimed projects such as Parineeta and Omkara (2006). These successes put him among the most successful actors in the industry.

Family and early life

Saif Ali Khan was born into the family of the Nawabs of Pataudi. His grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, was the Nawab of Pataudi as well as an accomplished cricketer who played for England and then for India as the captain of the team. His paternal grandmother was Sajida Sultan, Begum of Bhopal and his great-uncle was Pakistani general Nawabzada Sher Ali Khan Pataudi.
His father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, like Nawab of Pataudi Sr., was not only the Nawab of Pataudi but also a former captain of the Indian cricket team. His mother, Sharmila Tagore, is a Bengali Indian film actress, head of the Indian film censorship board and a relative of the Nobel laureate - Rabindranath Tagore. Saif is also distantly related to the late Nafisa Joseph through his mother. Khan has two sisters: Soha Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan.
Initially Saif studied at the Lawrence School Sanawar but later attended Lockers Park Prep School. Later, he followed in his father's footsteps by attending Winchester College, a famous independent school for boys in England.

Career

Saif was meant to make his debut in Bekhudi (1992) opposite Kajol but the film took off without him.
He made his Bollywood debut in the 1992 film Parampara. For his next film Aashiq Awara (1993) he won the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. His breakthrough role came in 1994 with Yeh Dillagi starring opposite Kajol and Akshay Kumar which was his first major hit. Khan went on to star in many films but they failed at the box office. He only had success with multi-starrer hits like Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Imtihaan (1995), Kachche Dhaage (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United (1999). After some box office failures he had a hit with the film Kya Kehna (2000).
His acting career, more or less, went through a relative slump until 2001, when he was cast in Farhan Akhtar's hit film, Dil Chahta Hai. He received much acclaim for his role as Sameer with critic Taran Adarsh calling it his career-best performance. The success of this film firmly established Saif as one of the industry's most bankable stars.
He has since had many box office successes such as Kal Ho Na Ho (2003),[15] Hum Tum (2004) and Salaam Namaste (2005). He won lots of critical acclaim for his performance in a rare negative role for the film Ek Hasina Thi (2004) and for Parineeta (2005). His performance in Hum Tum won him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
In 2006 Khan played the lead role in the offbeat English-language film Being Cyrus and bagged enormous acclaim for his villainous role in the Indian adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, Omkara. Critic, Taran Adarsh said "Saif Ali Khan... plays the evil Langda Tyagi brilliantly. His looks, his mannerisms, his body language, his overall behavioral pattern takes you by complete surprise. The actor deserves distinction marks for portraying the role with such realism that you start hating him after a point. Sure, the actor deserves the highest award for this role". Rediff.com stated "Omkara marks Saif's emergence into the very forefront of his acting peers, and we gleefully applaud". He won the Best Villain awards at all the major award ceremonies including the Star Screen Awards, and Zee Cine Awards.
His next film Eklavya: The Royal Guard saw him and his mother together for the second time since Aashiq Awara. Though it was a box-office disappointment his performance as Harshwardhan was praised and appreciated by the critics. One critic commented "watching him emote with amazing precision makes you realize the giant strides he has taken as an actor".
His last release Ta Ra Rum Pum did moderately at the box office and his performance was praised.

Personal life

Khan married actress Amrita Singh in October 1991. The marriage made news as Amrita is twelve years older than him. After thirteen years of marriage and two children, a daughter named Sara and a son named Ibrahim, the couple divorced in 2004. His children live with their mother.
In 1998, Khan was charged with poaching two blackbucks in Kankani during the filming of Hum Saath Saath Hain along with co-stars Salman Khan, Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Neelam. The charges were dropped soon after and Khan was acquitted.
The tabloids have often linked him with many other Bollywood stars, but he has denied all these rumours. After he divorced his wife, Khan began dating Rozza Catalino, who he broke up with in 2007. Khan is currently dating actress Kareena Kapoor. At the grand finale of the Lakme Fashion Week, he declared that they were indeed a couple and were seeing each other.
On February 18, 2007, Khan was hospitalized at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai due to experiencing chest pain while rehearsing for his performance at the Stardust Awards, to be held that night. Many film personalities came to see the actor in hospital. After hospitalisation, he stated he would quit smoking.

Commitments

In 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, Khan performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Khan took part in two major world tours. He was part of a troupe that included Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra, which went on the Temptations 2004 world tour. The tour was an international and commercial success, performing nineteen stage shows across the globe.
In 2006, Khan toured again, participating and performing in the successful Heat 2006 concert around the world, along with Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.
In 2006, Khan appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of a performance showcasing Indian culture along with Rani Mukerji, and Aishwarya Rai on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi.

Mithun Chakraborty

2008-03-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty June 16, 1950) is a National Film Award-winning Indian film actor as well as social activist. In his heyday, he had earned a huge fan following as a dancing star, and was one of the most popular and leading actors of India in the 80s. Altogether he has appeared in more than 200 Bollywood films as well as some Bengali and Bhojpuri films. He is the owner of chain hotels, known as Monarch Hotels.

Personal life

He was born in Barisal (now in Bangladesh) and educated at the Scottish Church College, Calcutta, from where he earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry (B.Sc). After that he attended and graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India.
It is a little known fact that Mithun was a staunch Naxalite before entering the film industry. But tragedy struck his family when his only brother got accidentally electrocuted and killed in a freak accident. Mithun returned to his family and left the Naxalite fold, even though doing so meant a grave risk to his own life from the Naxalites, because this was considered a one-way road (it was an unwritten law somewhat like an Omerta, that one could not abandon the Naxalite cause once it had been embraced). This proved to be a turning point in his life and became one of the prime causes that led to his iconic status. Another lesser known fact is that he had undergone expert training in martial arts.
Mithun is married to Indian actress Yogita Bali and has four children, three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Mimoh Chakraborty is an upcoming actor whose debut movie is scheduled to be launched in 2007.
Numerous sources claim that Chakraborty had a relationship with actress Sridevi from 1986 to 1987, and that Sridevi ended the relationship when she found out that he had not divorced his first wife, Yogita Bali. Chakraborty and Sridevi were believed to have been secretly married and that the union was later annulled.

Film career

Mithun made his film debut in the 1976 Mrinal Sen directed film Mrigaya for which he won the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor. After his debut he played some supporting roles in films such as Do Anjaane (1976) and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan (1977) which did not gain him any recognition.
He shot into prominence in the late 1970s with the low budget Ravikant Nagaich directed spy film Surakshaa (1979) and the early 1980s with leading roles in hit films such as Hum Paanch (1980) and Wardaat (1981) (a sequel to Surakshaa).
His breakthrough role finally came in the musical drama Disco Dancer (1982) which was a huge success due to its hit music and remains a cult favourite to this day.A Good example of his cult movies would be Gunda. This film and other musical films such as Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984) and Dance Dance (1987) showcased him as a talented dancer.
He starred in many successful romantic and family drama films during this period such as Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye (1983), Pyaar Jhukta Nahin (1985), Swarg Se Sunder (1986), and Pyaar Ka Mandir (1988). These films remain his most commercially successful films to date.
He was widely recognized as an action hero in hit films like Wanted (1983), Boxer (1984), Jagir (1984), Jaal (1986), Watan Ke Rakhwale (1987) Commando (1988), Waqt Ki Awaaz (1988), Guru (1989) and Dushman (1990). During the mid 1980s he was regarded as a rival to Amitabh Bachchan as he did dozens of films in the action and drama genre that showcased him as an angry young man at odds with the ills of society and corruption. This characterization was similar to Bachchan's one. Likewise, he has worked with some of the biggest actresses of his time and Bollywood in general, like Zeenat Aman, Padmini Kolhapure, Rati Agnihotri, Rekha, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and more.
Mithun achieved not only commercial success but also tremendous critical acclaim. His performances in his first film Mrigaya as well as for films such as Tahader Katha and Swami Vivekananda, were widely appreciated and won him National Film Awards. He also won two Filmfare awards: The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in the 1990 film Agneepath, and the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his performance in Jallad. Apart from it, he was praised for his performances in films like Pyaar Ka Mandir (1988) and Mujrim (1989).
During the mid 1990s he shifted his focus from mainstream Hindi cinema and went into starring in low-budget B-grade movies. These movies were mainly produced to cater to the audiences of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, where Mithun has a cult-following even today, thanks to his Bhojpuri movies. In the late 1990s he took a break from acting and relocated to Ooty where he set up some businesses. He was the highest tax payer in the country for five consecutive years, from 1994 to 1999.
He made a comeback to the mainstream film Hindi film industry in 2005 with the film Elaan which was not successful. After a few supporting roles in films such as Lucky: No Time for Love (2005) he won acclaim for his performance in Kalpana Lazmi's Chingari. He recently starred in Mani Ratnam's hit Guru for which he received critical acclaim. Guru was the first film of his to be commercially successful since his comeback. His upcoming films are Samir Karnik's Heroes and Zindagi Tera Naam.

Sports

Mithun Chakraborty has also been quietly promoting Football in his native Bengal. The Bengal Football Academy is his brainchild. He travelled 12 hours in buses all over Bengal to raise money by playing exhibition matches. Rs 37 lakh is what they collected way back in 1999. Today, the BFA struggles to find its feet, fighting lack of funds and a permanent playing ground. The young Tarif Ali, who is a part of the Indian National squad is a protege of BFA.

Vidya Balan

2008-03-01T01:17:00.000-08:00

Vidya Balan (born January 1, 1978) is an award-winning Indian actress who appears in Bollywood movies.
Balan, who began her career starring in many music videos, soap operas and commercials, made her acting debut in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko (2003), for which she won critical acclaim. She later made her Hindi film debut with Parineeta (2005), for which she received a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, and received her first commercial success with Rajkumar Hirani's Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006). Balan has thus established herself as one of the most promising actresses of the industry.

Career

Early life, until 2002

Vidya Balan grew up in Mumbai and attended St. Anthony's Girls High School, St. Xavier's College, Bombay and later the University of Mumbai. She graduated from college with a sociology degree.
Balan's movie career started when she was signed to appear in the Malayalam film Chakram, alongside superstar Mohanlal but the movie was shelved. After that, she was signed for a Tamil film, Run, but for reasons undisclosed, she was dropped after a first schedule and replaced by Meera Jasmine. In the jinx driven industry, Vidya was dropped from her second Tamil movie Manasellam opposite Srikanth, on the grounds of 'non-performance' and was replaced by Trisha Krishnan.
She then turned to television advertising. From 1998 onwards, she appeared in numerous television ads, many of which were directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She also took supporting roles in music videos, appearing with singers and bands such as Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal, and Pankaj Udhas. Vidya also portrayed the role of Radhika Mathur in a few episodes of the first season of Hum Paanch, but was later replaced by Amita Nangia at the end of the first season.

Breakthrough, 2003 - present

In 2003, she appeared in the Bengali film, Bhalo Theko, for which she won the Anandalok Puraskar Best Actress award in Kolkata. Balan next made her Hindi film debut in the critically acclaimed Parineeta. Though the film didn't do well, her performance was acclaimed by critics, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.
After the success of her first two films, the same producer who dropped her from Manasellam was keen to sign her opposite Kamal Hassan for Dasavatharam. But Vidya rejected the offer and Asin Thottumkal was signed instead. In 2006, she appeared opposite Sanjay Dutt in the blockbuster film Lage Raho Munna Bhai. Once again her performance was well received by critics and the film went on to become the second highest grossing film of that year.
Mani Ratnam's critically acclaimed Guru was Balan's first release in 2007, in which she played a woman with a physical disability. The film did very well at the box office and her role was appreciated. Her next two releases, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love (2007) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) failed to do well but the latter was selected as India's official entries to the Oscars for the 80th Academy Awards.Balan's last two releases of the year, Heyy Babyy (2007) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) have fared very well at the box office.

Personal life

Her father, P. R. Balan, is the Vice President of ETC Channel and her mother is a homemaker. Balan also has an older sister named Priya. Her mother tongue is Malayalam. In a video interview, Vidya has stated that she is "extremely spiritual", has a "firm faith in God" and visits temples everyday.
Gossip columnists have linked Vidya with many of her co-stars but she strongly denied the allegations, saying that they were "vile".

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Winner

2006: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, Parineeta 2006: Filmfare FairOne Face of the Year, Parineeta

Nominated

2006: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Parineeta 2008: Filmfare Best Actress Award, Bhol Bhulaiyaa

Star Screen Awards

2006: Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female, Parineeta

Zee Cine Awards

Winner

2006: Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut, Parineeta

Nominated

2006: Zee Cine Award Best Actor - Female, Parineeta

International Indian Film Academy Awards

Winner

2006: IIFA Best Female Debut, Parineeta

Nominated

2007: IIFA Best Actress Award, Lage Raho Munnabhai

Stardust Awards

Winner

2006: Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow - Female, Parineeta

Other Awards

2003: Anandalok Puraskar Awards, Best Actress, Bhalo Theko 2006: Star's Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine, Parineeta 2007: Anandalok Puraskar Awards, Best Actress, Bhol Bhulaiyaa

Urmila Matondkar

2008-02-29T00:23:00.000-08:00

Urmila Matondkar (born on February 4, 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is an award-winning popular Indian Bollywood actress.Matondkar, who was earlier known for her bold image, was initially noted for her diverse roles in films like Rangeela (1995) and Satya (1998). During the 90s, she has frequently been featured in the Indian media as a sex symbol.She subsequently went on to show her psychological acting abilities, and has delivered a range of critically acclaimed performances. She received various Best Villain nominations for her role as an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), and won her first Filmfare Award under the Best Performer category for her portrayal of a ghost-possessed in Bhoot (2003). She was later highly praised for her roles as a merciless avenger in Ek Hasina Thi (2004) and a caring daughter in Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005). Matonkar is thus considered to be a serious actress with many critical acclaimed movies to her name.

Career

She started her career as a child artist; perhaps the best known of her early movies is Shekhar Kapur's Masoom in 1983. She made her film debut as an adult actress with the film "Bade Ghar ki Beti". She next starred in the fantasy film Chamatkar, along with Shahrukh Khan.She went on to frequently collaborate with film director Ram Gopal Verma, who is known for his thrillers. Her first film with him was Antham in Telugu, which was dubbed as Drohi (Hindi) in 1992. Since then, she has starred in numerous subsequent RGV pictures, like Gaayam in Telugu and her first major hit, the 1995 musical Rangeela. She played a star-struck dancer in the film, and received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination for her performance in the film. Following RGV projects were Daud (1997), Satya (1999), Kaun (1999), Mast (2000), Jungle (2000), Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), Bhoot (2003), and Ek Hasina Thi (2004).Her most notable films in the 1990s since Rangeela have been Judaai alongside Sridevi and Anil Kapoor, and for which she received various award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Satya where she proved her strong dramatic abilities.During the 2000s, Matondkar revealed strong, dramatic and psychological features in her roles, and delivered a myriad of critically acclaimed performances. She won favorable reviews for her role as an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), and received various Best Villain nominationsa for her performance.In 2003, she was part of several projects. She played the role of a north Indian girl in the background of the 1947 India partition in the critically acclaimed Pinjar; she played the title role in Khalid Mohammed's drama Tehzeeb, starring along Shabana Azmi; however, she was mainly noted for her performance in Bhoot, a horror movie. Matondkar enacted a ghost-possessed woman; her performance was much appreciated by critics and audiences and she won her first Filmfare Award under the Best Performer category, as well as various Best Actress awards at different award ceremonies, suce as Star Screen Awards, Zee Cine Awards and Bollywood Movie Awards. She later received the national honour Rajiv Gandhi Award for the film, as a recognition to her achievement in Bollywood.In 2004, she was praised for her role as a merciless avenger in Ek Hasina Thi along with Saif Ali Khan. She played the role of a deceived woman who is jailed because of her lover, played by Khan, and later flees from prison to avenge him. Once again, Matondkar was nominated for her performance in the film.Next year in 2005, she tried her hand with another horror film, playing the title role in the film Naina, which failed. However, her performance as the caring daughter of Anupam Kher in Jahnu Barua's art film Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara was very well received, and she won her second Bollywood Movie Award for Best Actress. Following this, Mantondkar was recognized as one of India's most versatile actresses for these performances.Apart from holding a successful acting career, she is regarded as an outstanding dancer and has been a featured performer in many Bollywood item numbers. Her best-known item number is the Chamma Chamma sequence from the 1998 China Gate. Other hit numbers include the opening song of Company and Aaiye Aajaye from the hit film Lajja. She was signed to perform the item song in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, a remake of the 1975 blockbuster Sholay. She played the role originally played by Helen.In 2007, Matondkar lent her voice for Asha Bhonsle's album Asha and Friends Vol 1, where she performed with Bhosle the duet song "Mehbooba Dilruba". In fact, throughout the 1990s – 2000s, Bhosle sang the maximum number of songs for Urmila.

Awards

Won

2002: Bollywood Movie Award - Most Sensational Actress - Pyar Tune Kya Kiya 2003: Filmfare Critics Award Best Performance - Bhoot. 2003: 1st Annual Apsara Awards, Best Actress - Bhoot. 2003: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Actress - Bhoot. 2003: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female - Bhoot. 2003: Star Screen Award Best Actress - Bhoot. 2003: Rajiv Gandhi Award - achievement in Bollywood. 2006: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Actress - Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara.

Nominated

1995: Filmfare Best Actress Award - Rangeela 1997: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award - Judaai 1998: Filmfare Best Actress Award - Satya 2001: Filmfare Best Villain Award - Pyar Tune Kya Kiya. 2003: 1st Annual Apsara Awards, Best Actress - Pinjar. 2003: Filmfare Best Actress Award - Bhoot 2004: Filmfare Best Actress Award - Ek Hasina Thi 2004: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female - Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara.

Rajesh Khanna

2008-02-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

Rajesh Khanna (born Jatin Khanna on December 29, 1942 in Amritsar) is a legendary Indian Bollywood thespian. He has also served a five year tenure as MP in the Indian parliament (1991-1996).

Early life

Rajesh Khanna came from an affluent family. Khanna's father had misgivings about Rajesh's taking on a professional acting career. His initial foray into cinema with renowned film maker Chetan Anand was not a resounding success. Nonetheless, Rajesh persisted and exceeded all expectations. His previous theatrical background assisted him with the characterization of the personas of the cinema which he portrayed effortlessly and naturally. He is Hindi cinema's first officially acknowledged Superstar.In March of 1973 Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia, a Bollywood actress who had just made her film debut in Raj Kapoor's coveted blockbuster Bobby. At the time of Kapadia's film debut, she was sixteen years old; Khanna was thirty-one. They became the parents of Twinkle Khanna and Rinke Khanna, who would also become Bollywood actresses.

Later life

Khanna and Dimple Kapadia separated in the early 1980s, but still they are fulfilling all the responsibilities of their social life especially in establishing the life of their daughters. Their elder daughter Twinkle who is an interior decorator is married to current star Akshay Kumar and younger daughter Rinkee is married to a businessman, after getting higher study from USA.
Khanna was a Member of Parliament for the New Delhi constituency (1991-96).He is the life member of International Film And Television Research Centre and International Film And Television Club Of Asian Academy Of Film & Television. Recently he announced his appearance in a spate of forthcoming films for which he is hopeful of renewing previous success. He is also going to participate as Celebrity Judge in a reality show at Sony Channel called K for Kishore, based on the legendary singer late Kishore Kumar . He is also going to perform in a T.V. Serial Bhabhima with Leena Ganguly as Lead Pair of the serial.

Bollywood career

Early Success

Rajesh Khanna joined the film industry in 1966 after winning an All India Talent Contest through a nation wide selection procedure by panel of judges like Late Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, Chetan Anand, G.P. Sippy, Sri Sakti Samanta, Sri B. R. Chopra, etc., making his film debut was in Aakhri Khat which went unnoticed. He appeared in a few more films over the next two years which did not gain him any recognition. He shot to fame with the 1969 film Aradhana which was hugely successful at the box office. From then on he was an extremely popular actor in the early 1970s, appearing in many high impact romantic films and melodramas which were hugely successful at the box office. He was often paired with actresses Mumtaz or Sharmila Tagore. Some of his most successful films in this period included Anand (1970), Amar Prem (1971), Andaaz (1971), Daag (1973) and Namak Haraam (1973). During his heyday he would be mobbed during public appearances. Fans kissed his car, which would be covered with lipstick marks, and lined the road, cheering and chanting his name. Female fans sent him letters written in their own blood From 1969 to 1973 he had 15 consecutive hit films, a journalist Devyani Chaubal dubbed him "phenomenon" when he was at his peak. Several of the popular songs sung by Kishore Kumar in the 1970s were picturized on Khanna and helped his films become historically successful.

Later career

However the success perhaps caused him to be complacent, often turning up very late for shoots and throwing tantrums as well as having a whole entourage of sycophants accompany him for his shoots . This behaviour coupled with the changing trend from romantic movies to action oriented films in the late 1970s and 1980s caused the decline of Khanna's career in term of box office rating, but he continued to play lead roles in sober social household meaningful movies during the downtrodden trend of Hindi Cinema without any compromisation and gave the high profile films like Mehabooba, Anurodh, Karm, Palko ki Chaon Mein, Amar Deep, Thodi si Bewafai, Avataar, Souten, Amrit, Agar Tum Na Hote, Ghar Ka Chirag and many more during 1976 to 1991. He also performed central characters or guest roles in multi-starrer films as well such as Disco Dancer,Kudrat, Rajput, Dharam Aur Kanoon and Dharam Kanta, Ashanti etc.. He also took great risk and experimented with negative roles in Red Rose where he played a psycopath and in Dhanwaan, where he played an arrogant businessman . By the early 1990s he quit acting for many years and served as Hon'ble M.P. from prestigious seat of New Delhi Constituency from (1991-1996). During that period he appeared in Khudai (1994) and won Best Actor Award at Ujvegistan at Russian Film Festival. He made his acting comeback with three to four years gaps in Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) and Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa (2002) where he played elderly father roles. In 2006 he appeared in Jaana - Let's Fall in Love But in 2007 he has officially announced his second innings and has signed about ten new films simultaneously and some new TV serials. He is also going to participate as Celebrity Judge in a reality show at Sony Channel called K for Kishore, based on the legendary singer late Kishore Kumar Ganguly.

Political career

During 1991-1996, Rajesh Khanna was a Member of Parliament for the Congress Party, from the New Delhi constituency. He has since been a political activist for the Congress Party expressing noteworthy, objective and constructive patriotism for India.

Television career

In 2001-2002, Rajesh Khanna played major roles in two television serials: Aapne Parai (B4U & DD Metro) and Ittefaqu (Zee TV).
He performed in a video album based on Tagore's immortal songs (Rabindra Sangeet) free of cost. Currently he is busy in processing his own music channel viz. R.K. Music Channel.
He has endorsed a talent hunt programme in 2007 namely "Star se Superstar tak" as the First Superstar of Indian Cinema, under the banner of Red Carpet Entertainment and donated a Gold Trophy of Rs.1 Crore with Ms. Priyanka Chopra.
He has signed a TV serial with Creative Eye Banner (Dhiraj Kumar)in 2007. He is also going to participate as Celebrity Judge in a reality show at Sony Channel called K for Kishore, based on the legendary singer late Kishore Kumar Ganguly.
He is also going to perform in a T.V. Serial Bhabhima with Leena Ganguly as Lead Pair of the serial.

Amisha Patel

2008-02-27T01:12:00.000-08:00

Amisha Patel (born June 9, 1977, also known as Ameesha Patel) is an Indian Bollywood actress. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Patel won critical praise for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema. She would subsequently star in a number of films, most of which proved unsuccessful at the box office. However, her performance in the 2006 film Ankahee, received critical recognition, and she followed it with a supporting role in the hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

Biography

Amisha Patel is the daughter of Amit Patel and Asha Patel, sister of Ashmit Patel and the granddaughter of the famous Indian lawyer Rajni Patel. Her name is a blend of the first three letters of her father's name Amit and the last three letters of her mother's name Asha.She graduated from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She then worked for Morgan Stanley. After returning to India she joined Satyadev Dubey's theatre group and began acting in plays, but only after receiving permission from her conservative parents.Reportedly, she has broke-up with five year long time boyfriend, Vikram Bhatt.

Career

Patel made her acting debut with Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. The film was the biggest hit of the year, and made her a star overnight, earning her awards for Best Debut at a number of award ceremonies. She next appeared in the cross-border romance, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, alongside Sunny Deol. The film went on to become the top grossing film of the year, as well as the biggest hit of the 21st century, earning RS 973 million In India. Set during the 1947 Indo-Pakistani conflicts, it featured Patel as Sakina, a Muslim girl who finds refuge in Deol's house during the riots, and subsequently falls for him. Her performance was praised, and won her the Filmfare Special Performance Award.
These successes were followed by a series of films that flopped at the box-office. In Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar, she played the role of a successful singer who was abandoned by her mother at the time of her birth. In Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, she plays a career-oriented girl who rejects the advances of the hero. In Humraaz she played the selfish girlfriend of Akshaye Khanna, who marries Bobby Deol to grab his wealth -- but, seeing Bobby's honesty, her character surrendered to him. In The Rising, she starred opposite Hollywood actor Tobey Stephens and played the role of a widow who gets rescued from committing Sati. She helped Karishma Kapoor's comeback in Mere Jeevan Saathi but Karisma's feud with her husband generated more publicity than the film itself. She played the role of a blind and a mute girl respectively in Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai & Teesri Aankh. Ankahee is the story of her ex-boyfriend Vikram Bhatt's earlier life. She played the role of his wife. In Aap Ki Khatir, she played the role of an innocent girl who is loved by her sister Priyanka Chopra's lover Dino Morea. In Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, she played sweet wife of a bisexual man who helps him in his confusion.
Amisha returned in October 2007 with the hit movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa. She played the role of a rejected adopted girl.
Amisha is currently busy filming the new Kunal Kohli/Yash Raj project in which she's co-starring Rani Mukerji and Saif Ali Khan. Both Amisha and Rani are playing pivotal roles opposite Saif Ali Khan.
Amisha has just been signed for Neeraj Vora's new movie opposite one of Bollywood's most popular comic actor Govinda. Neeraj Vora is a director best famed for his 2006 blockbuster Phir Hera Pheri.

Awards and nominations

Winner

2000, Kalashree "Sensational Discovery" for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai 2000, Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai 2000, Sansui Viewers Choice Award "Best Debut / Face of the Year" for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai 2001, Filmfare Special Performance Award for Gadar: Ek Prem Katha 2001, 32nd Annual Filmgoers, Best Actress for Gadar: Ek Prem Katha 2002, Sansui Jury Award for Best Actress.

Nominated

2001, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha 2002, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Humraaz 2002, Samsung IIFA "Best Actress", Humraaz 2006, Bollywood Movie Award - Best Supporting Actress, Ankahee

Hrithik Roshan

2008-02-26T01:40:00.000-08:00

Hrithik Roshan (born 10 January 1974) is a prominent award-winning Bollywood actor.
Roshan, who began his career as a child actor in a few films in the 1980s, made his film debut as a leading actor with the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), which earned him two awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut at the Filmfare ceremony, as well as numerous other awards. During his career, he was praised for his performances in films like Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Krrish (2006) and Dhoom 2 (2006), being his biggest commercial successes so far, and winning him many Best Actor awards each. His commercial success and critically appraised performances have established Roshan as one of the prominent actors of India.

Early life, until 1999

Roshan's first movie role was as a child artist when he was six years old in the 1980 movie Aasha, where he appeared in a dance sequence as an extra. Roshan went on to play minor roles in Aap Ke Deewane (1980) and Bhagwan Dada (1986) both of which starred his father in the leading role. He then became an assistant director assisting in the production of his father's films Karan Arjun (1995) and Koyla (1997).

Breakthrough, 2000 - 2002

Roshan made his debut as a leading man in the 2000 film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai opposite another debutante actress Amisha Patel. The film was directed by his father and proved to be very successful at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of 2000 and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of awards won by a Bollywood film - 102 awards.
Later that year, Roshan starred in Khalid Mohammed's critically acclaimed Fiza. Although the film did poorly at the box office, his performance was praised, earning him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, "The mainstay of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan. His body language, his diction, his expressions, his overall persona deserves great praise. With this film, Hrithik proves that there is more to him than just being a fashionable rage, a Mills & Boon lover-boy and a sex symbol. His talent comes to the fore in several scenes, especially those with Karisma. All said and done, the show belongs to Hrithik, who saves Fiza to a major extent. A brilliant performance undoubtedly!"
Hrithik's last release of the year, the moderately successful Mission Kashmir, became the third highest grossing film of the year. His performance was once again acclaimed with one critic praising him, "Hrithik once again cuts a splendid performance as a youngster sucked in the vortex of terrorism. He is portrayed as anti-government in the early part of the film-- a bold role to play for even a seasoned actor, leave alone a budding superstar." All these achievements promoted him as one of the biggest stars in the industry.
Subhash Ghai's Yaadein was Hrithik's first release in 2001, which failed to do well. This was followed by Karan Johar's melodramatic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which did extremely well at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2001 and the biggest hit overseas. Roshan's performance was well received and his performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at various award ceremonies.
Roshan had an unsuccessful year in 2002 when all three of his releases - Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage - failed to make an impact the box office and were declared flops.

Success, 2003 - present

In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, which was the highest grosser of the year and won him many awards, including his second Filmfare Best Actor Award and his first Filmfare Best Actor (Critics) Award. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, "Hrithik Roshan dominates the show and packs in a power-packed performance. The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water. He manages to pull off the zero to hero routine exceptionally well. As an actor, he scales dizzier heights with this splendid performance."
Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya was Roshan's only release in 2004; the film did not do well at the box office. However, his performance was praised by critics.
Roshan took a two-year break from acting before resurfacing with the superhero film Krrish, a sequel to his 2003 hit Koi Mil Gaya which released in June 2006. The film was a major box office success and one of the highest grossers of 2006. His performance as a superhero was praised, earning him many Best Actor awards at various award ceremonies. Critic Taran Adarsh noted about his performance, "To state that Hrithik is the soul of Krrish would be an understatement. If the actor walked away with all noteworthy awards in Koi... Mil Gaya, it's going to be an encore with Krrish. You cannot imagine any other actor enacting the role of a gifted child with aplomb. If his mask and robe look is splendid, watch his make up, gait and mannerisms as the aged father and you'd agree, he's one of the finest talents on the Indian screen today. Krrish is yet another ground-breaking film in his dazzling repertoire!"
His next release that year, Dhoom 2, a sequel to the 2004 hit Dhoom, saw him play a villain for the first time. Roshan's performance in the movie not only earned him widespread critical acclaim, but also his third Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film went on to become the highest grossing film of 2006, as well as one of the most successful films of Bollywood.
Roshan's latest movie, Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, released on February 15, 2008.

Personal life

Hrithik Roshan was born in Mumbai, India, to Pinky and actor/director Rakesh Roshan. He is the nephew of well-known music director Rajesh Roshan. Music director Roshan is his paternal grandfather, and veteran producer and director J. Om Prakash is his maternal grandfather. Roshan has a supernumerary thumb on his right hand.
Roshan is married to Sussanne Khan (who is now Sussanne Roshan), his high-school sweetheart and daughter of Sanjay Khan. Film clans (see List of Bollywood film clans) tend to intermarry.
The couple had their first child, a baby boy, on March 28, 2006 at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, India. The child was named Rehan.

Controversy

In 2001, a rumour alleging Roshan made disparaging remarks about Nepal and its people caused outrage in the country. Several newspapers carried the report, leading to student protests, in which four people died. The unrest the protests caused forced the government to cancel a flight from Kathmandu to India. Later the Indian embassy and the actor himself clarified that he had made no such remarks.In 2006, at the London press conference for his film Krrish, Roshan said that he knew it was time to leave Shanghai and Hong Kong after six weeks of stunt training and go home when his eyes started "turning into little slits like the Chinese".

Hema Malini

2008-02-25T01:55:00.000-08:00

Hema Malini (born October 16, 1948 in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer, who starred in several successful Bollywood films in the 1970s, most notably the extremely successful Sholay. She is the most successful female filmstar of Bollywood. She has starred in a large number of hit films and is considered a living legend. She is remembered as Bollywood's one and only Dream Girl. She is a member of India's Bharatiya Janata Party and represents the party in Rajya Sabha, the upper House of parliament. Now almost 60, she spends most of her dotage involved in charitable and social ventures. However, she still makes special appearances in films, usually in motherly or grandmother roles.

Career

Hema Malini was educated at Andhra Mahila Sabha, Chennai. She acted in a short episode as dancer in Pandava Vanavasam, a 1961 Telugu film. Hema first tried to enter films in 1964, but was rejected; Tamil director Sridhar said she had no star appeal. She persisted and found her niche in Bollywood. She debuted in a 1968 film Sapnon Ka Saudagar ("The Dreamseller"), playing a young teen opposite the ageing superstar Raj Kapoor. With Dev Anand in Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Hema became a top star. She worked with him again in Tere Mere Sapne (1971), among other films, with the latest being Aman Ke Farishtey (2003). Hema double-roled with Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in 1972's Seeta Aur Geeta as the top female star in Bollywood. She became one of the reigning divas of the Bollywood film industry, and her fans called her The Dream Girl of Bollywood (an allusion to the movie of the same name where she starred opposite Dharamendra).
Hema starred in many movies throughout the 1970s and 1980s and is perhaps best remembered for her glamour, style, and accomplished classical dancing. She formed a hit pair with Dharmendra, and the duo performed a number of hit movies like Sholay, Charas, Aas Paas, Jugnu, Seeta Aur Geeta, The Burning Train. She also achieved some strong dramatic or comic moments in films like Trishul, Joshila, Lal Patthar, Meera and Satte Pe Satta.
After taking a back seat from films for a number of years in the 1990s and early 2000s, Hema has recently made a comeback of sorts. She co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in the successful film Baghban (2003), and played a cameo role (also opposite Bachchan) in the 2004 blockbuster Veer-Zaara. In both films, she played a beautiful, self-possessed, old married woman rather than the ingenuinee roles of her earlier career.
She tried her hand at directing and made the 1992 film Dil Aashna Hai which featured an all-star cast including Shahrukh Khan and the late Divya Bharti.
She also directed and starred in the TV serial Noopur, in which she was depicted as a Bharatanatyam dancer going to America.

Personal life

Hema Malini is the daughter of Shri V.S.R. Chakravarty and Shrimati Jaya Chakravarthy (Iyengar Brahmins) who was a film producer. Her Mother Tongue is Tamil. Her mother, Shrimati Jaya Chakravarty, died on June 11th, 2004 due to gangrene on her leg.
She is a dedicated Bharatnatyam artiste, a classical dance of India. Her two daughters have trained in the related Odissi school of dance, and the three have performed together at several charity dance concerts.
Top Bollywood stars like Sanjeev Kumar and Jeetendra proposed to her, but she married Dharmendra, who was already married with four children; two sons: Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol and two daughters. Later Dharmendra and Hema Malini had two daughters: Ahana Deol and Esha Deol (born 1982.
In 2005, on the TV show Koffee with Karan, she said that she taught her daughters Tamil language very well, but had to hire a tutor to help her daughter Esha Deol learn Punjabi for a film. Apparently, Esha's father Dharmendra, whose mother tongue is Punjabi, converses with Hema and his daughters only in Hindi and English.
Hema Malini and her husband have been involved in politics, as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, with the support of the BJP. In February 2004, she joined the party officially. With her film career less hectic, she has been an active member of the party, attending party meetings and rallies and campaigning for the party through various elections.
She has said in interviews that she would never wear revealing outfits in movies, and has been true to her words till date. It is said that after she had shot for a swimsuit scene in a movie early in her career, her mother was so upset that she promised never to repeat it. She exposed her navel in a low-waist saree for the first time only in 2006.

Awards, honours and recognitions

1973 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Seeta Aur Geeta 1974 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Amir Garib 1974 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Prem Nagar 1975 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Khushboo 1975 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Sanyasi 1976 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Mehbooba 1977 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Kinara 1979 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Meera 1981 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Naseeb 1990 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Rihaee 1998 - Guest of Honour Award at the 18th Ujala Cinema Express Awards 1999 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award 2000 - Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India. 2003 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement 2003 - Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1, Baghban (with Amitabh Bachchan) 2003 - Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bollywood Movie Awards. 2003 - Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress for Baghban. 2004 - Bollywood Movie Award - Most Sensational Actress for Baghban. 2004 - Sports World's "Jodi of the Year" along with Amitabh Bachchan for Baghban 2004 - Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of her contribution to the Indian entertainment industry. 2004 - Icon of the year 2007 - The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival screened several films starring Hema Malini in a special tribute programme.

Anil Kapoor

2008-02-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

Anil Kapoor (born December 24, 1959) is a prominent National Film Award-winning Indian actor and producer who appears in Bollywood films.
Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Kapoor started off his career with a supporting role in Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare (1979) and played his first leading role in the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). He won acclaim for his roles in Yash Chopra's drama Mashaal (1984) and Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi Mr. India (1987), and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in the former.
After a series of successful films, Kapoor earned his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in N. Chandra's Tezaab in 1988, and later for Indra Kumar's Beta in 1992. Since then, he has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Biwi No.1 (1999), Taal (1999), Pukar (2000), for which he won his first National Film Award in the Best Actor category, and No Entry (2005), his biggest commercial success to date. Kapoor thus has established himself as one of the most successful and popular actors of Hindi cinema.

Career

As Actor

Kapoor made his Bollywood debut with Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare (1979) in a supporting role. After a few minor roles in films such as Hum Paanch (1980) and Shakti (1982), he got his first leading role in the 1983 Hindi film, Woh Saat Din. Kapoor later tried acting in Tollywood and Kollywood, and appeared in the Telugu film Vamsa Vriksham and Mani Ratnam's Kannada debut film Pallavi Anu Pallavi.
Next, followed a critically acclaimed performance in Yash Chopra's drama Mashaal (1984), for which he won his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category. Going on to deliver commercial success with films like Meri Jung (1985) and Karma (1986), Kapoor won acclaim for his role as Arun Varma/Mr. India in Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi Mr. India (1987). The film became one of his biggest box office hits and shot him to superstar status.
In 1988, he was rewarded with his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in the hit film, Tezaab. The following year he delivered more commercial success with Ram Lakhan and Parinda. The year 1990, saw him play a dual role, as twin brothers in the successful Kishen Kanhaiya. This was followed by a critically acclaimed performance as a middle aged man in Yash Chopra's romantic drama Lamhe. Although the film was a box office failure in India, it proved to be a success overseas.
In 1992, Kapoor received his second Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Indra Kumar's Beta opposite Madhuri Dixit. After a period of little box office success for the next few years, he had box office success with films like with Judaai (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Biwi No.1 (1999), Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain (1999) and Taal (1999).
He won his first National Film Award in the Best Actor category for his role in Rajkumar Santoshi's critically acclaimed Pukar in 2000. Preceding films from 2001 to 2004 failed to do well but Kapoor won acclaim for his role in the thriller My Wife's Murder (2005), which he also produced. Anees Bazmee's super-hit comedy No Entry followed for Kapoor that year. The film became the highest grossing film of the year and Kapoor's comic-timing was applauded.
However, his films which released in 2006 and 2007 failed to do well. Kapoor's most recent film, Anees Bazmee's Welcome, which released on December 21, 2007, is doing really well at the box office. His forthcoming films include Abbas Mustan's thriller Race and Vijay Krishna Acharya's Tashan, which marks his comeback to Yash Raj Films.

As Producer

In 2002, Kapoor produced his first film, the comedy Badhaai Ho Badhaai, in which he also starred in, but the film failed to do well. Next followed, the critically acclaimed thriller My Wife's Murder (2005), which also didn't do well at the box office. His next produced film, Gandhi, My Father, which focuses on the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi released on August 3, 2007. Despite being acclaimed by critics and audiences, the film failed to do well.

Personal life

Born on December 24, 1959 in Chembur, Maharashtra, India to film producer Surinder and Suchitra Kapoor, Kapoor attended Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School. Coming from a film-oriented family, Kapoor's elder brother, Boney Kapoor, is a producer while younger brother Sanjay Kapoor is also a well known Bollywood actor though not as successful.
He is the brother-in-law of the actress Sridevi with whom he has starred in many films. His sister Reena is married to Sandeep Marwah of the Marwah Films & Video Studios in Noida Film City.
In 1984, he married Sunita Kapoor (née Bhambhani) and had two daughters and a son. Kapoor's daughter, Sonam Kapoor recently made her debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya (2007) opposite Rishi Kapoor's son, Ranbir Kapoor. His other daughter Rhea is studying in New York while his son Harsh is currently in school.

Rani Mukerji

2008-02-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

Rani Mukerji born on March 21, 1978, is an award winning Indian film actress who works in Bollywood movies.
Making her acting debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996), Mukerji had her first commercial success with Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), her biggest hit so far, and won her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in the film. She later starred in many films, most of which fared below expectations. She re-invented her image with Saathiya (2002), which was commercially and critically successful.
In 2004, her performances in the hit Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed Yuva earned her the Best Actress and the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Filmfare, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She received unanimous praise for her role as a deaf-blind girl in the film Black (2005), as well as many awards for her memorable performance, establishing herself as a leading actress in Bollywood.

Early work and breakthrough, 1996-2002

After doing a short cameo appearance for the first time in her father's Bengali film Biyar Phool (1992), Mukerji made her acting debut four years later, as the protagonist of Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996). Her performance as a rape victim in the film was well received, but when the film failed at the box office, she returned to college to complete her education.
Mukerji returned to films in 1998. Her first release that year was Ghulam, opposite Aamir Khan; the film did well at the box office. Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, co-starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, followed for her that year. The movie was a blockbuster, and she received her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category.
She followed her career by signing on several projects. Unfortunately, most of them did not do well at the box office. Although Badal was one of the highest grossing films of 2000, she still didn't succeed to establish her status in the industry at that point of time.
In 2001, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, co-starring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film was released after a one-year delay, and was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage, thus hires a surrogate mother. Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing bhartiya nari." In 2002, Mukerji played the lead role in Kunal Kohli's romance Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, co-starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. Although the movie did not do well in India, it generated great business overseas, and marked her entry into India's biggest production house: Yash Raj Films. Later that year, Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed Saathiya opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film was a moderate success and became one of the highest grossing movies of the year. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of married life, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, and among several other nominations, received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. Manish Gajjar from BBC noted, "...Rani Mukerjee...plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction.

Success, 2003-present

Mukerji's first 2003 release was Aziz Mirza's drama Chalte Chalte opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film saw her play a similar role to that of Saathiya, and she received her second nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Among another three releases that year, Mukerji starred in Chori Chori. She portrayed her first comic role in the film, and although it did not do well, Mukerji's comic timing was praised.
In 2004, her performance as a Bengali housewife in Mani Ratnam's Yuva won Mukerji her second Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Though the film failed to do well, her performance was critically acclaimed with one critic writing, "the role demanded an actress of substance and Rani more than lives up to the expectations". She followed through by playing the leading role in the romantic comedy Hum Tum, which became one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, based on the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally..., was directed by Kunal Kohli. Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma, a woman of today's generation, won her several awards, including her first Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Her last release of the year was Yash Chopra's love saga Veer-Zaara, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, which emerged as the top grossing movie of the year in India and abroad, tells the love story of an Indian officer, Veer Pratap Singh, played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Veer Pratap Singh.
In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black, Shaad Ali's Bunty Aur Babli, Amol Palekar's Paheli and Ketan Mehta's The Rising. She was primarily noted for her performance in Black. When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down and stated that she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind girl. Once the director put faith in her, she agreed to do it and intensely studied sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. Mukerji received much critical acclaim for her performance and collected numerous trophies in the category of Best Actress at various award ceremonies. IndiaFM noted, "There's no denying that Rani delivers her best performance to date. With no dialogues in her lap, the actress conveys through expressions solely and what a terrific impact she makes. Here's a performance that should act as a reference guide for all aspiring actors". Her next release, Bunty Aur Babli, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, though successful at the box office, opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji's performence, with one critic writing, "Rani has done a great job most of the time, though she does tend to go a little over the top in the crying scenes. Nevertheless, Mukerji received Best Actress nominations from the IIFA Awards and Filmfare Awards.
Mukerji was offered the lead role in Mira Nair's Hollywood film, The Namesake (2007) but owing to clashing dates with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, she could not commit to the project. Her first release in 2006 was Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, which consisted of a multi-starrer that included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas. The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which results in an extramarital affair. Mukerji played the role of Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her and her husband, played by [Abhishek] Bachchan; her performance was well received. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluded, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time." She received several nominations for Best Actress, and won her third IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year. Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's Baabul. The movie did not do well at the box office in India, though proved to be a hit overseas. Her role as a widow met with mixed reviews.
Mukerji's first 2007 release, Ta Ra Rum Pum, where she played a pianist turned housewife and a mother for the first time on celluloid, was a semi-hit. Her performance was generally well received, with one critic noting, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently." Her last two releases of the year, Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya, were critical and commercial failures in India.

Personal life

Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer, now turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a national award-winning Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress.
Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer, and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. Mukerji studied at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai.
Gossip columnists have linked Mukerji to many industry figures, but she has strongly denied every single rumour of romance. Several gossip columns have also claimed that she is regularly in feud with some of the Bollywood actors and actresses, but Mukerji has denied this.
Mukerji changed the English transliteration of her surname from Mukherjee to Mukerji several years ago. At the time, it was reported that she did this for numerological reasons. In 2006, Mukerji stated that numerology was not a concern; her name had been put down as Mukerji on her passport, and she wanted to be consistent.
Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.

Controversies

In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticized following the publication of an interview with British newspaper Desi Xpress. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler". However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name.
In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back. A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.

Humanitarian work

In March 2004, Mukerji visited the sandy dunes of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans. It was for a show where entertainers and stars visit Indian troops in far-flung regions to encourage them along with the NDTV team.
In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of Tsunami in company with other Bollywood stars.
She was highly involved in the Temptations 2005 show in New Delhi. The actress helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group.
Mukerji donated her prize money, her half-share of 50 lakh rupees from her 2007 appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati with Preity Zinta, to the Holy Family Hospital. She said that this institution looks after children with heart problems which is a major setback in India.

In the media

Rani Mukerji was on the top slot of Filmfare's 'Top Ten Bollywood Actresses' list for two years in a row (2004-2005). She was also placed number one on Rediff's 'Top Bollywood Female Stars' Rankings for three consecutive years (2004-2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five.
In February 2006, Filmfare Magazine placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten as the only woman on the list. In 2007, she was ranked higher at number five.
On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in the fourth position on the All-Time Best Bollywood Actresses Ever Listing.
She was placed at number #36 by UK magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/2006). Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, among them, Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses, Bollywood's Best Dressed Women and Women of Many Faces.
Mukerji has made three appearances in Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan. She appeared with Kareena Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, and Madhuri Dixit as a surprise guest. Recently, she made her first appearance on a reality show, along with its contestants on Star Voice of India. The finalists performed to a medley of famous songs from her films.

Govinda

2008-02-22T00:13:00.000-08:00

Govind Arun Ahuja born December 21, 1963) popularly known as Govinda is a Filmfare Award-winning Indian actor and politician currently serving as the 5th Member of Parliament of the Mumbai North Constituency of Maharashtra,India. As a young man,his acting and dancing skills gained him widespread attention among Film Viewers. He later gained worldwide fame as a Bollywood Icon,through comedy films such as Shola Aur Shabnam,Aankhen,Coolie No.1,Haseena Maan Jaayegi and Partner.
Govinda was nicknamed and referred to as "Chi Chi"(Punjabi:Little Finger) by his family,close associates and occassionaly by the Media.
Govinda is married to Sunita Ahuja. He is a Member of the Indian National Congress Party who was elected on June 2004, in the 13th Lok Sabha elections to replace Ram Naik of the Bharatiya Janata Party.In June 1999,Govinda was voted as the 10th greatest star of stage or screen of the last thousand years by BBC News Online users.

Personal life

Govinda was born on December 21st, 1963, in Virar a small township on the outskirts of Bombay to actor Arun Ahuja and his singer wife Nirmala Ahuja on December 21, 1963.His elder brother Kirti Kumar is an actor and director.Govinda's nephews Vinay Anand and Krishna Abhishekh are also actors.
He studied at Annasaheb Vartak College in Vasai, Maharashtra. His elder brother Kirti Kumar is an actor and director who appeared in some of Govinda's films playing supporting roles and has directed his brother in some films most notably Hatya (1988). Govinda initially wanted to marry actress Neelam with whom he had made many films but eventually gave up and married according to his mother's choice. He married Sunita Govind on 11 March 1987 and has two children with her. Govinda has acted in over 120 films since his debut in 1986. He has been one of the most successful comedy actors in Bollywood particularly during the 1990s. He had a narrow escape from death on January 5, 1994. While travelling to a studio for the shooting of 'Khuddar (1994)', the actor's car hit another car, resulting in him sustaining injuries to his head. Though bleeding profusely, Govinda did not cancel the shooting. After visiting a doctor, he shot for the film till midnight. After a brief stint in politics in 2003 .

Acting career

Govinda made his film debut in the 1986 film Ilzaam which was a box office success and launched his career. . He acted in a string of movies after that with mixed success. Most of the films he appeared in during the 1980s were in the action, romance or family drama genres. He was often paired opposite actress Neelam and together they appeared in hit films such as Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987) and his brother Kirti Kumar's directed Hatya (1988).. He had success with family drama films such as Dariya Dil (1988), Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988) and Hum (1991) as well as action films such as Marte Dam Tak (1987) and Jung Baaz.. (1989). He worked with David Dhawan for the first time in the 1989 action film Taaqatwar.
He then formed a successful collaboration with David Dhawan and went onto act in 17 movies directed by him most of which were comedy films. The most successful films during their collaboration included Shola Aur Shabnam (1992), Aankhen (1993), Raja Babu (1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Hero No. 1 (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999) and Jodi No. 1 (2001). . Dhawan and other directors frequently cast him opposite actresses such as Karishma Kapoor and Raveena Tandon during the 1990s.
Govinda played the role of a villain for the first time in his career in Shikari (2000). Although the movie was not a commercial success, Govinda's convincing portrayal of a sociopath murderer was critically acclaimed..
His box office draw suffered a setback in the early 2000s following a series of commercially unsuccessful films. His acting career was further affected when he contested and won the seat for Member of Parliament from Mumbai North in the 2004 parliamentary elections. He did not have any new film releases in 2004 and 2005 although some of his delayed films such as Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen (2005) and his own home production Ssukh (2005) were released but were box office disasters.
Govinda made a comeback to films in late 2006 with the comedy film Bhagam Bhag alongside Akshay Kumar which was a success.. His first 2007 release was the huge multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love. Although a box office disappointment. Govinda was praised for his performance.
His latest 2007 release is the David Dhawan directed romantic comedy Partner, which co-stars Salman Khan. The film grossed Rs.300 Million in India on its opening week, the second highest domestic opening week gross for an Indian film.

Political career

In 2004, Govinda joined the Congress party, and was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower House of Parliament from Mumbai with a thumping majority of beating the 5 time sitting MP by over 50000 votes. It is believed that the large and influential Gujarati Muslim community had a big role to play in canvassing support for him. Mumbai North is one of the most communally sensitive areas in Mumbai
In a run up to the polls, Govinda had announced that his agenda will be awaas (housing), prawaas (transportation), swasthya (health) and gyaan (education).
During the first ten months of his tenure as an Member of Parliament (MP), Govinda did not spend any money from his MP Local Area Development Fund of Rs. 20 million. He started utilizing his fund only when newspaper reports brought this to notice. According to the Thane district collectorate sources, Govinda committed Rs 7 to construct anganwadi, samaj mandirs and resolve drinking water problem of Vasai and Virar residents. However, work on these projects did not begin (as of August 2005), because administrative approval was being awaited. Govinda also took credit for 80% of the quadrupling of Borivli-Virar section on Western Railway (India).
During his tenure as an MP, Govinda embarrassed his party, Congress, by coming out in open to support actor Shakti Kapoor, who had been caught in an sting operation, asking for sexual favours from a television reporter posing as a Bollywood aspirant. He also opposed the ban on dance bars, which embarrassed the Congress-NCP led Democratic Front Government, which had proposed the ban.
As an MP, Govinda has been criticized for being inaccessible to the people of his constituency, especially during the terrible rains (beginning July 26, 2005) that left around 450 dead in Mumbai. After the rains, while speaking to a TV channel, Govinda claimed that he had got Rs 150 million sanctioned for his flood-hit constituency after speaking to Sonia Gandhi. However, his own party colleagues contested the claim. Mohan Adhikari, the president of Palghar Congress Unit went on record saying that "not a single paisa" had been received.
On Jan 20, 2008, he has decided to quit politics to concentrate on his fantastic acting career.

Nana Patekar

2008-02-21T00:46:00.000-08:00

Nana Patekar (born 1 January 1951 as Vishwanath Patekar) is a highly acclaimed Indian Actor and Filmmaker.

Biography

Born Vishwanath Patekar in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, to Dankar Patekar (a painter) and his wife Sangana Patekar. He is an alumnus of the Sir J. J. institute of Applied Arts, Mumbai.During his college years he was active in inter collegiate dramatics. After graduating he has starred in a number of Bollywood movies with some of the most prominent film directors of Bollywood. He is married to Neelakanti Patekar, and they have a son Malhar Patekar.

Career

Nana Patekar is said to have a unique acting style. He is famous for his brash style of delivering his dialogues and his way of speaking reflects his deliverance of the lines. It is widely rumoured that he ad libs all of his lines and is held in high regard for this ability. He is known to give generously to the poor. He is also a sketch artist, a secret not known to the outside world. His sketches have sometimes helped the Mumbai Police to track criminals.
While he acted in movies such as Mohre (1987) and Salaam Bombay! (1988), he was noticed by the mainstream Bollywood industry and audience for his portrayal of the villain in the 1989 film, Parinda. He was awarded the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for the role. He also won the Filmfare Best Villain Award in 1992 for Angaar.
He is very well known for his role in the movie Ab Tak Chappan (2005) in which he plays a police officer whose main task is to rid the streets of underworld dons. In 1994 he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Krantiveer (1994). He also won the Filmfare Award and the Star Screen Awards in the best actor category.
Patekar has experimented with his roles when it comes to films. He has done the occasional villain role, but has also played a hero in most of his films. He played a truant, gambling son in Krantiveer (1994), a wife beater in Agni Sakshi (1996), a deaf and dumb father in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and a schizophrenic in Wajood (1998). At times during his career, it was noted that he was an epitome of the "angry young man" role and that he was well suited for such roles and would carry it on as a forerunner of Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty. Yet, he was also perfect for some of the villainous roles that he has done.
He turned director with his movie Prahaar: The Final Attack co-starring Madhuri Dixit. His other films as an actor include Hu Tu Tu and Bluff Master. He once again gave a good performance in Apaharan, for which he received the Filmfare Best Villain Award as well as the Star Screen Award Best Villain. He is going to be in Sangeeth Sivan's next film, which is a remake of the Telugu film Athadu(2005) and as the character Anjaneya Prasad (CBI Officer), Which was originally played by Prakash Raj.
Patekar has also done some playback singing in the films Yeshwant (1997), Wajood (1998) and Aanch (2003).
He is the only actor ever to win Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Villain categories.

Preity Zinta

2008-02-20T00:45:00.000-08:00

Preity Zinta ( born January 31, 1975) is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi cinemas of Bollywood, as well as Telugu and English language movies. A criminal psychology graduate, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998, followed by Soldier in the same year. She won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for both films, and was later recognised for her performance as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna. Following this, she went on to display her range as an actress, portraying a diversity of characters, subsequently credited with bringing a change in the image of Hindi film heroine.
Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho in 2003, which became India's top-grossing film in the overseas market that year. She played the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India—the science fiction Koi... Mil Gaya, her biggest commercial success to date, and the cross-border romance Veer-Zaara, which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, overseas top grossers. Zinta thus has established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting, Zinta is a columnist, having written columns for BBC News Online South Asia, and a regular stage performer. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, occasionally surrounding herself with controversy. These controversies include most notably her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian underworld during the Bharat Shah case, for which she won the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.

Early life and background

Born on January 31, 1975 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Zinta hails from a Hindu Rajput family of Rohru in Shimla district. Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army. Durganand died when Zinta was thirteen in a car accident; the accident also involved her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and remained bedridden for two years. According to Zinta, her father's early death was one of her most terrible experiences and a turning point in her life, as it forced her to grow up. Zinta has two brothers, Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger, respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish is settled in Los Angeles.
Zinta, a self-confessed tomboy in the early stages of her life, was influenced primarily by her father. As a child groomed in an army household, she grew up with values such as discipline and punctuality. She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. Although she confesses to having been lonely in the boarding school, she would later say that it was compensated by her having "...perfect set of friends" there. As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly William Shakespeare and poetry, and even tried writing poetry herself. According to Zinta, whilst she liked studies and received good grades in school, she enjoyed spending time outside, and was interested in sports, particularly basketball.
Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla. She initially majored in English honours, but later pursued an advanced programme in psychology. Although she earned a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta later took up modelling. Zinta's first commercial for Perk chocolates was a result of a chance meeting with a commercial director at a friend's birthday party in 1996. The director persuaded Zinta to attend the audition for the commercial, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogs and commercials, such as that of Liril.

Early career (1998–1999)

In 1997, Zinta met film-maker Shekhar Kapur when she accompanied a friend to an audition and was asked to audition herself. Upon seeing her audition, Kapur insisted that she become an actress. She was originally scheduled to make her screen debut in Kapur's Tara Rum Pum Pum opposite Hrithik Roshan, but the filming was canceled; Kapur later recommended her for director Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.
Zinta started shooting for Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna, the release of which was delayed until 2000. The delay of another film, Soldier, meant that her first release was Dil Se (1998) opposite Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. Introducing Zinta as Preeti Nair, a middle class Delhi girl and Khan's fiancee, the film was considered to be an unusual launch for a newcomer, as her role called for twenty minutes of screen time. However, she was eventually noticed for her role, particularly for the forthright character she played. Her scene with Khan, which had her asking him, "Are you a virgin?", became well known and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. She next played her first leading role in the action drama Soldier, which was one of the biggest hits of the year. Zinta won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in both Dil Se and Soldier.
Zinta next acted in two Telugu films, Premante Idera (1998) opposite Venkatesh, and Raja Kumarudu (1999) opposite Mahesh Babu. She followed with the leading role in the thriller Sangharsh, alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, based on the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, was directed by Tanuja Chandra and written by Mahesh Bhatt. Zinta portrayed the character of Reet Oberoi, a CBI officer who falls in love with a captured killer, played by Kumar. The film was not a box office success, although Zinta's performance was appreciated by critics.

Breakthrough (2000–2002)

Zinta's first release in 2000 was the drama Kya Kehna, which unexpectedly turned out to be a box office success. The film was known for addressing the themes of single parenthood and teenage pregnancy, and gained Zinta wider recognition from the public as well as film critics. Her portrayal of a teenage single mother who fights societal prejudice earned her a number of award nominations, including her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare.
Later that year, she starred in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama Mission Kashmir alongside Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan. Set in the valley of Kashmir during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film dealt with the topic of terrorism and crime, as seen through the eyes of Aaltaf, played by Roshan. Zinta's role was that of Sufiya Parvez, a TV reporter and Aaltaf's childhood love. Her performance was generally well received. One review in The Hindu said, "Preity Zinta is her usual cherubic self and lends colour to the otherwise serious proceedings." It was an economic success, becoming the third highest grossing film of the year in India.In 2001, Zinta earned positive reviews for her role in Farhan Akhtar's National Film Award-winning Dil Chahta Hai, co-starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna. Depicting the contemporary routine life of Indian affluent youth, the film tells the story of three friends, with Zinta playing a young woman and Aamir Khan's love interest, Shalini. Rediff.com wrote of Zinta that she "is beautiful and vibrant, wavering between endearingly naive and confused..."
Three more 2001 releases featured Zinta, including Abbas Mustan's romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, which was released after a one-year delay due to the trial of producer Bharat Shah (see below). The film was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth. Zinta's performance as Madhubala, a golden-hearted prostitute hired as a surrogate mother, earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Rediff.com noted, "Preity Zinta, who clearly has the meatiest part of all, makes the best of it. Her transformation from the cocky and unabashed prostitute to a sensitive and warm person is amazingly believable." After the release of this film, Zinta was recognised for her versatility as an actress; commended for work portraying a wide range of characters, including the teenage single mother in Kya Kehna, the CBI officer in Sangharsh and the surrogate mother in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, and even credited with bringing a new image for a leading actress in Bollywood.
In 2002, Zinta collaborated once again with director Kundan Shah, as the main protagonist in the family drama Dil Hai Tumhaara, alongside Rekha, Mahima Chaudhary and Arjun Rampal. Although it did not succeed at the box office, her portrayal of Shalu, an adopted daughter craving love, was critically acclaimed. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "...Preity Zinta, in an author-backed role...steals the show with a sterling performance. Her scenes with Rekha (second half) and Alok Nath (pre-climax) are simply outstanding. Here's a performance that is sure to win accolades from the junta and critics whole-heartedly.

Success (2003–present)

Zinta was the female lead in the three highest grossing films in India in 2003 - The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, Koi... Mil Gaya and Kal Ho Naa Ho. Her first release, the patriotic drama The Hero, co-starred Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra. The film was the most expensive Bollywood film of the year, but failed to recover its production costs at the box office. Zinta's next release was Honey Irani's directorial debut, Armaan, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. The drama, set in a hospital, deals with the trials and tribulations among its personnel and its principal, Dr. Akash, who is desperate to sustain the hospital financially. Zinta played Akash's schizophrenic wife Sonia Kapoor. The film received predominantly positive reviews and Zinta was praised in particular. Taran Adarsh noted, "Preity Zinta comes up with another superb performance, essaying her part with utmost sincerity", and The Tribune concluded, "Zinta has outclassed everyone with her convincing performance." For her performance, Zinta received nominations for Best Villain at different award ceremonies, including Filmfare.
Rakesh Roshan's science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, about a developmentally disabled young man, followed. Co-starring alongside Rekha and Hrithik Roshan, Zinta played the role of Nisha, a young woman whom Roshan befriends. She received another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare for the role. The film was both a major financial and critical success. It became the biggest hit of the year as well as Zinta's highest grossing movie to date, with a domestic gross of Rs 489 million; and, among other awards, won the Filmfare Best Movie Award.Zinta's last release that year was Kal Ho Naa Ho, a tearjerker directed by Nikhil Advani and written by Karan Johar, co-starring Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan. The film was received favourably by critics, and became India's second biggest hit of the year after Koi... Mil Gaya. It also did well internationally, and became the biggest Indian hit of the year overseas, earning over Rs 600 million worldwide. Zinta played the role of Naina Catherine Kapur, an insecure and angry Indian-American girl, who falls in love with a man who has a fatal heart disease. She won several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Derek Elley from Variety wrote, "Zinta, who's been carving a growing following the past three years or so, has never been better, definitively moving from juve roles to a charismatic young woman with her sexy, assured Naina."
In 2004 she starred as TV journalist Romila Dutta in Farhan Akhtar's war drama Lakshya, co-starring Hrithik Roshan. The film was based on the historical events of the 1999 Kargil Conflict. Zinta's character was modeled after TV journalist Barkha Dutt, the only female reporter covering the events. The film was a critical success, yet Zinta's performance received mixed reviews; Rediff.com noted, "Zinta has quite a good role and a good deal of footage in the film, and she does a fairly decent job of it without ever being spectacular."
Later that year, Yash Chopra cast her opposite Shahrukh Khan as the female lead in the love saga Veer-Zaara, which was the top grossing Bollywood film of that year in both India and abroad, earning over Rs 750 million worldwide. The film, which relates the love story of an Indian officer and a Pakistani woman, received a significant reception worldwide, and won several awards for Best Movie in major award ceremonies in India. Zinta's portrayal of a Pakistani girl was praised; she received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and won the Stardust Star of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. Variety noted, "Zinta, the most interesting young actress of her generation, is her usual lively self as the willful Zaara." Veer-Zaara was Zinta's second highest grossing film and third major hit in two consecutive years, and marked the beginning of her work with Yash Raj Films, one of the largest production houses in Bollywood.
In 2005, Zinta appeared in two movies. Her first release was the folk comedy Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen, co-starring Govinda, a production which had been delayed since 2002. The film received negative reviews and poor winnings at the box office. Zinta's role was small, and was not well received. Her next release was Siddharth Anand's comedy-drama Salaam Namaste, co-starring Saif Ali Khan. The film was another Yash Raj big budget film and went on to become the year's highest grossing Bollywood production overseas, with revenues of Rs 430 million internationally. The film tells the story of a contemporary cohabiting Indian couple. Zinta played the female protagonist Ambar Malhotra, a single modern young woman who leaves India to make her own life in Australia. The film was well received by critics, and Zinta's performance earned her nominations for Best Actress at a number of award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh wrote, "After Kya Kehna, Preity Zinta accepts the challenge of portraying an unwed mother yet again in Salaam Namaste. The actor is terrific, delivering her most accomplished performance to date. Her lip locks with Saif Ali Khan will catch a lot of people unaware, but that's the sign of a thorough professional." Meanwile, The New York Times concluded, "She is cheerleader-homecoming queen-fraternity sweetheart pretty, so even when her characters are being unkind it's hard not to like her."
Zinta received further success in 2006, starring in Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna along with an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film became one of the biggest box office hits in India, earning Rs 464 million, and grossed over Rs 445 million overseas, the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever. It simultaneously became her fourth overseas top earner in four consecutive years. The film tells the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, and an ensuing extramarital affair. Zinta played the role of Rhea Saran, a stylish and modern fashion magazine editor; her performance was appreciated by critics. According to indiaFM, "Preity not only looks gorgeous, but the dedication to her role shows at vital points. Her penultimate scene with Rani Mukerji, when she confronts her at the marriage reception, is fabulous."
She then starred in Shirish Kunder's romantic musical Jaan-E-Mann, a story of two men in the United States loving the same woman, co-starring Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. The film received positive reviews from critics, yet performed poorly at the box office. Zinta played the role of Piya, the cynosure of two men. Although she had a small role and an underdeveloped character, which was described by Rediff as "ornament throughout", her acting performance was generally well received. Rajeev Masand from CNN IBN wrote, "Of the principal cast, Preity Zinta looks a million bucks, but she's got the shortest role of the three, which is odd considering the entire story revolves around her. The actress brings a quiet dignity to the role and exercises restraint in her performance, lending her character the maturity that it requires." She explained that the film was a great relief after heavily shooting for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, as the former was "easy, happy and much more simple."
In 2007 Zinta portrayed the character of a British Pakistani woman, Alvira Khan, in her third Yash Raj Film, Shaad Ali's comedy Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. The film was a critical and commercial failure in India. She was criticised for her performance, with The Times of India writing that "she is too plastic as the Paki-Brit girl".
Later in 2007, Zinta began working with art film directors, and turned towards neo-realistic cinemas, known in India as parallel cinema. She acted in her first English film, Rituparno Ghosh's The Last Lear, as a struggling theatre actress opposite Amitabh Bachchan. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, and was well received. The first reviews were approving, with one critic writing "It's great to see her doing a completely natural role. She played her role with real dignity and it was a pleasure seeing her getting back to her initial style of acting". Zinta herself said about her first art film, "I did think with art films that they don't pay you, they don't feed you, but I was wrong, and I'm so happy to be here. As of October 2007, she is set to star in Jahnu Barua's forthcoming film Har Pall.

Other work

In 2004, Zinta joined a line up of South Asia's commentators for BBC News Online. She expressed her joy at participating in this project, saying, "I am pretty outspoken and have my own view on every subject. So it will be a good platform for me to air my views. Her first column, "The changing face of Bollywood", published in January 2004, discussed the progression of Bollywood and how it has evolved in the last decade. The column turned out to be a success, and became one of the site's top 10 most widely read stories on the day. In her second column, "Odds stacked against Indian women", Zinta scathed the eve teasing phenomenon in India, and criticised those who indulge in such behaviour. She wrote, "Incidences like these take away a woman's dignity, her space and her freedom...why the state is so helpless in protecting the women. Why should women feel unsafe in a country which had an internationally revered woman prime minister?" The column caught the worldwide attention of readers, and thousands of e-mails were addressed to Zinta from people across the globe. It was applauded particularly by women for its stand against abuse of Indian women. Her third column, "The darkness that all actors fear", was a more personal column and dealt with her stardom, fans, insecurity and fears as an actor. Her fourth and last column titled "Facing death in Sri Lanka and Thailand", published in 2005, described her two near escapes from death in late 2004.

Stage performances

Zinta has taken part in several stage shows and world tours since 2001. Her first world tour, a series of concerts called Craze 2001, was performed across the U.S. alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the team was willing to return to India as soon as possible. However, the shows continued in Canada and went on to do well. In 2002, Zinta took part in the world tour From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. The show took place in two outdoor venues at Manchester’s Old Trafford Football Stadium and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators. Zinta's largest world tour was in 2004, when she joined a group of stars (Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Rampal, and Priyanka Chopra) in the Temptation 2004 tour. Showcased in over 22 countries across the world, it became Bollywood's most prominent concert internationally. In 2006, Zinta was part of the Heat 2006 world tour, along with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.

Humanitarian work

During her years in the industry, Zinta has been involved with different charities, and has supported several women-related causes in India, such as female infanticide prevention. Zinta has also taken part in AIDS awareness drives and campaigns to clean up Mumbai. In 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert raising money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. In 2006, as an ambassador of the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Movement, Zinta attended a blood donation camp organised by the Rotary Club of Delhi and the Godfrey Phillips Awards, lending her support to the cause of women's empowerment, and promoting the humanitarian cause of donating blood. She said, "Donating blood doesn't kill one but goes on to save somebody's life [...] Once blood is donated it becomes universal and might be used by anyone in need, irrespective of community, caste or region. It binds people together".
In 2007, Zinta along with Rani Mukerji, donated Rs 250,000 of her winnings from Kaun Banega Crorepati to the Shimla District Red Cross Society in Himachel Pradesh. In January 2007, Zinta visited Hisar, Haryana, and spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawans (troops), and experience the kind of life that they lead. The visit was conducted for an NDTV show, Jai Jawan, on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops to encourage them. While there, Zinta also met children with disabilities at a special school maintained by the army. In August, Zinta, along with Mumbai-based artist Gurcharan Singh, painted for the cause of street children for the non-governmental organisation Khushi. In December, she joined the efforts of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to curb human trafficking in India. She lent her voice for creating awareness against the inhuman practice, for the need to provide protection and rehabilitation for those rescued, and punishing the perpetrators.

Personal life

Zinta used to visit her native town Shimla when not busy in shooting. In 2006, Zinta moved into her own home in Mumbai. Zinta identifies herself as not being of a particularly religious nature. In an interview with The Times of India, she commented, "...I believe in good deeds, in karma, I don’t believe in going to temples. For me, religion is very personal. It’s all about having faith...We have heard and read that all religions are equal. Now I am increasingly believing in this. Zinta narrowly escaped death twice in late 2004. The first occurred after an explosion at a Temptation concert in Colombo, Sri Lanka; the second occurred during the Indian Ocean earthquake.
Zinta has been the subject of several controversies. In 2003, as a witness in the Bharat Shah case, Zinta testified against the Indian Underworld. Bharat Shah, the financer of the Zinta-starrer Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, was arrested in 2000 for having connections with Chhota Shakeel, a Mumbai underworld boss. Unlike several of her colleagues, Zinta repeated in court her earlier statement that she had received extortion threats from the mafia during the shooting of the film. After her testimony, she was given witness protection and was forced to stay out of the public eye for two months. Thirteen other witnesses before her, including celebrities Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, were witnesses in the case but retracted their earlier statements. Zinta was the only witness not to have turned hostile to the prosecution; her courage to testify was appreciated by the nation. Consequently, she was the first recipient of Godfrey's Mind of Steel Award at the annual Red and White Bravery Awards, given to her for the "Courageous Act" of standing against the Mumbai Underworld. On receiving the award, Zinta said: "To be brave is not to be fearless. It is when you fear and you get over it, then you can be called brave. I am human. It is not that I fear nothing. But getting over a fear is a continuous process and I have been successful so far". Since 2006, Zinta has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Godfrey Phillips Bravery awards.
The tabloids have often linked Zinta romantically with other Bollywood stars, but she has strongly denied these rumours. In 2000, Zinta began dating model Marc Robinson. They separated one year later, and according to Zinta, remained on good terms. Asked in Filmfare about their break-up, Zinta proclaimed that she cherished "...very, very fond memories of the times we were together and I'd like to keep it to that." Zinta has been dating the Bombay Dyeing heir, businessman Ness Wadia since February 2005. Their relationship is frequently reported on in the media, and is often subject to press speculation of a possible engagement. In December 2006, another controversy featured Zinta when Ness Wadia was reported to have attacked construction workers at Zinta's residence in Bandra; reportedly, a woman was critically injured and a child was hurt in the incident. Zinta reacted angrily at hearing these rumours reported in the national news; she confronted the journalists and criticised their conduct. She challenged the press to come up with proof, and offered Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) if an injured woman were found. The press found nothing and the rumour has subsequently been regarded as false.
In March 2007, Zinta was involved in a scandal when actress and singer Suchitra Krishnamurthy cited Zinta as the cause of her divorce with Shekhar Kapur, alleging that Zinta was having an affair with him. Although initially silent on this issue, on further accusation by Krishnamurthy, Zinta retorted, "It is unfortunate that I am bearing the brunt of someone else’s paranoia. She’s clearly unstable and I wish her a speedy recovery. Zinta issued a statement that she had met Kapur only five times in 10 years and publicly demanded that he step forward and clear her of the accusation. Thereafter, the controversy came to an end.

Shahrukh Khan

2008-02-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

Shahrukh Khan , born 2 November 1965, is a highly acclaimed Indian Bollywood actor, producer, and recent host of the game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Khan started out his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercial successes, as well as delivering a variety of critically acclaimed performances. During his career years, he has won six Filmfare Best Actor Awards, and has had significant box office success, with films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Om Shanti Om (2007) being some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Veer Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006) and more recently Chak De India are the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market. Since 2000, Khan branched out into film production and television presenting as well.

Biography

Khan was born to Muslim parents of Pathan ethnicity. His father Taj Mohammed Khan was a freedom activist. His mother Lateef Fatima was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan, who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose.
Khan's father came to Gurgaon from Qissa Kahani Bazaar in Peshawar before the Partition of India, while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, also in present-day Pakistan. Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz. Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama and academics. He won the Sword of Honour, an annual award bequeathed to the student who embodies most the spirit of the school. He later attended the Hansraj College (1985-1988) to earn an Honors degree in Economics. After this, he studied for a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia University.
After the death of his parents, Khan moved from Gurgaon to Mumbai in 1991. In that same year, he married Gauri Khan in a Hindu wedding ceremony. They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000).
In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book Still Reading Khan, which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by Anupama Chopra, "King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema", was released in 2007. This book described the world of Bollywood through Khan's life.
Khan's life-size wax statue is available in Madame Tussauds wax museum, London, installed in April 2007. Khan has been chosen for the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award of the French government for his “exceptional career”.

As Actor

Khan made his acting debut in 1988 when he appeared in the television series, Fauji, playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai. He went on to appear in several other television serials, appearing most notably in the 1989 serial, Circus (directed by Aziz Mirza), which depicted the life of circus performers. The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones, which was based on life at Delhi University and was written by Arundhati Roy.
After the death of his parents, Khan moved from Gurgaon to Mumbai in 1991. He made his Bollywood movie debut in Deewana (1992). The movie was a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. His second movie, Maya Memsaab, generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex scene in the movie.
In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances as a murderer and an obsessive lover, respectively, in the box office hits, Baazigar and Darr. He won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Baazigar. His role as a young musician in Kundan Shah's Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in Anjaam. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.
In 1995, Khan starred in Aditya Chopra's directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, a critical and commercial success, which entered its twelfth year in 2007 in Mumbai theaters. By then the movie had grossed over 12 billion rupees, making it as one of the biggest movie blockbusters.
1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his movies released that year failed to do well at the box office. His first 1997 release, Yash Chopra's Dil to Pagal Hai, however, became that year's second highest grossing movie. Later that year, he saw success with Subhash Ghai's Pardes -- one of the biggest hits of the year-- and Aziz Mirza's Yes Boss.
In 1998, Khan starred in Karan Johar's directoial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which was the biggest hit of the year. His performance won him his fourth Best Actor award at the Filmfare. He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se. This movie did not do well at the Indian box office, but was a commercial success overseas. Khan's only release in 1999, Baadshah, was an average grosser.
In 2000, Khan starred in Aditya Chopra's second film, Mohabbatein, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film did well at the box office, and Khan's performance won him his second Critics Award for Best Performance at the Filmfare. He then starred in Mansoor Khan's Josh, which was also a box office success. In that same year, Khan set up his own production house, Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla. Both Khan and Chawla starred in the first movie of their production house, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.. Khan also played a supporting role in Kamal Hassan's controversial film Hey Ram which failed to do well at the box office but won him critical acclaim.
In 2001, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the second time in the family drama, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham which was the second biggest hit of the year. Later that year, he received favorable reviews for his performance as Emperor Asoka in the historical epic, Asoka.
In 2002, Khan received acclaim for playing the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance, Devdas. It was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name, and surfaced as one of the biggest hits of that year. Khan also starred opposite Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the family-drama Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, which did well at the box office.
In 2003, Khan starred in the moderately successful romantic drama, Chalte Chalte. That same year, he starred in the romantic drama movie, Kal Ho Naa Ho, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan's performance in this movie as a man with heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved to be one of the year's biggest hits in India and the biggest Bollywood hit overseas.
2004 was a good year for Khan, commercially as well as critically. He starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, Main Hoon Na. The movie did well at the box office. He then played the leading role of Veer in Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara, which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas. Khan's performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year, he received critical praise for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades, which won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the sixth time, although the movie was a box office failure.
Khan's only movie release in 2005 was the fantasy film, Paheli. It was a box office failure, but won him acclaim.
In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the fourth time with the melodrama movie, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. It did well in India and much more so in the overseas market, becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever. His second release in that saw him playing the title role in the action film Don, a remake of the 1978 hit Don. The movie was a success.
Khan's first release in 2007 was the sports movie, Chak De India. He received good reviews for his performance as the coach of a girl's hockey team. The movie started low at the box office, but became one of the year's biggest hits. Khan's latest movie, Om Shanti Om (released on November 9, 2007) has taken an excellent start both in India and overseas and was declared a blockbuster.

As a Producer

Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Asoka (2001) were box office failures.However, his third film, as a producer and star, Chalte Chalte (2003), was the first box office hit from his production house.
In 2004,. he set up another production company called Red Chillies Entertainment and produced and starred in Main Hoon Na which was another hit at the box office. In 2005 he produced and starred in the fantasy film Paheli, which was a box office failure. It was India's official entry to the Oscars for a nomination for Best Foreign Film, but it did not pass the final selection. That same year he also co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal with Karan Johar and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. Kaal was moderately successful at the box office. The latest film Om Shanti Om, which he produced as well as starred him, has done very well at the box office.

As Television Host

Khan was chosen as the host of the third series of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire?, in 2007 taking over from the original host Amitabh Bachchan who had hosted the show from 2000 to 2005. On Monday, January 22, 2007, "Kaun Banega Crorepati" aired with Khan as the new host. The season ended on April 19 2007.

Akshay Kumar

2008-02-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

Akshay Kumar (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, on September 9, 1967) is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in over 80 Hindi language films, also known as Bollywood.
During the 90s, Kumar was primarily described as the action hero of Bollywood, starring in hit action films such as Khiladi (1992), Mohra (1994) and Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), and being particularly known for his "Khiladi Series". However, he was simultaneously recognised for his performances in romantic films like Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Dhadkan (2000) as well as dramatic films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001), showing his versatility to perform a range of roles.
In 2002, he won his first Filmfare Award under the Best Villain category, for his performance in Ajnabee (2001). Willing to change his intransigent image, Kumar later ventured mostly into comedy films. His comic performances in films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Garam Masala (2005) and Jaan-E-Mann (2006) met with critical acclaim. His success came to its peak in 2007, when he starred in five consecutive commercial hits. Having done so, he has thus established himself as one of the prominent actors of the Hindi film industry.

Early life

Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia was born to a middle class Punjabi family in Jalandhar (Punjab). His father was a government worker. From a very young age, he was recognized as a performer, particularly as a dancer. Kumar lived in Delhi for some time before moving to Mumbai. He lived in Koliwada which was a Punjabi dominated area. And then moved to Amritsar. He studied at Don Bosco school and then Khalsa College, where he took an interest in sports.
He studied martial arts in Bangkok and worked as a Chef. He then came back to Mumbai, where he started teaching martial arts. One of his students happened to be a photographer and recommended him to do modelling. The student gave him a modelling assignment for a small company. For his two hours posing in front of the camera, Kumar got Rs. 5,000, compared to his previous salary of Rs. 4,000 in one month. That was one of the main reasons why he chose to be a model. After a couple of months of modelling, Kumar was finally offered a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.

Career

Kumar made his Bollywood acting debut with the 1991 film Saugandh, which was unnoticed. His first major hit was the 1992 thriller film Khiladi. 1993 saw a drop as many of his films failed to do well. However, 1994 proved to be a good year for Kumar as he followed up his success with Khiladi with the action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Mohra which were among the highest grossing films of the year. Later that year, Yash Chopra signed him for the romantic film Yeh Dillagi which was also a success. He received appreciation for his performance in this film, where he played a romantic role which was different compared to his action roles. He would consequently receive his first nominations for Best Actor award at the Filmfare and Star Screen ceremonies. All these achievements, promoted Kumar as one of the most successful actors of that year.
In 1995, along with his share of unsuccessful movies, he starred in the third film in his Khiladi series Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was another hit. He proved to have success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourth hit film with Khiladi in the title, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekha and Raveena Tandon, which was one of the highest grossing films of the year.
In 1997, he made an extended guest appearance in Yash Chopra's hit film Dil To Pagal Hai, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award nomination. In the same year, he attempted a comedy role with the fifth film in the Khiladi series, Mr and Mrs Khiladi which was unsuccessful. Along with this film, his next few Khiladi films went on to fail at the box office. In 1999, he received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and in the box office hit Jaanwar.
In 2000 he starred in the comedy Hera Pheri (2000) which was a success and showcased his talent at doing comedy just as well as action or romantic roles. He also starred in the romantic film Dhadkan later that same year which was also a box office hit. In 2001, Kumar played a negative role in the film Ajnabee for which he won much acclaim as well as the Filmfare Best Villain Award.
After the success of Hera Pheri, he starred in many successful comedy films which include Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and Garam Masala (2005)
Apart from his action, comedy and romantic roles he also displayed a flair for dramatic roles in films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001), Aankhen (2002), Bewafaa (2005) and Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005) which did moderately well in India, but was a hit overseas.
In 2006 he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri which was also a huge success at the box office. Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan in the romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann which did not do as well as expected at the box office. Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised. He ended the year with Bhagam Bhag which was a success.
2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops." His first release, Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film." His next two releases, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, both received super hit verdicts at the box office as well. Kumar's last release of the year, Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status, simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit. All the 4 release film of Kumar in 2007 became also outright hits in the overseas market as well.
Kumar is an active stage performer. He led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.

Personal life

During his years in Bollywood, Kumar was romantically linked with several of his co-star actresses like Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty and Priyanka Chopra. After being engaged twice to actress Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of veteran actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, he finally married her on January 14, 2001. Their son named Aarav was born on September 15, 2002.

Bobby Deol

2008-02-16T00:11:00.000-08:00

Vijay Singh Deol (born 27 January 1967) popularly known as Bobby Deol, is a Hindi movies actor. He was born in Mumbai, India, to legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra and famous actor Sunny Deol is his elder brother.

Acting career

When he was 10 years old he made a very brief appearance in the 1977 movie Dharam Veer where he played the younger version of his father's character.
He made his debut as a leading man in Rajkumar Santoshi's Barsaat, which was produced under his home banner 'Vijeyta Films' for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award. The movie was the sixth highest domestically grossing movie of the year 1995. Twinkle Khanna, daughter of famous actors Dimple Kapadia and Rajesh Khanna also starred in the movie. This was followed by the murder mystery Gupt: The Hidden Truth. The film went on to become the fifth highest grossing movie of that year and was critically acclaimed. His following film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya did not do well.
In 1998, Deol starred in two films: Kareeb and Soldier. The latter was a lukewarm hit and Deol received much acclaim for his role as a mysterious killer.
In 1999, he starred with his brother Sunny Deol for the first time in Dillagi. The film was also Sunny's directorial debut. The film did not do well at the box office. In 2000 he had moderate success with Badal and Bichhoo and his following films did not do as well. After a series of flop films, he gained moderate success in 2001 with the murder mystery, In 2002, he starred in four films. Out of his four releases he had a hit with Humraaz. Deol received his first nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. His following films failed to do well at the box office although he did win acclaim for his portrayal of real-life freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in 23rd March 1931: Shaheed which also starred his brother Sunny as Chandrashekhar Azad. In 2003 he had no film releases and in 2004 his string of box office failures continued.
He continued his series of failures in Tango Charlie (2005). He also starred in Barsaat (2005) and Dosti: Friends Forever (2005). Both the movies did average business in India but did better overseass
In 2007, he played a villainous role in Shakalaka Boom Boom, which failed in India but did better overseas. His second release, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom released in June 2007. The film took in one of the biggest openings in India but failed to recover it's costs due to the negative reviews from both critics and audiences. It did much better overseas, especially in the UK where it debuted and peaked at No. 6 on the charts. His third release Apne saw him, his brother and father starring together for the first time. The film opened to good reviews and did well in India and overseas. His following release, Naqaab failed to do well. though he received good reviews for his performance. His most recent release was Nanhe Jaisalmer where he played himself.
In June 2007, at the recent IIFA Awards show, Deol broke into tears when he was called upon the podium by his father Dharmendra, after his father received the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life

Bobby Deol is the second son of Dharmendra, a legendary Bollywood actor, and Prakash Kaur. His elder brother Sunny Deol is also a famous actor. Bobby also has two half-sisters born from his father's second wife (actress Hema Malini), whose names are Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Actor Abhay Deol, Sagar Deol are his cousins
Bobby Deol briefly dated actress Neelam. He is currently married to Tanya Ahuja with whom he has two children. His eldest son's name is Aryaman, born in June 2001. His second son was born November 5, 2004 and was named Dharam after his grandfather.

Sunny Deol

2008-02-15T00:52:00.000-08:00

Sunny Deol (Born as Ajay Singh Deol) on October 19, 1961 in New Delhi, India. He is a National Film Awards winning film (Bollywood) actor of Punjabi descent.

Early life

Sunny Deol was born in New Delhi, India, to veteran actor Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur. He has a younger brother, Bobby Deol, who is also an actor, two sisters who are settled in California, and two half-sisters, Esha Deol, an actress and Ahana Deol, from his father's re-marriage to famous actress Hema Malini. His wife is Pooja Deol and they have two children. His cousin Abhay Deol is also currently an actor. He always wanted to be an actor but being the son of the famous actor, Dharmendra, it was difficult being treated normal, so he went to England to study acting. He joined theatre called the Old Web Theatre in Birmingham, England where he studied theatre and acting. He was at the peak of his career during the nineties with 1983,1991,1994,1998 being his best years.

As an Actor

Sunny made his acting debut in the Blockbuster movie Betaab in 1983. After some average movies he starred in an action film Arjun (1985). He played the role of a jobless hungry youth who is forced to become a gangster with guns and knives by circumstances. This role established his image as the action hero of Bollywood. After another period of mixed success, Sunny's breakthrough role came with Ghayal (1990) directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. His role of a boxer who fights for his family received cult status. The government of India awarded him a national award for his role of a lawyer in 'Damini'. Many of his films in the action genre including Tridev (1989), Vishwatma (1992), Imtihaan (1995), Ghatak: Lethal (1996), Ziddi (1997), Border (1998) and Indian (2001) were some of the biggest hits of his career.
He has also had success in romantic and dramatic roles in films including Chaalbaaz (1989), Damini - Lightning (1993), Darr (1993), Jeet (1996) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). Gadar: Ek Prem Katha remains one of the most successful Bollywood films to date at the box office. His last release is Apne which brought him with his father and brother together for the first time. The film was a super hit in the deol territory of north india and in overseas and an average hit in rest of india.

As a director

Film Dillagi starring himself and younger brother Bobby Deol & Urmila Matondkar. The film wasn't a box Office success but won him critical acclaim.

Priyanka Chopra

2008-02-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

Priyanka Chopra (born July 18, 1982) is an Indian film actress and former Miss World who works in Bollywood films.
After winning the title of Miss India World and later becoming Miss World 2000, Chopra made her acting debut with Anil Sharma's The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003). She had her first commercial success with her second release, Andaaz from the same year and won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance in the film. Becoming the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her critically acclaimed performance in Abbas-Mustan's Aitraaz (2004), Chopra later went on to deliver commercial success with films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006), her biggest commercial success so far, and Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006), establishing herself as a popular actress.

Early life

Chopra studied at St. Maria Goretti in Bareilly, as a young girl and later went to the United States, where she was a student at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts and North Delta Senior Secondary School in North Delta before returning to India to complete high school at Army School (Bareilly). She began college at Jai Hind College in Mumbai but left after winning the Miss World pageant.

Beauty contest winner

Chopra was crowned Miss India World and later Miss World in 2000. In the same year, Lara Dutta and Diya Mirza, both from India, won the Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific crowns, in a rare triple.
When she won the Miss World crown, she became the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the fourth Indian woman to win in a span of seven years.

Acting career

After winning the Miss World title, Chopra became an actress. She first acted in a Tamil film Thamizhan (2002), in which she also sung a song, before moving on to Bollywood. In 2003, her first Bollywood film, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy released and won her good reviews. Despite being given a below average status, the film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of that year. Her next film, Andaaz opposite Akshay Kumar was a success,earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.
Her next few films failed to do well at the box office. In 2004, her film, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi released and became the third highest grossing film of that year. Her first negative role in her next release, Aitraaz, a Hindi remake of the Demi Moore-starrer Disclosure won her critical acclaim and earned a Filmfare Best Villain Award. Her role also got her a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. In the same year, she participated in a world tour aptly titled Temptations 2004 with Bollywood's leading stars, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji and Arjun Rampal.
In 2005, she had many releases, though most did not do well at the box office. In 2006, Chopra starred in two of the most successful films of the year - Krrish and Don - The Chase Begins Again.
Nikhil Advani's multi-starrer, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love was her first release in 2007. The move failed to do well at the box office. Her most recent release, Big Brother also failed to do well.

Personal life

Born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand to Ashok Chopra and Madhu Akhauri, both of whom are doctors, Chopra spent parts of her childhood in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Newton, Massachusetts and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her mother comes from a Kayastha Bihari family settled in Jamshedpur, while her father comes from a family of Punjabi origin, settled in Bareilly.She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is eight years younger than her. Since her father was in the Army, her family frequently moved.

Lara Dutta

2008-02-13T02:21:00.000-08:00

Lara Dutta (born April 16, 1978) is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and the 2000 Miss Universe.

Biography

Early life
Dutta was born on April 16, 1978 in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta (retired) and British mother is Jennifer Dutta. She also has two older sisters, one of whom serves in the Indian Air Force and a well known younger sister. Famed composer and DJ Nitin Sawhney is Dutta's cousin. The Dutta family moved to Bangalore in 1981 where she completed high school from St.Francis Xavier Girl's High School. Lara graduated in economics with a minor in communications from Bombay University at Bangalore. She was crowned Miss Universe in 2000 which led to her appointment as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador in 2001.

Modeling career
Dutta won the annual Gladsrags modelling competition in her native India, thus winning the right to be the first Indian representative at the 1997 Miss Intercontinental pageant, in which she took first place. Later, she was crowned Femina Miss India Universe and Miss Universe in 2000.
At Miss Universe 2000 in Cyprus, Dutta was the clear favourite ahead of fierce competition from Venezuela, Spain, USA and Canada. Her finalist interview score, in the last year that such marks were televised, was the highest individual score in any category in the history of the Miss Universe contest, as her perfect interview saw a majority of the judges giving her the maximum 9.99 mark. After her final question, in which Dutta delivered a passionate defense of the Miss Universe contest (and other beauty pageants), she became the second Indian Miss Universe.
In the same year, Priyanka Chopra and Diya Mirza won their respective Miss World and Miss Asia Pacific titles which gave India a rare triple victory in the world of beauty pageants.

Acting career

Dutta primarily signed up to do the Tamil film, Arasatchi in 2002, but due to financial problems, it only released in mid-2004. She made her Hindi debut in 2003 with the film Andaaz which was a box office success and won her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. She then appeared in a number of films, some of which failed at the box office and some of which were mildly successful. Her box office "hits" include Masti (2004), Kaal (2005),No Entry (2005) and Partner (2007).
In 2006, she starred in the comedy, Bhagam Bhag which did well at the box office.
Dutta's first release of 2007 was Shaad Ali's Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. The film was a box office failure in India but did better overseas, especially in the U.K. She received mixed reviews for her performance in the film. Her latest release, Partner opened to a good response and became a hit.

Awards

2004: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female, Andaaz 2004: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, Andaaz (joint winner with Priyanka Chopra)

Kareena Kapoor

2008-02-11T22:20:00.000-08:00

Kareena Kapoor, (born September 21, 1980) nicknamed Bebo, is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood movies.
Making her acting debut with Refugee (2000), for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, Kapoor had her first commercial success with her second release, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001). Later that year, she was noticed for her performance in Karan Johar's melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, her biggest commercial success to date.Following this, Kapoor went on to star in several films which were unsuccessful at the box office, and encountered several negative reviews and criticisms for becoming typecast. Trying to reinvent her image, she took on more serious characters, and was soon recognized for her versatility as an actress.
Her portrayal of a sex-worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and won her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. She was noted for her performances in critically acclaimed films like Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006), and earned two Critics Award for Best Actress at the Filmfare. Despite not having that many hits to her credit, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading actresses of Bollywood

Early life and family

Hailing from the renowned Kapoor film family of Punjabi origin, Kapoor was born on September 21, 1980 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, as the second child of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). According to Kapoor, her first name was derived from the book, Anna Karenina. She is the granddaughter of legendary actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and the great granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor. Bebo, as she is fondly called, is also the sister of popular actress, Karisma Kapoor and the niece of well-known actor, Rishi Kapoor. Other living relatives include maternal aunt Sadhana, and cousins Ranbir Kapoor and Nikhil Nanda.
Due to family tradition, her father wanted her to get married early and settle down, thus avoiding acting, which was considered a taboo for Kapoor women. This led to irreconcilable differences between her parents, and resulted in her mother leaving the house along with Kapoor and her sister. She was raised by her mother, who, with difficulty, worked several jobs to support the family, until her sister got into films in 1991.
Kapoor did her schooling at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, and later Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. After studying commerce at Mithibai College, Vile Parle for two years, she took a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard. She developed an interest in law, thus enrolled at the Government's Law College in Churchgate. After completing one year there, she returned to her initial plan to become an actor, and began training under Kishor Namit Kapoor, the founder of Kapoor Acting Lab.

Early work, until 2000

Kapoor was initially approached to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) opposite Hrithik Roshan. However, after several days into the filming, she abandoned the project. She later explained, "It was probably destined that I was not to be in the film. After all, it was a launch for his son (Hrithik Roshan). The whole focus was on the boy. Now I am glad I did not do the movie."
Her career commenced with J.P. Dutta's moderately successful Refugee (2000) opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Set during the India-Pakistan conflicts, the film centers on a young man, Refugee, played by Bachchan, who carries out the illegal activity of taking civilians to Pakistan and forth. Kapoor played the role of Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with him while migrating to Pakistan; her performance won her critical acclaim. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Kareena Kapoor has a magnetic personality, which will make the viewer fall in love with her instantly. On a scale of 10, Kareena's performance deserves 9 marks, dialogue delivery 8 and overall personality 10. What surprises you is the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes, that too against experienced performers. There's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." Earning Kapoor her first Filmfare Award in the Best Female Debut category, the film eventually went on to became the fifth highest grossing film of the year.

Breakthrough, 2001-2003

Starting off her year successfully in 2001, Kapoor's first film, Satish Kaushik's Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai opposite Tusshar Kapoor, surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. Though her subsequent films did indifferent business at the box office, her performance of a princess in Santosh Sivan's period-epic Asoka was well received, earning the actress her first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare.Kapoor's last release of the year was Karan Johar's drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Consisting of a multi-starrer cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, the film became the second highest grossing film of the year and the year's biggest hit overseas. Her performance as a cosmetic beauty was applauded and earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Filmfare ceremony. Taran Adarsh noted, "Kareena Kapoor is one of the main highlights of the film. She provides the much-needed fun and entertainment in the second half; her performance will be loved by the youth. Playing a cosmetic beauty to the hilt, she is simply adorable." These successes helped to consolidate her status in the industry.During 2002-2003, Kapoor went through a negative period in her career. Featuring in six films, all of which proved unsuccessful, she appeared in two high profile films: Kunal Kohli's directorial debut Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002), which was produced by Yash Raj Films, and Sooraj R. Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003), which was produced by Rajshri Productions. Though both films generated great business overseas, they were critical and commercial failures in India. While her performance in the former was described as "inconsistent", her performance in the latter was criticized, "Kapoor was annoying in her role as Sanjana - a role we have seen her act many times before in movies such as [Karan] Johar's K3G (2001), [Subhash] Ghai's Yaadein (2001) and more recently [S J] Suryah's Khushi (2003)." These films marked the time when critics expressed their displeasure of her repetitious kind of roles, and criticized that she was indeed in danger of becoming typecast, which was fundamental in her attempting a diversity of more adventurous roles in the years following.

Turning point, 2004-present

In 2004, Kapoor began working with independent directors and doing more serious roles that brought her critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Her role of a prostitute in Sudhir Mishra's Chameli (2004) made critics take notice of her once again, earning her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. Ashwini Deshmukh from Indiatimes wrote, "...Kareena goes way beyond anyone's expectations, including most decidedly her own, to deliver an all-time great performance, on a par with Nargis in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) and Shabana Azmi in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth
(1982). Kareena flashes an intuitive brilliance that comes to movies very, very rarely indeed."
Following Chameli, Kapoor starred in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed Dev, which dealt with the historical events of the 2001 Gujarat riots. Modeled after Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case, Kapoor played Aaliya, a middle-class Muslim girl, a victim of these riots. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance as well as several nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh noted, "Kareena Kapoor is first-rate. Sporting a deglamorized look, the actress takes a giant leap with this film. Her scene with Amitabh Bachchan [when the latter asks for witnesses to come forward] is an example of superb acting." In that same year, Kapoor played her first negative role in the thriller Fida. Although the film failed to do well, she received positive reviews for her performance, with one critic writing, "Kareena has finally moved beyond Poo in K3G and has come into her own. She has portrayed the parts where she is racked by guilt very well." Her next releases that year included the thriller Aitraaz, which was moderately successful, and the comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.This was followed in 2005 by Dharmesh Darshan's drama, Bewafaa, alongside Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Sushmita Sen. Kapoor played the female lead of Anjali, a girl who marries her sister's husband after her death. Unsatisfied with her married life, she sets on a relationship with her previous lover. The film received mixed reviews by critics and so did Kapoor's performance. IndiaFM noted that "...This is Kareena's film all the way and the talented actress knows how to absorb a meaty role like this. She looks stunning, emotes with complete maturity and delivers a knockout performance" whilst another commented, "...Kareena...speaks in undertones and looks half-dead. She then appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki opposite Salman Khan. The drama depicts the story of a man, who, unable to overcome the shock of accidentally killing his fiancé, is hospitalized, where he meets Kapoor's character, Dr. Tanvi Khurana. Though the film failed to make a profit at the box-office, Kapoor's performance was well received. BBC wrote, "It goes without saying that she [Kareena] is a pure natural when it comes to acting."36 China Town was Kapoor's first release in 2006 followed by Chup Chup Ke. Both films managed to do moderately well at the box office. She next portrayed the role of Desdemona in the Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello, Omkara. The film, directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, co-starred Kapoor alongside Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Konkona Sen Sharma. Her performance was praised, earning Kapoor her fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award under the Best Actress category. Rediff.com concluded, "Her [Kareena's] character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers." Later that year, she appeared in an item number in Farhan Akhtar's Don - The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 film Don. Although Kapoor's performance was generally well received, comparisons with the original version tended critics to conclude that she did not perform as well as the original performer, Helen did.
Kapoor's only release in 2007 was Imtiaz Ali's romantic comedy hit Jab We Met opposite Shahid Kapoor. The film tells the story of two people with contrasting personalities meeting each other on a train and how they fall in love eventually. Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a bubbly talkative Sikhni girl who lives life to the fullest. The film was well received by critics and Kapoor's performance was praised in particular. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work. I can't think of a greater compliment to pay her than to say with full confidence that no actress could play Geet better than Kareena has."
As of November 2007, Kapoor is working on Vijay Krishna Acharya's forthcoming film Tashan, which is expected to release on April 25, 2008. Other confirmed future projects include the sequel to the 2006 comedy Golmaal, Golmaal Returns; the animated Roadside Romeo; and the upcoming romantic drama Kambakth Ishq, opposite Akshay Kumar.

Aamir Khan

2008-02-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

Aamir Khan(born March 14, 1965 as Aamir Hussain Khan) in Mumbai, India, is a highly acclaimed and a prominent National Film Award-winning Indian film actor, producer, director and writer.
Appearing as a child actor in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan's career started eleven years later with the film, Holi (1984). He received his first commercial success with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance in the film. After eight previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, he received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Raja Hindustani (1996), his biggest commercial success so far. He won acclaim for his role in the Academy Award nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), and received his second Best Actor award at the Filmfare ceremony as well as numerous other awards. Taking a four year break from acting, Khan made his comeback with Ketan Mehta's The Rising (2005).
Being a part of several commercially successful movies and delivering highly acclaimed performances, he has established himself as one of the top and most successful leading actors of Hindi cinema.

Family background
Aamir Khan was born in Mumbai into a Muslim family that has been actively involved in the Indian film-industry. His roots are connected to the city of Herat in Afghanistan due to him being a descendant of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. His father Tahir Hussain is a producer; his uncle Nasir Hussain was a director. He has acted in a few films directed by his cousin Mansoor Khan. His brother Faisal Khan is an actor, and they have co-starred in the 2000 film Mela. His cousin Tariq was an actor in the 1970s who notably appeared in Yaadon Ki Baraat and Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin.

Career
Aamir began his career as a child actor in films like Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). After eleven years, he made his adult acting debut playing a supporting role in Ketan Mehta's Holi (1984).
In 1988 he got his first leading role in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was a huge success and launched his career. After that, he went on to appear in many other films in the early 1990s, which did poorly at the box office. However he had success with Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Rangeela (1995), which entered in the top five highest grossing films. Aamir also co-wrote the screenplay for Mahesh Bhatt's Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993), in which he also acted.
Khan's first and only release in 1996 was Dharmesh Darshan's blockbuster Raja Hindustani opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award after eight previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s and went on to become one of the highest grossing films of its decade.
This was followed by the semi-hit Ishq (1997), which became the fourth highest grossing film of that year and the moderately successful Ghulam (1998), for which he also did playback singing. John Mathew Matthan's moderately successful Sarfarosh (1999) was Khan's first release in 1999. His role as a dedicated cop fighting border terrorism won him critical acclaim. His negative role in Deepa Mehta's offbeat film Earth (1999) also won him acclaim. His first release for the new millennium was the box-office failure Mela where he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan.
In 2001 he produced and starred in the Academy Award nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. The film became the third highest grossing film of that year and gave him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. His second release, the successful Dil Chahta Hai (2001) also entered in the top five highest grossing films of 2001 and earned him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony.
For the next three years, Khan had no releases, as he put in a lot of time preparing for the role of the real-life martyr Mangal Pandey in his comeback film, The Rising (2005) Although the film was not as successful as Lagaan, it managed to do moderately well, becoming the third highest grossing film of that year.
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's critically acclaimed Rang De Basanti was Aamir's first release in 2006. His role was well acclaimed, earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor including the Filmfare Awards. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year and was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee, it won a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. His performance in his next release, Fanaa (2006) was also acclaimed and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of 2006.
His latest film, Taare Zameen Par, which marked his directorial debut, opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences alike.
Khan had received an offer from Madame Tussauds to have a wax statue of himself installed but he declined. In an interview he said, "It's not important to me. I have been approached but I am not interested. People will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much. So things that do not interest me, I just let them pass. Each one has their own priorities on what interests them."

Madhuri Dixit

2008-02-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

Madhuri Dixit (born as Madhuri Shankar Dixit on May 15, 1967) is an award winning Indian Bollywood actress and one of the biggest stars of the Indian film industry. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she dominated Hindi cinema as a leading actress, appearing in many hit films. She is considered to be an icon of the Bollywood film industry.
Film career
MaduriDixit made her acting debut in Abodh (1986). After a few minor and supporting roles the film which shot her to fame was the hit film Tezaab (1988). She then went on to star in the hit films such as Ram Lakhan (1989), Parinda (1989), Tridev (1989), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990), Dil (1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), the Bollywood blockbuster Hum Aapke Hain Kaun! (1994) and Raja (1995).
After a year of little success, she appeared as Pooja in the blockbuster Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), for which she won her fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. In that same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's critically acclaimed Mrityudand. The film straddled the boundary between an art and a commercial film. It won the Best Feature Film at the Cinéma Tout Ecran in Geneva, the Bangkok Film Festival and the Sansui Awards (Critics' Choice). Her performance in the film also landed her Best Actress awards at the Star Screen Awards and Sansui Awards.
Her dance sequences accompanying many famous Bollywood songs such as Ek Do Teen (from Tezaab), Bada Dukh Diya (from Ram Lakhan), Dhak Dhak (from Beta), Chane Ke Kheth Mein (from Anjaam), Choli Ke Peechche (from Khalnayak), Akhiyan Milau (from Raja), Piya Ghar Aya (from Yaarana), Key Sera (from Pukar), Mar dala (from Devdas), and many others have received abundant critical acclaim.
In 2002, she starred in Devdas, with actor Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Her performance was applauded and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. The film attracted worldwide attention and was featured at the Cannes Film Festival.
The following year a film named after her, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!, was released in which a woman (played by Antara Mali) aspires to become the new Madhuri Dixit by trying her luck in the Bollywood industry.
On February 25, 2006 she performed on stage for the first time in six years at the Filmfare Awards to music from her last movie Devdas. Her performance was choreographed by Saroj Khan.
Madhuri Dixit has been the muse for the famous Indian painter M.F. Hussain who considers her the epitome of the Indian woman. She also appeared in his film, Gaja Gamini (2000). The film was intended as a tribute to Dixit.
On December 7, 2006, Dixit returned to Mumbai along with her husband and sons to start filming for Aaja Nachle (2007). The film released in November 2007 and despite the critics panning it, Dixit's performance was well received, with the New York Times commenting about her that "she's still got it"
On Women's International Day in 2007, Dixit topped the list of the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever.
Personal life
Madhuri Dixit is a native of Mumbai, India. She was born Madhuri Shankar Dixit to Shankar and Snehlata Dixit, of a Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin family. Dixit attended Parle College and wanted to be a micro-biologist. She is trained as a Kathak dancer, in the Indian classical tradition.
She married an Indian-American, Dr. Sriram Madhav Nene, in 1999. A UCLA-trained cardiovascular surgeon who practices in Denver, Nene is also from a Marathi Konkanastha Brahmin family. She has two sons, Arin (born in March 2003 in Colorado) and Ryan (born on March 8, 2005 in Colorado).
She has two elder sisters, Rupa and Bharati, and an elder brother, Ajit. Madhuri now lives with Dr. Nene and her two children in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Salman Khan

2008-02-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

Salman Khan born Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on December 27, 1965 is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood movies.
Khan, who made his acting debut with the film Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. He went on to star in some of Bollywood's biggest hits, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Biwi No.1 (1999) having appeared in the highest earning films of five separate years during his career.
In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), No Entry (2005) and Partner (2007). Khan has thus established himself as one of the most prominent leading actors of Hindi cinema.
Career
Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India's highest grossing films. It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award.
1990 saw only one film release of Khan, Baaghi, co-starring along with south actress Nagma. The film was a box office success,and it was followed by another successful year in 1991, when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan.Despite this tremendous beginning at the box office, all of his next 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures.
However, Khan significantly restored his success in 1994, with his second venture beside director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Koun, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. The film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out a one of Bollywood's highest grossing films ever, placed as the fourth highest earner of all time.Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan in 1994, none of which succeeded to make a box-office impact, as did the previous. He did however win praise for his performace in Andaz Apna Apna which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he reinvented his success with Rakesh Roshan's blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan. The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan.
1996 was followed by two successes. The first one was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, co-starring alongside Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. Though a box office failure, the film was critically acclaimed. He next starred alongside Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor in Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet.
He had only two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan co-starring Karisma Kapoor, where he played a double role of twins who were separated at birth. The film was a box office hit. The latter, co-starring Shilpa Shetty failed to do well, but developed a cult following after its video release.
Khan worked in five different films in 1998, the first being the comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai.Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He lastly starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring alongside Sharukh Khan and Kajol, he only had an extended special appearance, playing the role of Aman. However, it eventually turned out beneficial to him, as his performance earned him his second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.
1999 was his most successful year when he starred in three hit films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United which reunited him once again with Sooraj Barjatya, Biwi No.1, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In 2000 and 2001 he starred in two moderately successful films: Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) both of which co-starred Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam which was semi-hit at the box office. His following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam which was a hit and he continued to star in hits such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005).. 2006 was an unsuccessful year for him when Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul both failed to do well at the box office.
Khan started his year in 2007 with the multi-starrer Salaam E Ishq which failed to do well at the box office. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict.He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.
His last release of 2007 was Saawariya where he made an extended special appearance.
Personal life
Khan is the eldest son of celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan. His stepmother is Helen, a famous yesteryear Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.
Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder. He trains everyday and is famous for taking off his shirt in movies and stage shows alike. In 2004, he was voted 7th best-looking man in the World and the best looking man in India by People magazine, Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.
Despite being romantically linked with several actresses, and having relationships with ex-girlfriends Aishwarya Rai, Somy Ali and Sangeeta Bijlani, Khan is frequently featured by Indian media as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. He has been dating model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif since 2003. On October 11, 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was finally installed there on January 15, 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

Karisma Kapoor

2008-02-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

She was born on June 25, 1974 to Randhir Kapoor, an actor popular during the 1970s and 80s, and actress Babita. Her sister is actress Kareena Kapoor. She studied at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai until grade six. Her grandfather is actor Raj Kapoor.
Karisma does not like to talk about her personal life but she has been romantically involved with Ajay Devgan and Abhishek Bachchan. She announced her engagement to Bachchan in October of 2002 on the 60th birthday of Abhishek's father, Amitabh Bachchan. Four months later in February 2003, they split up.
On 29 September 2003, she married industrialist Sanjay Kapur, CEO of Sixt India. In typical Kapoor tradition, Karisma was married at her grandfather, the late Raj Kapoor's home, R K Cottage. The couple opted for an hour-long Sikh ceremony.The couple has one daughter named Samaira, who was born on 11 March 2005. After the birth of her daughter, there was considerable rift between her and her husband. The couple has subsequently patched-up.
Making her film debut in 1991, Kapoor went on to become one of the most popular actresses of her generation. During her career years, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was one of the biggest hits of its decade, and won Kapoor her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. She surprised critics and audiences with her performances in art films such as Fiza (2000) and Zubeidaa (2001), for which she earned a Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) awards at the Filmfare ceremony. Since then, she has worked in several films though most of them performed poorly at the box office. In 2003, Kapoor took a break from cinema and is likely to make her comeback very soon.

Amrish Puri

2008-02-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

Amrish Lal Puri ( June 22, 1932 – January 12, 2005) was an Indian actor who appeared primarily in Hindi movies.He is best remembered to Bollywood audiences for his role as Mogambo in Mr India (1987). He is also especially remembered for his role as Mola Ram in the Hollywood film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).Amrish Puri was born in Distt. Nawanshehar near by Jalandhar in the Punjab region of India. His parents were (father) Lala Nihal Chand and (mother) Ved Kaur. He had four siblings, elder brothers Chaman Puri and Madan Puri (both of whom also became actors), elder sister Chandrakanta, and a younger brother, Harish Puri. He graduated from B.M. College in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Amrish came to Bombay with not even hundred rupees in his pocket and made it so big with his sheer hard work, perseverance, and disciplined lifestyle.When Amrish reached Bombay his brother Madan Puri was already an established actor, known for playing villain roles. Amrish failed his first screen test and had to find a job with the Ministry of Labour.Meanwhile he started performing at the Prithvi Theatre, in plays written by Satyadev Dubey, eventually became well-known as stage actor and won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1979.This theatre recognition soon led to work in television ads and eventually to films at the age of 40.Amrish Puri went on to work in Hindi, Hollywood, Punjabi, Telugu and Tamil films. Though he was successful in all of these industries, he is best known for his work in Bollywood cinema. He has appeared in over four hundred movies. His dominating screen presence & booming voice made him stand out amongst a sea of actors.He played character roles and was well-known as a villain. He had a striking bass voice, the ability to extend his eyes widely out of their eyelids during climatic scenes and an outsize acting style that made him a convincing villain in even the most melodramatic movies.He died in Mumbai in 2005, after a brain hemorrhage at the age of 72.His autobiography titled, 'The Act of Life' was published in 2006, and is seen as the document of the cinema of his times.

Sushmita Sen

2008-02-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Sushmita Sen was born on November 19, 1975 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. She is a well-known Bollywood actress and was Miss Universe in 1994.Sushmita's father is a retired Indian Air Force officer; her mother Subhra Sen worked as a fashion artist and jewelery designer. She has one brother, Rajeev Sen, and a sister, Neelam Sen. Her sister married IT consultant Nauman Malik.
She was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh but grew up in Delhi. She attended school at Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute in Delhi. In Delhi, she studied English and planned a career in journalism.
In 2000, she adopted a girl, Renee, as a single mother.Sushmita became an actress. Her first movie, Dastak in 1996, where she played the victim of a stalker, didn't do well at the box office. Her subsequent movie Ratchagan in Tamil, was a huge hit. However, it was two years later that her appearance as Rupali in David Dhawan's movie Biwi No.1 won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award in 1999. The same year, she was also nominated for her role in Sirf Tum in the same category, making her an obvious choice for winner.
So far, her biggest hit has been the 2004 movie Main Hoon Na, in which she starred as Shahrukh Khan's love interest. Later on, she played a lawyer in Main Aisa Hi Hoon opposite Ajay Devgan. In 2005, she also starred in a remake of Cactus Flower, called Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya: Sen played the lead opposite Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Her most recent movies include Karma, Confessions and Holi (2006) opposite Naomi Campbell, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007) and the recently announced Dulha Mil Gaya (2007) opposite Shahrukh Khan.

Rekha

2008-02-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Rekha born October 10, 1954, is a National Film Award-winning Bollywood actress. She has frequently been described as The Diva of Bollywood, and throughout the 1970s till date, has been featured as a sex symbol in the Indian media
Noted for her versatility as an actress, Rekha was particularly recognised for her willingness to play female-oriented characters, as that of the school-girl in Khubsoorat and the decisive avenger in Khoon Bhari Maang, each of which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Her highly praised portrayal of a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan, won her the National Film Award for Best Actress, and was followed by numerous critically acclaimed performances.
Rekha has acted in over 180 films in her around 40 years of career. Taking part in both Indian mainstream cinema and art cinema, known in India as parallel cinema, she has achieved commercial success, as well as critical praise for her performances throughout the years.
.

Dilip Kumar

2008-02-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

.

Yusuf Khan ; (born December 11, 1922), also commonly known as Dilip Kumar is a legendary Indian Bollywood film actor and a former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).

He is considered to be one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. Starting his career in 1944, Kumar has starred in some of the biggest commercially successful films from the late 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. His performances have been regarded as the epitome of emoting in Indian Cinema. He was the first actor to receive a Filmfare Best Actor Award amd holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awards won for that category. Though he has done all kinds of films - he balanced a wide variety of roles such as the intense Andaz (1949) with the swashbuckling Aan (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955) with the comical Azaad (1955) and the historical romance Mughal E Azam (1960) with the social Ganga Jamuna (1961). In the 1970s roles dried up for Kumar and after 1976 he left films for a five year break. In 1981 he returned with a character role in the blockbuster film Kranti and continued his career playing central character roles in hits such as Shakti (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991).

Raj Kapoor

2008-01-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Raj Kapoor
Rāj Kapūr, December 14, 1924 - June 2, 1988) was a legendary Indian actor, producer and director of Bollywood movies. He is part of the famous Kapoor family and is the son of Prithviraj Kapoor, and Rama Kapoor, grandson of Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor.
Raj Kapoor began his career as a clapper boy assisting Kidar Sharma. At age eleven, he appeared in films for the first time, in the 1935 film Inquilab. Raj Kapoor's big break, however, came when he played the hero's role in Neel Kamal (1947) by Kidar Sharma. In 1948, at the age of twenty-four, he established his own studio, R. K. Films, and became the youngest film director of his time. His first movie as a producer, director and star was the 1948 film Aag which was also the first of his many films with actress Nargis. However the film failed to do well at the box office. In 1949 he once again starred with Nargis alongside Dilip Kumar in Mehboob Khan's classic blockbuster Andaz which was his first major success as an actor.

He went onto produce, direct and star in many box office hits such as Barsaat (1949), Awaara (1951), Shree 420 (1955), Chori Chori (1956) and Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai (1960). These films established his image as an underdog character modeled on Charlie Chaplin's most famous character The Tramp. In 1964 he produced, directed and starred in Sangam which was his first film in colour. Raj then moved onto his ambitious 1970 film, Mera Naam Joker (My name is Joker), which took more than six years to complete. The film was said to be loosely based on his own life. When released it was a box office failure putting him into a financial crisis. Despite this setback, the film was much later acknowledged as a misunderstood classic and Raj himself regarded this film as his favourite.

He later bounced back when he produced and co-starred with his eldest son Randhir Kapoor in Randhir's acting and directorial debut Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971) which also starred Raj's father Prithviraj Kapoor as well as Randhir's wife to be Babita.

Raj then launched his second eldest son Rishi Kapoor's career when he produced and directed Bobby (1973) which was not only a huge box office success but also introduced actress Dimple Kapadia, later a very popular actress, and was the first of a new generation of teen romances. Dimple wore bikinis in the film which was quite unique for Indian films then. In the latter half of the 1970s and early 1980s Raj acted in fewer films and focused more on producing and directing films which focused on the female protagonists in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) with Zeenat Aman, Prem Rog (1982) with Padmini Kolhapure and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985) which introduced Mandakini.

Raj Kapoor's last major film appearance was in Vakil Babu (1982). His last ever acting role was a cameo appearance in a 1984 released British made-for-television film titled Kim.

Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to asthma in 1988 at sixty-three years of age. At the time of his death he was working on the movie Henna (an Indo-Pakistani love story). The film was later completed by his son Randhir Kapoor and released in 1991 going onto become a huge success.
.

Sanjay Dutt

2008-01-29T23:44:00.000-08:00

Sanjay Dutt , born 29 July 1959, is an Indian Bollywood film actor. A two time Filmfare Awards winner, he is the son of Bollywood stars Sunil Dutt and Nargis. On 31 July 2007, Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to a jail term of 6 years for illegal possession of firearms acquired from terrorist acquaintances, who were responsible for the 1993 Bombay bomb blasts. On August 20, 2007, the Supreme Court of India granted him interim bail. He is close to fellow Bollywood actor, Salman Khan, who has also been found on the wrong side of the law a couple of times during the last decade.
Sanjay Dutt was born to one of Bollywood's most well-known star couples, Nargis Dutt and Sunil Dutt. He has two sisters, Priya Dutt and Namrata Dutt (Anju). He was educated at the Lawrence School Sanawar. At the age of 12 he made his first film appearance in his father's film Reshma Aur Shera where he had a small role as a qawwali singer.
While he was still in high school, Sanjay Dutt became a drug addict, probably as he was unable to handle the pressure of being the child of two celebrities.[2] His drug problems worsened as did his mother's health, who was already diagnosed with cancer. Nargis Dutt died a few weeks before Sanjay Dutt's first film, Rocky, was to be released. A heartbroken Dutt took to doing more drugs. His father sent him to a rehab center in Texas. After attending a rehabilitation program in the United States, a sober Dutt started working in films again.
.

Kajol Devgan

2008-01-26T00:20:00.000-08:00

Kajol Debgôn, , born August 5, 1975 in Mumbai, India, popularly known as Kajol, is an award-winning popular Bollywood actress.
Kajol made her acting debut with Bekhudi (1992) and had her first hit with her second film Baazigar (1993) along with Shahrukh Khan, with whom she later went to deliver some of the biggest Bollywood hits like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). Her performances in both the films were praised and earned her two Filmfare Best Actress Awards. After the successful Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham released in 2001, she took a sabbatical from full time acting for five years. She made a successful comeback with Kunal Kohli's Fanaa (2006), for which she received her fourth Best Actress award at the Filmfare ceremony. During her career years, she has been part of many critically and commercially successful films, and is regarded as one of India's most successful actresses.
.

Amitabh Bachchan

2008-01-14T21:30:00.000-08:00

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan born October 11, 1942) is a legendary Bollywood actor, and one of the most prominent figures in the Indian film industry.
He has been awarded major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.
Bachchan is married to Jaya and has two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. He is also the father-in-law of Aishwarya Rai.

Aishwarya Rai

2008-01-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

Aishwarya Rai

is an Indian actress. Before starting her career as an actress, she worked as a model, and gained fame after winning the Miss World contest in 1994.
Often touted as the most beautiful woman in the world,[1] Rai made her movie debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film, Iruvar (1997). She had her first critical and commercial success in the Hindi movie, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), which was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. She successfully performed again in Bhansali's Devdas (2002). Since then, she has acted in nearly forty movies in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and English, including the international movies, Bride & Prejudice (2003) and The Last Legion (2007) in English.

Aishwarya Rai was born in Mangalore as the daughter of Krishnaraj Rai, a marine biologist, and Vrinda Rai, a writer. Her family belongs to the Bunt community of Mangalore. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy and also co-produced one of Rai's movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003)
.