Title	Filmfare
Frequency	Bi-weekly
Circulation	1.4 lakhs
Headquarters	Mumbai
Company	Worldwide Media
Firstdate	1952
Based	Mumbai
Language	English
Website	www.filmfare.com

Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai (Bombay), it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene. The most popular entertainment magazine in India, it is read by the overseas Indian community worldwide.

It organizes and sponsors the Filmfare Awards and Filmfare Awards South.

Magazine

Filmfare is the oldest film magazine in India, as are its awards. the founder is nayan rohitas girjasing

It was originally a part of The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, which also publishes The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times and Maharashtra Times. In the 2005 Filmfare and some other publications, most notably Femina, were split off into a subsidiary. The new ownership, Worldwide Media, is a 50:50 joint venture between The Times Group and BBC Magazines, the publishing division of BBC Worldwide.

At the beginning of 2008 the magazine revamped both its look and publishing schedule. Publishing for evry 15 days in a month, Filmfare, under the editorship of Mr. Jitesh Pillai, has updated its regular sections and overall layout. It continues to feature extensive photographic work. The writing staff includes Anuradha Choudary, Sangeeta Angela Kumar, and Faheem Ruhani.

Filmfare has created two fan-based motion picture awards: the Filmfare Awards for movies in Hindi, and the Filmfare Awards South for movies in the Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu languages.

Regular Segments

'nayan'' - This segment consists of news snippets that highlight the latest happenings in the Hindi Film Industry (HiFi), the latest quarrels between actors, gossip going the rounds and other bits of hearsay.

Big Ticket - With sneak previews of upcoming flicks and reviews of existing ones, this segment is lapped up by film enthusiasts and film makers alike to see what this powerful magazine has to say about their movies. True to its style, Filmfare previews and reviews are short and sweet, and let their pictures do all the talking.

Fashion Play - nayan girjasing is the best, a Copy Editor at Filmfare says that all the film stars in the industry read this segment because it deals with the latest assessments of the HiFi brigade's fashion sense. Stars are prominently branded 'hot' or 'not' depending on their fashion quota.

Photo Shoots - The photo shoots of Filmfare are legendary. Featuring a stellar troupe of photographers such as Munna S, Dabboo Ratnani and Atul Kasbekar, the Filmfare photo shoots are often theme based, such as "the '60s look."

Future Stock - Prediction on the new kids on the block, and upcoming biggies, whether they be actors, musicians, or directors.

Gen Next - Generation Next is a segment that is generally a collection of random facts about the younger stars.

See also

Filmfare Awards

Filmfare Awards South

Cinema of India

Notes

External links

Filmfare Magazine website

Filmfare Magazine Subscription Worldwide

Category:Publications of The Times Group Category:Indian film magazines

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

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	Shahid Kapoor
Caption	Shahid Kapoor on Amul STAR Voice of India (2007).
Yearsactive	2003 – present
Birthname	Shahid Kapoor
Birthdate	February 25, 1981
Birth place	Delhi, India
Occupation	Film actor

Shahid Kapoor (; born on 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi language films. He is also a trained dancer.

Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal (1999). Four years later, he made his debut as a lead in Ishq Vishk (2003) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. Following through with acclaimed performances in films like Fida (2004) and Shikhar (2005), he had his first commercial success with Sooraj R. Barjatya's Vivah (2006), and followed it up with Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009) which are also his biggest commercial successes so far.

Career

Early career, until 2005

Before starting off his career as an actor, Kapoor worked in several music videos and ads, including the Pepsi commercial with Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji post Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and the music video Aankhon Me Tera Hi Chehra by the Aryans along with Hrishitaa Bhatt. While doing so, he decided to join the Shiamak Davar Institute for the Performing Arts (SDIPA), where he was later seen in Subhash Ghai's film Taal (1999) as a background dancer in the song Kahin Aag Lage Lag Jawe along with actress Aishwarya Rai and in Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) of Yash Raj banner with actress Karisma Kapoor.

In 2003, Kapoor played his first leading role as Rajiv Mathur, a carefree young man in Ken Ghosh's moderately successful love story Ishq Vishk. Appearing opposite Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala, the film was well received by audiences and Kapoor's performance earned him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. Film critic Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Shahid Kapoor is an actor to watch. He has all the qualities to hit the top slot. Not only is he good looking, but he is an amazing performer as well. Very original as a performer [sic], the youngster has handled the dramatic and emotional moments with flourish. He is an exceptional dancer as well. All he needs to do is pick and choose his forthcoming assignments with care, so that the journey to the top slot is minus hiccups."

The following year, Kapoor joined once again with director Ken Ghosh in the thriller Fida, where he co-starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. The film failed to do well at the box office, yet Kapoor's performance was praised. The Tribune concluded, "...Shahid Kapoor shines in his role. He looks fresh. As an impulsive emotional and innocent guy, who is sucked into crime because of these very qualities, he manages to evoke your sympathies." He then appeared in the romantic comedy Dil Maange More opposite Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. His performance opened to mixed reviews; Rediff.com wrote that "Shahid tends to imitate Shahrukh Khan a lot. He does it well in some scenes, overdoes it in others..."

Featuring in three more films in 2005, success continued to elude Kapoor. However, his performance as Jaidev Vardhan, a man who is sucked into the world of money and greed in John M. Matthan's drama Shikhar was critically acclaimed, earning Kapoor his first Star Screen Award for Best Actor nomination. According to IndiaFM, "Shahid Kapoor is only improving with every film. He matches up to Ajay in almost all sequences."

Breakthrough, 2006–present

In 2006, Kapoor starred in 36 China Town. Revolving around the story of seven individuals and a murder, the film became a moderate success despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. Shortly after the release of the film, Kapoor's second release of the year, Priyadarshan's comedy Chup Chup Ke, followed. The film became a moderate success at the box office. Kapoor's performance earned his second consecutive nomination for Best Actor at the Star Screen Awards. Taran Adarsh wrote, "Shahid Kapoor performs like never before. If he was super-cool in Ishq Vishk and showed flashes of brilliance in Fida, you've to watch him in Vivah to see his growth as a tremendous actor. He is exceptional in emotional sequences."

During the summer of 2006, Kapoor embarked on his first world tour, the Rockstars Concert, along with Bollywood stars, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, Esha Deol, Mallika Sherawat and Zayed Khan.

In 2007, Kapoor appeared in two movies. His first release was Ahmed Khan's Fool and Final. The film received negative reviews and failed to do well at the box office; Kapoor's performance in the film did not receive positive reviews. His next release, Imtiaz Ali's comedy-romance Jab We Met, opposite Kareena Kapoor, became one of the biggest hits of the year.

Kapoor then appeared in the Aziz Mirza-directed film, Kismat Konnection (2008), opposite Vidya Balan. Upon release, the film under-performed at the box office.

In 2009, Kapoor portrayed the dual role of twins Charlie and Guddu in the crime film Kaminey. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was a critical and commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. Kapoor's performance was also critically acclaimed. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN wrote, "Shahid Kapur rises to the challenge of creating two entirely different characters out of Charlie and Guddu, and delivers a credible performance as each. Breaking out of his chocolate-boy image, he gives evidence of his potential when trusted with well-written roles." Later in the year, Kapoor appeared in Anurag Singh's romantic comedy Dil Bole Hadippa! alongside Rani Mukerji.

In 2010, Kapoor appeared in Ken Ghosh's film Chance Pe Dance opposite Genelia D'Souza, in which he portrayed the role of a struggling Bollywood actor. The movie received poor review from critics, but Kapoor's performance was well received. He then starred in Ahmed Khan's Paathshala alongside Ayesha Takia and Nana Patekar followed by Yash Raj Films' moderately successful Badmaash Company. As of April 2010, Kapoor has completed filming for Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge, which released on July 9, 2010.

Personal life

Kapoor was born to actor Pankaj Kapoor and actor/classical dancer Neelima Azeem on 25 February 1981. Kapoor's parents divorced when he was three. After the divorce, he lived with his mother and maternal grandparents in Delhi. He shared a good relationship with his father and stepmother Supriya Pathak. As far as his religious affiliation is concerned, Kapoor has stated in an interview that while his father is a Hindu and his mother is a Muslim, both his parents have taught him that he "should look at all religions without hatred and have compassion for every human being whatever his religion may be," saying that he believes that "there is one God up above."

He studied in Rajhans Vidyalaya, Mumbai. Kapoor is a vegetarian. He has three half siblings: a sister named Sanah and brothers named Ruhaan and Ishaan Khattar; Ishaan acted with him in the movie Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005). His maternal grandfather was Anwar Azeem, a noted Marxist journalist and author from Bihar. His great great grandfather was the film director, screenwriter, Urdu novelist and journalist Khwaja Ahmad Abbas more popularly known as K. A. Abbas. His mother Neelima is the daughter of Anwar Azeem, one of the greatest Urdu writers. K.A. Abbas in turn was the grandson of Hali, the chief protégé of Urdu poet, Ghalib.

While filming Fida (2004), Kapoor began dating Kareena Kapoor. They dated for three years and then separated during the filming of Jab We Met (2007). According to him, they remained on good terms, with him saying, "I wish her all the happiness in the world. I have great respect for her. She is a wonderful girl."

Awards and nominations

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" ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Other notes |- | 1999 || Taal || || Background dancer in song Kahin Aag Lage Lag Jawe |- | 2003 || Ishq Vishk || Rajiv Mathur || Winner, Filmfare Best Male Debut Award |- |rowspan="2"|2004 || Fida || Jai Malhotra || |- | Dil Maange More || Nikhil Mathur || |- |rowspan="3"|2005 || Deewane Huye Paagal || Karan || |- | Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi! || Aditya (Adi) Verma || |- | Shikhar || Jaidev Vardhan (Jai) || |- |rowspan="3"|2006 || 36 China Town || Raj Malhotra || |- | Chup Chup Ke || Jeetu Prasad || |- | Vivah || Prem || |- |rowspan="2"|2007 || Fool n Final || Raja/Rahul || |- | Jab We Met || Aditya Kashyap || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | 2008 || Kismat Konnection || Raj Malhotra || |- |rowspan="2"|2009 || Kaminey || Charlie/Guddu || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actor Award |- | Dil Bole Hadippa! || Rohan Singh || |- |rowspan="4"|2010 || Chance Pe Dance || Sameer Behl || |- | Paathshaala || Rahul Prakash Udyavar ||Extended Cameo |- | Badmaash Company || Karan || |- | Milenge Milenge || Amit Singh (Immy) || |- | 2011 || Mausam || Rohan || Filming |}

See also

List of Indian film actors

References

External links

Kapoors, Shahid Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Shahid Category:People from Mumbai Kapoor, Shahid Category:Indian vegetarians

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	Madhuri Dixit
Caption	Madhuri Dixit on Nach Baliye (2007).
Birth date	May 15, 1967
Birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Birth name	Madhuri Shankar Dixit
Spouse	Dr Shriram Madhav Nene (1999–present)
Years active	1984–2002 2007
Occupation	Actress

Madhuri Dixit () (born Madhuri Shankar Dixit on 15 May 1967) is an Indian Bollywood actress. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, she established herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses and accomplished dancers. She appeared in numerous commercial successes and was recognised for several performances as well as dance numbers in various films. Dixit is often cited by the media as one of the most prominent female actresses in Bollywood. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India. She was trained as a Kathak dancer.

Film career

Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut in Abodh in 1984. After a few minor and supporting roles in movies like Dayavan and Vardi, she landed the lead female role in Tezaab (1988), for which she received her first Filmfare nomination. She then starred in a number of films that included Ram Lakhan (1989), Parinda (1989), Tridev (1989), Kishen Kanhaiya (1990) and (1991).

In 1990, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's romantic-drama Dil. She played the role of Madhu Mehra, a rich and arrogant girl who falls in love and later leaves her house to marry. The film became one of the biggest box-office hits of the year in India, and Dixit's performance earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career.

Post the success of Dil she starred in movies like Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Khalnayak (1993), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! (1994), and Raja (1995). Dixit's performance in Beta, that of a woman married to an illiterate, well-meaning man who exposes her scheming mother-in-law, won her a second Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! (1994) became one of the biggest grossers in the history of Hindi cinema till that time. It won Dixit her third Filmfare Best Actress Award. In that same year, Dixit was also nominated in the same category for her performance in Anjaam.

Dixit appeared as Pooja in Yash Chopra's Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) for which she won a fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. In that same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's Mrityudand. Dixit's performance in the film landed her the Best Actress award at the annual Star Screen Awards.

In 2002, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. The film was featured at the Cannes Film Festival. The following year a film named after her, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!, was released in which a woman (played by Antara Mali) aspires to become the new Madhuri Dixit by trying her luck in the Bollywood industry. but for her dancing skills as well. She is notable for her dance sequences accompanying Bollywood songs such as "Ek Do Teen" (from Tezaab), "Humko Aaj Kal Hai" (from Sailaab), "Bada Dukh Deenha" (from Ram Lakhan), "Dhak Dhak" (from Beta), "Chane Ke Khet Mein" (from Anjaam), "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" (from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...!), "Choli Ke Peechhe" (from Khalnayak), "Akhiyan Milaun" (from Raja), "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" (from Yaraana), "Kay Sera Sera" (from Pukar), and "Maar Daala" (from Devdas).

On 25 February 2006 she performed on stage for the first time in six years at the Filmfare Awards to music from her last movie Devdas. Her performance was choreographed by Saroj Khan.

On 7 December 2006, Dixit returned to Mumbai with her husband and sons to start filming for Aaja Nachle (2007). The film released in November 2007 and, despite the critics panning it, Dixit's performance was highly appreciated, with the New York Times commenting about her that "she's still got it".

Madhuri Dixit has been the muse for the famous Indian painter M.F. Husain. He made a film in 2000 named Gaja Gamini, in which Madhuri acted. The film was intended as a tribute to Dixit herself.

On Women's International Day in 2007, Dixit topped Rediff's list of the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever. In March 2010, The Economic Times named Madhuri Dixit in the list of the "33 women who made India proud". Nene is also from a Marathi Brahmin family. She has two sons, Arin (born in March 2003 in Colorado) and Raayan (born in March 2005 in Colorado).

She has two elder sisters, Rupa and Bharati, and an elder brother, Ajit. Madhuri and her family are based in Denver, Colorado, USA.

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Won

1991: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil

1993: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Beta

1995: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...!

1998: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dil To Pagal Hai

2003: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Devdas

Nominated

1989: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Tezaab

1990: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Prem Pratigya

1992: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Saajan

1994: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khalnayak

1994: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Anjaam

1996: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Raja

1996: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Yaraana

2001: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Pukar

2002: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Lajja

2008: Filmfare Best Actress Award for Aaja Nachle

Star Screen Awards

Won

1994: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...!

1995: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Raja

1997: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Mrityudand

2002: Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actress for Devdas

Nominated

2000: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Pukar

Zee Cine Awards

Won

1998: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Dil To Pagal Hai

2002: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for Lajja

Nominated

2000: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Pukar

2003: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female for Devdas

IIFA Awards

Nominated

2000: IIFA Best Actress Award for Pukar

Stardust Awards

Nominated

2008: Stardust Star of the Year Award - Female for Aaja Nachle

Honours and recognitions

1997: "Kalabhinetri" award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh

2001: National Citizen's Award

2001: Forbes named Dixit among the Top Five Most Powerful Indian Movie Stars. 2007: "Bollywood's Best Actress Ever" 2008: Honored at IFFLA Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; ;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Other notes |- | 1984 || Abodh || Gauri || |- | 1985 || Awara Baap || || |- | 1986 || Swati || Anandi || |- |rowspan="3"| 1987 || Mohre || Maya || |- | Hifazat || Janki || |- | Uttar Dakshin ||Chanda || |- |rowspan="3"| 1988 || Khatron Ke Khiladi || Kavita || |- | Dayavan || Neela Velhu || |- | Tezaab || Mohini || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- |rowspan="9"| 1989 || Vardi || Jaya || |- | Ram Lakhan || Radha || |- | Prem Pratigyaa || Laxmi || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Ilaaka || Vidya || |- | Mujrim || Sonia || |- | Tridev || Divya Mathur || |- | Kanoon Apna Apna || Bharathi || |- | Parinda || Paro || India's official entry to the Oscars |- | Paap Ka Anth || || |- |rowspan="9"| 1990 || Maha Sangram || || |- | Kishen Kanhaiya || Anju || |- | Izzatdaar || Mohini || |- | Dil || Madhu Mehra || Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin || Anita || |- | Jeevan Ek Sangharsh || Madhu Sen || |- | Sailaab || Dr. Sushma || |- | Jamai Raja || Rekha || |- | Thanedaar || Chanda || |- |rowspan="6"| 1991 || Pyaar Ka Devata || Devi || |- | Khilaaf || Sweta || |- | 100 Days || Devi || |- | Pratikaar || Madhu || |- | Saajan || Pooja || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | || Shirley || |- |rowspan="5"| 1992 || Beta || Saraswati || Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Zindagi Ek Jua || Juhi || |- | Prem Deewane || Shivangi Mehra || |- | Khel || Seema/Dr.Jadi Buti || |- | Sangeet ||Nirmala Devi & Sangeeta || |- |rowspan="6"| 1993 || Dharavi || Dreamgirl || |- | Sahibaan || Sahibaan || |- | Khalnayak || Ganga (Gangotri Devi) || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Phool || Guddi|| |- | Dil Tera Aashiq || Sonia Khanna/Savitri Devi || |- | Aansoo Bane Angaray || || |- |rowspan="2"| 1994 || Anjaam || Shivani Chopra || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! || Nisha Choudhury || Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- |rowspan="2"| 1995 || Raja || Madhu Garewal || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Yaraana || Lalita/Shikha || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- |rowspan="3"| 1996 || Prem Granth || Kajri || |- | Paapi Devta || || |- | Raj Kumar || || |- |rowspan="5"| 1997 || Koyla || Gauri || |- | Mahaanta || Jenny Pinto || |- | Mrityudand || Ketki || |- | Mohabbat || Shweta Sharma || |- | Dil To Pagal Hai || Pooja || Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- |rowspan="2"| 1998 || Bade Miyan Chhote Miyan || Madhuri Dixit || Special appearance |- | Wajood || Apoorva Choudhury || |- | 1999 || Aarzoo || Pooja || |- |rowspan="2"| 2000 || Pukar || Anjali || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Gaja Gamini || Gaja Gamini/Sangita/
Shakuntala/Monika/Mona Lisa || |- |rowspan="2"| 2001 || Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke || Neha || |- | Lajja || Janki || Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award |- |rowspan="2"| 2002 || Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam || Radha || |- | Devdas || Chandramukhi || Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
India's official entry to the Oscars |- | 2007 || Aaja Nachle || Diya || Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |}

References

External links

Category:1967 births Category:Indian film actors Category:Marathi people Category:Indian Hindus Category:Living people Category:People from Mumbai Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:Indian actors Category:Indian immigrants to the United States Category:Hindi film actors