Sridevi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.