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.