Lamhe (Hindi: लम्हे, translation: Moments) is a Hindi film released in 1991, directed by Yash Chopra. The story was written by Honey Irani. The film was critically acclaimed, had exceptional music and did brilliant business in UK. Unfortunately, it was not a box-office success in India. It is one of the few films that picked up The Best Film award at Filmfare despite its lacklustre business.

Lamhe was shot in two schedules in Rajasthan and London. Over the years the film has been hailed as a cult classic and is regarded as a modern masterpiece and possibly Yash Chopra's finest film. It is also one of the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market and video circuit. Sridevi won a lot of acclaim for her double-role as mother and daughter, winning the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and other awards. The film finds a place in the Times Movie Guide's Top 100 Indian films. It is also in the Outlook magazine's list of All-Time Great Indian films. Cited as Yash Chopra's personal favourite along with Silsila. The two commercial failures in an otherwise impeccable cinematic cv in the Chopra empire." - From the book 'Yash Chopra - Fifty years in Indian Cinema' by Rachel Dwyer.

Synopsis

The film is about Viren (Anil Kapoor) who travels to Rajasthan with his governess, affectionately called Dai Jaa (Waheeda Rehman). He meets the beautiful Pallavi (Sridevi) and he instantly falls in love with her. However, she also happens to be older than him, though this does not bother Viren. During a property dispute and a court case, Pallavi's father suddenly dies of a heart-attack. She is shattered and goes into isolation. At the wake, Viren goes to console her, when she sees him she runs towards him but runs straight past Viren and goes towards Sidhharth - the man she loves. Viren is heartbroken but to fulfill Pallavi's father's dying wish, he arranges the wedding between Sidhharth and Pallavi. Allowing Pallavi to live her life happily, Viren leaves for London.

However one year into the marriage Sidhharth and Pallavi are both killed in an accident. It was also revealed that she was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a daughter. The girl is named Pooja and is kept in the care of Dai Jaa. Viren visits from time to time, for Pallavi's death anniversary, and buys gifts for the young Pooja. He never spends any time with her though, which makes her sad. A few years later Viren returns from London and meets the grown up Pooja for the first time. When he meets her he is shocked to see that she looks exactly like her mother. Eventually Viren brings them both to London, and it is slowly revealed that Pooja has fallen in love with Viren. He has not forgotten about Pallavi though.

Viren has a friend Prem (Anupam Kher), who knows that Viren's heart still pines for dead Pallavi. Over the course of time, and much persuasion, slowly Viren hops back to reality engaging himself in work at London. There a girl, Anita, who works along with him falls for him. She knows about Viren's love for Pallavi and constantly tries to gain his attention for herself.

Pooja and Dai Jaa both come to London for vacations, and there Anita discovers that Pooja looks the same as Pallavi. This upsets her as she is afraid that Viren will eventually fall for Pooja. Pooja on the other hand also develops feelings for Viren whom she lovingly calls "Kuwarji".

Virens friend Prem also likes Pooja and understands that Pooja loves Viren. Though he likes the match, he is skeptical since Viren is still living in the past.

There are scenes when Pooja and Anita come face to face over the topic of Viren. Eventually Anita insults Pooja as a kid infatuated by Viren, and asks what relation Pooja is to Viren that she acts authoratively over him. Pooja retorts back saying that if she is not related to Viren, Anita is not related to him in any way either. This frustrates Anita leading her to blast Viren over feelings for a younger girl.

Pooja finds a sketch (which Viren has made of her mother) and misunderstands that it is a sketch of her made by Viren. She confronts him and he blasts her saying he had loved her mom and not her. Pooja is heartbroken and decides to return to India. Viren decides to marry Anita since he feels she is right and has been waiting for him for a long time. Pooja cant bear this and decides to get married too only on the condition that Viren marries Anita first.

The Climax shows a heartbroken Pooja narrating a folk tale to audience in a village show. She suddenly notices Viren in the audience and becomes very happy. Viren has eventually realised after Pooja has left London that he loves her now, and not her mother anymore, who in fact had never loved him. It turns out that neither of them had gotten married as they said they would, and they are now free to be together.

Music

The music of Lamhe was composed by Shiv Kumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia, known together as Shiv-Hari and lyrics were provided by Anand Bakshi. The song "Kabhi Main Kahoon" was made from melody used as background music in Yash Chopra's previous movie Chandni, also scored by Shiv-Hari. In the famous Parody Sequence, Waheeda Rehman danced to "Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai" - the superhit number from her own classic Guide.

The songs included on the official soundtrack are listed here:

Cast

Anil Kapoor ... Viren

Sridevi ... Pallavi/Pooja

Waheeda Rehman ... Dai Jaa

Anupam Kher ... Prem

Dippy Sagoo ... Anita Malhotra

Manohar Singh ... KothiWale Thakur ( Pallavi's father)

Lalit Tiwari ... Sudheshwar Narayan Tiwari

Deepak Malhotra ... Siddharth Bhatnagar

Ila Arun ... Gypsy

Richa Pallod ... Young Pooja

Vikas Anand ... Doctor

Awards

1992 Filmfare Awards

Best Film - Yash Chopra

Best Actress - Sridevi

Best Comedian - Anupam Kher

Best Story - Honey Irani

Best Dialogue - Dr. Rahi Masoom Reza

Nominated Best Director - Yash Chopra

Nominated Best Actor - Anil Kapoor

Nominated Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Waheeda Rehman

1992 National Film Awards

Best Costume Design - Neeta Lulla

References

External links

Category:1991 films Category:Hindi-language films Category:Indian films Category:Filmfare Best Movie Award winners Category:Films directed by Yash Chopra Category:Yash Raj Films Category:Films set in Rajasthan

Name	Emraan Hashmi
Caption	Hashmi at the Percept Picture Company and Vishesh Films' press conference, 2008.
Birthname	Emraan Anwar Hashmi
Birthdate	March 24, 1979
Birthplace	Mumbai, India
Occupation	Actor
Yearsactive	2003—present
Spouse	Parveen Shahani (2006—present)
Website	http://www.emraan-hashmi.net/

Emraan Anwar Hashmi (}}; born 24 March 1979 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India), is a Filmfare Award-nominated Indian actor.

Early life

Hashmi was born to Anwar Hashmi and Maherahh Hashmi. His father is a Muslim while his mother a Roman Catholic. He studied graphics and animation from Sydenham College in Mumbai. He and co-star Mallika Sherawat shot to fame with the thriller, Murder (2004), which went on to become a super hit at the box office. In 2005, he appeared in several films such as Zeher, Aashiq Banaya Apne and Kalyug, which did moderately well at the box office. In 2006, his film, Gangster was a semi-hit, while Aksar and The Killer were flops. In 2007, Hashmi had three back to back releases, while Good Boy Bad Boy and The Train both failed at the box office, the big budgeted, Awarapan did moderately well. In 2008, Hashmi's first release, Jannat had a 100% opening making it a critical and commercial success. His first release in 2009, Raaz - The Mystery Continues, opened well and became the first box office success of the year. His second film of the year, Tum Mile, opened to mixed reviews and was rated a box office failure. In 2010, he appeared in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, which opened to positive reviews and was declared a hit at the box office.

Personal life

Hashmi graduated from Sydenham College in Mumbai, India. Pooja Bhatt, an actress turned director, is his cousin, while Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt are his uncles. They are both producers, while the former is also a writer and director. Hashmi married his long time girl friend, Parveen Shahani in December 2006. He became father to a baby boy on 4 February 2010 and named him Ayaan.

Controversies

In July 2009, Hashmi claimed that a housing society in Mumbai's upmarket Pali Hill locality refused to grant him permission to buy an apartment because he is a Muslim. The housing society rejected the allegations and in turn accused Hashmi and his family of intimidatory behavior. Hashmi's allegations were condemned by other Muslim actors in Bollywood, especially Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan. while the Indian-Islamic Cultural Center accused Hashmi of spurring communal tensions in India.

On 10 August 2009, Hashmi backtracked from his accusation and said that the housing society has not discriminated against him and termed the incident as a "miscommunication".

Filmography

Awards

2005 Nominated Star Screen Award For Best Villain in Murdrer

2005 Won Stardust Award Best Actor in a Negative Role in Murder

2007 Nominated Filmfare Award For Best Villain in Gangster

2007 Nominated IIFA Award For Best Actor in a Negatve Role in Gangster

2011 Nominated Star Screen Award Best Vllain in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

2011 Nominated Apsara Award Best Villain in Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

2011 Nominated Filmfare Award Best Actor in Supporting Role in Once Upon Time In Mumbaai

References

External links

Category:1979 births Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian Muslims Category:Living people Category:People from Mumbai Category:Hindi film actors Category:University of Mumbai alumni

Name	Shamita Shetty
Birthdate	February 02, 1979
Birth place	Mangalore, India |
Occupation	Actress
Yearsactive	2000 - present
Spouse	None

Shamita Shetty (Tulu: ಶಮಿತಾ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ) (born 2 February 1979) is an Indian actress. She is the younger sister of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

Early life

Shamita is the second and youngest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty. She was born in a traditional close-knit family that hails from the Bunt community of Udupi. Her parents are manufacturers of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry and her native language is Tulu. Shamita Shetty attended St Anthony's Girls High School in Chembur, Mumbai. She graduated from Sydenham College.

Career

Shetty made her debut in 2000 with the Yash Raj Films blockbuster Mohabbatein, which was directed by Aditya Chopra. Since Mohabbatein, she mostly found success in item numbers, including "Sharara Sharara" in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2001) and "Chori Pe Chori" in Saathiya (2002). Later Shetty found success as an actress with her first solo-hit Zeher. She worked once with her sister Shilpa Shetty in Fareb in that same year. Currently she isn't working on any film. She was a guest on Bigg Boss (Season 3) on Colors TV. She opted out of the show for her sister Shilpa's wedding. She was out of the show on 14 November 2009 after staying for 7 weeks in the show on day 41.

Filmography

Tv Show

Bigg Boss (Season 3)

See also

List of Indian film actresses

External links

References

Category:Indian actors Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Indian film actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Mangaloreans Category:Tulu people Category:People from Mangalore Category:Bigg Boss participants

Name	Atif Aslam
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Muhammad Atif Aslam
Alias	Aadee
Born	Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Pakistan March 12, 1983
Origin	Lahore, Pakistan
Instrument	Guitar
Genre	Hip Hop,Romance,Rock
Occupation	Musician, Singer, Lyricist, Actor
Years active	2002-present
Label	Pakistan - Fire Records India - Tips
Associated acts	Strings, Jal, Hadiqa Kiyani, Shreya Ghoshal, Alka Yagnik, Sachin Gupta, Pritam, Alisha Chinai
Religion	Islam (Sunni)
Url	Official Website
Current members	Asad Mobeen Shah Sameer Rasheed
Past members	Mahmood Rehman Omer Nadeem Haider Haleem Syed Ammar Masood

Atif Aslam (}}, born Mohammad Atif Aslam; 12 March 1983 in Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Pakistan) is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Kuch Is Tarah, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye, Meri Kahani and Jalpari. He is best known for his powerful vocal belting technique. In 2008, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.

Early life and education

Atif Aslam was born in 1983 in Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Pakistan.

He studied at PAF College, Lahore where he completed his F.Sc (Pre-engineering) with the class of 2001. He used to be the main attack bowler of his college cricket team and represented his college in various other cities and ultimately got selected in under 19 National cricket team of Pakistan. He won his first singing competition on Independence Day celebrations in the college. He then went to the University of Central Punjab and completed his Bachelors in Computer Science.

Aslam is single and currently lives in Lahore (Pakistan) with his family.

Atif has recently joined Twitter, his official id is www.twitter.com/itsaadee

Music career

Jal

He used to sing at the college canteen when his friends urged him to participate in the singing competition on Independence Day celebrations at PAF College Lahore in 1998. He performed there and won the competition. Thereafter, he also won several other college competitions.

He met Goher- a guitarist who became his future Jal band-mate, at his college. Together they practiced and started doing mini-concerts for their friends. Atif used to perform on the songs of Junoon and Strings at these concerts. They started performing in their college, McDonalds, Uncle Bubba's Rabba Dabba and other restaurants. Thus began the original line up of Jal.

Jal recorded their first song Aadat at Mekal Hassan's Studio. The song became popular on different musical websites in Pakistan and was also aired on major radio stations of Pakistan like City FM 89, FM 100, Mast FM 103, FM 105 etc. The video for this song was released on ARY Digital and The Musik and then it was played on almost all the channels.

Solo career

After leaving Jal due to personal differences, Atif released his first solo album, Jal Pari on 19 July 2004, under Sound Master and IC records. Its promoters declared it to be the best selling album of that year within just 5 months of its release. Besides his native country, he also became popular in India and his career took off to fame in both the countries. In the meantime he also cleared his Bachelors in Computer Science (Hons.) from the University of Central Punjab. His second album, Doorie was released on 22 December 2006.

His first major concert was at Al Hamra Hall, Mall Road Lahore where he performed during the break of a stage drama Moulin Rouge. On 14 April 2007, Atif performed in Royal Albert Hall. His first international concert was at W. StarDreamz Entertainment Group during his tour of USA and Canada with RDB and Annie.

Aslam began work on his fourth album Shabnam in January 2009 which was completed on early 2010. He announced plans to release the album on October 2010 to The Daily Express but due to the country's on-going flood problem, he decided to postpone the project further. In a November 2010 interview he said, "I'm working on the Guns n' Roses international project and a NGO [project] so I have no time at the moment to work on release my album".

Atif also mentioned in a press conference held in Karachi that he will be working on an international project titled The Dreamer Awakes, alongside American rock band Guns n' Roses. The song will be released in Summer 2011.

Bollywood

Atif has also sung many songs for Bollywood films, like Pehli Nazar Mein in Race, Tere Bin in Bas Ek Pal, Bakuda Tum Hi Ho in Kismat Konnection, Tera Hone Laga Hoon and Tu Jaane Na in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, all of which have been very well-received by the Indian audience.

His last Indian venture was Prince in which he sang four songs, Tere Liye, Aa Bhi Ja Sanam, Kaun Hoon Main and O Mere Khuda.

He also performed background vocals for scenes in Prince.

Hollywood

Atif Aslam's three songs featured in the Hollywood film, Man Push Cart. While Aadat is the main track, Ehsaas and Yaqeen are the other tracks. These songs are taken from his debut album, Jalpari. Atif is the 3rd Pakistani singer after Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Strings to be featured in any Hollywood movie.

Acting career

Atif is expected to make his acting debut in the second film of well acclaimed Pakistani director Shoaib Mansoor. The film titled Bol is set to release in 2011. The film will also star famous Pakistani TV anchor Mahira Khan. Atif plays the role of a doctor in the film. The film has completed shooting and is now proceeding with its post production works. According to reports, Atif will play a supporting role of a doctor, whilst another newcomer will play the lead role in the film.

Controversies

Jal controversy

After the release of the song Aadat by Jal, there were disputes within the band about Atif's brother being the band's manager. At this point Atif broke off from the band to do his own solo album. His solo album was released a few weeks before the release of the Jal's album, Aadat. As both the albums shared certain tracks, such as Aadat, Wo Lamhey, Rangon Mein and Dil Harey, an unofficial war over rights began between both the groups. Goher Mumtaz sued Atif for using the name Jal in his album title cunningly (Jal Pari, meaning mermaid).

Discography

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;" | Character Name ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Industry ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |2011 |Bol |Mustafa |Lollywood |Atif's acting début |- |}

Singles

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! No. !! Song !! Co-Singer |- | 1 || Meri Hamjoliyan || None |- | 2 || Yunhi || None |- | 3 || Teriyaan Yaadan || None |- | 4 || Ab Khud Kuch Karna Padega || Strings |- | 5 || Haath Uthao (For Flood Victims) || None |- | 6 || Lambi Judai || None |- | 7 || Dosti || None |- | 8 || Intezaar (Upcoming Track On Eid) || None |- |}

Bollywood/Lollywood Songs

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! No. !! Song !! Film !! Co-Singer |- | 1 || Woh Lamhe || Zeher || None |- | 2 || Aadat || Kalyug || None |- | 3 || Tere Bin || Bas Ek Pal || None |- | 4 || Pehli Nazar Mein || Race || None |- | 5 || Bakhuda Tumhi Ho || Kismat Konnection || Alka Yagnik |- | 6 || Tera Hone Laga Hoon|| Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani || Alisha Chinai |- | 7 || Tu Jaane Na || Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani || None |- | 9 || O Mere Khuda || Prince || Garima Jhingon |- | 10 || Tere Liye || Prince || Shreya Ghoshal |- | 11 || Kaun Hoon Main || Prince || None |- | 12 || Aa Bhi Jaa Sanam || Prince || None |- | 13 || Rona Chaditta ( Mahi Mahi ) || Mel Karade Rabba || None |- | 14 || Hona Tha Pyar|| Bol || Faiza Mujahid |- | 15 || Aaj Bol Do|| Bol || Hadeeqa Kyani |- | 16 || Untitled Song|| F.A.L.T.U || None |}

Jingles for advertisement

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! No. !! Song !! Co-singer/band |- | 1 || Jee Lay For Warid Glow || None |- | 2 || Allahu Akbar For Olpers Qawwali|| Davood Ali |}

Coke Studio

In 2009, Atif Aslam sang five songs for Pakistani music show called Coke Studio.

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! Year !! Episode !! Song Name !! Co-Singer |- | 2009 || 1 || Jal Pari || None |- | 2009 || 2 || Kinara || Riaz Ali Khan |- | 2009 || 3 || Wasta E Pyar Da || None |- | 2009 || 4 || Mai Ni || None |- | 2009 || 5 || Humain Kya Hua || None |}

Awards

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! Year !! Group !! Award !! Result |- | rowspan="5" | 2005 || Indus Music Awards || Best Lyrics Aadat || |- | Indus Music Awards || Best Song Aadat || |- | Indus Music Awards || Best Composition Aadat || |- | Sahara Sangeet Awards || Best Playback Singer || |- | Sahara Sangeet Awards || Best Debut Singer || |- | rowspan="3" | 2006 || The Musik Awards || Most Wanted Male || |- | Lux Style Awards || Best Album Doorie || |- | Filmfare Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) Woh Lamhe - Zeher || |- | rowspan="2" | 2007 || Lycra MTV Style Awards || Most Stylish Person in Music || |- | Filmfare Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) Tere Bin - Bas Ek Pal || |- |rowspan="3" | 2008 || Lux Style Awards || Most Well Dressed Celebrity - Police Dress|| |- | The Musik Awards || Most Wanted Male || |- | Government of Pakistan || Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Distinction) || Awarded |- | rowspan="2" | 2009 || International Indian Film Academy Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) Pehli Nazar Mein - Race || |- | Star Screen Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) Pehli Nazar Main - Race || |- | rowspan="3" | 2010 || Filmfare Awards || Best Playback Singer – Tu Jaane Na || |- | IIFA Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) – Tu Jaane Na || |- | GIMA Awards || Best Playback Singer (Male) – Tu Jaane Na || |- |}

References

External links

Official Website

Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Punjabi people Category:Bollywood playback singers Category:People from Gujranwala District Category:Pakistani film singers Category:Urdu-language singers Category:Punjabi-language singers Category:Pakistani pop singers Category:Pakistani singers Category:Tamgha-e-Imtiaz

Name	Ameesha Patel
Birthname	Amisha Patel
Birthdate	June 09, 1975
Birthplace	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Yearsactive	2000–present

Ameesha Patel (, ; born Amisha Patel on 9 June 1975) is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Patel won critical praise for her performance in (2001), which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, earning her a Filmfare Special Performance Award. She would subsequently star in a number of films, most of which proved unsuccessful at the box office. However, her performance in the 2006 film Ankahee, received critical recognition, and she followed it with a supporting role in the hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007).

Her relationship with filmmaker Vikram Bhatt was often talked about in the Indian media as well as her long-running rift with her parents.

Early life and background

Patel is the daughter of Amit Patel and Asha Patel, sister of Ashmit Patel and the granddaughter of the famous lawyer-politician Barrister Rajni Patel who was the Congress Pradesh Committee President of Bombay. She was born in the Breach Candy Hospital in Bombay and is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer since the age of five. Her birth name is a blend of the first three letters of her father's name Amit and the last three letters of her mother's name Asha.

She studied at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Bombay and was head girl for the academic year 1992–1993 before heading overseas to study Economics at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Patel's career began as an economic analyst at Khandwala Securities Limited after graduation. Later on, she received an offer from Morgan Stanley but turned it down. After returning to India, she joined Satyadev Dubey's theatre group and acted in plays, including an Urdu language play titled Neelam (1999) that was written by Tanveer Khan, upon receiving permission from her conservative parents. At the same time she plunged into modeling appearing in several commercial campaigns. Patel has also modeled for well-known Indian brands like Bajaj Sevashram, Fair & Lovely, Cadburys Jai Lime, Fem, Lux and many more.

Acting career

Debut and breakthrough, 2000–2002

Patel's first opportunity for acting came in the form of an offer from her father's schoolmate, Rakesh Roshan, to star opposite his son, Hrithik Roshan, in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000). The offer came immediately after she graduated from high school but she refused the project because she wanted to continue her education in USA. Afterward, Kareena Kapoor replaced her but luckily, Kapoor backed out after shooting for a couple of days and Patel was given the opportunity once again during a family lunch. Patel readily agreed to do the project this time. The role of an exuberant college girl in love, undergoing a tortuous time at losing her lover and rediscovering a more mature relationship gave Patel scope to perform. The film was a smashing success and established Patel as a rising star, earning her awards for Best Debut at a number of award ceremonies. (2001).]] In her second film, the Telugu language drama Badri, she starred opposite Pawan Kalyan. The film was a major success, grossing more than Rs 120 million in India.

2001 saw her appearing in Anil Sharma's cross-border romance, , alongside Sunny Deol. Patel signed on much before she shot into the limelight with Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai and was among 22 girls that were screen-tested from 500 girls who came to audition for the film. Patel had gone through a 12-hour audition before she got the part. The film went on to become the top-grossing film of the year, as well as the biggest hit of the 21st century, earning Rs 973 million in India. Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, it featured Patel as Sakeena, a Muslim girl who finds refuge in Deol's house during the riots, and subsequently falls for him. Her performance was praised, and won her the Filmfare Special Performance Award, as well as nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh of IndiaFM concluded, "Despite being one-film-old, Amisha Patel deserves full marks for handling the complex role with elegance. She looks the character she is portraying and impresses with a natural performance." The film was perceived as being excessively anti-Pakistani.

These successes were followed by a series of films that flopped at the box-office. In Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001), she played a successful singer who was abandoned by her mother at the time of her birth.

In 2002, Patel had four continuous failures but her last release, Humraaz, became one of the highest grossing films of the year at the box office, and her performance earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. The Abbas-Mustan marital thriller saw her playing a character with negative shades for the first time. She played the girlfriend of Akshaye Khanna, who marries Bobby Deol to grab his wealth – but, seeing Bobby's honesty, her character surrenders to him. Taran Adarsh commented, "Amisha Patel is just about okay as Akshaye's lover (first half), but splendid as Bobby's wife (second half). This performance should silence her detractors for sure. Also, she's looked her best with admirable outfits and perfect make-up."

Career slump, 2003–2006

During 2003 to 2006, Patel's acting career entered a slump. Despite the relative success of Humraaz, Patel's string of unsuccessful films followed and would continue until 2006, although she did find minor box office success with Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, in which she played a career-oriented young woman who rejects the advances of Aftab Shivdasani's character. In Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, she played the role of Sapna who is caged in protective custody of her own father. She co-starred opposite Hrithik Roshan for the second time in this film. Unlike their successful pairing in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, the film proved to be a disappointment and resulted in a critical and commercial failure. Patel's performance in the film was criticized by a section of the media, but during an interview she clarified that there was an "error" because the scene explaining that her character is supposed to be asthmatic in the film was edited out not knowing that one shot would make such a difference, thus creating confusion to the viewer about her appearing out of breath, as if she's overacting or crying.

Consequently, Patel's unsuccessful follow-up continued with Kranti and David Dhawan's comedy Yeh Hai Jalwa in 2002, followed by her first Tamil language film Puthiya Geethai and Deepak Bahry's Parwana in 2003. Her releases in 2004, Vimal Kumar's comedy Suno Sasurjee, a delayed production since 2000, and her second Telugu language film Naani, followed. That year she also appeared in the music video for "Kasam" and "Kasam (Unplugged)" by Adnan Sami.

In 2005, she starred in Satish Kaushik's thriller Vaada, playing the role of Arjun Rampal's unfaithful wife who is followed by her obsessive ex-lover. In her next release, Elaan, she played a TV reporter. She later appeared in Ketan Mehta's historical drama where she played the role of the soft-spoken Jwala, a Bengali widow who gets rescued from committing Sati by a British commanding officer. Patel was cast as a replacement for Aishwarya Rai under the recommendation of Aamir Khan who was impressed by her IQ level when he saw her on BBC under the segment of Question Time India in 2003. The film, which saw her appearing without make-up for the first time, did an average business despite becoming a major grosser. Her other releases that year include , a delayed production since 2001, and the Telugu film Narasimhudu, both which proved commercial and critical failures.

Patel featured in six films in 2006, all which failed commercially. She first starred in Mere Jeevan Saathi, a production that had been delayed since 2003. She next appeared as a blind girl in Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai, another delayed production since 2002. The film had a very small release and flopped badly with some critics describing it as "outdated". In , she played the role of a mute girl who witnesses a murder. She learned the sign language in order to fit the role. Patel was next cast in Tathastu, based on Denzel Washington's thriller John Q (2002). Her performance as the helpless mother was not well-received.

Renewed success, 2006–present

Patel's fifth release in 2006, Ankahee, earned her critical praise despite its failure at the box office. The film centred around an extramarital affair with Patel playing a housewife whose husband cheats on her with a model. To understand the mentality of a wronged wife, Patel spoke to her own grandmother who had undergone a similar situation. Diganta Guha from Hindustan Times noted "...it's Ameesha's performance that remains in your mind. She is dignity personified in the film, playing a woman betrayed in marriage, going all out to save it and in the end choosing her own path." Later that year, she appeared alongside Akshaye Khanna and Priyanka Chopra in Dharmesh Darshan's Aap Ki Khatir.

After appearing in a series of box office flops during 2002–2006, Patel's career prospects began to improve in 2007 when she saw moderate success with Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., playing the role of Karan Khanna's talkative wife who tries to overcome her husband's gay leanings. Patel's comic timing in the film was well-received. She later co-starred opposite Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan's hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa as a rejected adopted girl who is accused of trying to disrupt the marriage of her childhood crush.

In an attempt to renew her image, Patel appeared in a bikini item number, Lazy Lamhe, in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008). Patel learned scuba diving for the song that took fifteen days to complete. Although the film flopped at the box office, Patel managed to garner attention for her appearance.

After a two year's hiatus, Patel is set to star in two Hindi films in 2011 that include Run Bhola Run, with Govinda and Tusshar Kapoor, and Chatur Singh Two Star, with Sanjay Dutt. By mid 2010, she has signed her fourth Telugu film Dasari Narayana Rao's Parama Veera Chakra with Nandamuri Balakrishna and Rajkumar Santoshi's crime thriller Power co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Anil Kapoor.

Other work

Stage performances

Patel performed in a number of concerts and world tours during her career. Her first world tour, The Roshans: Hrithik Live in Concert (2001), along with Hrithik Roshan was performed across India. In 2004, Patel took part in a series of concerts in the world tour Craze 2004 alongside Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and Lara Dutta. In 2005, Patel participated in Adnan Sami's world tour Kuch Dil Se… that was performed across USA and Canada from April 15 till May 15. In October 2008, she participated in Himesh Reshammiya's comeback concert Karzzzz Musical Curtain Raiser joined by Neha Dhupia, Riya Sen and Amrita Arora. In December 2008, she took part in Akshay Kumar's Christmas Eve show Chandni Chowk to Hong along with Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Riya Sen, Aarti Chhabria, Himesh Reshammiya and Punjabi rapper Bohemia as part of a promotional campaign for Kumar's film Chandni Chowk to China (2009). In response to 26/11, many New Year's Eve concerts for 2009 were cancelled, but Patel and Country Club India decided to go ahead with their show because they thought it would be against the terrorists' will.

Humanitarian work

In September 2004, Patel joined PETA, one of the organizations championing the cause of animals, as part of an advertising campaign which highlights the lives of captivated animals in a zoo who are robbed of their natural surroundings for the amusement of others. Patel posed as a petrified prisoner in a jail cell to throw focus on the plight of animals in zoos. She said, }}

In February 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, Patel performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert raising money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. She also took part in the Temptations 2005 charity function in New Delhi on 24 December 2005 at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium in aid of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled Persons (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group.

In November 2006, Patel joined an NGO called PlanetRead, which helps people in villages to learn reading through film songs. In October 2007, Patel along with John Abraham and Kirron Kher joined the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to curb human trafficking in India.

Personal life

In 1999, Patel met filmmaker Vikram Bhatt on the set of their first movie together, Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage (2002), and they started dating since the film's release. Later, it caused a rift between the Patel and Bhatt families with Patel running through a financial crisis after her parents used all her hard-earned money for their personal satisfaction causing misunderstandings between Patel and her parents. In July 2004, Patel sent a legal notice to her father for mismanaging her accounts and assets amounting to Rs 120 million and demanding the money back. Patel's relationship with Bhatt was often reported to the media spectaculating a possible marriage.

In January 2008, the media reported that Patel and Bhatt broke their five-year relationship. Bhatt confirmed the break-up in a conversation with Mid-Day. Shortly afterwards, Patel's parents explained their willingness to reconcile with their daughter and that "everybody is happy about the break-up" but their relationship remained strained. On 12 March 2008, Patel was spotted with London-based businessman Kanav Puri at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. In June 2008, she confirmed their relationship in an interview with Mid-Day: "I did not admit to Kanav sooner because he's very special and I did not want to jinx it. It was too precious for me to talk about it to people. It's almost six months now and now I am feeling secure and now I know our relationship is too strong for anything or anyone to come between us." The media once reported that she got married to Puri but she denied these rumors.

In August 2009, Mumbai Mirror reported that Patel and her brother, Ashmit, had patched up on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan and were spotted together at PVR Cinemas in Juhu. Although the siblings agreed that the matter is sorted, they preferred not to speak about it publicly. In December 2009, Patel's mother Asha had revealed they have finally ended their five-year estrangement during an interview with Times of India.

In September 2010, Mumbai Mirror reported that Patel broke off the relationship with her long-time boyfriend Kanav Puri, to focus on her career. She confirmed it via Twitter.

Controversy

In August 2006, an Air India employee had filed a police complaint, alleging Patel had misbehaved with her after her companion was not upgraded to first class on the Mumbai-Newark flight on August 18. Patel was on her way to attend India's Independence Day parade in New York. Officers at the police station said Patel could be called in and warned about her behavior, if charges against her are proved, and would be questioned once she returns from abroad. Later, CISF personnel have corroborated the Air India employees' version of the incident. Once Patel returned to India, she stated that the employees "are only trying to safeguard themselves by filing a false complaint against us." Incidentally, there was also a drunken passenger, who joined in this verbal fight. Afterward, the organizers of the annual parade sent a written apology and a clarification to Patel and said it had booked two first class seats for Patel and her companion for the Mumbai-Newark flight but the booking was automatically transferred from one flight to another, creating confusion.

In the media

Between 2002 and 2005, Patel made an appearance in a number of talk shows such as Rendezvous with Simi Garewal and The Manish Malhotra Show. In 2006, Patel appeared as the guest judge on the special Valentine's Day episode of the singing talent contest, Indian Idol 2.

Patel is frequently cited as one of the sexiest Bollywood actresses. Rediff featured Patel as one of Bollywood's sexiest actresses and top Bollywood actresses of 2001. She was ranked first on Rediff's list of 2008's Sexiest Actresses. Patel was also cited by Rediff as one of 2008's Sexiest Magazine Cover Girls.

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 |- |rowspan="2"| 2000 | Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai | Sonia Saxena | |- | Badri | Sarayu | Telugu film |- |rowspan="2"| 2001 | | Sakeena | Winner, Filmfare Special Performance AwardNominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- | Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar | Sarena Devan | |- |rowspan="5"| 2002 | Kranti | Sanjana Roy | |- | Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai | Sandhya Patil | |- | Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage | Sapna | |- | Yeh Hai Jalwa | Sonia Singh | |- | Humraaz | Priya | Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award |- |rowspan="2"| 2003 | Puthiya Geethai | Jo | Tamil film |- | Parwana | Pooja | |- |rowspan="3"| 2004 | Suno Sasurjee | Kiran Saxena | |- | | Herself | Special appearance |- | Naani | Priya | Telugu film |- |rowspan="5"| 2005 | Vaada | Puja | |- | Elaan | Priya | |- | | Pooja | |- | Narasimhudu | Subba Lakshmi | Telugu film |- | | Jwala | |- |rowspan="6"| 2006 | Mere Jeevan Saathi | Anjali | |- | Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai | Durga | |- | | Ammu | |- | Tathastu | Sarita | |- | Ankahee | Nandita Saxena | |- | Aap Ki Khatir | Shirani Khanna | |- |rowspan="4"| 2007 | Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. | Pinky Kapoor | |- | Heyy Babyy | | Special appearance in the title song |- | Bhool Bhulaiyaa | Radha | |- | Om Shanti Om | Herself | Special appearance |- | 2008 | Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic | Malaika | Cameo |- |rowspan="4"| 2011 | Parama Veera Chakra | Rajani | Telugu film |- | Run Bhola Run | | Post-production |- | Chatur Singh Two Star | Sonia | Post-production |- | Power | | Filming |- |}

See also

List of Indian film actresses

List of people from Gujarat

References

Further reading

Udasi, Harshikaa. Reasons to smile. The Hindu. 1 June 2009.

Bharadwaj, Praveena. Who Cares? Shrugs Amisha Patel. Indiatimes.com. June 2002.

Dubey, Bharati. The Amisha Patel interview. Rediff.com. 17 April 2002.

Shariff, Faisal. 'Gadar - my heartbeat, my passion, my life!'. Rediff.com. 3 July 2001.

Verma, Sukanya. 'It's unfair to have just one goal in life'. Rediff.com. 22 November 1999.

External links

Category:1975 births Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Living people Category:Indian female models Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian Hindus Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Gujarati people Category:Tufts University alumni