Ishq (Hindi: इश्क़, English: Love) is a Bollywood movie starring Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Juhi Chawla, and Kajol. The Hindi film was released in 1997. It was the highest budget Indian film until, Jeans (1998). It did moderately well at the box office and was declared a Semi hit. ^[2]

Plot[link]

Ranjit Rai (Sadashiv Amrapurkar) and Harbanslal (Dalip Tahil) are two wealthy business magnates who absolutely despise poor people. They think poor people are like insects who spread germs and disease and contaminate the earth with filthiness. They decide their children, Ajay (Ajay Devgan) and Madhu (Juhi Chawla), would marry wealthy spouses because they hate poor people. They also try to break their children's friendship with Raja (Aamir Khan) and Kajal (Kajol) who are poor. One day Ajay spots Kajal and crashes into Madhu's car, creating chaos between Raja and Madhu. Ajay and Kajal fall in love and meet up in Ooty, where Ajay was supposed to go to see Madhu. Raja decides to go to Ooty too as he wanted to tease Madhu over there. There, Madhu put Raja and Ajay in a car with no brakes and Raja decided to get revenge by scaring Madhu into thinking they were dead and their ghosts were going to kill her. This upsets Madhu and she slaps Raja. An angry Raja decides to go back home but Madhu stops him and they kiss each other, eventually falling in love. The next day, their fathers are waiting for Madhu and Ajay (supposed to be in love). However, they find Ajay with Kajal and Madhu with Raja. This angers them and they try very hard to separate the couples. They try to bribe them and when that doesn't work they try to kill Kajal and Raja. They even deceivingly get Ajay and Madhu to sign a marriage certificate which indicates that they are lawfully married to each other. When the children realize what their fathers really did, they refuse to back down.

Eventually, the parents play a nasty trick. They trick the lovers into believing that they have changed their ways and are ready for their children to get married to their lovers as they had wished. But at their engagement ceremony, the fathers show pictures of Raja and Kajal acting very intimate with each other. Raja and Kajal are willing to prove their innocence, but the fathers are determined to keep them away. To make matters worse, Kajal's uncle falsely testifies to the fabricated illicit affair between Raja and Kajal and says that she has also aborted his baby twice. In fact, Kajal's uncle was paid to lie in front of Ajay and Madhu.

Ajay and Madhu break up with Kajal and Raja, thus their fathers' plan to separate the lovers and create a rift between Ajay and Raja succeeds. The situation worsens further when Ajay and Madhu think that Kajal is pregnant with Raja's child again as they saw them walking out of a maternity hospital. They go to Raja's house where they see Kajal lying on a bed and sarcastically tell her congrats about her pregnancy. They also tell Raja and Kajal that they are getting married. After hearing about this, Kajal tries to kill herself. But Raja stops her. He then goes to punish those people who caused them misery and ill-fate. He tries to rape Madhu, but Ajay stops him and the police come along with Ajay and Madhu's fathers and arrest him. The police beat Raja brutally and Kajal goes to plead for him to be released from jail. The fathers agree to let him go but on a condition that Kajal and Raja must leave the country for good. Kajal agrees to do so and Raja is set free.

Raja refuses to leave the country but Kajal eventually convinces him to do so. Ajay and Madhu's wedding is about to start when Ajay's uncle suddenly shuts the light and shows them pictures which prove that Raja and Kajal are in fact innocent and that the fathers played the dirty trick in order to separate the lovers and get their children to marry each other. Kajal's uncle also testifies that he was paid by the fathers to lie about Raja and Kajal. Ajay tries to kill his father but his conscience stops him. He then tries to kill himself but Madhu stops him. She tells him that this is not the time to repent for their mistakes. This is the time to ask for forgiveness from Raja and Kajal. Ajay's uncle tells them that they should hurry because Raja and Kajal are about to leave the country.

Ajay and Madhu rush to the shipyard but the crewman stops them. Ajay pleads his case to the crewman and the crewman agrees to let him go. Fortunately, Ajay and Madhu succeed to stop Raja and Kajal just in time and they ask for forgiveness. Raja and Kajal forgive them and they get back together. Then the fathers show up and ask for forgiveness. The lovers forgive them as they realize that this time indeed the fathers have realized their mistake and the film ends on a happy note.

Box Office[link]

The film was declared a semi hit after it grossed 30,00,00,000.^[3] It was also the fourth highest grossing film of the year behind Border, Dil To Pagal Hai and Pardes. ^[4]

Cast[link]

• Aamir Khan as Raja
• Ajay Devgan as Ajay
• Juhi Chawla as Madhu
• Kajol as Kajal
• Dalip Tahil as Harbanslal
• Mohan Joshi as Kajal's paternal uncle
• Sadashiv Amrapurkar as Ranjit Rai
• Johny Lever as Ranjit's brother-in-law
• Razzak Khan as Nadi Didi Changezi
• Shweta Menon as a Dancer
• Ghanshyam as a Police Officer
• Mona Parekh as Shirin
• Achyut Potdar as Barrister Gokhale
• Deepak Shirke as Damliya
• Tiku Talsania as Gaitonde
• Deven Verma as Behram
• Anant Mahadevan as Brijesh

Music[link]

The music by Anu Malik was one of the high points of the film.

"Neend Churai Meri" is a copy of Sending All My Love by Latin freestyle-pop trio Linear.

Reception[link]

This movie became a hit in India after a slow start due to the popularity of Dil To Pagal Hai, which released some time earlier before this film was released.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ishq at the Internet Movie Database

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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

Juhi Chawla
Chawla at the success party of the film, I Am, 2012.
Born	Juhi Chawla (1967-11-13) 13 November 1967 (age 44) Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Occupation	Film actress, Voice actress, producer, television presenter
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Jay Mehta (1997–present)

Juhi Chawla (Punjabi: ਜੂਹੀ ਚਾਵਲਾ born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, voice actress, film producer and television presenter.

After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career. She went on to become one of the top leading actresses of Bollywood and starred in films ranging from the romances Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Darr (1993) to Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, to Yes Boss (1997) and Ishq (1997).^[1][2] Chawla has been mostly recognised for her comic timing in films as well as her vivacious screen persona.^[3][4]

During the 2000s, after having starred in over 70 mainstream Hindi films, Chawla started acting in art and independent films. She appeared in films in her native tongue of Punjabi, and has been mostly working in parallel cinema.^[4] She gained critical recognition for her performances in films like Jhankaar Beats (2003), 3 Deewarein (2003), My Brother Nikhil (2005), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and I Am (2011).^[5] Since 2000, Chawla branched out into film production and television presenting as well.

Early life and background[link]

Juhi Chawla was born in Ambala, Haryana, India. She is the first child born to Dr. S. Chawla and Mona Chawla.

She completed her schooling from Ludhiana before the family moved over to Mumbai. She graduated from Sydenham College, Mumbai with a specialisation in HR.^[6] She was the winner of Miss India title in 1984; later she won Best Costume Award for the Miss Universe contest in 1984.^[7] She is also a very good dancer. In a Baaje Payal (a film based on a collection of interviews for dancers/actresses) interview, she mentioned having learnt Kathak for three (3) years and regretted giving it up as it could have helped her in her career as an actress. She is also an accomplished classical singer and has been training for the last 6 years.

Career[link]

Film[link]

1980s[link]

Chawla ventured into films with the 1986 Sultanat. She also acted in Kannada classic Premaloka directed by Ravichandran in 1987. Her first major role in Bollywood was in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, in which she starred with Aamir Khan. The film, a modern-day adaption of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, became both a major critical and commercial success. It won the Filmfare Best Movie Award, and Chawla won the Filmfare Lux New Face Award and received her first nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[8] The film subsequently received classic status.^[9][10]

1990s[link]

In 1990, she starred in such films as Pratibandh, which was a box office success and for which she was nominated the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and Swarg.^[11] In 1992, she was nominated for a Filmfare for Bol Radha Bol which performed well commercially.^[12][13]

In 1993 she starred in the moderately successful project Aaina, and Lootere opposite Sunny Deol and Mahesh Bhatt's hit Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke.^[14] She followed it with a leading role in Yash Chopra's thriller Darr, which went on to become the third top-grossing film of the year in India.^[14] She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.^[15] Most of Chawla's films of 1994–6 were unsuccessful, though she received a Filmfare nomination for her performance as a battered wife in Daraar.^[16] She had a revival in 1997 with such romantic comedies as Yes Boss, Deewana Mastana and Ishq. Ishq became one of the top-earners of the year, and Chawla received her sixth Filmfare nomination for her portrayal of a model in Yes Boss.^[13][17]

Chawla's pairing with Aamir Khan and their on-screen chemistry was often cited by the media as successful.^[18] She has also teamed up with Shahrukh Khan in several movies, including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Darr, Duuplicate and Yes Boss.

2000s[link]

Through the 2000s, Chawla started appearing in independent and art films, and her work in the genre included the critically acclaimed films 3 Deewarein, 7½ Phere and My Brother Nikhil, which Taran Adarsh termed as "amongst the finest in her career" and Khalid Mohamed praised as "perfect," stating that "her effortless blend of conflicting emotions is what A-class acting is all about. Ms Chawla is a diamond in this little gem of a movie."^[19][20][21] She won a Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for 3 Deewarein.

She was seen in Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love for which she received good reviews.^[22] She starred with Urmila Matondkar in Bas Ek Pal (2006) and with Manoj Bajpai in Swami. Juhi's latest releases include Ravi Chopra's Bhoothnath with Amitabh Bachchan, in which she made her singing debut with the song "Chalo Jaane Do". Another film called Krazzy 4 with Irfan Khan and Arshad Warsi was released in 2008. In 2009, she appeared in a guest appearance in Luck By Chance to play a comic part for which she dyed her hair blonde. The film got extremely positive reviews and has got a good opening at the box office.^[23]

Chawla has appeared in several non-Hindi language films. She has appeared in various Punjabi films: Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000), Des Hoyaa Pardes (2004), Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waris (2006) and "Sukhmani:hope for life" (2010). Her first Malayalam film was Harikrishnans, which also starred actors Mohanlal and Mammootty. In the beginning of her career she acted in Kannada films, which include the successful Premaloka and unsuccessful films like Shanthi Kranthi and Kindara Jogi. She acted with popular Kannada actor Ravichandran in all these three films.

2010s[link]

Her most recent release was Onir's critically acclaimed feature I Am (2011). Unfolded in several chapters, the film starred Chawla alongside Manisha Koirala in an episode named I Am Megha. She played the title role of which 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."^[24] For her performance, Chawla was awarded the Best Actress award at the 13th London Asian Film Festival.^[25]

Television[link]

During the 2000s, Chawla has also been presenter and host of numerous television shows, particularly award ceremonies, including the Filmfare Awards and the Zee Cine Awards. Chawla has been a judge for the entertainment show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa alongside Saroj Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant during the show's third season.^[26]

Producer[link]

Juhi later turned producer and became the co-owner of a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Shahrukh Khan and director Aziz Mirza.^[27] The first two films produced by the production company were Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Asoka. Their third film, Chalte Chalte was the first success for the company.^[28]

Personal life[link]

Juhi Chawla is married to industrialist Jai Mehta. The couple have two children;^[29] a daughter Jhanvi born in 2001,^[30] and a son Arjun born in 2003.^[30] Her mother died in a car accident in Prague during the shooting of the movie Duplicate in 1998. Jai Mehta and Juhi Chawla are the co-owners of the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders in partnership with Shahrukh Khan under their company Red Chillies Entertainment.

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

As actress[link]

As producer[link]

• 2000 – Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
• 2001 – Asoka
• 2003 – Chalte Chalte

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actresses

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Juhi Chawla

• Juhi Chawla at the Internet Movie Database