name	Rani Mukerji
birth name	Rani Mukherjee
birth date	March 21, 1978
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
years active	1997–present
occupation	Film actress
other names	Rani Mukherji Rani Mukerjee }}

Rani Mukerji (born Rani Mukherjee on 21 March 1978) is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. Born to the Mukherjee-Samarth family, Mukerji never harbored any ambitions to become an actress, but eventually joined films on the insistence of her parents. She made her acting debut with ''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'' (1997), and subsequently had her first, and still biggest commercial success with Karan Johar's romance ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (1998), which won her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred in several films that fared below expectations, but in 2002 she tasted success with the critically acclaimed drama ''Saathiya'' for which she received numerous awards and nominations, including her first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.

In 2004, her performances in the hit romantic comedy ''Hum Tum'' and the critically acclaimed ''Yuva'' earned her the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, respectively at the 50th Filmfare Awards, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She later received unanimous praise for her portrayal of a blind, deaf and mute woman in ''Black'' (2005), for which she garnered numerous awards, including two more Filmfare Awards: Best Actress and Actress - Critics. She went on to play leading roles in the comedy ''Bunty Aur Babli'' (2005) and the adult drama ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006), both of which emerged as major commercial successes in India as well as overseas. Mukerji thus established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema. She then featured in a series of commercially unsuccessful films, mostly under the Yash Raj Films banner, before re-inventing herself with Raj Kumar Gupta's semi-biographic thriller ''No One Killed Jessica'' (2011). During the course of her career, she has received seven Filmfare Awards, among thirteen nominations.

In addition to acting in films, Mukerji has featured as a talent judge for Sony Entertainment Television's reality show ''Dance Premier League''. Despite constant speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and has consequently been termed a recluse by certain sections of the media. Mukerji currently lives in Juhu with her parents.

Early life and background

Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress. Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is the writer and director of ''Wake Up Sid'' (2009). As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz, Mumbai every year. Mukerji, being a religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.

Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. She was schooled at ''Maneckji Cooper High School'' in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai. Despite her background, she was never interested in becoming an actress, stating that, “I never thought I had any talent to be in films so it never occurred to me that I could be an actor.” However, she decided to join films on an experimental basis, on the insistence of her parents.

Acting career

Early work and breakthrough (1997–2002)

After doing a short cameo appearance for the first time in her father's Bengali film ''Biyer Phool'' (1996), Mukerji made her acting debut the following year, as the protagonist of ''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat''. Her performance as a rape victim in the film was well-received, but the film failed to do well at the box office. Nevertheless, she received a Special Jury recognition at the Star Screen Awards. The film's commercial failure made her return to college to complete her education. However, upon seeing her cousin Kajol's success, she decided to try films again.

Mukerji had a successful comeback in 1998 with Vikram Bhatt's ''Ghulam'', opposite Aamir Khan. The film did moderately well at the box office, while the song "Aati Kya Khandala" made her popular among the masses. Karan Johar's directorial debut, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, followed for her that year. She played the supporting role of Tina Malhotra, a sophisticated girl in love with Khan. Of her performance, Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherjee is a pleasant surprise — totally comfortable, clearly having suspended all disbelief". The movie was a blockbuster, with an adjusted worldwide gross of , and Mukerji went on to receive her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. She later played lead roles in films like ''Mehndi'' (1998) and ''Hello Brother'' (1999), alongside Salman Khan. Both these films were critically and commercially unsuccessful.

Mukerji's first release of 2000 was Raj Kanwar's action drama ''Badal'' opposite Bobby Deol. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year, but met with negative reviews from critics. She then essayed a brief role in Kamal Haasan's ''Hey Ram'' as Hassan's first wife, Aparna Ram. The controversial film, based on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination was a critical success and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars that year. Mukerji followed with a leading role in ''Bichhoo'', inspired by Luc Besson's ''Leon'', opposite Bobby Deol, as the foul-mouthed, coarse daughter of a drug dealer. The film, as well as her performance received negative reviews from critics. She also starred alongside Govinda, for the first time, in the comedy ''Hadh Kar Di Aapne''.

Later that year, she teamed up with Salman Khan for two films, Raj Kanwar's ''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega'' and ''Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye''. While the former was inspired by the Sandra Bullock starrer ''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), the later was a remake of Frank Coraci's ''The Wedding Singer'' (1998). She was appreciated for her performance in ''Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega'' and received her second Filmfare nomination in the Supporting Actress category.

In 2001, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's romantic drama ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke'', co-starring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film was released after a one-year delay, and was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage and thus, hires a surrogate mother. Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing ''bhartiya nari''." She next played the love-interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively, in two predominantly male-centric films: ''Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai'' and ''Nayak: The Real Hero''. Upon release, both films under-performed at the box-office.

Success (2002–06)

In 2002, Mukerji essayed the lead role of Pooja Sahani in Kunal Kohli's romance ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'', alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with one of India's largest production companies: Yash Raj Films. Although the movie flopped in India, it performed well overseas. That year, she acted opposite Govinda once again in two commercially unsuccessful films, ''Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai'' and ''Chalo Ishq Ladaaye''.

Later that year, Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed ''Saathiya'' opposite Vivek Oberoi. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and among several other nominations, received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. While Khalid Mohamed described her performance as "sensitively nuanced", BBC noted, "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala writing for Mid Day said "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove." The film, which earned a moderate domestic total of , rejuvenated her fading career. In an interview to ''Hindustan Times'', she said, "(Before ''Saathiya'') nothing that was coming my way excited me... I knew ''Saathiya'' was a special film. I felt it while making it."

Mukerji's first release of 2003 was Aziz Mirza's box-office hit ''Chalte Chalte'' opposite Shahrukh Khan. Though the film saw her play a role similar to the one she played in ''Saathiya'', her new look was well appreciated and her portrayal earned her a second nomination for ''Best Actress'' at the Filmfare awards. She next featured as the protagonist in Milan Luthria's ''Chori Chori'' opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's ''Calcutta Mail'' alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala and J.P. Dutta's multi-starrer war film ''LOC Kargil''. All three of them were critical as well as commercial failures.

In 2004, she acted in Mani Ratnam's composite film ''Yuva'' alongside Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol. The film, which narrated the story of three youngsters from different stratums of society, saw Mukerji play a Bengali housewife opposite Bachchan. Though the film failed to do well at the box office, the film, as well as her performance was critically acclaimed. Rediff, as part of a performance analysis noted, "Her inspiring work in ''Yuva'' as the devoted yet frustrated wife of a local goon came alive every time she flashed those big fire-filled eyes at her husband or broke down angrily at an unsuspecting onlooker." The film fetched Mukerji her second ''Best Supporting Actress'' award at the Filmfare ceremony. She received further success by playing the leading role in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy ''Hum Tum'', directed by Kunal Kohli, which became one of the biggest hits of the year with a non-adjusted gross of . The film starred Mukerji along with Saif Ali Khan and followed the arcs of their characters at different stages of their lives. Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma, an independent woman, won her several Best Actress awards, including her first Filmfare Award for ''Best Actress''. BBC observed, "Rani is fast becoming one of the more dependable and versatile actresses of her generation." She eventually became the first actor to have received both the Filmfare awards for ''Best Actress'' and ''Best Supporting Actress'' in the same year.

Her last release of the year was Yash Chopra's love saga ''Veer-Zaara'', in which she co-starred alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, which emerged as a major commercial success, grossing worldwide, narrated the love story of the title characters, Veer Pratap Singh, played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Singh. The film, which was screened at the Berlin Film Festival met with positive reviews. A review carried by Rediff noted, "...Rani walks away with the best lines and a performance full of grit."

In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Black'', Shaad Ali's ''Bunty Aur Babli'', Amol Palekar's ''Paheli'' and Ketan Mehta's ''The Rising''. She was primarily noted for her performance in ''Black''. When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down and stated that she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind person. Once Bhansali reinforced his faith in her, she agreed to do it and went on to intensely study sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. ''Black'' was a major critical success, and Mukerji received universal acclaim for her performance. Rediff.com noted, "The performer in Rani Mukerji must have turned more than a few mental cartwheels when she got ''Black''. It is a pure, performance-driven role, and Rani does it with a fluid maturity that is great to watch.". She eventually won the ''Best Actress'' and the ''Best Actress - Critics'' at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. ''Filmfare'' included her performance in their list of the "80 Most Iconic performances", while commenting, }}

Her next release, ''Bunty Aur Babli'', surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. She played the character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The film, which became a box-office success with a gross of , opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji's performance. A review carried by ''Variety''' mentioned, "Three years ago, in ''Saathiya'', helmer Shaad Ali managed to rediscover Mukerji's earlier vivacity, and he's done it again here in a role that the raspy-voiced diva-ette simply eats up" Consequently, Mukerji received another nomination for the [Filmfare Award for ''Best Actress'' for her work.

Her third release that year, ''Paheli'', opposite Shahrukh Khan, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards. The film was critically acclaimed, as was Mukerji's performance, which Raja Sen called "another perfectly played part". Her final release of the year, ''The Rising'', saw her play a prostitute, Heera, the love interest of the protagonist Mangal Pandey, played by Aamir Khan. Derek Elley of ''Variety'' mentioned that she made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," inpite of having "a small role for a star of her caliber."

In 2006 she starred in Karan Johar's drama ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'', featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas with a worldwide gross of . The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. Mukerji played the role of Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her and her husband, played by Abhishek Bachchan. Her performance was well-received with Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluding, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time." She received several nominations for the role, including her fifth Filmfare -''Best Actress'' nomination, and won the IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year.

Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's tearjerker ''Baabul'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and John Abraham. The movie did not do well at the box-office in India, but proved to be a hit overseas. Her portrayal of Malvika, a young widow, met with mixed reviews from critics with Sarita Tanwar from ''Mid Day'' commenting, "Rani Mukerji breathes life into a somewhat confused character".

Professional setbacks and recent work (2007–present)

From 2007 to 2009, Mukerji featured primarily in films produced by Yash Raj Films (with the exception of ''Saawariya''). Her first release was Siddharth Anand's melodrama ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'', where she played Radhika Rai Banerjee, a pianist turned housewife opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film performed decently at the box-office, while her performance was generally well-received. Adarsh wrote, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently." Negative reviews, however were directed towards the film itself, with Rajeev Masand writing, "neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring." Her next release of the year was Pradeep Sarkar's drama ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' alongside Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. The film met with mixed reviews, while Mukerji was criticised for playing stereotypical roles that required her to cry often. A review carried by ''Indian Express'' noted, "Rani holds the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn’t have freshness." Her performance nonetheless fetched her yet another ''Best Actress'' nomination at the Filmfare ceremony. Her final release of the year was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragedy ''Saawariya'', where she essayed a smaller part of a sex-worker. The film, which featured debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial failure, but Mukerji's performance earned her a fifth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2008, Mukerji was paired with Saif Ali Khan again for Kunal Kohli's ''Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic''. This fantasy film had Mukerji play an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids. The film, which flopped at the box office, met with generally positive reviews from critics. The box-office failure of her recent films made Mukerji lose weight and undergo a makeover in her following release, ''Dil Bole Hadippa'' (2009). The project, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, saw Mukerji portray a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival under performed at the Indian box-office.

Though her performances in the films during this period were generally well-received, none of them performed well commercially, leading to major setbacks in her career. She was not seen in any 2010 releases. When questioned about working only under the Yash Raj Films banner, she said, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".

In 2011, Mukerji starred in UTV Motion Pictures' semi-biographic thriller, ''No One Killed Jessica'' (2011), based on the Jessica Lal murder case. She played the fictional character of a foul-mouthed television journalist, Meera Gaity, deeply involved with the case. In an interview with ''The Calcutta Telegraph'' she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn’t a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward.... Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn’t something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man! " Upon release, Mukerji's performance received mostly positive reviews. ''The Times of India'' wrote, "Rani's character being fictional and glamourized seems superficial to an extent but she packs in the punch required for her dynamic character." While other critics praised her performance, with ''Daily News and Analysis'' describing it as "one of her best performances till date," several critics were less positive, including Anupama Chopra of ''NDTV'', who called her role, "the fatal, false note in ''No One Killed Jessica''," arguing that "The character is written superficially and Rani’s portrayal of her is equally banal. It’s all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk." The film eventually earned and was especially noted for being a commercial success, despite the absence of any prominent male actors. Consequently, Mukerji won her third Filmfare Award for ''Best Supporting Actress''.

As of March 2012, her upcoming films include Reema Kagti's suspense thriller ''Talaash'' co-starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Sachin Kundalkar's ''Aiyaa'' opposite Prithviraj.

Other work

Philanthropy and stage performances

Involved with several social causes, Mukerji remarked, "It's my dream too that every child in India is educated because the way India is growing I don't think without education, we can see a very bright future. So if we want a bright future for our country, I think education is foremost." In March 2004, Mukerji visited the sandy dunes of Rajasthan where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for a NDTV show, ''Jai Jawan'', on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops. In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the ''HELP! Telethon Concert'' to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake alongside several other Bollywood stars. In March 2006, Mukerji bonded again with the physically challenged children of the ''Helen Keller Institute'' as they organised a birthday party for her. She had previously worked with these children while researching for her role in ''Black''.

Among her stage performances, Mukerji has participated in two world tours. Her first, ''Magnificent Five'' was in the year 1999 with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna. Five years later, ''Temptations 2004'' came along. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe. Mukerji was also part of the ''Temptations 2005'' show in New Delhi. The actress helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group, with the show which also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan. In 2010, Mukerji joined Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa Koppikar, among others for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience.

Television

In 2009, Mukerji made her television debut as a talent judge with the reality show ''Dance Premier League'' on Sony Entertainment Television. She explained her stint with television, saying that it made her "more accessible" to the audience and helped her "gain visibility when [she was] not doing too many films." In 2011, she reprised her role of Meera Gaity on the TV series ''C.I.D.'' in a guest appearance to promote her film ''No One Killed Jessica''.

In the media

Rani uses the English transliteration of "Mukerji" instead of the original "Mukherjee" for her surname. It was widely reported that she did this for numerological reasons, but she has said it was printed as such on her passport and she wanted it to be consistent. Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.

Mukerji is extremely guarded about her personal life, and despite constant media speculation, has never spoken about her relationships. However, in an interview with Simi Garewal she quoted, "I am absolutely in love", without divulging the name of the person. As opposed to most of her contemporaries, Mukerji limits her media interactions and is often termed as a recluse. However in 2011, in an interview to ''Screen India'' she clarified, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don’t do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable." She is additionally known for her friendly image and shares a close friendship with several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar. Mukerji's distinctive features include her light green eyes and her slightly husky, broken voice. Due to this voice texture, her lines were dubbed by a dubbing artist in ''Ghulam'' (1998), but she eventually dubbed for her own lines in her next release, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''. She noted, “When Karan Johar wanted my voice to be dubbed for ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', I really thought that it [my voice] was bad and very husky and rough, but slowly I worked to improve my diction, and am now quite comfortable with it."

In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticized following the publication of an interview with British newspaper ''Desi Xpress''. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler". However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name. In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back. A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.

Mukerji occupied the top slot of Box Office India's ''Top Actresses'' list for two years in a row (2005–2006). She was also placed number one on Rediff's 'Top Bollywood Female Stars' Rankings for three consecutive years (2004–2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five. In February 2006, Filmfare placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten, the only woman on the list. In 2007, she was ranked at number five. On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in fourth on the ''Best Bollywood Actresses Ever'' listing. She was placed at number 36 by UK magazine ''Eastern Eye'' as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/2006). Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, including, ''Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses'', ''Bollywood's Best Dressed Women'' and ''Women of Many Faces''.

Filmography

Films

''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'' ''Ghulam'' ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' ''Mehndi (film) ''Mann (film) ''Hello Brother (1999 film) ''Badal'' ''Hey Ram'' ''Hadh Kar Di Aapne'' ''Bichhoo'' ''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega'' ''Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye (2000 film) ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke'' ''Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai'' ''Nayak: The Real Hero'' ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' ''Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai'' ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'' ''Saathiya (film) ''Chalo Ishq Ladaaye'' ''Chalte Chalte (2003 film) ''Chori Chori (2003 film) ''Calcutta Mail'' ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' ''LOC Kargil'' ''Yuva'' ''Hum Tum'' ''Veer-Zaara'' ''Black (2005 film) ''Bunty Aur Babli'' ''Paheli'' ''Mangal Pandey: The Rising'' ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' ''Baabul (2006 film) ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'' ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' ''Saawariya'' ''Om Shanti Om'' ''Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic'' ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' ''Luck by Chance'' ''Dil Bole Hadippa!'' ''No One Killed Jessica'' ''Aiyaa'' ''Talaash (2012 film) ''Koochie Koochie Hota Hain''

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1996	''Biyer Phool''	Rimi
1997	|	Mala
1998	|	Alisha
1998	|	Tina Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1998	Mehndi'' ||	Pooja
1999	Mann'' ||		Special appearance in the song "Kaali Naagin Ke"
1999	Hello Brother'' ||	Rani
2000	|	Rani
2000	|	Aparna Ram
2000	|	Anjali Khanna
2000	|	Kiran Bali
2000	|	Pooja Oberoi	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000	Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye'' ||	Priya Sharma
2001	|	Priya Malhotra
2001	|	Pooja Shrivastav
2001	|	Manjari
2001	|	Naina Kapoor	Cameo
2002	|	Payal Khuranna
2002	|	Pooja Sahani
2002	Saathiya'' ||	Dr. Suhani Sharma/Sehgal	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2002	|	Sapna
2003	Chalte Chalte'' ||	Priya Chopra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2003	Chori Chori'' ||	Khushi Malhotra
2003	|	Reema/Bulbul
2003	|		Special appearance in the song "Mahi Ve"
2003	|	Hema
2004	|	Sashi Biswas	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2004	|	Rhea Prakash	Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2004	|	Saamiya Siddiqui	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2005	Black'' ||	Michelle McNally	Filmfare Award for Best Actress Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
2005	|	Vimmi Saluja (Babli)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2005	|	Lachchi Bhanwarlal
2005	|	Heera
2006	|	Maya Talwar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2006	Baabul'' ||	Malvika "Milli" Talwar/Kapoor
2007	|	Radhika Shekar Rai Banerjee (Shona)
2007	|	Vibhavari Sahay (Badki)/ Natasha	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2007	|	Gulabji	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2007	|	Herself	Special appearance in the song "Deewangi Deewangi"
2008	|	Geeta
2008	|		Special appearance in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte"
2009	|	Herself
2009	|	Veera Kaur/Veer Pratap Singh
2011	|	Meera Gaity	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2012	|	Meenakshi	Post-production (Releasing on September 28, 2012)
2012	Talaash'' ||		Post-production (Releasing on November 30, 2012)
2012	|	Tina	Post-production

Television

''C.I.D. (TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Show	Role	Channel
2009	''Dance Premier League''
2011	CID'' ||	Guest Role: Meera Gaity	Sony Entertainment Television Asia>Sony TV

See also

List of Indian film actresses

List of Bengali actresses

List of Bengalis

List of Bollywood Clans: The Mukherjees

References

Further reading

External links

Rani Mukerji on Bollywood Hungama

Category:1978 births Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Bengali actors Category:Bengali people Category:Living people Category:People from Kolkata Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian Hindus Category:Hindi film actors Category:Mithibai College alumni

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name	Rani Mukerji
birth name	Rani Mukherjee
birth date	March 21, 1978
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
years active	1997–present
occupation	Film actress
other names	Rani Mukherji Rani Mukerjee }}

Rani Mukerji (born Rani Mukherjee on 21 March 1978) is an Indian film actress who works in Hindi movies. Born to the Mukherjee-Samarth family, Mukerji never harbored any ambitions to become an actress, but eventually joined films on the insistence of her parents. She made her acting debut with ''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'' (1997), and subsequently had her first, and still biggest commercial success with Karan Johar's romance ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (1998), which won her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred in several films that fared below expectations, but in 2002 she tasted success with the critically acclaimed drama ''Saathiya'' for which she received numerous awards and nominations, including her first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.

In 2004, her performances in the hit romantic comedy ''Hum Tum'' and the critically acclaimed ''Yuva'' earned her the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, respectively at the 50th Filmfare Awards, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She later received unanimous praise for her portrayal of a blind, deaf and mute woman in ''Black'' (2005), for which she garnered numerous awards, including two more Filmfare Awards: Best Actress and Actress - Critics. She went on to play leading roles in the comedy ''Bunty Aur Babli'' (2005) and the adult drama ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006), both of which emerged as major commercial successes in India as well as overseas. Mukerji thus established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema. She then featured in a series of commercially unsuccessful films, mostly under the Yash Raj Films banner, before re-inventing herself with Raj Kumar Gupta's semi-biographic thriller ''No One Killed Jessica'' (2011). During the course of her career, she has received seven Filmfare Awards, among thirteen nominations.

In addition to acting in films, Mukerji has featured as a talent judge for Sony Entertainment Television's reality show ''Dance Premier League''. Despite constant speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and has consequently been termed a recluse by certain sections of the media. Mukerji currently lives in Juhu with her parents.

Early life and background

Mukerji comes from a film-oriented family of Bengali origin. Her father Ram Mukherjee is a retired director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios while her mother Krishna was a playback singer. Her brother Raja Mukherjee is a film producer turned director. Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her cousin, Kajol, is a popular Bollywood actress. Another cousin of hers, Ayan Mukerji is the writer and director of ''Wake Up Sid'' (2009). As part of a tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja at Santacruz, Mumbai every year. Mukerji, being a religious person, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.

Mukerji is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance in the tenth grade. She was schooled at ''Maneckji Cooper High School'' in Juhu, and later enrolled at Mithibai College in Mumbai. Despite her background, she was never interested in becoming an actress, stating that, “I never thought I had any talent to be in films so it never occurred to me that I could be an actor.” However, she decided to join films on an experimental basis, on the insistence of her parents.

Acting career

Early work and breakthrough (1997–2002)

After doing a short cameo appearance for the first time in her father's Bengali film ''Biyer Phool'' (1996), Mukerji made her acting debut the following year, as the protagonist of ''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat''. Her performance as a rape victim in the film was well-received, but the film failed to do well at the box office. Nevertheless, she received a Special Jury recognition at the Star Screen Awards. The film's commercial failure made her return to college to complete her education. However, upon seeing her cousin Kajol's success, she decided to try films again.

Mukerji had a successful comeback in 1998 with Vikram Bhatt's ''Ghulam'', opposite Aamir Khan. The film did moderately well at the box office, while the song "Aati Kya Khandala" made her popular among the masses. Karan Johar's directorial debut, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, followed for her that year. She played the supporting role of Tina Malhotra, a sophisticated girl in love with Khan. Of her performance, Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherjee is a pleasant surprise — totally comfortable, clearly having suspended all disbelief". The movie was a blockbuster, with an adjusted worldwide gross of , and Mukerji went on to receive her first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actress category. She later played lead roles in films like ''Mehndi'' (1998) and ''Hello Brother'' (1999), alongside Salman Khan. Both these films were critically and commercially unsuccessful.

Mukerji's first release of 2000 was Raj Kanwar's action drama ''Badal'' opposite Bobby Deol. The film emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the year, but met with negative reviews from critics. She then essayed a brief role in Kamal Haasan's ''Hey Ram'' as Hassan's first wife, Aparna Ram. The controversial film, based on Mahatma Gandhi's assassination was a critical success and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars that year. Mukerji followed with a leading role in ''Bichhoo'', inspired by Luc Besson's ''Leon'', opposite Bobby Deol, as the foul-mouthed, coarse daughter of a drug dealer. The film, as well as her performance received negative reviews from critics. She also starred alongside Govinda, for the first time, in the comedy ''Hadh Kar Di Aapne''.

Later that year, she teamed up with Salman Khan for two films, Raj Kanwar's ''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega'' and ''Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye''. While the former was inspired by the Sandra Bullock starrer ''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995), the later was a remake of Frank Coraci's ''The Wedding Singer'' (1998). She was appreciated for her performance in ''Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega'' and received her second Filmfare nomination in the Supporting Actress category.

In 2001, Mukerji starred in Abbas Mustan's romantic drama ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke'', co-starring Salman Khan and Preity Zinta. The film was released after a one-year delay, and was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle the issue of surrogate childbirth. Mukerji's role was that of Priya Malhotra, a woman who is unable to conceive after a miscarriage and thus, hires a surrogate mother. Rediff.com wrote, "Rani Mukherji is handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing. To her credit, she manages to hold her own even while playing a stereotypical sacrificing ''bhartiya nari''." She next played the love-interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively, in two predominantly male-centric films: ''Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai'' and ''Nayak: The Real Hero''. Upon release, both films under-performed at the box-office.

Success (2002–06)

In 2002, Mukerji essayed the lead role of Pooja Sahani in Kunal Kohli's romance ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'', alongside Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with one of India's largest production companies: Yash Raj Films. Although the movie flopped in India, it performed well overseas. That year, she acted opposite Govinda once again in two commercially unsuccessful films, ''Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai'' and ''Chalo Ishq Ladaaye''.

Later that year, Mukerji starred in Shaad Ali's critically acclaimed ''Saathiya'' opposite Vivek Oberoi. Essaying the role of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, and among several other nominations, received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. While Khalid Mohamed described her performance as "sensitively nuanced", BBC noted, "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction", and Udita Jhunjhunwala writing for Mid Day said "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove." The film, which earned a moderate domestic total of , rejuvenated her fading career. In an interview to ''Hindustan Times'', she said, "(Before ''Saathiya'') nothing that was coming my way excited me... I knew ''Saathiya'' was a special film. I felt it while making it."

Mukerji's first release of 2003 was Aziz Mirza's box-office hit ''Chalte Chalte'' opposite Shahrukh Khan. Though the film saw her play a role similar to the one she played in ''Saathiya'', her new look was well appreciated and her portrayal earned her a second nomination for ''Best Actress'' at the Filmfare awards. She next featured as the protagonist in Milan Luthria's ''Chori Chori'' opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's ''Calcutta Mail'' alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala and J.P. Dutta's multi-starrer war film ''LOC Kargil''. All three of them were critical as well as commercial failures.

In 2004, she acted in Mani Ratnam's composite film ''Yuva'' alongside Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol. The film, which narrated the story of three youngsters from different stratums of society, saw Mukerji play a Bengali housewife opposite Bachchan. Though the film failed to do well at the box office, the film, as well as her performance was critically acclaimed. Rediff, as part of a performance analysis noted, "Her inspiring work in ''Yuva'' as the devoted yet frustrated wife of a local goon came alive every time she flashed those big fire-filled eyes at her husband or broke down angrily at an unsuspecting onlooker." The film fetched Mukerji her second ''Best Supporting Actress'' award at the Filmfare ceremony. She received further success by playing the leading role in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy ''Hum Tum'', directed by Kunal Kohli, which became one of the biggest hits of the year with a non-adjusted gross of . The film starred Mukerji along with Saif Ali Khan and followed the arcs of their characters at different stages of their lives. Mukerji's portrayal of Rhea Sharma, an independent woman, won her several Best Actress awards, including her first Filmfare Award for ''Best Actress''. BBC observed, "Rani is fast becoming one of the more dependable and versatile actresses of her generation." She eventually became the first actor to have received both the Filmfare awards for ''Best Actress'' and ''Best Supporting Actress'' in the same year.

Her last release of the year was Yash Chopra's love saga ''Veer-Zaara'', in which she co-starred alongside Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The film, which emerged as a major commercial success, grossing worldwide, narrated the love story of the title characters, Veer Pratap Singh, played by Khan, and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan, played by Zinta. Mukerji played the supporting role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer who takes it upon herself to find the truth about Singh. The film, which was screened at the Berlin Film Festival met with positive reviews. A review carried by Rediff noted, "...Rani walks away with the best lines and a performance full of grit."

In 2005, Mukerji starred in four high-profile films: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Black'', Shaad Ali's ''Bunty Aur Babli'', Amol Palekar's ''Paheli'' and Ketan Mehta's ''The Rising''. She was primarily noted for her performance in ''Black''. When Bhansali first came to Mukerji with the offer, she turned it down and stated that she was not confident enough to play a deaf-blind person. Once Bhansali reinforced his faith in her, she agreed to do it and went on to intensely study sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai. ''Black'' was a major critical success, and Mukerji received universal acclaim for her performance. Rediff.com noted, "The performer in Rani Mukerji must have turned more than a few mental cartwheels when she got ''Black''. It is a pure, performance-driven role, and Rani does it with a fluid maturity that is great to watch.". She eventually won the ''Best Actress'' and the ''Best Actress - Critics'' at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. ''Filmfare'' included her performance in their list of the "80 Most Iconic performances", while commenting, }}

Her next release, ''Bunty Aur Babli'', surfaced as one of the biggest hits of the year. She played the character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. The film, which became a box-office success with a gross of , opened to mixed reviews, and so did Mukerji's performance. A review carried by ''Variety''' mentioned, "Three years ago, in ''Saathiya'', helmer Shaad Ali managed to rediscover Mukerji's earlier vivacity, and he's done it again here in a role that the raspy-voiced diva-ette simply eats up" Consequently, Mukerji received another nomination for the [Filmfare Award for ''Best Actress'' for her work.

Her third release that year, ''Paheli'', opposite Shahrukh Khan, was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars for the 79th Academy Awards. The film was critically acclaimed, as was Mukerji's performance, which Raja Sen called "another perfectly played part". Her final release of the year, ''The Rising'', saw her play a prostitute, Heera, the love interest of the protagonist Mangal Pandey, played by Aamir Khan. Derek Elley of ''Variety'' mentioned that she made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," inpite of having "a small role for a star of her caliber."

In 2006 she starred in Karan Johar's drama ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'', featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher. The film opened to mixed reviews but emerged as the most successful movie ever overseas with a worldwide gross of . The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. Mukerji played the role of Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her and her husband, played by Abhishek Bachchan. Her performance was well-received with Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN concluding, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time." She received several nominations for the role, including her fifth Filmfare -''Best Actress'' nomination, and won the IIFA Best Actress Award for the third consecutive year.

Mukerji's next release was B.R. Chopra's tearjerker ''Baabul'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and John Abraham. The movie did not do well at the box-office in India, but proved to be a hit overseas. Her portrayal of Malvika, a young widow, met with mixed reviews from critics with Sarita Tanwar from ''Mid Day'' commenting, "Rani Mukerji breathes life into a somewhat confused character".

Professional setbacks and recent work (2007–present)

From 2007 to 2009, Mukerji featured primarily in films produced by Yash Raj Films (with the exception of ''Saawariya''). Her first release was Siddharth Anand's melodrama ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'', where she played Radhika Rai Banerjee, a pianist turned housewife opposite Saif Ali Khan. The film performed decently at the box-office, while her performance was generally well-received. Adarsh wrote, "Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently." Negative reviews, however were directed towards the film itself, with Rajeev Masand writing, "neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring." Her next release of the year was Pradeep Sarkar's drama ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' alongside Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor. The film met with mixed reviews, while Mukerji was criticised for playing stereotypical roles that required her to cry often. A review carried by ''Indian Express'' noted, "Rani holds the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn’t have freshness." Her performance nonetheless fetched her yet another ''Best Actress'' nomination at the Filmfare ceremony. Her final release of the year was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's tragedy ''Saawariya'', where she essayed a smaller part of a sex-worker. The film, which featured debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, was a critical and commercial failure, but Mukerji's performance earned her a fifth Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2008, Mukerji was paired with Saif Ali Khan again for Kunal Kohli's ''Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic''. This fantasy film had Mukerji play an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids. The film, which flopped at the box office, met with generally positive reviews from critics. The box-office failure of her recent films made Mukerji lose weight and undergo a makeover in her following release, ''Dil Bole Hadippa'' (2009). The project, co-starring Shahid Kapoor, saw Mukerji portray a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival under performed at the Indian box-office.

Though her performances in the films during this period were generally well-received, none of them performed well commercially, leading to major setbacks in her career. She was not seen in any 2010 releases. When questioned about working only under the Yash Raj Films banner, she said, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".

In 2011, Mukerji starred in UTV Motion Pictures' semi-biographic thriller, ''No One Killed Jessica'' (2011), based on the Jessica Lal murder case. She played the fictional character of a foul-mouthed television journalist, Meera Gaity, deeply involved with the case. In an interview with ''The Calcutta Telegraph'' she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn’t a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward.... Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn’t something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man! " Upon release, Mukerji's performance received mostly positive reviews. ''The Times of India'' wrote, "Rani's character being fictional and glamourized seems superficial to an extent but she packs in the punch required for her dynamic character." While other critics praised her performance, with ''Daily News and Analysis'' describing it as "one of her best performances till date," several critics were less positive, including Anupama Chopra of ''NDTV'', who called her role, "the fatal, false note in ''No One Killed Jessica''," arguing that "The character is written superficially and Rani’s portrayal of her is equally banal. It’s all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk." The film eventually earned and was especially noted for being a commercial success, despite the absence of any prominent male actors. Consequently, Mukerji won her third Filmfare Award for ''Best Supporting Actress''.

As of March 2012, her upcoming films include Reema Kagti's suspense thriller ''Talaash'' co-starring Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor and Sachin Kundalkar's ''Aiyaa'' opposite Prithviraj.

Other work

Philanthropy and stage performances

Involved with several social causes, Mukerji remarked, "It's my dream too that every child in India is educated because the way India is growing I don't think without education, we can see a very bright future. So if we want a bright future for our country, I think education is foremost." In March 2004, Mukerji visited the sandy dunes of Rajasthan where she spent a day at the army training base to boost the morale of the jawan troops. The visit was conducted for a NDTV show, ''Jai Jawan'', on which entertainers and actors visit Indian troops. In February 2005, Mukerji performed at the ''HELP! Telethon Concert'' to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake alongside several other Bollywood stars. In March 2006, Mukerji bonded again with the physically challenged children of the ''Helen Keller Institute'' as they organised a birthday party for her. She had previously worked with these children while researching for her role in ''Black''.

Among her stage performances, Mukerji has participated in two world tours. Her first, ''Magnificent Five'' was in the year 1999 with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna. Five years later, ''Temptations 2004'' came along. Mukerji performed alongside Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows across the globe. Mukerji was also part of the ''Temptations 2005'' show in New Delhi. The actress helped to raise funds for the National Centre For Promotional of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), a leading disabled rights' group, with the show which also featured Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan. In 2010, Mukerji joined Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Ishaa Koppikar, among others for a concert at the Army Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh to a packed audience.

Television

In 2009, Mukerji made her television debut as a talent judge with the reality show ''Dance Premier League'' on Sony Entertainment Television. She explained her stint with television, saying that it made her "more accessible" to the audience and helped her "gain visibility when [she was] not doing too many films." In 2011, she reprised her role of Meera Gaity on the TV series ''C.I.D.'' in a guest appearance to promote her film ''No One Killed Jessica''.

In the media

Rani uses the English transliteration of "Mukerji" instead of the original "Mukherjee" for her surname. It was widely reported that she did this for numerological reasons, but she has said it was printed as such on her passport and she wanted it to be consistent. Mukerji has three homes in Mumbai, including her childhood home. She bought a bungalow in Juhu for herself and her parents in mid-2005. The house went through a two year renovation with the interiors done by Twinkle Khanna and Sussanne Roshan.

Mukerji is extremely guarded about her personal life, and despite constant media speculation, has never spoken about her relationships. However, in an interview with Simi Garewal she quoted, "I am absolutely in love", without divulging the name of the person. As opposed to most of her contemporaries, Mukerji limits her media interactions and is often termed as a recluse. However in 2011, in an interview to ''Screen India'' she clarified, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don’t do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable." She is additionally known for her friendly image and shares a close friendship with several Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar. Mukerji's distinctive features include her light green eyes and her slightly husky, broken voice. Due to this voice texture, her lines were dubbed by a dubbing artist in ''Ghulam'' (1998), but she eventually dubbed for her own lines in her next release, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''. She noted, “When Karan Johar wanted my voice to be dubbed for ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'', I really thought that it [my voice] was bad and very husky and rough, but slowly I worked to improve my diction, and am now quite comfortable with it."

In June 2005, Mukerji was widely criticized following the publication of an interview with British newspaper ''Desi Xpress''. Mukerji was asked to name her idol and she replied, "Adolf Hitler". However, in an interview with Times Now a year later, she denied ever mentioning Hitler's name. In November 2006, Mukerji was shooting for the film ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' in Varanasi when avid fans crowded the set. Security personnel beat the crowd back. A media storm followed as various groups insisted that Mukerji should have stopped the security guards. Mukerji later issued an apology.

Mukerji occupied the top slot of Box Office India's ''Top Actresses'' list for two years in a row (2005–2006). She was also placed number one on Rediff's 'Top Bollywood Female Stars' Rankings for three consecutive years (2004–2006), while in 2007, she was ranked at number five. In February 2006, Filmfare placed her eighth amongst the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood", an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten, the only woman on the list. In 2007, she was ranked at number five. On Women's International Day 2007, Mukerji came in fourth on the ''Best Bollywood Actresses Ever'' listing. She was placed at number 36 by UK magazine ''Eastern Eye'' as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women" (Sept/2006). Mukerji is frequently featured in various lists by Rediff.com, including, ''Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses'', ''Bollywood's Best Dressed Women'' and ''Women of Many Faces''.

Filmography

Films

''Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat'' ''Ghulam'' ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' ''Mehndi (film) ''Mann (film) ''Hello Brother (1999 film) ''Badal'' ''Hey Ram'' ''Hadh Kar Di Aapne'' ''Bichhoo'' ''Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega'' ''Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye (2000 film) ''Chori Chori Chupke Chupke'' ''Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai'' ''Nayak: The Real Hero'' ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' ''Pyaar Diwana Hota Hai'' ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'' ''Saathiya (film) ''Chalo Ishq Ladaaye'' ''Chalte Chalte (2003 film) ''Chori Chori (2003 film) ''Calcutta Mail'' ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' ''LOC Kargil'' ''Yuva'' ''Hum Tum'' ''Veer-Zaara'' ''Black (2005 film) ''Bunty Aur Babli'' ''Paheli'' ''Mangal Pandey: The Rising'' ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' ''Baabul (2006 film) ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'' ''Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'' ''Saawariya'' ''Om Shanti Om'' ''Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic'' ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' ''Luck by Chance'' ''Dil Bole Hadippa!'' ''No One Killed Jessica'' ''Aiyaa'' ''Talaash (2012 film) ''Koochie Koochie Hota Hain''

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1996	''Biyer Phool''	Rimi
1997	|	Mala
1998	|	Alisha
1998	|	Tina Malhotra	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
1998	Mehndi'' ||	Pooja
1999	Mann'' ||		Special appearance in the song "Kaali Naagin Ke"
1999	Hello Brother'' ||	Rani
2000	|	Rani
2000	|	Aparna Ram
2000	|	Anjali Khanna
2000	|	Kiran Bali
2000	|	Pooja Oberoi	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000	Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye'' ||	Priya Sharma
2001	|	Priya Malhotra
2001	|	Pooja Shrivastav
2001	|	Manjari
2001	|	Naina Kapoor	Cameo
2002	|	Payal Khuranna
2002	|	Pooja Sahani
2002	Saathiya'' ||	Dr. Suhani Sharma/Sehgal	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2002	|	Sapna
2003	Chalte Chalte'' ||	Priya Chopra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2003	Chori Chori'' ||	Khushi Malhotra
2003	|	Reema/Bulbul
2003	|		Special appearance in the song "Mahi Ve"
2003	|	Hema
2004	|	Sashi Biswas	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2004	|	Rhea Prakash	Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2004	|	Saamiya Siddiqui	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2005	Black'' ||	Michelle McNally	Filmfare Award for Best Actress Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
2005	|	Vimmi Saluja (Babli)	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2005	|	Lachchi Bhanwarlal
2005	|	Heera
2006	|	Maya Talwar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2006	Baabul'' ||	Malvika "Milli" Talwar/Kapoor
2007	|	Radhika Shekar Rai Banerjee (Shona)
2007	|	Vibhavari Sahay (Badki)/ Natasha	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2007	|	Gulabji	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2007	|	Herself	Special appearance in the song "Deewangi Deewangi"
2008	|	Geeta
2008	|		Special appearance in the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte"
2009	|	Herself
2009	|	Veera Kaur/Veer Pratap Singh
2011	|	Meera Gaity	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2012	|	Meenakshi	Post-production (Releasing on September 28, 2012)
2012	Talaash'' ||		Post-production (Releasing on November 30, 2012)
2012	|	Tina	Post-production

Television

''C.I.D. (TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Show	Role	Channel
2009	''Dance Premier League''
2011	CID'' ||	Guest Role: Meera Gaity	Sony Entertainment Television Asia>Sony TV

See also

List of Indian film actresses

List of Bengali actresses

List of Bengalis

List of Bollywood Clans: The Mukherjees

References

Further reading

External links

Rani Mukerji on Bollywood Hungama

Category:1978 births Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Bengali actors Category:Bengali people Category:Living people Category:People from Kolkata Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian Hindus Category:Hindi film actors Category:Mithibai College alumni

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name	Shraddha Kapoor
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
occupation	Actor
years active	2010–present
occupation	Actor }}

Shraddha Kapoor () is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. In 2011, she was signed by Aditya Chopra for a three-film contract with Yash Raj Films she starred in Y-Films's venture ''Luv Ka The End''.

Early life

Shraddha Kapoor was born in Mumbai to actor Shakti Kapoor and Shivangi Kapoor. She is the niece of actress Padmini Kolhapure. Her older brother Siddhanth is a Disc Jockey and an assistant director.

She did her schooling at Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu and then enrolled at Boston University, taking up theatre studies. She quit during her freshman year in order to pursue acting.

Career

Shraddha Kapoor made her acting debut in 2010 with the film ''Teen Patti'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Madhavan, and Raima Sen. The film tanked at the box office, and her performance went partially unnoticed. For her role as college rockstar Aparna, she had workshops with Royston Abel, Ashley Lobo and Barry John. Shraddha described her character as "a studious girl and is also a guitarist in her college’s music band" and "a very intriguing person."

In 2011, she signed a three-movie contract with Yash Raj Films. She starred in Y-Films's venture, ''Luv Ka The End'' alongside newcomer Taaha Shah. Of her role, Shraddha remarked, "I play the character of Rhea Dialdas who is feminine, quirky but at the same time determined. When she learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her, initially she is heartbroken and shattered. But she gets over the rona-dhona and picks up the baseball bat to get even with him." Despite the film's poor performance at the box office, Shraddha received mostly positive reviews. Rachana of Glamsham Editorial wrote, "Shraddha Kapoor clearly steals the show and it's her performance which lights up the film. She is the star of the film."

She was ranked #3 in itimes' poll for the Hottest New Face-Female of 2010.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%;" border="1" cellpadding="5" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |2010 || ''Teen Patti'' || Aparna Khanna || |- |2011 || ''Luv Ka The End'' || Rhea Dialdas || Stardust Searchlight Award For Best Actress |}

Awards and Nominations

Stardust Awards

Winner 2012: Stardust Searchlight Award For Best Actress for Luv Ka The End

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Indian Hindus

ru:Шраддха Капур

name	Ekta Kapoor
parents	Jeetendra & Shobha Kapoor
birth date	June 07, 1975
occupation	Television producer, Joint MD of Balaji Telefilms
years active	1995–Present
birth name	Ekta
web site	KapoorEkta.com }}

Ekta Jeetendra Kapoor () (b. 7 June 1975) is an Indian TV and film producer. She is the Joint Managing Director and Creative Director of Balaji Telefilms, her production company.

Biography

Sahil Khan is Work with balaji telefilms as creative manager Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor. Tusshar Kapoor is also a Bollywood actor. She did her schooling at Bombay Scottish School, Mahim and attended college at Mithibai College.

She has produced numerous soap opera, television series and movies. Her most popular television series include ''Hum Paanch'', ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'', ''Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii'', ''Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai'', ''Kasautii Zindagii Kay'', ''Kaahin Kissii Roz'', ''Kkusum'', ''Kahiin To Hoga'', ''Kasamh Se'' and ''Bandini'' . She is currently producing ''Pavitra Rishta'', ''Bade Achhe Lagte Hain'', ''Parichay'', ''Kya Huaa Tera Vaada'' & ''Gumrah End Of Innocence''''.

She branched out into Bollywood movie production in 2001 beginning with ''Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta'' . ''Kucch To Hai'' and ''Krishna Cottage'' based on supernatural themes followed in 2003 and 2004. ''Kyaa Kool Hai Hum'' starring her brother Tusshar Kapoor proved to be her breakout hit and went on to become one of the highest earners of 2005. She then went on to co-produce ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' with Sanjay Gupta which became her a profitable venture at the box office. ''Mission Istanbul'' and ''EMI – Liya Hai Toh Chukana Parega'' in collaboration with Sunil Shetty followed. The years 2010 and 2011 proved to be important for her with critical and commercial succeses such as ''Love Sex aur Dhokha'', ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'', ''Shor in the City'', ''Ragini MMS'' and ''The Dirty Picture''. Her upcoming productions include ''Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum'', Lootera, ''Shootout at Wadala'', ''Rock The Shaadi'' & ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai 2''.

Ektha made her debut as an actress in a Telugu Movie called Pichi Pullaiah made in 1991. She paired with Naresh. That film failed at the box office, so she gave up acting.

Television

Ekta Kapoor has produced several TV serials, most of which aired on her first network STAR Plus. Some of her other productions air on Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television and Colors TV.

Filmography

''Kucch To Hai'' ''Krishna Cottage'' ''Kyaa Kool Hai Hum'' ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' ''Mission Istanbul'' ''C Kkompany'' ''EMI – Liya Hai Toh Chukana Parega'' ''Love Sex aur Dhokha'' ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'' ''Taryanche Bait'' ''Shor in the City'' ''Ragini MMS'' ''The Dirty Picture'' ''Kyaa Super Kool Hai Hum'' ''Lootera'' ''Shootout at Wadala'' ''Rock The Shaadi'' ''Once Upon a Time Again'' ''Ek Thi Daayan'' Untitled project Milan Talkies

+ As Producer under Balaji Films banner	Year !! Title !! Director !! Notes
2001	''Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta''	David Dhawan
2003	|	Anurag Basu & Anil V Kumar
2004	|	Santram Verma
2005	|	Sangeeth Sivan
2007	|	Apoorva Lakhia	Co-produced with Sanjay Gupta
2008	|	Apoorva Lakhia	Co-produced with Sunil Shetty
2008	|	Sachin Yardi
2008	|	Saurabh Kabra	Co-produced with Sunil Shetty
2010	|	Dibakar Banerjee
2010	|	Milan Luthria
2011	|	Kiran Yadnyopavit	Marathi Film
2011	|	Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D.K.
2011	|	Pawan Kripalani	Co-produced with Amit Kapoor & Sidhartha M. Jain
2011	|	Milan Luthria
2012	|	Sachin Yardi	Upcoming
2012	|	Vikramaditya Motwane	Upcoming Co-produced with Anurag Kashyap
2013	|	Sanjay Gupta (director)>Sanjay Gupta	Upcoming Co-produced with Sanjay Gupta
2013	|	Navdeep Singh (director)>Navdeep Singh	Upcoming Co-produced with Amit Kapoor & Sidhartha M. Jain
2013	|	Milan Luthria	Upcoming
2013	|	Kannan Iyer	Upcoming Co-produced with Vishal Bhardwaj
2013	|	Akshay Roy	Announced Co-produced with Karan Johar
2013	|	Tigmanshu Dhulia	Upcoming

References

External links

Category:Indian television producers Category:Indian film producers Category:Living people Category:1975 births Category:Mithibai College alumni Category:Punjabi people Category:Sindhi people

ar:إيكتا كابور hi:एकता कपूर id:Ekta Kapoor mr:एकता कपूर

Name	Karan Johar
birthname	Karan Dharma Kama Johar
Birth date	May 25, 1972
Birth place	Mumbai, Maharastra, India
Occupation	Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Costume designer, Television host
Yearsactive	1995–present
Parents	Yash JoharHiroo Johar }}

Karan Johar (born 25 May 1972) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, Costume designer and Television host based in Bollywood. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is also the head of the production company Dharma Productions. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and abroad. The four films he has directed, all starring Shahrukh Khan, have been India's highest grossing productions in the overseas market. The success of those films resulted in crediting Johar for changing the way Indian cinema has been perceived in the West.

Johar entered the film industry as an actor in Aditya Chopra's ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge''. He later made his directorial debut with the highly successful romantic comedy, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' which won him a Filmfare Award For Best Director and Filmfare Best Screenplay Award. His following directorial efforts were the family drama, ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'' (2001) and the romantic drama, ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006), a movie which dealt with the theme of adultery. Both films were major financial successes in India and abroad. Johar thus established himself as one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. His fourth film, ''My Name Is Khan'' (2010) was met with positive reviews and grossed over 2 billion worldwide. It earned him his second Best Director award at the Filmfare ceremony.

Early life

Karan Johar was born in Mumbai, India to Indian Bollywood film producer Yash Johar, founder of Dharma Productions and Hiroo Johar. He studied at the Greenlawns High School and attended H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, both in Mumbai. He received a Masters degree in French.

As a child, he was influenced by commercial Indian cinema and he cites Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Sooraj R. Barjatya as his inspirations. For a period of time, Johar followed numerology, creating film titles in which the first word and a number of others in the title began with the letter "K." After watching the 2006 film, ''Lage Raho Munna Bhai'' which was critical of numerology, Johar decided to stop this practice.

Career

Acting and directing

Johar formally entered the film industry as an actor, portraying Raj's (Shahrukh Khan) close friend in ''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' (1995). He was also assistant director on the film and helped director Aditya Chopra in writing the screenplay. In addition, he selected Shahrukh Khan's costumes, something he continued to do for Shahrukh Khan's other movies like ''Dil To Pagal Hai'' (1997), ''Duplicate'' (1998), ''Mohabbatein'' (2000), ''Main Hoon Na'' and ''Veer-Zaara'' (2004) and ''Om Shanti Om'' (2007).

Johar made his directorial debut at the age of 25 with the cult film ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' in 1998 which he also wrote the story and screenplay for. Johar first wrote a story about a love triangle between a tomboy, a very pretty looking girl and a slightly insensitive boy but he shelved the idea because he was not satisfied with it. Then he wrote an other plot about a widower and his child. which he shelved as well. Eventually he decided to merge the two stories into one. He explained in an interview with Rediff: "It was about the trauma of a widower and his little child. How the child really wants a mother and how she brings her mother into her father's life. Then I thought: Why not bring an youth aspect to the story? Why not a flashback? That's how the story got made." Starring Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, the film was well received by critics and audience alike. It won a National awards, eight Filmfare Awards in 1998 including Best Movie, Best Director and all four Best Actor awards for both leading and supporting roles. It was also the highest grossing Indian movie of the year in India and abroad and was declared an all time blockbuster by Box Office India.

Johar's second directorial effort was the family drama, ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'', released in 2001. It featured an ensemble star-cast that included Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. It was the fifth film to star Khan and Kajol and their last together in the decade until their next cast, again by Johar, in 2010. Johar stated that he make the film because of his desire to create a saga like Yash Chopra's ''Kabhi Kabhie'' which dealt with parent-child relationships. He also added that "The posters of all those big stars glittering on a banner had entranced me in childhood. I said one day I will make a film with big stars standing together in one frame. I integrated both ideas in ''K3G''." The film was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year and one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over 1 billion worldwide. Box Office India called it "one of the true Worldwide blockbusters of Hindi cinema". It was also critically well received, winning five Filmfare Awards.

In May 2005, after taking a four-year break from directing, Johar began working on his third film as a director and fourth film as writer; ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'', (''Never Say Goodbye''). With an ensemble cast including Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. On its release in 11 August 2006, the film received generally mixed reviews because it dealt with themes that were considered taboo in the Indian society. Johar, in an interview with CNN-IBN clarified: "When it’s called a film about adultery and infidelity, I’d like to say that it has not been treated frivolously at all. There is a lot of dignity and intensity given to the plot, even though it deals with slightly gray areas of life (...) Though this one treads on gray areas, it never veers towards the black." The film however, opened to strong box office numbers and became the sixth highest grossing film of the year in India and the highest grossing overseas film of all time. It grossed over 1.13 billion worldwide.

Although the content of the film was deemed controversial, Johar's work as director and writer was applauded, Rajeev Masand noted: "Few writers have such solid control over their screenplay as Karan Johar does. Few understand the intricacies of narrative as well as he does. Johar goes from highs to lows, from plateaus to peaks with the ease of a pro. He knows exactly how to turn a seemingly ordinary scene into something special with just that one line of dialogue, or that hint of background music." And Taran Adarsh added: "In a nutshell, ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' bears the unmistakable stamp of a genius -- Karan Johar. The master storyteller only polishes his skills further, proving yet again that he's a forward-thinker and also, a progressive storyteller." The film was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival and its script was invited to be included in the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It was eventually nominated for ten Filmfare awards, including Best Director and Best Film.

In November 2009, Johar ended shooting for his film ''My Name Is Khan'' starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol Devgan, reuniting them after eight years. The film debuted in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 10 February 2010. It was also screened as part of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's official selection the same month. Critics noted that with the film, Johar has broken away from his typical style of film making - lavish sets, filmi songs and dance sequences and designer cloths. The filmmaker himself confirmed that, stating: "in all my 11 years as a filmmaker I’ve never felt the experience to be so different. The content of ''My Name Is Khan'' is diametrically opposite to whatever I’ve done in the past." There were also discussion about its content, which was "serious" and "thinking", not a satirical entertainer like his previous films. Speaking about the film, he said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama:"''MNIK'' is an unusual Bollywood film, if at all, and doesn't have those quintessential pre-requisite elements that any Bollywood film has (...) All I can say is that ''MNIK'' is going to open windows and doors to many people who have stories to tell and are shy to put their story on the celluloid" Upon release, the film was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and strong box office reports; ''My Name is Khan'' was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at the time, grosseing over 2 billion worldwide. Rajeev Masand, in a positive review, noted: "Johar crafts an engaging, stirring saga that is earnest and noble. With this message movie in the mainstream format, the director takes a step in the right direction." It earned him his second Best Director award at the Filmfare ceremony.

Producer

Dharma Productions, founded by his father, is Johar's production company. He became the main producer of the company after his father's death. In a 2003 interview with ''The Hindu'', he explained his production strategy: "I wanted my production house to walk before running. I need to be streamlined, build my infrastructure. I do want to make all kinds of movies because I have watched all kinds of movies."

Johar wrote and produced the 2003 film, ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' which was directed by Nikhil Advani. A drama set in New York City, starring Shahrukh Khan, Jaya Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. The film was received favorably by critics and became a box office success in India and the highest grossing film in the overseas that year. It has won eight Filmfare awards and two National film awards. His 2005 film, ''Kaal'' was directed by Soham Shah, Johar's assistant director from ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''. He produced two films in 2009, first Ayan Mukerji's coming of age romantic drama ''Wake Up Sid'' and the thriller ''Kurbaan''. He is also responsible for the official Hindi-language remake of ''Stepmom'', called ''We Are Family'' featuring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles which was shot in Mumbai and Sydney, Australia. When Johar first decided to adapt the movie for an Indian audience, he initially intended to buy the rights to the film but eventually opted to co-produce it with Sony Pictures. The same year, he co-produced the Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor, starter ''I Hate Luv Storys'' with UTV Motion Pictures. The film went on to become a box office hit.

In an interview with ''The Times Of India'', Johar explained that he had the intention of remaking the 1990 thriller ''Agneepath'' which was then produced by his father, because the commercial failure of the film broke his father's heart. The idea of the remake materialized on the sets of his film ''My Name Is Khan'' when Johar asked his assistant director Karan Malhotra to revisit it again. The remake was released in January 2012 to both critical and commercial success. He further produced the 2012 romantic comedy, ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu''. Starring both Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, the film was met with positive critical reception and moderate box office success. He will also be producing ''Dostana 2''. and ''Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani''.

Television

In 2004, Johar became the host of the celebrity-based chat show, ''Koffee with Karan'', in which he interviewed renowned celebrities from Bollywood and India's glamour world. The first season of the shown which began airing on Star TV and Star World on November 19, 2004. The programme was met with huge success and became the first English entertainment show to score a huge rating in India. The season lasted for twenty five episodes. The show was then put on hold due to Johar's commitment to his directorial project, ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' but returned for a second season in February 2007. It was then renewed for a third season which commenced in November 2010 after Johar's fourth film, ''My Name Is Khan'' was released. The show is noted for its fresh and witty appeal, and it is very popular with the younger audiences.

Johar's second television outing was the 2010 show ''Lift Kara De''. The concept of the show was to introduce nineteen of the biggest stars of Bollywood to their biggest fan. The Show choses three fans for a superstar. They will perform a task and who ever gathers more money wins the contests and get the opportunity to meet his idol. The money is then multiplied 500 times by the Show and the star and is used to "lift" a life of a very poor family who is in need. It premiered on January 2010 on Sony TV and ended on May 2010 lasting for 28 episodes.

After the third season of the show concluded, Johar stated in an interview with ''Mid-Day'' that he will be taking a long hiatus from the show, explaining: "I'm done with Koffee and my other extra-curricular activities for now. In case people have forgotten, I'm a filmmaker." He further noted: “We should just leave Koffee With Karan where it is. Instead of doing season four, I’d like the audience to remember me as the host of three unforgettable editions.” However, in Februray 2012, he confirmed his return to hosting a fourth edition of the show after being approached by the channel as it has been flooded with requests for the show to come back. Johar announced that he will start working on the the new season after he finishs directing ''Student Of The Year''. The fourth season will start airing from June and will feature a new format.

Filmography

!Year	!Film	Film director>Director	Film producer>Producer	Screenwriter>Writer	Notes
style="text-align:center;"	''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''				Won, Filmfare Best Movie Award National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
style="text-align:center;"	''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''				Won 5 Filmfare awards
style="text-align:center;"	''Kal Ho Naa Ho''				Won 8 Filmfare awards Won 2 National film awards
style="text-align:center;"	''Kaal''				Co-produced with Red Chillies Entertainment
style="text-align:center;"	''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''
style="text-align:center;"
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"
''Wake Up Sid''				Won 3 Filmfare awards
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"	''My Name Is Khan''				Won 3 Filmfare awards
''I Hate Luv Storys''				Co-produced with Ronnie Screwvala's UTV Motion Pictures
				co-produced with Sony Pictures Won 1 Filmfare awards
style="text-align:center;"	''Koochie Koochie Hota Hain''				An animated remake of the 1998 Hindi film, ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''.
rowspan="5" style="text-align:center;"
''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu''
				''Filming''. Co-produced with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.
''Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani''
''Dostana 2''

;Actor

''Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' (1995) – Rocky

''Main Hoon Na'' (2004) – Credits

''Home Delivery: Aapko... Ghar Tak'' (2005) – Himself

''Alag'' (2006) – (himself/voice in the song "Sabse Alag")

''Salaam-e-Ishq'' (2007) – (himself/voice)

''Om Shanti Om'' (2007) – (cameo as himself)

''C Kkompany'' (2008) – (cameo as the Game show host)

''Fashion'' (2008) – (cameo as himself)

''Luck by Chance'' (2009) – (cameo as himself)

Awards

National Film Awards

Won

1999: National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment (Director) - ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Filmfare Awards

Won

1999: Best Director - ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''

1999: Best Screenplay – ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''

2002: Best Dialogue – ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''

2011: Best Director – ''My Name Is Khan''

Nominated

2002: Best Director – ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham''

2004: Best Movie – ''Kal Ho Na Ho''

2008: Best Director – ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''

2009: Best Movie - ''Dostana''

2010: Best Movie - ''Wake Up Sid''

IIFA Awards

Won

2001: Best Costume Designer – ''Mohabbatein''

2002: Best Dialogue – ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''

2004: Best Story – ''Kal Ho Na Ho''

2011: Best Director - ''My Name Is Khan''

Nominated

2002: Best Director – ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham''

2008: Best Director – ''Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna''

Star Screen Awards

Won

1999: Best Director – ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''

2004: Best Screenplay – ''Kal Ho Naa Ho''

Nominated

2002: Best Director – ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham''

2004: Best Movie – ''Kal Ho Na Ho''

Zee Cine Awards

1999: Best Director – ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai''

2011: Best Director – ''My Name Is Khan''

2011: Best Story – ''My Name Is Khan''

Honors

In 2007, Johar was chosen as one of 250 ''Global Young Leaders'' by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum 2006. On 30 September 2006, Johar became the first Indian filmmaker to be a jury member in the Miss World competition, in Warsaw, Poland.

References

External links

My Name Is Karan – Karan Johar's Official Blog

Category:1972 births Category:Hindi film actors Category:Hindi-language film directors Category:Indian actors Category:Indian costume designers Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian film directors Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian Hindus Category:Indian television presenters Category:Indian television talk show hosts Category:Living people Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Sindhi people Category:Filmfare Awards winners

ar:كاران جوهر ca:Karan Johar de:Karan Johar es:Karan Johar fr:Karan Johar hi:करण जौहर it:Karan Johar jv:Karan Johar ml:കരൺ ജോഹർ ms:Karan Johar pl:Karan Johar ru:Джохар, Каран fi:Karan Johar ta:கரண் ஜோஹர்