Network name	NDTV
Network logo
Country	India
Network type	Broadcast, television and online
Available	India
Launch date	1988
Founder	Prannoy Roy
Key people	Radhika Roy Narayan Rao
Website	www.ndtv.com

NDTV (New Delhi Television Limited) (), founded in 1988, is a private television company in India. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India. NDTV is an acronym for the original name of the company, New Delhi Television.

NDTV is among India's top broadcasters and has twenty-three offices and studios across the country. Its three national news channels NDTV 24/7, NDTV India and NDTV Profit form the core of the company.

Latest awards

NAB 2008 International Broadcasting Excellence Award - NDTV Labs CBA-Thomson Foundation Journalist of the Year Award - Sutapa Deb CBA-IBC Award for Innovative Engineering - NDTV Labs

Notable personalities

Barkha Dutt

Nidhi Kulpati

Nidhi Razdan

Prannoy Roy

Kamal Khan

Vinod Dua

Vikram A Chandra

Vishnu Som

Controversies and Criticisms

Legal notices against bloggers

NDTV Editors (Ms. Barkha Dutt) had served legal notices to a number of bloggers, who allegedly had come down heavily on NDTV for "breaking every rule of ethical journalism in reporting the Mumbai mayhem." through one of his blog posts. Many Indian Bloggers have expressed their sharp dissatisfaction towards NDTV and Barkha Dutt for attempting to censor their right to Freedom of speech by way of such legal actions. NDTV's reports on Naxalite Violence in Dantewada have been found to be factually incorrect and naive by some observers.

Radia tapes controversy

In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radia's attempts to broker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale. The tapes appear to demonstrate how Radia attempted to use some media persons including NDTV's Barkha Dutt to influence the decision to appoint A. Raja as telecom minister.

Allegation of tax fraud

NDTV, through its foreign subsidiaries, is alleged to have violated Indian tax and corporate laws. NDTV has denied these allegations.

References

External links

Official site

NDTV Twitter

NDTV Worldwide

Category:Indian television networks Category:NDTV Group Category:Media companies of India Category:Companies based in New Delhi

Playername	Kris Srikkanth
Country	India
Fullname	Krishnamachari Srikkanth
Nickname	Cheeka
Living	yes
Dayofbirth	21
Monthofbirth	12
Yearofbirth	1959
Placeofbirth	Madras
Countryofbirth	India
Batting	Right hand bat
Bowling	Right arm medium, Off spin
Family	Anirudha Srikkanth (son)
International	true
Testdebutdate	November 27
Testdebutyear	1981
Testdebutagainst	England
Testcap	43
Lasttestdate	February 1
Lasttestyear	1992
Lasttestagainst	Australia
Odidebutdate	November 25
Odidebutyear	1981
Odidebutagainst	England
Odicap	146
Lastodidate	March 15
Lastodiyear	1992
Lastodiagainst	South Africa
Columns	2
Column1	Tests
Matches1	43
Runs1	2062
Bat avg1	29.88
100s/50s1	2/12
Top score1	123
Deliveries1	36
Wickets1	0
Bowl avg1	$ndash;
Fivefor1	$ndash;
Tenfor1	$ndash;
Best bowling1	$ndash;
Catches/stumpings1	40/0
Column2	ODIs
Matches2	146
Runs2	4091
Bat avg2	29.01
100s/50s2	4/27
Top score2	123
Deliveries2	36
Wickets2	25
Bowl avg2	25.64
Fivefor2	2
Tenfor2	$ndash;
Best bowling2	5/27
Catches/stumpings2	42/0
Date	October 7
Year	2009
Source	http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/34103.html

Krishnamachari "Kris" Srikkanth (born December 21, 1959 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) is a former captain of the Indian cricket team and the current chairman of the selection committee.

He made his One Day International debut against England in Ahmedabad in 1981, followed two days later by his Test debut against England at Mumbai. He made his debut at the age of 21 as an opener of the Indian team to partner Sunil Gavaskar. Both batsmen had entirely different approaches to their batting. Gavaskar was more of the orthodox technical batsman and Srikkanth was prolific hitter and a swashbuckling batsman. Srikkanth redefined batting with his power hitting and he gave so wonderful starts to the team against even the toughest of oppositions. He was gifted with good eye and super quick reflexes. Consistency was not his forte. With more technical batsman in the side during his times like Gavaskar, Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Ravi Shastri etc, he could fancy hitting the bowlers all over.

Srikkanth was a stylish opening batsman with a keen eye and sharp reflexes, allowing him to play aggressive attacking strokes with power and precision. Although somewhat rash in execution, which led to his downfall at times, his swashbuckling style and free scoring like were a favourite with Indian crowds, making him a popular player.

As he matured, he tempered his aggression somewhat and became a mainstay of the Indian cricket team. He was an integral member of the Indian squad when they won the 1983 Prudential World Cup and 1985 Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket. He was made the captain of the Indian team in 1989. He never hesitated to experiment like he did against England where India had a target of 260 to chase and had lost two early wickets and Srikkanth sent all-rounder Chetan Sharma to bat at number 4 and Sharma returned with a score of 103 and India won the game. He remained the captain of the team for India's tour of Pakistan in 1989 and managed to draw all the four Tests of the series, which was seen by many as an honourable result. But the selectors disappointed with his batting failures, controversially dropped him. He returned two years later and played for another year before being dropped again. By this time, he had entered the 30s and his reflexes were slowing down. He retired from international cricket in 1993 after not being picked for the South Zone team. He was the first Indian player to score a half-century and pick up 5 wickets in an ODI. He achieved this feat against New Zealand at Vishakapatnam in 1988.

After retirement he took up the mantle of coaching the India 'A' team and was a quite successful stint. He has since been a broadcaster and commentator with various sports and news channels.

On September 27, 2008, he was appointed the Chief Selector of the Indian Cricket team.

Srikkanth played 43 Tests for India, scoring 2,062 runs at an acceptable average of 29.88. His style was better suited to One Day Internationals, where he compiled a significantly better record of 146 matches for 4,091 runs at a good average of 29.01. He also bowled off spin regularly in ODIs, taking 25 wickets at a very good average of 25.64. He also lost his flamboyance after he became captain of the Indian team.

Srikkanth's son Anirudha Srikkanth is currently a starter in the Tamil Nadu cricket team. On February 18, 2008, Kris Srikkanth was named the ambassador for the Chennai Super Kings franchise of Indian Premier League.

References

External links

Official Website : Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Fantasy Cricket : Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Cricinfo Player Profile : Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Category:India One Day International cricketers Category:India Test cricketers Category:Indian cricket captains Category:Indian Test captains Category:Tamil Nadu cricketers Category:South Zone cricketers Category:World Cup cricketers of India Category:Cricketers at the 1983 Cricket World Cup Category:Cricketers at the 1987 Cricket World Cup Category:Cricketers at the 1992 Cricket World Cup Category:Tamil sportspeople Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Anna University alumni Category:Indian Premier League Category:People from Chennai Category:India national cricket team selectors

Name	Shahrukh Khan
Other names	Shah Rukh Khan, King Khan, SRK‎
Birth date	November 02, 1965
Birth place	New Delhi, India
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	Gauri Khan (1991–present)
Occupation	Actor, producer, television presenter

Shahrukh Khan (}}, ; born 2 November 1965), calling himself and often (for instance on all his DVDs) being credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian film actor and a prominent Bollywood figure, as well as a film producer and television host. Khan began his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut in Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercially successful films and has earned critical acclaim for many of his performances. Khan has won thirteen Filmfare Awards for his work in Indian films, seven of which are in the Best Actor category, thus establishing himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi Cinema. In 2005, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions towards Indian Cinema.

Khan's films such as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Chak De India (2007), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) remain some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010) have been top-grossing Indian productions in the overseas markets, making him one of the most successful actors of India. Since 2000, Khan branched out into film production and television presenting as well. He is the founder/owner of two production companies, Dreamz Unlimited and Red Chillies Entertainment. Khan is today considered to be the world's biggest movie star, and a net worth estimated at over Rs 2500 crore (US$ 540 million). In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

Biography

in New Delhi where he won the school's highest accolade, The Sword of Honour. ]] Khan was born in 1965 to Muslim parents of Pathan descent in New Delhi, India. His father, Taj Mohammed Khan, was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India. According to Khan, his paternal grandfather was originally from Afghanistan. His mother, Lateef Fatima, was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan, who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose. Khan's father came to New Delhi from Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar before the partition of India, while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, British India. Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz.

Growing up in Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood, Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama, and academics. He won the Sword of Honour, an annual award given to the student who best represents the spirit of the school. Khan later attended the Hansraj College (1985–1988) and earned his Bachelors degree in Economics (honors). Though he pursued a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, he later opted out to make his career in Bollywood.

After the death of his parents, Khan moved to Mumbai in 1991. In that same year, before any of his films were released, he married Gauri Chibber, a Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991. They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000). According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Allah, he also values his wife's religion. At home, his children follow both religions, with the Qur'an being situated next to the Hindu deities.

In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book Still Reading Khan, which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by Anupama Chopra, King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema, was released in 2007. It describes the world of Bollywood through Khan's life.

Film career

Background

Khan studied acting under celebrated Theatre Director Barry John at Delhi's Theatre Action Group (TAG). In 2007, John commented thus on his former pupil that, "The credit for the phenomenally successful development and management of Shahrukh's career goes to the superstar himself." Khan made his acting debut in 1988 when he appeared in the television series, Fauji, playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai. He went on to appear in several other television serials, most notably in the 1989 serial, Aziz Mirza's Circus, which depicted the life of circus performers. The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones, which was based on life at Delhi University and was written by Arundhati Roy.

1990s

Upon moving from New Delhi to Mumbai in 1991, Khan made his Bollywood movie debut in Deewana (1992). The movie became a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. He went on to star in Maya Memsaab, which generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex scene in the movie.

In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances in villainous roles as an obsessive lover and a murderer, respectively, in the box office hits, Darr and Baazigar. Darr marked his first collaboration with renowned film-maker Yash Chopra and his banner Yash Raj Films, the largest production company in Bollywood. Baazigar, which saw Khan portraying an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula. His performance won him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. In that same year, Khan played the role of a young musician in Kundan Shah's Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, a performance that earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Khan maintains that this is his all-time favourite among the movies he has acted in. In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in Anjaam, co-starring alongside Madhuri Dixit. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.

In 1995, Khan starred in Aditya Chopra's directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, a major critical and commercial success, for which he won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2007, the film entered its twelfth year in Mumbai theaters. By then the movie had grossed over 12 billion rupees, making it as one of India's biggest movie blockbusters. Earlier in the same year he found success in Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun which became the second biggest hit of the year.

1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his movies released that year failed to do well at the box office. This was, however, followed by a comeback in 1997. He saw success with Subhash Ghai's social drama Pardes — one of the biggest hits of the year — and Aziz Mirza's comedy Yes Boss, a moderately successful feature. His second project with Yash Chopra as a director, Dil to Pagal Hai became that year's second highest-grossing movie, and he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award for his role as a stage director who falls in love with one of his new actresses. His performance won him his fourth Best Actor award at the Filmfare. He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se. The movie did not do well at the Indian box office, though it was a commercial success overseas. Khan's only release in 1999, Baadshah, was an average grosser.

2000s

in Sun Tech City, Singapore, in 2008]] Khan's success continued with Aditya Chopra's 2000 film, Mohabbatein, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. It did well at the box office, and Khan's performance as a college teacher won him his second Critics Award for Best Performance. He also starred in Mansoor Khan's action film Josh. The film starred Khan as the leader of a Christian gang in Goa and Aishwarya Rai as his twin sister, and was also a box office success. In that same year, Khan set up his own production house, Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla (see below). Both Khan and Chawla starred in the first movie of their production house, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.

In 2002, Khan received acclaim for playing the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance, Devdas. It was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name, and surfaced as one of the biggest hits of that year. Khan also starred opposite Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the family-drama Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, which did well at the box office. That same year, he starred in the tearjerker, Kal Ho Naa Ho, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan's performance in this movie as a man with a fatal heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved to be one of the year's biggest hits in India and Bollywood's biggest hit in the overseas markets. The film relates the love story of Veer and Pakistani woman Zaara Haayat Khan, played by Preity Zinta. Khan's performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year, he received critical acclaim for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's drama Swades. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his releases in 2004, winning it for Swades. His second release that year saw him playing the title role in the action film , a remake of the 1978 hit Don. The movie was a success. The film was a major critical success. In the same year Khan also starred in Farah Khan's 2007 film, Om Shanti Om. The film emerged as the year's highest grossing film in India and the overseas market, and became India's highest grossing production ever up to that point. While on one shoot in Los Angeles, along with his wife Gauri and director Karan Johar, he took a break from filming to attend the 66th Golden Globe Awards, held in Los Angeles, California, on 11 January 2009. Khan introduced Slumdog Millionaire along with a star from the film, Freida Pinto. He is currently filming for Anubhav Sinha's science fiction Ra.One opposite Kareena Kapoor, which is due for release on June 3, 2011.

Producer

in Germany]] Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Asoka (2001) were box office failures.

In 2004, Khan set up another production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and produced and starred in Main Hoon Na, another hit. It was, however, India's official entry to the Academy Awards for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film, but it did not pass the final selection. Also in 2005, Khan co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal with Karan Johar, and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. Kaal was moderately successful at the box office.

In 2008, Red Chillies Entertainment became the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the BCCI-backed IPL cricket competition.

Television host

In 2007, Khan replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of the third series of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The previous had hosted the show for five years from 2000–05. On 22 January 2007, Kaun Banega Crorepati aired with Khan as the new host and later ended on 19 April 2007.

On 25 April 2008, Khan began hosting the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, the Indian version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, whose last episode was telecasted on 27 July 2008, with Lalu Prasad Yadav as the special guest.

Awards and nominations

Khan has been awarded several honours which includes the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India in 2005. In April 2007, a life-size wax statue of Khan was installed at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, London. Another statue was installed at the Musée Grévin in Paris, the same year. During the same year, he was accorded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award by the French government for his “exceptional career”. There are also statues in Hong Kong and New York

In October 2008, Khan was conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka which carries the honorific Datuk (in similar fashion to "Sir" in British knighthood), by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, the head of state of Malacca in Malaysia. Khan was honoured for "promoting tourism in Malacca" by filming One Two Ka Four there in 2001. Some were critical of this decision. He was also honoured with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire in 2009.

Filmography

Film actor

Producer

Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000)

Asoka (2001)

Chalte Chalte (2003)

Main Hoon Na (2004)

Kaal (2005)

Paheli (2005)

Om Shanti Om (2007)

Billu (2009)

Ra.One (2011)

Playback singer

Main to hoon Pagal - Baadshah (1999)

Apun Bola - Josh (2000)

Khaike Paan Banaraswala - Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006)

Ek Hockey Doongi Rakhke - Chak De India (2007)

Sattar Minute - Chak De India (2007)

Stunts director

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

Main Hoon Na (2004)

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

Chak De India (2007)

Om Shanti Om (2007)

Television appearances

Dil Dariya (1988)

Fauji (1988) ... Abhimanyu Rai

Doosra Keval (1989)

Circus (1989)

In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989)

Idiot (1991) ... Pawan Raghujan

Kareena Kareena (2004) ... Special appearance

Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.....Guest

Koffee with Karan (2004–2007) ... Guest (3 episodes)

Kaun Banega Crorepati (2007) ... Host

Jjhoom India (2007) ... Guest

Nach Baliye (2008) .... Guest

Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? (2008)  .... Host

Oye! It's Friday! (2009)  ... Guest

Tere Mere Beach Mein (2009)  ... Guest

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (2010)  ... Guest

See also

List of Indian Actors

Newark Airport Incident

Notes

Bibliography

Nasreen Munni Kabir. The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan (Documentary, 2005).

Shahrukh Khan - Still Reading Khan. A1Books Distributor 2007. ISBN 9788187107798.

Gahlot, Deepa; Agarwal, Amit. King Khan SRK. Augsburg Weltbild 2007. ISBN 9783828988699.

Ghosh, Biswadeep. Hall of fame: Shahrukh Khan (in English). Mumbai: Magna Books, 2004. ISBN 8178092379.

Chopra, Anupama. King of Bollywood : Shah Rukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema (English). New York: Warner Books, 2007. ISBN 9780446578585.

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian Muslims Category:Indian Premier League franchise owners Category:Indian singers Category:Indian television actors Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian people of Afghan descent Category:Jamia Millia Islamia alumni Category:Living people Category:Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Category:Pashtun people Category:People from Delhi Category:People from Peshawar Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:University of Delhi alumni

Name	Priyanka Chopra
Caption	Chopra at the Filmfare Magazine launch in Mumbai, October 2008
Occupation	Actress
Birth place	Jamshedpur, Jharkand, India
Birthdate	July 18, 1982
Nationality	Indian
Yearsactive	2002–present
Signature	PriyankaChopra Signature.jpg
Signature alt	"Love Priyanka Chopra"
Website

Priyanka Chopra (, ; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000.

Chopra made her acting debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. The following year, she made her Bollywood film debut with and followed it with the hit Andaaz, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In 2004, she became the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award, which she received for her critically acclaimed performance in Aitraaz. Chopra would later have commercial success with films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006) and Don – The Chase Begins Again. Chopra earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award and a National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a model in Fashion (2008) and has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Bollywood.

Early life and background

Chopra was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand to Ashok Chopra and Madhu Akhauri, both physicians by profession. Chopra spent her childhood in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Newton, Massachusetts; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her father was in the army and thus her family moved quite frequently. Her father hailed from a family of Punjabi origin, settled in Bareilly and her mother comes from a family, settled in Jamshedpur. She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is seven years younger than she is.

Chopra studied at La Martiniere Girls' School in Lucknow as a young girl. These frequent re-locations took place as her father was a physician in the Indian Army. She subsequently re-located to the U.S. where she studied in Newton South High School in Newton, Massachusetts and then in John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She returned to India and did her high school at Army School in Bareilly. She began college at Jai Hind College in Mumbai but left after winning the Miss World pageant.

Chopra came in second place at Femina Miss India 2000 competition winning the Femina Miss India World title and subsequently being sent to Miss World where she was crowned Miss World 2000. In the same year, Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza, both also from India, won the Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific crowns respectively, in a rare triple victory for one country.

When Chopra won the Miss World crown, she became the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the fourth Indian woman to win in a span of seven years.

On December 12, 2009, Chopra was present as a judge for the Miss World 2009 competition held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Acting career

Chopra made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan playing the role of Priya, the love interest of the protaginist in the film played by Vijay. The film was praised for its wit, although the depth of Chopra's character was seen as lacking. Chopra also sang playback in the film, singing "Ullathai Killadhe" along with Vijay.

In 2003, she appeared in her first Bollywood film, opposite Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta in the Anil Sharma film . She played a supporting role as a doctor named Shaheen in a film The New York Times described as "ripping its text from the seething border tensions between India and Pakistan, spicing its conflict with hot-tempered religious zealots bent on nuclear havoc". Despite being one of the highest grossing films of that year, the overall film was not well received by critics, Chopra was awarded mostly good reviews for her debut Hindi performance. Later that year she appeared in Raj Kanwar's Andaaz, playing the character of Jiya who falls in love with Raj Malhotra, played by Akshay Kumar. The film was a considerable box office success,

Her next few films released in 2004 like Plan, Kismat and Asambhav performed poorly at the box office. Later that year she appeared in David Dhawan's romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi playing the role of a young fashion designer Rani along with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, the film turned out to be the third highest grossing film of that year. She next starred in Aitraaz. It was her first negative role. Her performance won critical acclaim and earned a Filmfare Best Villain Award. She also received a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the role. Film critic, Subhash K Jha, noted: "A star is born! As the predatory social-climbing seductress who can go to any length to satiate her lust for life, Priyanka Chopra rocks the scene like never before. The film is undoubtedly a triumph for Priyanka Chopra. With half a smile, a twitch of her lip and a movement of her eyebrow she seems to slip into her man-eater's role with captivating ease". In the same year, she participated in a world tour titled Temptations 2004 with other Bollywood actors, including Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal.

In 2005, she starred in six films. Her four films, Blackmail, Karam, Yakeen and Barsaat failed to do well. Then in 2007 she starred in Nikhil Advani's ensemble piece, . The movie failed to do well at the box office. Chopra's next release; the much delayed, Big Brother also underperformed. 's Fashion which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress and also the Filmfare Best Actress Award.]] In 2008, Chopra featured in six films. Her first four films, Love Story 2050, God Tussi Great Ho, Chamku and Drona, failed to do well. Chopra's fifth release of the year, Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion was a critical success. The film revolved around the fashion world and Chopra's role was that of an ambitious model. Her performance in the film was appreciated and earned her several awards for Best Actress including the National Film Award for Best Actress and also the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Film critic, Subhash K Jha said of her performance, "Her transformation from the bubbly Chandigarh girl to the super-ambitious supermodel, who dumps her boyfriend and conscience to pursue her dreams, is achieved with a gentle subtlety and bridled passion. This is Priyanka’s coming-of-age film. She looks like a zillion bucks. And acts like a woman who connects with the darkest, most desperate human emotions without wallowing in them." Chopra's final release of the year was Tarun Mansukhani's romantic comedy Dostana. The film was a moderate financial success. Her performance was praised by the critics, with Rajeev Masand stating: "Priyanka Chopra, is at complete ease, slipping effortlessly into the role of the hottie-with-a-heart-of-gold; she looks smashing in this film, better than she's ever looked before."

In 2009, she appeared in Vishal Bhardwaj's Kaminey alongside Shahid Kapoor, playing the role of a feisty marathi girl named Sweety. Her performance in the film was described by critic Taran Adarsh: "Priyanka is first-rate. She's so much in sync with her character. Also, she gets the Maharashtrian accent perfect".

She subsequently appeared in Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee?, a film in which Chopra became the first actress in the world to portray 12 distinct characters on screen. She is being considered for inclusion in an upcoming edition of Guinness World Records for this feat. The film itself, however, was a financial and critical failure. But, Chopra's performance in the film was highly appreciated by the critics, film critic Taran Adarsh said: "What's Your Raashee? belongs to Priyanka Chopra. No two opinions on that. Words would fail to do justice to the remarkable portrayal of twelve different characters by this actor. This is her finest work to date."

In 2010, Chopra appeared in Jugal Hansraj's Pyaar Impossible where she portrayed the role of a college beauty who eventually falls in love with a geek. The film was a financial and critical failure. Her next release, Siddharth Anand's Anjaana Anjaani alongside Ranbir Kapoor, got a good initial response at the box office, but was not well received by the critics. She was also appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2010.

Chopra has completed working on Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf, in which she plays the role of an Anglo-Indian woman with seven husbands. She has recently completed the first schedule of Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 – The Chase Continues alongside Shahrukh Khan in Berlin. And she has also been finalized for Anurag Basu's Barfee alongside Ranbir Kapoor, in which she reportedly plays the role of a mentally challenged girl. And recently, she has also confirmed that she will be doing Agneepath remake and Krrish 2 alongside Hrithik Roshan.

Television

Chopra made her television debut as a host with Colors' reality show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 3. She replaced actor Akshay Kumar who hosted the previous two seasons. The show, which premiered on September 6, 2010, beat the opening ratings of the previous two seasons.

Filmography

See also

List of Indian film actresses

Miss India

References

External links

Priyanka Chopra on Bollywood Hungama

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Indian film actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Miss World winners Category:Miss World 2000 delegates Category:Femina Miss India winners Category:Indian female models Category:Old Martinians Category:Indian Hindus Category:Punjabi people Category:People from Bareilly Category:People from Jharkhand Category:National Film Award winners

Name	Katrina Kaif
Birth date	July 16, 1984
Birth place	Hong Kong
Nationality	British Indian
Occupation	Model, Actress
Yearsactive	2003 – present

Katrina Kaif (born 16 July 1984) is an actress and former model who appears in Indian films, mainly in the Hindi-language film industry. She has also appeared in Telugu and Malayalam films. She was voted the "Hottest Woman in the World" by Eastern Eye in the years 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Early life

Kaif was born in Hong Kong Mohammed Kaif, and an English mother, Suzanne Turquotte, both of whom are British citizens. Her parents divorced when she was very young. Kaif has seven siblings. She was raised in Hawaii and later moved to her mother's home country, England.

Career

Kaif began her modeling career at the age fourteen; her first job was for a jewelry campaign. She continued modeling in London under a contract with the Models 1 Agency and did campaigns for houses such as La Senza and Arcadius, and even walked on the London Fashion Week.

Kaif's London modeling-work led to her discovery by London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who gave her a part in his film Boom (2003). She moved to Mumbai and was offered a number of modeling assignments. However, filmmakers were initially hesitant to sign her because she could not speak Hindi.

Kaif saw moderate success with the 2005 film Sarkar, where she played the bit part of Abhishek Bachchan's girlfriend, and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), where she was paired opposite Salman Khan.

In 2007, Kaif appeared in her first major hit movie, Namastey London, wherein she starred as a British Indian girl alongside Akshay Kumar for the second time after the box office letdown Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006). Her run of hit films continued with Apne, Partner, and Welcome.

In 2008, she played the villain role for the first time in Abbas-Mustan's hit action thriller Race. She played the role of Saif Ali Khan's secretary who is secretly in love with his hostile stepbrother (played by Akshay Khanna). Kaif's second release of the year was Anees Bazmee's production Singh Is Kinng, opposite Akshay Kumar. The film was a big success at the box office. Kaif's final release of the year, Subhash Ghai's Yuvvraaj, was a commercial failure, but its script has made its way into the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for artistic merits, original screenplay with a substance, and the film as a whole.

Kaif's first release for 2009, New York, with John Abraham, was a critical and commercial success. Kaif's performance was highly regarded. Wrote critic Taran Adarsh, "Katrina gives you the biggest surprise. Known for her glamour roles, Katrina proves that she can deliver if the director and writer offer her a role of substance. She's outstanding. In fact, people will see a new, different Katrina this time."

She next played a bit role as a biker chick in the multi-starrer action film Blue, popularly known as India's first underwater thriller, which performed decently at the box office. The film was not successful.

At the year's end, she appeared in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, with Ranbir Kapoor, and De Dana Dan with Akshay Kumar. Both films were commercial successes.

Kaif's first film of 2010 was Raajneeti, where she appeared opposite Ranbir Kapoor. The film did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status. She is also starred in Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan with Akshay Kumar. The film was released on 24 December 2010. Although the film was not successful, Kaif's item song Sheila Ki Jawani was a hit.

Voice

It should be noted that due to her poor knowledge of Hindi (and other Indian languages), Katrina Kaif's voice has often been dubbed over by another actress for many of her early films. With the exception of De Dana Dan, all her films since New York feature her real voice. Earlier films in which her real voice is also heard are Singh Is Kinng, Namastey London and Boom. However in the films that feature her real voice mostly English is spoken and not much Hindi is spoken

Awards

Winner

2006: Stardust Breakthrough Performance Award (Female), Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya

2006: Idea Zee F Awards, Fashion Diva of the Year

2008: Zee Cine Awards, British Indian Actor Award

2008: IIFA Awards, Style Diva of the Year

2008: Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards, Sabsey Favourite Heroine, Singh Is Kinng

2008: Apsara Film Producers Guild of India Awards, Style Diva of the Year

2009: Rajiv Gandhi Award

2009: Golden Kela Awards, Dara Singh Award for the Worst Accent

2009: Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards, Sabsey Favourite Heroine 2009: ASSOCHAM Award, Performing Excellence 2010: Star Screen Awards, Entertainer of the year 2010: Stardust Awards, Best Actress - Popular Award for New York & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani

2011: Star Screen Award for Best Actress (Popular Choice)

2011: Apsara Awards: Hindustan Times Reader's Choice Entertainer Of The Year Award (Female)

Nominated

2005: Zee Cine Award for Most Promising Debut, Sarkar

2008: IIFA Award for Best Actress, Race

2009: Apsara Award for Best Actress In Supporting Role, Race

2009: IIFA Award for Best Actress, Singh Is Kinng

2009: Stardust Award for Star Of The Year, Singh Is Kinng

2009: Stardust Award for Best Actress In A Negative Role, Race

2010: Screen Award for Best Actor In Popular Category, New York

2010: Stardust Star of the Year Award – Female for New York & Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani 2010: Filmfare Best Actress Award for New York

2010: Big Star Entertainment Award for BIG Star Most Entertaining Film Actor (Female) Rajneeti

2010: Big Star Entertainment Award for New Talent of the Decade (Female)

Filmography

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Anglo-Indian people Category:British people of Indian descent Category:Hindi film actors Category:Living people Category:Hong Kong people Category:People from Hawaii Category:British actors

Name	Jayalalithaa Jayaram
Caption	Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Birth date	February 24, 1948
Birth place	Melukote, Karnataka, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Marital status	single
Website	http://www.jayalalithaa.org/

Jayalalithaa Jayaram () (born 24 February 1948), commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the former Chief Minister and current leader of the opposition of the Government of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), a Dravidian party in the state. She is called Amma (English: Mother) by her supporters and Puratchi Thalaivi (English: Revolutionary Leader) by her followers. She was a popular film star in Tamil and Telugu cinema before entering politics.

Early life

She was born Komalavalli in Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, in a Tamil Iyengar family, native of Srirangam, Trichy. She was initially educated at the Bishop Cotton Girls' High School in Bangalore but later moved to Madras State (now Tamil Nadu) along with her mother Sandhya, who ventured as an actress into Tamil cinema. and her position as MGR's concubine helped her become his political heir. On M.G.R's death, she was alienated by a faction of the party who, instead, chose to support M.G.R's wife, Janaki Ramachandran. Drawing on her massive popularity and her image as the "wronged woman", in 1989, she won the elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, incidentally, becoming the first woman to be elected Leader of the Opposition. In 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, just days before the elections, her alliance with the Indian National Congress paid off as a sympathy wave propelled the coalition to a massive victory. She was re-elected to the legislative assembly and became the first elected woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu, serving the full tenure (24 June 1991 - 12 May 1996) (Janaki Ramachandran technically became the first woman chief minister following her husband's death, but she was unelected and presided over a transitional 'caretaker' government). Due to an anti-incumbency wave, and several allegations of corruption and malfeasance against her and her ministers, she lost power to the D.M.K in 1996, in a landslide defeat. All the ministers in her erstwhile cabinet, including her, were defeated in the elections and six of them even lost their deposits, meaning that they did not even secure the minimum number of votes expected of them. She returned to power with a huge majority in the 2001 elections, having mustered a bigger coalition and defying many pre-poll predictions. In the last assembly elections held in 2006, her party had to relinquish power to the DMK government.

Controversies and Lawsuits

During her years out of power, she has had to face a number of criminal lawsuits stemming from her first term rule mostly dealing with embezzlement and monetary fraud. In 2001, a specially designated court convicted her of criminal breach of trust and of illegally acquiring governmental property belonging to TANSI, a state-run agency, and sentenced her to five years' imprisonment. She appealed against the sentence to the Supreme Court of India. While the appeal was under judicial consideration, the conviction disqualified her from contesting the 2001 elections. However, having led her party to victory, she controversially became the Chief Minister as a non-elected member of the assembly in tamil nadu.

On 21 September 2001, a five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court of India ruled that "a person who is convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a period of not less than two years cannot be appointed the Chief Minister of a State under Article 164 (1) read with (4) and cannot continue to function as such". Thereby, the bench decided that "in the appointment of Ms. Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister there has been a clear infringement of a Constitutional provision and that a writ of quo warranto must issue".

In effect, her appointment as Chief Minister was declared null and invalid. Therefore, technically, she was not the Chief Minister in the period between 14 May 2001 and 21 September 2001. O. Panneerselvam, a minister in her party, was subsequently installed as the Chief Minister. However, his government was widely believed to have been puppeted and micro-managed by Jayalalithaa. In 2003, the Supreme Court acquitted her in the specific case, for lack of conclusive evidence to convict her. This cleared the way for her to contest a mid-term poll to the Andipatti constituency, after the elected representative for the seat, gave up his membership. Winning the election by a handsome margin, Jayalalithaa took over the Chief Ministership again. She is still a party in a few criminal litigations, from her first term rule, in the courts in the neighbouring Karnataka state.

After the 2006 assembly elections, O. Panneerselvam was elected the AIADMK legislature party leader and hence the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly after she decided not to attend the assembly except if "absolutely necessary". However, she, by virtue of her strong control over her party, was considered to be the de-facto leader of the opposition in the state. Later that month when all the attending AIADMK MLAs were suspended, she started attending the assembly. She was elected the legislature party leader and now (as of 2006) leads the opposition in the assembly.

Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year !! Elected/Reelected !! Place |- | 1989 || Elected || Bodinayakkanur |- | 1991 || Elected || Bargur |- | 2002 || Elected || Andipatti |- | 2006 || Reelected || Andipatti |}

Chief Minister

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! From Year !! To Year !! Election |- | 1991 || 1996|| 1991 Tamil Nadu state assembly election |- | 2002 || 2006|| 2001 Tamil Nadu state assembly election |}

Major legislative achievements

Government Officers Strike declared illegal.

Banning of High interest private loans.

Completion of New Veeranam Water Supply Scheme for Chennai.

Banning lottery tickets to encourage savings.

Elimination of the bandit Veerappan.

Introduction of Video conferencing in Jails and Courts, thus eliminating the need to physically bring the accused to court to extend the parole or remand every time.

Rain water Harvesting Scheme, relief to water shortage.

Free cycles to all graduating school students.

Thottil Kuzhandai Thittam initiated by her won widespread accolades.

Criticisms

Allegations of oppressive style of governance

Her detractors consider her style of governance oppressive. The following incidents are a few which are popularly held against her, to justify such claims;

In 2003, teachers of government-run educational institutions and employees of the state government declared an indefinite strike, demanding the repeal of an act that reduced their pension benefits. Jayalalithaa's government adopted a defiant stance [maintaining that the reduction was necessary to strengthen the fiscal position of the government]. A hurriedly enacted legislation enabled her to declare the strike illegal as it prevented the "maintenance of essential services" and terminate the services of the striking employees, numbering around 170,000. There were widespread allegations of hyperaction and witch-hunt, with the police being pressed into action to target striking individuals, sometimes to the extent of storming their residences and arresting them on flimsy grounds. The High Court and the Supreme Court of India, responding to appeals, ruled the government action legitimate but ordered the constitution of a three member Committee of High Court Judges to consider the appeals of the employees on an individual basis. The committee, deliberating over a period of six months, ordered the reinstatement of all but a little less than 4,000 employees, and recommended minor punishment to around 6,000 employees. Later, after her party suffered, Jayalalithaa reversed the decisions and reinstated all the dismissed employees and withdrew the penalties imposed, despite the Committee of Judges’ findings. This is widely believed to be in response to her defeat in the national elections in May 2004.

Allegations have been raised over the veracity of claims in various criminal proceedings filed during her Chief Ministership against her detractors, including her estranged foster son V. N. Sudhakaran, accusing them of possessing narcotics.

In 1992, Chandralekha, an Indian Administrative Service officer and the chairperson of the state owned Industrial Development Corporation, was brutally assaulted on the streets of Chennai, and acid thrown at her face. It has been alleged that this was due to her refusal to toe Jayalalithaa's line in the affair of disinvestment in SPIC, a joint sector company. An arrested suspect in this case, Surla, alleged that he did it under instructions from Jayalalithaa and her close aide Sasikala Natarajan.

On 30 May 1995, R. Shanmugha Sundaram, an advocate belonging to DMK, was grievously injured in an attack.ref>http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/aug05/n7.asp Allegations were leveled against Jayalalithaa.

She has constantly been at the heart of controversy over the numerous defamation suits filed against the opposition leaders and members of the press, using privileges available to her in the official capacity using government funds. She has been accused of being highly intolerant to negative criticism.

Her actions against the Acharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt, His Holiness Shri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal, during her Chief-ministership, has been hailed in some quarters and condemned in others.

Actions initiated against the then opposition leader and the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, and union ministers Murasoli Maran and T.R.Baalu, all belonging to DMK, in 2004, for the Flyover scam case, led to widespread criticisms of the action.

Orders were given to arrest the editors of The Hindu, a leading newspaper based in Chennai, for publishing an editorial entitled 'Rising Intolerance' that criticized her as a "crude use of state power". The editor of "Murasoli" - the magazine that reprinted the piece - was also arrested and sentenced to 15 days in prison.

Trivia

Many people and the media think that Jayalalitha believes in numerology and astrology pointing to her name change from "Jayalalitha" to "Jayalalithaa" as being directly borne out of such a belief. Press reports too have mentioned her faith in astrology and numerology, stating that she consults astrologers before taking important political decisions.

Selective Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Film !! Co-Star |- |Vennira Aadai || Srikanth |- |Aayirathil Oruvan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kavalkaran || M.G. Ramachandran, Prem Nazir |- |Adimai pen || M.G. Ramachandran, Prem Nazir |- |Olivilakku || M.G. Ramachandran, Prem Nazir |- |Kanni thai || M.G. Ramachandran, Prem Nazir |- |Mugarasi || M. G. Ramachandran |- |Thanipiravi || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Annamittakai || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Neerum Neruppum || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Engal Thangam || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Thalaivan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Mattukkaravelan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kadhal Vaganam || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kanavan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kudiyiruntha koil || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Ther Thiruvizha || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Ragasiya Police 115 || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Chandrothayam || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Pudhiya Boomi || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Arasakattalai || M.G. Ramachandran, B. Sarojadevi |- |Raman Thediya Seethai || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kannan en Kaadalan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Chandrodayam || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Thedi vandha maapillai || M.G. Ramachandran |- |En Annan || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Kumari kottam || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Pattikattu ponniah || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Nam Naadu || M.G. Ramachandran |- |Pattikada Pattanama || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Galatta Kalyanam || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Sumathi en Sundari || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Engirundho vandhal || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Neethi || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Savale samali || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Raja || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Deiva Magan || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Motor Sundarampillai || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Pattum Bharathamum || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Kandan Karunai || Sivaji Ganesan, Sivakumar |- |Enga Maama || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Thaai || Sivaji Ganesan |- |Gurudakshanai || Sivaji Ganesan, Padmini |- |Annai Velankanni || Gemini Ganesan |- |Sri Krishna Leela || Sivakumar, Sri Vidya |- |Sakthi Leelai || Gemini Ganesan, K. R. Vijaya |- |Iru Deivangal || Gemini Ganesan |- |Athiparasakthi|| Gemini Ganesan |- |Suryakanthi || Muthuraman |- |Thirumangalyam || Muthuraman |- |Vairam || Jaishankar |- |Yar nee || Jaishankar |- |Nee || Jaishankar |- |Bommalattam || Jaishankar |- |Kumari penn || Ravichandran |- |Bhagdad Perazhagi || Ravichandran |- |Nadhiyai thedi vandha kadal || Sarathbabu |}

Awards and degrees

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year !! Award |- | 1972 || Kalaimamani award by the Government of Tamil Nadu |- | 1991 || University of Madras awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature |- | 1992 || Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Science |- | 1993 || Madurai Kamaraj University awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters |- | 2003 || Tamil Nadu Agricultural University awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Science and the Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters |- | 2005 || Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws |}

References

External links

Profile on website of TamilNadu Government

Jayalalithaa: From Alluring Actress to Powerful Politician-by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Profile at Nilacharal

Website dedicated for Dr. J. Jayalalitha

Profile by BBC (1999)

BBC News article - Jayalalitha returns to power (dated 2 March 2002)

rediff.com Special on J. Jayalalithaa

BBC - Controversial life of Jayalalitha

BBC Hardtalk RealPlayer video of Jayalalitha (RealPlayer required)

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians Category:Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu Category:Indian actors Category:Tamil actors Category:Indian women in politics Category:People from Mysore Category:Indian actor-politicians

Playername	Imran Khan
Country	Pakistan
Fullname	Imran Khan Niazi
Living	true
Dayofbirth	25
Monthofbirth	11
Yearofbirth	1952
Placeofbirth	Lahore, Punjab
Countryofbirth	Pakistan
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
Role	All-rounder
International	true
Testdebutdate	3 June
Testdebutyear	1971
Testdebutagainst	England
Testcap	65
Lasttestdate	7 January
Lasttestyear	1992
Lasttestagainst	Sri Lanka
Odidebutdate	31 August
Odidebutyear	1974
Odidebutagainst	England
Odicap	12
Lastodidate	25 March
Lastodiyear	1992
Lastodiagainst	England
Club1	Sussex
Year1	1977 – 1988
Club2	New South Wales
Year2	1984/85
Club3	PIA
Year3	1975 – 1981
Club4	Worcestershire
Year4	1971 – 1976
Club5	Oxford University
Year5	1973 – 1975
Club6	Lahore
Year6	1969 – 1971
| columns	4
Column1	Test
Matches1	88
Runs1	3807
Bat avg1	37.69
100s/50s1	6/18
Top score1	136
Deliveries1	19458
Wickets1	362
Bowl avg1	22.81
Fivefor1	23
Tenfor1	6
Best bowling1	8/58
Catches/stumpings1	28/–
Column2	ODI
Matches2	175
Runs2	3709
Bat avg2	33.41
100s/50s2	1/19
Top score2	102*
Deliveries2	7461
Wickets2	182
Bowl avg2	26.61
Fivefor2	1
Tenfor2	n/a
Best bowling2	6/14
Catches/stumpings2	36/–
Column3	FC
Matches3	382
Runs3	17771
Bat avg3	36.79
100s/50s3	30/93
Top score3	170
Deliveries3	65224
Wickets3	1287
Bowl avg3	22.32
Fivefor3	70
Tenfor3	13
Best bowling3	8/34
Catches/stumpings3	117/–
Column4	LA
Matches4	425
Runs4	10100
Bat avg4	33.22
100s/50s4	5/66
Top score4	114*
Deliveries4	19122
Wickets4	507
Bowl avg4	22.31
Fivefor4	6
Tenfor4	n/a
Best bowling4	6/14
Catches/stumpings4	84/–
Date	26 June
Year	2008
Source	http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1383/1383.html CricketArchive

Imran Khan Niazi (Punjabi, }}) (born 25 November 1952) is a retired Pakistani cricketer who played international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century and has been a politician since the mid-1990s. Currently, besides his political activism, Khan is also a charity worker and cricket commentator.

Khan played for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and served as its captain intermittently throughout 1982-1992. After retiring from cricket at the end of the 1987 World Cup, he was called back to join the team in 1988. At 39, Khan led his teammates to Pakistan's first and only World Cup victory in 1992. He has a record of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket, making him one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an 'All-rounder's Triple' in Test matches.

In April 1996, Khan founded and became the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice), a small and marginal political party, of which he is the only member ever elected to Parliament. and Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, in Lahore. A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up in a middle-class Niazi Pathan family with four sisters. Settled in Punjab, Khan's father descended from the Pashtun (Pathan) Niazi Shermankhel tribe of Mianwali in Punjab . Khan was educated at Aitchison College, the Cathedral School in Lahore, and the Royal Grammar School Worcester in England, where he excelled at cricket. In 1972, he enrolled to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, where he graduated with a second-class degree in Politics and a third in Economics.

On 16 May 1995, Khan married English socialite Jemima Goldsmith, a convert to Islam, in a two-minute Islamic ceremony in Paris. A month later, on 21 June, they were married again in a civil ceremony at the Richmond register office in England, followed by a reception at the Goldsmiths' house in Surrey. The marriage, described as "tough" by Khan, As an agreement of his marriage, Khan spent four months a year in England. On 22 June 2004, it was announced that the Khans had divorced because it was "difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan".

Khan now resides in Bani Gala, Islamabad, where he built a farmhouse with the money he gained from selling his London flat. He grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit during their holidays. Khan was part of Oxford University's Blues Cricket team during the 1973-75 seasons.

In 1971, Khan made his Test cricket debut against England at Birmingham. Three years later, he debuted in the One Day International (ODI) match, once again playing against England at Nottingham for the Prudential Trophy. After graduating from Oxford and finishing his tenure at Worcestershire, he returned to Pakistan in 1976 and secured a permanent place on his native national team starting from the 1976-77 season, during which they faced New Zealand and Australia. Khan also achieved a Test Cricket Bowling rating of 922 points against India on 30 January 1983. Highest at the time, the performance ranks third on ICC's All Time Test Bowling Rating.

Khan achieved the all-rounder's triple (securing 3000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second fastest record behind Ian Botham's 72. He is also established as having the second highest all-time batting average of 61.86 for a Test batsman playing at position 6 of the batting order. He played his last Test match for Pakistan in January 1992, against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad. Khan retired permanently from cricket six months after his last ODI, the historic 1992 World Cup final against England at Melbourne, Australia. He ended his career with 88 Test matches, 126 innings and scored 3807 runs at an average of 37.69, including six centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score was 136 runs. As a bowler, he took 362 wickets in Test cricket, which made him the first Pakistani and world's fourth bowler to do so. Khan's first year as captain was the peak of his legacy as a fast bowler as well as an all-rounder. He recorded the best Test bowling of his career while taking 8 wickets for 58 runs against Sri Lanka at Lahore in 1981-82. In 1996, Khan successfully defended himself in a libel action brought forth by former English captain and all-rounder Ian Botham and batsman Allan Lamb over comments they alleged were made by Khan in two articles about the above-mentioned ball-tampering and another article published in an Indian magazine, India Today. They claimed that, in the latter publication, Khan had called the two cricketers "racist, ill-educated and lacking in class." Khan protested that he had been misquoted, saying that he was defending himself after having admitted that he tampered with a ball in a county match 18 years ago. Khan won the libel case, which the judge labeled a "complete exercise in futility", with a 10-2 majority decision by the jury. the Guardian, the Independent, and the Telegraph. Khan also sometimes appears as a cricket commentator on Asian and British sports networks, including BBC Urdu and the Star TV network. while he was also a columnist for sify.com for the 2005 India-Pakistan Test series. He has provided analysis for every cricket World Cup since 1992, which includes providing match summaries for BBC during the 1999 World Cup.

In November 2009 Khan underwent emergency surgery at Lahore's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital to remove an obstruction in his small intestine.

Social work

For more than four years after retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organization bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavor, Khan established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world. Princess of Wales [Lady Diana] also visited Lahore in 1996 in order to raise funds for the Cancer hospital.

During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports

On 27 April 2008, Khan's brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was inaugurated. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford in December 2005. Currently, Khan is building another cancer hospital in Karachi, using his successful Lahore institution as a model. While in London, he also works with the Lord’s Taverners, a cricket charity.

Political work

Name	Imran Khan Niazi
Birth date	November 25, 1952
Birth place	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Spouse	Jemima Khan (1995 - 2004)
Children	2
Residence	Lahore
Occupation	Political activist / social worker
Religion	Islam
Website	http://www.insaf.pk/

A few years after the end of his professional career as a cricketer, Khan entered electoral politics while admitting that he had never voted in an election before. Since then, his most significant political work has been to protest against ruling politicians such as Pervez Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari and his opposition to the US and UK foreign policy. Khan's "politics are not taken seriously in Pakistan and at best rated as single column news items in most newspapers." As reported and by his own admission, Khan's most prominent political supporters are women and the youth. In Pakistan, the reaction to his political work has been reported to be such that, "Mention his name at dinner tables and the reaction is the same: people roll their eyes, chuckle lightly, then exhale a sad sigh."

On 25 April 1996, Khan founded his own political party called the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with a proposed slogan of "Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem." During the 2002 election season, he also voiced his opposition to Pakistan's logistical support of US troops in Afghanistan by claiming that their country had become a "servant of America." Once in office, Khan voted in favor of the pro-Taliban Islamist candidate for prime minister in 2002, bypassing Musharraf's choice.

On 6 May 2005, Khan became one of the first Muslim figures to criticize a 300-word Newsweek story about the alleged desecration of the Qur'an in a U.S. military prison at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Khan held a press conference to denounce the article and demanded that Gen. Pervez Musharraf secure an apology from American president George W. Bush for the incident. During George W. Bush's visit to Pakistan in March 2006, Khan was placed under house arrest in Islamabad after his threats of organizing a protest.

On 2 October 2007, as part of the All Parties Democratic Movement, Khan joined 85 other MPs to resign from Parliament in protest of the Presidential election scheduled for 6 October, which General Musharraf was contesting without resigning as army chief. On 3 November 2007, Khan was put under house arrest at his father's home hours after President Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. Khan had demanded the death penalty for Musharraf after the imposition of emergency rule, which he equated to "committing treason". The next day, on 4 November, Khan escaped and went into peripatetic hiding. He eventually came out of hiding on 14 November to join a student protest at the University of the Punjab. At the rally, Khan was captured by students from the Jamaat-i-Islami political party, who claimed that Khan was an uninvited nuisance at the rally, and they handed him over to the police, who charged him under the Anti-terrorism act for allegedly inciting people to pick up arms, calling for civil disobedience, and for spreading hatred. Incarcerated in the Dera Ghazi Khan Jail, Khan's relatives had access to him and were able to meet him to deliver goods during his week-long stay in jail. On 19 November, Khan let out the word through PTI members and his family that he had begun a hunger strike but the Deputy Superintendent of Dera Ghazi Khan Jail denied this news, saying that Khan had bread, eggs and fruit for breakfast. Khan was one of the 3,000 political prisoners released from imprisonment on 21 November 2007.

His party boycotted the national elections on 18 February 2008 and hence, no member of PTI has served in Parliament since Khan's resignation in 2007. Despite no longer being a member of Parliament, Khan was placed under house arrest in the crackdown by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari of anti-government protests on 15 March 2009.

Ideology

Khan's proclaimed political platform and declarations include: Islamic values, to which he rededicated himself in the 1990s; liberal economics, with the promise of deregulating the economy and creating a welfare state; decreased bureaucracy and anti-corruption laws, to create and ensure a clean government; the establishment of an independent judiciary; overhaul of the country's police system; and an anti-militant vision for a democratic Pakistan.

Khan has credited his decision to enter politics with a spiritual awakening, influenced by his conversations with a mystic from the Sufi sect of Islam that began in the last years of his cricket career. "I never drank or smoked, but I used to do my share of partying. In my spiritual evolution there was a block," he explained to the American Washington Post. As an MP, Khan sometimes voted with a bloc of hard-line religious parties such as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, whose leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he supported for prime minister over Musharraf's candidate in 2002. Rehman is a pro-Taliban cleric who has called for holy war against the United States. In June 2007, Khan publicly deplored Britain for knighting Indian-born author Salman Rushdie. He said, "Western civilisation should have been mindful of the injury the writer had caused to the Muslim community by writing his highly controversial book, The Satanic Verses."

Criticism

During the 1970s and 1980s, Khan became known as a socialite due to his "non-stop partying" at London nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp. though he claims to have hated English pubs and never drank alcohol. Khan is often dismissed as a political lightweight Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a political party, has asserted that Khan is "a sick person who has been a total failure in politics and is alive just because of the media coverage". The Political observers say the crowds he draws are attracted by his cricketing celebrity, and the public has been reported to view him as a figure of entertainment rather than a serious political authority. Yet, he joined forces with Sharif in 2008 against Musharraf. In a column entitled "Will the Real Imran Please Stand Up," Pakistani columnist Amir Zia quoted one of PTI's Karachi-based leaders as saying, "Even we are finding it difficult to figure out the real Imran. He dons the shalwar-kameez and preaches desi and religious values while in Pakistan, but transforms himself completely while rubbing shoulders with the elite in Britain and elsewhere in the west."

In 2008, as part of the Hall of Shame awards for 2007, Pakistan's Newsline magazine gave Khan the "Paris Hilton award for being the most undeserving media darling." The 'citation' for Khan read: "He is the leader of a party that is the proud holder of one National Assembly seat (and) gets media coverage inversely proportional to his political influence." The Guardian has described the coverage garnered by Khan's post-retirement activities in England, where he made his name as a cricket star and a night-club regular, as "terrible tosh, with danger attached. It turns a great (and greatly miserable) Third World nation into a gossip-column annex. We may all choke on such frivolity." After the 2008 general elections, political columnist Azam Khalil addressed Khan, who remains respected as a cricket legend, as one of the "utter failures in Pakistani politics". Writing in the Frontier Post, Khalil added: "Imran Khan has time and again changed his political course and at present has no political ideology and therefore was not taken seriously by a vast majority of the people."

Awards and honours

In 1992, Khan was given Pakistan's civil award, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz. He had received the President’s Pride of Performance Award in 1983. Khan is featured in the University of Oxford's Hall of Fame and has been an honorary fellow of Oxford's Keble College. On 7 December 2005, Khan was appointed the fifth Chancellor of the University of Bradford, where he is also a patron of the Born in Bradford research project.

In 1976 as well as 1980, Khan was awarded The Cricket Society Wetherall Award for being the leading all-rounder in English first-class cricket. He was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1983, Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year in 1985, and the Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year in 1990.

On 8 July 2004, Khan was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Asian Jewel Awards in London, for "acting as a figurehead for many international charities and working passionately and extensively in fund-raising activities. On 13 December 2007, Khan received the Humanitarian Award at the Asian Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur for his efforts in setting up the first cancer hospital in Pakistan. In 2009, at International Cricket Council's centennial year celebration, Khan was one of fifty-five cricketers inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Writings by Khan

Khan occasionally contributes opinion editorials on cricket and Pakistani politics to British newspapers. He has also published five works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. It was disclosed in 2008 that Khan did not write his second book, Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan. Instead, his the book's publisher Jeremy Lewis revealed in a memoir that he had to write the book for Khan. Lewis recalls that when he asked Khan to show his writing for publication, "he handed me a leatherbound notebook or diary containing a few jottings and autobiographical snippets. It took me, at most, five minutes to read them; and that, it soon became apparent, was all we had to go on."

Books

Articles

Guardian comments, political and cricket commentary by Khan

Telegraph columns, sports articles penned by Khan from 2000 to present

We must address the root causes of this terror, Khan's editorial in the Independent following the 11 September attacks

Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame, Khan's 2007 editorial on Bhutto's return to Pakistan

References

Further reading

External links

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khan's political party

Imran Khan - Chancellor, homepage at the University of Bradford

An Intimate Encounter, interview with Khan by Dapne Barak

Imran Khan interviewed by Mehdi Hasan on New Statesman.

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Name	Barkha Dutt
Caption	Barkha Dutt at the World Economic Forum
Birth date	December 18, 1971
Birth place	New Delhi, Delhi, India
Education	St. Stephen's College, Delhi Jamia Millia Islamia Columbia University
Occupation	Journalist
Gender	Female
Title	Group Editor-English News NDTV
Credits	We the People The Buck Stops Here
Url	http://www.barkhadutt.tv/

Barkha Dutt () () is an Indian TV journalist and columnist. She is currently the Group Editor, English News at New Delhi Television.

Dutt gained prominence for her reportage of the Kargil War. She has won many national and international awards, including the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor by congress party headed government. She writes a column for The Hindustan Times, called "Third Eye." In 2010 she was one of the journalists taped in the 2G lobbying Radia tapes controversy.

Early life

Barkha Dutt was born in New Delhi to her father, S.P.Dutt, an official in Air India and Prabha Dutt who was a well-known journalist with the Hindustan Times. Barkha credits her journalism skills to her mother, Prabha, a pioneer among women journalists in India. Prabha Dutt died in 1984, when she was in her prime, due to a brain haemorrhage. Barkha's younger sister Bahar Dutt is also a T.V. journalist working for CNN IBN

Career

Barkha studied in Modern School, New Delhi and graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with a degree in English literature. She received a Master's in Mass Communications from Jamia Millia Islamia Mass Communication Research Center, New Delhi. She started her journalistic career with NDTV and later rose to head the English news wing of the organization. She also got a master's in journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, New York assisted by a Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship.

Many noteworthy Indian personalities and peers have eulogized her for display of immense dedication and excellence in the field of journalism as can be seen from an interview where she said, "One thing I have learnt in my journalistic life is that to be disliked is the flip side of being liked. I respect criticism but then...I have been congratulated by people like N.R. Narayana Murthy, Shashi Tharoor and Salman Rushdie, among many others, for my and my channel’s reporting ." NR Narayana Murthy was an independent director of NDTV at the time he aired his view on Ms Dutt.

Awards and accolades

Dutt was conferred the Padma Shri, a civilian honor in India by Congress government in 2008, for her coverage of the 2004 Tsunami Barkha also received the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association award for Journalist of the Year, 2007. Her Sunday talk show has won the most awards for any show across television channels, winning the Indian Television Academy award for Best Talk Show five years in a row. In 2008, Dutt received the Indian News Broadcasting Award for the Most Intelligent News Show Host. She has been awarded the Global Leader of Tomorrow Award twice by the World Economic Forum (2001, 2008). She has also received Society's Young Achievers Award. She has been nominated as a member of India's National Integration Council by Congress Government. She was also Asia Society Fellow in 2006 and serves on the International Advisory Council of the Asia Society.

Controversies

Kargil War and Mumbai Attacks

Her reporting of the Kargil conflict in 1999, including an interview with Captain Vikram Batra, brought her to prominence in India. Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta insinuated that she may have compromised the security of the troops by giving away troop locations. Barkha disagreed, claiming that the then Chief of Indian Army, Gen VP Malik, indicated otherwise in his personal memoirs. She has since covered conflicts in Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Newswatch, a media watchdog, observed that her style of reporting was full of theatrics and had the merit to reduce complex issues to sound bytes. She responded to such studies by remarking that the medium (of Television) lent itself to such shrillness. Amita Malik, a prominent film and television critic, described her to be intrusive into the private lives of people with a long list of trite questions. Sevanti Ninan, a media critic, thought of her as being a representative of the popular malaise afflicting the news media. Barkha, according to many publications, was the journalist who came in for the most criticism for sensationalist coverage after the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks. Vanity Fair Magazine carried a report citing that her broadcasts were used by terrorist handlers in Pakistan to relay orders back to those in Mumbai.

Legal notices against bloggers

Ms. Dutt served legal notices to a number of bloggers, notably Chyetanya Kunte, who allegedly had criticized her for "breaking every rule of ethical journalism in reporting the Mumbai mayhem." through one of his blog posts. Many Indian Bloggers have expresses their sharp dissatisfaction towards her and her employer, NDTV for attempting to censor their right to Freedom of speech by way of such legal actions. Barkha's reports on Naxalite Violence in Dantewada have been found to be factually incorrect and naive by some observers.

Radia tapes controversy

In November 2010, OPEN magazine carried a story which reported transcripts of some of the telephone conversations of Nira Radia with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, many of whom have denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has announced that they have 5,851 recordings of phone conversations by Radia, some of which outline Radia's attempts to broker deals in relation to the 2G spectrum sale. In one of the tapes Barkha, assures Radia of getting Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress general secretary to talk to Karunanidhi to get the portfolios in the Union cabinet fixed. Barkha has denied acting on any promise to pass on messages to the Congress. In a subsequent tape, Nira Radia is heard saying ‘Barkha has got Congress(political party) to issue a statement’. This scandal has also been called Barkhagate Dutt denies the allegations.

References

External links

July 11, 2004 Interview to Nirupama Dutt

Barkha Dutt's official Twitter page

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