Vasant Kunj is an upmarket residential colony located in South West Delhi district of Delhi, India, on the hills of Aravali, which today has well over 100,000 residents. Most residents reside in flats built by DDA and in farmhouses. The Vasant Kunj community is considered to be well educated and prosperous. Vasant Kunj is home to many intellectuals, prominent businessmen, celebrities, etc. The self-owned (private) residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (he resides at his official residence in Central Delhi) is also located in Vasant Kunj.

It was developed by the Indian Government after acquiring the farm lands from nearby villages, Munirka, Masoodpur and Mahipalpur in the early 1960s under then Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.

It is divided into 5 large sectors A, B, C, D and E - each of which in turn is divided into several different pockets (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7).

Its construction started in late 1980s by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), with Sector A, being the oldest sector of Vasant kunj has pockets named as Pocket A,B and C. Rest of the sectors in Vasant kunj have pockets named in numeric value. One extreme of Vasant Kunj (Sector A Pocket C/ Sector D Pocket 1) is around 4 km from Qutub Minar/Mehrauli. The other extreme (Sector E Pocket 2) is approximately 6.5 km from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Munirka is about 5 km from Sector B Pocket 1, which marks (approximately) the mid-point of Vasant Kunj along the arterial road. The farm land prices in Vasant Kunj are the highest in Delhi, followed by Rajokri. Green avenue road is the top priority followed by Church road, Ram mandir road and park lane. Other areas around vasant kunj for farmhouses are Westend Greens, Pushpanjali Farms, Dlf chattarpur and Radhey Mohan drive in chatarpur.

Districts of Delhi

Commercial area[link]

The current commercial hub of Vasant Kunj is the adjoining Masoodpur village and Nelson Mandela Marg.Vasant Kunj boasts of four top of the line malls, 3 of which-Ambience Mall, DLF Promenade and the DLF Emporio (most expensive mall in India) lie along the Nelson Mandela Marg.The malls are home to many of the biggest international brands and even provide entertainment facilities with cinema halls and games plaza. The malls here, along with the malls in Saket have emerged as the biggest shopping hubs in Delhi. The Vasant Square Mall is located on Masudpur Road. Other prominent landmarks on Nelson Mandela Road include the Maruti Suzuki Corporate head office and a 5 star hotel, 'The Grand'. These malls have had a deep impact and are a major driver of the ever escalating real estate prices of Vasant Kunj.

A Bio-Diversity park has also been made in Vasant Kunj for the Presevation of Flora and Fauna of the surrounding area. This particular park is an example of modern bio-diversity management and was made under the supervision of renowned botanist, Dr. Gogate.

A large automotives market also exists in Vasant Kunj on Aruna Asif Ali Marg. This auto market has the showrooms on carmakers Chevrolet and Ford. There are also a number of second hand car dealers and innumerable service stations. The second CNG filling station of Vasant Kunj was expected to open here by March 2011. The existing one is on Nelson Mandela Marg.

Vasant Kunj is also home to Vasant Kunj Informer & Shopper - India's 1st Community Monthly Yellow pages, which is distributed free of cost to all residents. A handy reference - it makes living easier for the residents, be it ordering food from the choice of menus in it, or looking for a doctor, a tutor, a plumber etc. This publication which was started in 1991, has come to grow with the colony, and many residents consider it a bible to daily living here.

Sultan Ghari[link]

The octagonal tomb of Nasir ud din Mahmud, son of Mamluk dynasty ruler, Iltutmish is also situated in the area near Rangpuri. The tomb built by Iltutmish in 1231, after his son's death in 1229.

The fortified structure, which surrounds the tomb and the inner chamber (crypt) of the tomb itself, are one of finest examples of Mamluk dynasty architecture, which also include the Qutub Minar in Mehrauli.

Hospitals[link]

Vasant Kunj is home to respected healthcare establishments. The Late. Ranjan Dhall memorial Fortis hospital offers the latest treatment technologies with the help of well renowned doctors. In addition, the Indian Spinal Injuries Center, the institution of spinal treatment and research, is also located in Vasant Kunj on Masudpur Marg. A newly established Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences(ILBS) facility was built near D-1, Vasant Kunj. The hospital's foundation was laid by Lt Sh.Mahender Singh Bhattewala (Ex-MLA).

Education[link]

Vasant Kunj is home to several good educational institutions be it schools or colleges.Schools of repute such as DPS [1], Vasant Valley,Ryan International,G.D Goenka,The Heritage,Bloom Public,Bhatnagar International,etc. provide excellent opportunities to its students.Colleges in the area include JIMS and TERI University while Jawaharlal Nehru University is also in the vicinity.

Sports and Recreation[link]

Many academies for sports are located in Vasant Kunj which include DDA sports complex in D-2 and Ryders club in D-1. DDA has also developed a small 5-a-side caged football field near B-5&6.

Vasant Vatika is a large park situated near C-6.It has a walking track and is very popular among the elderly and the children alike.It is a perfect place where one can be at peace with himself. Right next the park is a Cafe Coffee Day.

Miscellaneous[link]

Vasant Kunj is a preferred residence area for many famous retired Cricket Players.

The latest controversy is about the upcoming malls on Nelson Mandela Road. The Supreme Court stayed the construction of the malls in May 2006 as they did not have the necessary clearance from the Ministry of Environment.

Water shortage was an acute problem in many sectors of Vasant Kunj. However, this has been largely resolved once the Sonia Vihar water supply was regularised.

It also has Fabindia's headquarters at B 11 market. The Commercial Plaza in C-2 has good eating joints and discothèque. Aruna Asaf Ali Road too boasts of a variety of eating Joints including the Famous Karim's & Sheng Villa. Masoodpur, another shopping complex on the main road has a large number of tailors and mobile stores. Ananda the well known shop of ladies & gents Ethnic & Party Wears, exclusive Silver-semi precious stone jewellery are available. It is the only outlet where Organic Cotton, Vegetable dyes and Hand Woven of bed covers, towel, while scarfs, stoles, etc. in woollen is available on Masood Pur Market. Adidas and Reebok also have their showrooms at the Masudpur market.

All leading Banks are in Vasant Kunj..A Post Office is situated at the Anchal Plaza

The only Catholic Church in Delhi, dedicated to Saint Alphonsa, the first woman saint from India, is in Vasant Kunj's Green Avenue Lane. Kali Bari the temple of Goddes Kali is behind the Vasant Square Mall. Along with the Jain Temple, Also a Gurdwara is on the Nelson Mandella Road.

Recently the residents of Vasant Kunj along with those of Mahipalpur and Masudpur moved court to protest against the massive noise pollution caused by the frequently passing by of aircrafts over the area towards the newly opened T3 terminal of the IGI Airport.

Accessibility[link]

Vasant Kunj was largely considered to be a place cut-off from the main city, but in recent years saw rapid progress in this aspect with the Delhi Metro coming to close by Chattarpur and more bus routes added to the area by DTC.

The distance between Vasant Kunj and some prominent areas within the NCT of Delhi/New Delhi are as follows: -

• Vasant Kunj - Qutub Minar : 4 km
• Vasant Kunj - IGI Airport Terminal 3 : 6 km
• Vasant Kunj - IGI Airport Terminal 1 : 9 km
• Vasant Kunj - Dwarka Sub City : 11 km
• Vasant Kunj - Chittaranjan Park : 13 km
• Vasant Kunj - AIIMS : 14 km
• Vasant Kunj - Lajpat Nagar : 16 km
• Vasant Kunj - Connaught Place : 17 km
• Vasant Kunj - Rajouri Garden : 18 km
• Vasant Kunj - Nizamuddin Railway Station : 20 km
• Vasant Kunj - New Delhi Railway Station : 23 km
• Vasant Kunj - Kashmere Gate : 25 km
• Vasant Kunj - Delhi University : 27 km
• Vasant Kunj - Rohini Sub City : 30 km
• Vasant Kunj - Delhi Singhu Border : 48 km
• Vasant Kunj - Bawana : 50 km

The distance between Vasant Kunj and some prominent areas in the Delhi NCR region are as follows: -

• Vasant Kunj - Gurgaon : 15 km
• Vasant Kunj - Noida : 27 km
• Vasant Kunj - Faridabad : 33 km
• Vasant Kunj - Ghaziabad : 46 km
• Vasant Kunj - Greater Noida : 57 km

The nearest metro station is at Chattarpur, situated at Andheria More on the arterial Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road which connects South West Delhi to the suburban area of Gurgaon.

Areas Near Vasant Kunj[link]

• Vasant Vihar
• Munirka
• Saket
• Mahipalpur
• Masudpur
• Kishan Garh

See also[link]

• South West Delhi district
• South Delhi district
• West Delhi district
• Areas And Zones of New Delhi

References[link]

Salman Khan
Salman Khan walking the ramp for Sanjana John
Born	Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (1965-12-27) 27 December 1965 (age 46) Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Residence	Bandra, Mumbai
Other names	Sallu
Occupation	Film actor, television presenter and philanthropist
Years active	1988–present
Parents	Salim Khan Salma Khan
Relatives	Arbaaz Khan (brother) Sohail Khan (brother) Helen Richardson (step-mother)

Salman Khan (pronunciation : [səlˈmaːn ˈxaːn]; born Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on 27 December 1965)^[1] is an Indian film actor. He has starred in more than 80 Hindi films.

Khan, who made his acting debut with a minor role in the drama Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He went on to star in some successful Hindi films of those times, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Judwaa (1997), Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998) and Biwi No.1 (1999), having appeared in the highest earning films of seven separate years during his career.^[2]

In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), No Entry (2005), Partner (2007), Wanted (2009), Dabangg (2010), Ready (2011) and Bodyguard (2011), which has become the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time. Khan has thus established himself as one of the most successful actors of Hindi cinema.^[3][4][5]

Early life[link]

Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma (née Sushila Charak). His paternal grandfather was a Muslim from Afghanistan^[6][7] who came to India and settled in Madhya Pradesh, whereas his mother is a Marathi Hindu.^[8] Khan himself had once said that he is "half Muslim and half Hindu".^[9][10] His stepmother is Helen, a former actress, who has co-starred with him in a few films. He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri. Khan finished his schooling through St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, Mumbai, as did his younger brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Earlier, he studied at The Scindia School, Gwalior for a few years along with younger brother Arbaaz.^[11][12]

Career[link]

1980s[link]

Salman Khan made his acting debut with a supporting role in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), one of India's highest grossing films.^[13] It earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, as well as his first nomination for a Best Actor at Filmfare.

1990s[link]

1990 saw one film release starring Khan, Baaghi: A Rebel for Love. The film was a box office success,^[14] followed by four hit films in 1991, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa, Kurbaan ^[15][16] and Saajan.^[17] Despite these early successes, nearly all of his 1992–1993 releases resulted in box office failures.^[17]

Khan returned to success in 1994 with his second collaboration with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. This film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out to be one of Bollywood's highest-grossing films ever, becoming the fourth-highest earner of all time.^[18] In 1995 he starred in Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun alongside Shahrukh Khan.^[17] The two played brothers who are reincarnated after being killed by family enemies. The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.^[19][20]

In 1996, Khan performed in two movies, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, a box office failure, but critically acclaimed; and Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet. He had two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth.

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai.^[17] Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He rounded of the year with an extended cameo in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for which he earned a second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

In 1999, Khan starred in three films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United and Biwi No.1, two of the highest grossing films that year;^[21] and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which earned another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare.

2000s[link]

In 2000, Khan acted in films including Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega . Chori Chori Chupke Chupke addressed the issue of surrogate childbirth; Khan played the role of a rich industrialist, who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Critics noted his turn towards a more serious role, which reportedly had more substance in comparison to his previous roles.^[22][23] In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam.

For Tere Naam, (2003) Taran Adarsh said of him, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..."^[24] He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005).^[17] Khan's work in 2006 included Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul .

Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam E Ishq. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict.^[25] He next appeared in the Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India which told the love story of an Indian man and an American woman. Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed.^[26]

Khan hosted the second season of 10 Ka Dum in year 2009 which turned out to be even more successful than his first season as host of the game show in year 2008. The show got very high TRPs for Sony Entertainment Television and according to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings.^[27]

Khan's first film of 2009, Wanted directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva. In the same year, he appeared in two other films, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna and London Dreams. While London Dreams doing average business, only due to the uninspiring music, but Main Aurr Mrs Khanna made 21 crores through DTH Premiere.^[28]

2010s[link]

Khan's first release of 2010 was Anil Sharma's commercially and critically unsuccessful film Veer. His next release, Dabangg, was produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan, and released on 10 September 2010. It made a record opening at the box office^[29] and Box Office India declared it an all-time blockbuster.^[30] For his performance in Dabangg, Khan received a Star Screen Award for Best Actor and a Stardust Award for Star of the Year – Male and was nominated for his sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote about his performance, "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself."^[31]

Khan's first release of 2011 was Ready which released on 3 June. The film broke several box office records and is currently the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. He next appeared in Bodyguard. Upon release, the film became an all time blockbuster at the box office,^[32] with Khan's performance receiving favourable comments from critics and is currently the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. ^[33]

Personal life[link]

In 2004, he was voted seventh-best-looking man in the world and the best looking man in India by People magazine, USA.^[34] Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.^[35]

On 11 October 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was installed there on 15 January 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.^[36][37]

Khan has been the subject of several controversies, including certain legal troubles. On 28 September 2002, Khan was arrested for rash and negligent driving. His car had run into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap.^[38] Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped, and he was found not guilty.^[39] On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting the Chinkara, an endangered species. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal.^[40] On 10 April 2006, he was handed a five year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail until 13 April when he was granted bail.^[41]

On September 2010, Khan was reported to have claimed during an interview to a Pakistani channel that the 26/11 attacks were hyped because the "elite" were targeted.^[42][43] During the interview the actor had said - "It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and all. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."^[42][43] Khan also said that Pakistan was not to be blamed for it, and that the Indian security forces had failed.^[44] Khan's comments had drawn strong reactions from Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chagan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena, BJP and other political parties.^[45] The comments were also condemned by Ujwal Nikam, Special Prosecutor in the 26/11 trial.^[45] Khan later apologised for his comments.^[42]

His relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media.^[46] After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him.^[47] In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organised crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake.^[48][49]

After years of speculations, actress Katrina Kaif admitted in an 2011 interview for a magazine that she was in a serious relationship with Salman Khan for several years, which ended in 2010.^[50]

In August 2011 he admitted he suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a facial nerve disorder commonly known as the suicide disease. In an interview he said that he has been quietly suffering it for the past seven years, but now the pain’s become unbearable. It has even affected his voice, making it much harsher.^[51]

Being Human Foundation[link]

Being Human Foundation is a registered charitable trust set up by Salman Khan for helping the cause of the underprivileged. In its early days, Salman Khan set up and funded the Foundation using his own money. The Foundation has two focus areas: Education and Healthcare. To increase the reach and corpus of the Foundation, Salman Khan has undertaken initiatives such as Being Human Art; Being Human merchandise; and Being Human Gitanjali Gold Coins. Proceeds from the activities of these initiatives go towards spreading education and healthcare for the underprivileged.

BEING HUMAN ART: The first showing of Being Human Art was an exhibition of Salman Khan's paintings at Dubai in October 2009. The response was tremendous and more exhibitions are being planned.

BEING HUMAN MERCHANDISE: Being Human Fashion was announced at HDIL India Couture Week 2009 in a show that made fashion history by featuring the biggest ever line-up of superstars including Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. At HDIL India Couture Week 2010, Salman launched Being Human watches and followed it up with another glittering show featuring Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukherjee and Sushmita Sen. Being Human T-shirts were launched in November 2010.

BEING HUMAN GITANJALI GOLD COINS: Being Human, the Salman Khan Foundation has tied up with India's biggest jewellery brand Gitanjali to launch co-branded gold coins.

BEING HUMAN PARTNERS MARROW DONORS REGISTRY INDIA (MDRI): In November 2010, the Foundation partnered with MDRI to create awareness and generate donors in order to create a robust registry in India.^[52]

In 2011. Salman Khan launched his own production company called SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions).Money which will be generated from film productions will be donated to Being Human. First film made under the banner was kids entertainer Chillar Party, which went on to win 3 National Awards, for Best Children's film, best original screenplay and Child Artist's Award .^{[53] [54]}

Non film work[link]

Khan has started an NGO called 'Being Human' which will sell T-shirts and other products online and in stores. A portion of the sales will go to a worthy cause supporting the underprivileged.^[55] In April 2012, he became the brand ambassador for the travel website, Yatra.com, which also made him a shareholder.^[56].He has also endorsed the History Channel, Suzuki motorcycles,^[57] and Mountain Dew with whom he ended the contract in December 2010.^[58]

In January 2012, Khan has offered to pay 40 lakh (US$79,800) for releasing around 400 prisoners from around 63 prisons in the state of Uttar Pradesh via his NGO. The prisoners had completed their term but due to economical reasons, they were unable to pay a legal fine for their charges.^[59]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Television presenter[link]

• 10 Ka Dum (Seasons 1 & 2)
• Bigg Boss (Seasons 4 & 5)

Writer[link]

• Baaghi: A Rebel for Love (1990)^[64]
• Chandra Mukhi (1993)^[65]
• Veer (2010)

Producer[link]

• Chillar Party (2011)

See also[link]

Bollywood portal

• List of Indian Actors
• List of people from Madhya Pradesh

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Ghosh, Biswadeep (2004). Hall of Fame: Salman Khan. Mumbai: Magna Books. ISBN 81-7809-249-2. 

External links[link]

• Salman Khan at the Internet Movie Database
• Salman Khan on Twitter

v t e Bollywood (Hindi cinema) Directors · Actors · Playback singers · Music Directors · Songs · Bibliography Hindi films A–Z—Highest-grossing Films by year: 1930s · 1940 · 1941 · 1942 · 1943 · 1944 · 1945 · 1946 · 1947 · 1948 · 1949 · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012