name	Rajshri Productions
logo
type	Private
foundation	1962
location	India
industry	Film production }}

Rajshri Productions Pvt. Ltd. is a Hindi film production company. Rajshri partially works as a film distributor also. On 15 August 1947, Tarachand Barjatya established Rajshri Pictures (P) Ltd., the film distribution division of Rajshri. Rajshri's film production division was set up in 1962 and its success shows it has grown a lot from ''Dosti'' (1964) to the most recent ''Isi Life Mein'' (2010).

History

Rajshri Productions, the film production division of Rajshri, was set up in 1962. Its first release ''Aarti'' was critically acclaimed and was screened at international film festivals. This was followed by ''Dosti'', a non star-cast film which went on to become a mega success at the box-office. ''Dosti'' was presented the National Award for the Best Hindi Film of the Year (1964) and also won six Filmfare Awards.

Early days

In the era between 1960s and 1980s, Rajshri Productions became very successful. Its major movies included ''Dosti'', ''Uphaar'', ''Geet Gaata Chal'', ''Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se'', ''Chitchor'' and ''Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye''. All these movies were acclaimed by the critics.

The Golden era

Rajshri's film making continued with movies like the critically acclaimed film ''Saaransh''. At the end of the 80's, when the entire film industry was in the doldrums with the advent of video, Rajshri gave a break to its in-house talent Sooraj R. Barjatya who directed ''Maine Pyar Kiya'', a musical teenage romance, which went on to become one of Indian cinema's biggest grosser. The film bagged six Filmfare awards including awards for the Best Film and the Most Sensational Debut of the Year for the 24-year-old ''Salman Khan''.

''Salman Khan'' moved from strength to strength and followed up the success of MPK with blockbusters ''Hum Aapke Hain Koun'' and ''Hum Saath Saath Hain''. ''Hum Aapke Hain Koun'' remains the biggest hit in the history of Indian cinema, a film which instilled a new lease of life in the ailing film industry by bringing viewers back to cinema halls. The film won the National Award for being the most popular film providing wholesome entertainment and also bagged 8 Filmfare Awards and 6 Screen Awards, including awards for the Best Film, Best Actress and Best Director.

2000 and beyond

In the next decade, Rajshri Productions produced movies like ''Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon'', ''Uuf Kya Jadoo Mohabbat Hai'', ''Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi'' (by debutant director Kaushik Ghatak), ''Isi Life Mein'' (by Vidhi Kasliwal), and ''Love U...Mr. Kalakaar!'' which were not successful at the box office. However, in 2006, Rajshri Productions released ''Vivah'' under the direction of Sooraj Barjatya, which went on to become a blockbuster.

Rajshri's other subsidiary, which produces TV soaps, has given a lots of hits like ''Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki'' (May 30, 2005 – January 20, 2011) (Sahara One), ''Pyaar Ke Do Naam—Ek Raadha Ek Shyaam'' (2006, April-November, STAR Plus) and its recent show ''Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli'' (November 17, 2009 - present, Zee TV).

In November 2006, Rajshri Productions launched a broadband entertainment portal, Rajshri.com, offering streaming and downloading of various forms of content including movies, music videos, concerts, and documentaries. The digital content is from its own production house and also from other production houses. The online streaming of the content is free but a fee is charged for downloading.

Awards

Filmography for productions

#''Isi Life Mein'' (2010) #''Love U...Mr. Kalakaar!'' (2010) #''Ek Vivaah... Aisa Bhi'' (2008) #''Vivaah'' (2006) #''Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon'' (2003) #''Hum Saath Saath Hain'' (1999) #''Hum Aapke Hain Koun'' (1994) #''Maine Pyar Kiya'' (1989) #''Babul'' (1986) #''Phulwari'' (1984) #''Saaransh'' (1984) #''Rakta Bandhan'' (1984) #''Sun Meri Laila'' (1983) #''Sun Sajna'' (1982) #''Tumhare Bina'' (1982) #''Nadiya Ke Paar'' (1982) #''Jiyo To Aise Jiyo'' (1981) #''Humkadam'' (1980) #''Ek Baar Kaho'' (1980) #''Jazbaat'' (1980) #''Maan Abhiman'' (1980) #''Payal Ki Jhankaar'' (1980) #''Naiyya''(1979) #''Tarana'' (1979) #''Raadha Aur Seeta'' (1979) #''Gopal Krishna'' (1979) #''Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin'' (1979) ) #''Sawan Ko Aane Do'' (1979) #''Shikshaa'' (1979) #''Sunayana'' (1979) #''Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se'' (1978) #''Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye'' (1977) #''Paheli'' (1977) #''Chitchor'' (1976) #''Tapasya'' (1976) #''Geet Gaata Chal'' (1975) #''Honeymoon'' (1973) #''Saudagar'' (1973) #''Piya Ka Ghar'' (1972) #''Mere Bhaiya'' (1972) #''Uphaar'' (1971) #''Jeevan Mrityu'' (1970) #''Taqdeer'' (1967) #''Dosti'' (1964) #''Aarti'' (1962)

Trivia

They are known for taking artists and working with them for many movies, in some case helping them to become stars. Here is a list of artists whom Rajshri has supported or introduced.

# Sanjay Khan # Sachin # Sarika # Anupam Kher # Arun Govil # Alok Nath # Rameshwari # Salman Khan # Rakhee # Ravindra Jain # Rajkamal # Mithun Chakraborty # Mohnish Behl # Raju Srivastav # Reema Lagoo # Madhuri Dixit # Bhagyashree # Laxmikant-Pyarelal..gave the break for "Dosti" in 1964

References

External links

Rajshri's Official website

Rajshri at ''YouTube''

Rajshri Productions Filmography at Bollywood Hungama

Category:Companies based in Mumbai Category:Film distributors Category:Companies established in 1947 Category:Bollywood Category:Film production companies of India Category:Companies based in Maharashtra Category:Television production companies of India Category:Entertainment companies of India

hi:राजश्री प्रोडक्शन्स

In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term has typically been given negative implications, implying waywardness. It derived from the atypical and unwanted presence of other black individuals in flocks of white sheep.

The idiom is also found in other languages, e.g., French, Serbian, Bulgarian, Hebrew, Portuguese, Bosnian, Greek, Turkish, Dutch, Afrikaans, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian and Polish. The same concept is illustrated in some other languages by the phrase "white crow": for example ''belaya vorona'' (белая ворона) in Russian and ''kalag-e sefid'' (کلاغ سفید) in Persian.

Idiomatic usage

The term originated from the occasional black sheep which are born into a flock of white sheep due to a genetic process of recessive traits. Black wool was considered commercially undesirable because it could not be dyed. In 18th and 19th century England, the black color of the sheep was seen as the mark of the devil. In modern usage, the expression has lost some of its negative connotations, though the term is usually given to the member of a group who has certain characteristics or lack thereof deemed undesirable by that group.

A variant form, "the red sheep of the family", was used by Jessica Mitford to describe herself, a communist in a family of aristocratic fascists.

Biological origin

In sheep, a white fleece is not albinism but a dominant gene that actively switches color production off, thus obscuring any other color that may be present. As a result, a black fleece in most sheep is recessive, so if a white ram and a white ewe are each heterozygous for black, in about 25% of cases they will produce a black lamb. In fact in most white sheep breeds only a few white sheep are heterozygous for black, so black lambs are usually much rarer than this. Some breeds of sheep (such as the Hebridean, Ouessant and Black Welsh Mountain) are normally black.

Other uses

In psychology, the ''black sheep effect'' refers to the tendency of a group to treat or evaluate members of one's own group who behave in a way such as to jeopardize the group's image, more harshly than similarly unlikable members of another group, while considering the former group as a whole to be superior to, or better or more deserving than the latter.

See also

Black swan theory

The Ugly Duckling

Scapegoat

Glossary of sheep husbandry: see entry for "black wool".

References

External links

Exploration of the etymology of the phrase "black sheep of the family."

Category:English idioms Category:Pejorative terms for people Category:Social psychology

de:Schwarzes Schaf es:Oveja negra fr:Mouton noir gl:Ovella negra it:Pecora nera pt:Ovelha negra ru:Белая ворона sv:Svart får

name	Amitabh Bachchan
birth name
birth date	October 11, 1942
birth place	Allahabad, United Province, British India
residence	Prateeksha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
occupation	Actor, producer, singer, television presenter
years active	1969–present
spouse	Jaya Bhaduri (1973–present)
website
signature	}}

Amitabh Bachchan ( , , born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the history of Indian cinema.

Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including four National Film Awards, three of which are in the Best Actor category, and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 36 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.

Early life

Born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu Kayastha family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a well-known Hindi poet, while his mother, Teji Bachchan was a Sikh-Punjabi from Faisalabad (now in Pakistan). Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired from the famous phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet Sumitranandan Pant, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was Shrivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan (meaning child-like in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his family. Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.

Amitabh is the eldest of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage. He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree. In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta now known as Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.

Career

Early work: 1969–1972

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award winning film ''Bhuvan Shome''. Thereafter he got his first acting role as one of the seven protagonists in '' Saat Hindustani'', a film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Madhu and Jalal Agha. Though the film was not a financial success, Bachchan won his first National Film Award for ''Best Newcomer''.

''Anand'' (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Bachchan's role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Amitabh then played his first negative role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in ''Parwaana'' (1971). This was followed by several films including ''Reshma Aur Shera'' (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film ''Guddi'' which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film ''Bawarchi''. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy ''Bombay to Goa'', directed by S. Ramanathan.

Rise to stardom: 1973–1983

Director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film ''Zanjeer'' (1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema,. He earned a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. 1973 was also the year he married Jaya and around this time they appeared in several films together, not only in ''Zanjeer'' but in films such as ''Abhimaan'' which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film ''Namak Haraam'', a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as ''Kunwara Baap'' and ''Dost'', before playing a supporting role in ''Roti Kapda Aur Makaan''. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship. Bachchan then played the leading role in film ''Majboor'', released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zigzag. The film was only a moderate success at the box office. In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy ''Chupke Chupke'', the crime drama ''Faraar'' to the romantic drama ''Mili''. 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film ''Deewar'', opposite Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4. ''Indiatimes Movies'' ranks ''Deewaar'' amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. Released on 15 August 1975 was ''Sholay'' (meaning flames), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning INR 2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for inflation. Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like ''Deewar'', has been cited by ''Indiatimes movies'' as amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

Bachchan starred in comedies such as ''Chupke Chupke'' (1975) and ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' (1977) and in films such as ''Kabhie Kabhie'' (1976). In 1976, he was once again cast by director Yash Chopra in his second film, ''Kabhi Kabhie'', a romantic tale in which Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actress Rakhee Gulzar. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 1977, he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. In 1978 he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year. He once again resumed double roles in films such as ''Kasme Vaade'' as Amit and Shankar and ''Don'' playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also performed in ''Trishul'' and ''Muqaddar Ka Sikander'' which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. He was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director François Truffaut.

In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film ''Mr. Natwarlal'' in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for ''Kaala Patthar'' (1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film ''Dostana'', in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. ''Dostana'' proved to be the top grossing film of 1980. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film ''Silsila'', where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include ''Ram Balram'' (1980), ''Shaan'' (1980), ''Lawaaris'' (1981), and ''Shakti'' (1982) which pitted him against legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

1982 injury while filming ''Coolie''

On 26 July 1982, while filming ''Coolie'' in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating. Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.

The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of ''Coolie'' after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.

Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received. Before every release he would negatively state, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").

Politics: 1984–87

In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's seat of 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by the one of the highest victory margins in general election history (68.2% of the vote). His political career, however, was short-lived: he resigned after three years, calling politics a cesspool. The resignation followed the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.

His old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member. Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.

A 15 year press ban against Bachchan was imposed during his peak acting years by ''Stardust'' and some of the other film magazines. In his own defense, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets until late 1989.

Slump and retirement: 1988–1992

In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in ''Shahenshah'', which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film, ''Hum'', for which he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film ''Agneepath''. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of ''Khuda Gawah'' in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films ''Insaniyat'' was released but was also a box office failure.

Producer and acting comeback 1996–99

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company. ''Tere Mere Sapne'' failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.

In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film ''Mrityudaata'', produced by ABCL. Though ''Mrityudaata'' attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the ''1996 Miss World beauty pageant'', Bangalore but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.

Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with ''Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'' (1998), and received positive reviews for ''Sooryavansham'' (1999) but other films such as ''Lal Baadshah'' (1999) and ''Hindustan Ki Kasam'' (1999) were box office failures.

Television career

In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show, ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' entitled, ''Kaun Banega Crorepati''. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005, and its success set the stage for his return to film popularity. In 2009 Oscar winning movie ''Slumdog Millionaire'' in the first question of ''Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'' contest "Amitabh Bachchan" was the correct answer to the question "Who was the star of ''Zanjeer''? Feroz Abbas Khan performed as Amitabh Bachchan in a scene in the movie while Anil Kapoor performed as the host of the contest. Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show ''Bigg Boss'' in 2009.

Return to prominence: 2000–present

In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, ''Mohabbatein'', directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. His role won him his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in ''Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love'' (2001), ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'' (2001) and ''Baghban'' (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in ''Aks'' (2001), ''Aankhen'' (2002), ''Khakee'' (2004) and ''Dev'' (2004). One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Black'' (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an aging teacher of a deaf-blind girl and followed their relationship. His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor and fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award. Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films ''Bunty Aur Babli'' (2005), the ''Godfather'' tribute ''Sarkar'' (2005), and ''Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'' (2006). All of them were successful at the box office. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were ''Baabul'' (2006), ''Eklavya'' and ''Nishabd'' (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.

In May 2007, two of his films ''Cheeni Kum'' and the multi-starrer ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' were released. ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while ''Cheeni Kum'' picked up after a slow start and was declared an overall average hit. A remake of his biggest hit, ''Sholay'' (1975), entitled ''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'', released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception. The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film, Rituparno Ghosh's ''The Last Lear''. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since ''Black''. Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film, ''Shantaram'', directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008. The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely. Vivek Sharma's ''Bhoothnath'', in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008. ''Sarkar Raj'', the sequel of the 2005 film ''Sarkar'', released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box-office. His latest movie was ''Paa'', which released at the end of 2009. ''Paa'' was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchan's performance. It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through ''Kandahar'', directed by Major Ravi and co-starring Mohanlal. The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814. Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.

Health

2005 hospitalisation

In November 2005, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine. This occurred after Bachchan complained of pains in his abdomen some days prior. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including the television show he was in the process of hosting, ''Kaun Banega Crorepati''. Amitabh returned to work in March 2006.

Voice

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in ''Shatranj Ke Khiladi'' since he could not find a suitable role for him. In 2005, Bachchan has lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.

Controversies and criticism

Barabanki land case

In the runup to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007, Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His Samajwadi Party was routed, and Mayawati came to power.

On 2 June 2007 a Faizabad court ruled that he had legally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers. It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer. On 19 July 2007, after the scandal broke out, Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Pune. He wrote to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune. However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.

On 12 October 2007, Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district. On 11 December 2007, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court gave a clean chit to Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".

After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.

Raj Thackeray's criticism

In January 2008 at political rallies, Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, targeted Amitabh Bachchan, asserting that the actor was "more inclined" towards his native state than Maharashtra. He expressed his disapproval of Amitabh's inaugurating a girls' school named after his daughter-in-law, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, rather than in Maharashtra. According to media reports, Raj's censure of Amitabh, whom he admires, stemmed out of his disappointment of not being invited to Amitabh's son Abhishek's marriage to Aishwarya, despite invitations to his estranged uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.

Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land to build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here." Raj responded to it saying, "Jaya bachchan claims she does not know me then how come she knows how much property I own?". Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue. However, he apologized to Raj for controversial remarks from Jaya in some other incidence. "

Bal Thackeray refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."

On 23 March 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give." Later, on 28 March at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so. He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.

Awards, honours and recognitions

Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards and other competitive awards which Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry. In 1991, he became the first artist to receive the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, was conferred upon him by the French Government in 2007, for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond".

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the ''Greatest Star of stage or screen of the Millennium'' by BBC online poll where he defeated many Hollywood legends. In 2001, he was honoured with the ''Actor of the Century'' award at the Alexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema. Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's prestigious Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed at New York and Hong Kong in 2009.

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville. He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the Jhansi University in 2004, the Delhi University in 2006, the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK in 2006, the University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire in 2007. Another an Honorary Doctorate was conferred by the Queensland University of Technology in Australia in 2009. But he turns down the honour as mark of protest to racial attacks on Indian students.

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. ''Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend'' was published in 1999, ''To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan'' in 2004, ''AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Tribute)'' in 2006 /, ''Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti'' in 2006, ''Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar'' in 2006, ''Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me'' in 2007 and ''Bachchanalia'' in 2009. Bachchan himself has also written a book in 2002: ''Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life''.

Personal life

Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. They have two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai.

Filmography

Latest films

''Eklavya: The Royal Guard'' ''Jodhaa Akbar'' ''Delhi-6'' ''Rann (film) ''Department (film) ''Taalismaan''

Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
rowspan="4"	2006	''Family - Ties of Blood''	Viren Sahi
''Darna Zaroori Hai''	Professor
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''	Samarjit Singh Talwar (aka. Sexy Sam)
''Baabul (2006 film)	Baabul''	Balraj Kapoor
rowspan="7"	2007	|	Eklavya
''Nishabd''	Vijay
''Cheeni Kum''	Buddhadev Gupta/Ghaspus
''Shootout at Lokhandwala''	Special appearance, Dingra
''Jhoom Barabar Jhoom''	Special appearance, Sutradhar
''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag''	Babban Singh
''Om Shanti Om (film)	Om Shanti Om''	Special appearance, Himself
rowspan="5"	2008	|	Narrator
''Bhoothnath''	Bhoothnath (Kailash Nath)
''Sarkar Raj''	Subhash Nagre aka Sarkar
''God Tussi Great Ho''	God Almighty
''The Last Lear''	Harish 'Harry' Mishra
rowspan="3"	2009	|	Special appearance, Dadaji
''Aladin (2009 film)	Aladin''	Genius the Gennie
''Paa (film)	Paa''	Auro
rowspan="3"	2010	Rann'' ||	Vijay Harshvardhan Malik
''Teen Patti (film)	Teen Patti''	Venkat
''Kandahar (2010 film)	Kandahar''	Lokanathan Sharma
rowspan="4"	2011	Department'' ||		A Ram Gopal Varma production and direction
''Bbuddah... Hoga Tera Baap''
''Aarakshan''	Prabhakar Anand
''Shoebite (2010 film)	Shoebite''	John Periera
	2012	|		Filming

Producer

! Year !! Film
1996
	''Ullaasam''
''Mrityudaata''
1998	''Major Saab''
2001
2005	''Viruddh''
2006	''Family - Ties of Blood''

Playback singer

! Year !! Film
	''The Great Gambler''
''Mr. Natwarlal''
	''Lawaaris''
''Silsila''
	''Mahaan''
1984	''Sharaabi''
	''Toofan''
''Jaadugar''
1992	''Khuda Gawah''
1998	''Major Saab''
1999	''Sooryavansham''
''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''
2002
''Aetbaar''
2006
	''Nishabd''
''Cheeni Kum''
2008	''Bhoothnath''
2011	''Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap''

Further reading

Dwyer, Rachel. "Amitabh Bachchan: the Angry Young Man." British Academy of Film and Television Arts, 16 November 2007.

Mazumdar, Ranjani.'' Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.

References

External links

Amitabh Bachchan's official blog

Amitabh Bachchan Documentary, Classic BBC Archive video and exclusive interview conducted in Amitabh's own house for BBC Asian Network

Category:1942 births Category:Bigg Boss Category:Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian actor-politicians Category:Indian amateur radio operators Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian Hindus Category:Indian hip hop singers Category:Indian male singers Category:Indian playback singers Category:Indian pop singers Category:Indian socialists Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian vegetarians Category:Kirori Mal College alumni Category:Living people Category:National Film Award winners Category:People from Allahabad Category:People from Uttar Pradesh Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri Category:Uttar Pradesh politicians Category:Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Category:8th Lok Sabha members Category:University of Delhi alumni

ar:أميتاب باتشان as:অমিতাভ বচ্চন az:Amitabh Baççan bn:অমিতাভ বচ্চন br:Amitabh Bachchan ca:Amitabh Bachchan de:Amitabh Bachchan dv:އަމީތާބް ބައްޗަން el:Αμιτάμπ Μπατσάν es:Amitabh Bachchan eo:Amitabh Bachchan fa:آمیتاب باچان fr:Amitabh Bachchan gu:અમિતાભ બચ્ચન ko:아미타브 밧찬 hi:अमिताभ बच्चन id:Amitabh Bachchan it:Amitabh Bachchan he:אמיטאב באצ'אן jv:Amitabh Bachchan kn:ಅಮಿತಾಭ್ ಬಚ್ಚನ್ hu:Amitábh Baccsan ml:അമിതാഭ് ബച്ചൻ mr:अमिताभ बच्चन arz:اميتاب باتشان ms:Amitabh Bachchan nl:Amitabh Bachchan ne:अमिताभ बच्चन ja:アミターブ・バッチャン no:Amitabh Bachchan or:ଅମିତାଭ ବଚନ pl:Amitabh Bachchan pt:Amitabh Bachchan ru:Баччан, Амитабх sa:अमिताभ बच्चन sh:Amitabh Bachchan fi:Amitabh Bachchan sv:Amitabh Bachchan ta:அமிதாப் பச்சன் te:అమితాబ్ బచ్చన్ th:อมิตาภ พัจจัน tg:Амитабх Бачан tr:Amitabh Bachchan uk:Амітабх Баччан ur:امیتابھ بچن zh:阿米塔布·巴沙坎

name	Anil Kapoor
birth date	December 24, 1959
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
years active	1979–present
spouse	Sunita Kapoor (1984–present)
occupation	Actor, Producer }}

Anil Kapoor (, , born 24 December 1959) is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film ''Mashaal'' (1984).

Kapoor earned his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in N. Chandra's ''Tezaab'' in 1988, and later for Indra Kumar's ''Beta'' in 1992. Since then, he has starred in many critically and commercially successful films including ''Woh Saat Din'', ''Meri Jung'', ''Janbaaz'', ''Karma'', ''Mr. India'', ''Virasat'' (1997), for which he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor; ''Biwi No.1'' (1999); ''Taal'' (1999), for which he won his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award; ''Pukar'' (2000), for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor; ''No Entry'' (2005) and ''Welcome'' (2007).

Kapoor's first role in an international film was in Danny Boyle's 2008 Academy Award-winning film ''Slumdog Millionaire,'' for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. His performance in the eighth season of the action series ''24'' generated rave reviews from the American press. Globally, Anil Kapoor is one of the most recognised Indian actors.

Personal life and education

Anil Kapoor was born in Tilak Nagar, Mumbai, to film producer Surinder Kapoor and his wife Nirmal. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Succour High School - Chembur, in the Chembur suburb of Mumbai and then St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Kapoor's elder brother, Boney Kapoor, is a film producer while younger brother Sanjay Kapoor is also an actor.

In 1984, he married Sunita Kapoor (née Bhambhani) and has two daughters and a son Harshwardhan Kapoor. Kapoor's elder daughter is actress Sonam Kapoor. Rhea Kapoor attended school in New York and is now a producer in Mumbai.

Career

As an actor

1980s

Kapoor made his Bollywood debut with Umesh Mehra's ''Hamare Tumhare'' (1979) in a supporting role. After a few minor roles in films such as ''Hum Paanch'' (1980) and ''Shakti'' (1982), he got his first leading role in the 1983 Hindi film, ''Woh Saat Din''. Kapoor later tried acting in Tollywood and Sandalwood, and appeared in the Telugu film ''Vamsa Vriksham'' and Mani Ratnam's Kannada debut film ''Pallavi Anu Pallavi'' released in 1983.

Next, he appeared in Yash Chopra's drama ''Mashaal'' (1984) as Tapori, for which he won his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category. Kapoor's 1985 releases included ''Yudh'' & ''Saaheb''.

In 1986, Kapoor played the role of a care free playboy in the hit ''Janbaaz'', costarring Feroz Khan. His other release of 1986 ''Insaaf Ki Awaaz'' was a box office hit. In the same year Basu Chatterjee directed ''Chameli Ki Shaadi'' and he displayed his crackling flare in comedy.

Going on to deliver huge commercial success with films like ''Meri Jung'' (1985), a career-defining role of an angry young lawyer fighting for justice, which eventually established Kapoor's credential as a mature actor and both audience and critics gave their thumbs up to his performance. Kapoor played a comic tapori in ''Karma'' (1986), the biggest hit of the year. Kapoor generated wide applause from audience of all walks of life for his title role in Shekhar Kapur's sci-fi film ''Mr. India'' (1987), the biggest hit of the year. The film became one of his biggest box office hits and shot him to superstar status. Anil kapoor was equally impressive in Mahesh Bhatt directed film ''Thikana''. In 1988, he was rewarded with his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his rivetting performance in the hit film, ''Tezaab'', the biggest blockbuster of 1988. Anil proved to be the only saving grace even in flops like ''Ram-Avtar''. The following year he delivered more mega commercial and critical successes with ''Ram Lakhan'' (which became the second highest box office earner of 1989) and the audience went berserk with the song ''One Two Ka Four''. In the highly acclaimed film ''Parinda'', Kapoor played his role with conviction, and his biggest achievement was displaying the vulnerability of his character so perfectly. In ''Rakhwala'', Kapoor played a tapori again and the film was declared a success. Kapoor excelled in his eccentric portrayal of an autistic person in the 1989 hit, ''Eeshwar'' and this film proved his versatility as an actor.

1990s

The year 1990 saw him play a dual role, as twin brothers in the highly successful ''Kishen Kanhaiya'' and in the same year he further attained reasonable box office success with ''Ghar Ho To Aisa''. Kapoor came up with a critically acclaimed performance in ''Awaargi''. Many critics called that his best performance ever. This was followed by a restrained yet striking performance as a middle age man in Yash Chopra's romantic drama ''Lamhe'', a landmark film of Indian cinema and Yash Chopra's best work to date. It was the first film in which he appeared without a moustache. Although the film was a box office failure in India, it proved to be a success overseas. Kapoor's 1991 release, ''Benaam Badshaah'' was accorded above average status at the ticket window.

In 1992, Kapoor received his second Filmfare Best Actor Award for his hard-hitting performance in Indra Kumar's ''Beta'' — the biggest blockbuster of the year — opposite Madhuri Dixit. Kapoor was highly impressive with his comic act in ''Khel'' and his comic timing was one of the highlights of the film. In 1993, Boney Kapoor's much delayed mega-budget, ''Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja'' was a disaster at the box office and damaged Kapoor's reputation as the industry's biggest star at the time. The only major success in these years was ''Laadla'' with Sridevi, a film produced by Nitin Manmohan. Kapoor gave a splendid performance as a simpleton lover in the hit musical ''1942: A Love Story''. His 1995 release, ''Trimurti (film)'' was a box office disaster, though Kapoor's performance was creditable. Kapoor came up with a decent performance in the average performer ''Gharwali Bharwali''.

After a few box office failures, he had box office success with films like ''Loafer'' (1996),. In ''Judaai'', Kapoor's depiction of a loving husband twisted between his two wives was appreciated and this film fared well at the box office. ''Deewana Mastana'' (1997), ''Biwi No.1'' (1999) and ''Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain'' (1999) were box office hits. Kapoor’s unusual characterization of a zealous, crooked musical superstar in ''Taal'' (1999) shocked both audience and critics alike. He also won rave reviews for his superb performance in ''Virasat'', a remake of the Tamil film, ''Thevar Magan'' (1992), in which ''Kamal Hassan'' had played Kapoor's role. He also starred in the unsuccessful ''Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate'', which was legendary filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherji's last commercial release, along with Juhi Chawla. He shaved his moustache once again for the film, in the second half, where he played actor Sajid Khan's wife and his delightful comic timing was a real treat to watch.

2000s

Kapoor's first release of 2000 was ''Bulandi (2000 film)'', in which he played a double role, showing restraint and maturity as the elder Thakur. He won his first National Film Award in the Best Actor category for his role in Rajkumar Santoshi's critically acclaimed ''Pukar'' in 2000. Kapoor again tasted critical and commercial success with ''Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai'' in 2000. Kapoor stole the show as Rajeev in the much delayed, ''Karobaar'', a film directed by Rakesh Roshan, where Kapoor’s dialogue delivery was appreciated. He delivered a powerhouse performance in Shanker's ''Nayak'' which is considered to be his best performance by many.

In 2002, Kapoor gave an excellent performance in the role of a fat man in ''Badhaai Ho Badhaai'', a takeoff from the Hollywood hit, ''Nutty Professor''. He notched up yet another glorious performance in the Indra Kumar directed film ''Rishtey''. In ''Om Jai Jagadish'', he gave an amazing performance. Kapoor shared the screen with Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan for the first time in ''Armaan'', and underplayed his character of a neurosurgeon superbly.

In his 2003 release, ''Calcutta Mail'', he delivered one of his best performances. His character was defined with ample scope to perform in this screenplay-driven performance and in spite of the strong supporting cast, this really came out as Kapoor's one-man show. He ignited the silver screen with an authoritative performance in ''Musafir''. Kapoor gave an incredibly restrained performance as the stricken husband in the thriller ''My Wife's Murder'', which he also produced. Anees Bazmee's super-hit comedy ''No Entry'' (2005), followed for Kapoor that year. The film went on to become the highest grossing film of the year.

Kapoor played a grey character with finesse in the 2005 thriller, ''Chocolate''. Anil's first release of 2007 ''Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love'' was a box office hit in overseas though a flop in India. Anees Bazmee's ''Welcome'', which released on 21 December 2007 and was declared the biggest success of the year. Kapoor's understated performance in Subhash Ghai's ''Black and White'' was highly lauded. His first release in 2008, Abbas Mustan's thriller, ''Race'' became a box office hit. Vijay Krishna Acharya's, ''Tashan'' marked Anil's comeback to Yash Raj Films but failed to do well at the box office.

His most recent films were his first English-language film, ''Slumdog Millionaire'', which was released on 12 November 2008, and ''Yuvvraaj'', which was released on 21 November 2008. ''Yuvvraaj'', with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, failed to do well at the box office. On the other hand, ''Slumdog Millionaire'' has won a number of international awards and received rave reviews from critics, costing only US $15 million to produce, but pulling in more than $352 million worldwide. In January 2009, he attended the 66th Golden Globe Awards ceremony along with the team of ''Slumdog Millionaire'', which won four Golden Globe Awards. Kapoor also received a nomination for Best Ensemble at the Black Reel Awards of 2008 and has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

2010s

In 2010, Kapoor starred in the eighth season of the American television series ''24'', portraying Omar Hassan, President of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan. In October of that year he was cast to play a villain in both Mission: Impossible IV and ''Power''.

As producer

In 2002, Kapoor produced his first film, the comedy ''Badhaai Ho Badhaai'', in which he also starred in. It was followed by My Wife's Murder (2005), and ''Gandhi, My Father (2007)''. ''Gandhi, My Father'' focuses on the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi (2007) and was awarded the National Film Award - Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film). He produced the movie ''Shortkut: The con is on'' starring Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi. In 2010, he produced the movie ''Aisha'', starring his daughter Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol in the lead roles. The film performed moderately at the box office, grossing Rs. 15.50 crore in its theatrical run.

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Actor

''Ek Baar Kaho (1980 film) ''Shakti (1982 film) ''Pallavi Anu Pallavi'' ''Mashaal'' ''Saaheb'' ''Kahan Kahan Se Guzar'' ''Itihaas (film) ''Kasam'' ''Ram Lakhan'' ''Awaargi'' ''Jigarwala'' ''Beta (film) ''Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja'' ''Laadla'' ''Trimurti (film) ''Rajkumar (1996 film) ''Judaai (1997 film) ''Kabhi Na Kabhi'' ''Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain'' ''Bulandi'' ''Lajja (film) ''Badhaai Ho Badhaai'' ''Armaan (2003 film) ''Musafir (2004 film) ''Bewafaa'' ''Humko Deewana Kar Gaye'' ''Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love'' ''My Name is Anthony Gonsalves'' ''Shortcut: The Con is on'' ''24 (TV series)

Year !! Film !! Role !! Other notes
1979	''Hamare Tumhare''	Vipin
rowspan="3"	1980	Ek Baar Kaho'' ||
''Hum Paanch (1980 film)	Hum Paanch''
''Vamsa Vriksham''
1982	Shakti'' ||	Ravi Kumar
rowspan="2"	1983	|	Vijay	Kannada film
''Woh Saat Din''	Prem Pratap Patailawale
rowspan="4"	1984	|	Raja	Winner, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
''Andar Baahar''	Raja
''Laila''	Kumar Deshraj Singh
''Love Marriage''
rowspan="4"	1985	|	Suni Sharma
''Yudh (film)	Yudh''	Double Role Public Prosecutor Avinash / Junior
''Mohabbat''	Shekhar
''Meri Jung''	Arun Verma
rowspan="8"	1986	|
''Pyaar Ka Sindoor''
''Chameli Ki Shaadi''	Charandas
''Aap Ke Saath''	Vimal
''Janbaaz''	Amar Singh
''Pyar Kiya Hai Pyar Karenge''	Anand
''Karma (film)	Karma''	Johnny/Gyaneshwar
''Insaaf Ki Awaaz''
rowspan="4"	1987	Itihaas'' ||
''Mr. India''	Arun Verma/Mr. India
''Hifazat''	Ram Kumar/Raj Kumar
''Thikana''	Ravi
rowspan="6"	1988	|
''Ram-Avtar''	Avtar
''Vijay (film)	Vijay''	Arjun
''Sone Pe Suhaaga''	Ravi Kumar/Joginder
''Tezaab''	Mahesh Deshmukh (Munna)
''Inteqam''
rowspan="8"	1989	|	Inspector Lakhan Pratap Singh
''Joshilaay''	Karan
''Eeshwar (1989 film)	Eeshwar''	Ishwarchand Vishnunath Brahmanand
''Rakhwala''
''Abhimanyu (movie)	Abhimanyu''	Mannu/Abhimanyu America Puri /Abdul Jabbar
''Aag Se Khelenge''	Inspector Ravi Saxena/Raja Saxena
''Kala Bazaar''	Vijay
''Parinda''
rowspan="6"	1990	|	Azad
''Kishen Kanhaiya''	Double role Kishen/Kanhaiya
''Ghar Ho To Aisa''
''Jeevan Ek Sangharsh''	Karan
''Amba (movie)	Amba''
''Jamai Raja''	Raja
rowspan="4"	1991	|	Amar Singh
''Benaam Badsha''	Deepak
''Pratikar''	Krishna Srivastav
''Lamhe''	Virendra Pratap Singh
rowspan="6"	1992	Beta'' ||	Raju	Winner, Filmfare Best Actor Award
''Zindagi Ek Jua''	Harikishan alias Harry
''Humlaa''	Shiva
''Khel''	Devdas/Arun Kumar
''Heer Ranjha (film)	Heer Ranjha''	Deedho/Ranjha
''Apradhi''	Shiva
rowspan="2"	1993	|	Ramesh Verma/Romeo
''Guru Dev''	Guru (Gaurav)
rowspan="4"	1994	|	Raju
''Andaz''	Ajay
''1942: A Love Story''	Naren Singh
''Mr. Azaad''	Azaad
1995	Trimurti'' ||	Anand Singh/Sikander	Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
rowspan="3"	1996	Rajkumar'' ||	Rajkumar
Loafer	Ravi Kumar
''Mr. Bechara''	Anand Verma
rowspan="4"	1997	Judaai'' ||	Raj
''Virasat (1997 film)	Virasat''	Shakti Thakur
''Deewana Mastana''	Raj Kumar (Raja)/Inspector. Bansi Rao
''Chandralekha (1997 film)	Chandralekha''
rowspan="3"	1998	|	Rajeshwar (alias Raja)
''Gharwali Baharwali''	Arun
''Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate''	Shanker Sharma/Ramanuj
rowspan="4"	1999	|	Vijay
''Biwi No.1''	Lakhan
''Mann (film)	Mann''	Raj
''Taal (film)	Taal''	Vikrant Kapoor
rowspan="4"	2000	|	Dharamraj "Dada" Thakur/Arjun Thakur
''Pukar (2000 film)	Pukar''	Major Jaidev Rajvansh
''Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai''	Avinash
''Karobar''	Rajiv
rowspan="2"	2001	Lajja'' ||	Raju
''Nayak: The Real Hero	Nayak''	Shivaji Rao Gaekwad
rowspan="3"	2002	|	Raja
''Om Jai Jagadish''	Om Batra
''Rishtey''	Suraj Singh
rowspan="2"	2003	Armaan'' ||	Dr. Akash Sinha
''Calcutta Mail''	Avinash
2004	Musafir'' ||	Lucky
rowspan="4"	2005	|	Aditya Sahai
''My Wife's Murder''	Ravi Patwardhan
''No Entry''	Kishen
''Chocolate (hindi film)	Chocolate''	Advocate Krishan Pundit
rowspan="2"	2006	|	Karan Oberoi
''Darna Zaroori Hai''	Karan Chopra
rowspan="2"	2007	|	Vinay
''Welcome (film)	Welcome''	Sagar Pandey aka Majnu Bhai
rowspan="6"	2008	|	Himself
''Black and White (2008 Indian film)	Black & White''	Special appearance as Rajan Mathur
''Race (2008 film)	Race''	Inspector Robert D'Costa (R.D.)
''Tashan (film)	Tashan''	Lakhan Singh Ballebaaz (Bhaiyyaji)
''Slumdog Millionaire''	Prem Kumar
''Yuvvraaj''	Gyanesh Yuvvraaj
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Special appearance as himself
''Wanted (2009 film)	Wanted''	Special appearance in song ''Jalwa''
rowspan="2"	2010	24'' ||	Omar Hassan (24 character)>Kamistan President Omar Hassan	Series Regular (Season 8)
''No Problem (film)	No Problem''	Inspector Arjun Singh
rowspan="4"	2011		Balraj
''Double Dhamaal''	Himself
''Tezz''	Arjun
''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol''	Brij Nath
rowspan="2"	2012	''Race 2''	Inspector Robert D'Costa (R.D.)
''Shootout at Wadala''

Producer

2002: ''Badhaai Ho Badhaai''

2005: ''My Wife's Murder''

2007: ''Gandhi, My Father''

2009: ''Short Kut: The Con is On''

2010: ''Aisha''

2010: ''No Problem''

References

External links

Category:1959 births Category:American television actors Category:Indian Hindus Category:Living people Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film producers Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:National Film Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Hindi film actors Category:Mithibai College alumni

ar:أنيل كابور de:Anil Kapoor es:Anil Kapoor fa:آنیل کاپور fr:Anil Kapoor hi:अनिल कपूर it:Anil Kapoor he:אניל קאפור jv:Anil Kapoor kn:ಅನಿಲ್ ಕಪೂರ್ ml:അനിൽ കപൂർ mr:अनिल कपूर ms:Anil Kapoor pl:Anil Kapoor sa:अनिल् कपूर fi:Anil Kapoor sv:Anil Kapoor ta:அனில் கபூர் tr:Anil Kapoor

name	Shilpa Shetty
birth date	June 08, 1975
birth place	Mangalore, Karnataka, India
occupation	Actress, model
birth name	Shilpa Shetty
yearsactive	1993–present
website	www.shilpashettylive.com
spouse	Raj Kundra (2009–present) }}

Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ; born 8 June 1975) is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film ''Baazigar'' (1993), she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 ''Aag''. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been willing to reinvent herself quite often. Her performances in ''Dhadkan'' (2000) and ''Rishtey'' (2002) were appreciated, while her portrayal of an AIDS patient in ''Phir Milenge'' (2004) won her many accolades. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood film actress.

Shetty has been embroiled in various controversies including suspected mafia links. In 2006 she was issued with a warrant on charges of obscenity. After taking part in the British ''Celebrity Big Brother'' TV show in 2007, Shetty was crowned the winner with 63% of the final vote, after an international racism controversy involving her and fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. This was followed by a re-establishment of her status in the film industry in 2007 when she appeared in two successive movies, ''Life in a... Metro'' and ''Apne'', with her performance in the former drawing positive reviews.

Biography

Shilpa Shetty was born in a traditional close-knit family in Mangalore that hails from the Bunt community.

She is the eldest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, manufacturers of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry, and her native language is Tulu although she speaks several other languages at differing levels, including English, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, Urdu and basic French.

In Mumbai, she attended St. Anthony Girls' High School in Chembur, and later attended Podar College in Matunga. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, she is also into sports, was the captain of the volleyball team in school, has earned a black belt in karate and is currently a dancesport expert and enthusiast.

Shetty's younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood actress. They worked together once in the film ''Fareb'' (2005).

At 5 ft 8.5 in (174 cm) barefoot, Shilpa Shetty is among the tallest actresses in Bollywood. It was revealed on 29 March 2009 that Shilpa had purchased a house on St. George's Hill in Surrey, England with her husband Raj Kundra.

Career

Film career

Shetty started her career by modelling for Limca in 1991 at age 16, and made her film debut in 1993 with ''Baazigar'', portraying a woman murdered by her psychopathic boyfriend. Shetty took the supporting role of Seema, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol; the film was a major success and earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

Her first leading role was in the film ''Aag'' in 1994, which was averagely received at the box office. She had a hit that same year with the film ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari'' opposite Akshay Kumar. This was followed by many films which were average to poor performers at the box office. Shetty starred in another big film that year, ''Aao Pyaar Karen'', followed in 1995 by ''Hathkadi'', where she was working alongside actors such as Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Madhoo, but they failed at the box office. 1997 was one of her busiest years: she appeared in six different films, beginning with the Telugu language film ''Veedeva Dani Babu''. Her first major Bollywood film of that year was the action thriller ''Auzaar''. Shilpa portrayed the character of Prathna Thakur alongside actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Kapoor. In 1998, she had one release, ''Pardesi Babu'', for which she received critical acclaim and won the Bollywood Movie Award for ''Best Supporting Actress''. In 2000, Shetty received much acclaim for her role in ''Dhadkan'' which earned reasonable takings at the Indian box office. She received several nominations under the Best Actress category in different award ceremonies. She would later go on to star with Anil Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor in the film ''Rishtey'' (2002). Her comic performance as an eccentric fisherwoman was appreciated and she received a nomination under the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award category and various nominations for Best Comedian as well.

2004 was also a good year for Shetty with the release of ''Garv'' in which she portrayed a Muslim orphan and disillusioned table dancer starring opposite Salman Khan. According to Shetty, she chose to do the film because she liked the subject. The film was a cop drama. However, she received much acclaim for her performance in ''Phir Milenge'', where she made a sensitive portrayal of a successful city high-flyer who contracts HIV via unprotected sex and becomes a social outcast as a result. The film, based on 1993's ''Philadelphia'', was perceived to have tackled a social taboo as yet unaddressed by Bollywood. The film earned Shetty a Filmfare Best Actress nomination, and provided an impetus for her HIV-related charity work (see below). Film critic Taran Adarsh from ''indiaFM'' noted, "Phir Milenge belongs to Shilpa Shetty completely. She delivers, what can be rightly called, the performance of her career. The viewer feels and empathises with the character mainly because of her effective portrayal. She conveys the pain and the emotional upheaval through her expressive eyes, making it amongst the most memorable performances the year has seen so far." Shetty stated that she had taken the role in order to reinvent herself by portraying the rather unconventional character of an anti-terrorist squad member. She also starred with her sister in the film ''Fareb'' in 2005. Shilpa had one release in 2006, the much delayed ''Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar''. The film was a box office flop, but she got good reviews for her role as a not entirely likeable wife. In 2006, she was a judge on ''Jhalak Dikhlaja'', a Sony Entertainment Television dance show based on the original UK show ''Strictly Come Dancing''.

Shetty was once featured in Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai.

2007 proved to be Shetty's most successful year at the box office so far. Her first release, ''Life In A... Metro'', won a significant reception, and became the first Bollywood movie to premiere at Leicester Square. The film performed well at the box office, and was declared a semi-hit within three weeks. Additionally, the film was critically acclaimed and Shetty's performance was appreciated, with Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN writing, "It's a terrific performance and unquestionably Shilpa's best to date." Her second release, alongside three Deols, Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby, the drama ''Apne'', was also a box office success.

Celebrity Big Brother 2007

Shetty was a contestant in and the winner of ''Celebrity Big Brother UK''. and was the first Indian celebrity included in the Celebrity version. Reportedly paid Rs.31.5 m (£367,500 GBP) for her participation, she said to presenter Davina McCall, "I just want every Indian to be extremely proud that I'm in here". As for her participation, she stated: "I have zero expectations. The only thing I really hope to keep is my self-respect and my dignity." Her sister Shamita told the ''Times of India'' that this "is the boldest decision Shilpa has taken hitherto."

During her time, Shetty instructed fellow housemates Carole Malone and Ken Russell in meditation, and flirted with Dirk Benedict but tempers started to fray by Day 7 as a clique formed in the house disapproving of Shilpa's presence. Following a worldwide controversy that publicised her as a target of racist bullying within the house (see below), Shetty won the contest after gaining 63% of the public vote and described the experience as "incredible and overwhelming". She further thanked the public for "a fantastic opportunity to make my country proud".

Post Celebrity Big Brother

In February 2007, Shetty attended a reception at the House of Commons by invitation of Keith Vaz MP to meet with then Prime Minister Tony Blair. She was also invited to meet with Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House in London in March 2007. During an interview on ''This Morning'', Shetty confirmed that she had been asked to act in the British ''EastEnders'' soap opera, and turned it down as it would mean all her other arrangements would have to go on hold.

She was the subject of a Sky One documentary entitled ''The Real Shilpa Shetty'', which was produced by British television production company Twofour. The large number of commercial offers that Shilpa received after winning Celebrity Big Brother themselves became reason for controversy with an increasing number of accusations about her riding the 'racism' wave to commercial gain. She was on the cover of the first issue of OK! Magazine to be sold in India.

In early September 2007 she modelled at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, which also displayed some famous Bollywood actresses including Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley. As of October 2007, Shilpa will be seen in a musical titled ''Miss Bollywood''. On her agenda next is a cookery book titled ''Soul Curry'' and the role of Sita in Uru Patel's international venture ''Hanuman''.

Bigg Boss

In August 2008, Shetty began hosting the second season of ''Bigg Boss'', the Indian version of ''Big Brother''. Controversially, Jade Goody was one of the initial housemates. Goody left the Bigg Boss House early in the series after receiving news that she had cervical cancer, of which she later died on 22 March 2009.

Indian Premier League

In February 2009 Shilpa and her husband Raj Kundra became part owners of the Indian Premier League franchise cricket team Rajasthan Royals by paying approximately US $15.4 million for a 11.7% stake.

Other commitments

As well as modelling and acting, Shetty has associated herself with several other commercial and non-profit organisations.

HIV-AIDS

In February 2006 Shetty lent support to a BBC World Service Trust television show designed to tackle the problem of HIV-AIDS in India. The project, which also involved other celebrities Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, and Raveena Tandon in separate episodes, featured Shetty as she shadowed a young achiever whose work involved raising awareness about the condition. According to reports, she participated in order to show solidarity with HIV-AIDS sufferers.

The issue is particularly close to Shetty's heart as she had portrayed an HIV-positive sufferer in her 2004 movie ''Phir Milenge''. Speaking about the movie and HIV in general, Shetty said: "Why not a film on HIV positive patients? It is a social stigma in our society. We made this film to highlight this problem ... This film will bring about a social awareness about AIDS in our country. It is high time we talked about this in our society".

PETA

In March 2006 various sources reported Shetty's joining PETA as part of an advertising campaign against the use of wild animals in circuses. According to a PETA India press release, Shetty is a long-time PETA supporter and has assisted the campaign by posing for photographs in a figure-hugging tiger costume. She explained that her crouching in a cage was uncomfortable during the photoshoot, but that her discomfort was insignificant compared to the pain suffered by the creatures. "These once dignified animals only leave their cages, which are barely larger than the size of their bodies, for a few minutes each day to be forced into the ring to perform tricks which make no sense and are upsetting to them. The best way to help animals suffering in circuses is to boycott the circus".

Shetty revealed in a later interview that she felt strongly about this cause and that she was appalled to hear of the cruel treatment suffered by such animals. "I thought I should stop that. If I can make a little difference to their lives, why not go for it?"

Personal life

Shetty is a frequent subject of speculation regarding romance. She previously dated Akshay Kumar, but the couple broke up in 2000 after he started dating Shetty's friend and fellow actress Twinkle Khanna after a previous indiscretion, which led to Shetty's successful suing of ''Stardust Magazine'' for publishing a "damaging" report about the affair.

In an interview for ''The Times of India'', Shetty quashed rumours of a romance with film director Anubhav Sinha and claimed to have changed her mobile phone number in order to concentrate on her busy schedule. But in a later interview for ''The Sunday Mirror'', a friend of Shetty said that she was "in love" with Sinha and that he was her "soulmate", but that she could not be with him for fear of parental disapproval, social stigma (Sinha is married with two children, although currently separated) and adverse public perception. She married Raj Kundra on 22 November 2009 and announced on her web site that "I am officially Shilpa Shetty Kundra now!!"

Controversies

Alleged mafia links

In May 2003 a controversy erupted over alleged links between Shetty's parents and the Indian underworld. The Surat police issued arrest warrants against her parents on charges of extortion. The Police Commissioner of Surat, D.K. Gupta, told the media that the owners of Praful Sarees had lodged complaints with them after claiming to receive threatening telephone calls from Mumbai-based underworld figures asking for money on behalf of the Shettys. The dispute between the two parties related to a 1998 modelling assignment where Shilpa endorsed Praful Sarees and had only been paid out of a contractually agreed . Agarwal claimed that the full sum had been paid in advance, but he had no knowledge of how much had been paid to Shilpa. Surendra Shetty was refused bail by a Mumbai court although bail was granted to Sunanda, as she had been travelling abroad at the time the warrant was issued. The police further claimed to possess a record of a telephone call between Shilpa's parents and Pankaj Agarwal, the owner of Praful Sarees. The parents denied this and claimed the tape had been "manipulated". Sunanda Shetty held a press conference on 5 June in which she denied that the family had underworld connections and said that the whole fracas was a "plot to tarnish the image of my daughter." She further said that she was "definitely innocent" of the charges and was falsely implicated by Agarwal after he had failed to fully reimburse Shilpa for her work. On 13 June it was reported that after interrogation by the police, Surendra had confessed to establishing contact with associates of Fazl-ur-Rehman, leader of the Mumbai gang. A contradictory story surfaced that although the Shettys' driver, Dilip Pashekar, admitted to introducing Surendra to Rehman's associates, Surendra continued to deny that any links were forged. A senior police official confirmed that Surendra had "vehemently denied" his links even though he and Pashekar were interrogated side by side. Shetty's lawyer later clarified that the reports of confessing to Mafia links were false.

Court hearings revealed that, despite Shetty's denials, print-outs of cellular phone records proved that contact between Shetty and the gang had taken place. On 20 June Surendra Shetty was formally arrested after surrendering to the police, later telling news reporters that the entire issue was designed to malign him and his family. When asked about the underworld's involvement, Shetty said "I do not know, I talked to them only after they called up and said they were agents of Agarwal." Further court hearings cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence tapes; Shetty's defence claimed that it was Agarwal who recorded the telephone calls rather than the police, and that the possibility of dubbing or manipulation could not be ruled out. Shilpa was quizzed by police upon her return to India from overseas filming assignments and denied all knowledge of any involvement between her parents and underworld figures, claiming that she had no knowledge of the case until it became public through the media. She further stated that her mother had power of attorney over her financial affairs and disclaimed any knowledge of payment for the Praful Sarees affair. Sunanda's bail hearing was adjourned three times on health grounds.

Another twist occurred when the Shettys' driver, Dilip Pashekhar, was arrested. On 5 November it was reported that Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, among three others, were chargesheeted, paving the way for a trial commencement in a local court. The trial is still pending. In August 2006 Sunanda said that Shilpa had no involvement with the case and that the arrest of Fazl-ur-Rehman earlier that month would not have a negative effect on her career. Shilpa has threatened to claim damages after an unnamed local tabloid allegedly printed incorrect information about the case. In an interview for Filmfare, she said that she was very "cut up" and "devastated" with the way the case had turned into a trial by media and that they had behaved "unethically". She also said that this was the worst controversy she had ever been through, and expressed her thanks to several film figures for standing by her, including Rajkumar Santoshi and Anil Kapoor.

Obscenity charges

In April 2006, a Madurai court issued non-bailable warrants against Shetty and Reema Sen for "posing in an obscene manner" in photographs published by a Tamil newspaper. The report stated that the two actresses had failed to comply with earlier summons for the same reason, hence the issuance of the warrants. The petitioner submitted that the paper had published "very sexy blow-ups and medium blow-ups" in its December 2005 and January 2006 issues, and alleged that these violated the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986, Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1956, and the Indian Penal Code Section 292 (Sale of Obscene Books). The petitioner further demanded that the images be confiscated under the terms of the Press and Registration of Book Act 1867.

Shetty responded that she had not received any court summons and also discounted the charges. She further claimed that the pictures were freeze-frame shots from a recent movie that only exposed her navel. "As far as my photographs go, what is obscene about it? If navel-showing is obscenity, then our traditional Indian outfit – the traditional sari – should be banned in the first place."

In January 2007 outgoing Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal confirmed that Shetty had written to him requesting that he enunciate guidelines against frivolous lawsuits against artists, but that he had refused her plea on the grounds that she should have filed a formal petition instead of writing a letter.

Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy

During her time on ''Celebrity Big Brother'', Shetty was allegedly a target of racism and bullying by other housemates, chiefly by Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. After mocking the east London dialect of Jade Goody's mother, who mispronounced her name as 'Shiwpa', Shetty was mocked for her Indian accent and was branded "The Indian" and a "dog". Disparaging conversations took place among the other housemates about Indian eating habits, and Shetty's cooking was criticised for giving O'Meara diarrhoea. After Shetty attempted to dispose of left-over chicken soup down the toilet and caused a blockage, Jack Tweed suggested that she should pick the bones out with her teeth and allegedly referred to her as a "fucking Paki", although show producers denied this and stated that the word used was "cunt". During a fierce argument, Goody told Shetty that she needed to "spend a day in the slums", although the media falsely reported this as "go back to the slums". Claiming that she did not know Shilpa's surname, Jade referred to her as "Shilpa Fuckawallah", "Shilpa Durupa", and "Shilpa Poppadom", later claiming that they were non-racist references to Indian food. Lloyd had opined that Shetty's English-speaking skills were lacking and verbally indicated her desire that Shetty would "fuck off home". Shetty had been reduced to tears on several occasions, confiding to fellow housemate Ian Watkins: "I feel like I'm losing my dignity."

Shetty speculated that she might be a victim of racism, but later retracted it by claiming: "People say things in anger." A record 40,000 complaints were received jointly by OFCOM and Channel 4 about the treatment of Shetty, 30 of which were formally investigated by Hertfordshire police. Carphone Warehouse suspended its sponsorship of the show and Louise Burfitt-Dons, the founder of the Act Against Bullying charity, branded Jade Goody's behaviour as "unforgivable". The controversy reached the British Parliament as an early day motion in the House of Commons was tabled. The row then escalated into an international diplomatic incident after a formal complaint from Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma lodged with then British PM Tony Blair that threatened to sour relations and damage trade between the two countries. In the city of Patna in Bihar, India, angry protestors marched in the streets and burned effigies in protest of the show, terming it 'Bigot Brother'.

During a parliamentary Prime Minister's Question Time session Blair responded that "We should oppose racism in all its forms." Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was in India on a goodwill visit, condemned the controversy as "offensive" and the opposite of what Britain stood for: "I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything that detracts from that I condemn." In an official statement, Channel 4 denied that overt racial abuse or behaviour had been directed at Shetty, but acknowledged that a "cultural and class clash" was responsible for the disputes. After a thorough investigation, OFCOM made an unprecedented move and issued a ruling that Channel 4 were guilty of broadcasting potentially racist material, and required them to make multiple apologies on air during the next ''Big Brother'' season.

Richard Gere kissing incident

On 15 April 2007, Richard Gere kissed Shetty on the cheek several times in jest during an AIDS-awareness event. The pair were appearing at a press conference in New Delhi as part of a campaign to preach safe sex to truck drivers in India and promote AIDS awareness. The kiss, considered an attack on India's cultural and moral values, prompted protesters – alleged members of the extremist Hindu group Shiv Sena – to beat burning effigies of Gere with sticks. Others set fire to glamour shots of Shetty. People demanded an apology from her and threatened to ban her movies in the state. Shiv Sena leaders denied involvement in the protests, but Shiv Sena member of parliament Sanjay Raut observed that the protests are "just a manifestation of the anger of the general public" and that there was "nothing wrong with expressing contempt at such an act".

Similar protests broke out in other cities, including Varanasi, Hinduism's holiest city, and the northern town of Meerut, where crowds of hundreds of thousands chanted "Down with Shilpa Shetty!" The STAR News office was also attacked. The protests did not take any violent turn and the situation was quickly brought under control, with some activists being detained.

Shetty responded to these protests by saying, "I understand this (kissing) is his (Gere's) culture, not ours. But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such a manner. I understand people's sentiments, but I do not want a foreigner to take bad memories from here."

On 26 April 2007, an Indian court in Rajasthan issued a warrant for Shetty and Gere's arrest.

The legal action against both Shetty and Gere has been suspended by the Indian Supreme Court until the court decides on the case's proper jurisdiction. Gere has since expressed regret for causing any offence and Shetty has said, "so much has been blown out of proportion".

Awards and honours

;Winner

1998: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Supporting Actress for ''Pardesi Babu''

2004: Giant International Award for ''Phir Milenge''. 2005: AAHOA Award for ''Phir Milenge''. 2005: Indian "Diva of the Year" by SaharaOne Television viewers.

2007: IIFA Special Award for Global Impact.

2007: Silver Star Award for her outstanding contribution to humanitarian causes. 2007: Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award. 2008: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Female for ''Life in a... Metro''. 2009: Shetty was among the 10 recipients of the IIFA-FICCI Frames Awards for the "Most Powerful Entertainers of the Decade".

;Nominated

1994: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for ''Baazigar''

2001: IIFA Best Actress Award for ''Dhadkan''

2003: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for ''Rishtey''

2003: Star Screen Award Best Comedian for ''Rishtey''

2005: Star Screen Award Best Actress for ''Phir Milenge''

2005: Filmfare Best Actress Award for ''Phir Milenge''

2005: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Female for ''Phir Milenge''

2005: IIFA Best Actress Award for ''Phir Milenge''

2005: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Actress for ''Phir Milenge''

Filmography

Seema Chopra ''Aao Pyaar Karen'' Mona/Basanti Bijli ''Gambler'' Neha ''Mr. Romeo'' Seema Nisha Sona ''Dus (1997 film) Neha Divya Roma Khurana Prathna Thakur Nandhana ''Pardesi Babu'' Komal ''Jaanwar (1999 film) Special appearance Lawyer's daughter ''Azad (film) Anjali Preeti Sharma Macarena Tara ''Indian (2001 film) Shilpa Preeti Chandana(Chandu) ''Karz'' Vaijanti Gauri Shivalkar Kaajal Radha/Banto Betty ''Ondagona Baa'' Gayathri ''Phir Milenge'' Jannat ''Dus'' Neha Sonia Money Lender ''Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar'' ''Life In A... Metro'' Simran Herself ''Dostana (2008 film) ''The Desire''

Year !! Film !! Role !! Language !! Notes
1993	''Baazigar''	|	Hindi	Nominated, Filmfare Best Debut Award
rowspan=3	1994	|	Chhaya	Hindi
''Main Khiladi Tu Anari''	|	Hindi
''Aag (1994 film)	Aag''	|	Hindi
rowspan=2	1995	|	Ritu	Hindi
''Hathkadi	|	Hindi
rowspan=4	1996	|	Shilpa	Tamil language>Tamil	Dubbed into Hindi and Telugu as ''Mr. Romeo''
''Chhote Sarkar (1996 film)	Chhote Sarkar''	|	Hindi
''Himmat''	|	Hindi
''Sahasa Veerudu Sagara Kanya''	|	Telugu language>Telugu	Dubbed into Hindi as ''Saagar Kanya''
rowspan=6	1997	Dus''||	Journalist	Hindi	Incomplete role
''Prithvi''	|	Hindi
''Insaaf''	|	Hindi
''Zameer: The Awakening of a Soul''	|	Hindi
''Auzaar''	|	Hindi
''Veedeva Dandi Babu''	|	Telugu
rowspan=2	1998	|	Chinni Malhotra	Hindi
''Aakrosh (1998 film)	Aakrosh''	|	Hindi
rowspan=3	1999	Jaanwar'' ||	Mamta	Hindi
''Shool''	|	Hindi	Item number
''Lal Baadshah''	|	Hindi
rowspan=5	2000	Azad'' ||	Kanaka Mahalakshmi	Telugu
''Dhadkan''	|	Hindi
''Tarkieb''	|	Hindi
''Kushi (2000 film)	Kushi''	|	Tamil	Item number
''Jung''	|	Hindi
rowspan=4	2001	Indian'' ||	Anjali Rajshekar Azad	Hindi
''Bhalevadivi Basu''	|	Telugu	Dubbed into Hindi as ''Sherni Ka Shikaar''
''Maduve Agona Baa''	|	Kannada
''Preethsod Thappa''	|	Kannada
rowspan=6	2002	|	Sapna	Hindi
''Rishtey''	|	Hindi	Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
''Hathyar''	|	Hindi
''Chor Machaaye Shor''	|	Hindi
''Badhaai Ho Badhaai''	|	Hindi
''Junoon (2002 film)	Junoon''	|	Hindi
rowspan=2	2003	|	Belli	Kannada
''Darna Mana Hai''	|	Hindi
rowspan=2	2004	|	Tamanna Sahani	Hindi	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
''Garv: Pride and Honour''	|	Hindi
rowspan=4	2005	|	Aditi	Hindi
''Fareb''	|	Hindi
''Khamosh: Khauff Ki Raat''	|	Hindi
''Auto Shankar (film)	Auto Shankar''	|	Kannada
2006	|	Ahana	Hindi
rowspan=3	2007	|	Shikha	Hindi
''Apne''	|	Hindi
''Om Shanti Om''	|	Hindi	Special Appearance In Song 'Deewangi Deewangi'
2008	Dostana'' ||		Hindi	Special Appearance In Song 'Shut Up & Bounce'
2010	|	Gautami	Hindi, English, Chinese	Filming'

See also

List of Indian film actresses

References

External links

Profile Page at BBC News

Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:1975 births Category:AIDS activists Category:Indian Hindus Category:Indian activists Category:Indian film actors Category:Kannada film actors Category:Living people Category:Indian actors Category:Reality show winners Category:Participants in British reality television series Category:Indian women activists Category:Indian television personalities Category:Big Brother UK contestants Category:People from Mumbai Category:Hindi film actors Category:Indian female models Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian Premier League Category:Indian Premier League franchise owners Category:Bigg Boss Category:Mangaloreans Category:Tulu people Category:People from Mangalore Category:Indian expatriates in the United Kingdom

bs:Shilpa Shetty cy:Shilpa Shetty es:Shilpa Shetty fr:Shilpa Shetty it:Shilpa Shetty he:שילפה שטי jv:Shilpa Shetty kn:ಶಿಲ್ಪಾ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ ka:შილპა შეტი ml:ശിൽപ്പ ഷെട്ടി mr:शिल्पा शेट्टी nl:Shilpa Shetty pl:Shilpa Shetty pt:Shilpa Shetty ru:Шилпа Шетти sco:Shilpa Shetty simple:Shilpa Shetty fi:Shilpa Shetty sv:Shilpa Shetty ta:ஷில்பா ஷெட்டி th:ศิลปา เศฏฏี tg:Шилпа Шеттӣ wuu:西跋榭滴 zh:細芭榭滴