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For the Telugu film see Krishna (2008 film). For the Kannada-language film, see Krishna (2007 film). For the animated film, see Krishna (2006 film).

Krishna is a 1996 Indian movie from S. Deepak starring Sunil Shetty, Karishma Kapoor, Om Puri, Shakti Kapoor, Tinu Anand.

Plot[link]

Krishna is a new name in the world of crime, whose exploits attract the attention of Raja, an heir to a dead underworld don. Raja is just reduced to remain at the mercy of Bhujang Rao aka Bhau, another don. Raja loathes Bhujang & his attitude & extends a hand to Krishna, who accepts the offer. Bhau tries to convince Krishna of a brighter future if he joins Bhau's gang, but Krishna remains with Raja. Meanwhile, Rashmi, a club dancer, is lamenting the loss of Sudhir, her love. Sudhir, who was Krishna's lookalike, was a pilot who died during his training session. Rashmi refuses to believe so, hoping that Sudhir will return.

During a gig, Rashmi runs into Krishna & is thrilled to see him. Krishna tells her firmly that he is not Sudhir. Only when she sees that a tattoo bearing Rashmi's name, which was supposed to be on Sudhir's arm, is missing from Krishna's arm, she leaves broken hearted & dejected. However, some goons try to rape her & she is saved by Krishna. Krishna reveals that he is indeed Sudhir & goes on to tell the truth. He reveals that his instructor was actually acting as a link for some criminals. He forced Sudhir to land on an abandoned place to meet the criminals.

One of the criminals was Cobra, an infamous name in underworld. The deal went wrong & Sudhir's instructor was killed. Sudhir survived somehow & nobody had seen his face. He was wrongfully arrested as a suspect & minister Amar Prabhakar bailed him out. Amar told him that if he wants to survive, he has to take down all the people who could pose a possible threat. So, Sudhir got booked under another name - Krishna. Meanwhile, Cobra returns to India again. It is revealed that both Bhau & Raja are on his payroll. Cobra decides to make Raja the de facto ruler of his operations in India. Raja tells him about Krishna.

Cobra & Sudhir meet, where Cobra suspects that he has seen Krishna somewhere else. Sudhir knows that Cobra may recognize him, but now he has come too far. Later, Raja drops by a brothel, where Sudhir is surprised to see his sister perform. His sister is shocked to see him too & commits suicide on the spot. Sudhir learns from another dancer that most of the dancers have same story to share - a man came in their life pretending to be a well to do person, married them & sold them, where they were raped before ending up here. He realizes that the man whom he gave his sister to is responsible for destruction of so many girl's lives.

The dancer also tells him that he keeps a record, mostly videotapes of the people he has sold the girls to, in order to blackmail them. In a fit of rage, Sudhir accosts the man, but he dies. Sudhir receives another blow when he learns that his mother has died. Amar keeps the truths under wraps & gives Sudhir's mother the funeral she deserved. Sudhir also learns that Amar's own daughter has been kidnapped & that Cobra has the tape which may uncover the identity of his sister's rapist. On learning of Cobra's another deal with Bhau & Raja, Sudhir decides to end it all. In a bloody aftermath, the criminals are killed.

Sudhir finds the tape, whereby he receives a shocker that his sister was raped by none other than Amar. Here, it is revealed that Amar's daughter is not kidnapped; it was only a ploy to garner public sympathy for next elections. However, the Commissioner learns of this fraud & Amar has him captured. Next day, Amar is giving a speech when an enraged Sudhir turns up. He makes his way to Amar. The Commissioner, who has somehow succeeded in escaping, manages to save Sudhir from being taken down. He pleads Sudhir to let the police take it over. Amar tries to run away, taking advantage of the situation, but Sudhir removes a fake Sudarshan Chakra from an idol of lord Krishna & beheads Amar with it. With Amar dead, Sudhir surrenders.

Cast[link]

• Suniel Shetty - Sudhir/Krishna
• Karisma Kapoor - Rashmi
• Om Puri - Amar Prabhakar
• Shakti Kapoor - Raja
• Mohan Joshi - Bhujang Rao aka Bhau
• Tinu Anand - Cobra
• Kulbhushan Kharbanda - Commissioner
• Rohini Hattangadi - Sunil's mother

Soundtrack[link]

External links[link]

• [1] On VIDUBA

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Kumar Sanu (alias Kedarnath Bhattacharya, born in Kolkata) is a leading Indian Bollywood playback singer.^[1] He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award over five consecutive years. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009.^[2]

Early life[link]

Kumar Sanu's father Pashupati Bhattacharya was a vocalist and composer. He trained Sanu as a singer and tabla player. After getting a degree in commerce from Calcutta University, Sanu began performing publicly in 1979, singing at shows and restaurants around Calcutta. He modeled his singing style after Bollywood singer Kishore Kumar.^[3] Later he developed his own singing style.^[3]

Career[link]

In 1987, music director and singer Jagjit Singh offered Sanu the chance to sing in the Hindi film Aandhiyan. Sanu then relocated to Mumbai, where Kalyanji-Anandji gave him chance to sing in the film Jaadugar. Kalyanji-Anandji suggested that he change his name from Kedar Nath Bhattacharya to Kumar Sanu.^[3]

Sanu started off singing Jagjit Singh's film songs, and went on to work with composers including Naushad, Ravindra Jain, Hridayanath Mangeshkar, Pt.R K Razdan, Kalyanji Anandji, and Usha Khanna.

For the 1990 film Aashiqui, music directors Nadeem-Shravan got Sanu to sing all but one of the songs which included "Ek Sanam Chahiye", "Tu meri zindagi hain", "Nazar Ke Saamne", "Jaane Jigar Jaaneman", "Ab Tere Bin Jee Lenge Hum" and "Dheere Dheere Se". He won the first of his record five consecutive Filmfare awards as Best Male Playback Singer. His next Filmfare Awards came for songs in the movies Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Baazigar (1993), and 1942: A Love Story (1994).

Sanu often collaborated with Nadeem-Shravan. Some of their collaborations include songs in movies like Aashiqi (1990), Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), Sadak (1991), Saajan (1991), Deewana (1992), Dil Ka Kya Kasoor (1992), Kal Ki Awaz (1992), Shreeman Aashique (1993), Salami (1993), Damini: Lightning (1993), Dilwale (1994), Agni Sakshi (1996), Raja Hindustani (1996), Jeet (1996), Pardes (1997), among others.

In a career spanning two decades he has sung with composers including R.D. Burman, Anand-Milind, Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit, Nadeem-Shravan, Himesh Reshammiya, Ismail Darbar, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, Sajid-Wajid, Viju Shah, Uttam Singh for Dushman, Raam Laxman, Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, Anand Raj Anand, Aadesh Shrivastava, Vishal-Shekhar, M. M. Keeravani & Vishal Bharadwaj.

He has also created music for Indian films and also produced the Bollywood film, Utthaan. Currently Kumar Sanu team up with Rakesh Bhhatia and together they produced Hindi feature film based on the four street children of Mumbai. All four children are doing shoe- polish on railway platform in order to earn their daily bread and butter. Mithun Chakraborty is acting in his movie as a lead role. Recently Kumar Sanu has sang for epic Bengali film Hason Raja, which directed by UK-based filmmaker Ruhul Amin.

Sanu was in the panel of judges on Sony TV for Waar Parriwar, a reality show based on the bringing together of a singing gharana (family of singers) and on Zee Bangla TV in a music reality show called Sa Re Ga Ma Pa - Vishwa Sera.

Awards[link]

• 2009: Padma Shri: India's 4th highest civilian honour given by Government of India.

Filmfare Awards[link]

Won[link]

Nominated[link]

Star Screen Award[link]

Notable Bollywood Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kumar Sanu at the Internet Movie Database

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since July 2008. It may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may only interest a specific audience. Tagged since July 2008. Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since July 2008.

Sadhana Sargam
Background information
Birth name	Sadhana Ghanekar[1]
Born	March 14 India
Genres	Playback singing, Indian classical, devotional
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocalist
Years active	1982-current

Sadhana Sargam is an Indian playback singer. She is a recipient of the prestigious National Film Award and Filmfare Awards South.

Sargam has sung in many Indian languages for films, television serials and music albums. She is well known for her 1990s Hindi songs and recent South Indian songs. She holds a record for being the only North Indian to have won the National Award for a South Indian song. She is also a trained Hindustani classical singer. She has ventured into the southern Carnatic classical style with ease.

Early life and family[link]

Sadhana Sargam is of Maharashtrian origin. She was trained in Indian classical music by her mother, Neelatai Ghanekar, at an early age, and then by Pandit Jasraj. Her mother introduced her to a composer by the name of Anil Mohile, which later resulted in her involvement with the children's choir. In 1982, she released her first single for the film Vidhaata.

Career[link]

Sadhana Sargam is popular in singing Hindi as well as Tamil songs. Her most critically acclaimed songs were in the film Water, composed by A. R. Rahman, in which she sang three songs: "Aayo Re Sakhi", "Piya Ho" and "Naina Neer". Her other notable songs in Hindi with the same composer include "Aahista Aahista" from Swades, "Chupke Se" and "Naina Milaike" from Saathiya, "Chanda Re" from Sapney, "O Palanhare" from Lagaan, "Jhulaa Bahon Ka" from Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, and "Banno Rani" from 1947: Earth. Her other notable rhapsodic hits in Hindi are "Neele Neele Ambar Par" from Kalakaar, "Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaye" from Jurm, "Pehla Nasha" from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, "Na Kajre Ki Dhar" from Mohra, "Aashiqui Me" from Dil Ka Kya Kasoor, "Tere Dar Pe Sanam" from Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, "Jhinimini" from Maqbool and "Aao Na" from Kyun! Ho Gaya Na....

She won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Pattu Solli" from Thankar Bachan's cult classic movie Azhagi; the music was by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, whom she has praised for "giving her such a wonderful song, and making her eligible for the National Award".

She has sung more than 150 songs in Tamil alone and has many top songs. One of her recent songs is "Marali Mareyaagi" from Savari, a Kannada movie for which she received the Filmfare Best Playback Kannada Female Singer award in 2009. Her most famous songs in Tamil include "Snehithane" from Alaipayuthey, "Mukundha Mukundha" from Dasavathaaram, "Konjum Mainakkale" from Kandukondain Kandukondain and "Swasame" from Thenali. She also sang "Om Zaarare" from Kuselan, along with Daler Mehndi and K. S. Chithra. She sang several songs in Hindi and Oriya for music director Kajol-Saroj. She has also sung the Tamil version of "Mann Mohana" from the Hindi film Jodhaa Akbar. Another notable recent solo Tamil song is "Sutri Varum Bhoomi" from the Vidhyasagar-composed Jeyamkondaan and "En Nenjil" from Baana Kaathadi. The recent Ilaiyaraaja-composed Tamil film Naan Kadavul had a song titled "Amma Un Pillai" featuring her voice. Her popular tracks in Marathi include "Onjalit Majhya" and "Saanjh Jhali Tari" from Sarivar Sari, "Dis Char Jhale Mann" and "Dhag Datun Yetat" from Aaishappath, "Pahile Paul", "Jhali Punha Pravahi" and "Ye Saad Jivnachi" from Sakhi. Her recent Marathi album Tu Sukhkarta..Tu Dukhraya was released by Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar on the occasion of Shri Ganesh Chaturthi on 3 September 2010 at Ravindra Natya Mandir, Mumbai. The songs were composed by Amol Bawdekar and lyrics were written by Mahesh Ghatpande.

Influence[link]

Popularity in South India[link]

Sadhana Sargam has been very well received in Tamil Nadu films. She is very busy in the Tamil music field. She was first introduced to Tamil songs by acclaimed music director Vidyasagar in the film Coimbatore Mappillai. Among all the Bollywood singers (male/female), Sargam has sung the most number of songs in Tamil. 132 songs of Sargam were listed as of August 2008.^[2]

In an interview in May 2007 while touring in the USA, the most celebrated composer of the Indian music industry, A. R. Rahman, complimented Sadhana Sargam, calling her the only Indian singer who could surpass his expectations in her renditions of songs.^[3]

Awards[link]

National Film Awards

• 2002 - National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer - "Paattu Cholli" (Azhagi), Tamil film.

Filmfare Awards South

• 2007 - Best Female Playback Singer (Tamil) - "Akkam Pakkam" (Kireedom)
• 2007 - Best Female Playback Singer (Telugu) - "Manasa" (Munna)

Zee Cine Awards

• 2004 - Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer – Female - "Kuch Naa Kaho" (Kuch Naa Kaho)

Star Screen Awards

• 2003 - Star Screen Award for Best Female Playback - "Chupke Se" (Saathiya)

Filmography[link]

Hindi[link]

South[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sadhana Sargam at the Internet Movie Database
• Unofficial Website

Karisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor at Xtra Innings IPL V, 2012.
Born	Karishma Kapoor (1974-06-25) 25 June 1974 (age 38) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Lolo
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–2003, 2011–present
Spouse	Sanjay Kapoor (2003–present) 2 children

Karisma Kapoor (born on 25 June 1974), often informally referred to as Lolo,^[1] is an Indian actress appearing in Bollywood films. Born into a family where her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, were actors, Kapoor made her acting debut at the age of seventeen with Prem Qaidi in 1991. She subsequently featured in several commercially successful films such as Jigar (1992), Anari (1993), Raja Babu, Suhaag (1994), Coolie No. 1, Gopi Kishan (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural & Jeet (1996).

In 1996, Kapoor earned her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Raja Hindustani, her biggest commercial success, and later received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the romantic drama Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). She went on to play the lead female role in the critically acclaimed projects, Fiza (2000) and Zubeidaa (2001), for which she earned the Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) trophies at the Filmfare ceremony. Having done so, Kapoor has established herself as one the leading actresses of Hindi cinema.

During her career, Kapoor has received one National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards, among six nominations. In addition to acting in films, Kapoor has played the leading role in the television series, Karishma: The Miracle of Destiny (2003) and has also featured as a talent judge for the reality shows, Nach Baliye and Hans Baliye. Following a high-profile relationship with actor Abhishek Bachchan, Kapoor married Sanjay Kapoor in 2003, with whom she has two children. She subsequently took a sabbatical from acting after her marriage before featuring in Dangerous Ishhq (2012).

Early life[link]

Kapoor was born in Mumbai to Randhir Kapoor, an actor popular during the 1970s and 80s, and actress Babita. She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, grand-niece of actors Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor, sister of actress Kareena Kapoor, niece of actors Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor, and first-cousin of actor Ranbir Kapoor.^[2] Kapoor studied at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai until grade six.

Career[link]

Debut & Breakthrough (1991–1995)[link]

Kapoor made her debut in the 1991 movie Prem Qaidi, which was a semi-hit. Although most of her multiple releases from 1992–1996 failed to do well at the box office, she had some success with films like Jigar (1992), Anari (1993), Raja Babu & Suhaag (1994), Coolie No. 1 & Gopi Kishan (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural & Jeet (1996) Judwaa & Hero No. 1 (1997).^[3]

Success & Critical Acclaim (1996–2002)[link]

In 1996, Kapoor played the female lead in Dharmesh Darshan's Raja Hindustani opposite Aamir Khan. The movie was the highest grossing film of the year^[4] and she won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. The following year, she won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award and the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Yash Chopra's super-hit,^[5] Dil To Pagal Hai opposite Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit.

Kapoor took a year break from films in 1998. Her diminutive comeback in 1999 proved to be good as she took part in the year's most successful films. Kapoor starred in four absolute hits. David Dhawan's comedy Biwi No.1 opposite Salman Khan became the biggest hit of the year. She proved to have success with comedy films, as David Dhawan's another film Haseena Maan Jaayegi did fairly well at the box office.^[6]

Kapoor also collaborated for the first time with the Rajshri Productions banner with Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United which also resulted in a hit. Her last release, Jaanwar opposite Akshay Kumar, was another box office hit, making her the most successful actress of the year.^[7]

In 2000, she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Khalid Mohammed's Fiza. Her performance in the film was highly acclaimed and several critics noted her for showing great emotional range and depth. Mimmy Jain of The Indian Express, in a positive review, wrote, "As the young girl who is sick of the suspense and disruption that her brother's disappearance has caused in her family's life, as the obstinate daughter who will not listen to her mother's plea to let her keep hoping for her son, as the determined sister who keeps on in her hunt for her brother despite all odds and then seeks to keep him on the right path, this is a new Karisma, and one that delivers a superbly flawless performance."^[8][9]

In 2001, She also achieved critical acclaim for her role in the film, Zubeidaa. Her performance was appreciated with film critic Taran Adarsh who believed that she "looks every bit the character she is portraying and the effort is laudable. She essays the multifaceted character with flourish and scores every time she comes on screen."^[10] The Tribune complimented her by arguing that she "has surpassed herself as the passionate, defiant, wilful and troubled Zubeidaa, the truly modern woman."^[11] For her work, she was awarded the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.

In 2002, Her performance in Shakti - The Power, was highly appreciated. Kapoor's performance was applauded by critic Taran Adarsh who wrote, "the power clearly belongs to Karisma Kapoor. Breathing fire and venom to win back her son from the clutches of a despot, the actress gives it all to the character of a helpless mother and proves what a virtuoso performer she is. Playing the part of a wounded tigress, this is one performance that overshadows all the performances the year has seen so far",^[12] and earned her many nominations in the Best Actress category.

Sabbatical (2003–2010)[link]

After her film Baaz: A Bird in Danger and Karishma: The Miracle of Destiny, released in 2003, she took a sabbatical from full time acting for three years. In 2006, Kapoor was seen in two delayed films Mere Jeevan Saathi opposite Akshay Kumar and Ameesha Patel, in which she played a negative role, and Zamaanat starring alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Arshad Warsi. In 2007, Kapoor was seen on Karan Johar's chat show Koffee with Karan, with her sister Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor, she also won the Koffee Award for Best Supporting Appearance. In 2008, alongside actor Arjun Rampal and director/choreographer Farah Khan, Kapoor began judging the dance show Nach Baliye 4, and continued the following year with Hans Baliye alongside David Dhawan. In addition, she made a cameo role, along with numerous other Bollywood stars in 2007's Om Shanti Om. She was also seen as guest on the reality TV show Wife Bina Life (2010). Kapoor also voiced the role of Chhaya in the Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer Bodyguard.

Return To Films (2011–present)[link]

In 2011, Kapoor officially announced she is returning to movies in Vikram Bhatt's next, a 3D film titled Dangerous Ishhq. Her performance was appreciated with film critics Komal Nahta commented: "Karisma Kapoor who makes a comeback is profiled in almost every possible manner and given almost every range of acting in this film. Directors notice please! So you have the age-defying mother of two in real life, hopping around in big heals, is eternally decked up with proper make-up and hair romancing, weeping, gun-totting, turning Punjabi, Rajasthani and even Islamic all with stressful accents throughout the film". Mansha Rastogi commented: "Karisma Kapoor who makes a comeback is profiled in almost every possible manner and given almost every range of acting in this film. Directors notice please! So you have the age-defying mother of two in real life, hopping around in big heals, is eternally decked up with proper make-up and hair romancing, weeping, gun-totting, turning Punjabi, Rajasthani and even Islamic all with stressful accents throughout the film". Taran Adarsh commented: "Karisma Kapoor puts forth her best efforts, getting to deliver lines in varied dialects. She gets the dialects right, especially Urdu and Rajasthani". Filmfare commented: "Full marks to Karisma for her conviction though. She’s as powerful and confident as any of her earlier performances". Times of india commented: "After long, Karisma Kapoor is reincarnated onscreen. Between panic-struck moments and over dramatic emotions, in almost every frame, she seems stuck in the 90s. There are moments of brief intensity where she performs well, but nothing that jumpstarts us back to life". Mumbai Mirror commented: "Karisma Kapoor makes an ‘entry’ like the stars of old-school Bollywood as she walks the ramp. The fact that you also see her eventually as a Rajput dasi in the 1500s with several avatars in between is testament to the fact that she’s worked hard. Acting is a skill you can lose without practice".

Kapoor will be featured in the remake of Satte Pe Satta opposite Sanjay Dutt which started filming in January 2012.^[13] Karisma Kapoor endorsed Babyoye.com, an online portal that sells baby care products, at Taj Lands End in Bandra.^[14]

Personal Life[link]

Karisma Kapoor with younger sister Kareena Kapoor.

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age.[16] As a child, Kapoor regularly attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and father Randhir Kapoor.

Karisma was engaged to Abhishek Bachchan. The engagement was announced in October 2002 on the 60th birthday of Abhishek's father, Amitabh Bachchan. Four months later in February 2003, they split up.^[15] On 29 September 2003, she married industrialist Sanjay Kapur, CEO of Sixt India. In typical Kapoor tradition, Karisma was married at the home of her grandfather (the late Raj Kapoor): R K Cottage. They opted for an hour-long Sikh wedding ceremony.^[16] The couple's daughter Samaira was born on 11 March 2005. After the birth of her daughter, there was considerable rift between her and her husband. The couple has subsequently patched-up. She gave birth to their second child, son Kiaan Raj Kapoor on 12 March 2010.^[17]

Stage Performances[link]

Kapoor has been part of several stage shows and world tours since 90's. The Heartthrobs: Live in Concert, was successfully performed across the United States and Canada alongside Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani.

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Karisma Kapoor

• Karisma Kapoor at the Internet Movie Database

Prakash Raj
Born	Prakash Rai (1965-03-26) 26 March 1965 (age 47) Puttur, Karnataka, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Film actor, producer, Film director
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Lalitha Kumari (1994–2009 divorced) Pony Verma (2010–present)
Children	Meghana Pooja Sidhu (2000 – 20 March 2004)[1]

Prakash Rai (born 26 March 1965), better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning film actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam films.He got introduced to films by K. Balachander in the movie Duet (1994). In remembrance, he named his production company "Duet Movies".^[2][3]

He has played a variety of roles, most notably as the antagonist in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil and of late, as a character actor. He is considered to be one amongst the club of natural actors. He has won a National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1998 for Mani Ratnam's Iruvar and a National Film Award for Best Actor in 2009 for his role in Kanchivaram, a Tamil film directed by Priyadarshan.^[4]

Early life[link]

Prakash Raj was born to a ethnic Bunt^[5] family in Puttur, Karnataka on 26 March 1965. He did his schooling from St.Joseph's Indian High School in Bangalore. He later joined St. Josephs College of commerce, Bangalore, where he participated in many plays.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Prakash married actress Lalitha Kumari in 1994. They have two daughters—Meghana and Pooja and a son, Sidhu.^[6] Sidhu died of injuries sustained in a fall in 2004. The couple divorced in 2009.^[7] He then married choreographer Pony Verma on August 24, 2010.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

As actor[link]

Prakash began his acting career with Kannada Doordarshan serials like Bisilu Kudure and Guddada Bhootha. He later took up supporting roles in Kannada films like Raamachari, Nishkarsha and Lockup Death. He was noticed for his dialogue delivery and histrionics. His breakthrough role came in form of Harakeya Kuri starring Vishnuvardhan and Geetha, directed by K. S. L. Swamy. His performance in the movie was noticed by Geetha and she, in turn, introduced him to her mentor K. Balachander, a Tamil film director. He acted under the screen name "Prakash Rai" in Kannada films and was rechristened "Prakash Raj" by K. Balachander for his debut Tamil film Duet, which saw him playing his first major role.

Prakash Raj re-entered Kannada films through Nagamandala in 1997, directed by T.S. Nagabharana which was selected for Indian Panorama in the International Film Festival in 1997. He was also a part of Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai. In 1997, he acted in Mani Ratnam's biopic film Iruvar. The movie dealt with the relationship between politicians M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. One of Prakash Raj's greatest hits was his role in Telugu film Okkadu, where he played a gangster who is in love with the heroine. After Okkadu, Prakash Raj was flooded with offers. The film was remade in Tamil as Ghilli and in Kannada as Ajay starring Puneet Rajkumar. He starred in a malayalam film, Pandippada,with Dilip.His 2007 production Mozhi was a box-office hit and praised by critics proving that he can play a comedy role just as good as a negative character.

Mozhi, directed by Radha Mohan, was well acclaimed. He played an important role in Venkat Prabhu's Saroja which became a box-office success. In 2008 he produced a film titled Abhiyum Naanum and played an important character in it. He remade the movie in Kannada as Naanu Nanna Kanasu which was critically acclaimed as well.

As producer[link]

He took on the mantle of producer and has produced several movies in Tamil (Kollywood). Most of the movies he produced turned out to be box-office hits and were also critically acclaimed.^{[citation needed]} His movies are also considered as family entertainers. He produced the movie Dhaya in which he acted as the hero with actress Meena which was a hit and earned him a special jury award for his performance. His movie Poi (lie in English) directed by his mentor, K. Balachander, was a non-grosser. It starred Uday Kiran, K. Balachander and Prakash Raj.

Prakash Raj had danced in the song "Kanchi Paanaiyin Maela" for his film Vellithirai.

His Kannada production Naanu Nanna Kanasu completed 100 days successfully across Karanataka. His next production venture, titled Akasmaath, is a remake of the Telugu hit Aithe and stars himself along with new actors. The movie is scheduled to go on floors in September 2010 to be directed by Dayal Padmanabhan. He made Puttakkana Highway in Kannada which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada in 2011.

As director[link]

Prakash Raj directed Naanu Nanna Kanasu in Kannada (2010), a remake of his own Tamil production Abhiyum Naanum.^[8] His next directorial venture is a Tamil – Telugu bilingual, sports venture Dhoni named after Indian cricket captain

Awards[link]

National Film Awards[link]

• 1998 – Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance in the Tamil film Iruvar.^[9][10]
• 1999 – Special Jury Award for his performance in the Telugu film Anthapuram.^[10]
• 2003 – Special Jury Award for his roles in Tamil film Dhaya and Telugu film Khadgam.^[10]
• 2008 – Best Actor Award for his performance in the Tamil film Kanchivaram.^[10]
• 2011 – Best Feature Film in Kannada for the Kannada film Puttakkana Highway (As producer)

Filmfare Awards South[link]

• 2002 – Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (Telugu) – Nuvve Nuvve
• 2003 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award (Telugu) – Tagore
• 2004 – Filmfare Best Villain Award (Tamil) – Ghilli
• 2005 – Filmfare Best Villain Award (Tamil) – Sivakasi
• 2009 – Filmfare Best Actor Award (Tamil) – Kanchivaram

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards[link]

• 2000 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain – Vaanavil
• 2005 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain – Various films

Zee Cine Awards[link]

• 2012 – Best Actor in a Negative Role- Singham

Apsara Awards 2012[link]

• 2012 – Best Actor in Negative Role- Singham

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Prakash Raj at the Internet Movie Database

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