Jal
Jal at MTV Asia Awards 2006, in Bangkok, Thailand. From left to right; Goher Mumtaz, Farhan Saeed and Aamir Sheraz.
Background information
Origin	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Genres	Pop rock, Alternative rock
Years active	2002-present
Labels	Sadaf Stereo, Fire Records, Tips Music
Associated acts	QB
Website	www.jaltheband.com
Members
Goher Mumtaz Aamir Sheraz
Past members
Atif Aslam Farhan Saeed

Jal (Urdu: جل, literal English translation: "water")^[1][2] is a pop rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.^[3] The band originally consisted of song writer, vocalist and lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz and vocalist, Atif Aslam.^[4] Founded in 2002, they first became popular playing in Lahore's underground music scene with the release of their song "Aadat", which was a massive hit in Pakistan topping all local music charts.^[4]

The band initially achieved critical and commercial success with the release of their music video "Aadat", directed by Umer Anwar, in 2003. After the success of the single, lead vocalist, Atif Aslam due to musical differences with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, parted ways with the band to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Mumtaz recruit musicians Farhan Saeed on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar.^[4] The band's new lineup followed with the release of their debut studio album, Aadat, in 2004. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV by the record label Sadaf Stereo. Soon after wards, the band recorded and released their second studio album Boondh in 2007, which topped several music charts in South Asia. The success of both the albums has led the band to achieve several awards, most notably winning the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India in 2006.Somewhere in the last quarter of 2011, Farhan Saeed also left the band to pursue a solo career with Goher Mumtaz now taking over as the lead vocalist. Jal are currently working on their third studio album which is expected to be released in late 2012 in both Pakistan and India.

Jal are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock music groups of all time in Pakistan. Also, the band is well known for being one of the few contemporary Pakistani music bands to have fused Urdu musical vocals with modern pop music.

History[link]

Early years (1998-2001)[link]

Goher Mumtaz and Atif Aslam met each other while the latter was studying at the PAF College in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, in 1998.^[5] Together the pair started to practice and doing small gigs for their friends. The duo used to perform cover songs of famous local rock bands, such as Junoon and Strings at their concerts. The band then soon started to perform at larger audiences such as in schools, colleges and local restaurants. Thus, this began the original line up of Jal to form.

Formation (2002-2003)[link]

Jal was formed in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan in 2002 by vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter Goher Mumtaz and vocalist Atif Aslam. The band then went on recording their first song "Aadat" at Mekaal Hasan's Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore. The song was released and was made available for download on the internet through many musical websites in Pakistan. The song became very popular on these musical websites and enjoyed the status of being one of most downloaded Pakistani song on the internet for quiet some time due to its extensive popularity. This was followed by the song garnering consistent airplay on many local radio stations.

Soon after wards, the band started to gain popularity in Lahore's underground music scene and gained a large cult following due to the success of their song "Aadat". The band then went on releasing the music video for the song, directed by Umer Anwar, through ARY Digital and The Musik, in December 2003.^[3] This saw the single top all local music charts, receiving an amazing amount of air time by all the music channels.^[3] The video was soon rated as the 4th best video of the year 2003 by ARY The Muzik, within days of its release. The success of the song immediately led the band to receive many concert offers, which was also partly due to the song's rating to date on music channels.^[4]

However, by the end of December, in 2003, Atif parted ways with the band due musical differences, with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Goher recruit musicians Farhan Saeed on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. Farhan was suggested by Sultan Raja, bassist of Call, who introduced him to Goher and thus joining the band as its vocalist. By this time the band, with a new line-up, re-did the song "Aadat" as it's video was already being aired on local music channels with the former lead vocalist, Atif Aslam, voice.^[3][4]

Ushering a new revival (2004-2006)[link]

Lamhay noicon Lamhay, Jal's single from their debut studio album, Aadat. The music video of the single is directed by Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan. The song was subject to plagiarism and created controversy as a remix version of the song appeared in the Bollywood movie Zeher, for which the band accused the film producers of stealing their song. The music director, Anu Malik, credited himself for only "re-creating" the song on the album, but there was still a heavily noticeable resemblance. Whereas, Roop Kumar Rathod is credited as the "composer" for the song, while the original composer and writer is lead guitarist of the band, Goher Mumtaz.

Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Following the release of the band's first single, Jal soon entered the recording studios to work on their debut studio album release. The band had recruited bassist Aamir Sheraz along with vocalist Farhan Saeed, and started to work on their first album. The album was composed by Goher and was produced by well known musicians Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan and Mekaal Hasan, previously produced the band's debut single "Aadat" which was a major hit in both India and Pakistan. Jal then went on recording and releasing their debut studio album, Aadat, through the record label Sadaf Stereo, on September 27, 2004. Mostly all singles from the album did really well at the local music charts, most notably "Aadat" which topped the charts and stayed at the top for two weeks. Whereas, five other songs from the album received Top 40 airplay on radio and music channels in Pakistan. Sales of the album were such that it remained at the top of the Pakistani music charts for several weeks after its release. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV by the record label Sadaf Stereo. This was followed by the album being released in India by HOM Records, where it did really well in the market and was highly acclaimed due to its success in the country as well. In October, Jal released their second single "Lamhay" music video, from their album, directed by Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan.^[6] On November 11, Jal went on performing at Lahore Grammar School 55-Main branch along with Call. In December, Jal received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan.^[7]

Atif Aslam, released his debut solo album Jal Pari, after he left the band, which included few songs from Jal's first studio album. This led to a dispute between Atif and Jal about who owned the rights to the songs as Goher took the dispute to court.^[8] However, the final statement from the court went in favour of both the artists as the songs which were included in both the artist albums were compositions of both Atif and Goher. Thus, the dispute ended between the two musicians.

On February 2, 2005, Jal performed a charity concert for the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami victims at Alhamra Auditorium in Lahore. In the same year, the title track "Aadat", from their debut album, was remade for the Bollywood movie Kalyug, directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Mahesh Bhatt.^[5][9] Also, Jal band members established themselves as one of the most popular and commercially successful band in Pakistan, as their debut album continued to top the music charts locally, and the release of their single "Lamhay" turned out to be another successful single by the band in 2004, and even a year after its release. The song created controversy as a remix version of the song later appeared in the Bollywood movie Zeher, released in March 2005. Jal accused the film producers of stealing their song, "Lamhay". In response to this accusation, the music director for the movie, Anu Malik, credited himself for only "re-creating" the song on the album, but there was still a heavily noticeable resemblance.^[10] Roop Kumar Rathod is credited as the "composer" for the song, while the original composer of the song is vocalist, lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz, of the band. However, Atif Aslam, who sang the song for the movie, faced legal problems over the band name "Jal" with the existing members.^[5]

On April 30, Jal due to the success of their debut studio album won four awards and received two nominations at the Indus Music Awards. The band won the "Best Lyrics", "Best Composition" and "Best Song" awards, for their song "Aadat", along with the "Best Band" award at the music awards. Also, the band were nominated for the "Best Music Album", for their debut album and also the "Best Composition", for the song "Lamhay", award.^[11][12] On September 24, Jal received a nomination for the "Best Song" and "Best Lyrics" award for their song "Lamhay" and also received an award for the "Best Pop Group", for their debut album Aadat, at the Sahara Sangeet Awards, held at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California, United States.^[13][14]

In 2006, Jal's music video for the song "Ik Din Ayega" was declared as the second best video among the top 100 videos selected by ARY Musik channel. On March 31, 2006, Jal once again went on performing at Alhamra Auditorium in Lahore. The following day, the band went on performing at Nawabshah District, for the first time. Soon after wards, the band then went on performing across border in neighbouring country, India, at Modern School, New Delhi on April 7. On May 6, Jal won the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India at MTV Asia Awards 2006 held at the Siam Paragon in Bangkok, Thailand.^[15][16][17] The band also performed their song "Aadat" live at the music awards.^[18] After a month, on June 10, Jal went on performing live at Defence Club and Arts Council Karachi, in Karachi. Followed by performing live in the capital city of the state Andhra Pradesh, in Hyderabad, India. On December 15, Jal performed live in front of a crowd of 15, 000 audiences at Tundikhel for the first time in Kathmandu, Nepal. The band opened their act by performing "Teri Yaad", followed by the massive hit "Lamhay" and also performing many cover songs like "Lal Meri Pat".^[19] On December 23, Jal released a video album Woh Lamhay, which included music videos released by the band and remixes of the songs "Aadat" and "Lamhay" by Dr. Zeus, through the record label HOM Records.^[20]

Success (2007-2009)[link]

In 2007, Jal struck a deal with Gibson Guitar Corporation, becoming the first South Asian band in history (along with the Pakistani pop rock band Strings) to create a working relationship with the famed guitar manufacturers.^[21] It was reported that according to the deal, Jal will exclusively use Gibson guitars during concerts, studio recordings and music videos. Furthermore, Jal will act as brand ambassadors to Gibson. In return, Gibson will sponsor the varied endeavours of the band and also provide concert halls and equipment as and when required. Following this, Jal also became the brand ambassadors for the Abu Dhabi based mobile telecommunication company, Warid Telecom.^[22] In the same year, Jal entered the recording studios to work on their second studio album release. The mixing and engineering of the album was done by Mekaal Hasan and Goher Mumtaz. The album was recorded at Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore, where the band also recorded their debut album Aadat in 2004. All songs on the album were composed and written by Goher Mumtaz with the exception of one track, which is written by Farhan Saeed and the album was produced by Mekaal Hasan. On December 14, Jal went on releasing their second studio album Boondh, through the record label Fire Records, sponsored by Warid Telecom. Farhan Saeed, the lead vocalist of the band, explained the title of the album Boondh is not the name of any song in the album, but is basically the theme of the album and covers all the songs in it. The name suggests that we as a band are just like a small droplet of water in the sea of music, which covers Pakistan, Asia and the entire world where our music is heard. It is our small contribution to the sea of music," said Farhan. This was followed by a live tour, mainly in South Asia, with concerts all over Pakistan, and a few places in India. The following day, Jal released their first music video of the single "Sajni" from their second album, directed by Bilal Lashari. The single was a major hit all over Pakistan, topping all of the charts in the country, just after a month of its release.^[23]

In 2008, Jal were signed to Unilever as they became the brand ambassadors for Wall's ice cream.^[24] On February 19, Jal released the video of their new single "Chaltay Chaltay" featuring Bollywood actress Amrita Rao.^[21] The single later appeared as a bonus track on the band's second album, when re-released on February 26 in Pakistan and March 26, internationally.^[21] Jal's second album Boondh became an instantaneous hit, winning the Lux Style Award for "Album of the Year". The song "Sajni" from this album also won the Best Song and Video of the Year awards at the same ceremony.^[25] On June 14, Jal won the "Best Song" award for the song "Chaltay Chaltay" at The Musik Awards. This was followed by Jal traveling to Toronto, Canada, performing at Markham Fair Grounds in South Asian Mela, on June 15. Then going to performing live at Corianthas in Pune, India. On July 13, the band once again traveled to Canada this time performing at the Wonder Land in Toronto. Followed by a number of concerts in Pakistan and India and then traveling to perform at Rådhusplassen in Oslo, Norway, on August 24.^[26] Jal's video "Sajni", directed by Bilal Lashari, went on winning the 'Best Pop Video Award' at MTV Video Awards 2008.^[27] In November, Jal released the music video of their fourth single "Moré Piya", from Boondh.

On April 9, 2009, Jal went on performing at Qurum City Amphitheatre in Muscat, Oman, for the first time. In May, Jal won the 'Best Ballad' award for their single "Moré Piya" and were nominated for the 'Best Band' award at the first MTV Pakistan Video Awards.^[28] The band continued to go to new heights. From performing at the Club Elegnate in Dubai, to performing at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. The band also performed at various famous educational institutions, including places like George Mason University. In November, Jal released the music video of "Humain Itna Pyaar". This was followed by the band performing at various concerts throughout Pakistan and neighbouring India, as well as performing at Wonderland in Dubai.

Continued success (2010-present)[link]

On March 5, 2011, Jal released the single "Uraan", written by Sabir Zafar, along with its music video, directed by Shahid Hassan. The song was sponsored by LG and was dedicated to the Pakistan cricket team playing at the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

On May 11, it was confirmed that Jal will be performing at Coke Studio season four first episode, which will be aired on May 22, through a Coke Studio television promo of the first episode.^[29] On May 14, in a behind the scenes video of Jal performing at a Coke Studio session, Goher Mumtaz discussed about performing a new song, "Ik Aarzu", at Coke Studio as it would be more challenging for the band.^[30] On May 22, Coke Studio fourth season first episode aired in which Jal performed "Ik Aarzu", added with classical sufi poetry of Bulleh Shah infusion into the band’s song lyrics, featuring with backing vocals by Zoe Viccaji and Rachel Viccaji.^[31][32] On May 24, in a review of the Coke Studio fourth season, first episode, The Express Tribune newspaper gave Jal's performance for the song "Ik Aarzu" a 7/10 rating.^[33] On June 19, the third episode of Coke Studio fourth season aired saw the band sung their hit song "Panchi", from Aadat, with singer Quratulain Baloch, who came in with her rendition of the Mohammad Ali Sheikhi and Allan Fakir's hit song "Tere Ishq Mae Jo Bhi Doob Gaya". The Express Tribune newspaper also gave this performance by the band a 7/10 rating.^[34]

On August 22, the band's lead vocalist Farhan Saeed released a solo single cover of "Halka Halka Suroor" paying tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.^[35] The release of the song led to spreading rumours that the vocalist has parted ways with Jal. On September 3, Saeed in an interview to The Express Tribune finally confirmed these speculations, disclosing his departure from the band to pursue a solo career. Saeed claimed that he disclosed his decision to Mumtaz and Aamir around the first week of Ramazan, saying "I invited them over to my cafe and explained my reasons for leaving the band. Goher offered that I could pursue my solo career while being a part of the band, but for me it’s always been black or white as Jal would be my priority if I stay with the band."^[36]

On December 14, the band released the video of their song "Mahiya" form Boondh. At the end of the video the band also cleared the speculation around the release of their third studio album which is scheduled for release in March 2012. On December 24, Jal released the music video of "Dam Hai Tu Samney Aa" serving as the official theme song for the International Boxing Championship 2011.

Music style[link]

Jal's Goher Mumtaz has shown fondness for Junoon (band), and is influenced by singers such as Hamid Ali Khan and Mehdi Hassan, although their sound primarily falls in the Pop/Rock genre.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Aadat (2004)
• Boondh (2007)
• Piyaas (2012)

Band members[link]

Current members

• Goher Mumtaz – vocals, lead guitar(2002–present)
• Aamir "Shazi" Sheraz – bass guitar (2003–present)
• Salman Albert – Drums/Guitar, (2002–2003)
• Kenny – Drums, (2002–2003)

Former members

• Atif Aslam – vocals, backing vocals (2002–2003)
• Farhan Saeed – vocals, backing vocals (2003–2011)

Awards[link]

• Jal's video Ik Din Aye Ga was declared the 2nd best video among the top 100 videos selected by The Musik channel.
• Jal's debut album Aadat was declared the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV by Mr. Khalid Sadaf (Owner of Sadaf Stereo).
• Jal also received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan.
• In 2006, Jal won an award at MTV Asia Awards 2006, following an award Indus Music Awards for best rock band in Pakistan.
• In 2008, Jal won a best song Musik Award for the song Chalte Chalte.
• In 2008, Jal won a best song award for "Sajni", The Best video for "Sajni" and the best album of the year for "Boondh" at the Lux Style Awards.
• In 2009, Jal won a best ballad song award for their song "More Piya" at MTV Asia Awards.
• In 2010, Jal Won a Best Video Song award For their song "Sajni" at Ptv Award.In June-2010.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jal at MySpace
• Jal at Facebook

JAL or Jal can mean the following:

• Japan Airlines, ICAO airline designator: JAL
• El Lencero Airport in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico (IATA code: JAL)
• JAL (compiler), a compiler for the PIC microcontroller
• The state of Jalisco in México
• Jorge Angel Livraga Rizzi, theosophist and founder of New Acropolis movement
• Jal, New Mexico, a town in New Mexico, USA
• Jal, Oman
• Jal (band), a Pakistani music band
• Jal Fazer, a character in the British TV series Skins
• an episode of the British TV series Skins
• Cyclone Jal, a storm that hit South India during November 2010
• Jal (film), an upcoming film

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Look up band in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Band may refer to:

Clothing, jewelry, and accessories[link]

• Bands (neckwear), two pieces of cloth fitted around the neck as part of formal clothing for clergy, academics, and lawyers
• Bandolier or bandoleer, an ammunition belt
• Belt (clothing)
• Wedding ring or wedding band
• Strap, an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of fabric or leather

Science and technology[link]

• Band (radio), a range of frequencies or wavelengths used in radio transmission and radar
• Rubber band, a short length of rubber and latex formed in the shape of a loop
• Möbius strip or Möbius band, an artifact with interesting topological features
• Band (mathematics), an idempotent semigroup
• Spectral bands, part of the optical spectra of polyatomic systems
• Metals and semiconductors
  • Valence band
  • Conduction band
  • Band gap

Medicine and biology[link]

• Bird ringing, or bird banding, placing a numbered bands of metal on birds' legs for identification
• A group of animals, such as gorillas or coyotes
  • Herd
  • Flocking (behavior)
• Band cell, a type of white blood cell
• Protein band, see Coomassie
• Gastric band, a weight-control measure

Organizations[link]

• Bands (Italian Army irregulars), military units once in the service of the Italian Regio Esercito
• Brazilian broadcast television network Rede Bandeirantes, nicknamed Band or Band Network
• The Band (wrestling), the Total Nonstop Wrestling name for the professional wrestling stable New World Order

Society and government[link]

• Band society, a small group of humans in a simple form of society
• The primary unit of Native Americans in the United States
• Band (First Nations Canada), the primary unit of First Nations Government in Canada

People[link]

• Band (surname)

Places[link]

• Band, Mureş in Romania
• Bánd, a village in Hungary

Music[link]

• Band, a company of musicians—see Musical ensemble
  • Rock band
  • Concert band
  • School band, a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together
  • Marching band, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching (and possibly other movements) with their musical performance
• The Band, a Canadian-American rock and roll group
  • The Band (album), its eponymous album released in 1969

See also[link]

• All pages beginning with "Band"
• All pages with titles containing "Band"
• Banding (disambiguation)
• Drum and bugle corps (disambiguation)
• Stripe (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Farhan Saeed Butt
Background information
Birth name	farhan saeed
Born	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Origin	Lahore, Pakistan
Genres	pop and soft rock
Occupations	Singer, Former lead vocalist, Jal (band), Owner Cafe Rock
Instruments	guitar
Years active	2004 - till present
Labels	Pakistan - Fire Records India - Tips
Website	[2]

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. (May 2010)

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline. Please help to establish notability by adding reliable, secondary sources about the topic. If notability cannot be established, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted. (May 2008)

Farhan Saeed Butt (Urdu: فرحان سعید بٹ) is a former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal (band) and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.

Early life and education[link]

Farhan acquired his early education at Crescent from where he took his O levels. In 1999, Farhan started his A levels at The Keynesian Institute of Management and Sciences in Lahore, and then in 2001 went on to National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences(FAST-NU) in Peshawar but then migrated to the campus in Lahore for his bachelors degree in computer sciences.^[1]

Music career[link]

At the age of 9, Farhan started showing his love for music. He grew up absorbedly listening to his father, Dr Rahat Saeed Butt, and his brothers sing. by the age of 9, he was already singing alongside his brothers and his father. Up until he took his O levels at Crescent, Farhan only sang among his family and friends at which time his greatest supports were his two brothers, Salman and Haroon Saeed, both doctors and talented musicians.

Solo career[link]

On September 3, 2011,in an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune Farhan shocked the fans claiming that he has left Jal (band) to pursue a solo career despite Goher Mumtaz offering him to continue his solo career while being a part of Jal (band).^[2] On September 8, 2011,Farhan's departure was confirmed by Jal the band guitarist Goher Mumtaz who wished him luck for his solo career.^[3]

Debut Song Khwahishon[link]

On October 11 Farhan Saeed released his first debut track Khwahishon Music produced by Saad Sultan and recorded at Sidereal Studios. During a show at Dilli Haat, Pitampura, New Delhi, Farhan unveiled that his first solo album is likely to release in April.

Pi Jaun Video Release[link]

Farhan released his second solo song 'Pi Jaun' on 7th April, 2012 along with a video shot by Prahlad Kakkar. Since the day of release, the romantic number has been getting great response from the fans. The video features Farhan along with Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani. Momina Muhstesan, a Pakistani singer has lent her melodious voice for the soulful duet song. Saad Sultan, a talented musician from Pakistan has composed and penned it.

Cafe Rock[link]

On February 16, 2010, Farhan Saaed Butt opened a restaurant by the name of Cafe Rock at Hussain Chowk (off MM Alam road). The restaurant follows the theme/trend of Hard Rock Cafes. The restaurant provides underground bands and young aspiring artists with a platform to project themselves and perform in front of an audience.^[4]

Personal life[link]

In 2007, after the launch of the Wall's Cornetto campaign featuring Bollywood actress Amrita Rao, it was rumored by the Indian Media that Farhan and the actress had developed feelings for each other and were dating. Later, the rumored replaced his name to band member Goher Mumtaz.,,.^[5][6][7]

On February 19, 2010, while passing through security at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International airport for his departure to Karachi for a concert, a pen Farhan Saeed had been given as a gift the previous day by a fan was found to actually have been an unusual type of weapon (pen pistol). Because of the hype this incident was receiving by the media, Farhan was made to stay at the airport till the time the media had left the airport premises. The authorities are concerned as to who would have wanted to frame him, thus investigations are being carried out, while Farhan has been provided with security.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jal the Band - Official Website

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. (August 2010)

Amrita Rao
Born	(1981-06-17) 17 June 1981 (age 31) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress / Model
Years active	2002–present
Website
http://www.amrita-rao.com

Amrita Rao (əmrɪt̪aː ˈraːu; born June 17, 1981)^{[citation needed]} is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.

Beginning her career as a model, Rao made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras (2002). She then starred in Ken Ghosh's love-story Ishq Vishk (2003) and earned a Filmfare nomination in the "Best Female Debut" category.

Personal life[link]

Amrita was born in Mumbai to a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family.^[1] She speaks Hindi, English, Marathi, besides her mother tongue, Konkani.^[2] She attended Convent Girls School (Prabhadevi) in Mumbai, and later enrolled in Sophia College to pursue a degree in Psychology. Her sister, Preetika Rao, is a Model, Journalist-Columnist and a South-Indian film actress.

Career[link]

Modeling[link]

While studying in Sophia College, Amrita auditioned for an advertisement for Fairever Face Cream. Her appearance in Cadbury’s Perk Karwa Chaut ad and the Bru Coffee advertisement helped her receive offers from film directors in Bollywood.^{[citation needed]}

Acting[link]

Amrita made her acting debut with Anjali Thapar/Nandini in Ab Ke Baras with Arya Babbar (2002), and followed that with her (2003) film, Ishq Vishk, in which she portrayed Payal with Shahid Kapoor. She became an overnight star after the success that film. She followed this up with films Aanchal Mehta in Masti and in (2004) she playing Sanjana (Sanju) Bakshi in Main Hoon Na with Zayed Khan , Deewaar (2004), and she playing Priya Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi with Shahid Kapoor (2005), and Madhvi in Shikharwith her co-Star Shahid Kapoor (2005), and she role Piya inPyare Mohan with vivek oberoi (2006). (2006) She was playing in Heyy Babyy in Special appearance in song "Heyy Babyy. She starred in Sooraj R. Barjatya's Blockbuster Vivah (2006) opposite Shahid Kapoor.^[3]

In 2007 Amrita Rao made her debut in the Telugu film industry with Athidhi opposite Mahesh Babu with Mahesh Babu.^[4] Amrita's releases in 2008 include RiyaMy Name Is Anthony Gonsalves with Nikhil Dwivedi and she was playing kamala in Welcome to Sajjanpur with Shreyas Talpade. Amrita's releases in 2009 are Victory, she was playing Nandini and Shortkut. Amrita's only release in 2011 was main role Ritu in Love U...Mr. Kalakaar! with Tusshar Kapoor.^[5] She acted in Hook Yaa Crook, which is still shelved. She will next be in Jolly L.L.B opposite Arshad Warsi, and an untitled movie opposite her first Co-Star Shahid Kapoor, also produced by Ramesh Taurani under the Tips banner.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmfare Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2004: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for Ishq Vishk
• 2005: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Main Hoon Na

Star Screen Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2003: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female for Ab Ke Baras
• 2004: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2007: Star Screen Award Best Actress for Vivah^[6]
• 2007: Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 along with Shahid Kapoor - Vivah^[7]

Zee Cine Awards[link]

Nominated

• 2004: Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut for Ishq Vishk

International Indian Film Academy Awards[link]

Winner

• 2004: IIFA Awards, Best Female Debut for Ishq Vishk

Stardust Awards[link]

Winner

• 2004: Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2009: Stardust Searchlight Best Actress Award for Welcome to Sajjanpur

Other awards won[link]

^{[citation needed]}

• 2004: Sansui Awards, Best Debut - Female for Ishq Vishk
• 2007: GR8 Women Awards, Young Achiever
• 2007: Anandalok Puroshkar Awards, Most Promising New Talent for Vivah
• 2007: Sports World Awards, Jodi of the Year along with Shahid Kapoor for Vivah
• 2007: Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for Vivah

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amrita Rao

• Amrita Rao at the Internet Movie Database