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