Alan Alexander Milne  /ˈmɪln/ (18 January 1882 – 31 January 1956) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems. Milne was a noted writer, primarily as a playwright, before the huge success of Pooh overshadowed all his previous work.

Biography[link]

A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne, who was Scottish, and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father.^[1] One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90.^[2] Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge,^[3] where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine.^[1] He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.

Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.^[4]

After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour.^[1][5] During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."^[6]

He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex.^[7] During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid, and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".^[8] Milne died in January 1956, aged 74.

Literary career[link]

1903 to 1925[link]

After graduating from Cambridge in 1903, A. A. Milne contributed humorous verse and whimsical essays to Punch,^[9][10] joining the staff in 1906 and becoming an assistant editor.^[11]

During this period he published 18 plays and 3 novels, including the murder mystery The Red House Mystery (1922). His son was born in August 1920 and in 1924 Milne produced a collection of children's poems When We Were Very Young, which were illustrated by Punch staff cartoonist E. H. Shepard. A collection of short stories for children Gallery of Children, and other stories that became part of the Winnie-the-Pooh books, were first published in 1925.

Milne was an early screenwriter for the nascent British film industry, writing four stories filmed in 1920 for the company Minerva Films (founded in 1920 by the actor Leslie Howard and his friend and story editor Adrian Brunel). These were The Bump, starring Aubrey Smith; Twice Two; Five Pound Reward; and Bookworms^[12] Some of these films survive in the archives of the British Film Institute. Milne had met Howard when the actor starred in Milne’s play Mr Pim Passes By in London.^[13]

Looking back on this period (in 1926) Milne observed that when he told his agent that he was going to write a detective story, he was told that what the country wanted from a "Punch humorist" was a humorous story; when two years later he said he was writing nursery rhymes, his agent and publisher were convinced he should write another detective story; and after another two years he was being told that writing a detective story would be in the worst of taste given the demand for children's books. He concluded that "the only excuse which I have yet discovered for writing anything is that I want to write it; and I should be as proud to be delivered of a Telephone Directory con amore as I should be ashamed to create a Blank Verse Tragedy at the bidding of others."^[14]

1926 to 1928[link]

The real stuffed toys owned by Christopher Robin Milne and featured in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. They are on display in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (formerly the New York Public Library Main Branch) in New York.

Milne is most famous for his two Pooh books about a boy named Christopher Robin after his son, Christopher Robin Milne, and various characters inspired by his son's stuffed animals, most notably the bear named Winnie-the-Pooh. Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed bear, originally named "Edward",^[15] was renamed "Winnie-the-Pooh" after a Canadian black bear named Winnie (after Winnipeg), which was used as a military mascot in World War I, and left to London Zoo during the war. "The pooh" comes from a swan called "Pooh". E. H. Shepard illustrated the original Pooh books, using his own son's teddy, Growler ("a magnificent bear"), as the model. Other notable characters created by Milne include the bouncy Tigger and gloomy Eeyore.^[16] Christopher Robin Milne's own toys are now under glass in New York.

The fictional Hundred Acre Wood of the Pooh stories derives from Five Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, South East England, where the Pooh stories were set. Milne lived on the northern edge of the Forest and took his son walking there. E. H. Shepard drew on the landscapes of Ashdown Forest as inspiration for many of the illustrations he provided for the Pooh books. The adult Christopher Robin commented: "Pooh's Forest and Ashdown Forest are identical".^[16] The wooden Pooh Bridge in Ashdown Forest, where Pooh and Piglet invented Poohsticks, is a tourist attraction.^[17]

Winnie-the-Pooh was published in 1926, followed by The House at Pooh Corner in 1928. A second collection of nursery rhymes, Now We Are Six, was published in 1927. All three books were illustrated by E. H. Shepard. Milne also published four plays in this period. He also "gallantly stepped forward" to contribute a quarter of the costs of dramatising P. G. Wodehouse's A Damsel in Distress.^[18] His book The World of Pooh won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.

1929 onwards[link]

The success of his children's books was to become a source of considerable annoyance to Milne, whose self-avowed aim was to write whatever he pleased and who had, until then, found a ready audience for each change of direction: he had freed pre-war Punch from its ponderous facetiousness; he had made a considerable reputation as a playwright (like his idol J. M. Barrie) on both sides of the Atlantic; he had produced a witty piece of detective writing in The Red House Mystery (although this was severely criticised by Raymond Chandler for the implausibility of its plot). But once Milne had, in his own words, "said goodbye to all that in 70,000 words" (the approximate length of his four principal children's books), he had no intention of producing any reworkings lacking in originality, given that one of the sources of inspiration, his son, was growing older.

His reception remained warmer in America than Britain, and he continued to publish novels and short stories, but by the late 1930s the audience for Milne's grown-up writing had largely vanished: he observed bitterly in his autobiography that a critic had said that the hero of his latest play ("God help it") was simply "Christopher Robin grown up...what an obsession with me children are become!".

Even his old literary home, Punch, where the When We Were Very Young verses had first appeared, was ultimately to reject him, as Christopher Milne details in his autobiography The Enchanted Places, although Methuen continued to publish whatever Milne wrote, including the long poem 'The Norman Church' and an assembly of articles entitled Year In, Year Out (which Milne likened to a benefit night for the author).

A. A. Milne memorial plaque at Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, England, the setting for Winnie the Pooh

He also adapted Kenneth Grahame's novel The Wind in the Willows for the stage as Toad of Toad Hall. The title was an implicit admission that such chapters as Chapter 7, "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn", could not survive translation to the theatre. A special introduction written by Milne is included in some editions of Grahame's novel.

Several of Milne's children's poems were set to music by the composer Harold Fraser-Simson. His poems have been parodied many times, including with the books When We Were Rather Older and Now We Are Sixty.

The rights to the Pooh books were left to four beneficiaries: his family, the Royal Literary Fund, Westminster School and the Garrick Club.^[19] After Milne's death in 1956, his widow sold her rights to the Pooh characters to the Walt Disney Company, which has made many Pooh cartoon movies, a Disney Channel television show, as well as Pooh-related merchandise. In 2001, the other beneficiaries sold their interest in the estate to the Disney Corporation for $350m. Previously Disney had been paying twice-yearly royalties to these beneficiaries. The estate of EH Shepard also received a sum in the deal. The copyright on Pooh expires in 2026.^[20]

A memorial plaque in Ashdown Forest, unveiled by Christopher Robin in 1979, commemorates the work of A. A. Milne and Shepard in creating the world of Pooh.^[16] Milne once wrote of Ashdown Forest: "In that enchanted place on the top of the forest a little boy and his bear will always be playing".^[16]

Religious views[link]

Milne did not speak out much on the subject of religion, although he used religious terms to explain his decision, while remaining a pacifist, to join the army: "In fighting Hitler", he wrote, "we are truly fighting the Devil, the Anti-Christ ... Hitler was a crusader against God."^[21] His best known comment on the subject was recalled on his death:

"The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief—call it what you will—than any book ever written; it has emptied more churches than all the counter-attractions of cinema, motor bicycle and golf course."^[22]

He also wrote:

Elizabeth Ann

Said to her Nan “Please will you tell me how God began? Somebody must have made Him. So

Who could it be, 'cos I want to know?”

— A.A. Milne's poem "Explained"^[23]

Works[link]

Novels[link]

• Lovers in London

(1905) (Some consider this more of a short story collection; Milne didn't like it and considered The Day's Play as his first book.)

• Once on a Time (1917)
• Mr. Pim (1921) (A novelisation of his play Mr. Pim Passes By (1919))
• The Red House Mystery (1922)
• Two People (1931) (Inside jacket claims this is Milne's first attempt at a novel.)
• Four Days' Wonder (1933)
• Chloe Marr (1946)

Non-fiction[link]

• Peace With Honour (1934)
• It's Too Late Now: The Autobiography of a Writer (1939)
• War With Honour (1940)
• Year In, Year Out (1952) (illustrated by E. H. Shepard)

[edit] Punch articles

• The Day's Play (1910)
• Once A Week (book) (1914)
• The Holiday Round (1912)
• The Sunny Side (1921)
• Those Were the Days (1929) [The four volumes above, compiled]

Newspaper articles and book introductions[link]

• The Chronicles of Clovis by "Saki" (1911) [Introduction to]
• Not That It Matters (1920)
• By Way of Introduction (1929)

Story collections for children[link]

• Gallery of Children (1925)
• Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) (illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard)
• The House at Pooh Corner (1928) (illustrated by E. H. Shepard)
• Short Stories

Poetry Collections for Children[link]

• When We Were Very Young
• Now We Are Six

Story collections[link]

• The Birthday Party (1948)
• A Table Near the Band (1950)

Poetry[link]

• For the Luncheon Interval [poems from Punch]
• When We Were Very Young (1924) (illustrated by E. H. Shepard)
• Now We Are Six (1927) (illustrated by E. H. Shepard)
• Behind the Lines (1940)
• The Norman Church (1948)

Screenplays[link]

Milne wrote 4 stories filmed in 1920 for Minerva Films:

• The Bump (starring Aubrey Smith)
• Twice Two
• Five Pound Reward
• Bookworms

Plays[link]

Milne wrote over 30 plays, including:

• Wurzel-Flummery (1917)
• Belinda (1918)
• The Boy Comes Home (1918)
• Make-Believe (1918) (children's play)
• The Camberley Triangle (1919)
• Mr. Pim Passes By (1919)
• The Red Feathers (1920)
• The Romantic Age (1920)
• The Stepmother (1920)
• The Truth about Blayds (1920)
• The Dover Road (1921)
• The Great Broxopp (1921)
• The Lucky One (1922)
• The Artist: A Duologue (1923)
• Give Me Yesterday (1923) (a.k.a. Success in the UK)
• Ariadne (1924)
• The Man in the Bowler Hat: A Terribly Exciting Affair (1924)
• To Have the Honour (1924)
• Portrait of a Gentleman in Slippers (1926)
• Success (1926)
• Miss Marlow at Play (1927)
• The Fourth Wall or The Perfect Alibi (1928)
• The Ivory Door (1929)
• Toad of Toad Hall (1929) (adaptation of The Wind in the Willows)
• Michael and Mary (1930)
• Other People's Lives (1933) (a.k.a. They Don't Mean Any Harm)
• Miss Elizabeth Bennet (1936) [based on Pride and Prejudice]
• Sarah Simple (1937)
• Gentleman Unknown (1938)
• The General Takes Off His Helmet (1939) in The Queen's Book of the Red Cross
• The Ugly Duckling (1941)
• Before the Flood (1951)

Films[link]

Michael and Mary was adapted to cinema in 1931.

The 1963 film The King's Breakfast was based on Milne's poem of the same name.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has original works written by or about: A. A. Milne

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A. A. Milne

• Works by A. A. Milne at Project Gutenberg
• Portraits of A. A. Milne in the National Portrait Gallery.
• Essays by Milne at Quotidiana.org
• Milne extract in the Guardian
• Works by or about A. A. Milne in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• A. A. Milne's profile at Just-Pooh.com
• Obituary for Alan Alexander Milne (German)

Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar in 2009
Born	Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (1967-09-09) 9 September 1967 (age 44) Amritsar, Punjab, India
Occupation	actor, producer, presenter
Years active	1991–present
Spouse	Twinkle Khanna (2001–present)

Akshay Kumar (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia^[1] on 9 September 1967^[1]) is an Indian film actor, producer, comedian and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. He has nominated for Filmfare Award several times and won two times. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series", which included Khiladi (1992), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi (1997), International Khiladi (1999), and Khiladi 420 (2000), as well as other action films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Mohra (1994), Elaan (1994) and Suhaag (1994).^[2]

Later he also gained fame for his drama, romance and comic roles.^[3] He started becoming known for his performances in romance films like Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Dhadkan (2000) as well as drama films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001). His comic performances in comedy films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), and Garam Masala (2005) met with acclaim. His success further rose in 2007, when he starred in four consecutive commercial hits. He has thus established himself as one of the leading actors in Hindi cinema.

Apart from acting, Kumar worked as a stunt actor; he often performed many dangerous stunts in his films,^[4] which earned him a reputation as the "Indian Jackie Chan".^[2] 2008 marked his television debut as the host of the show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. In 2009, Kumar founded the Hari Om Entertainment production company.^[5] In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Law on Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. The following year he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011 Asian Film Awards honored Kumar for his outstanding achievement in Cinema.^[3]

Early life[link]

Akshay Kumar was born in Amritsar, Punjab.^[1] His father was an army officer. His mother's name is Aruna Bhatia. From a very young age, he was recognised as a performer, particularly as a dancer. Kumar was raised in Delhi's Chandni Chowk neighbourhood before moving to Mumbai.^[6] In Mumbai, he lived in Koliwada, which was another Punjabi dominated area.^[6] He studied at Don Bosco School and then Guru Nanak Khalsa College (King's Circle), where he participated in sports with Janpal Singh.^[6]

After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India,^[7] he studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand,^[6] where he learned Muay Thai^[7] and worked as a chef^[6] and waiter.^[7] He then came back to Mumbai, where he started teaching martial arts. One of his students happened to be a photographer and recommended him to do modelling. The student gave him a modelling assignment for a small company. For his two hours posing in front of the camera, Kumar got Rs. 5,000, compared to his previous monthly salary of Rs. 4,000. That was one of the main reasons why he chose to be a model. After a couple of months of modelling, Kumar was offered a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.^[6]

Career[link]

1990s[link]

Kumar made his Bollywood acting debut with the 1991 film Saugandh, which was followed by the 1992 thriller film Khiladi. In 1994, his action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Mohra were among the highest grossing films of the year.^[8] Later that year, Yash Chopra signed him for the romantic film Yeh Dillagi which was also a success.^[8] He received appreciation for his performance in this film, where he played a romantic role which was different compared to his action roles. He would consequently receive his first nominations for Best Actor award at the Filmfare and Star Screen ceremonies. During the same year, Kumar also had success with films like Suhaag and the low budget action film Elaan. All these achievements, promoted Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year.^[9]

In 1995, along with his share of unsuccessful movies, he starred in the third film in his Khiladi series Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was a hit.^[10] He proved to have success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourth successful film with Khiladi in the title, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekha and Raveena Tandon. The film became one of the highest grossing films of the year.^[11]

In 1997, Kumar was seen in a supporting role in Yash Chopra's hit film Dil To Pagal Hai, co-starring Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award nomination. In the same year, he attempted a comedy role with the fifth film in the Khiladi series, Mr and Mrs Khiladi. Unlike his previous films with Khiladi in the title, the film failed commercially.^[12] In the same way as this film, his next Khiladi releases in the following years went on to fail at the box office. In 1999, Kumar received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and Jaanwar. Whilst the former did not make a profit at the box office, the latter turned out to be a success.^[13]

2000s[link]

Kumar on the sets of Heyy Babyy

In 2000, he starred in the comedy Hera Pheri (2000) which was a commercial success.^[14] He also starred in the romantic film Dhadkan later that same year which performed moderately at the box office.^[14] That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Khiladi 420, where he climbed a running plane, stood on top of the plane flying a thousand feet in the air, and jumped from the plane onto a hot air balloon.^[4] In a later scene, he is also seen being chased by a car, dodging bullets, jumping off buildings, and climbing walls.^[15] In 2001, Kumar played a negative role in the film Ajnabee. The film won him much acclaim as well as his first Filmfare Award for Best Villain.^[1] Kumar played a role as role as a blind man in Aankhen.

Following Hera Pheri, Kumar starred in a number of comedy films, including Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004).^[16] and Garam Masala (2005). The films succeeded at the box office^[17][18] and his performance in the latter earned him his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian.^[1] Apart from his action, comedy and romantic roles, Kumar displayed a flair for dramatic roles in films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001), Aankhen (2002), Bewafaa (2005) and Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005).^[1] n

In 2004 he starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. In 2006 he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box office.^[19] Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan in the romantic musical Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, did not do as well as expected at the box office.^[19] Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised.^[20] He ended the year with the comedy Bhagam Bhag, which was a success.^[19] In that same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.^[21]

2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops."^[22] His first release, Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film."^[23] His next two releases, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well.^[24][25] Kumar's last release of the year, Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit.^[26] All of Kumar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well.^[27]

Kumar's first film of 2008, Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner after 11 years. Although much anticipated by the public,^[28] the film was a critical and commercial failure. His second film, Singh Is Kinng was a huge success at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om, the previous highest figure.^[29] His next film was the animated film Jumbo. The year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successful show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's second season in 2009.

In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros.-Rohan Sippy production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a critical and commercial failure at the box office.^[30] Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film was a critical and commercial failure. His next release was Kambakkht Ishq. Kumar's film Blue was released on 16 October 2009. Blue collected about Rs. 42 crores at the box-office.^[31] His last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan.

2010s[link]

Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Prabhudeva at the first look launch of the movie 'Rowdy Rathore'.

He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which garnered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time.^[32] Kumar's next release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average grosser. He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office failure.^[33] His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You.

He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hindi as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House.^[34] Breakaway has become the highest-grossing English movie in Canadian history.^[35] Akshay Kumar, recently dubbed for the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Akshay dubbed for the role of 'Optimus Prime', which is one of the key characters in the film. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free.^[36]

His latest film is Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh and Deepika Padukone. His first release of 2012 was Housefull 2 which is a sequel to his 2010 successful film Housefull. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was declared Super Hit collecting 181.25 crore (US$36.16 million) at Box Office in 5 weeks. It was also a huge hit in overseas and the biggest Bollywood grosser in New Zealand. Akshay's Rowdy Rathore released on Ist June 2012.^[37] It marks the returns of him in action genre after 7 years.

Personal life[link]

Kumar earlier dated several of his colleagues, such as Shilpa Shetty and Raveena Tandon. After being engaged twice to actress Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, he married her on 17 January 2001. Their son named Aarav was born in September 2002.^[1] He stays in shape with a combination of kickboxing, basketball, swimming and other sports, as well as working out at the gym. In the year 2004, he was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Award for his outstanding achievements in Bollywood. In 2008 the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada awarded him with Honorary Doctrate of Law for his outstanding work in the film industry and contribution to social work. The same year he was named the "Sexiest Man Alive" by People (India) magazine. The following year he was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate. He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada.^[38]

Awards and honors[link]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Television appearances[link]

See also[link]

• List of Indian Actors

References[link]

External links[link]

• Akshay Kumar at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2009)

Atif Aslam
Background information
Also known as	Aatif, Aadee
Born	Wazir abad, Pakistan (1983-03-12) 12 March 1983 (age 29)
Origin	Lahore, Pakistan
Genres	Rock, pop
Occupations	Singer, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2001-present
Labels	Fire, Tips
Associated acts	Strings, Jal, Hadiqa Kiani, Shreya Ghoshal, Alka Yagnik, Sachin Gupta, Pritam, Alisha Chinoy, Sunidhi Chauhan
Website	www.aadeez.com

Atif Aslam (Urdu: عاطف اسلم, born Mohammad Atif Aslam; 12 March 1983 in Wazirabad, (Pakistan) is a Pakistani pop singer and film actor. He debuted in the film Bol and has given several hit songs^[1] .He is known for his vocal belting technique.^[2] In 2008, he was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan. .Atif Aslam has done his Bachleors in Computer Sciences from Punjab Institute Of Computer Sciences (PICS).

Music career[link]

Solo career (2004 onwards)[link]

After leaving Pakistani pop band Jal, Atif released his first solo album, Jal Pari, on 19 July 2004, under Sound Master and IC records. His work has gradually also become became popular in India. His is second album, Doorie, was released on 22 December 2006.

His first major concert was at Al Hamra Hall, Mall Road Lahore where he performed during the break of a stage drama Moulin Rouge. On 14 April 2007, Atif headlined in the Flex FX Dhamaka^[3] alongside Jay Sean at Royal Albert Hall. His first international concert was at W. StarDreamz Entertainment Group during his tour of USA and Canada with RDB and Annie. He recently performed in London's O2 Arena on 22nd April 2012 at the Flex FX Production's Dhamaka^[4] Bollywood Concert with Naz Choudhury^[5] and his Bolly Flex team to promote love, peace & unity among India and Pakistan becoming first Pakistani pop singer to perform on The O2 Arena stage.

Atif also mentioned in a press conference held in Karachi that he will be working on an international project titled The Dreamer Awakes, alongside members of American rock band Guns N' Roses.^{[citation needed]}

There were rumors circulating online that his new album was titled Shabnam. This was denied by Atif. “Right now, my entire focus is on this project (The Dreamer Awakes). I may be singing with Chris Martin or John Mayer… we’re trying to bring a lot of people together.”^[6] He has been greatly influenced by the singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kishore Kumar and K.K.

Sarmad Ghafoor, a guitarist and producer for Qayaas contacted Atif Aslam to collaborate with them for the Fifth Season of Coke Studio (Pakistan). Atif Aslam in collaboration with Qayaas performed a revived rendition of "Charkha Nolakha" by Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The song and that entire episode received positive reviews from critics not only in Pakistan but also across the border in India.

Bollywood[link]

Atif has sung frequently for Bollywood films. His voice as a playback singer can be heard in Indian films such as "Pehli Nazar Mein", Race, "Tere Bin", Bas Ek Pal, "Bakhuda Tumhi Ho" in Kismat Konnection, "Leja tu mujhe",F.A.L.T.U, "Tera Hone Laga Hoon" and "Tu Jaane Na" in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, "Aa Bhi Ja Sanam", "O Mere Khuda", "Tere Liye" and "Kaun Hoon Main" in the film Prince.^[7] He sang two songs "Piya O Re Piya" and "Tu Mohabbat Hai" in Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.

Hollywood[link]

Atif has three songs featured in Hollywood movies as well.^[8]

Acting career[link]

Atif made his acting debut in a Pakistani movie named Bol, 2011. He also made a special appearance in film songs like Tere Bin kaise jiya jai,Pehli Nazar mein,in the film Tere Bin,Pehli Nazar,Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya's song Tu Mohabbat Hai.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Bollywood/Lollywood songs[link]

Filmography[link]

• Bol - Mustafa, 2011
• Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya - Special Appearance in song Tu Mohabbat Hai

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Atif Aslam at the Internet Movie Database
• Atif aslam news updates