Kaminey
File:Kamineyposter.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vishal Bhardwaj
Produced by	Ronnie Screwvala
Screenplay by	Supratik Sen Vishal Bhardwaj Sabrina Dhawan Abhishek Chaubey
Story by	Vishal Bhardwaj
Starring	Shahid Kapoor Priyanka Chopra Amole Gupte
Music by	Vishal Bhardwaj
Cinematography	Tassaduq Hussain
Editing by	Meghna Manchanda Sen A. Sreekar Prasad
Distributed by	UTV Motion Pictures
Release date(s)	August 14, 2009 (2009-08-14)
Running time	130 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	35 crore (US$6.98 million)
Box office	56 crore (US$11.17 million)[1]

Kaminey (Hindi: कमीने, translation: The Scoundrels) is a 2009 Bollywood caper thriller film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj featuring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles, and Amol Gupte in his debut film appearance. Bhardwaj co-authored the screenplay to a script he bought for $4000 from a Kenyan writer named Cajetan Boy whom he had mentored at a script writing workshop in Uganda.^[2] The film was produced by Ronnie Screwvala of UTV Motion Pictures.

A sequel to the film was announced in 2011.^[3]

Plot[link]

Guddu and Charlie (Shahid Kapoor in a double role) are identical twins who have grown up in the streets of Mumbai. Both brothers have a speech impediment – Charlie has a lisp, while Guddu stutters in his speech.

The film begins in medias res with a voice over narration by Charlie, who describes how he and his brother could never meet eye to eye, and Charlie's belief in taking shortcuts to fulfill his dream – to become a bookie at a horse racing course, where he currently works for three Bengali goon brothers in fixing races. He is especially close with the youngest of the three brothers, Mikhail (Chandan Roy Sanyal), whom he considers to be even closer than his own biological brother. Charlie however, gets done in his quest to hit the big time when he bets Rs. 100,000 on a horse during a fixed race, only to be double-crossed by the jockey, losing all his savings in the process. He hunts down the jockey to an upscale hotel in the city and is craving to get his revenge. He refuses to heed his boss' orders to leave the hotel after delivering information of the jockey's whereabouts, and instead goes after the jockey himself.

In a different room at the same hotel, two corrupt cop brothers – Lobo and Lele – kill three drug dealers and collect a guitar case containing Rs. 10 Crore worth of cocaine, to be delivered to drug lord Tashi (Tenzing Nima). Charlie and his aide invade the jockey's hotel room, and start seizing his belongings and beating him up to make up for Charlie's lost money when the jockey's aide returns to hand him a gun, which sparks a gunfight and foot-chase that lasts all the way to the parking lot, where the two cops are now placing a guitar case in their van. Charlie and both of his aides seize the van in order to escape from the jockey's men, and soon realize that they have stolen a police vehicle. Charlie drives it to a remote location where he discovers the guitar case contains cocaine. Thinking of this as the shortcut that will lead to his dreams, he steals the guitar case, after an initial hesitation. The cops track down the van but discover that the guitar case is missing so they try to track Charlie's down.

Meanwhile, the happy, carefree life of young lovers Guddu and Sweety (Priyanka Chopra) comes to a halt when Sweety reveals that she is pregnant with Guddu's child. She also reveals that she is the sister of crooked mob politician Sunil Bhope, and must get married to Guddu immediately. Guddu reluctantly agrees and they are married later that night. Bhope gets wind of his sister's actions and sends his cronies to apprehend the lovers. Bhope's men crash the wedding celebrations and after beating up Guddu, they realize that he is a migrant to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh. This enrages Bhope, whose political party supports Maharashtra for Marathis, and Bhope orders his men to kill Guddu and bring Sweety back to his house so he can arrange a marriage for her. Sweety however, fights off her brother's gangsters and escapes with Guddu.

Charlie informs Mikhail about the discovered drugs and both of them are overjoyed at the money they would earn from the deal, but when Charlie goes back in order to retrieve the case for Mikhail, Bhope and his men sit waiting inside, with Bhope looking for Charlie to reveal Guddu's whereabouts, as one of Bhope's footsoldiers had recognized Guddu as Charlie's twin brother. A drunk Mikhail interrupts their conversation, and for all the talk, he is murdered by Bhope, so as to convince Charlie that he means business.

On the way to the airport, Guddu and Sweety have a nasty argument after Guddu realizes that Sweety had not only faked her identity, but also her own stammering in order to get close to Guddu. They briefly part, and after being spotted by the cops at a petrol bunk, Guddu is mistaken for Charlie and is arrested. He is assaulted by the cops who refuse to believe that he is Charlie's twin brother until Guddu's mobile rings. The call is from Charlie's number, where Bhope is on the line. The crooked cops and Bhope strike an exchange deal – Charlie in exchange for Guddu and Sweety. The deal is executed on a train.

Guddu and Sweety are brought back to Bhope's house, where Bhope reveals that a local builder will pay him Rs.5 crores if he marries Sweety off to the builder's son, and he needs the money for the election. Guddu, remembering that the whole fracas is about the guitar case containing Rs. 10 crores worth of drugs, bargains with Bhope – Guddu will get Sweety if Guddu retrieves the guitar case for Bhope. Bhope sends Guddu and his men to retrieve the guitar case from Charlie's house.

Charlie is assaulted by the two crooked cops who are desperate to find out about the guitar case, or else Tashi will be going after their heads. Realizing that they are in as much trouble as he himself is in, Charlie refuses to budge. However, in a freak accident, one of the cops accidentally shoots himself in the thigh, and Charlie uses the distraction to pick up a gun and make both cops his hostages. He makes a deal with Tashi – the guitar case for a payment of Rs.10 lakhs. He sends the injured cop and his aide to Tashi to deliver the details of the exchange, and heads back to his house to retrieve the guitar. Guddu arrives there with Bhope's men, totally unaware that Bhope has ordered his men to kill Guddu once the guitar case is obtained. Sweety hears about this double-cross and opens fire on the members of her household. When Guddu finally finds the guitar case he enters a fight with his brother in which they discuss the death of their father. Charlie lets Guddu go, and Guddu then goes to the police with the cocaine and is wired with electronic listening devices so the police can get evidence of Bhope's criminal acts. Guddu arrives at the Bhope residence about the same time as Tashi and his gang do too, with Charlie in their custody. Sunil Bhope and Tashi begin negotiating a trade for the drugs, but in a dramatic standoff, Charlie snatches the guitar case and threatens to destroy it if Guddu and Sweety aren't released. The two lovers escape just as the police arrive, leading to a melee of shooting in which the cocaine is all destroyed. Charlie's bosses show up looking for vengeance over the murder of their younger brother but are gunned down, along with Bhope and his men, Tashi and his gang. However, Charlie is also shot and wounded in the midst of the attack by one of the Africans.

The film ends with Sweety giving birth to Guddu's twins and Charlie opening up his own bookie counter at the course, with his friend Mikhail's name. An elegant woman named Sophia, featured in Charlie's dream at the beginning of the movie, is now his fiancee and is wearing a diamond ring.

Cast[link]

• Shahid Kapoor as Charlie Sharma and Guddu Sharma. While Charlie is a bookie at horse-racing and lisps, Guddu works for an NGO for AIDS awareness and stammers. Initially, Saif Ali Khan caused the controversy that the role was initially offered to him and eventually went to Kapoor. Later, Saif sent an apology to Shahid, to which Shahid replied, "If he has said something like that I appreciate it. I have always said that he is a very senior actor. He has been around for much longer than me."^[4][5]
• Priyanka Chopra as Sweety, sister of underworld don, Sunil Shekhar Bhope, and love interest and pregnant with child of Guddu. Priyanka Chopra was initially reluctant to sign up, as she expected that movie would belong to double role playing Shahid Kapoor, but Vishal Bhardwaj convinced her as a challenge.^[6] Priyanka Chopra admitted that being a Punjabi girl herself, it was tough to play a simple Maharastrian in the movie. To personify a middle-class college girl, Priyanka wore minimal make-up.^[7]
• Amol Gupte as Sunil Shekhar Bhope (Bhope Bhau), a Maharashtrian mafioso with political ambition. Amole Gupte had previously done minor acting assignments, including Ketan Mehta's Holi. Initially when called up for the role, based on his previous acting jobs, he thought it to be a joke, but subsequently accepted the role.^[8]
• Deb Mukherjee as Mujeeb
• Shiv Subrahmanyam as Lobo
• Chandan Roy Sanyal as Mikhail
• Tenzing Nima as Tashi
• Hrishikesh Joshi as Lele
• Rajatava Dutta as Shumon
• Harish Khanna as Afghani
• Carlos Paca as Cajetan
• Eric Santos as Ragos
• Patrícia Bull as Vivienne
• Shashank Shende as Ganesh
• Vijay Raj as Kishen

Production[link]

Filming[link]

The film began shooting at various locations across the country from 18 June 2008. The shooting was difficult due to stormy weather and night shoots.^[9] The teaser trailer of Kaminey came out along with Delhi 6.^[10] For most of the duration of the filming, Shahid Kapoor was asked by the director to stay clear of public appearances in order to keep secret his new look for the movie.^[11] Recently, however, he made a public appearance just before the release of the Kaminey trailer; he has grown out his hair and acquired an even more toned body, all in the effort to make him look more rugged and raw for his character of Charlie.

Release[link]

Certificate controversy[link]

The makers of the film expressed disappointment in the Censor Board for Film Certification's decision to granting the film an "A" certificate (meant for adults 18 years or older) instead of a "U/A" certificate as they had expected. Bhardwaj said, "It was injustice to us. There is no abusive language used in the film and the violence is of 'comic book kind'. There is a line in the film where a character is asked where does he comes from. The character says Pilibhit. There were no political overtones to the line. But, the Censor Board asked me to edit Pilibhit saying that it is a sensitive constituency. They told me to use a fictitious city name. I had to change the city name from Pilibhit to Barabanki."^[12]

Delayed release due to flu pandemic scare[link]

Due to 2009 flu pandemic, the multiplexes in the city of Mumbai and Pune were closed for three days.^[13] and thus affecting the business of the movie.^[14]

Reception[link]

Critical reception[link]

The film on release opened to a mainly positive critical reception. Film critic Raja Sen of Rediff gave the film a never-before 4.5/5 rating, and said, "So the film leaps through implied ultraviolence and dark humour and you hold on, exhilarated—just as you have through, say, Guy Ritchie's Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. And while that itself would be no mean feat, Bhardwaj ups the ante with an audacious climax, suddenly bringing emotions right to the fore. And while films of this ilk are full of disposable-bodies and corpses-in-waiting, one discovers that Vishal has—sneakily, stealthily, surreptitiously—kept the sentiments so darned real that by the time the climax rolls around, you do actually give a damn about these characters. Wow now if that isn't kameenapan, I don't know what is. Awesome."^[15]

Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN rated it 4/5 and called it a MUST-WATCH.^[16] Baradwaj Rangan praised Kaminey as a character-driven movie saying "Kaminey is best experienced as a minor movie with major, character-driven set pieces" and in spite of some melodramatic sequences "But these nitpicky what-ifs, in no way, compromise the totality of Bhardwaj’s achievement, whose highlight is surely the empathy he lavishes on his characters, major or minor."^[17]

Times of India rated the movie a 4/5, praising its music and cinematography and saying "Tarantino, take a bow. Brave new Bollywood is here."^[18]

Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama commented, "On the whole, Kaminey lives up to the hype associated with it. The film has three stars -- Vishal Bhardwaj [a name that's immensely respected by moviegoers], Shahid Kapoor and 'Dhan Te Nan' -- and this combo as also the crooked characters and a genuinely hatke subject should guarantee ample footfalls in cineplexes even after its initial weekend." and rated it 4/5.^[19]

Variety magazine reported "multihyphenate Vishal Bhardwaj's slick and stylish musical dramedy could claim respectable coin internationally as well."^[20] Indian Express,^[21] AOL (Noyon Jyoti Parasara)^[22] and NDTV (Anupama Chopra)^[23] rated it 4/5 as well.

Box office[link]

With mostly positive reviews, Kaminey opened to an excellent response all over with the all India on day one being around 90%.^[24][25][26] The film's net take is 42 crore, being declared a Semi-Hit at the box office.^[27]

Awards and nominations[link]

[edit] National Film Awards

• Best Audiography for Location Sound Recordist: Subash Sahoo
• Special Jury Award for Film editing- A. Sreekar Prasad
• National Film Award for Best Actress

[edit] Filmfare Awards

• Won - Best Visual Effects - Govardhan Vigraham^[28]
• Nominated - Best Movie
• Nominated - Best Director - Vishal Bhardwaj
• Nominated - Best Actor - Shahid Kapoor
• Nominated - Best Actress - Priyanka Chopra
• Nominated - Best Supporting Actor- Amole Gupte
• Nominated - Best Music Director - Vishal Bharadwaj
• Nominated - Best Lyricist- "Dhan Te Nan"
• Nominated- Best Lyricist- Gulzar - "Kaminey"
• Nominated - Best Sound Design- Shajith Koyeri
• Nominated- Best Male Playback Singer - Sukhwinder Singh / Vishal Dadlani - "Dhan Te Nan"

^[29][30]

[edit] Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards

• Won - Best Actress - Priyanka Chopra
• Won- Best Actor in a Negative Role - Amol Gupte

^[31]

[edit] Star Screen Award

• Won - Best Sound Design - Shajith Koyeri

^[32]

[edit] Bollywood Hungama Surfers Choice Awards

• Won - Best Actress - Priyanka Chopra

^[33]

[edit] Zee Cine Awards

• Nominated - Best Sound Design - Shajith Koyeri

^[34]

Home media[link]

The DVD of Kaminey has been released in the US by UTV and by Moser Baer in India. It has three deleted scenes. It has one disc.^[35]

Soundtrack[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rediff	[36]
Bollywood Hungama	[37]
Planet Bollywood	[38]

The music is composed by Vishal Bhardwaj and the lyrics are penned by Gulzar. The music was released on 6 July 2009. It has received many positive reviews for its experimental nature.^[36] The album is very different from the earlier ones composed by Vishal Bhardwaj.^[39] The song "Dhan Te Nan" has become a huge success, Sukhwinder Singh and Vishal Dadlani's singing being particularly praised. Vishal Bhardwaj stated that "Dhan Te Nan" was not originally composed for the film. He had composed the song for an episode titled Dhan Te Nan in the TV series Gubbare.^[40][41]

Track listing[link]

Sequel[link]

The sequel is currently in the Pre-production stage where the script is being written. Shahid Kapoor was eager on the sequel ever since Kaminey became a box office success. He will play the role of one of Guddu's twin sons. Priyanka Chopra hovever has been left out as the director felt "She just doesn't fit into the sequel".^[42]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kaminey at the Internet Movie Database
• Kaminey at Box Office Mojo

Shahid Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor on the sets of DLF IPL Extraa Innings.
Born	(1981-02-25) 25 February 1981 (age 31) Delhi, India
Occupation	Actor, Dancer
Years active	2003–present
Parents	Pankaj Kapoor Neelima Azeem

Shahid Kapoor (born 25 February 1981^[1]) is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is also a trained dancer.

Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal (1999). Four years later, he made his acting debut in Ishq Vishk (2003) and won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance. Following through with films like Fida (2004) and Shikhar (2005), he had his first major commercial success with Sooraj R. Barjatya's Vivah (2006), his biggest commercial success, and followed it up with Jab We Met (2007) and Kaminey (2009), both of which earned him Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare ceremony.

Early life[link]

Kapoor was born to actor Pankaj Kapoor and actor/classical dancer Neelima Azeem on 25 February 1981. Kapoor's parents divorced when he was 3. After the divorce, he lived with his mother and maternal grandparents in Junaghad. He shared a good relationship with his father and stepmother Supriya Pathak. As far as his religious affiliation is concerned, Kapoor has stated in an interview that while his father is a Sikh and his mother is a Muslim, both his parents have taught him that he "should look at all religions without hatred and have compassion for every human being whatever his religion may be," saying that he believes that "there is one God up above."^[2]

As a child, he studied in Rajhans Vidyalaya, Mumbai. He has three half siblings: a sister named Sanah and brothers named Ruhaan and Ishaan Khattar; Ishaan acted with him in the movie Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005). His maternal grandfather was Anwar Azeem, a noted Marxist journalist and author from Bihar.^[3] His great great grandfather was the film director, screenwriter, Urdu novelist and journalist Khwaja Ahmad Abbas more popularly known as K. A. Abbas. His mother Neelima is the daughter of Anwar Azeem, one of the greatest Urdu writers. K.A. Abbas in turn was the grandson of Hali, the chief protégé of Urdu poet, Ghalib.^[4][5]

Career[link]

Early career, until 2005[link]

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

In 2003, Kapoor played his first leading role as Rajiv Mathur, a carefree young man in Ken Ghosh's moderately successful love story Ishq Vishk.^[6] Appearing opposite Amrita Rao and Shenaz Treasurywala, the film was well received by audiences and Kapoor's performance earned him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. Film critic Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Shahid Kapoor is an actor to watch. He has all the qualities to hit the top slot. Not only is he good looking, but he is an amazing performer as well. Very original as a performer [sic], the youngster has handled the dramatic and emotional moments with flourish. He is an exceptional dancer as well. All he needs to do is pick and choose his forthcoming assignments with care, so that the journey to the top slot is minus hiccups."^[7]

The following year, Kapoor joined once again with director Ken Ghosh in the thriller Fida, where he co-starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. The film failed to do well at the box office, yet Kapoor's performance was praised.^[8] The Tribune concluded, "...Shahid Kapoor shines in his role. He looks fresh. As an impulsive emotional and innocent guy, who is sucked into crime because of these very qualities, he manages to evoke your sympathies."^[9] He then appeared in the romantic comedy Dil Maange More opposite Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. His performance opened to mixed reviews; Rediff.com wrote that "Shahid tends to imitate Shahrukh Khan a lot. He does it well in some scenes, overdoes it in others..."^[10]

Featuring in three more films in 2005, success continued to elude Kapoor.^[11] However, his performance as Jaidev Vardhan, a man who is sucked into the world of money and greed in John M. Matthan's drama Shikhar was critically acclaimed, earning Kapoor his first Star Screen Award for Best Actor nomination. According to IndiaFM, "Shahid Kapoor is only improving with every film. He matches up to Ajay in almost all sequences."^[12]

Breakthrough, 2006–present[link]

In 2006, Kapoor starred in 36 China Town. Revolving around the story of seven individuals and a murder, the film became a moderate success despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.^[13] Shortly after the release of the film, Kapoor's second release of the year, Priyadarshan's comedy Chup Chup Ke, followed. The film became a moderate success at the box office.^[13]

Kapoor's last release of 2006 was Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic drama Vivah, a film depicting the journey of two individuals from engagement to marriage. Co-starring alongside Amrita Rao, the film was received favourably by most critics and became one of the highest grossing films of the year as well as Kapoor's second biggest commercial success to date.^[13][14] Kapoor's performance earned his second consecutive nomination for Best Actor at the Star Screen Awards. Taran Adarsh wrote, "Shahid Kapoor performs like never before. If he was super-cool in Ishq Vishk and showed flashes of brilliance in Fida, you've to watch him in Vivah to see his growth as a tremendous actor. He is exceptional in emotional sequences."^[15]

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

In 2007, Kapoor appeared in two movies. His first release was Ahmed Khan's Fool and Final. The film received negative reviews and failed to do well at the box office; Kapoor's performance in the film did not receive positive reviews.^[16][17] His next release, Imtiaz Ali's comedy-romance Jab We Met, opposite Kareena Kapoor, became one of the biggest hits of the year.^[16] The film tells the story of two people with two very different personalities meeting each other on a train and how they fall in love eventually. Kapoor portrayed the character of Aditya Kashyap, a dejected young industrialist full of angst and despair. The film was well-received by critics and Kapoor's performance earned him several nominations for Best Actor at a number of award ceremonies, including Filmfare. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN noted, "Despite the risk of being overshadowed by Kareena, his co-star in the film, Shahid Kapur leaves an indelible impression with a performance that is understated and mature, and indeed the perfect foil to Kareena's boisterousness."^[18] Kapoor then appeared in the Aziz Mirza-directed film, Kismat Konnection (2008), opposite Vidya Balan. Upon release, the film under-performed at the box office.^[19]

In 2009, Kapoor portrayed the dual role of twins Charlie and Guddu in the caper thriller, Kaminey. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film was a critical and commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. Kapoor's performance was also critically acclaimed. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN wrote, "Shahid Kapur rises to the challenge of creating two entirely different characters out of Charlie and Guddu, and delivers a credible performance as each. Breaking out of his chocolate-boy image, he gives evidence of his potential when trusted with well-written roles."^[20] Later in the year, Kapoor appeared alongside Rani Mukerji in Anurag Singh's romantic comedy Dil Bole Hadippa!, which failed to do well at the Indian box office.

In 2010, Kapoor appeared in Ken Ghosh's film Chance Pe Dance opposite Genelia D'Souza, in which he portrayed the role of a struggling Bollywood actor.^[21] The movie received poor review from critics, but Kapoor's performance was well received.^[22][23] He then starred in Ahmed Khan's Paathshala in a extended cameo alongside Ayesha Takia and Nana Patekar. This was then followed by Yash Raj Films Badmaash Company which was released on 7th May 2010 and opened mixed to positive reviews and was an above average success at the box office and his performance in the film was received well too. His last release of the year was the long delayed Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge.

In 2011, Kapoor appeared opposite Sonam Kapoor in Mausam (2011), a movie directed and written by Pankaj Kapoor. The film received mixed to positive response from critics, however his performance was generally well received. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote, "Shahid gives his all to this role, submitting himself to his director-father to mould him the way he chooses to. It won't be erroneous to state that Shahid surpasses all his previous performances, including the one in Kaminey, with this film. The film also marks the coming of age of this actor."^[24] His upcoming venture, Teri Meri Kahaani opposite Priyanka Chopra is expected for release on 22 June, 2012.

Personal life[link]

Kapoor identifies himself as a vegetarian.^[25] While filming Fida (2004), he began dating Kareena Kapoor.^[26] They separated during the filming of Jab We Met (2007).^[27] According to him, they remained on good terms, with him saying, "I wish her all the happiness in the world. I have great respect for her. She is a wonderful girl."^[28]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actors

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shahid Kapoor at the Internet Movie Database

Priyanka Chopra
Chopra unveils the new range of Nikon cameras, April 2012.
Born	(1982-07-18) 18 July 1982 (age 29) Jamshedpur, Bihar, India (now in Jharkhand, India)
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	actress, model, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Relatives	Parineeti Chopra (Cousin)
Website
iampriyankachopra.com

Priyanka Chopra (pronounced [prɪˈjəŋkaː ˈtʃoːpɽaː]; born 18 July 1982)^[1] is an Indian actress, singer-songwriter and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000.^[2] She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film Bluffmaster!^[3] During her career, Chopra has received four Filmfare Awards, among seven nominations and one National Film Award for Best Actress.

Chopra made her acting debut with the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan. The following year, she made her Bollywood film debut with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and followed it with the hit Andaaz, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In 2004, she became the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award, which she received for her critically acclaimed performance in Aitraaz. She subsequently appeared in successful films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005), Krrish (2006) and Don (2006).^[4]

2008 marked the beginning of a new phase in Chopra's career. Her portrayal of a troubled model in Fashion earned her a National Film Award for Best Actress, as well as a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She received further critical acclaim for roles in films like Kaminey (2009), What's Your Raashee? (2009) and 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), for which she won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and followed it with commercially successful films such as Don 2 (2011) and Agneepath (2012).^[5][6] Having done so, Chopra established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in Bollywood.^[7][8]

In addition to movie acting, Chopra is a trained western classical singer. She signed a worldwide recording agreement with Universal Music and Desi Hits to record and release her first music album. The first single is expected to release in June 2012.^[9]

Early life and background[link]

Chopra was born in Jamshedpur, Bihar,(now in Jharkhand) to Ashok Chopra and Madhu Akhauri, both physicians by profession in the Indian Army. She spent 7 years in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Newton, Massachusetts; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.^[10] Her father hails from a family of Punjabi origin, settled in Ambala district in the state of Haryana and her mother, from a (Bhagalpur) Bihari family settled in Jamshedpur. She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is seven years younger than her. Her cousin Parineeti Chopra is also an actress.^[11]

Chopra studied at La Martiniere Girls' School in Lucknow as a young girl. She subsequently re-located to the U.S. where she studied in Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts and then in John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.^[12] She returned to India and finished her high school at Army Public School in Bareilly. She registered for her college studies at Jai Hind College in Mumbai.^[13]

Acting career[link]

Debut and breakthrough (2002–03)[link]

Chopra made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan playing the role of Priya, the love interest of the protaginist in the film played by Vijay. The film was praised for its wit, although the depth of Chopra's character was seen as lacking.^[14] Chopra also sang playback in the film, singing "Ullathai Killadhe" along with Vijay. In 2003, she appeared in her first Bollywood film, opposite Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta in the Anil Sharma film The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She played a supporting role as a doctor named Shaheen in the film that The New York Times described as "ripping its text from the seething border tensions between India and Pakistan, spicing its conflict with hot-tempered religious zealots bent on nuclear havoc".^[15] Despite being one of the highest grossing films of that year, the overall film was not well received by critics.^[16] Chopra was awarded mostly good reviews for her debut Hindi performance.^[17] Later that year she appeared in Raj Kanwar's Andaaz, playing the character of Jiya who falls in love with Raj Malhotra, played by Akshay Kumar. The film was a success at the box office,^[16] earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Rediff.com said of her role, "Priyanka Chopra alone clicks with the audience, thanks to her skimpy outfits."^[18]

Initial success and professional setbacks (2004–08)[link]

Chopra with co-stars Salman Khan (left) and Akshay Kumar on the sets of Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).

Her next few films released in 2004 Plan opposite Sanjay Dutt, Kismat opposite Bobby Deol and Asambhav opposite Arjun Rampal performed poorly at the box office.^[19] Later that year she appeared in David Dhawan's romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi playing the role of a young fashion designer Rani along with Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar. The film turned out to be the third-highest grossing film of that year.^[20] She next starred in Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz alongside Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor. It was her first negative role and her performance was critically acclaimed.^[21] She earned a Filmfare Best Villain Award, becoming the second and last female actor to win the award after Kajol (the category has been retired since 2008). She also received a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the role. Film critic Subhash K. Jha noted, "A star is born! As the predatory social-climbing seductress who can go to any length to satiate her lust for life, Priyanka Chopra rocks the scene like never before. The film is undoubtedly a triumph for Priyanka Chopra. With half a smile, a twitch of her lip and a movement of her eyebrow she seems to slip into her man-eater's role with captivating ease".^[22] Taran Adarsh wrote, "AITRAAZ belongs to Priyanka Chopra completely. No two opinions on that! Be it her first appearance [in the story] or the sequence when she openly asks Akshay for sexual favours or the sequence with Kareena, Priyanka gets an opportunity to bear her claws and she does it with complete understanding of the character. She sneaks her way through the role like an expert, drawing audience hatred the way a magnet collects iron filings."^[23]

In 2005, she starred in six films. Four of them, Blackmail, Karam, Yakeen and Barsaat failed to do well.^[19] However, her performance in Yakeen garnered mostly good reviews from critics. Rediff.com noted, "Priyanka does well, though her part is restricted to crying."^[24] and Taran Adarsh wrote, "Priyanka Chopra is bound to win laurels yet again, the actor is emerging as one of the finest talents in these fast-changing times."^[25][26][27] Her other two 2005 releases, Waqt: The Race Against Time and Bluffmaster! were moderately successful at the box office. Subhash K Jha wrote about her performance in Bluffmaster!, "Chopra has little to do. But she does it with eye-catching aplomb."^[19][28][29]

In 2006, Chopra starred in Rakesh Roshan's Krrish which was a sequel to the 2004 sci-fi film Koi... Mil Gaya. She shared the screen with Hrithik Roshan and Rekha. The film was declared a blockbuster and was one of the highest grossing films of the year. She also appeared in Aap Ki Khatir opposite Akshaye Khanna and Dino Morea. Her last release was Farhan Akhtar's Don, alongside Shahrukh Khan which was a remake of the 1978 film of the same name. She was cast to play Roma, a role which was played by Zeenat Aman in the original movie. Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra underwent special martial arts training for their roles in the movie and both performed their own stunts. Upon release, The film was generally well received both in India and abroad. A week after its theatrical run, Box Office India declared the film a hit in India, and a "blockbuster" overseas.^[30]

In 2007, she appeared in Nikhil Advani's ensemble piece Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love. Despite a promising opening, the movie was a financial failure. Chopra received mixed to negative reviews for her performance in the film.^[31] Her next release, the much-delayed^[32] Big Brother, also underperformed at the box-office.

In 2008, Chopra acted in six films. Her first four films, Love Story 2050, God Tussi Great Ho, Chamku and Drona, were critically and commercially unsuccessful.^[33] Critics started panning her for choosing the wrong movies and criticising her performances.^[34] Still, she was noted for her physical performance in Drona. The Times of India critic Nikhat Kazmi wrote, "Priyanka Chopra kicks butt like never before."^[35]

[edit] Fashion and recent work (2008–present)

After a series of flops, Chopra was cast in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion (2008) for the lead role of Meghna Mathur. Revolving around the fashion world through Chopra's role of an ambitious model, the film was a critical success. Her performance in the film was appreciated and earned her several awards for Best Actress including the National Film Award for Best Actress, as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.^[36][37] Subhash K Jha said of her performance, "Her transformation from the bubbly Chandigarh girl to the super-ambitious supermodel, who dumps her boyfriend and conscience to pursue her dreams, is achieved with a gentle subtlety and bridled passion. This is Priyanka’s coming-of-age film. She looks like a zillion bucks. And acts like a woman who connects with the darkest, most desperate human emotions without wallowing in them." Rajeev Masand wrote, "Chopra turns in a respectable performance, one that will inevitably go down as her best." The film became a major turning point in her career.^[38] Chopra's final release of the year was Tarun Mansukhani's romantic comedy Dostana alongside Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. The film explores the story of two men who pretend to be gay, so that they can rent an apartment from an older lady. Both the men fall in love with the same girl, their roommate, but are unable to express their feelings because she is related to the old landlady. The film was a financial success and went on to become the eight-highest grossing film at the Indian box office in 2008.^[33] Chopra received positive reviews for her performance. Khalid Mohamed wrote, "Priyanka Chopra is in form, pretty convincing as a working woman who’s trying to deal with professional pressures." She was also praised for her overall look in the film.^[39][40]

In 2009, she appeared in Vishal Bhardwaj's caper thriller Kaminey alongside Shahid Kapoor, playing the role of a feisty Marathi girl named Sweety. The film was a critical and commercial success. Her performance received positive reviews with Taran Adarsh describing it as "first-rate", He further stated, "She's so much in sync with her character... [and] gets the Maharashtrian accent perfect". Anupama Chopra wrote, "Sweety is this year’s most exciting heroine after Paro in Dev D, and Priyanka plays her with aplomb."^[41] Her work in the film brought her several awards and nominations including a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination and a second consecutive Apsara Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.^[42] She subsequently appeared in Ashutosh Gowariker's romantic comedy What's Your Raashee?, a film which made Chopra the first actress in cinema history to portray 12 distinct characters in one film.^[43] She was reportedly being considered for inclusion in the upcoming edition of Guinness World Records for this feat.^[44] The film itself was a financial and critical failure, but Chopra's performance was appreciated by the critics. Rediff wrote, "Priyanka Chopra transforms into 12 new skins with astonishing distinction, voice and spirit. The actress reinvents herself into this unique individual every single time ranging from batty, bashful and boisterous. This is simply her show."^[45] Film critic Subhash K Jha noted, "It's an amazing achievement. Priyanka gives soul to all the 12 characters she plays. In the climactic song, she brings all of them together, quirks and mannerisms all on display in one unified flow of feelings and body-language. The actress achieves individuality for all her characters while giving the plot a homogenous flow." ^[46][47]

In 2010, Chopra appeared in Jugal Hansraj's Pyaar Impossible! opposite Uday Chopra where she portrayed the role of a college beauty who eventually falls in love with a geek. The film was a commercial and critical failure.^[48] Her next release, Siddharth Anand's Anjaana Anjaani alongside Ranbir Kapoor, got a good initial response at the box office,^[48] but was not well-received by the critics. She received positive to mixed comments from critics for her performance. Komal Nahta mentioned, "Priyanka Chopra looks sexy and performs well." ^[49][50]

Chopra at the audio release of 7 Khoon Maaf (2011). Her performance in the film received critical acclaim and among other wins, fetched her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress.

Chopra's first release of 2011 was Vishal Bhardwaj's black comedy 7 Khoon Maaf, in which she portrayed the role of Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes, an Anglo-Indian woman who murders her seven husbands in an unending quest for love. The film was a commercial failure and received mixed response from the critics, however her performance received good reviews. Mayank Shekhar wrote, "For Priyanka Chopra, who plays the Anglo-Indian protagonist, this is unquestionably a role of a lifetime. She has you by the eyeballs."^[51] and Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India noted, "7 Khoon Maaf would undoubtedly end up as a milestone in Priyanka Chopra's career graph. The actor displays exquisite command over a complex character that is definitely a first in Indian cinema. She renders a subtle and restrained portrayal of a lonely and wronged woman who wanted love and only love from life." Chopra eventually earned the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination.^[52][53][54] Her next release was Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 alongside Shahrukh Khan, in which she reprised her role of Roma. The film was a sequel to the 2006 action thriller Don. Upon release, while Indian critics gave positive to mixed reviews, overseas film critics praised it. Chopra's performance received positive feedback from the overseas critics with the reviewer from The Express Tribune writing, "Priyanka Chopra pulls of her role with aplomb and seems to be the perfect choice for an action heroine. As you watch her effortlessly beat up some thugs in the movie, you come to the realisation that she may be the first proper female action hero in Bollywood. I wouldn’t be surprised if her next venture is as the next Lara Croft or the fourth Charlie’s Angel." Divanee South Asian News also wrote, "Chopra surprises with a Lara Croft-esque demeanor. It is so refreshing to finally see a female character kick ass and take names in a Hindi film. The actress can easily add this to her growing repertoire, alongside “Fashion”, “Kaminey” and “7 Khoon Maaf”." ^[55][56] The film was a major success in India and a blockbuster overseas. It went on to break multiple box-office records in India and overseas, including highest opening day grosser ever on a non-holiday Friday and the highest grossing Bollywood movie overseas in 2011.^[57][58]

In early 2012, Chopra became the first Bollywood actor to be signed by Creative Artists Agency, a prominent entertainment and sports agency headquartered in Los Angeles. The agency will handle her acting career in Hollywood.^[59] Her first release of the year was Karan Johar's Agneepath alongside Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Rishi Kapoor. The film was a remake of the 1990 classic of the same name. Upon release, the film broke the highest opening day collections record and became a critical and commercial success.^[60] Her performance in the film was appreciated by most critics. Mayank Shekhar noted, "Chopra stands out in a male-centric movie."^[61][62] and Komal Nahta wrote, "Chopra shines in a comparatively short role. She makes the character of Kaali very endearing. Her dances are extremely graceful and she shines in emotional scenes."^[63][64] Her next release is Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahaani opposite Shahid Kapoor. The tagline reads, "thrice upon a love story", as the premise is set in 1910, 1960, and 2012. Chopra plays a different role in each time period. The movie is scheduled to release in June 2012. She will also appear in Anurag Basu's Barfi! alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Ileana D'Cruz, in which she portrays the character of an autistic woman. Chopra claims it is her toughest role yet. In an effort to get into the skin of the character, she had to visit and spend time with autistic people. The movie is set to release in July 2012.^[65][66] She is currently filming Krrish 3 alongside Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi and Kangna Ranaut in which she is respring her role of Priya. The film is a sequel to the 2006 superhero film Krrish.^[67]

Other work[link]

Beauty pageants[link]

Chopra entered the world of beauty pageants when her mother sent in pictures of her for the Femina Miss India contest without her knowledge. When she got called to participate, she was encouraged by her father, and entered.^[68] She came in second place at the Femina Miss India 2000 competition, behind Lara Dutta and ahead of Dia Mirza, winning the Femina Miss India World title. She was subsequently sent to the Miss World pageant, where she was crowned Miss World 2000, along with Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty − Asia & Oceania.^[69] She impressed the judges with her effortless speech on behalf of humanity and charity, as she expressed admiration of Mother Teresa.^[70] In the same year, her Miss India co-winners Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza, won the Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific crowns respectively, in a rare triple victory for one country.^[70] When Chopra won the Miss World crown, she became the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the fourth Indian woman to win in a span of seven years.

In 2007, Chopra returned to the Miss India pageant as a judge for the first time. She stated, "Miss India will always remain special. That's where it all started for me. And maybe that's where it would've ended if I hadn't won the crown."^[71] She came back again to Miss India in 2009 as a performer, and also became a judge at Miss World 2009.^[72][73][74]

Television and stage performances[link]

Chopra declined an opportunity to sing "Tinka Tinka" in her film Karam (2005) as she wanted to concentrate on acting. She later sang live on the TV program Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.^[75] She became a television host with the reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi in Colors, replacing Akshay Kumar. The show beat the opening ratings of the previous two seasons.^[76]

Chopra performing at the 5th edition of Indian Premier League in Chennai

Chopra is a regular stage performer and has participated in various concerts and award ceremonies. She took part in a concert tour titled Temptations 2004 and performed alongside other Bollywood actors and actresses, including Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal in nineteen stage shows worldwide.^[77] In 2011, Chopra participated in the Friendship Concert along with Shahid Kapoor and Shahrukh Khan, celebrating 150 years of the India-South Africa friendship in Durban, South Africa. The concert was hosted by actor Anil Kapoor.^[78]

In 2012, Chopra performed at the opening ceremony of the 5th edition of IPL - Indian Premier League alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor and international pop star Katty Perry. The Event was held in M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.^[79] Like the IPL opening nite, Pune had its own opening nite for its newly constructed Sahara Stadium in which Chopra performed along with other Bollywood actresses, including Bipasha Basu and Priety Zinta.^[80]

Music career[link]

Chopra is a trained western classical singer. In August 2011, she signed a worldwide recording agreement with Universal Music and Desi Hits to record and release her first music album.^[9] The album will be released in North America with Desi Hits through Interscope Records and in other international markets on UK's Island Records. Her music career will be managed by Troy Carter chief executive officer of Atom Factory, who is also Lady Gaga's manager. The album, which will be produced by Universal Music Group and Desi Hits will contain about ten pop songs and will release worldwide, sometime in 2012. Chopra is currently writing and recording the album in English.^[81][82]

The UK-born singer Jay Sean who has had international success with his single Down, has written three songs for the Album.^[83]

Humanitarian work[link]

Chopra supports various charities including NDTV's Greenathon, an initiative to make people go eco-friendly and look into lack of electricity in multiple rural villages.^[84][85] In February 2005, Chopra participated in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake with other Bollywood stars.^[86] In 2006, An auction on eBay India, the online auction house, opened bids to help the auction winner spend a day with Chopra. All proceeds from the auction were donated to a reputed NGO called Nanhi Kali which helps educate the girl child in rural and urban India.^[87] In 2007, she visited the historic Tenga, an important location for the 1960 Indo-China war to boost the morale of the jawan troops for a special episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan.^[88] In 2009, Chopra shot a documentary for an organization, Alert India, to spread awareness about leprosy. Later, the documentary was presented at a charity dinner which was hosted by chopra herself.^[89]

In 2010, Chopra joined hands with `Wave', a philanthropic organization that works for the cause of women. She has been given the onus of supporting them in realizing their mission, one of which is to set up schools.^[90] She was also appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2010, joining Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and actress Sharmila Tagore for supporting UNICEF’s work regarding children all over the world. Chopra started her collaboration with UNICEF in 2008. Since then, she has recorded a series of public service announcements championing girls education and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the convention on the Rights of the Child. She has also participated in a media panel discussion to promote child rights.^[91][92]

In 2012, Chopra and Priya Dutt pledged their dedication towards the cause of curing addiction at the launch of Awakening Youth, a program to make mankind addiction free. She was a hit among the crowds and gave the audience a touching speech about the future of the youth of India.^[93] To kick start the fourth edition of NDTV's Greenathon, Chopra cleaned the Yamuna river in Agra in a symbolic gesture as part of an initiative to create awareness for environmental issues. She said, "This time we began our campaign from Agra because tourist inflow is maximum here. Taj Mahal is on the bank of river Yamuna, which has become a dumping zone of waste materials now. If we do not protect our environment our future will be dark." Model-actor Milind Soman and Abhishek Mishra, Minister of State for Protocol, UP, along with local environmental organizations and school children joined her in the effort. The whole exercise took about an hour.^[94]

Modelling and endorsements[link]

Chopra continues to walk the ramp for various fashion designers. In 2010, she appeared for Ritu Kumar's collection at HDIL India Couture Week.^[95] She appeared on the cover of the inaugural issue of Inda's edition of Maxim.^[96] She has a number of endorsements and is one of the top paid Bollywood actresses in this respect.^[97] She has represented brands including Lux, Ponds, Sunsilk, Hero Honda, Nokia, Tag Heuer, J. Hampsted, Virgin Comic, Asmi Jewelry, Levis, Bru, Nikon, Samsung^[98] and Garnier.^{[99][100][101]} In 2006, Chopra was one of four Bollywood actors including Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan whose miniature dolls were launched by Shameen Jivraj and toy distributors, Spin Master Toys UK. Chopra's doll was dressed in a traditional Indian outfit.^[102]

Awards and honours[link]

Chopra has won several movie awards, including the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award in 2003 for Andaaz, the Filmfare Best Villain Award in 2005 for Aitraaz, the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2009 for Fashion, the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2009 for Fashion and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress in 2012 for 7 Khoon Maaf.

Apart from awards, she has also received several honors. In 2006, the UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her first on their list of "Asia's Sexiest Women". Rediff wrote, "This babe has attitude, talent and seems tough enough to go the distance.".^[103] An eBay online poll crowned her "Style Diva of the Year" in 2006.^[104] In 2011, Chopra who is known for her simple yet stylish wardrobe was declared by People Magazine India as the Best Dressed Woman of the year^[105] and Maxim Magazine named her the Hottest Girl of the year.^[106]

In early 2012, Chopra was named India's Glam Diva. The title was given as a part of Big CBS Love's show of the same name. She won on the basis of public voting. Jury member and choreographer Shiamak Davar said: "She wants to be number one; she wants to conquer the world; she wants to make it not only in India but globally - which is great."^[107] In April 2012, Chopra was declared as the Topmost influential Indian in the social media circuit by a survey conducted by Pinstorm India.^[108] Chopra was honored with Punjabi Icons Award at a Baisakhi celebration in Mumbai. Others to be honored at the ceremony with Punjabi Icons Awards were cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and veteran actor Om Puri. Charan Singh Sapra, Punjabi Cultural Heritage Board head and Congress legislator said at the occasion, “These eminent personalities were selected for the honours for their sterling contribution in their respective fields.”^[109]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Priyanka Chopra

• Official Website
• Priyanka Chopra at the Internet Movie Database
• Priyanka Chopra on Twitter

Awards and titles for Priyanka Chopra Awards and achievements Preceded by Yukta Mookhey Miss World Asia & Oceania 2000 Succeeded by Bing Li Preceded by Yukta Mookhey Femina Miss India World 2000 Succeeded by Sara Corner v t e Miss World titleholders (2000–2019) Priyanka Chopra (2000) Agbani Darego (2001) Azra Akın (2002) Rosanna Davison (2003) María Julia Mantilla (2004) Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir (2005) Taťána Kuchařová (2006) Zhang Zilin (2007) Ksenia Sukhinova (2008) Kaiane Aldorino (2009) Alexandria Mills (2010) Ivian Sarcos (2011) Complete list (1951–1959) (1960–1979) (1980–1999) (2000–2019) v t e Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty titleholders (2000) Africa Yolanda Masinde Americas Katja Thomsen Asia & Oceania Priyanka Chopra Caribbean Jozaine Wall Europe Giorgia Palmas v t e Major international pageant titleholders (2000) Miss Universe Lara Dutta Miss World Priyanka Chopra Miss International Vivian Urdaneta Major international pageants titleholders of 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 v t e Miss India winners in the Grand Slam pageants Miss Universe Sushmita Sen (1994) · Lara Dutta (2000) Miss World Reita Faria (1966) · Aishwarya Rai (1994) · Diana Hayden (1997) · Yukta Mookhey (1999) · Priyanka Chopra (2000) Miss Asia Pacific Zeenat Aman (1970) · Tara Anne Fonseca (1973) · Dia Mirza (2000) Miss Earth Nicole Faria (2010) Miss International - Dominican Republic India Panamá Philippines Puerto Rico USA Venezuela v t e National Film Award for Best Actress 1968–1980 Nargis Dutt (1968) Sharada (1969) Madhabi Mukherjee (1970) Rehana Sultan (1971) Waheeda Rehman (1972) Sharada (1973) Nandini Bhaktavatsala (1974) Shabana Azmi (1975) Sharmila Tagore (1976) Lakshmi (1977) Smita Patil (1978) Sharada (1979) Shoba (1980) 1981–2000 Smita Patil (1981) Rekha (1982) Shabana Azmi (1983) Shabana Azmi (1984) Shabana Azmi (1985) Suhasini (1986) Monisha (1987) Archana (1988) Archana (1989) Sreelekha Mukherji (1990) Vijayashanti (1991) Moloya Goswami (1992) Dimple Kapadia (1993) Shobana (1994) Debashree Roy (1995) Seema Biswas (1996) Tabu (1997) Indrani Haldar and Rituparna Sengupta (1998) Shabana Azmi (1999) Kirron Kher (2000) 2001–present Raveena Tandon (2001) Shobana and Tabu (2002) Konkona Sen Sharma (2003) Meera Jasmine (2004) Tara (2005) Sarika (2006) Priyamani (2007) Umashree (2008) Priyanka Chopra (2009) Ananya Chatterjee (2010) Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar and Saranya Ponvannan (2011) Vidya Balan (2012) v t e Filmfare Award for Best Actress Karisma Kapoor (2001) Kajol (2002) Aishwarya Rai (2003) Preity Zinta (2004) Rani Mukerji (2005) Rani Mukerji (2006) Kajol (2007) Kareena Kapoor (2008) Priyanka Chopra (2009) Vidya Balan (2010) Kajol (2011) Vidya Balan (2012) Complete list (1954–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020) v t e Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress Not awarded (1991) Not awarded (1992) Dimple Kapadia (1993) Not awarded (1994) Farida Jalal (1995) Manisha Koirala (1996) Manisha Koirala (1997) Tabu (1998) Shefali Shah (1999) Tabu (2000) Tabu (2001) Karisma Kapoor (2002) Manisha Koirala & Rani Mukerji (2003) Urmila Matondkar (2004) Kareena Kapoor (2005) Rani Mukerji (2006) Kareena Kapoor (2007) Tabu (2008) Shahana Goswami (2009) Mahi Gill (2010) Vidya Balan (2011) Priyanka Chopra (2012) v t e Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut 1989–2000 Juhi Chawla (1989) Bhagyashree (1990) Pooja Bhatt (1991) Raveena Tandon (1992) Divya Bharti (1993) Mamta Kulkarni (1994) Sonali Bendre & Tabu (1995) Twinkle Khanna (1996) Seema Biswas (1997) Mahima Chaudhry (1998) Preity Zinta (1999) Nandita Das (2000) 2001–present Kareena Kapoor (2001) Bipasha Basu (2002) Esha Deol (2003) Lara Dutta & Priyanka Chopra (2004) Ayesha Takia (2005) Vidya Balan (2006) Kangana Ranaut (2007) Deepika Padukone (2008) Asin (2009) Jacqueline Fernandez (2010) Sonakshi Sinha (2011) Parineeti Chopra (2012)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011)

Mohit Chauhan
Chauhan in 2009
Background information
Born	(1974-03-11) 11 March 1974 (age 38) Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, India[1]
Origin	Himachal Pradesh, India
Genres	Indian pop, Bollywood
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Guitar, Harmonica, Flute
Years active	1998 – present
Associated acts	Silk Route
Website	mohitchauhan.in

Mohit Chauhan (born March 11, 1974) is an Indian pop and playback singer, most known for his romantic ballads.^[1] He started his career singing Indian pop songs with the band Silk Route, which released two albums, Boondein (1998) and Pehchan. The song "Dooba Dooba" became a rave in the Indipop music scene. However, the band dissolved. He would stay off the scene for a while until he came back with the song "Guncha" in 2005 from the "Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh" for which, he would also compose. Impressed by his vocals, he was then approached by A. R. Rahman to sing for the movie Rang De Basanti. The song "Khoon Chala" earned him rave reviews. However, it wouldn't be until 2007 when music director Pritam approached him for the song Tum Se Hi for the movie Jab We Met that Chauhan would finally achieve mainstream success.

Early life and career[link]

Mohit Chauhan was born in the town of Nahan in Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh, to Krishana Rana and B. K. Rana.^[1][2] He can speak fluently in Pahari and Hindi. He first attended St. Xavier's School, Delhi and then again moved to Himachal Pradesh to complete his education. Chauhan went to college in Nahan Sirmour, Bilaspur, Mandi, Kullu, and graduated with a Master of Science in Geology from the Dharamshala College in Himachal.

He never received formal training in music, but sings and plays guitar, harmonica and the flute. After completing his education in Himachal, Chauhan came to Delhi where he formed the band Silk Route with his schoolmate Kem Trevedi (pianist) in 1996. Boondein was their first album and included the song "Dooba Dooba". In Bollywood, his career started when he sang the A. R. Rahman song "Khoon Chala" in Rang De Basanti.

Career[link]

Mohit Chauhan had his first brush with success with the song "Dooba Dooba" from the Silk Route band's album Boondhein. The album debuted at number one on the album chart. Boondhein featured songs in Hindi, English, and Pahadi, and the band won several awards at the Channel V awards in 1998.^[3]

Chauhan's career in Bollywood began in 2005 when he sang “Guncha Koi” in the movie "Main, Meri Patni... Aur Woh!". His songs "Khoon Chala" and "Masakali" from the films Rang De Basanti and Delhi-6 respectively, composed by Rahman and "Tum Se Hi" from the film Jab We Met,^[4] composed by Pritam, were successful. His subsequent chartbusters included the songs "Tu Ne Jo Na Kaha" for the 2009 film New York, "Ye Dooriyan" for Love Aaj Kal, and "Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai" for Kaminey. In 2010, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for "Masakali".^[5] He also sung two superhit tracks "Bheegi Si" from the Movie Raajneeti and "Pee Loon" from Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai both arranged and directed by Pritam. His songs "Pee Loon" from Once Upon A Time in Mumbai,"Tujhe Bhula Diya" from Anjaana Anjaani directed by Vishal-Shekhar became chartbusters. He then sang "Yun Hi" from Tanu Weds Maanu which is another addition to his superhit songs. His songs from the movie Rockstar (2011 film) have become anthems. He sang his first Bengali song for the movie Sedin Dekha Hoyechilo and also he sang his second Bengali song for the movie Paglu . He sang his first Tamil Song "Po Nee Po" for the Movie 3

In addition to film playback singing, Chauhan has sung many advertisement jingles for products including Alpenlibe, Parachute, Wheel (detergent), Nescafe, Hippo Munchies, Vicks Vapor Rub, Alchemist & Maruti Suzuki Alto (2011). He has also sung the theme song for Star Parivaar Awards 2011.

In 2007, he took part in singing reality show, Mission Ustaad on 9X, where he teamed with Vasundhara Das. He also took part in the singing reality show on STAR Plus, Music Ka Maha Muqqabla, where he lead the team Mohit's Fighhter. He has also performed at various college festivals across the country, including the Cultural Night of IIT Bombay, 2009.

In 2011 he featured in the third episode of The Dewarists collaborating with Indian Ocean for the song called Maaya.

Works[link]

Albums[link]

• Boondhein – Silk Route (1998)
• Pehchan – Silk Route (2000)
• Kalaam – Poetry of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2008)
• Sar Utha Ke Jiyo – Made for HDFC Bank (2008)
• FITOOR' – Solo Debut Album (2009) – Comprises 10 songs composed and sung by him
• Aao Sai (2011) [Bhajan Album] [He sung one song]
• Maaya maaya re [Indian Ocean and Mohit Chauhan]

Movies[link]

• Road (2002)
• Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon (2003)
• Adharm (2003)
• Let's Enjoy (2004)
• Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh (2005)
• Rang De Basanti (2006)
• Jab We Met (2007)
• Chak De! India (2007)
• Kismat Konnection (2008)
• Ugly Aur Pagli (2008)
• Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008)
• Fashion (2008)
• EMI (2008)
• Birugaali (2009) (Kannada)
• Delhi-6 (2009)
• 8 x 10 Tasveer (2009)
• Let’s Dance (2009)
• New York (2009)
• Sikandar (2009)
• Love Aaj Kal (2009)
• Kaminey (2009)
• Tum Mile (2009)
• Well Done Abba (2010)
• Badmaash Company (2010)
• Rajneeti (2010)
• Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (2010)
• Lafangey Parindey (2010)
• Aashayein (2010)
• Anjaana Anjaani (2010)
• Rockstar (2011)
• Paach Naar Ek Bejar(2011)
• 3 (2012)
• Jannat 2 (2012)
• Tezz
• qasam se qasam se

Awards[link]

Other Awards and Honors[link]

• 2011: RMIM Puraskaar — Male Singer of the Year^[7]

References[link]