Company (Hindi: कम्पनी) is a 2002 Indian film directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Jaideep Sahni, starring Ajay Devgan, Mohanlal, Manisha Koirala, Vivek Oberoi,and Antara Mali. It is a fictional exposé of the Mumbai underworld, loosely based on the Indian mafia organization D-Company, known to be run by Dawood Ibrahim. The film received positive reviews from critics and won six out of the eleven awards it was nominated for at the Filmfare Awards.

Plot[link]

The film highlights the economics behind running an Indian mafia organization. In the opening of the film, Ajay Devgan describes the modus operandi of underworld. He states "Despite anybody telling anything else, in this world everything is done for profit, so is this business. We don't pay taxes, neither do we keep accounts; For this work is done by inducing fear. Anybody can join us anytime, but can never resign. Whoever breaks our law, is broken by us. Here friendship, respect or honesty, the only real reason behind all these is same thing -- Profit". During murder / extortion scenes following, Ajay Devgan adds "profit happens -- like this, like this or like that".

The story revolves around a young man named Chandu (played by Vivek Oberoi) joining the world of crime in the Mumbai underworld to "make it big" someday. Gradually he learns tricks of the trade and increases the gang's earnings and profits. This leads to his affinity with Malik (played by Ajay Devgan) who is the leader of the gang.

The film features one cold blooded murder scene wherein Malik and Chandu kill Saeed and his brother Anis in the rear seat of the car on a chilling rainy day. Thereafter Malik goes on a bloody rampage killing all his opponents, so as to take the reins of underworld in his hands.

They include his rival gang leader and colleague under Aslam's umbrella Sharma, who was in a meeting with police inspector Rathod, also killed off. Inspector Rathod, who once tortured and abused Chandu in jail in early days, was also killed at Malik's permission.

However, both come at loggerheads during the execution of a contract killing. The contract was from a politician who tries to use Malik's gang to eliminate a front-runner, a contender for Home Minister's post.

The rift between Chandu and Malik widens due to various misunderstandings. The Commissioner of Police, Sreenivasan IPS (Mohanlal) makes use of the rift to bring the mafia under control. Chandu and Malik end up becoming bitter enemies. After Chandu's retaliation of the assassination of his life long friend of one of lieutenants Warsi, two factions of Mumbai's once most powerful gang 'Company' went to a full scale war.

Malik and Chandu killed as many members of each opponent gangs as possible. Sreenivasan, as the police chief of the city of murders due to the war, became criticized greatly, but he and his men knew this war ultimately is shortening the to do list of his department. Big number of button men and lieutenants from both gangs were being killed. The war results in an intense chase sequence shot in Kenya where Malik hires hitmen to kill Chandu.

However Chandu survives, though he is injured severely. Sreenivasan convinces Chandu to come back to Mumbai and fight his war with Malik by helping the police bring the mafia under control.

The film reaches its climax when Chandu kills the politician (the mastermind of the contract killing) within the prison. At the same time, one of Chandu's aides named Koda Singh, who swore revenge to kill who went against his friend Chandu, shoots Malik point blank to death in Hong Kong.

This shows, Chandu and Malik came to a truce but Chandu never withdrew his order to Koda to kill Malik. It's not confirmed that whether Chandu has forgotten to withdraw his orders or deliberately kept that on. But, after the assassination Sreenivasan notified Chandu and Chandu became tremendously shocked at this news. So, possibly Chandu forgot to send a come back call to Koda.

Koda Singh was arrested by Hong Kong Police on that day. The film ends, showing Chandu spending the rest of his life in prison after being persuaded by the Police Commissioner to surrender.

Cast[link]

• Ajay Devgan ... Malik
• Mohan Lal ... Srinivasan IPS (Extended Cameo)
• Manisha Koirala ... Saroja
• Vivek Oberoi ... Chandrakant (Chandu)
• Seema Biswas ... Ranibai
• Antara Mali ... Kannu
• Akash Khurana ... Vilas Pandit
• Mukesh Bhatt (Actor) ... Akram Bhai / Akram Ali Ansari
• Madan Joshi ... Aslam bhai
• Bharat Dabholkar ... Home Minister Rahute
• Ganesh Yadav ... Yadav
• Ashraf Ul Haq ... Krishnan
• Akshay Verma ... Kenkare
• Vijay Raaz ... Koda Singh
• Manoj Goyal ... Mental Warsi
• Urmila Matondkar ... Special appearance
• Isha Koppikar ... Special appearance
• Rajpal Yadav ... Joseph
• Shabbir Masani ... David Khan
• Rajendra Sethi ... Saeed
• Pankaj Jha ... Anees
• gopal k singh ... shurtis man

Awards[link]

Filmfare Awards

• Won, Critics' Award for Best Actor - Ajay Devgn
• Won, Critics' Award for Best Actress - Manisha Koirala
• Won, Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Vivek Oberoi
• Won, Best Debut - Vivek Oberoi
• Won, Best Dialogue - Jaideep Sahni
• Won, Best Editing - Chandan Arora
• Won, Best Story - Jaideep Sahni
• Nominated, Best Actor - Ajay Devgan
• Nominated', Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Mohanlal
• Nominated, Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Antara Mali
• Nominated, Best Director - Ram Gopal Varma
• Nominated, Best Film

IIFA Awards

• Won, IIFA Best Supporting Actor Award - Mohan Lal
• Won, Award for Technical Excellence - Best Action - Allan Amin
• Won, Best Editing - Chandan Arora

Bollywood Movie Awards

• Won, Bollywood Movie Award – Best Director - Ram Gopal Varma

Star Screen Awards

• Won, 2002:Best Actor Award - Ajay Devgn
• Won, 2002:Best supporting Actor Award - Mohan Lal
• Won, 2002:Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Male for Vivek Oberoi

Soundtrack[link]

The soundtrack features 8 songs composed by Sandeep Chowta, with lyrics by Nitin Raikwar, Taabish Romani and Jaideep Sahni.

Track listing:

1. "Khallas" (5:03) – Asha Bhosle, Sudesh Bhonsle, Sapna Awasthi
2. "Tumse Kitna" (4:28) – Altaf Raja
3. "Pyar Pyar Mein" (4:51) – Babul Supriyo, Sonali Vajpayee
4. "A Shot of Company" (4:32) – Instrumental
5. "Malik's Soul" (6:19) – Instrumental
6. "Gandha Hai" (3:43) – Sandeep Chowta
7. "Ankhon Mein" (5:13) – Sowmya Raoh
8. "Khallas Remix" (5:11) – Asha Bhonsle, Sudesh Bhonsle

Resemblances with real-life D-Company events[link]

Company is believed to be an almost-true story based on depictions of the D-Company split between Mumbai crime lords Dawood Ibrahim and Chotta Rajan. It's said that the recruitment of Chandu to Aslam Ali's gang by Mallik was almost identical to Chotta Rajan's introduction to Dawood after Rajan's mentor and boss Bada Rajan died in the early 1980s.

Company shows that Mallik's aide Yadav is interviewed by a journalist of Indian news channel Aaj Tak after their assassination attempt on Chandu in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme of this interview is an identical depiction of a real-life interview that Dawood Ibrahim's aide Chotta Shakeel gave to Indian journalist Sheela Bhatt, after an assassination attempt on Chotta Rajan in Bangkok in 2000.^[1]

Company shows how the Hindi film industry went into trouble after violent split between Chandu and Mallik. Another interview of Chotta Shakeel which was given to the Times of India describes the intense circumstance inside the Mumbai film industry due to gang disputes. It appears that depiction of a dispute in Company — where fictional film star Naved Khan falls between Mallik's and Chandu's disputing gangs and becomes immensely confused — is a reference to a notable interview when Chotta Shakeel almost leaves a clarification of underworld's finance in Indian film industry.^[2]

The role of Vilas Pandit, the closest aide of Malik who appeared to be the consigliere of Malik's gang, is believed to be a depiction of real-life D-Company aide, counselor and Dawood Ibrahim's confidant Sharad Shetty. After the split between Dawood and Rajan, Shetty was one of very few Hindus left in the mainstream D-Company. Here it can be stated that the fate of Shetty was correctly perceived in Company. Company showed Vilas Pandit was shot to death by Chandu in Hong Kong when Pandit went to Chandu's place for an unprecedented meeting; Chandu misinterpreted his appearance as an attempted hit. Real-life D-Company counselor Sharad Shetty, too, was killed outside a Dubai nightclub, by a hit carried out by Chotta Rajan. Ironically this real-life hit was carried out eight months after the release of Company which depicted a similar incident in the adopted storyline.

Influence[link]

D (2005), directed by Vishram Sawant and produced by Ram Gopal Varma, is a prequel to Company. Like its predecessor, D is based on the real-life Mumbai underworld organization, the D-Company. The three Varma films Satya, Company and D are together considered an "Indian Gangster Trilogy".^[3]

References[link]

1. ^ "Chotta Shakeel interviewed by Sheela Bhatt about assassination attempt on Chotta Rajan". http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/sep/15rajan.htm. 
2. ^ "Chotta Shakeel interviewed tells Times of India "They only understands force, so let it be."". http://www.hvk.org/articles/0101/2.html. 
3. ^ Charlie (2005-08-24). "D: Final film in Indian Gangster Trilogy a Must See". Cinema Strikes Back. http://www.cinemastrikesback.com/index.php?p=562. Retrieved 2009-02-22. 

External links[link]

• Company at the Internet Movie Database
• Company Movie Portal

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Ajay Devgan
Born	Vishal Devgan[1] (1969-04-02) 2 April 1969 (age 43) New Delhi, India
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Ajay Devgan[2]
Occupation	Film actor, Director, Producer
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Kajol (m.1999–present; 2 children)
Website
ajaydevgn.com

Ajay Devgan (Hindi: अजय देवगन), born Vishal Devgan on 2 April 1969,^[1] is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.^[1] He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film.^[3][4] He then starred in films such as Jigar (1992), Dilwale (1994), Suhaag (1994), Naajayaz (1995), Diljale (1996) and Ishq (1997). In 1999, Devgan received his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Mahesh Bhatt's drama Zakhm. Some of his later films of the decade are Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Kachche Dhaage.

In the early 2000s, he starred in Lajja (2001) and Company (2002). In 2003, he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bhagat Singh in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Throughout his career he has given many critically and commercially successful films including Raincoat (2004), Yuva (2004), Omkara (2006), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Golmaal Returns (2008), All the Best: Fun Begins (2009), Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Golmaal 3 (2010), Raajneeti (2010), and Singham (2011). Having done so, he has established himself as one of the leading actors of Bollywood. In 2008, he debuted as a film director with his starrer U Me Aur Hum which proved to be an moderate success at the box office. He then established the production house, Ajay Devgn Films.

Biography[link]

Devgan was born in Mumbai to Veena and Veeru Devgan.Originally from Amritsar, Punjab ^[5] members of the Devgan family are all related to the Hindi Film industry in Bombay. His father, Veeru Devgan, is a well-known stunt choreographer, and his mother Veena Devgan, a film producer. Devgan's brother, Anil, is a Hindi film director. Ajay Devgan is an alumnus of the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and Mithibai College. On 24 February 1999, he married Hindi film actress Kajol. The couple have two children. Their daughter Nysa was born on the 20th of April 2003 and their son Yug was born on the 13th of September 2010.^[6] In August 2009, Devgan changed his last name to Devgn on the request of his family.^[7][8] He became the first Bollywood personality to acquire a private jet for transport to shooting locations, promotions and personal trips.^[9]

Career[link]

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (July 2011)

1990s[link]

Ajay Devgan made his debute as an actor in Phool Aur Kaante in 1991. The film grossed 11,000,000 Indian rupees () and earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Male Newcomer. In 1992, he starred in Jigar alongside Karisma Kapoor, which grossed 7,00,00,000.^[10] In 1993, he worked with director Deepak Bahry in the action film Ek Hi Raasta,^[11] and with Deepak Pawar in Platform. In 1994, Devgn worked in Harry Baweja's Dilwale, Suhaag and Vijaypath.^[12] In 1995, he appeared in Mahesh Bhatt's Naajayaz, for which he was nominated as a Best Actor by Filmfare.^[13] In 1996, he continued with Diljale".^[14] and romantic comedies, such as Ishq in 1997.^[15] In 1998, he starred in Major Saab, Pyaar To Hona Hi Thaand Mahesh Bhatt's Zakhm. Zakhm won Devgn several awards for his performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Star Screen Award for Best Actor^{[citation needed][16]} Devgn's 1999 work included Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam as well as Hindustan Ki Kasam and Kachche Dhaage.^[17]

2000s[link]

In 2000, he worked in Harry Baweja's Deewane. In this film, he essayed a double role, one as a thief and the other as a police officer. The film flopped at the box office.^[18] The same year, Devgn starred in his first home production Raju Chacha opposite wife Kajol. The film also bombed at the box office.^[18]

In 2001, he starred in Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. This film was an average grosser at the box office.^[19] His next release Lajja, alongside Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor, earned him a nomination for the "Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award". The film did not perform as expected at the box office.^[19] He then worked in Mahesh Manjrekar's Tera Mera Saath Rahen.

In 2002, he featured in Ram Gopal Varma's fictional expose of Mumbai underworld Company. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. The film fared well at the box office.^{[clarification needed][20]} His next release was Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai.^[20]

The same year, he also starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh.^[21] in the title role. The film didn't fare well at the box office.^{[clarification needed][20]} However, he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance. He then starred in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's English language novel Primal Fear and earned Devgn several awards for his negative role including, "Filmfare Best Villain Award", "Star Screen Award for Best Villain" and "Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role". This film was a success at the box office.^[20]

In 2003, he starred in Ram Gopal Verma's Bhoot opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically & performed very well at the box office.^[22] He then starred in action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat opposite debutante Neha Dhupia which was huge commercial success.^[22] He then worked in Milan Luthria's romantic film Chori Chori opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office.^[22]

In that same year he featured in Prakash Jha's Gangaajal, for which he was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut Zameen^[23] and J. P. Dutta's war film LOC Kargil.

In 2004 he was cast alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee. Later that year he appeared in director Indra Kumar's Masti: Sanam Teri Kasamand also starred in the critically acclaimed movies Yuva^[24][25][26] and Rituparno Ghosh's Raincoat.^[27]. He was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car.

2005 was less successful for him as he starred in a series of flop movies like Insan, Blackmail, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Tango Charlie and Shikhar whilst Kaal and Apaharan succeeded at the Box Office. For his performance in Apaharan Devgn was nominated for the National Film Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Best Actor Award. His villanous performance in Kaal also earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Best Villain Award^[28]

2006 was a remarkable year in his career as he starred Golmaal and Omkara, which were to both prove enormously significant in his decade long career. Omkara, were Devgn was cast in the title role, was both a critical and commercial success^[29][30][31] and Golmaal proved to be a sleeper hit. The latter film was soon to be followed by two super hit sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3. In the same year he also featured in a short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 named The Awakening.^[32]

2007 was again disappointing for him as he starred only in 2 movies, directorAnubhav Sinha's action thriller Cash and Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag which was a remake of the 1975 classic] Sholay. Both films received extremely poor reception both at the box office and from critics,^[33] and is currently placed at number 14 on the bottom 100 movies on Imdb.

In 2008 he worked with Rajkumar Santoshi and was cast with Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan in Halla Bol.^[34] He then starred in director Rohit Shetty's third film Sunday, before directing his first movie with wife Kajol and himself in lead roles. The film, titled U, Me aur Hum, was an average success.^[34] He also had a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film Haal–e–dil. He starred with long-time friend Sanjay Dutt and actress Manisha Koirala in Afzal Khan's Mehbooba. He then re-teamed with Rohit Shetty for the sequel of his hit film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, Golmaal Returns which was a blockbuster hit.^[34]

In 2009 he produced his third film All the Best also directed by Rohit Shetty. The film did good business and was a semi-hit.^[35] Later in the year he starred in Vipul Shah's London Dreams with Salman Khan and Tamil film star Asin. The film was declared a flop.^[35]

2010s[link]

In the beginning of 2010 he worked with actors Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley in Leena Yadav's Teen Patti. He also starred in the comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? alongside Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma which was a success. He followed this with Prakash Jha's Raajneeti and Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbai. Both movies were among the top grossers of 2010.^[36] He was then seen alongside Akshaye Khanna in Priyadarshan's rough adaptation of Mississippi Burning, Aakrosh. Devgn teamed up with Rohit Shetty for the fifth time withGolmaal 3. The movie was a super hit and the fourth highest grossing movie in Bollywood history. Devgn later lent his voice to the animated film Toonpur Ka Super Hero.

In 2011 he teamed up with Emraan Hashmi for Madhur Bhandarkar's comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji which also starred Omi Vaidya. The film was a moderate success. He was a narrator in Yamla Pagla Deewana and also did a cameo role in the 2011 Salman Khan-starrer Ready. Devgn's next film, Singham, proved to be a milestone for him. The film grossed 100 crores net in India, making it the 7th film to do so, and was a blockbuster worldwide. ^[37]

Awards and honours[link]

Among other awards and nominations, Devgan has won two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards.

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Producer[link]

Director[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ajay Devgn at the Internet Movie Database
• Ajay Devgn's Official Site

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ajay Devgan

Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala
Born	Manisha B. Koirala (1970-08-16) August 16, 1970 (age 41) Kathmandu, Nepal
Other names	Manisha Koirala Dahal
Occupation	Film actress
Years active	1989–present
Spouse	Samrat Dahal (2010–present)
Website
http://www.manishakoirala.net.in/

Manisha B. Koirala (born August 16, 1970) is a Nepali-Indian^[1][2] actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well. She is also an accomplished Bharatnatyam and Manipuri dancer. Making her acting debut in the Nepali film Pheri Bhetaula (1989), Koirala made her Bollywood debut with the top-grossing drama Saudagar (1991). She went on to establish herself as one of the leading actresses with such mainstream films as 1942: A Love Story (1994), Agni Sakshi (1996) and Gupt (1997).^[3]

Recognised for her acting prowess, Koirala was noted for her performances in films like Bombay (1995), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), Dil Se.. (1998) and Company (2002). She has won the Filmfare Critics' Award thrice and has received four nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress so far. Although box-office collections of her films have varied considerably, critics have noted that her niche as an actor remains unharmed irrespective of her commercial potent.^[3][4] Off-screen she is frequented in the media as being a "controversy’s child" with her bohemian stance and candid comments often described as "outspoken" and "bold".^[5][6][7]

Early life and background[link]

Main article: Koirala family

Manisha Koirala was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, into the politically prominent Koirala family to Prakash Koirala and Sushma Koirala. Her grandfather Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala was the Prime Minister of Nepal during the late 1950s-early 1960s, as well as two of her late great-uncles, Girija Prasad Koirala and Matrika Prasad Koirala. She studied at Vasant Kanya Mahavidhyalaya (VKM), Varanasi until Class X. She stayed with her grandmother in Varanasi during her studies. After passing tenth standard she shifted to the Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi (APS).^[8] Her ambition was to be a doctor, but a modelling stint opened a career path into Bollywood.^[9]

Her brother Siddharth Koirala is also an actor, and collaborated with her once in the film Anwar.^[10]

In 2004, she returned from New York after receiving a diploma in filmmaking. She became a member of an independent documentary filmmaker's society.^[11]

Career[link]

1980s[link]

Her first film was Pheri Bhetaula (We Shall Meet Again), a Nepali movie released in early 1989.

1990s[link]

Her first Hindi movie was Subhash Ghai's Saudagar in 1991. The film proved to be a good beginning, as it was the biggest hit of the year.

She starred in a number of unsuccessful films during 1992-1993 until Vidhu Vinod Chopra's love saga 1942: A Love Story (1994) and Mani Ratnam's Tamil drama Bombay (1995) came out.^[12][13] Her performance in the latter was particularly appreciated and won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. She was also seen in more commercial films, such as Mansoor Khan's romantic musical Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995) opposite Aamir Khan. Her role of Kiran, an ignored wife who leaves her husband and child in order to fulfill her singing talent and subsequently becomes a popular star, earned her a Filmfare nomination for Best Actress.

Koirala had a particularly successful year in 1996. She received positive reviews for her performance in the drama Agni Sakshi,^[14] where she played the role of a battered wife on the run from her mentally ill husband, played by Nana Patekar. The film became one of the biggest hits of that year at the Indian box office.^[15] Later that year, she acted in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut, Khamoshi: The Musical. The film saw her playing the role of Annie, a caring daughter to deaf parents. Her performance was highly acclaimed,^[16] and won her a second consecutive Filmfare Best Performance Award, as well as a Star Screen Award for Best Actress. One critic from Channel 4 wrote, "Koirala... demonstrates the full range of her acting ability, rather than playing against it as she has had to do in more traditional films. The scene where she shouts at her father through the door, screaming and using sign language even though she knows he can neither see nor hear her, is extremely powerful."^[17] Filmfare magazine later included her performance in the film on its "80 Iconic Performances" list.^[18]

One year later in 1997, she played the leading role alongside Kajol and Bobby Deol in the thriller Gupt: The Hidden Truth. The film became one of the biggest hits of the year.^[19] She went on to collaborate once again with Mani Ratnam, and starred in his award-winning film Dil Se.. (1998) opposite Shahrukh Khan. Her role received similarly good reviews, and earned her several award nominations including the Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. Despite performing poorly at the box office in India, the film proved to be a hit overseas.^[20]

Success followed for Koirala, and she went on to act in several critically and commercially successful projects. In 1999, she starred in the moderately successful Kachche Dhaage (1999), which was followed by six more releases, the most notable of them being Indra Kumar's drama Mann. She played the role of a traffic accident victim in the film, which entered into the top five highest grossing films of the year.^[21] Her performance in the film won her favorable reviews. Film critic M. Ali Ikram wrote about her performance, "If there is respite for Manisha's innumerable fans of late, this flick is it. We may not care about hits and flops, but it is painful to watch this acting virtuoso in the innumerable side roles she has been seen in of late. Indra Kumar's decision to cast Manisha here, is a case of perfect casting, and she never lets him or the audience down. This lady is truly the Meena Kumari of her generation. It is great fun watching Manisha and Aamir Khan's perfect chemistry opposite one another. The film's climax has both stars permanently molding a spot for themselves in Bollywood history, and it will have you shedding tears by the bucketful."^[22]

2000s[link]

A portrait of Koirala by Atula Siriwardane

In 2000 she hosted the TV show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka on Zee TV alongside Anupam Kher. In 2001, she starred in the drama Grahan opposite Jackie Shroff. Her portrayal of a rape victim in the film who quests for justice was appreciated, but the film, which was a much-delayed project, was a major commercial failure. She next played the main protagonist in Rajkumar Santoshi's drama Lajja along with an ensemble cast that included Rekha, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. The film received a positive reception from critics, and so did Koirala's performance.

In 2002, she starred opposite Ajay Devgan in Ram Gopal Verma's Company. The film was a critical success, as was Koirala's performance in it, and she won her third Filmfare Critics' Best Actress Award. In that same year, she appeared in Ek Chotisi Love Story. The film was released amidst controversy as she accused the director of the film, Shashilal Nair of using her body double to shoot some love scenes in the film and portraying her in bad light by shooting positions using another actress in her place, without her approval to do so. Koirala demanded that Nair re-shoot these scenes because the double's body did not match her physique and required that these scenes be deleted from the film. She later claimed that Nair had stipulated that he would re-shoot the scenes only if she agreed to bear half of the expenses. She said, "I always believed in Shashi. I did this film out of sheer goodwill. I had nothing to gain from it financially as I did the film for free. I also gave him all the dates immediately. It was his first chance to direct a film in four years. He has a family to support and I couldn't bear to see a friend in hardship." Koirala decided to sue Nair and moved the court against him, objecting to the alleged nudity and obscene postures, and pleaded that these scenes be deleted from the film, saying she had not performed in these scenes and that Nair had made use of another actress for them.^[23] Finally, the court decided to stay the release of the film.^[24]

After years of success, in 2003 she was seen in several low budget films, yet not less challenging roles. She ventured into strong woman-oriented films in 2003, such as Escape From Taliban which won her the BFJA Award for Best Actress. She then played the main protagonist in Market (2003), a film portraying the whole life story of a young prostitute. The film was a decent success at the box office.^[25]

After receiving a diploma in filmmaking, she produced the small-budget caper-comedy Paisa Vasool (2004) in which she starred along with Sushmita Sen; this was probably the first ever chick-flick in Indian cinema in that it did not have a male lead nor a love story.

Overall, Koirala starred as the leading role in 6 high-budget, successful Tamil movies: Bombay (1994) co-starring Arvind Swamy, Indian (1996) co-starring Kamal Hassan, Mudhalvan (1999) co-starring Arjun, Aalavandhan (2001) co-starring Kamal Hassan, Baba (2002) co-starring Rajnikanth and Mumbai Express (2005) co-starring Kamal Hassan.

Since then, she has played supporting and leading roles in various unsuccessful films, some of which being well received by critics, such as the historical epic drama Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005), the thriller Tum - A Dangerous Obsession (2005), and the horror film Anjaane - The Unknown (2006).

In Anwar, she played a supporting role along with her brother Siddharth Koirala, her only release in 2007.

In 2008, she made her comeback to films, with her first leading role since Mumbai Express (2005), in Tulsi, opposite Irrfan Khan. Although pre-release her comeback was described by the media as "shocking", and the film suffered from poor marketing,^[26] her performance as Tulsi, a young homemaker diagnosed with blood cancer, was well received. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM wrote, "Manisha Koirala sinks her teeth in this role and delivers a fine performance."^[27] She next starred in Sirf (2008), a movie about four couples from different strata of life, which portrays the lifestyle of people in metro. The film, which was released without any notice or publicity, was a major critical failure and faced a low box-office opening, with most shows being cancelled out due to its poor critical response.^[28] Her first Bengali film Khela directed by Rituparno Ghosh also released the same year along with long delayed Hindi film Mehbooba, both films released on the same day.^[29]

In December 2009, she served as the Jury member in the fifth edition of Dubai International Film Festival.^[30]

2010s[link]

In 2010, she made her foray into Malayalam cinema with Shyamaprasad's Elektra, a psycho-sensual drama based on Sophocles's ancient Greek tragic play Electra. She plays the main antagonist in the film which revolves around the concept of Electra Complex that is a daughter's psychosexual competition with her mother for her father's affection.^[31] The film premiered at the International Film Festival of India, where it was well received.^[32] Later that year, she acted in Partho Ghosh's Ek Second... Jo Zindagi Badal De?. She also acted in her native Nepali-language film Dharmaa after a gap of 22 years since her first film.^[33]

In 2011 Koirala appeared in Mappillai, her first Tamil movie in 5 years. A remake of the 1989 film of the same name, the film saw her reprising the role originally played by the late Srividya. She was next seen in director Onir's critically acclaimed anthology film I Am, sharing the screen with Juhi Chawla; noted film critic Taran Adarsh commented, "It's a delight to watch Juhi and Manisha, after a hiatus. Both deliver striking performances - even getting the language right."^[34][35][36] Her forthcoming releases include Deepti Naval's directorial debut titled, Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Char Aane Ki Barish and Rohit Kaushik's Badalte Chehere.

In recent development she is re-teaming with director Ram Gopal Verma for his upcoming 3D horror film BHHOOoo.! which is a sequel to 2003 hit Bhoot.^[37]

Personal life[link]

On June 19, 2010, Koirala married Samrat Dahal in a traditional ceremony held in Kathmandu.^[38] The couple spent their honeymoon in Finland.^[39] They met through the online social networking website, Facebook. She was reportedly engaged in 2001 to Crispin Conroy, the former Australian ambassador to Nepal, but they broke up later. There were also reports of her dating American speaker and author, Christopher Dorris, but that relationship also ended.^[38]

Social work[link]

In September 1999, Koirala was appointed as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.^[9] She is actively involved in social work, specifically working with organizations to promote women’s rights, prevention of violence against women, and also to prevent the human trafficking of Nepali girls for prostitution.^[9]

Awards[link]

Won

• 1996, Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil, Bombay
• 1996, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, Bombay
• 1997, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, Khamoshi: The Musical
• 1997, Star Screen Award Best Actress, Khamoshi: The Musical
• 2003, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, Company
• 2004, Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, Best Actress, Escape From Taliban
• 2006, Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Honoured by the King of Nepal for achievement in the Indian Film Industry^[40]

Nominated

• 1995, Filmfare Best Actress Award, 1942: A Love Story
• 1996, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Akele Hum Akele Tum
• 1997, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Khamoshi: The Musical
• 1999, Filmfare Best Actress Award, Dil Se..

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actresses
• Koirala family

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Manisha Koirala

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manisha Koirala

• Manisha Koirala at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website of Manisha Koirala

It has been suggested that List of awards and nominations received by Vivek Oberoi be merged into this article or section. ([[Talk:<Vivek Oberoi>#Merger proposal|Discuss]]) Proposed since April 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. (October 2010)

Vivek Oberoi
Vivek Oberoi at Sailor Today Awards
Born	Vivek Anand Oberoi (1976-09-03) 3 September 1976 (age 35) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Occupation	Film actor
Years active	2002–present
Spouse	Priyanka Alva Oberoi
Website
http://vivek-oberoi.com

Vivek Oberoi^[1] (born 3 September 1976) is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Suresh Oberoi and Yashodhara Oberoi.

Early life[link]

Born to a Punjabi father and a Tamil mother,^[2] Vivek attended Mayo college in Ajmer.^[3] At an actors' workshop in London he was spotted by the director of New York University who took Vivek off to New York, where he completed his Masters Degree in film acting.^[4] Vivek also worked as a script writer in India.^[5]

Career[link]

Vivek Oberoi made his debut with Ram Gopal Varma's film Company.^[6] He received Filmfare Awards for Best Debut as well as Best Supporting Actor. He then starred in the action films, Road and Dum. In Dum, he played the role of a man trying to become a part of Indian police but faces many troubles with a police inspector.

Next, he starred in Saathiya (2002) directed by Shaad Ali. The film was a big hit at the box office and earned him a Filmfare nomination in the Best Actor category. He starred in a comedy Masti (2004). In 2004, he also starred in Yuva . In 2005 he acted the title character in the film Kisna: The Warrior Poet.

In 2006, he appeared in Omkara, an adaptation of Shakespeare's play Othello.^[7] He played the character of Kesu, based on the character Michael Cassio in the original play. After seeing Oberoi's performance, Gulzar congratulated him.^[8]

In 2007, he acted as the gangster Maya Dolas in the multi-starrer, Shootout at Lokhandwala,

In 2008, Oberoi starred in Mission Istanbul, which was directed by Apoorva Lakhia and produced by Ekta Kapoor. He performed to the song Apun Ke Saath, produced for the film by Vikas Kohli, at the 2008 International Indian Film Academy Awards.^[9]

In 2009 he co-starred in Kurbaan

In 2010, he appeared in Prince, which received a good response from the crowd.^[10][11] In the same year, he appeared in Ram Gopal Varma's Rakht Charitra.^[12] Here he played the role of a south India politician Paritala Ravi.

Oberoi is slated to play the lead role in the film, Bloody Paki, that will be directed by Shaad Ali and Shiva and produced by Mani Ratnam.^[13] Vivek Oberoi signed a new film 'Kismat Love Paisa Dilli'.^[14] Vivek produced a film named "Watch Indian Circus" in 2011.^[15] The film got featured in 16th Busan Film festival which had thousands of people as the audience, in the age group of 16–40 years who voted the Film as the Best and made it win the Audience Choice Award for Best Film from 3000 films worldwide and amongst 380 films screened.In 16 years of the History of Busan, this is the First Indian Film to win this acclaimed and prestigious award. The Film has already received rave reviews from International Critics and reporters from Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Screen International.^[16]

Philanthropy[link]

Vivek Oberoi was awarded the Red and White Bravery Award in 2006 for helping re-build a village which was hit severely by the Tsunami. Oberoi, at the age of 28, was in Chennai when disaster struck and assembled six truckloads of relief supplies and also adopted a tsunami-ravaged village in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.^[17] Oberoi and his family founded The Yashodhara Oberoi Foundation (YOF). Oberoi serves as the World Health Organization's anti-tobacco spokesperson. He is involved with several charities in Chennai and Mumbai. His work with Project Hope to bring relief to victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami earned him a Good Samaritan Award from Rotary International.^[18]

His philanthropic activities also include Project Devi, Cancer Patients Aid Association and Banyan, which works towards rehabilitating mentally challenged homeless women. In all, Vivek has donated about Rs 3 million (Rs 30 lakh) and helped raise Rs 25 million (Rs 250 lakh).^[19]

Personal life[link]

Vivek Oberoi previously got engaged to Gurpreet Gill in 2002. However, the couple broke up after sometime.^[20] He was also linked to Aishwarya Rai for some time, before they broke up. On 29 October 2010, Oberoi married Priyanka Alva, daughter of Karnataka minister Jeevaraj Alva, in Bangalore.^[21]

Awards[link]

Filmfare Awards

Winner

• 2010 - IIFA Green Global Award^[22]

Filmography[link]

Dubbing career[link]

In 2010, Vivek Oberoi has spoke over his own roles in Tamil for the Prince and Rakta Charitra films.

Dubbing Roles[link]

Live action films[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Vivek Oberoi at the Internet Movie Database
• Vivek Oberoi's official site

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