Coordinates	40°52′49″N76°59′11″N
Type	state
State name	Madhya Pradesh
Native name	Madhya Pradesh
Base map	India_Madhya_Pradesh_locator_map.svg
Capital	Bhopal
Largest city	Jabalpur
Abbreviation	IN-MP
Official languages	Hindi
Legislature type	Unicameral
Legislature strength	230
Leader title 1	Governor
Leader name 1	Rameshwar Thakur
Leader title 2	Chief Minister
Leader name 2	Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Leader title 3	Chief Secretary
Leader name 3	Shri Avani Vaishya'
Established date	1956-11-01
Area total	308252
Area rank	2nd
Area magnitude	11
Population year	2001
Population total	69385118
Population rank	6th
Population density	196
Hdi year	2005
Hdi	0.488
Hdi rank	26th
Hdi category	low
Literacy	76.5
Literacy rank	8th
Districts	50
Image seal	MPseal.gif
Website	www.mp.gov.in
State animal	Barasingha
State bird	Dudhraj
State tree	Burgad |

Madhya Pradesh (Hindī: मध्य प्रदेश, pronounced "Central Province"; abbreviated MP), often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal.There are 4 urban agglomerations in Madhya Pradesh with a population of 1 million or more as on January 1, 2011.

Indore-2,025,000

Bhopal-1,960,000

Gwalior-1,060,000

Jabalpur-1,380,000

Indore is the largest city of state,while Gwalior is called the tourist capital of Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh was the largest state in India until 1 November 2000, when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out of it. It borders the states Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The state has an area of .

History

Ancient

in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh built by Emperor Ashoka the Great in the third century BC.]] Legend has it that Lord Rama bequeathed the fort to his brother Laxmana, hence the name Bandhavgarh (Bandhavgarh National Park) which means "brother's fort". The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India; its stone-age rock paintings are approximately 9,000 years old.

The city of Ujjain (also known as Avanti) arose as a major center in the second wave of Indian urbanization in the sixth century BC, and served as the chief city of the kingdom of Malwa or Avanti. Further east, the kingdom of Chedi lie in Bundelkhand. Chandragupta Maurya united northern India c. 320 BCE, establishing the Maurya empire (321 to 185 BCE), which included all of modern-day Madhya Pradesh. King Ashoka's wife was said to come from Vidisha- a town north of today's Bhopal. The Maurya empire went into decline after the death of Asoka the Great, and Central India was contested among the Sakas, Kushanas, and local dynasties during the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. Ujjain emerged as the predominant commercial center of western India from the first century BCE, located on the trade routes between the Ganges plain and India's Arabian Sea ports. It was also an important Hindu and Buddhist center. The Satavahana dynasty of the northern Deccan and the Saka dynasty of the Western Satraps fought for the control of Madhya Pradesh during the 1st to 3rd centuries CE. Northern India was conquered by the Gupta empire in the 4th and 5th centuries, which became known as India's "classical age". The Vakataka dynasty were the southern neighbors of the Guptas, ruling the northern Deccan plateau from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. These empires collapsed towards the end of the 5th century.

Medieval

the cultural capital of Chandela Rajputs]] The attacks of the Hephthalites or White Huns brought about the collapse of the Gupta empire, and India broke up into smaller states. A king Yasodharman of Malwa defeated the Huns in 528, ending their expansion. King Harsha of Thanesar reunited northern India for a few decades before his death in 647. The Medieval period saw the rise of the Rajput clans, including the Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand. The Paramara king Bhoj (c. 1010–1060) was a brilliant polymath and prolific writer. The Chandelas created the temple city of Khajuraho between c. 950 and c. 1050. Gond kingdoms emerged in Gondwana and Mahakoshal. Northern Madhya Pradesh was conquered by the Muslim Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. After the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate at the end of the 14th century, independent regional kingdoms reemerged, including the Tomara Rajput kingdom of Gwalior and the Muslim Sultanate of Malwa, with its capital at Mandu. The Malwa Sultanate was conquered by the Sultanate of Gujarat in 1531.

Modern Most of Madhya Pradesh came under Mughal rule during the reign of the emperor Akbar (1556–1605). Gondwana and Mahakoshal remained under the control of Gond kings, who acknowledged Mughal supremacy but enjoyed virtual autonomy. After the death of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 Mughal control began to weaken, and the Marathas began to expand from their base in central Maharashtra. Between 1720 and 1760 the Marathas took control of most of Madhya Pradesh, and Maratha clans were established semi-autonomous states under the nominal control of the Maratha Peshwa. The Holkars of Indore ruled much of Malwa, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur dominated Mahakoshal and Gondwana as well as Vidarbha in Maharashtra. Jhansi was founded by a Maratha general. Bhopal was ruled by a Muslim dynasty descended from Dost Mohammed Khan, an Afghan General in the Mughal army. Maratha expansion was checked at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.

The British were expanding their Indian dominions from bases in Bengal, Bombay, and Madras, and the three Anglo-Maratha Wars were fought between 1775 and 1818. The Third Anglo-Maratha War left the British supreme in India. Most of Madhya Pradesh, including the large states of Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Rewa, and dozens of smaller states, became princely states of British India, and the Mahakoshal region became a British province, the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories. In 1853 the British annexed the state of Nagpur, which included southeastern Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra and most of Chhattisgarh, which were combined with the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories to form the Central Provinces in 1861. The princely states of northern Madhya Pradesh were governed by the Central India Agency.

After Indian independence

Madhya Pradesh was created in 1950 from the former British Central Provinces and Berar and the princely states of Makrai and Chhattisgarh, with Nagpur as the capital of the state. The new states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were formed out of the Central India Agency. In 1956, the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi-speaking southern region Vidarbha, which included Nagpur, was ceded to Bombay state.Jabalpur was selected to be the capital but due to some political pressure Bhopal, a tehsil of Sehore District was made the capital just at the last moment. Thus, Bhopal became the new capital of the state. Madhya Pradesh, in its present form, came into existence on 1 November 2000, following its bifurcation to create a new state of Chhattisgarh. The undivided Madhya Pradesh was founded on 1 November 1956. Madhya Pradesh, because of its central location in India, has remained a crucible of historical currents from North, South, East and West.

Government and politics

is the seat of Madhya Pradesh's Legislative assembly]] The constitutional head of the state is the governor, appointed by the President of India. The current governor is Dr. Rameshwar Thakur.

Madhya Pradesh has a 230-seat state Legislative Assembly. The state also sends 40 members to the Parliament of India: 29 are elected to the Lok Sabha (Lower House) and 11 to the Rajya Sabha (Upper House).

The dominant political parties in the state are the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress. Unlike many of its neighbours, Madhya Pradesh has largely a two-party system with small or regional parties not having had much success in recent elections.

In the November 2008 state elections, the BJP won an absolute majority of 143 seats, defeating Congress who won just 71 seats. Other parties in the state legislature include the Bahujan Samaj Party with seven seats.

The current chief minister is Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who succeeded Babulal Gaur and Uma Bharti. Before the BJP won in 2003, the longtime Congress Chief Minister was Digvijay Singh. In the 2004 General Election the BJP swept the state by winning 25 of the 29 seats, while the Congress won the remaining four.

For a historical list of previous chief ministers see List of Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh

Geography

at Pachmarhi]] Madhya Pradesh in Hindi can be translated to Central Province, and it is located in the geographic heart of India. The state straddles the Narmada River, which runs east and west between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges; these ranges and the Narmada are the traditional boundary between the north and south of India. The state is bordered on the west by Gujarat, on the northwest by Rajasthan, on the northeast by Uttar Pradesh, on the east by Chhattisgarh, and on the south by Maharashtra.

Madhya Pradesh comprises several linguistically and culturally distinct regions, including:

Malwa: a plateau region in the northwest of the state, north of the Vindhya Range, with its distinct language and culture. Indore is the major city of the region, while Bhopal lies on the edge of Bundelkhand region. Ujjain is a town of historical importance.

Nimar (Nemar): the western portion of the Narmada River valley, lying south of the Vindhyas in the southwest portion of the state.

Bundelkhand: a region of rolling hills and fertile valleys in the northern part of the state, which slopes down toward the Indo-Gangetic plain to the north. Sagar is a historic center of the region.

Chambal: the north-western region. A mountainous region rich in red, soft, and fragile sandstone. The climate is harsh, and the area is known for bandits who were active until the 1980s (see Phoolan Devi).

Baghelkhand: a hilly region in the northeast of the state, which includes the eastern end of the Vindhya Range.

Mahakoshal (Mahakaushal): the southeastern portion of the state, which includes the eastern end of the Narmada river valley and the eastern Satpuras. Jabalpur is the most important and the only well developed city in the region.

Central Vindhya and Satpura region. Which has most of the central Narmada river valley and watershed, and has the highest point in the state – Dhupgarh in Pachmarhi.

Rivers

Dam on Sone River]] Madhya Pradesh represents great river basins and the watershed of a number of rivers. Catchments of many rivers of India lie in Madhya Pradesh. The Narmada (originating from Amarkantak) and Tapti (originating from Multai of Betul District) rivers and their basins divide the state in two, with the northern part draining largely into the Ganges basin and the southern part into the Godavari and Mahanadi systems. The Vindhyas form the southern boundary of the Ganges basin, with the western part of the Ganges basin draining into the Yamuna and the eastern part directly into the Ganges itself. All the rivers, which drain into the Ganges, flow from south to north, with the Chambal, Shipra, Kali Sindh, Parbati, Kuno, Sind, Betwa, Dhasan and Ken rivers being the main tributaries of the Yamuna. The land drained by these rivers is agriculturally rich, with the natural vegetation largely consisting of grass and dry deciduous forest types, largely thorny. The eastern part of the Ganges basin consists of the Son, the Tons and the Rihand Rivers, with the Son being the major tributary. This is also the junction point of the Satpura and the Vindhya ranges, with the Maikal and Kaimur Hills being the fulcrum. The forests here are much richer than the thorn forests of the northwestern part of Madhya Pradesh. The Son is of great significance in that it is the largest tributary going into the Ganges on the south bank and arising out of the hills of Madhya Pradesh rather than from the Himalayas. This river and its tributaries contribute the bulk of the monsoon flow into the Ganges, because the north bank tributaries are all snow fed.

The major tributary of the Ganges, the Son, arises in one of the most important watersheds in India, the Maikal hills around Amarkantak. Three of the great rivers of India, Narmada, Mahanadi and Son, are given birth to by these hills. This is also one of the few ranges in the State having a north south configuration. The Mahanadi itself, together with its tributaries such as Hasdeo, Mand and Kharun flows southeast into Orissa and converts that State into a green rice bowl. The upper Mahanadi catchment contains some of the finest forests in the State, ranging from mixed deciduous to teak, bamboo and sal. Just as the Mahanadi flows east from the Maikal hills and the Son flows north, the mighty Narmada charts a westerly course from these very hills. The Narmada flows through a rift valley, with the Vindhyas marching along its northern bank and the Satpuras along the southern. Its tributaries include the Banjar, the Tawa, the Machna, the Denwa and the Sonbhardra rivers. Taken in combination with its parallel sister river, the Tapi, which also flows through a rift valley, the Narmada–Tapi systems carry and enormous volume of water and provide drainage for almost a quarter of the land area of Madhya Pradesh.

The Satpuras (Pansemal), in the Gawilgarh and Mahadeo Hills, also contain a watershed, which is south facing. The Indrawati, the Wainganga, the Wardha, the Pench, the Kanhan and Penganga rivers, discharge an enormous volume of water into the Godavari system. The Godavari is the lifeline of Andhra Pradesh, but the water which feeds it is a gift of the Central India watershed. Some of the finest sub-tropical, semi moist forests in India are to be found in the Godavari basin, mainly in the valley of the Indrawati. There are very few virgin forests left in the country, but very fine examples of these are to be found in Bastar area along the Indrawati and in the Kanger valley in Chhattisgarh.

The importance of Central India watershed was first noted by Captain Forsyth and remarked upon in his book, "The Highlands of Central India", first published in 1889. This is what he has to state in the introductory chapter to his book, "Yet in the very center of India there exists a considerable region to which the term highlands — is strictly applicable; and in which are enormous peaks and ranges, for which the term mountain would, in any other country, be used. Several of the great rivers of India have their first source in this elevated region. And pour their water into the sea on either side of the peninsula – to the north the Son commingling with the Ganges, to the east the Mahanadi, flowing independently to the Bay of Bengal, to the south some of the principal feeders of the Godavari, and to the west the Narmada and the Tapi, Basli Dam Gohad (Bhind) taking parallel courses to the Arabian Sea.

There are many important multi-state irrigation projects in development, including Godavari River Basin Irrigation Projects.

Climate

Madhya Pradesh has a subtropical climate. Like most of north India, it has a hot dry summer(April–June) followed by monsoon rains (July–September) and a cool and relatively dry winter. The average rainfall is about . It decreases from east to west. The south-eastern districts have the heaviest rainfall, some places receiving as much as , while the western and north-western districts receive or less.

Flora and fauna

Forest

Madhya Pradesh is endowed with rich and diverse forest resources. Lying between lat. 21°04'N and long. 74°02' and 82°49' E, it is a reservoir of biodiversity. The geographical area of the state is which constitutes 9.38% of the land area of the country. The forest area of the state is constituting 31% of the geographical area of the state and 12.44% of the forest area of the country. Legally this area has been classified into "Reserved Forest, Protected Forest and Unclassified Forest", which constitute 61.7%, 37.4% and 0.9% of the forest area respectively. Per capita forest area is as against the national average of .

Central, eastern and southern parts of the state are rich, whereas northern and western parts are deficient in forest. Variability in climatic and edaphic conditions brings about significant difference in the forest types of the state. There are four important forest types viz. Tropical Moist, Tropical Dry, Tropical Thorn , Subtropical broadleaved Hill forests. The forest area can also be classified based on the composition of forest and terrain of the area. Based on composition, there are three important forest formations namely teak, sal and miscellaneous forests. Bamboo-bearing areas are widely distributed in the state. To obviate pressure on the natural forests , plantations have been undertaken in forest and non forest areas to supplement the availability of fuel wood , small timber, fodder, etc. MP lost a good amount of forest recently when Chattisgarh was carved out of it, as that region was the richest reserve of forests in MP.

The total growing stock (volume of timber wood) is 50,000,000 m³ valued worth 2.5 lakh Crores.

Natural areas

Madhya Pradesh is home to 9 National Parks, including Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Satpura National Park, Sanjay National Park, Madhav National Park, Van Vihar National Park, Mandla Plant Fossils National Park, Panna National Park, and Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

There are also a number of natural preserves, including Amarkantak, Bagh Caves, Bhedaghat, Bori Natural Reserve, Ken Gharial, Ghatigaon, Kuno Palpur, Narwar, Chambal, Kukdeshwar, Narsinghgarh, Nora Dehi, Pachmarhi, Panpatha, Shikarganj, Patalkot and Tamia.

Economy

Between 1999 and 2008, the annualized growth rate was very low 3.5%. According to the India State Hunger Index compiled by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the malnutrition situation in Madhya Pradesh is "extremely alarming", receiving a severity rating between Ethiopia and Chad.

Madhya Pradesh's gross state domestic product for 2004 is estimated at $32 billion in current prices. After partition, the new Madhya Pradesh state produces about 70% of the output of the old Madhya Pradesh state – the rest is produced by Chattisgarh. Between 1980 and 2000 the gross domestic product grew from 77,880 million rupees to 737,150 million rupees.

MFP from the forests, such as Tendu leaves used to roll bidi, Sal seed, teak seed, and lak are major contributors to the rural economy of the state.

Divisions

Districts

Madhya Pradesh state is made up of 50 districts, which are grouped into 10 divisions: Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore, Chambal, Gwalior, Rewa, Sagar, Ujjain, Shahdol and Hoshangabad.

Districts: Anuppur, Alirajpur, Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Barwani, Betul, Bhind, Bhopal, Burhanpur, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Damoh, Datia, Dewas, Dhar, Dindori, Guna, Gwalior, Harda, Hoshangabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jhabua, Katni, Khandwa, Khargone, Mandla, Mandsaur, Morena, Narsinghpur, Neemuch, Panna, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Sehore, Seoni, Shahdol, Shajapur, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Sidhi, Singrauli, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, Umaria, Vidisha.

Agro-climatic zones

Madhya Pradesh is divided into following agro-climatic zones:

Kaimur Plateau and Satpura Hills

Vindhyan Plateau (Hills)

Narmada valley

Wainganga valley

Gird (Gwalior) Region

Bundelkhand Region

Satpura Plateau (Hills)

Malwa Plateau

Nimar Plateau

Jhabua Hills

Major cities

Indore ,Bhopal,Gwalior And Jabalpur are considered as the metro cities of the state. The cities mentioned are the largest and economically important cities of Madhya Pradesh:

Indore

Gwalior

Bhopal

Jabalpur

Ujjain

Burhanpur

Rewa

Sagar

Guna

Transport

Madhya Pradesh, being surrounded by land, has both Land and Air transport facilities.

Extensive rail network criss cross the state, with Jabalpur serving as headquarter for West Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways.The state has a total of 20 major railway junctions.

Buses and trains cover most of Madhya Pradesh. Extensive road network is also being developed. Madhya Pradesh leads in nation in implementing Gramin Sadak Nirman Pariyojna, a central government aided programme to provide road networks to villages. Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal have inter-state bus terminus. More than 2000 bus are conducted in a day from these three cities.

The state has five domestic airports located at Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Khajuraho. Air strips are located at Ujjain, Khandwa and Satna. Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur are the only airports which have regular air-connectivity.

Demographics

Madhya Pradesh is a medley of ethnic groups and tribes, castes and communities. The population of Madhya Pradesh includes indigenous people and migrants from other states. According to census of 2000, 91.1% followed Hindu religion while others are Muslim (6.40%), Jain (0.9%), Christians (0.30%), Buddhists (0.30%), and Sikhs (0.20%). The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes constitute a significant portion of the population of the State. The scheduled castes are 13.14% while scheduled tribes were 20.63%.

Tribals in Madhya Pradesh include Baiga, Bhariya, Bhils, Gondi people, Halba, Kaul, Korku, Malto people, Mariya, and Sahariya.

Tribals

tribal girls in Jhabua]] Madhya Pradesh is dominated by the Tribal population. The differences in the tribal community, spread over in various parts of the state, is clearly seen not only on the basis of their heredity, lifestyle and cultural traditions, but also from their social, economic structure, religious beliefs and their language and speech. Due to the different linguistic, cultural and geographical environment, and its peculiar complications, the diverse tribal world of Madhya Pradesh has been largely cut-off from the mainstream of development.

The population of Tribals in Madhya Pradesh is 122.33 lakh constituting 20.27% of the total population of Madhya Pradesh (603.85 Lakh), according to the 2001 census. There were 46 recognized Scheduled Tribes and three of them have been identified as "Special Primitive Tribal Groups" in the State.

The main tribal groups in Madhya Pradesh are Gond, Bhil, Baiga, Korku, Bhadia, Halba, Kaul, Mariya, and Sahariya. Dhar, Jhabua and Mandla districts have more than 50 percent tribal population. In Khargone, Chhindwara, Seoni, Sidhi and Shahdol districts 30 to 50 percent population is of tribes. Maximum population is that of Gond tribes.

Languages

The predominant language of the region is Hindi.

In addition to standard Hindi, several regional variants are spoken, which are considered by some to be dialects of Hindi, and by others to be distinct but related languages. Among these languages are Malvi in Malwa, Nimadi in Nimar, Bundeli in Bundelkhand, and Bagheli and Avadhi in Bagelkhand and the southeast. Each of these languages or dialects has dialects of its own. Other languages include Bhilodi (Bhili), Gondi, Korku, Kalto (Nahali), and Nihali (Nahali), all spoken by tribal groups. Due to rule of Marathas, Marathi is spoken by a substantial number of people.

In addition, Saraiki and Pashto are spoken by the large number of immigrants from Afghanistan and North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan.

Culture

Heritage and architecture

Several cities in Madhya Pradesh are extraordinary for their architecture and or scenic beauty. Three sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO: the Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986) including Devi Jagadambi temple, Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) and the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003). Other architecturally significant or scenic sites include Ajaigarh, Amarkantak, Asirgarh, Bandhavgarh, Bawangaja, Bhopal, Chanderi, Chitrakuta, Dhar, Gwalior, Indore, Burhanpur, Maheshwar, Mandleshwar, Mandu, Omkareshwar, Orchha, Pachmarhi, Shivpuri, Sonagiri and Ujjain. MP being very large geographically, and the history being spread over several millennia, developing a comprehensive picture of heritage and architecture is a monumental task.

Music

In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage and/or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one gharana to another. It directly affects the thinking, teaching, performance and appreciation of music. Madhya Pradesh has a prominent role in classical music.

Gwalior gharana

The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest Khayal Gharanas and one to which most classical Indian musicians can trace the origin of their style. The rise of the Gwalior Gharana started with the reign of the great Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605). The favorite singers of this patron of the arts, such as Miyan Tansen, first amongst the vocalists at the court, came from the town of Gwalior. Gwalior has an important role in the journey of music in India, so that every year Tansen Festival is celebrated at the tomb of Tansen in Gwalior.

Dhrupad

Dhrupad (Hindi: ध्रुपद) is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition.Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" (fixed) and "pada" (words). The term may denote both the verse form of the poetry and the style in which it is sung. Raja Man Singh Tomar The king of Gwalior [during 1486 A.D.-1516 A.D.]was parton of Dhrupad.

Education

, one of the premier Law institutes of India located in Bhopal.]] ,the NIT in Bhopal.]]

As per the 2001 census, Madhya pradesh had a literacy rate of 70.53%. The state is home to some of the premier educational and research institutions of India such as the Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior, National Law Institute University (NLIU) Bhopal, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology Bhopal, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Indian Institute of Hotel Management Bhopal, Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) Gwalior,Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science Indore, Pandit Dwarika Prasad Mishra Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Management (Deemed University) Jabalpur.Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (Deemed University),Gwalior.Madhya Pradesh also having a University of music, Raja Mansingh Tomar Sangeet Vishvavidyalaya, Gwalior

The primary languages of instruction in most schools are Hindi and English. The syllabus taught in the schools is either of the CBSE,or the ICSE or the state syllabus (M.P.BOARD) defined by the Department of Public Instruction of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. There are 500 degree colleges affiliated with one of the universities in the state, viz.Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University, Madhya Pradesh Veterinary Sciences University, Madhya Pradesh Medical University, Rajiv Gandhi Technical University , Barkatullah University , Devi Ahilya University , Rani Durgavati University ,Vikram University, Jiwaji University Gwalior etc.

Indian Institute of Management Indore is a state funded management institute in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Instituted in 1998, IIM Indore is the sixth addition to the prestigious IIM family. Known as "Prabandh Shikhar" or "Peak of Management", the scenic 193 acre (781,000 m²) campus is located atop a small hill on the outskirts of Indore.

The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) (founded 1982) is an autonomous institution located at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and course assistance from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.It is the only Forest Management Institute in India.

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal (IISERB) is an autonomous institute of higher education for research and education in science established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in 2008. Professor Vinod K Singh is the founder Director of IISER Bhopal.

Defence Research and Development Establishment,Gwalior (DRDE) is an Indian defense laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Located in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, it is primarily involved in the research and development of detection and protection against toxic chemical and biological agents. DRDE is organized under the Life Sciences Directorate of DRDO. The present director of DRDE is Dr R. Vijayaraghavan.

Indian Institute of Technology Indore, established in 2009, is part of this mega-project that envisages India as a Global Technology Leader. Continuing with the tradition of the older IITs, IIT Indore aims to play an active role in this task of propelling India on her growth-trajectory by focusing on education, research and development. IIT Indore visualizes this mission within the context of larger humanistic concerns.Now it is work under the IIT Bombay.

Online

The Madhya Pradesh government has gone live with its MPOnline portal, a joint venture with Tata Consultancy Services. The State has tied up with Bajaj Allianz , Tata Aig and LIC, to enable their customers to payinsurance premiums online. Citizens can also recharge their mobile prepaid accounts online for Airtel, Tata Docomo, Tata Indicom and Bsnl Phones. They can also book private tours of state national parks like Kanha and Bandavgarh online.Victims of Bhopal gas tragedy can apply for free medical facilities, state incentives online.

Media

Nava Bharat, Raj Express, Nai Duniya, Patrika Rajsthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran and the Hindi weekly Akbar Times are prominent Hindi newspapers. Various other local newspapers are also published in various cities. In English, Times of India, Hindustan Times, Central Chronicle and Free Press have editions from Bhopal. Urdu journals is common in Bhopal. Nadeem, the oldest Urdu newspaper of the state, is published from Bhopal. Urdu Action and Haq-o-Insaf are also published. Farz, a Sindhi daily is published from Bhopal is the only Sindhi newspaper in State.

Sports

Cricket is commonly played game. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, cycling, swimming, tracking, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis are common games.There are two International cricket stadiums in state.

Captain Roop Singh Stadium Gwalior-On 24 February 2010 in Roop Singh Stadium there was a match between India and South Africa, India scored 401/3 and Sachin Tendulkar became the first and only male cricketer ever to score a double century in an ODI, ending on 200 not out. This match was comfortably won by India by 153 runs, where South Africa was bowled out for 248 in 42.5 Overs.It can hold 45,000 people at a time.

Nehru Stadium Indore- cricket stadium with a capacity of 25,000. It is the Home ground for Holkars in Ranji trophy

Also some traditional games are played in rural areas:

1. Kho kho 2. Gulli Danda 3. Pittu

MP government has declared Malkhambh is the state game of mp in 2008.

Various awards in MP to honour the sportspersons are: 1.Vikram Award 2.Vishwamitra Award 3.Eklavya Award

See also

Flora of Madhya Pradesh

References

Further reading

Chishti, R̥ta Kapur, Martand Singh, and Amba Sanyal. Saris of India: Madhya Pradesh. New Delhi: Wiley Eastern & Amr Vastra Kosh, 1989. ISBN 81-224-0187-2

Gyanendra Singh. Farm Mechanization in Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal: Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, 2000.

Madhya Pradesh (India). The Madhya Pradesh Human Development Report 2002: Using the Power of Democracy for Development. [Bhopal: Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, 2002.

Parmar, Shyam. ''Folk Tales of Madhya Pradesh. Folk tales of India series, 12". New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1973.

Rag, Pankaj, and O. P. Misra. Masterpieces of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal: Directorate of Archaeology, Archives & Museums, Government of Madhya Pradesh, 2005.

Rag, Pankaj. Vintage, Madhya Pradesh: A Collection of Old Photographs. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Madhyam jointly with the Directorate of Archaeology, Archives, and Museums, 2005. ISBN 81-902702-7-3

Sampath, M. D., H. V. Trivedi, and Mandan Trivedi. Epigraphs of Madhya Pradesh. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, 2001.

Sati, Vishwambhar Prasad. Madhya Pradesh, a Geo-Economic Appraisal. Delhi: Abhijeet, 2004. ISBN 81-88683-43-4

Shah, Shampa, and Aashi Manohar. Tribal Arts and Crafts of Madhya Pradesh. Living traditions of India. Ahmedabad: Mapin Pub./in Association with Vanya Prakashan, Bhopal, 1996. ISBN 0-944142-71-0

Shrivastava, Divya. The Development of Scheduled Tribes in Madhya Pradesh. New Delhi: Gyan Pub. House, 2000. ISBN 81-212-0698-7

Singh, R. V. Dairy Co-Operatives and Development: A Study of Tribal Dairy Co-Operatives in Madhya Pradesh. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2006. ISBN 81-7835-331-8

External links

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Category:States and territories established in 1956 Category:States and territories of India

Coordinates	40°52′49″N76°59′11″N
Name	Shivraj Singh Chauhan
Birth date	March 05, 1959
Birth place	Sehore, Madhya Pradesh
Residence	Bhopal
Office	Chief Minister Of Madhya Pradesh
Constituency	Budhni
Party	BJP
Religion	Hinduism
Spouse	Sadhna Singh Chouhan
Children	2 sons
Date	September 22 |
Year	2006 |
Source	http://www.shivrajsinghchouhan.in/

Shivraj Singh Chouhan () (born 5 March 1959) is the current chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. He replaced Babulal Gaur as the chief minister on 29 November 2005. He served as General Secretary of the BJP and State President, Madhya Pradesh BJP.

Shivraj Singh Chauhan was a gold medallist in M. A. (Philosophy) from the Barkatullah University, Bhopal. His father’s name is Shri Prem Singh Chouhan and mother's name is Smt. Sundar Bai Chouhan. He was married to Smt. Sadhana Singh in 1992. They have two sons.

He joined the RSS in 1972. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been the president of its Madhya Pradesh state party unit in the recent past. He has been a five-time Member of Parliament, representing Vidisha in the Lok Sabha since 1991. At present, he represents Budhni, a tehsil place in Sehore District of Madhya Pradesh in the state assembly.

Early political career

His early political career can be defined as up to the point of his first election to the Lok Sabha. Till then, he has been a President of Model Higher Secondary School Students Union in 1975. In 1976-77, he participated in underground movement against Emergency and was imprisoned in Bhopal Jail for some time.

In his early political career, he has also been:

A convener of Akhil Bhartiya Keshariya Vahini in 1991-92

The General Secretary of All India Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha from 1992 onwards

The General Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party, Madhya Pradesh from 1992 to 1994

A member of Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resources Development from 1992 to 1996

A Member of Committee on Labour and Welfare from 1993 to 1996

A Member of Hindi Salahkar Samiti from 1994 to 1996.

Political career

He was first elected to the State Assembly from Budhni Constituency in 1990. He was elected a Member of Parliament for the first time in his career in 10th Lok Sabha from Vidisha Constituency in the following year.

In 1996, he was re-elected to the 11th Lok Sabha (his second term). He was Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Member of Consultative Committee, Ministry of Human Resources Development and Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development from 1996 to 1997 and Member of Committee on Urban and Rural Development, General Secretary of B.J.P., Madhya Pradesh in 1997-98.

Again in 1998, he was re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (third term). He was Member, Committee on Urban and Rural Development and its Sub-Committee on Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment in 1998-99.

His fourth term in the Lok Sabha (13th Lok Sabha) was from 1999. He was member of Committee on Agriculture in 1999-2000, member of Committee on Public Undertakings from 1999 to 2001, and National President of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha from 2000 to 2003. He was also the Chairman of House Committee (Lok Sabha) and National Secretary of Bhartiya Janta Party.

The BJP swept Madhya Pradesh in the Assembly elections of December 2003. At that time, Shivraj Singh contested polls unsuccessfully against the incumbent Chief Minister Digvijay Singh from Raghogarh.

He was a member of Consultative Committee, ministry of Communications from 2000 to 2004. He was re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (5th term) in 2004, with a margin of over 260,000 votes. He was member of Committee on Agriculture, member of Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, National General Secretary of BJP, Secretary of Parliamentary Board, and Secretary (Central Election Committee). He also headed Housing Committee of Lok Sabha, and member of Committee on Ethics.

As the state BJP President, Shivraj Singh Chauhan was chosen to become the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh on November 30th, 2005. He contested a bye-election from Budhni assembly constituency the following year, winning his old seat by a margin of over 36,000 votes. In 2008, Shivraj Singh Chauhan retained the Budhni seat by over 41,000 votes, and with it, led the BJP to a second consecutive victory in the state. On December 12th, 2008, he was sworn in for his second term.

Timeline

References

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister

Personal website

‪External links

Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha - Parliament of India website

Chauhan, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shivraj Singh Category:14th Lok Sabha members Category:Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh Category:People from Vidisha Category:People from Sehore

Coordinates	40°52′49″N76°59′11″N
Name	Kareena Kapoor
Alt	A young Indian woman. Her face is brightly lit. She has dark brown hair falling upto her chest and is clad in a red sari. Her eyes are bluish in color and she appears to be smiling while looking at the camera.
Caption	Kapoor at the Global Indian TV Honours in Mumbai, February 2008
Birth date	September 21, 1980
Birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	2000–present
Partner	Saif Ali Khan (2007–present)
Signature	KareenaKapoor sig.jpg
Signature alt	"Kareena Kapoor"
Website

Kareena Kapoor (, pronounced ; born on September 21, 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has received five Filmfare Awards and has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas to comedies, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicised independent films.

Born into a family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... became India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career Having done so, Kapoor has established herself as a leading actress of the Hindi film industry.

Early life and background

Born in Mumbai, India, on September 21, 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma Kapoor, is also an actress. She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. Often informally referred to as Bebo, and on her mother's side she is Sindhi.

As a child, she had strong aspirations to become an actress, and was particularly inspired by watching the films of Bollywood actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. Kapoor, who describes herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", would regularly dress up in her mother's clothes and perform in front of the mirror. Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering the acting profession because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor's mother leaving the house with her two daughters. After her parents' separation, she was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991. In an interview with Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor said that growing up in a household filled with women helped her become strong and independent. She began training at an acting institute in Andheri, mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

Acting career

Debut and breakthrough (2000–03)

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan. On the experience of making her first film, she described it as "...tough ... [but] also a great learning experience." and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. A review in The Hindu, in regards to her performance, noted that she was "definitely the actress to watch out for, if her debut with Abhishek in Refugee and now Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai are any indication [...] Kareena shines throughout the flick, with the grace of a seasoned sizzler already." Kapoor next starred in Subhash Ghai's family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan. The drama centers on the character of Raj Singh Puri, a middle-class man, and his daughters' marriages. Kapoor played the part of the youngest daughter and Roshan's love interest, Isha Singh Puri. The film was met with negative reactions from reviewers and garnered poor box office returns. and was a moderate box office success in India. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love, and received her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Meanwhile, David Rooney from Variety wrote, "Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like J.Lo meets Michelle Yeoh."

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., a melodrama, in which she was featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Karan Johar, the movie was a major financial and critical success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing movie up until then. It also performed well internationally and became the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market up until then, earning over worldwide. Kapoor's performance as "Poo", a good-natured but superficial girl, was described as "one of the main ... highlights of the film", and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Kapoor's performances were often identified by critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration.

Critical acclaim (2004–06)

(2004), Kapoor's performance earned her much acclaim and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award.]]

Following the negative period in Kapoor's career, 2004 marked the beginning of her work in more serious films, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Another reviewer, however expressed concern that they found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing her as "sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened streetwalker", and likening her mannerisms to that of a caricature. Nonetheless, Kapoor's portrayal of Chameli garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award Subhash K Jha described her role as "fey and insubstantial", but further stated that "she turns these character traits to her own advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous". She then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed film Dev, which revolved around the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat. Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case.

Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida. The film follows the story of an on-line robbery and the Mumbai underworld with which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. During the filming of Fida, Kapoor entered into a relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life." Although the film did not succeed at the box office, Kapoor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles. Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002. Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, which was set in a psychiatric hospital, and relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure, though Kapoor's performance was generally enjoyed by critics, with the BBC reporting, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting." Kapoor then was cast in the romance . While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.

In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well. She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award; Kapoor herself considers her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career and has made comparisons between her portrayal of Dolly and her own evolving maturity as a woman.

Following Omkara, she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes". She later described this period as a way to "relax and unwind" herself.

Jab We Met and other works (2007–present)

Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life, in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007). Featured opposite Shahid Kapoor, the film relates the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, with a domestic box office of . She won several awards for her performance, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. While shooting for Jab We Met, Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship. Asked in Mumbai Mirror about their well-publicized break-up, she stated that "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy." the film eventually became a commercial and critical failure. She next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor then appeared in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received ambivalent reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was unoriginal, concluding, "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it." Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of internationally. The film earned over worldwide, but was a critical failure. She next starred in Prem Soni's directorial debut, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna. Kapoor featured as the protagonist, Raina Khanna, a woman who becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, and therefore struggles with her marriage. The film was critically and financially unsuccessful, with the Daily News and Analysis concluding that "Kapoor shows moments of the talent we associate with her, but then slumps with a silly drunken scene or by just smiling beatifically through emotional moments."

Following Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Kapoor's next release was Kurbaan, a dramatic thriller set against the backdrop of global terrorism. It was directed by Rensil D'Silva and written by Karan Johar, co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Om Puri and Kirron Kher. Kapoor played the role of Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to house arrest after finding out that her husband is a terrorist. She described the film as "an emotionally draining experience", which did not let her disconnect from her character during shooting.

Her final release of 2009 was Rajkumar Hirani's drama 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor starred as Pia, an independent-minded medical student and Khan's love interest. On acting alongside Khan, Kapoor revealed that it was "a dream come true" and further stated that her journey as an actress was "finally complete". The feature received much critical devotion and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing at the Indian box office. Rediff.com opined that Kapoor dazzled with her "brief role, and even though a lot of her spunk seems significantly Jab We Met in tone, she lights up the screen when she is around." During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another Best Actress nomination for her role. The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received. Prior on commencing work for the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch Stepmom in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style". At the same time, The New York Times noted: "Kapoor [...] manages to make something of a role that often beggars belief." She followed with the leading female role in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal 3, the sequel to the 2008 release Golmaal Returns. A part of an ensemble cast that included most of the actors from the previous film, the project was met with mixed reactions from reviewers, though became the most successful entry in the Golmaal film series, earning more than domestically. A review in MiD DAY described Kapoor's portrayal of the tomboy Daboo as "[the film's]...real hero...who takes the story forward."

Kapoor is scheduled to appear in a leading role in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction Ra.One. The film, which stars her alongside Shahrukh Khan and Arjun Rampal began filming in India in March 2010. She is also set to star opposite Saif Ali Khan in Sriram Raghavan's action-thriller Agent Vinod. At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, for the show Now or Never. Four years later, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success. In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.

Humanitarian work

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert, to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of from 10 Ka Dum to the old age home.

At the end of 2009, Kapoor joined the efforts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to create awareness about cleanliness. The project consisted of a group of individuals who would be responsible for interacting with the shopkeepers and residents of Nehru Nagar, to support a door-to-door campaign for the collection of garbage. The following year, Kapoor attended the NDTV Greenathon, where she adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. She said, "You want to live in an environment that is clean [and] healthy, and especially now everything affects the society so much. Actors have a voice, which can be heard and I am really happy that Priyanka [Chopra] has taken this iniative of being a brand ambassador. When our voice can be heard, we should use it and I am really happy that we all are spreading this awareness."

Clothing line

In August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain Globus on a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures. On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, "I am delighted to be the face of Globus [...] I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation".

In February 2008, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so. She said, "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for".

Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in France, to release her clothing line internationally. In January 2010, she explained that "I have the plans in place [and] I just have to execute them". However, Kapoor later noted that due to her prior commitments, her "plans [...] have had to take a backseat".

In the media

in February 2008]]

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000. Kapoor's off-screen life has been subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her weight and diet. her relationship with Khan has become one of the most reported celebrity stories in India since 2007. Her off-screen image has been open to much debate and criticism. While a section of the press has described her as friendly and extremely close to her family, She subsequently went on to play similar type of characters in her films from 2002–03, which further established her off-screen as well as her on-screen image as an actress. Following the release of Chameli, which helped her gain a new on-screen image,

at the 2009 India Couture Week]]

In 2004, Kapoor appeared third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. She has been featured frequently on other Rediff lists, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", and "Women of Many Faces". During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst she later appeared along with Shahid Kapoor in 2007 and 2010 respectively. In 2006, she was chosen to model and walk the runway for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the Fashion Week 2006, along with actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar. Three years later, Kapoor once again walked the runway for Malhotra's bridal collection titled Destination Wedding during the 2009 India Couture Week.

Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India. Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young girls and women. In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper DNA, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons. According to the UK magazine Eastern Eye, Kapoor was ranked fourth in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2009; she had been previously ranked eighth in 2007 and third in 2008. She became the only actress to be featured on CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India" and was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by People in 2010. In July 2010, Kapoor was placed eighth in Filmfare Magazine's annual power list, an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 2000 | Refugee | Nazneen "Naaz" Ahmed | Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut |- |rowspan="5"|2001 | Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai | Pooja Saxena | |- | Yaadein | Isha Singh Puri | |- | Ajnabee | Priya Malhotra | |- | Asoka | Kaurwaki | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... | Pooja "Poo" Sharma | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |- |rowspan="2"|2002 | Mujhse Dosti Karoge! | Tina Kapoor | |- | Jeena Sirf Merre Liye | Pooja/Pinky | |- |rowspan="4"|2003 | | Tina | |- | Khushi | Khushi Singh (Lali) | |- | Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon | Sanjana | |- | LOC Kargil | Simran | |- |rowspan="6"|2004 | Chameli | Chameli | Winner, Filmfare Special Award |- | Yuva | Mira | |- | Dev | Aaliya | Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance |- | Fida | Neha Mehra | |- | Aitraaz | Priya Saxena/Malhotra | |- | Hulchul | Anjali | |- |rowspan="3"|2005 | Bewafaa | Anjali Sahai | |- | Kyon Ki | Dr. Tanvi Khurana | |- | | Anjali | |- |rowspan="4"|2006 | 36 China Town | Priya | |- | Chup Chup Ke | Shruti | |- | Omkara | Dolly Mishra | Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best PerformanceNominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- | Don - The Chase Begins Again | Kamini | Cameo |- |rowspan="2"|2007 | Kya Love Story Hai | Herself | Special appearance in song It's Rocking |- | Jab We Met | Geet Dhillon | Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- |rowspan="4"|2008 | Halla Bol | Herself | Special appearance |- | Tashan | Pooja Singh | |- | Roadside Romeo | Laila | Voice |- | Golmaal Returns | Ekta | |- |rowspan="6"|2009 | Luck by Chance | Herself | Special appearance |- | Billu | Herself | Special appearance in song Marjaani |- | Kambakkht Ishq | Simrita Rai | |- | Main Aurr Mrs Khanna | Raina Khanna | |- | Kurbaan | Avantika Ahuja/Khan | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- | 3 Idiots | Pia Sahastrabudhhe | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- |rowspan="3"|2010 | Milenge Milenge | Priya Malhotra | |- | We Are Family | Shreya Arora | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |- | Golmaal 3 | Daboo | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |- |rowspan="3"|2011 | Ra.One | | Filming |- | Agent Vinod | Iram | Filming |- | Short Term Shaadi | | Filming |}

References

Further reading

, ,

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Indian film actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Indian vegetarians Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Living people

Coordinates	40°52′49″N76°59′11″N
Name	Aamir Khan
Caption	Khan at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.
Birth name	Aamir Hussain Khan
Birth date	March 14, 1965
Birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Spouse	Reena Dutta (1986–2002)Kiran Rao (2005–present)
Occupation	Film actor, producer, director and writer
Years active	1973–1974, 1984, 1988–2001, 2005–present
Website	http://www.aamirkhan.com/

Aamir Khan (, Urdu: عامر حسین خان), ; born Aamir Hussain Khan on 14 March 1965) is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has worked in a number of critically and commercially successful films, and has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema.

Starting his career as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain's film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan began his professional career eleven years later with Holi (1984) and had his first commercial success with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). He received his first National Film Award (Special Jury Award) for his role in the film Raakh (1989). After seven previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, Khan received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the major grosser Raja Hindustani (1996) and later earned his second Best Actor award for his performance in the Academy Award-nominated Lagaan, which also marked the debut of his own production company.

Following a four-year break from acting, Khan made his comeback playing the title role in the historical (2005), and later won a Critics Award for Best Performance for his role in Rang De Basanti (2006). The following year, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par, for which he received a Filmfare Award for Best Director. This was followed by Ghajini (2008), which became the highest grossing film of that year, and 3 Idiots (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time, unadjusted for inflation. family that has been actively involved in the Indian motion picture industry for several decades. His father, Tahir Hussain, was a film producer while his uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a film producer as well as a director and an actor.

He is a descendant of the Muslim scholar and politician Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and a second cousin to former Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Dr Najma Heptullah.

Film career

Actor

Khan began his film career as a child actor in a home production, made by Nasir Hussain, titled Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta's Holi (1984).

Khan's first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain's son Mansoor Khan. This film was a breakthrough commercial success, effectively launching Khan's career as a leading actor. Having the typical 'chocolate hero' looks, he was publicised as a teen idol. He also starred in critically acclaimed film Raakh, for which Khan got his first National Award for Special Jury Award. After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late '80s and early '90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially. Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained a cult status.

Khan continued to act in just one or two films a year, an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan directed commercial blockbuster Raja Hindustani in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, after seven previous nominations, and went on to become the biggest hit of the year, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of the 1990s. Khan's career had seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred with Ajay Devgan and was paired opposite Juhi Chawla in the film Ishq, which performed well at the box office. In 1998, Khan appeared in the moderately successful Ghulam, for which he also did playback singing. John Mathew Matthan's Sarfarosh (1999), Khan's first release in 1999, was also moderately successful, gaining an above average box office verdict. The film was highly appreciated amongst the critics and Khan's role as a dedicated, honest and uncorrupted cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was well received, as was his role in Deepa Mehta's art house film Earth. His first release for the new millennium, Mela, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box-office and critical bomb.

In 2001 he appeared in Lagaan. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including the National Film Awards. Khan himself won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film continues to be one of the most popular Hindi films in the west.

The success of Lagaan was followed by Dil Chahta Hai later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. The film was written and directed by the then newcomer Farhan Akhtar. According to critics, the film broke new grounds by showing Indian urban youth as they really are today. The characters depicted were modern, suave and cosmopolitan. The film did moderately well and was a success mostly in urban cities. earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year, and was selected as India's official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee for the Oscar, it received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. Khan's work in his next movie, Fanaa (2006) was also appreciated, and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2006. and became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of that year. For his performance in the film, Khan received several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth Filmfare Best Actor nomination.

In 2009, Khan appeared in the commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots as Ranchodas Chanchad which became Bollywood's highest grossing film and won multiple Filmfare awards including Best Picture.

Producer

In 2001 Khan set up a production company known as Aamir Khan Productions. Its first film was Lagaan. The movie was released in 2001, starring Khan as the lead actor. The film was selected as India's official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was eventually chosen and nominated in that category but lost to No Man's Land. The film won numerous awards at several Indian award functions such as Filmfare and IIFA, and won the National Film Award for Most Popular Film, an award shared between Khan and the film's director, Ashutosh Gowarikar. Khan later commented on the loss of Lagaan at the Oscars: "Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us".

In 2007 he produced the drama Taare Zameen Par which marked his directorial debut. Khan also played a supporting role in the film, sharing the screen with the debut of child actor Darsheel Safary. The film was initially conceived of and developed by the husband and wife team, Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. It was a story of a young child who suffers in school until a teacher identifies him as dyslexic. The movie was critically acclaimed, as well as a box office success. Taare Zameen Par won the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award as well as a number of other Filmfare and Star Screen Awards. Khan's work won him two awards at the Filmfare, the Best Movie and the Best Director awards, which established his status as a competent filmmaker in Bollywood.

In 2008, Khan launched his nephew Imran Khan's debut in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na under his production house. The film was a big hit in India, and eventually earned Khan another nomination for Best Movie at the Filmfare. His latest home production is "Dhobi Ghat".

Personal life

Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2009.]]

Khan married Reena Dutta, who had a small part in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, on April 18, 1986. They have two children, a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira. Reena was involved briefly in Khan's career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Khan filed for divorce, ending the 15-year marriage. Reena took custody of both children. On 28 December 2005, Khan married Kiran Rao who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.

Though nominated many times, Khan does not attend any Indian film award ceremony as he feels "Indian film awards lack credibility". In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London. However, Khan declined stating that, "It's not important to me... people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much."

In 2007, Khan lost a custody battle for his younger brother Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. His father passed away on 2 February 2010.

In a 2009 interview, Khan states that he tends to take an independent approach to the world of filmmaking, noting that he does not "do different things; I try to do it in a different manner. I think every person should follow his/her dream and try and make it possible to create an ability to achieve it backed by its practicality." He has also indicated that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the end result: "For me, the process is more important, more joyful. I would like to have my entire concentration on the process right from the first step." When asked about his role model, he stated, "Gandhiji is one person who inspires me!"

Filmography

Actor

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1973 | Yaadon Ki Baaraat | Young Ratan | |- | 1974 | Madhosh | Child artist | |- | 1984 | Holi | Madan Sharma | |- | 1988 | Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak | Raj | Filmfare Best Male Debut Award Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=2|1989 | Raakh | Aamir Hussein | National Film Award - Special Jury Award Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Love Love Love | Amit | |- |rowspan=5|1990 | Awwal Number | Sunny | |- | Tum Mere Ho | Shiva | |- | Dil | Raja | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin | Ajay Sharma | |- | Jawani Zindabad | Shashi | |- |rowspan=4|1991 | Afsana Pyaar Ka | Raj | |- | Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin | Raghu Jetley | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Isi Ka Naam Zindagi | Chotu | |- | Daulat Ki Jung | Rajesh Chaudhry | |- | 1992 | Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar | Sanjaylal Sharma | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=2|1993 | Parampara | Ranbir Prithvi Singh | |- | Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke | Rahul Malhotra | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | 1994 | Andaz Apna Apna | Amar Manohar | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=4|1995 | Baazi | Inspector Amar Damjee | |- | Aatank Hi Aatank | Rohan | |- | Rangeela | Munna | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Akele Hum Akele Tum | Rohit | |- | 1996 | Raja Hindustani | Raja Hindustani | Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | 1997 | Ishq | Raja | |- | 1998 | Ghulam | Siddharth Marathe | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award Nominated—Filmfare Best Male Playback Award |- |rowspan=3|1999 | Sarfarosh | Ajay Singh Rathod | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Mann | Dev Karan Singh | |- | Earth (1947) | Dil Navaz | |- | 2000 | Mela | Kishan Pyare | |- |rowspan=2|2001 | Lagaan | Bhuvan | Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Dil Chahta Hai | Akash Malhotra | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | 2005 | | Mangal Pandey | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=2|2006 | Rang De Basanti | Daljit 'DJ' Singh | Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Fanaa | Rehan Quadri | |- | 2007 | Taare Zameen Par | Ram Shankar Nikumbh | Nominated—Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award |- | 2008 | Ghajini | Sanjay Singhania | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=2|2009 | Luck by Chance | Himself | Special appearance |- | 3 Idiots | Ranncchoddas Shamalaldas Chanchad (Rancho)/ Phunsukh Wangdu | Nominated—Filmfare Best Actor Award |- |rowspan=1|2011 | Dhobi Ghat | Arun | Releasing on January 21, 2011 |}

Playback singing

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Song |- | 1998 | Ghulam | "Aati Kya Khandala" |- | 2000 | Mela | "Dekho 2000 Zamana Aa Gaya" |- | 2005 | | "Holi Re" |- |rowspan=2|2006 | Rang De Basanti | "Lalkaar" |- | Fanaa | "Chanda Chamke" |- | 2007 | Taare Zameen Par | "Bum Bum Bole" |}

Producer

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Director ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 2001 | Lagaan | Ashutosh Gowariker | National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Filmfare Best Movie Award |- | 2007 | Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars On Earth) | Aamir Khan | National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare Filmfare Best Movie Award |- | 2008 | Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na | Abbas Tyrewala | Nominated—Filmfare Best Movie Award |- | 2010 | Peepli Live | Anusha Rizvi | Nominated—Filmfare Best Movie Award |- |rowspan=2|2011 | Dhobi Ghat | Kiran Rao | |- | Delhi Belly | Abhinay Deo | |}

Writer/Director

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1988 | Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak | Story writer |- | 1993 | Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke | Screenwriter |- | 2007 | Taare Zameen Par | Director Filmfare Best Director Award |}

See also

List of Indian film actors

References

Further reading

Crerar, Simon. "Aamir Khan on Making it in Bollywood." The Times, 15 January 2010.

External links

Official site

Category:1965 births Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Living people Category:Indian Muslims Category:Hindi film actors Category:Hindi film directors Category:Indian film directors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Indian people of Afghan descent Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:Indian child actors