Alisha Chinai
Background information
Birth name	Sujata Chinai
Also known as	Alisha, Alisha Chinoy
Born	(1965-03-18) 18 March 1965 (age 47) India
Genres	Indipop, playback singing
Occupations	Singer
Years active	1988–present

Alisha Chinai (Hindi: अलीशा चिनॉय; born 18 March 1965) is an Indian pop singer known for her albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema.^[1]

Career[link]

Alisha's initial albums include Jadoo, Baby Doll, Aaah Alisha and Made in India.^[1] Alisha was introduced to Hindi film music by the veteran music director and composer Bappi Lahiri. They had many disco hits together in many films in the 1980s including "Tarzan", Dance Dance, Commando, Guru, Love Love Love etc. When she started her career with him, she was doing playback singing for many actresses, such as Smita Patil, Mandakini, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit and Divya Bharati etc. In 1985, Alisha sang with Remo Fernandes in the album Old Goan Gold. She also recorded a song for Pankuj Parashar's film Jalwa (1987), composed by Anand-Milind. One of her biggest hits during the 80s was "Kaate Nahin Katte" (Mr. India) in 1987, which she recorded with Kishore Kumar under the music direction of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Another successful track in 1989 was "Raat Bahr Jaam Se" from the film Tridev, which had music by Kalyanji-Anandji and Viju Shah.

In the 90s, she took on working in different films, collaborating with other music directors, such as Anu Malik, Anand-Milind, Rajesh Roshan and Nadeem-Shravan. Throughout these years, she had several Bollywood hit songs, including "Tere Ishq Mein Nachenge" (Raja Hindustani), "Chaa Raha Hain Pyaar Ka Nasha" (Chandramukhi), "Roundhe" (Pyar Tune Kya Kiya), "Sona Sona Roop Hai" (Bollywood/Hollywood), "Mouje Mein" (Karobaar), "De Diya" (Keemat), "Ruk Ruk Ruk" (Vijaypath) and the controversial "Sexy sexy sexy Mujhe Log Bole" (Khud-daar).

Simultaneously with playback singing, she has recorded many songs as a pop singer, with album releases. Chinai was noted for her 1995 hit single and album, titled Made in India, which was composed by Biddu. Made in India went on to become one of the highest selling pop albums of its time and Alisha became a household name. This album contains well-known songs like, "Aaja Mere Dil Mein", "Ek Baar Do Baar", "Sun O Meri Dhadkan", "Tu Kahan", "Ooh La La", "Tu Jo Mila", "Dhokha Diya Hai Re Tune Mere Dil" and "Lover Girl". With its success, Alisha announced her departure from playback singing and wanted to concentrate only on private pop albums. However, her follow-up albums were less successful. This was also the period when she got into a major controversy with the man who recorded several hit songs with her, Anu Malik. During the release of Made in India, Alisha had accused Anu Malik of molesting her. While some claim it was a publicity stunt by the singer to promote her album, Anu Malik and Alisha did not work for several years, only to reunite in 2003 with Ishq Vishq.

Alisha's comeback to film music was with the song "Oh My Darling" in the Yash Raj Film Mujhse Dosti Karoge. Through the 2000-2009 decade, she recorded primarily with Himesh Reshammiya, Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Pritam. After her controversy with Anu Malik in the 90s, she patched up with him to record for a number of films starting with Ishq Vishq, Fida, No Entry, Love Story 2050, Maan Gaye Mughle Azam, Ugly Aur Pagli, Chehraa and Kambakht Ishq.

In 2005, she had one of her highest career points came with "Kajra Re" (Bunty Aur Babli). The song was a hit and Alisha won her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.

Alisha was a judge in Indian Idol 3 and is a judge in Zee TV's Star ya Rockstar with Anu Malik.

Personal life[link]

Alisha changed her name to that of her cousin’s daughter Alisha (also Chinai) after she was born.^[2] She was married to her manager Rajesh Jhaveri and is now separated.^[3]

Awards[link]

• Alisha received the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song "Kajra Re" from Bunty Aur Babli in 2005.^[4]
• Alisha received the International Billboard Award around the time Made in India came out,^[5] and also won the Freddie Mercury Award for Artistic Excellence.

Partial discography[link]

1. Jadoo
2. Aah...
3. Alisha Unleashed
4. Soniya
5. Lover Girl
6. Alisha: Baby Doll of India
7. Madonna
8. Bombay Girl
9. Made In India
10. Om
11. Alisha
12. Greatest Hits
13. Film Hits
14. Best of Alisha Live
15. Dil Ki Rani
16. Shut Up N Kiss Me
17. Alisha : Singer Doll of India

[edit] Partial discography^[6]

• Alisha Unleashed

1. Aah Alisha
2. Babusha
3. Baby doll
4. Dekho dekho
5. Dheere dheere
6. Jadoo
7. Kiss ko dil doon
8. Pyaara awara
9. Rootho na hum se
10. Shor sharaaba
11. Superman
12. Tara
13. Tarzan my Tarzan
14. Vote for Alisha

• Jaadoo

1. Jaadoo
2. Khuda
3. Mon cheri
4. My angel blue
5. Rootho na humse
6. Kabhi na raat
7. Tum meri zindagi ho
8. Jaadoo

• Alisha

1. Seulement vous (Only you)
2. Ishq se ishq
3. Dilbar jaaniya
4. Maashuka
5. Woh pyaar mera
6. Soniyaa
7. Don't want your love
8. Aai teri yaad
9. Dhuaan dhuaan
10. Can you dance

• Made In India

1. Made in India
2. Lover girl
3. Dil
4. Tu kahaan
5. Ek baar do baar
6. Aajaa
7. Mere saath
8. Oo la la
9. Dhadkan
10. Made in India (Remix)
11. Dede

• Shutup N Kiss Me

1. Shutup n kiss me (Ravi Bal mix)
2. Sohneya aaja (Smedrock dance refix)
3. Tra la la- tere pyaar mein (3si Ibiza mix)
4. Dil goes boom (Mumbai mix)
5. Meri jaan mujhe kehke
6. Silsila (Jazzed up mix)
7. Ghazal
8. Shutup n kiss me (Ravi Bal hiphop refix)
9. Sohneya aaja (Sli Booty mix)
10. Sooni meri kalai
11. Be my lady
12. Shutup n kiss me (Cheeky Monkee refix)

• Kamasutra

1. Kamasutra
2. Main aur tu
3. Intezaar
4. Rota hai kyun mera dil
5. Jhoom baby jhoom
6. Vote for alisha
7. Hai gam humdum
8. Dancing queen
9. Kisko dil de doon
10. Taara
11. Jannat
12. Jalta hai kyun tan badan

Selected hit songs[link]

• "Made in India" (Made in India)
• "Jumbalakka" (Thakshak, 1999)
• "Panch Vorsam" (Konkani, Old Goan Gold, 1985)
• "Rajan Ani Prema" (Konkani, Old Goan Gold, 1985)
• "Zooby Zooby" (Dance Dance)
• "Let's Do It" (Jalwa)
• "Kaate Nahin" (Mr. India)
• "Raat Bhare Jaam se" (Tridev)
• "Dhak Dhak" (Maha Sangram)
• "Cha Raha Hain" (Chandramukhi)
• "Sexy Sexy" (Khuddar)
• "Tu Shama Main Parwana Tera" (Khiladi)
• "Ruk Ruk Ruk" (Vijaypath)
• "Bambai Se Rail Chali" (Zaalim)
• "My Adorable Darling" (Main Khiladi Tu Anari)
• "Ure Baba" (Bambai Ka Babu)
• "Tere Ishq Main Nachenge" (Raja Hindustani)
• "Krishna Krishna" (Insaaf)
• "De Diya Dil Piya" (Keemat)
• "Tinka, Tinka" (Karam)
• "Pyaar Aaya" (Plan)
• "Mehboob Mere" (Plan)
• "Oh My Darling!" (Mujhse Dosti Karoge, 2002)
• "Rang Rang Mere Rang Rang Mein" (Bollywood/Hollywood, 2002)
• "Chot Dil Pe Lagi" (Ishq Vishk, 2003)
• "Dil Ko Hazar Bar" (Murder, 2004)
• "Maine Jisko Chaha" (Fida, 2004)
• "Hamnasheen" (Dobara, 2004)
• "Tinka Tinka" (Karam, 2005)
• "Kajra Re" (Bunty Aur Babli, 2005)
• "Ishq Di Gali" (No Entry, 2005)
• "Dil Chura ke Mere" (No Entry, 2005)
• "Yeh Ishq Mein" (No Entry, 2005)
• "Aaj Ki Raat" (Don, 2006)
• "Touch Me" (Dhoom 2, 2006)
• "It's Rocking" (Kya Love Story Hai, 2007)
• "Ticket To Hollywood" (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, 2007)
• "Lover Boy" (Love Story 2050, 2008)
• "Bebo" (Kambakkht Ishq, 2009)
• "Tera Hone Laga Hoon" (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, 2009)
• "Jiyara Jiyara" (Prince, 2010)
• "Dilruba" (Namastey London, 2007)

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Official Alisha Chinai Website
• Alisha Chinai at the Internet Movie Database

Filipinos of Chinese Origin

Cardinal Sin Jesse Robredo Sergio Osmeña [Richard Poon Alfredo Lim Ferdinand Marcos Richard Poon
Total population
1,146,250 1.3% of the Filipino population (2005)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Metro Cebu • Metro Manila • Angeles • Batangas Benguet • Bacolod • Davao • Iligan • Iloilo • Laguna Lucena • Sulu • Tarlac • Vigan • Zamboanga
Languages
Hokkien • Mandarin • Cantonese • Teochew (Chao Chow) • Filipino languages • English Min Chinese • Yue Chinese • Hakka various other Chinese dialects
Religion
Christianity • Buddhism • Taoism
Related ethnic groups
Sangley • Southern Chinese Overseas Chinese

A Chinese Filipino (simplified Chinese: 华菲; traditional Chinese: 華菲; pinyin: Huáfēi; Hokkien: Huâ-hui; Cantonese: Wàhfèi; Tagalog/Filipino: "Tsinoy" (pronounced [tʃɪnoɪ]) derived from two words: "Tsino" (meaning "Chinese") and "Pinoy" (the slang word for "Filipino")) is a Philippine national of Chinese ethnicity but was born/raised in the Philippines. Chinese Filipino's constitute one group of Overseas Chinese and are one of the largest Overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. As of 2005, Chinese Filipino's number approximately 1.1 million corresponding to 1.3% of the Filipino population.^[1]

Many, if not all people in the Philippines, including Chinese Filipinos themselves, use and accept the term "Filipino Chinese"/"Filipino-Chinese".^[2] However, this is inconsistent with the usage of American English, on which Philippine English is largely based. Despite its inconsistency with American English, the term remains to be the officially accepted reference in the Philippines.^[2]

Chinese Filipinos are well represented in all levels of Filipino society, and well integrated politically and economically. The ethnically Chinese Filipinos comprise 1.3% (1.1 million) of the population or 22% of the population including Chinese mestizos, Chinese Filipinos are present within several commerce and business sectors in the Philippines and are estimated to own a majority of the Filipino economy.^[3][4][5][6]

Spelling[link]

The term "Chinese Filipino" may or may not be hyphenated.^[7][8] The website of the organization Kaisa para sa Kaunlaran (Unity for Progress) omits the hyphen, adding that Chinese Filipino is the noun where "Chinese" is an adjective to the noun "Filipino." The Chicago Manual of Style and the APA, among others, also recommend dropping the hyphen. When used as an adjective, "Chinese Filipino" may take on a hyphenated form or may remain unchanged. For instance, when hyphenated, "Chinese-Filipino community," "Chinese-Filipino Catholic," or "Chinese-Filipino student." Chicago style, on the other hand, explicitly advises against using the hyphen even when "Chinese Filipino" is used as an adjective. For instance, "Chinese Filipino student" and "Chinese Filipino community",^[9][10][11] but "Chinese-Filipino Catholic" or "Chinese-Filipino Buddhist" given that three consecutive words are capitalized and that Filipino in that sense is linked to Chinese rather than being an adjective to Catholic or Buddhist.

Terminology[link]

Different terminologies are used to refer to Chinese Filipinos (Philippine nationals of Chinese ethnicity), as follows:

• Of pure Chinese descent: Chinese (English), Tsino/Chino (Filipino, Spanish), and Lan-nang (Hokkien)
• Of mixed Chinese and indigenous Filipino descent: Filipino Chinese/Chinese Filipino/Philippine Chinese (Eng.), Tsinoy/Chinoy (Fil., Sp.), and Chhut-si-ia (Hokkien)
• Of mixed Chinese and Spanish descent: Tornatras (Eng., Fil., Sp.; archaic)^{[citation needed]}

There are also a variety of Chinese terms in use:

• 華人 -- Huárén -- a generic term for referring to Chinese people, without implication as to nationality
• 華僑 -- Huáqiáo -- Overseas Chinese, usually China-born Chinese who have emigrated elsewhere
• 華裔 -- Huáyì -- People of Chinese ancestry who were born in, residents of and citizens of another country

During the Spanish Colonial Period, the term Sangley was used to refer to people of unmixed Chinese ancestry while the term Mestizo de Sangley was used to classify persons of mixed Chinese and indigenous Filipino ancestry; both are now out of date in terms of usage.^{[citation needed]}

"Indigenous Filipino" is used in this article to refer to the Austronesian inhabitants prior to the Spanish Conquest of the islands. During the Spanish Colonial Period, the term Indio was used.^{[citation needed]}

Overview[link]

The Chinese Filipinos has always been one of the largest ethnic groups in the country with Chinese immigrants comprising the largest group of immigrant settlers in the Philippines. They are one of the three major ethnic groupings in the Philippines, namely: Christian Filipinos (73% of the population-including indigenous ethnic minorities), Muslim Filipinos (5% of the population) and Chinese Filipinos (22% of the population-including Chinese mestizos). Today, most Chinese Filipinos are locally born. The rate of intermarriage between Chinese settlers and indigenous Filipinos is among the highest in Southeast Asia, exceeded only by Thailand. However, intermarriages occurred mostly during the Spanish colonial period because Chinese immigrants to the Philippines up to the 19th century were predominantly male. It was only in the 20th century that Chinese women and children came in comparable numbers. Today, Chinese Filipino male and female populations are practically equal in numbers. These Chinese mestizos, products of intermarriages during the Spanish colonial period, then often opted to marry other Chinese or Chinese mestizos. Generally, Chinese mestizos is a term referring to people with a partial Chinese ancestry.

By this definition, the ethnically Chinese Filipinos comprise 1.3% (1.1 million) of the population.^[12] This figure however does not include the Chinese mestizos who since Spanish times have formed a part of the middle class in Philippine society nor does it include Chinese immigrants from the People's Republic of China since 1949.

History[link]

These ethnic Chinese sailed down and frequently interacted and even created settlements including CALABARZON region such as Rizal which carried on trade with the Arab traders long before the Spanish conquest. As evidenced by a collection of priceless Chinese artifacts found in the Philippines, dating back right up to the 10th century.

Prehistoric evidence attest to the fact that many datus, rajahs, and Lakans (indigenous rulers) in the Philippines were of mixed Filipino and Chinese ancestry. They formed the group which is to be called Principalia during the Spanish period, and were given privileges by the Spanish colonial authorities.

The arrival of the Spaniards to the Philippines attracted many Chinese male immigrants from China, but there was already a significant population of Chinese immigrants long before Spanish knowledge of the archipelago due to the relationship between the various kingdoms in what is now known as Luzon, and the Ming dynasty. The Spanish authorities restricted the activities of the Chinese immigrants and confined them to the Parían near Intramuros. With low chances of employment and prohibited from owning land, most of them engaged in retail trades or acted as skilled artisans to the Spanish colonial authorities. Many of the Chinese who arrived during the Spanish period were Cantonese, who worked as stevedores and porters, but there were also Fujianese, who entered the retail trades.

The Chinese outnumbered the Spanish colonizers by ten to one, and at least in two occasions tried to grab the power, but their revolts were quickly put down by joint forces composed of indigenous Filipinos, Japanese, and Spanish.^[13] As it were, the Chinese rulers at the time disapproved of the revolts and termed those who had abandoned their homeland to settle in foreign lands as traitors who ceased to be Chinese.^[14]

The Spanish authorities differentiated the Chinese immigrants into two groups: Parían (unconverted) and Binondo (converted). Many immigrants converted to Catholicism, and due to the lack of Chinese women, intermarried with indigenous women, and adopted Hispanized names and customs. The children of unions between indigenous Filipinos and Chinese were called Mestizos de Sangley or Chinese mestizos, while those between Spaniards and Chinese were called Tornatrás. The Chinese population originally occupied to the Binondo area although eventually they spread all over the islands, and became traders, moneylenders, and landowners.^[15]

During the American colonial period, the Chinese Exclusion Act in the United States was also put into effect in the Philippines.^[16] Nevertheless, the Chinese were able to settle in the Philippines, despite strict American law enforcement. Following World War II and the fall of the Chinese mainland to the Chinese Communist Party, many Chinese migrated from Fujian province in China to the Philippines. This group formed the bulk of the current population of Chinese Filipinos.^[14]

Beginning World War II, Chinese Filipino soldiers and guerrillas joined in the fight against the Japanese Imperial Forces during the Japanese Occupation in the Philippines (1941–1945). On April 9, 1942, many Chinese Filipino Prisoners of War were killed by Japanese Forces during the Bataan Death March after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942. Chinese Filipinos were integrated in the U.S. Armed Forces of the First & Second Filipino Infantry Regiments of the United States Army. After the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942, when Chinese Filipinos was joined the soldiers is a military unit of the Philippine Commonwealth Army under the U.S. military command is a ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was started the battles between the Japanese Counter-Insurgencies and Allied Liberators from 1942 to 1945 to fought against the Japanese Imperial forces. Some Chinese-Filipinos joined the soldiers were integrated of the 11th, 14th, 15th, 66th & 121st Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Philippines - Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL) under the military unit of the Philippine Commonwealth Army started the Liberation in Northern Luzon and aided the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Abra, Mountain Province, Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya and attacking Imperial Japanese forces. Many Chinese-Filipinos joined the guerrilla movement of the Philippine-Chinese Anti-Japanese guerrilla resistance fighter unit or Wa Chi Movement, the Ampaw Unit under by Colonel Chua Sy Tiao and the Chinese-Filipino 48th Squadron since 1942 to 1946 to attacking Japanese forces. Thousands of Chinese Filipino soldiers and guerrillas died of heroism in the Philippines from 1941 to 1945 during World War II. Over hundreds of thousands of the Chinese Filipino soldiers and guerrillas were attacked by Japanese Imperial Forces during the liberation of the Philippines. Thousands of Chinese Filipino Veterans are interred in the Shrine of Martyr's Freedom of the Filipino Chinese in World War II located in Manila.^[17]

After independence, successive Philippine presidents have had ambivalent attitudes about the Chinese Filipinos. Presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos P. Garcia promoted the Filipino First policies, and put in tough government directives to hinder the ownership of businesses by Chinese Filipinos who were still citizens of the Republic of China. During the Martial Law Period, Chinese language schools were ordered closed or else to limit the time alloted for Chinese language, history, and culture subjects from 4 hours to 2 hours, and instead devote them to the study of Filipino languages and culture. This method of teaching persists to this very day. Marcos' policy eventually led to the formal assimilation of the Chinese Filipinos into mainstream Filipino society.^[18] Following People Power Revolution (EDSA 1), the Chinese Filipinos quickly gained national spotlight as Cory Aquino, a Chinese mestiza, eventually became president.^[19] She encouraged free press and cultural harmony, a process which led to the burgeoning of the Chinese-language media. Mild racist riots occurred during 1992 when several Filipinos, led by Armando Ducat, Jr., a businessman, campaigned for 'kicking-out the Chinese-Filipinos instead of the Americans', referring to the formal closure of the American military bases in the Philippines, and during 1998, when a Chinese mestizo, Senator Alfredo Lim, entered the candidacy for president. Also, numerous incidents of crimes such kidnap-for-ransom, extortion and other forms of harassment were committed against the Chinese Filipino community starting in the early 1990s and lasting to this day. Senior members of the Philippine Military were allegedly involved.^[20]

Current and future trends[link]

Most of the Chinese Filipinos are descendants of Chinese who migrated three or four generations ago. In the case of most Chinese mestizos, this can be as far back as five, six, or up to eight generations ago. Unlike in Malaysia and Indonesia where intermarriage is uncommon and people can generally be classified ethnically just by physical appearance, the Philippine definition of who is Chinese Filipino and who is Chinese mestizo can be based on one's language usage and cultural values. For example, a Chinese biological mestizo who still speaks fluent Chinese and practices Chinese culture might be reintegrated into the Chinese-Filipino culture.

The Chinese in the Philippines cannot be simplistically classified. But generally, some observers claim they can be classified into three types, based on when their ancestors first arrived. Most of the Chinese mestizos, especially the landed gentry trace their ancestry to the Spanish era. They are the "First Chinese" or Sangley whose descendants nowadays are mostly either the Chinese mestizos or have integrated into the indigenous population. The largest group of Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines are the "Second Chinese," who are descendants of migrants in the first half of the 20th century, between the anti-Manchu 1911 Revolution in China and the Chinese Civil War. This group accounts for most of the "full-blooded" Chinese. The "Third Chinese" are the recent immigrants from mainland China, after the Chinese economic reform of the 1980s. Generally, the "Third Chinese" are the most entrepreneurial and have not totally lost their Chinese identity in its purest form and seen by some "Second Chinese" as a business threat.^[21] On the other hand, the "First Chinese" or Sangley had largely intermarried and assimilated into a Hispanized Catholic culture since the 17th century. After the end of Spanish rule, their descendants, the Chinese mestizos, managed to invent a cosmopolitan mestizo culture coupled with an extravagant Mestizo de Sangley lifestyle.^[22]

As of the present day, due to the effects of globalization in the Philippines, there has been a marked tendency to acculturate to North American lifestyles, without losing Chinese culture and identity. This is especially true for younger Chinese Filipinos living in wealthy suburbs like Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila^[23] who are gradually shifting to English as their preferred language, thus identifying more with North American culture, at the same time speaking Chinese among themselves. There is also a renewed tendency and interest to study and practice the use of Chinese language. More and more Chinese mestizos tend also to reintegrate into Chinese societies by attending Chinese schools, learning to speak Chinese and adopting Chinese customs. Although at a slower pace than Thailand, assimilation is gradually taking place in the Philippines.^[24]

Ethnicity[link]

Most Chinese in the Philippines belong to either the Fujianese or Cantonese dialect groups of the Han Chinese ethnicity. Most unmixed Chinese in the Philippines come from the province of Fujian in China and are thus called Fujianese, or Hoklo. They constitute upwards of 80% of ethnic Chinese in the Philippines, with about half having ancestry from Jinjiang in Fujian.^[25] They speak the Lan-nang (Philippine) variant of the Minnan Chinese dialect, which is further subdivided into several sub-dialects. The most common Minnan (Southern Fujianese) dialect in the Philippines is the Xiamen dialect, which is mutually intelligible with the Quanzhou dialect, another common dialect in the Philippines. The rest of the unmixed Chinese in the Philippines are mostly of Cantonese origin, with large numbers of descendants originally from the Taishan city of Guangdong province in Southern China. They speak the Cantonese dialect group/language, although many are raised to speak only the Minnan dialect. Most are not as economically prosperous as their Fujianese cousins in Philippine society. Some ghettoes of the Cantonese people are found in Santa Mesa, Manila and in Tondo. There are also a minority of Cantonese who have Portuguese ancestry - they are the Macanese from Macau. Other non-resident Chinese in the Philippines, such as expatriates and envoys are of Beijing, Shanghainese, or origin from other Provinces of China. As for now, most Filipino-Chinese are naturalized Filipino citizens who can still look back to their Chinese roots.

Mestizos[link]

Chinese mestizos are persons of mixed Chinese and either indigenous Malay or Spanish (or both) ancestry. They make up 20% of the country's total population (those who are pure blooded or at least 50% Chinese make up at least 2% of the population). A number of Chinese mestizos have surnames that reflect their heritage, mostly two or three syllables that have Chinese roots (e.g., the full name of a Chinese ancestor) with a Hispanized phonetic spelling. The Chinese mestizos may also be known as Tsinoys (alternatively spelled as "Chinoy"), although this term may also refer to the full-blooded Chinese Filipinos; and/or Chinito, a term that largely denotes physical characteristics (referring to slanted eyes) rather than ethnic origin or cultural orientation. During Spanish times, they were legally classified as Mestizo de Sangley which was printed on their cedulas or community tax certificates.

During the Spanish colonial period, the Spanish authorities encouraged the Chinese male immigrants to convert to Catholicism. Those who converted got baptized and their names Hispanized, and were allowed to intermarry with indigenous Malay women. They and their mestizo offspring became colonial subjects of the Spanish crown, and as such were granted several privileges and afforded numerous opportunities denied to the unconverted Chinese. Starting as traders, they branched out into landleasing, moneylending and later, landholding.

Chinese mestizo men and women were encouraged to marry Spanish and Malay women and men, by means of dowries, in a policy to mix the races of the Philippines so it would be impossible to expel the Spanish.^[26]

Culture[link]

Language[link]

Most of the Chinese in the Philippines trace their ancestry to the southern part of Fujian province in China, also known as the Min-nan region. The Lan-nang (Chinese: 咱儂話; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lán-lâng-oē; literally "our people's language") variant of Hokkien is the lingua franca of the Chinese Filipino community. The rest are descendants of migrants from Guangdong, Hong Kong, or Taiwan. The other Chinese dialects that can be heard in the Chinese-Filipino communities are Mandarin Chinese (which is taught in Chinese schools in the Philippines and spoken in varying degrees of fluency by Chinese Filipinos), Taiwanese (which is mutually intelligible with the Quanzhou and Xiamen dialects), and Cantonese. The vast majority of the Chinese in the Philippines are also fluent in English as well as Tagalog, and for those residing outside of Metro Manila, the local language of the region, like Ilokano (northern Luzon), Hiligaynon (western Visayas), Cebuano (central Visayas), and Chabacano (Zamboanga), Waray-Waray (eastern Visayas).

Lifestyle[link]

The Chinese in the Philippines are mostly business owners and their life centers mostly in the family business. These mostly small or medium enterprises play a significant role in the Philippine economy. A handful of these entrepreneurs run large companies and are respected as some of the most prominent business tycoons in the Philippines. Chinese Filipinos attribute their success in business to frugality and hard work, Confucian values and their traditional Chinese customs and traditions. They are very business-minded and entrepreneurship is highly valued and encouraged among the young. Most Chinese Filipinos are urban dwellers. An estimated 50% of the Chinese Filipinos live within Metro Manila, with the rest in the other major cities of the Philippines. In contrast with the Chinese mestizos, few Chinese are plantation owners. This is partly due to the fact that until recently when the Chinese Filipinos became Filipino citizens, the law prohibited the Chinese from owning land. As with other Southeast Asian nations, the Chinese community in the Philippines has become a repository of traditional Chinese culture. Whereas in mainland China many cultural traditions and customs were suppressed during the Cultural Revolution or simply regarded as old-fashioned nowadays, these traditions have remained largely untouched in the Philippines. Many new cultural twists have evolved within the Chinese community in the Philippines, distinguishing it from other overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. These cultural variations are highly evident during festivals such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. The Chinese Filipinos have developed unique funerary^[27] and wedding customs^[28] as well. While the older generation practiced the ancient customs of imperial and feudal China,^[29] the younger generation have adapted to more modern lifestyles. Traditional customs such as ancestor worship are still practiced today through family shrines and clans associations,^[30][31] as well as placing Catholic imagery alongside Taoists idols such as the Santo Niño or the Crucifix placing beside the Buddha or any other Chinese Traditional Religious figure.

Religion[link]

The Chinese Filipinos, similar to Chinese Indonesians are unique in Southeast Asia in being overwhelmingly Christian. Almost all Chinese Filipinos, including the Chinese Mestizo but excluding the recent immigrants, had or will have their marriages in a Christian church. This proves that the majority of Chinese Filipinos have been baptized in a Christian church, with Catholics forming the largest group.

However, many of Chinese-Filipino Catholics still tend to practice the traditional Chinese religions side by side with Catholicism, although a small number of people practising solely traditional Chinese religions do exist as well. ^[32] Mahayana Buddhism,^[33] Taoism^[34] and ancestor worship (including Confucianism)^[35] are the traditional Chinese beliefs that continue to have adherents among the Chinese Filipinos. Some may even have Jesus Christ as well as Buddha statues or Taoist gods in their altars. It is not unheard of to venerate the blessed Virgin Mary using joss sticks and Buddhist offerings, much as one would have done for Guan Yin or Mazu.^[36] Buddhist-Taoist temples can be found where the Chinese live, especially in urban areas like Manila, and the Chinese have the tendency to go to pay respects to their ancestors at least once a year, either by going to the temple, or going to the Chinese burial grounds, often burning incense and bringing offerings like fruits and accessories made from paper. Some Chinese-Filipino Catholics do have problems with this religious duality, but due to Christian proselytization, the elderly vastly outnumber the young in the Chinese temples in the Philippines.

A comparatively large number of Chinese Filipinos are also Protestants.^{[citation needed]} Chinese Filipinos comprise a large percentage of membership in some of the largest evangelical churches in the Philippines like the Bread of Life Ministries International, Christ's Commission Fellowship, Greenhills Christian Fellowship and Victory Christian Fellowship.^{[citation needed]} The United Evangelical Church of the Philippines, was founded by Chinese Filipinos, and they form the majority of worshippers.^[37]

Civil society[link]

Aside from their family businesses, Chinese Filipinos are active in civic organizations related to education, health care, public safety, social welfare and public charity. As most Chinese Filipinos are reluctant to participate in politics and government, they have instead turned to civic organizations as their primary means of contributing to the general welfare of the Chinese-Filipino community and to the betterment of Philippine society. Beyond the traditional family and clan associations, Chinese Filipinos tend to be active members of numerous alumni associations holding annual reunions for the benefit of their Chinese-Filipino secondary schools.^[38]

Outside of secondary schools catering to Chinese Filipinos, some Chinese Filipino businessmen have established charitable foundations to benefit Philippine society. Notable ones include the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Angelo King Foundation, Jollibee Foundation, Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation, Cityland Foundation, etc. Some Chinese-Filipino benefactors have also contributed to the creation of several centers of scholarship in prestigious Philippine Universities, including the John Gokongwei School of Management at Ateneo de Manila, the Yuchengco Center at De La Salle University, and the Ricardo Leong Center of Chinese Studies at Ateneo de Manila. Coincidentally, both Ateneo and La Salle enroll a large number of Chinese-Filipino students. In health care, Chinese Filipinos were instrumental in establishing and building renowned medical centers in the country including the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, the Metropolitan Hospital, the Angelo King Medical Center at the De La Salle Health Sciences Institute, Chong-Hua Hospital and the St. Luke's Medical Center, one of Asia's leading health care institutions. In public safety, Teresita Ang See's Kaisa, a Chinese-Filipino civil rights group, organized the Citizens Action Against Crime and the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order at the height of a wave of anti-Chinese kidnapping incidents in the early 1990s.^[39] In addition to fighting crime, Chinese Filipinos have organized volunteer fire brigades all over the country, reportedly the best in the nation.^[40] In the arts and culture, the Bahay Tsinoy and the Yuchengco Museum were established by Chinese Filipinos to showcase the arts, culture and history of Chinese Filipinos and the Philippines.^[41]

Surnames[link]

Most Chinese Filipinos today have single syllable Chinese surnames, the most common of which are Tan (陳), Ong (王), Lim (林), Go/Ngo (吳), Ng/Uy/Wong (黃), Gao/Kao (高), Chua/Cua (蔡), Sy/See/Si (施), Co (許), Lee/Dy (李), and Ching/Chong (莊). Chinese Filipinos, as well as Chinese mestizos who trace their roots back to Chinese immigrants to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period, usually have multiple syllable Chinese surnames such as Chuacuco, Chuatoco, Cojuangco, Colico, Dioquino, Dyloco, Dytoc, Dy-Cok, Dytioco, Gueco, Gokongwei, Kimpo/Quimpo, Limcuando,^[42] Ongpin, Pempengco, Quebengco, Sycip, Tambengco, Tambunting, Tanbonliong, Tantoco, Tiongson, Tungol, Yap, Yuchengco, Tanciangco, Yu, Yuipco, and Yupangco, among such others. These were originally full Chinese names which were transliterated into Spanish and adopted as surnames.

There are also multiple syllable Chinese surnames that are Spanish transliterations of Hokkien words. Surnames like Tuazon (Eldest Grandson), Dizon (Second Grandson), Samson (Third Grandson), Singson (Fourth Grandson), Gozon (Fifth Grandson), Lacson (Sixth Grandson) are examples of Hokkien words with Spanish transliterations used as surnames for some Chinese Filipinos who trace their ancestry from Chinese immigrants to the Philippines during the Spanish Colonial Period also. In contrast, more recent immigrants have single syllable Chinese surnames. Many Chinese mestizos (as well as Spanish-Chinese and Tornatrás) have also either inherited or took on Spanish or indigenous surnames, such as Espiritu, Martines, Madrigal, Santos, or Zarate. A lot of Chinese Filipinos also took on Filipino surnames the moment they were naturalized. Today, it is difficult to identify who are Chinese Filipinos based on surnames alone. To determine who Chinese Filipinos are, one should know their background and family history and culture.

Economic aptitude[link]

Ayala Center, the Philippines most important financial center is home to the Philippine Stock Exchange, located near Binondo, Manila.^[43]

Ethnic Chinese play a key role in the Philippine economy, as they do throughout Southeast Asia. Chinese Filipino entrepreneurs are particularly strong adherents to the Confucian paradigm of intrapersonal relationships.^[44] The term "Chinoy" is used in Filipino newspapers to refer to individuals with a degree of Chinese parentage who either speak a Chinese dialect or adhere to Chinese customs. Constituting an estimated 1.3% of the country's population, the ethnic Chinese have a disproportionate impact on the economy and government. Stores and restaurants around the country owned by most of the leading entrepreneurs featured in Manila newspapers are of Chinese extraction.^[45][46] Filipinos of ethnic Chinese origin control an estimated 50 to 60 percent of nonland share capital in the Philippines, and as much as 35 percent of total sales are attributed to the largest public and private firms controlled by ethnic Chinese.^[47] Ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs are estimated to control 60 to 70 percent of the Filipino economy.^[48][49] They essentially focus on sectors such as semiconductors and chemicals, real estate, land, and property development, banking, engineering, construction, fiber, textiles, finance, consumer electronics, food, and personal computers.^[50] In the Philippines, ethnic Chinese are estimated to control over one-third of the 1000 largest corporations.^[51] 55 percent of overall Filipino private business is also generated by ethnic Chinese.^[52]

According to Chinese American writer Amy Chua, "the country's four major airlines and almost all of the country's banks, hotels, shopping malls, and major conglomerates." They dominated "the shipping, textiles, construction, real estate, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and personal computer industries as wen as the country's wholesale distribution networks and six out of the ten English-language newspapers in Manila, including the one with the largest circulation."^[48][53][54] Of 66% remaining part of the economy in the Philippines by either ethnic Chinese or Filipinos, the Chinese control 35% of all total sales.^[55] Among the nation's 35 banks, ethnic Chinese on average control 35% of total banking equity.^[56]

In 1940, Chinese Filipinos were estimated to control 70% of the country's retail trade and 75% of the nation's rice mills.^[57] By 1948, the Chinese economic standing began to elevate even further wielding considerable influence as ethnic Chinese held a considerable percentage of the total commercial investment, 55% of the retail trade, and 85% of the lumber sector.^[58] Ethnic Chinese also had controlled 40% of the importing and the retail trade with controlling interests in banking, oil refining, sugar milling, cement, tobacco, flour milling, glass, dairying, auto manufacturing and electronics.^[59] Although the Filipino Hacienderos also have extensive businesses, Filipino Chinese had economic power exploding with the pro-market reforms of the late 1980's and 1990's.^[3] Today, Filipino Chinese, just 1 of the population, control all of the Philippines' largest and most lucrative department store chains, major supermarkets, and fast-food restaurants, including the world famous McDonald's franchise and the Jollibee chain which was founded by a Chinese Filipino.^[60][61][48] Majority of the Philippines' principal banks are now Chinese Filipino-controlled, including Philippine Savings Bank and most notably Metrobank Group, the country's largest and most aggressive financial conglomerate.^[43] By the mid 1990's ethnic Chinese controlled 40% of the national corporate equity.^[62] Ethnic Chinese also control the shipping, textiles, construction, real estate, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and personal computer industries as well as the nation's wholesale distribution networks. Outside of commerce and finance,Chinese Filipinos control 6 of the 10 English-language newspapers in Manila.^[48] Apart from the aristocratic Zobel de Ayala family and most notably the Marcos family, Bong Bong and Imee are currently both elected officials in the Philippines In addition, most the wealthiest billionaires in the Philippines are Filipino Chinese or of partial Chinese descent, according to a report by Philippine Star.^[3][43][63]

With the onset of globalization since the 1990s, increasing numbers of well-to-do Chinese Filipino families are acquiring North American or Australasian passports and sending their children abroad to attend prestigious North America or Australasian Universities.^[64] Many are opting to remain after graduation to start professional careers in North America or Australasia. Philippine-educated Chinese Filipinos from middle-class families are also migrating en masse to North America and Australasia. Those who have family businesses regularly commute between North America (or Australasia) and the Philippines. In this way, they follow the well-known pattern of other Chinese immigrants to North America who lead "astronaut" lifestyles: family in North America, business in Asia.^[65] Furthermore, many Chinese-Filipino entrepreneurs and professionals have flocked to their ancestral homeland to partake of business and employment opportunities opened up by China's emergence as a global economic superpower.^[66]

Notable people[link]

See also[link]

	Philippines portal
	China portal

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

• China–Philippines relations
• Chinese-Filipinos who migrated to Mexico during the galleon trade
• CHInoyTV, a TV program broadcast in Net25, featuring the Chinese community in the Philippines.
• List of Chinese schools in the Philippines
• Sangley
• Tornatrás

References[link]

External links[link]

v t e Ethnic groups in the Philippines Filipinos Overseas Filipinos Indigenous Non-tribal Luzon Bicolano Ibanag Ilocano Ivatan Kapampangan Pangasinan Sambal Tagalog Moro Bajau Banguingui Illanun Maguindanao Maranao Samal Sangir Tausug Yakan Visayan Aklanon Boholano/Bol-anon Butuanon Caluyanon Capiznon Cebuano Eskaya Hiligaynon Karay-a Masbateño Porohanon Romblomanon Surigaonon Waray Tribal Igorot / Cordillerano Balangao Bontoc Ibaloi Ifugao Isneg Kalinga Kankana-ey Tinguian Lumad Kamayo Manobo Samal T'boli B'laan Tasaday Mangyan Buhid Hanunó'o Tawbuid Ratagnon Negrito Aeta Ati Batak Palawan peoples Agutaynen Cuyunon Kagayanen Palawano Batak Tagbanua Suludnon Suludnon/Tumandok Non-indigenous Americas American Brazilian Mexican Asia Chinese Indian Indonesian Japanese Korean Nepali Europe German Greek Russian Spanish Middle East Arab Iranian Jewish

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Udit Narayan Jha, popularly known as Udit Narayan is a playback singer in commercial, Maithili language, Hindi, Kannada, Nepali, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Garhwali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese, Maithili and Bengali language cinema. Narayan has sung in 32 different languages.^[1] He has won three National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Career[link]

Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December 1955 in a village called Bhardaha in the Saptari district, Nepal.^[2] His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.

Narayan studied at P.B. School, Rajbiraj, where he passed his S.L.C.(class 10) and later obtained his intermediate from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, mostly known as RR campus Kathmandu.

Udit Narayan began his career in Nepal singing for Radio Nepal as a staff artiste for Maithili and Nepali folk songs. He sang many popular nepali folk, modern songs in Radio Nepal. His first filmy playback singing was for Nepali film Sindur.It was a comedy song for famous nepali comedians (Late) GopalRaj Mainali (Chankhe) and Basundhara Bhushal (Nakkali). It was a duet song with Sushmaa Shrestha now known as Poornima in Hindi film Industry. After eight years in that role, Indian Embassy offered him the chance to study classical music at a prestigious school in Bombay, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan on a music scholarship. He moved to Bombay in 1978.

He got his first break in 1980, when noted music director (composer) Rajesh Roshan asked him to playback for the Hindi film Unees Bees, and was given the opportunity to sing with the veteran Mohammed Rafi. He later provided playback for a number of films, the most notable being Sannata (1981), Bade Dil Wala (1983) and Tan-Badan (1986). The actual success story of his career began in 1988 when Anand-Milind gave him the oppportunity to sing all the songs for the successful Bollywood movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, earning him a Filmfare Award.^[3] The film also brought actor Aamir Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and playback singer Alka Yagnik to stardom. After the success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, he became one of the leading playback singers in the Indian film industry.

He has worked with musicians like Rahul Dev Burman, Rajesh Roshan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, A. R. Rahman, Anand-Milind, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin Lalit, Anu Malik, Jagjit Singh, Uttam Singh, Raam Laxman, Ilayaraja, Bhupen Hazarika, Shiv-Hari, Ravindra Jain, Madan Mohan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Himesh Reshammiya, Viju Shah, Vidyasagar, M. M. Keeravani, Ismail Darbar, Anand Raj Anand, Aadesh Shrivastava, Arun Paudwal, Pritam Chakraborty, Sajid-Wajid, Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sohail Sen, Nikhil Vinay, Sandesh Shandilya, Ram Sampath, Rahul Sharma, Daboo Malik, Sukhwinder Singh, Roop Kumar Rathod, Adnan Sami, Sanjeev Darshan, Vishal-Shekhar, Ajay-Atul, and directors like Yash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowariker and Karan Johar. Some of those films include Lagaan, Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein, Devdas, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Swades and Veer Zaara. He has also sung hit songs for actors like Aamir Khan, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor, Govinda, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan, Bobby Deol, Hrithik Roshan and Ajay Devgan. Udit's capability as a playback singer knows no bounds, as he has been magnanimously acclaimed in every kind of melody - soulful, romantic, fast-paced and recently, even pop. Udit has an extremely versatile tone which appears to flawlessly suit every Indian hero on screen. And today, innumerable awards and accolades later, Udit Narayan possesses one of the largest arrays of hit songs in the industry.

Udit Narayan has sung many songs with Lata Mangeshkar in many successful Hindi films like Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein, Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain, Veer-Zaara, Lagaan, Mujhse Dosti Karoge to name some. He has sung maximum duets with Alka Yagnik. They have sung for movies Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Raja, Akele Hum Akele Tum, Raja Hindustani, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., One 2 Ka 4, Lagaan, Tere Naam, Kyon Ki to name a few. Udit Narayan is best known for his exceptional vocal quality and his originality. His vocal quality often compared with the Bollywood veteran singers like Kishore Kumar and Mohammad Rafi. His voice never resembled any of the old singers. Many musical biggies like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Pankaj Udhas and Anup Jalota believes that Udit Narayan is the best in his generation for his quality in voice and originality Udit Narayan has been hailed as the screen voice of Shahrukh Khan and has sung many songs for him in famous movies like Darr, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mohabbatein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Devdas, Chalte Chalte and Swades for which he won his third National Film Award for the song "Yeh Taara Woh Taara".

At the same time, he sang in Nepalese movies, and also acted in two Nepali films Kusume Rumal and Pirati. He has worked in Nepalese films as well, in particular for composer Shambhujeet Baskota. During his early singing career, he performed songs composed by Shiva Shankar, Natikaji and Gopal Yonjan. In 2004, he released his first private Nepalese album, Upahaar, in which he also sang duets with his wife Deepa Jha. At the Hits FM Awards in 2004 he won awards in two major categories for the album, Record of the Year and Album of the Year.^{[citation needed]} Some of Narayan's other private albums are Bhajan Sangam, Bhajan Vatika, I love You, Dil Deewana, Yeh Dosti, Love is Life, Jhumka de Jhumka, Sona No Ghadulo, Dhuli Ganga, and Ma Tarini.

He was in the panel of judges of Indian Idol 3 along with music composer Anu Malik and female playback singer Alisha Chinai on Sony TV.

He was in the panel of judges on Sony TV for Waar Pariwaar, a reality show based on the bringing together of a singing gharana (family of singers). He shared judging duties with fellow playback singer Kumar Sanu and Jatin Pandit of the famous music duo Jatin-Lalit. Indian Idol 3 judge, Saregama many time special gust, X Factor, Jo Jita wo super Star special judges

Narayan has performed in many stage shows in India and abroad and is the recipient of a large number of awards. These include Screen Videocon Award, MTV Best Video Award and Pride of India Gold Award.

In 2009, Narayan was considering running as a candidate for the Padma Shri.^[2] In 2010, Udit Narayan with Madhushree sang for the English independent film "When Harry Tries to Marry"

Personal life[link]

Narayan is a resident of Mumbai.^[4] He is married and has one son. His second wife Deepa Narayan, whom he married in 1985, is a singer, and the two recorded an album together titled Dil Deewana. Their son is Aditya Narayan who is a former child actor, singer and television presenter. Aditya Narayan started his singing for child artists in Nepali film with his father before starting his singing career in Hindi movies in the 1990s and also acted in a few films.

Awards and nominations[link]

Honours[link]

• 2009: Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian honour.^[5]

• He has received Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu,one of the highest honor given to the civilians traditionally given by the king and now by Nepalese president, by the late king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.

• Maharashtra Ratna Award from Government of Maharashtra in 2011

[edit] National Film Awards

National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer

[edit] Filmfare Awards

Filmfare Best Male Playback Award

Filmfare Best Male Playback Award (Nominated):

[edit] Star Screen Awards

Star Screen Award Best Male Playback:

[edit] Zee Cine Awards

Zee Cine Award Best Playback Singer- Male:

[edit] IIFA Awards

IIFA Best Male Playback Award:

[edit] Bollywood Movie Awards

Notable Bollywood Filmography[link]

Notable and Popular Kannada songs[link]

Year	Film	Song Name
1999	Upendra	"Mtv Subbulakshmige"
2001	Friends	"Thakadhimi"
2001	Friends	"Saavira Kanassina"
2001	Parva	"Dholu Dholu Dangura"
2001	Parva	"Sadhane Paramapada"
2001	Parva	"Antharanga Aasegala"
2001	Sundara Kanda	" Maina Maina "
2002	Appu	"Baare Baare"
2002	Appu	"Ellinda Aarambhavo"
2002	Chandu	"Saddillade"
2002	Chandu	"Kanyakumari"
2002	Thuntaata	" Kaathura "
2002	Hollywood	"Choo Bide"
2002	Hollywood	"Prema Prema"
2003	Abhi	"Sum Sumne"
2003	Abhi	"Ee Nanna Kannane"
2003	Chigurida Kanassu	"Aaha Enidenidenu"
2003	Chigurida Kanassu	"Ninna kanda kshana"
2003	Gokarna	"Aaseye dukhakke moola"
2003	Gokarna	"Jwara Illade"
2003	Kutumba	"Mujhe Kuch Kuch Hogaya"
2003	Kutumba	"Alukku Balukina"
2003	Laali Haadu	"Preethige"
2003	Malla	"Olagirod Horagidre"
2003	Nandi	"Kadalu Daati Banda"
2004	Aaptha Mitra	"Pata Pata"
2004	Kalasipalya	"Pete Pete Rap"
2004	Mourya	"Pilla Pilla"
2004	Mourya	"Haadali Karunaadali"
2004	News	"Munjaaneya"
2004	News	"Good Morning"
2004	Saahukara	" Maleyaaliya Pada "
2005	Namma Basava	"Andondittu Kaala"
2005	Kaashi from Village	"Yeh Kiccha"
2005	Kaashi from Village	"Goli Maro"
2005	Shastri	" Sum Sumne "
2005	Rishi	" Enendu Naa Helalaare "
2005	Aakash	"Habba Habba"
2005	Anna Thangi	"Dum Dum Dum Thavaralli"
2005	Auto Shankar	"Kacchi Kacchi"
2005	Ayya	"Ee Prema"
2005	Ayya	"Tabla Tabla"
2005	Chappale	"Enivaaga"
2006	Chelaata	"Pata Pata Pataaki"
2006	Chellata	"Ishtano Ishtano"
2006	Mungaru Male	"Kunidu Kunidu Baare"
2006	Hatavaadi	"Thai Thai"
2006	Kariya	"Nannali Naanilla"
2006	Ravi Shastri	"Muthu Muthu"
2006	Ravi Shastri	"Sangeetha"
2007	Krishna	"Gollara Golla"
2007	Milana	"Anthu Inthu"
2007	Ee Bandhana	"Chanda Nanna"
2007	Gaalipata	"Aaha Ee Bedaru Bombege"
2008	Dhimaku	"Huccha annu"
2008	Haage Summane	"Naanenu Nambodilla"
2008	Kamannana Makkalu	"Chee Chee"
2008	Mussanje Maathu	"O Hrudaya"
2008	Sathya In Love	" Golla Golla "
2008	Vamshi	" Maayagaathi "
2010	Chiru	"Shambho Shiva Shankara"
2010	Chiru	"Olavannu helu"
2011	Raam[disambiguation needed ]	" Nanna Thutiyalli "

Notable Tamil songs[link]

[edit] Notable Haryanvi and Telugu songs

Notable Malayalam film songs[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Udit Narayan at the Internet Movie Database

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. (August 2010)

Amrita Rao
Born	(1981-06-17) 17 June 1981 (age 31) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress / Model
Years active	2002–present
Website
http://www.amrita-rao.com

Amrita Rao (əmrɪt̪aː ˈraːu; born June 17, 1981)^{[citation needed]} is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.

Beginning her career as a model, Rao made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras (2002). She then starred in Ken Ghosh's love-story Ishq Vishk (2003) and earned a Filmfare nomination in the "Best Female Debut" category.

Personal life[link]

Amrita was born in Mumbai to a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family.^[1] She speaks Hindi, English, Marathi, besides her mother tongue, Konkani.^[2] She attended Convent Girls School (Prabhadevi) in Mumbai, and later enrolled in Sophia College to pursue a degree in Psychology. Her sister, Preetika Rao, is a Model, Journalist-Columnist and a South-Indian film actress.

Career[link]

Modeling[link]

While studying in Sophia College, Amrita auditioned for an advertisement for Fairever Face Cream. Her appearance in Cadbury’s Perk Karwa Chaut ad and the Bru Coffee advertisement helped her receive offers from film directors in Bollywood.^{[citation needed]}

Acting[link]

Amrita made her acting debut with Anjali Thapar/Nandini in Ab Ke Baras with Arya Babbar (2002), and followed that with her (2003) film, Ishq Vishk, in which she portrayed Payal with Shahid Kapoor. She became an overnight star after the success that film. She followed this up with films Aanchal Mehta in Masti and in (2004) she playing Sanjana (Sanju) Bakshi in Main Hoon Na with Zayed Khan , Deewaar (2004), and she playing Priya Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi with Shahid Kapoor (2005), and Madhvi in Shikharwith her co-Star Shahid Kapoor (2005), and she role Piya inPyare Mohan with vivek oberoi (2006). (2006) She was playing in Heyy Babyy in Special appearance in song "Heyy Babyy. She starred in Sooraj R. Barjatya's Blockbuster Vivah (2006) opposite Shahid Kapoor.^[3]

In 2007 Amrita Rao made her debut in the Telugu film industry with Athidhi opposite Mahesh Babu with Mahesh Babu.^[4] Amrita's releases in 2008 include RiyaMy Name Is Anthony Gonsalves with Nikhil Dwivedi and she was playing kamala in Welcome to Sajjanpur with Shreyas Talpade. Amrita's releases in 2009 are Victory, she was playing Nandini and Shortkut. Amrita's only release in 2011 was main role Ritu in Love U...Mr. Kalakaar! with Tusshar Kapoor.^[5] She acted in Hook Yaa Crook, which is still shelved. She will next be in Jolly L.L.B opposite Arshad Warsi, and an untitled movie opposite her first Co-Star Shahid Kapoor, also produced by Ramesh Taurani under the Tips banner.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmfare Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2004: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for Ishq Vishk
• 2005: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Main Hoon Na

Star Screen Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2003: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female for Ab Ke Baras
• 2004: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2007: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Vivah^[6]
• 2007: Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 along with Shahid Kapoor - Vivah^[7]

Zee Cine Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2004: Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut for Ishq Vishk

International Indian Film Academy Awards[link]

Winner

• 2004: IIFA Awards, Best Female Debut for Ishq Vishk

Stardust Awards[link]

Winner

• 2004: Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2009: Stardust Searchlight Best Actress Award for Welcome to Sajjanpur

Other awards won[link]

^{[citation needed]}

• 2004: Sansui Awards, Best Debut - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2007: GR8 Women Awards, Young Achiever
• 2007: Anandalok Puroshkar Awards, Most Promising New Talent for Vivah
• 2007: Sports World Awards, Jodi of the Year along with Shahid Kapoor for Vivah
• 2007: Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for Vivah

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amrita Rao

• Amrita Rao at the Internet Movie Database