There is also an Andean instrument called the Kirki.

Khadki
—  neighbourhood  —
Khadki Location of Khadki in Maharashtra and India
Coordinates	18°33′46″N 73°50′27″E / 18.562825°N 73.840812°E / 18.562825; 73.840812Coordinates: 18°33′46″N 73°50′27″E / 18.562825°N 73.840812°E / 18.562825; 73.840812
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District(s)	Pune
Population	76,608 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 570 metres (1,870 ft)

Khadki (Marathi: खडकी) is a city neighbourhood of Pune. It has an army base, two ordinance factories and several breweries.

Referred as Kirkee during British Raj, its borders are flanked by two other large army establishments - the College of Military Engineering and the Bombay Engineering Group. It also has a war cemetery (Kirkee War Cemetery) and a war memorial. It has a large market—Khadki Bazaar—and a railway station. Khadki is also known^{[by whom?]} as a bastion of hockey. The local Field Hockey and Association Football matches are held on the CAFVD Sports Stadium in front of the Khadki Railway Station

History[link]

Khadki was the site of the Battle of Khadki, fought between the British East India Company and the Marathas in 1817 in which Baji Rao, the Peshwa ruler was defeated. Soon after the war, the British set up a cantonment here. It then became the base of the Royal Regiment of Artillery's 79 (Khadki) Commando Battery. World War I Field Marshal William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood was born in Khadki.

The well known Indian hockey player and former India captain, Dhanraj Pillai grew up here. Besides, many hockey players^[who?] who represented India were from Khadki.

Khadki Railway Station[link]

Khadki Railway Station is on the Mumbai - Pune Railway route. It is owned by central railways department of Indian Railways. Sinhagad Express, Sahyadri Express, Deccan Express, Koyna Express and Mumbai - Chennai Express have their halt at this station. It has four platforms, six lines and one footbridge and is electrified station. The nearest railway station is Pune Railway Station and nearest airport is Pune International Airport at Lohegaon (Viman Nagar). The Pichola offers accommodation which is just 4 KM away from the station. This is a Major halt for Military. This makes this an important station on Pune Suburban Railway. This station is to the east of Khadki Auto Rickshaw Stand and is near to Khadki Bazaar. This Station was built for access to Khadki Cantonment (Kirkee Cantonment). Today also this station is mostly used for Indian Army.

Kirkee cantonment[link]

Kirkee War Cemetery

Kirkee War Cemetery

The Khadki (Kirkee) Cantonment is housed here, which also known for Kirkee War Cemetery,^[1] it commemorates nearly 2000 soldiers who died during wars fought in the period of 1914-1918. Their graves are currently located in various locations in India and Pakistan. Located nearby is another memorial dedicated to about 193 soldiers of East and West African origin. These soldiers had lost their lives during the period of 1939-1945 in various non-operational zones around the country.

Khadki also has two major Ordnance Factories - Ammunition Factory Khadki and High Explosives Factory.

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[2] Khadki had a population of 76,608. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Khadki has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 85%, and female literacy is 74%. In Khadki, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education[link]

The town has Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), at nearby Range Hills, Khadki has the following convent schools

• St. Joseph's - one for Boys and another for Girls
• All Saints.
• Range Hills Secondary School, Range Hills

See also[link]

• Pune Cantonment
• Pune
• Pune Suburban Service

References[link]

1. Khadki Railway Station

External links[link]

• Kirkee war Cemetery
• Image set Kirkee war Cemetery

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v t e Pune district topics History 2010 Pune bombing Battle of Khadki Bedse Caves Bhaja Caves Ghorawadi caves Karla Caves Korigad Lal Mahal Lohagad Malhargad Mangalgad Maratha empire Purandar fort Rajgad Sangram Durg Shaniwarwada Shivneri Sinhagad Tikona Torna Tung Fort Visapur fort Vishalgad Geography Indrayani River Katraj Lake Khadakwasla Dam Pavananagar Dam Malshej Ghat Mula River Mula-Mutha River Mulshi Dam Mutha River Naneghat Panshet Dam Pavana River Peacock Bay Temghar Dam Valvan Dam Varasgaon Dam Cities and towns Alandi Baramati Bhor Chakan Daund Dehu Road Dehu Indapur Jejuri Junnar Kamshet Kanhe Khadki Khandala Kusgaon Budruk Lonavla Malavali Manchar Pimpri-Chinchwad Pune Rajgurunagar (Khed) Sasvad Shirur Shivatkar (Nira) Talegaon Dabhade Tathavade Vadgaon Ranjangaon Moshi Monuments Aga Khan Palace Bhimashankar Temple Chaturshringi Temple Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati temple Lenyadri Pataleshwar Parvati Temple Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum Maha Ganapati Transport Chinchwad Railway Station Deccan Queen Indrayani Express Khadki Station Mumbai-Pune Expressway Pimpri Railway Station Pune BRTS Pune International Airport New Pune International Airport Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) Pune Railway Station Sinhagad Express Pune Suburban Service Lonavla Station Shivajinagar Station Education AFMC Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal College of Engineering Deccan College Fergusson College Film and Television Institute of India Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics National Defence Academy Symbiosis International University University of Pune Lok Sabha constituencies Baramati Maval Pune Shirur Vidhan Sabha constituencies Ambegaon Baramati Kasba Peth Kothrud Maval Pune Cantonment Shivajinagar Parks Baner-Pashan Biodiversity Park Saras Baug Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park Stadiums and Sports venues MCA Stadium Nehru Stadium PCMC Hockey Stadium Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Culture 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games Chikki Lavani Osho Pune International Marathon Puran Poli Royal Connaught Boat Club Sawai Gandharva Music Festival

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Gippy Grewal
Background information
Birth name	Rupinder Grewal
Born	(1982-01-02) 2 January 1982 (age 30) Koom Kalam, Ludhiana, Punjab (India)
Genres	Bhangra
Occupations	Punjabi singer & Actor
Associated acts	Honey Singh, Diljit Dosanjh, Sukshinder Shinda
Website	http://www.merapunjab.net/

Gippy Grewal (or Rupinder Grewal) is a Punjabi Singer and Actor.

Biography[link]

He is a Jatt Sikh, born in village Koom Kalam, Ludhiana, Punjab on January 2, 1982. He was enrolled in a Hotel Management course prior to entering the Punjabi Music Industry. ^[1]

Singing Career[link]

He made is debut with the album "Chakk Lai" which went on to became an instant success and brought him into the limelight in the Punjabi Music Industry. He then went on to further his success with albums like "Nasha," "Phulkari," "Phulkari 2 Just Hits" and "Gangster." His 2012 song "Angreji Beat" a collaboration with Honey Singh for his album International Villager stormed the Punjabi Music Charts worldwide and is now featured in Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone's Bollywood film Cocktail that releases in July 2012.

Acting Career[link]

He made his debut in Punjabi Films in a supporting role in 2010 with the superhit film Mel Karade Rabba opposite Jimmy Shergill and Indo-Canadian actress Neeru Bajwa. He followed that up with a lead role in Jihne Mera Dil Luteya with Diljit Dosanjh which became the biggest hit in Punjabi Cinema.^[2] In April 2012 his film Mirza - The Untold Story released with the highest opening for a Punjabi film opposite UK-Punjabi actress Mandy Takhar. His next movie Carry On Jatta pairs him with critically acclaimed Bollywood actress Mahie Gill, it releases in July 2012. He then joins forces with Jazzy Bains who will be making his Punjabi film debut in Best of Luck opposite Miss India Universe 2008 Simran Mundi. ^[3]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

1. ^ "Gippy Grewal Biography". cinebasti.com. http://www.cinebasti.com/celebrity/Gippy-Grewal/6257/biography. Retrieved 24 April 2012. 
2. ^ "Business Today - Punjab Takes Center Stage With Its Own Hits". http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/punjabi-film-industry-and-bollywood/1/19574.html. 
3. ^ "Best of Luck Gippy and Jazzy". http://merapunjab.net/2012/04/best-of-luck-gippy-grewal-jazzy-b/Gippy. Retrieved 26 April 2012. 

Gippy Grewal Page

External links[link]

Ajith Kumar
Born	(1971-05-01) 1 May 1971 (age 41)[1] Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Film actor, promotional model, auto racing driver
Years active	1992–present
Spouse	Shalini Kumar (2000–present)
Children	Anoushka

Ajith Kumar (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995).^[2] A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with Kadhal Kottai (1996), Aval Varuvala (1998), Kadhal Mannan (1998) and Unnai Thedi (1999) being the most notable. He later forayed into method acting, as seen in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001)^[3] before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Attagasam (2004), Varalaru (2006), Kireedam (2007), Billa (2007) and Mankatha (2011).

He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, genres ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers. In addition to his acting, Ajith, in a sabbatical, participated in the 2004 British Formula Three season as a race driver for a minor outfit, and was ranked the third best motor car driver in India at his peak.^[4][5] Ajith remains a popular figure in the media of Tamil Nadu, making headlines for his relationships before his marriage to former actress Shalini,^[3] his long-running media-built rivalry with actor Vijay^[6][7] and his controversial statements in a few occasions.^[8]

Acting career[link]

Early career[link]

Ajith Kumar was born as the middle child in Secunderabad, a city north of Hyderabad to a Tamil Iyer from Kerala^{[9][dead link]} and a Sindhi mother, and was brought up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.^[10][10] He dropped out of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School in 1986 before completing his higher secondary.^[11] He took up work as a two wheeler auto mechanic, and got himself a driver's licence to coincide with his interests, that of car / bike racing. At 18, Ajith had to take up a job to support his career in racing. Joining as an apprentice, he rose to be a merchandiser with a garment export company, doing small-time press ads and TV commercials occasionally. He had put a lot of money into racing and would borrow tyres from his friends who used to help when the chains wore out as there was no money in racing at that time. Following an accident, several business agencies pushed him into modelling for advertisements in print media. He had to make a choice between films and racing, and as the movies were happening and generating him some money, he began concentrating on it.^[11]

Aged 20, Ajith was selected by Telugu FILM productions, Lakshmi Productions, to star in their film; however shooting was stalled soon after filming began, following the death of the film's director.^[12] Ajith then started his film career at the age of 21 appearing in the low budget Telugu film, Prema Pustagam in 1992, which remains his last direct Telugu film to date. His first Tamil film Amaravathi, directed by then newcomer Selva, was a moderate success and his voice was rendered by fellow actor, Vikram.^[11] After the release, Ajith whilst training for an amateur motor race, suffered a fall, injuring his back and underwent three major surgeries resulting in a bed rest for one and a half years.^[12] Following the injury in 1993, Ajith played a supporting role in the Arvind Swamy starrer, Paasamalargal, before appearing in a supporting lead role in the family drama, Pavithra, which featured him as an ailing patient shown maternal affection from Raadhika.^[13]

Breakthrough (1995–2000)[link]

In 1995, after a supporting role in the Vijay starrer Rajavin Parvaiyile, Ajith appeared in his first major success, Aasai. The film directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam, featured him in the lead role opposite Suvalakshmi, whose brother-in-law infatuates about her. The film became a big success and established Ajith as an upcoming actor in the Tamil film industry.^[2][14] He later played the lead in Kalloori Vaasal co-starring Prashanth and Pooja Bhatt.^[11] Ajith's second blockbuster came in the form of National Award winning Kadhal Kottai, in which Ajith reunited with Agathiyan, the director of the earlier project Vaanmathi.^[15] The film which told the tale of two people falling in unconditional love without seeing each other until the climax. The film paired him opposite Devayani, with Heera Rajgopal, who Ajith fell in love during the making of the project, playing a supporting role.^[16]

After the success of his films in 1996, the following year saw a series of five failures,^[12] the most notable being Amitabh Bachchan's Tamil production Ullaasam with Maheswari, in which he was paid a salary of Rs. 2 million for the first time.^[11] Ajith returned with another successful project in Saran's Kadhal Mannan, with the "masala film" setting the foundations for an expanding fan base.^[11] He also rejected roles in Mani Ratnam's Nerukku Ner, which was later played by actors Vijay and Suriya.^[17] Following films Aval Varuvala and Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen also became successes, with the latter featuring Ajith in a praised guest role. After a couple of average grossers in Uyirodu Uyiraga and Ramesh Khanna's Thodarum, Sundar C's romantic drama Unnaithedi opposite Malavika became another comeback film and set the tone for a series of big successes. S. J. Suryaah's thriller, Vaali, which portrayed him in dual roles opposite Simran, became his biggest hit til date following its release.^[12] The film told the story of a deaf and mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife, with Ajith's portrayal of the two brothers winning him his first of many awards for Filmfare's Best Actor.^[18] Furthermore Ajith's portrayal of the brothers was also praised, with critics claiming that the film was an"instant classic" with Ajith showing that he is a "talented actor".^[19] The two following supporting roles in the drama films Anandha Poongatre and Nee Varuvai Ena also brought Ajith plaudits for his portrayals. His final film before the new millennium was another blockbuster, Amarkalam directed by Saran and featuring Shalini, whom he married shortly after the film. Amarkalam told the story of a negelected child who grew up and fails to show feelings of love or affection, becoming a gangster in the process, with Ajith's depiction of his rogue character appreciated by critics.^[20]

His next, Mugavaree, won him commercial and critical praise.^[21] The film revolved around the life of a struggling music composer who faces sacrifices to proceed in his career. The film featured dual endings, one with Ajith succeeding in his career, the other with Ajith dejected. Ajith's performance was yet again praised with critics from Rediff, claiming that "Ajith is the real winner", drawing an allusion with the film's script, whilst adding that "it is amazing to see how Ajith has grown as an actor. He brilliantly portrays the vulnerable and sad Sridhar".^[22] He also appeared in A. R. Rahman's 2000 musical Kandukondain Kandukondain directed by Rajiv Menon. The blockbuster featured Ajith alongside prominent actors Mammooty and Abbas and actresses Aishwarya Rai, Tabu and Srividya.^[23] In a similar role to his previous film, Ajith played a struggling film director facing an oscillating relationship with Tabu, with the pair being unanimously praised for their roles.^[24][25] His first failure in eight films, came in the form of the military based Unnai Kodu Ennai Tharuven co-starring Simran.^[20]

Ups and downs (2001–05)[link]

In 2001, Ajith appeared in Dheena, A. R. Murugadoss's debut film co-starring Laila Mehdin and Suresh Gopi. The film, indirectly marked the beginning of a new image of Ajith, that of an action hero that would appeal to the masses.^[26] Furthermore from the successful film, Ajith's nickname in the film, Thala, Tamil for Leader, became a new identity for the actor amongst his fans.^[27] In the same year, he was offered a role in Nandha, which he rejected.^[28] His next was the much-hyped thriller, Citizen, portraying Ajith in ten different get-ups and it became an above average success at the box office, despite being labelled a disappointment from critics.^[29] A role in the family drama, Poovellam Un Vasam followed opposite Jyothika and was a success commercially and critically earning a Special Best Actor Award from the Tamil Nadu State.^[30] The year ended off with an appearance in Santosh Sivan's Hindi project, Asoka, in which Ajith appeared in a brief negative role alongside Shah Rukh Khan. 2002 saw Ajith appear in three films, the first two; Red and Raja being average grossers, the former further building up his image as an action hero.^[31] The third film, Villain, in which Ajith appeared in dual roles, one as a mentally ill handicap, became a blockbuster and in return earning Ajith his second Filmfare Best Tamil Actor Award.^[32][33]

The following years, from 2003 til 2005, saw Ajith appear in a fewer amount of films due to his career in motor racing becoming more prominent.^[34] 2003 saw the release of his long-delayed Ennai Thalatta Varuvala and the police-drama Anjaneya, both failing commercially. In that period, four blockbuster films namely Saamy, Kaakha Kaakha and Ghajini were turned away by the actor due to various reasons.^[28][35]

His next Jana with Sneha also became a big failure, with the Saran film, Attagasam being his only hit in the period.^[36] The film, saw Ajith portray dual roles, with a song, Thala Deepavali penned to promote his action image. In 2005, the failure of the Linguswamy film Ji, despite garnering positive reviews and taking a strong opening, saw Ajith take a sabbatical from acting to re-work his image.^[37][38]

Success and stardom (2006–present)[link]

During 2006, Ajith returned from his hiatus by appearing in P. Vasu's Paramasivan for which he had lost twenty kilograms to portray the lead role.^[39] The film enjoyed a moderate success, scoring over Vijay's Aadhi, which also released in the same week, at the box-office.^[40] Critics from The Hindu stated Ajith looked "trim and taut" in the film with "only his eyes seeming to have lost some of its sparkle", following the major weight loss.^[41] Furthermore, for Paramasivan and his two other projects in 2006, Ajith sported long hair, which was being grown for Bala's project, Naan Kadavul, which Ajith eventually opted out of.^[42]

Similarly his next, AVM Productions's, Thirupathi directed by Perarasu performed above average business at the box-office, despite garnering poor reviews, with Rediff critics citing that the film is "anything but sensible" but that Ajith "salvages the situation with a spirited performance".^[43] Ajith summed up a successful comeback by the release of his long-delayed film, Varalaru which went on to become his biggest success til date. The K. S. Ravikumar film co-starring Asin, portrayed Ajith in three roles, including that of a classical dancer, with his portrayals being critically praised.^[44][45] Moreover, the film fetched Ajith his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, on its way to becoming a blockbuster.^[46] In 2007, media reports hinted that the actor would do a project with Shankar.^[47] Ajith's first release in 2007, Aalwar became a debacle at the box-office, with his previous film still continuing to run in theatres even after Aalwar had stopped its brief theatrical run.^[48] Kireedam, a remake of the 1989 National Award winning Malayalam film of the same name was released to positive reviews, with the film also becoming a moderate success.^[49] During the shoot of the film, Ajith developed a further spinal injury, a recurrence of his problem earlier in his career.^[50]

Ajith then starred in Billa, a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth starrer of the same name, which became a blockbuster.^[51] The Vishnuvardhan directorial fetched critical praise for Ajith, becoming a trend-setter for stylish art direction and cinematography in India.^[52] Billa, yet again, featured Ajith in dual roles one of a notorious don whilst the other played an innocent person who had to act as the don, following the former's death. After Billa, Ajith appeared in the film Ayngaran International production Aegan, directed by the choreographer turned director Raju Sundaram. The film, a remake of the 2004 Hindi comedy Main Hoon Na, only managed to do average business at the box office.^[53] Following a year's worth of production, Ajith's latest release, Aasal released in February 2010, taking a grand opening at the box office. The film, which also featured Ajith in dual roles, saw Ajith credited as a screenwriter along with his role of being a don neglected by his brothers in the quest for their father's will.^[54] After a second foray into motor racing, Ajith signed up to star in a film directed by Venkat Prabhu, titled Mankatha, which notably became his 50th project.^[55] The film featured him in a full-length negative role as Vinayak Mahadevan, a suspended police officer who lusts after money. His performance and his decision to portray a character with negative shades, breaking the stereotype hero image in Tamil cinema,^[56][57] were lauded by critics, with reviewers from Sify and Rediff terming the film as an "out and out Ajith film" that worked "only because of Ajith".^[58][59] Heaping praise on the actor's performance, the former noted that he "rocks as the man with ice in his veins as the mean and diabolic cop" and that he played "the emotionless bad man, to perfection",^[58] while the latter wrote that he had "carried practically the whole film on his capable shoulders".^[59] Mankatha brought Ajith Kumar his best ever opening in his career and went on to become a financially successful venture as well.^[56]

Racing career[link]

Ajith Kumar competing in the final round of the MRF racing series (2010) in Chennai

Ajith is a keen race car driver and has driven in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He has also been abroad for various races including Germany and Malaysia. He drove in the 2003 Formula Asia BMW Championships.^[60] He raced in the 2010 Formula 2 Championship along with two other Indians, Armaan Ebrahim and Parthiva Sureshwaren.^[61]

Formula BMW Asia (2003)[link]

After a one-off race during the Formula Maruti Indian Championships in 2002, where he finished in fourth place, Ajith signed a contract with manager Akbar Ebrahim confirming his participation in the inaugural Formula BMW Asia Championship. Despite spinning out in the first lap of his first race, Ajith successfully completed the season by finishing seventh in the season.

Formula 2 (2010)[link]

After a six year sabbatical, Ajith signed up for his third season of car racing by participating in the 2010 season of the FIA Formula Two Championship.^[62] The decision to be involved in the sport was made after Ajith's film directed by Gautham Menon was delayed, allowing Ajith to participate for the whole season.^[63] Prior to signing up, Ajith competed in the final round of the MRF racing series in Chennai in February 2010, but failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. Further trials in Sepang, Malaysia followed suit as he practised for the season's beginning in April 2010 in his Formula Renault V6 car with Eurasian Racing, shedding 11 kilograms during training.^[64]

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

Ajith Kumar was born on 1 May 1971 to a Palakkad Iyer Iyer named P. Subramaniam and his wife Mohini, of Sindhi origin from Kolkata, West Bengal.^[4][65] Ajith later created the non-profit organisation "Mohini-Mani Foundation", named after his parents, in order to promote self-hygiene and civic consciousness and to help ease the problems of urban sprawl.^[66] Ajith Kumar was the middle son out of three brothers, the others being Anoop Kumar, a stock broker in New York and Anil Kumar, an IIT Madras graduate working in Seattle.^[67] Moreover, Ajith had younger twin sisters, both of whom died young.^[4] Through his marriage to actress Shalini, Ajith became brother-in-law to actor, Richard Rishi, and actress Shamili, who appeared as his sister-in-law in Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain.

Relationships[link]

In 1999, during the shoot of Saran's Amarkalam, Ajith began to date his co-star Shalini. At that time, their involvement made him a regular subject of tabloid gossip, a role to which he was accustomed following his previous relationship. Ajith proposed to Shalini in June 1999, and following consultations with her family, she agreed.^[3] They were married in April 2000 in Chennai in a grand ceremony. As both were of different religions, Ajith being a Hindu Brahmin and Shalini being Protestant Christian, they were married together under the customs of both religions. After their marriage, Shalini retired as an actress and became a full time housewife, following the completion of two unfinished projects.^[68] On 3 January 2008, their daughter, Anoushka, was born in Chennai.^[69]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmfare Awards South

• Best Actor Award for Vaali (1999)
• Best Actor Award for Villain (2002)
• Best Actor Award for Varalaru: History of Godfather (2006)

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

• Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Actor for Poovellam Un Vasam (2001)
• Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary MGR Award (2006)

Vijay Awards

• Vijay Award for Favourite Hero (2006)
• Cinema Express Award for Best Actor - Tamil – Citizen (2001)

Nominated:

• Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Asoka (2001)

Filmography[link]

References[link]