Lamhaa (Hindi: लम्हा, translation: Moment) is a Bollywood action thriller film written and directed by Rahul Dholakia, released on 16 July 2010. Set in Kashmir, the film is a story about an army officer, played by Sanjay Dutt, and his love interest, played by Bipasha Basu, in the midst of the various issues that Kashmir had faced over the years. It also features Anupam Kher and Kunal Kapoor in supporting roles.

Cast[link]

• Sanjay Dutt as Vikram
• Bipasha Basu as Aziza
• Kunal Kapoor as Aatif
• Shernaz Patel as Parveena
• Aman Verma
• Yashpal Sharma as Rauf
• Vishwajeet Pradhan as Daljeet
• Vipin Sharma as Colonel Kapoor
• Yuri Suri as Pasha
• Anupam Kher as Haji
• Asif Basra
• Rajesh Khera as Parvez
• Murli Sharma as Dhruv Raina
• Jyoti Dogra as Badi Bi
• Denzil Smith as Brigadier Sharma
• Ehsaan Khan as S P Khan
• Mahesh Manjrekar as Peer Baba
• Harry Josh
• Vineet Sharma

Production[link]

Casting[link]

Karisma Kapoor was finalized to play the female lead in the film, but she opted out at the last minute because she feared shooting in the troubled Kashmir valley where a significant part of the film was going to be shot. Bipasha Basu, Ameesha Patel and Sonam Kapoor were considered for the same role, but Basu was eventually finalized to play the female lead.^[2]

Filming and post-production[link]

Filming began in Kashmir on October 25, 2008.^[3] During November 2008, Bipasha Basu left the shooting of the film hours before Sanjay Dutt landed in Srinagar to start shooting with her but she left without informing the unit.^[4] They then decided to shoot the action sequences in Manali instead.^[5] After Basu's abrupt departure, producer Bunty Walia and director Rahul Dholakia asked Basu to arrive on the set on January 4, 2009 and that they would cast Vidya Balan as a replacement in case she does not comply.^[6] Basu then arrived on the specified date after security arrangements were tightened and explained that she got scared in Kashmir after the crowd gathering became uncontrollable.^[7][8] During May 2009, Rahul Dholakia collapsed on the sets and shooting was delayed up to 25 May after doctors advised Dholakia bed rest for one month.^[9]

Critical reception[link]

The film received mixed reviews from critics. On the review-aggregation website, ReviewGang, the film scored 5.5/10 based on 9 reviews.^[10] Sukanya Verma of Rediff rated it 3/5 and said, "Utimately, Lamhaa's relevance lies in its ability to give you an overview, even if it's a crammed one, about the ugliness of greed and intolerance through the example of Kashmir".^[11] Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL rated it 3.5/5 and stated, "Very truly it does delve right into the primary problem. But this time, unlike most other movies made on the same subject, it does not stay on a superficial level."^[12] Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India rated it 3.5/5 saying, "Lamhaa is a no-holds-barred look at the multi-layered turmoil in Kashmir, with so many real-life references that you end up with just one conclusion: now here's a real film about a real problem".^[13] Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times rated it 2/5 and said, "It's not easy to make sense of Kashmir. It's harder still then to make sense of this film".^[14]

Soundtrack[link]

The music of the film is given by Mithoon with lyrics by Sayeed Quadri and Amitabh Varma.^[15]

Track listing[link]

Controversy[link]

Lamhaa was banned in GCC countries i.e. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Oman. UAE National Media Council Censorship Board felt that the content of the movie is highly objectionable and controversial.^[16]

Earlier, the film's screening was cancelled in Kashmir^[17] amid the tense atmosphere.^[18] The producer didn't want to be insensitive to the sentiments of the Kashmiri people. The producer, Walia commented, "There are no scenes that they want me to remove from the film. They have outrightly refused to screen Lamhaa. [...] This news has really dampened my spirits. The Middle East is a huge market for Bollywood movies these days and we could suffer a huge setback because of this ban. There is definitely a lot of money at stake that could have been recovered from that region, but more than that I am sad that the audience there can't see a film like 'Lamhaa'".^[19] The Indian censor board passed the movie with an A certificate after two edits were made.^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Lamhaa at the Internet Movie Database

Sanjay Dutt
Born	Sanjay Balraj Dutt (1959-07-29) 29 July 1959 (age 52) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Film actor, film producer, comedian, politician, television presenter
Years active	1972, 1981–present
Spouse	Richa Sharma (1987–1996) (deceased) Rhea Pillai (1995–2005) (divorced)[1] Manyata Dutt (2008–present)[2]
Children	Trishala, Shahraan, Iqra
Parents	Sunil Dutt Nargis Dutt

Sanjay Dutt (born 29 July 1959) is a prominent Indian Hindi film star, producer and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981. He has since featured in films that are amongst some of the most popular Hindi language films of the past three decades.

Personal life[link]

Dutt was born on 29 July 1959 to Bollywood megastars Sunil Dutt and Nargis and was educated at The Lawrence School, Sanawar.^[3] Dutt married the actress Richa Sharma in 1987.^[4] Sharma died of brain tumour. The couple have a daughter, Trishala, born in 1987, who lives in the United States with her grandparents, following a custody battle with Dutt after the death of his wife.^[5] Dutt's second marriage was to model Rhea Pillai in 1998.^[6] They divorced in 2005. Dutt married Manyata (also known as Dilnawaz Sheikh)^[7] in 2008 at a private ceremony in Goa, after two years of dating.^[8] On 21 October 2010, he became a father to twins, a boy named Shahraan and a girl named Iqra.^[9] He is well known for several altercations with the law, along with many other controversies throughout his life, as well as drug addiction in his early years.^{[citation needed]} He spent 5 months in prison in late 1982 after being caught in possession of illegal substances, upon his release he spent 2 years in the United States, the majority of which was spent in a Texan rehab clinic before returning to India and resuming his career.

Film career[link]

As a child actor, Dutt appeared in the 1972 film Reshma Aur Shera, which starred his father; he appears briefly as a qawali singer. Dutt made his Bollywood movie debut with Rocky in 1981. His mother passed away three days before the film's premiere. He went on to star in Vidhaata, the highest grossing Hindi film of 1982. In 1985 he shot for his first film in three years with Jaan ki baazi over the rest of the 1980s, Dutt appeared in successful films such as Main Awara Hoon (1983), Jeeva (1986), Mera Haque (1986), Immandaar, Inaam Dus Hazaar (1987), Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1987), Ilaaka (1989), Hum Bhi Insaan Hain (1989), Mardon Wali Baat (1988), Kanoon Apna Apna (1989), and Taaqatwar (1989).

The 1986 film Naam was Dutt's first major critical success, earning praise for his sensitive portrayal of lead character Vicky Kapoor. He also received critical acclaim for his performances in Mahesh Bhatt's Kabzaa and J. P. Dutta's 1989 Hathyar.^{[citation needed]} His successes continued in the early 1990s, with films that include Tejaa, Thanedaar, Khoon Ka Karz, Gumrah, Sahibaan and Aatish. He went on to star in some of the most era-defining Indian films of the 1990s such as Sadak, Saajan (for which he was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award) and Khal Nayak, for which he earned his second Filmfare Best Actor Award nomination. Three weeks before its release, however, in April 1993, he was arrested, charged with involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Dutt was imprisoned for most of the next four years, while films he had worked in continued to appear from time to time. Finally released on bail in late 1997, he returned to the screen in director Ram Gopal Verma's now cult film Daud, but despite the movie taking in a phenomenal opening the film crashed and was labelled a flop by critics. He then played a supporting role in the 1998 hit Dushman.

1999 was seen as Sanjay's comback year as he started the year off by starring in the Mahesh Bhatt directed hit Kartoos along with Khoobsurat, Daag: The Fire, Haseena Maan Jayegi and, most importantly, the Award winning Vaastav: The Reality, for which he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. His supporting role in 2000's Mission Kashmir won him critical acclaim and a number of awards and nominations, as did his subsequent performance in Kurukshetra. As the decade went on, he continued to play important roles in popular and critical successes such as Jodi No.1 (2001), Pitaah, Kaante (2002) and the National Award-winning blockbuster Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., which also garnered him several awards. Later successes came with Musafir (2004), Plan (2004), Parineeta (2005) and Dus.

The blockbuster sequel Lage Raho Munna Bhai released in late 2006, coinciding with the start of the Mumbai bombing's trial where the nation became transfixed with Dutt's court ongoings which saw him found not guilty of terrorism related acts but jailed on two occasions between 2006-2007 for short periods, as he was found guilty under the possesion of arms act despite this he continued appearing in successes like, Dhamaal (2007), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), and All The Best: Fun Begins (2009), Double Dhamaal (2011) and more recently Agneepath which earned him major critical acclaim once again.

In 2006 news channel NDTV named him Indian of the Year.In 2007 he received an award from the prime minister Manmohan Singh for his work in the Munna bhai series.^{[citation needed]}. In January 2008,Indian film institute Filmfare listed 14 movies featuring Dutt in its top 100 grossing movies of all time list.

Illegal possession of arms[link]

Due to terrorist interactions, and supposed weapons possession, on 19 April 1993, Sanjay was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA).^[10] He spent 16 months in jail until he was granted bail in October 1995 by the Supreme Court of India. He was later re-arrested in December 1995 and re-released in April 1997 once again on police bail terms. In 2006 the case opened for sentencing for all accused (see below). The period between 2006-2007 saw Dutt spend 7 months in Arthur Road Prison and Pune prison on three occasions for arms offences, although in 2006 Dutt was finally acquitted of any TADA-related offenses but was charged under the illegal possession of arms act.

In November 1993, a 90,000-page long primary chargesheet was filed against the 189 accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case including Sanjay.^[11]

In March 2006, when framing muthar charges against extradited Abu Salem and co-accused Riyaz Siddiqui in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, the prosecution said that Salem delivered 9 AK-56 rifles and some hand grenades to Dutt at his Bandra house in the second week of January 1993.^[12]

On 13 February 2007, the special branch of Mumbai police arrested Abdul Qayyum Abdul Karim Shaikh, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim and wanted by Mumbai Police Special Task Force for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts from Mumbai.^[13] Qayuum had been named by Sanjay Dutt in his confessional statement. Sanjay had said that he met Qayuum in Dubai in September 1992 and bought a pistol from him. According to CBI, the pistol was sold to Sanjay at the instance of Dawood's brother Anees Ibrahim.^[14]

On 31 July 2007, Dutt was sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment for illegally possessing weapons.^[15] At the same time, Dutt was also "cleared of terrorism conspiracy charges in the blasts" related to the 1993 bombings.^[15] According to The Guardian, "The actor claimed he feared for his life after the notorious "Black Friday" bombings, which were allegedly staged by Mumbai's Muslim-dominated mafia in retaliation for deadly Hindu-Muslim clashes a few months earlier. But the judge, Pramod Kode, rejected this defence and also refused bail."^[15] Dutt was immediately taken into custody and sent to Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail. As the sentence was pronounced, Dutt was "visibly shocked and was seen shivering and holding back tears".^[10]

On 2 August 2007, Sanjay Dutt was moved from Arthur Road jail in Mumbai to the Yerwada Central Jail in Pune.^[16] On 7 August 2007, Dutt appealed the sentence.^[17] On 20 August 2007, the Supreme Court of India granted Dutt interim bail. He was released after Yerwada Central Jail authorities received a copy of the court's bail order. The bail was valid until the time the special TADA court, which sentenced Dutt on 31 July, provides a copy of its judgment to him.^[18] Dutt was released from jail on 23 August.^[19] On 22 October 2007 Dutt was back in jail but again applied for bail. On 27 November 2007, Dutt was granted bail by the Supreme Court.^[20] He currently has an appeal for an acquittal pending.^[21] In January 2009, Dutt announced that he would contest the 2009 Lok Sabha elections on the Samajwadi Party ticket.^[22] However, he withdrew his candidacy in March 2009 after the Supreme Court refused to suspend his conviction, the party instead named him the General Secretary of the party. He left the post in late 2010. ^[23]

International humanitarian initiatives[link]

On 16 December 2008, he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for IIMSAM — the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition. He will be promoting the use of Spirulina to help the organization's advocacy and endeavor against malnutrition and hunger. His role will also support IIMSAM's efforts to secure the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by mainstreaming the use of Spirulina to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and bridge the health divide with a special priority for the developing and the least developed countries.^[24]

Bigg Boss[link]

The veteran actor hosted the fifth season of reality TV show, Bigg Boss on Colors.^[25]

Super Fight League[link]

Dutt and celebrity entrepreneur IPL cricket team owner Raj Kundra together launched India's first professionally organized mixed martial arts league — the Super Fight League — on 16 January 2012.^[26]

Awards and honors[link]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Producer[link]

• Zinda (2006)
• Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007)
• Dus Kahaniyaan (2007)
• Rascals (2011)
• Satte Pe Satta Remake Double role (2012)

Television[link]

• Bigg Boss (season 5)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sanjay Dutt

• Sanjay Dutt at the Internet Movie Database
• Sanjay Dutt to host Bigg Boss 5!

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Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu at the press conference of IIFA Singapore, 2012
Born	(1979-01-07) 7 January 1979 (age 33)[1] New Delhi, Delhi, India
Occupation	Film actress, model
Years active	2001–present
Partner	Dino Morea (1996–2002) John Abraham (2002–2011)
Signature
Website
BipashaBasunet.com

Bipasha Basu (born 7 January 1979)^[1] is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi language films. She has also worked in Telugu, Bengali and Tamil language films. She is a former model who had a successful modeling career before venturing into films.^[2]

She debuted in a negative role in Ajnabee (2001) which earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Her first commercial success was Raaz (2002). She was then noticed for her bold role in the erotic thriller film, Jism (2003).^[3] She starred in top grossing films like 2005's biggest hit – No Entry, Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006) – her biggest commercial success till date and Race (2008). Her performances in Apharan (2005), Corporate (2006), Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and Lamhaa (2010) won her multiple nominations for several awards. She is frequented in the media as a "sex symbol".^[4][5][6]

She has been nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress twice each along with one nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. Roles apart, she is also renowned for her item songs like "Phoonk De" in No Smoking (2007), and "Beedi" and "Namak Ishq Ka" in Omkara (2006).^[7] Basu is slated to make her international film debut with the 2012 Australian film Singularity.

Early life and modeling career[link]

Basu was born in Delhi to a Bengali Hindu family. She is the second of three sisters, the elder one being Bidisha and the younger one, Bijayeta. She lived in Delhi till the age of eight in Pampoosh Enclave, Nehru Place and studied at Apeejay High School.^[8] Her family then moved to Kolkata where she studied science till 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir. Basu, who describes herself as a tomboy, was pampered as a kid and was very naughty. She was fondly called 'Lady Don' in her school as everyone was scared of her and she was short and round.^[9]

Basu moved to the commerce stream after 10th standard, studying at Bhawanipur Education Society College in preparation for the 12th standard board exams. At this time, she began doing ramp shows and modeling part-time.^[10][11] In 1996, she won both the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest and the Ford Models Supermodel of the World contest.^[12][13] Basu was flown to New York by the Ford Company and began her successful modelling career at the age of 17. She then appeared in the Calida commercial along with her then-boyfriend Dino Morea which was controversial for picturising them sultrily. She had some protesters outside her house after that.^[12] She has appeared on over 40 magazine covers.^[13]

Acting career[link]

Debut and Breakthrough (2001–02)[link]

One of the judges of the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel Contest in which Basu participated, Vinod Khanna, wanted to launch her alongside his son Akshaye Khanna in Himalay Putra, but she felt she was too young and declined the role which eventually went to Anjala Zaveri. After returning home, she was convinced by another judge, Jaya Bachchan, to play the role of a village belle opposite her son Abhishek Bachchan in J. P. Dutta’s Aakhari Mughal. However the film was cancelled, and Dutta instead changed the script and made Refugee with Kareena Kapoor.^[14] Basu was also offered a role in Refugee opposite Sunil Shetty, which she declined.^[11][15]

In 2001, Basu finally made her debut opposite Akshay Kumar in Vijay Galani’s Ajnabee. The film, directed by Abbas-Mustan, was inspired by the American film Consenting Adults.^[16] It was a moderate box-office success and attracted unfavorable reviews from critics.^[17] However, Basu’s performance in a negative role was appreciated by critics and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.^[11]

In 2002, Basu starred in the year’s most successful thriller, Raaz.^[18] Directed by Vikram Bhatt, the film established Basu in the Hindi film industry. Her portrayal of a woman who is pursued by a spirit received positive reviews. One review in The Tribune noted, "...it is Bipasha Basu who steals the show with her fine performance."^[19] She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Raaz.^[20] She then appeared in supporting roles in Sanjay Gadhvi’s Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai and David Dhawan’s Chor Machaaye Shor, both of which failed critically and commercially. She also appeared in a supporting role opposite Mahesh Babu and Lisa Ray in the Telugu film, Takkari Donga as a mischievous thief, Panasa. Gunaah, which released later that year, was also a box-office failure.^[18] She played the role of a cop who loves a convict and tries to reform him.^[21] Derek Elley of Variety observed that Basu was a miscast as the "idealistic cop".^[22]

Initial success and struggle phase (2003–05)[link]

In 2003, Basu starred in Pooja Bhatt’s thriller, Jism, which was well received by critics and fared well at the box office.^[23] She essayed the role of seductive, ambitious wife of a millionaire who indulges in an extra-marital affair with an alcoholic lawyer and plots to kill her husband. The film ranked 92 in the top 100 sexiest movie scenes poll conducted by Channel 4.^[24] Film critic Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama commented, "...the real show stealer is Bipasha Basu ; her sexy look and seductive deep voice, in contrast with her cold and calculating personality, makes her the most impressive femme fatale since Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi."^[25] She received a Filmfare Best Villain Award nomination for Jism. Her next release, Zameen, failed to make impact among audience.^[23]

Basu had four releases in 2004, all of which performed moderately and drew mixed reviews. She collaborated for the second time with Vikram Bhatt in her first release Aetbaar. She played the role of a young girl who falls in love with a psychopath. Rediff.com noted that "...The characters are not convincing, the plot is not fast-paced or interesting."^[26] Her next film was Mani Shankar’s Rudraksh which was based on the Indian epic Ramayana. The film was a disaster at the box-office and was panned by the critics.^[27] She then starred in Rakht as a tarot card reader trying to solve a murder mystery. Critic Shruti Bhasin of Planetbollywood wrote, "Bipasha Basu impresses in a different look and role."^[28] Her final release that year was Anil Sharma’s Madhoshi opposite John Abraham.^[29] Her performance of a mentally unstable girl was generally well received.^[30]

In 2005, she appeared in the love triangle Barsaat alongside Bobby Deol and Priyanka Chopra. Taran Adarsh commented, "...As an actor, she [Bipasha Basu] does show sparks only towards the end."^[31] She also starred in the Tamil film, Sachein which was a hit and then in Prakash Jha’s Apaharan, which won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay.^[32][33] In this period, she refused to act in art-films due to salary problems.^[34] Besides acting, Basu did the video "Tu" for Sonu Nigam's album, Kismat. She made a guest appearance in Jay Sean's music video Stolen.^[35]

Success (2005–2009)[link]

After a slow start, Basu established herself as a successful actress with the success of No Entry, Corporate and Dhoom 2.^[5] No Entry grossed 71 crore at the box-office and was the highest grossing film of 2005.^[36] Basu essayed the role of a bargirl who acts as wife of two men. She earned Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for the film. 2006 was equally successful for her with her four major releases, Phir Hera Pheri, Corporate, Omkara and Dhoom 2, performing well critically and commercially.^[37][38] Phir Hera Pheri became the ninth highest grossing film of the year.^[39] She was featured in a bit but significant role of a con woman who steals a sum of 10 million from the protagonists. In Madhur Bhandarkar’s Corporate, she gave up her glamorous look for the role of a businesswoman who has no qualms in taking advantage of her sexuality to con the CEO of a rival company. She won accolades from critics for her performance. Critic Aparna wrote, "[...] she has done a fabulous job as an ambitious woman. The kind of shrewdness in a woman that she essays has never been seen before in India films."^[40] She was nominated for the second time for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In Vishal Bharadwaj’s adaptation of Othello, Omkara, Basu essayed the role of Bianca. She caught the attention of public with her dance number Beedi which was highly popular in India and overseas.^[41] Critic Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN wrote, "...Bipasha Basu is brought in to lend oomph and she succeeds in doing just that."^[42] Basu became the talk of the town for donning a bikini in Aditya Chopra’s Dhoom 2. She reportedly ate only oranges for three days and trained hard to shoot the scene.^[43] Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India commented, "Aah Bipasha! Looks great, brings back the bikini to Bollywood, and gently slips into the shadows as a pretty accessory."^[44]

In 2007, Ronnie Screwvala’s Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal performed below average at the box-office. The song picturised on John Abraham and Basu, "Billo Rani", became quite popular and earned her the nickname "Billo Rani", though equal credit must be given to Omkara in which her name was Billo Chanambahar.^[45] In 2008, she teamed up once again with Abbas-Mustan for Race. She played the role of Sonia who is stuck in a love-triangle between two brothers (played by Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna) and through the course, she murders one of them. The film grossed 68 crores at the box office and was the fourth-biggest hit that year in India and performed good enough overseas as well.^[46] Her performance was appreciated by critics with Taran Adarsh citing it as "her best work so far. She’s superb".^[47] Basu’s work in Siddharth Anand’s Bachna Ae Haseeno as a successful supermodel who finds it hard to forgive her ex-lover for betraying her earned her a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. She completed 2008 by appearing during the song "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte" in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.^[7]

Her first release in 2009, Aa Dekhen Zara failed to do well at the box-office.^[48] Rohit Shetty’s All The Best: Fun Begins performed well and her comic role was appreciated by fans.^[49] Later that year, Basu surprised everybody with Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film, Shob Charitro Kalponik. "I love saris and I'm wearing a lot of them in Ritu's film," she said.^[50] She gave up her glamorous look and was praised by critics for her performance. Critic Subhash K Jha spoke high of her. He said, "...Bipasha [Basu] pulls out all stops to deliver her career’s best performance. Her moments of anguish before and after her screen-husband’s death are expressed in tones of cathartic conviction that we never knew existed within Bipasha." He also compared her with the multiple award winning actress, Shabana Azmi, commenting that Basu’s anguished portrayal of bereavement can be equaled by Azmi only.^[51]

Recent Work (2010–present)[link]

With the 2010 film Pankh, Basu returned with her alluring image as an imaginary character who exists in the protagonist’s mind.^[53] She was then featured as a Kashmiri girl in Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa which explored socio-political problems in Kashmir.^[54] Principal photography of Lamhaa was disrupted many times by the locals in Kashmir due to the controversial theme.^[55] During the shooting of Lamhaa, she left the sets at Anantnag and headed back to Mumbai citing she was afraid of the crowd there. Producer Bunty Walia thought of replacing her with Vidya Balan but she returned for the shoot later with necessary security arrangements.^[56][57] NDTV Movies wrote, "Bipasha sinks herself into her character imparting a dramatic resonance into the role without resorting to stock expressions. The sequence where she gets mauled by militant women is as traumatic to watch as it must have been for Bipasha to shoot."^[58] Basu then appeared as the wife of a ruthless cop in Priyadarshan’s Aakrosh who helps the police with investigation on honor killings in their village. She met with mixed reviews for the film. Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India commented, "Bipasha actually doesn't have much to do and does seem to be miscast as the much-abused, bruised and battered wife of Paresh Rawal."^[59]

Her only release in 2011 was Dum Maaro Dum which performed reasonably well at the box-office and met with good reviews from critics.^[60][61] Talking of the film, she said, "My next release is DMD [Dum Maaro Dum], in which I play a lively, colourful, happy-go-lucky girl called Zoey, who is the representation of Goa as we see it."^[62] Basu collaborated with Abbas-Mustan for the third time in Players which became the first release of 2012.^[63] The film was an official remake of The Italian Job.^[64] Players was heavily compared to The Italian Job and was criticized for its execution and performances, including that of Basu.^[65] She made her English language debut with Roland Joffé’s epic drama Singularity which will be premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012.^[66][67] She plays the role of a Maratha warrior Taluja Naik in the film.^[68] Basu is also signed by Vikram Bhatt for the third time for Raaz 3D, the third film in the Raaz series. Principal photography of the film began in January, 2012.^[69] She will also be seen in a guest appearance reprising her role of Race in the upcoming film by Abbas-Mustan, Race 2.^[70][71]

Personal life[link]

Basu with ex-boyfriend John Abraham at the launch of the Filmfare magazine (2007).

Basu was in a relationship with her Raaz co-star Dino Morea since 1996 till they broke up in 2002.^[72] Soon afterwards during the filming of Jism, Basu began to date her co-star John Abraham, and they were in a relationship till early 2011 when the couple officially broke off.^[73][74][75] While together, the two were often referred to as a supercouple in the Indian media.^[76] Basu has been in the limelight since her bold role in Jism. She ranked 8 in Times 50 most desirable Women in 2011 and ranked 13 in 2012.^[77][78] UK magazine Eastern Eye named her the "Sexiest Woman in Asia" twice in 2005 and 2007.^[79]

Basu is an advocate of physical fitness. Apart from films, she released a fitness DVD called Love Yourself, which emphasized on being strong, healthy, and loving one’s self.^[80] She was also the brand ambassador of Sugar Free, which helped her promoting the DVD. Hiren Gada, director of Shemaroo Entertainment said, "A celebrity like Bipasha Basu, genuinely believes in staying healthy. She is also passionate about fitness."^[81] She had previously worked on another fitness video called Bollywood Bodies with John Abraham.^[82]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

Bollywood portal

• List of Indian film actresses

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bipasha Basu

• Official website
• Bipasha Basu at the Internet Movie Database
• Bipasha Basu at the Fashion Model Directory

Kunal Kapoor
Born	(1975-10-18) 18 October 1975 (age 36) Mumbai, India
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2004 – present

Kunal Kapoor^[1] (born in Mumbai, India) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi cinema. Kunal has been seen in the critically and commercial acclaimed film Rang De Basanti for which his performance received a nomination in the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award category (2006). Kunal later featured in Don 2 which was a commercially successful film (2011).

Career[link]

Kapoor began his career as an assistant director on the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Aks. He began his acting career training under theatre legend Barry John. He continued his theatre career with Motley, a theater group run by Naseeruddin Shah.^[2] He made his movie debut starring opposite Tabu in Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities.

In 2006, Kapoor became an overnight sensation with the hit film Rang De Basanti. It was critically and commercially successful; it was India's official entry to the Oscars and was nominated in the Best Foreign Film category at the 2007 BAFTA Awards.^[3] His performance was acclaimed and he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award nomination.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, he starred in Hattrick which failed to do well at the box office.^{[citation needed]} His next two films, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Aaja Nachle, also failed to make an impact at the box office.^{[citation needed]}

He has endorsed popular brands like Thums up, Indian terrain, Ray Ban and Mahindra Logan.^{[citation needed]} With actress Gwyneth Paltrow, he is the face of the Save the Children charity.^{[citation needed]} Though his films have not done as well as expected, his popularity among female fans continues to grow.^{[citation needed]} He is known to be very selective about the work he does and had a release in National Award-winning director Rahul Dholakia's Lamhaa after two years, for which he received critical acclaim.^{[citation needed]}

Kapoor voiced the Indian god Rama in Mahayoddha Rama, directed by Raizada Rohit Jaising Vaid. The film is an animated mythological movie based on the Ramayana.^[4]

In 2009, Kapoor started writing weekly columns for HT City, the lifestyle supplement of the Hindustan Times. These columns ended in November 2009 but still appear online on the social network Desimartini.^[5]

He played a pivotal role in the Shahrukh Khan starrer Don 2 for which he received acclaim from audiences and critics.^[6]

He will appear in Anurag Kashyap’s next film, where he, will play Raj Comics' superhero Doga. Kapoor was scheduled to begin shooting a romantic comedy film in early 2011. He will appear in Chamkila, a biography of popular Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila.^[7]

Awards[link]

• 2006: Star's Sabsey Favourite Naya Hero^[8]
• 2007: Stardust Breakthrough Performance, Male^[9]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Assistant Director[link]

See also[link]

• Kunal (disambiguation)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kunal Kapoor at the Internet Movie Database

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