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Kunal Kohli
Kunal Kohli at the launch of the promo of his movie Teri Meri Kahaani
Born	India
Occupation	director, writer and producer
Spouse	Reena

Kunal Kohli is an Indian film director, producer and writer

Biography[link]

Kunal Kohli is a Hindi film director based in Mumbai. He made his directorial debut with a television series Trikon .He has made four movies for Yash Raj Films owned by famed director and producer Yash Chopra. His first film under the Yash Raj banner was Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) which did not fare too well at the box office. The film starred Hrithik Roshan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor.

After two years he came back with his second venture Hum Tum (2004), the film was one of the biggest hits of 2004 and established him as a known director. The film won five Filmfare awards including Best Director for Kohli. He won against his own mentor Yash Chopra who was nominated for Veer-Zaara.

His next film was Fanaa, starred Aamir Khan and Kajol who made her comeback after a four year break from the industry and earned her a Filmfare Best Actress award. The film was released in May 2006. Fanaa became one of the biggest hits of 2006. This film was found controversial, and was banned in the state of Gujarat due to protests against the lead actor Aamir Khan.^{[citation needed]}

He also wrote, directed and co-produced the Yash Raj film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, starring Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Rishi Kapoor and Amisha Patel.

He started out as a film critic in the late nineties and hosted the show "Chalo Cinema" on Zee TV. He also directed some music videos: Bally Sagoo's 'Mera Laung Gawacha', Bali Brahmabhatt's 'Tere Bin Jeena Nahin', Shiamak Davar's 'Jaane Kisne', Hema Sardesai's 'Bole Humse Kuch Na Gori' and Rajshri Music's 'Yeh Hai Prem', a song for Alisha Chinoy with Milind Soman. He directed about 24 Music Videos before finally giving up Video and TV for films. He also judged the popular TV show Nach Baliye's 2nd season for Star Plus, the show was a reality dance show and very popular in 2005. He has also judged a children's Reality show on Sony TV 'Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka' in 2005. He also writes a Blog on www.bollywoodhungama.com He started his production house Kunal Kohli Productions in 2007 to make films for himself and launch new directors too, the first film was Thoda Pyaar Thoda magic (2008) which opened to rave reviews and was appreciated by the public, but did not meet with the success of Hum Tum and Fanaa, reportedly due to bad publicity and the timing of the release. He produced "Break Ke Baad" starring Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles, and which was directed by himself. The film is a romantic dramedy set in the tropical island Mauritius and was released in the later half of 2010.^[1]Kunal has a 3 film financing, distribution and marketing a contract with Reliance Big Pictures, the bugdet for which is estimated to 150 crores.^[2]

Personal life[link]

• Kunal Kohli is married to Raveena.Kunal and his wife Raveena have adopted a baby girl in May.

His father is English and his mother is Indian. Kohli he is also a good singer

2011.^[3]

Filmography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmfare Awards[link]

• 2004: Winner, Filmfare Best Director Award for Hum Tum
• 2004: Nominated, Filmfare Best Movie Award for Hum Tum

Zee Cine Awards[link]

• 2006: Nominated, Best Director Award for Fanaa
• 2004: Winner, Best Screenplay Award for Hum Tum

IIFA Awards[link]

• 2006: Nominated, IIFA Best Movie Award for Fanaa
• 2004: Winner,IIFA Best Director Award for Hum Tum

TV shows[link]

• Nach Baliye 2 (Jugde) (star plus)
• Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka (Jugde) (Sony tv)
• Stardust Award Night (Host)^[4]
• Chalo Cinema (host) (Zee Tv) ^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kunal Kohli at the Internet Movie Database

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

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

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

Early life[link]

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

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

Career[link]

Early career, until 2005[link]

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

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

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

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

Breakthrough, 2006–present[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Personal life[link]

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

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian film actors

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shahid Kapoor at the Internet Movie Database

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

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

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

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

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

Early life and background[link]

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

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

Acting career[link]

Debut and breakthrough (2002–03)[link]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other work[link]

Beauty pageants[link]

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

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

Television and stage performances[link]

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

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

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

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

Music career[link]

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

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

Humanitarian work[link]

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

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

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

Modelling and endorsements[link]

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

Awards and honours[link]

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

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

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

Filmography[link]

References[link]