Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing films in regional languages. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world.

Bollywood is formally referred to as Hindi cinema. There has been a growing presence of Indian English in dialogue and songs as well. It is common to see films that feature dialogue with English words (also known as Hinglish), phrases, or even whole sentences.

The name "Bollywood" is a portmanteau derived from Bombay (the former name for Mumbai) and Hollywood, the center of the American film industry. However, unlike Hollywood, Bollywood does not exist as a physical place. Though some deplore the name, arguing that it makes the industry look like a poor cousin to Hollywood, it has its own entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is widely considered to be one of the best actors produced by India. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Shah was born on 20 July 1950 in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India where his father was a Navy Officer. Shah's family hails from Sardhana in District Meerut (Uttar Pradesh).He is a descendant of the 19th-century Afghan warlord Jan Fishan Khan. Naseeruddin Shah did his schooling at St. Anselm's Ajmer and St Joseph's College, Nainital. He graduated in arts from Aligarh Muslim University in 1971 and attended National School of Drama in Delhi. He has been successful in mainstream Bollywood cinema as well as in Parallel Cinema. He has also appeared in international films, notably playing Captain Nemo in the Hollywood comic book adaptation The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. His elder brother is Lt. General Zameerud-din Shah PVSM, SM, VSM, recently appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

Sunny Deol is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Often referred to as "Action King of Bollywood". Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting. He joined theater called the Old Web Theater in Birmingham, England where he studied theatre and acting

Deol's films such as Border (1997) and Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) remain some of Bollywood's biggest hits., while films like Betaab (1983), Arjun (1985), Paap Ki Duniya (1988), Tridev (1989), Ghayal (1990), Damini – Lightning (1993), Darr (1993), Jeet (1996), Ghatak: Lethal (1996), Ziddi (1997), Indian (2001), The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003), Apne (2007), Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) are other successful films thus making him successful leading actors of Bollywood. Gadar: Ek Prem Katha is the second-highest grossing movie of Indian film history, if inflation is taken into account and also most watched of modern era in theaters.

Deol was born into a Punjabi -Sikh family in Sahnewal village of East Punjab (India) to Bollywood actor Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur. Sunny is eldest son of Dharmendra. His stepmother is Hema Malini. He has a brother Bobby Deol and two sisters Vijayta Deol and Ajeeta Deol who are settled in California, he also has two half-sisters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. The former being an actress, has worked in some successful Bollywood flicks.His cousin Abhay Deol is also a successful actor.

Juhi Chawla (Punjabi: ਜੂਹੀ ਚਾਵਲਾ born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, voice actress, film producer and television presenter.

After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career. She went on to become one of the top leading actresses of Bollywood and starred in films ranging from the romances Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Darr (1993) to Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, to Yes Boss (1997) and Ishq (1997). Chawla has been mostly recognised for her comic timing in films as well as her vivacious screen persona.

During the 2000s, after having starred in over 70 mainstream Hindi films, Chawla started acting in art and independent films. She appeared in films in her native tongue of Punjabi, and has been mostly working in parallel cinema. She gained critical recognition for her performances in films like Jhankaar Beats (2003), 3 Deewarein (2003), My Brother Nikhil (2005), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and I Am (2011). Since 2000, Chawla branched out into film production and television presenting as well.

Urmila Matondkar (born on 4 February 1974) is an Indian film actress. Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha (1991). She established herself as a popular actress in mainstream Hindi cinema with her films such as Rangeela (1995), Judaai (1997), and Satya (1998), all of which earned her Filmfare nominations. These roles contributed to a new screen persona, where she was known for her intense style and dancing skills, and was frequently featured in the Indian media as a sex symbol.

She subsequently took on several psychological roles, delivering a range of critically acclaimed performances. These parts include a psychopath in Kaun (1999), an obsessive lover in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), a ghost-possessed woman in Bhoot (2003), and a merciless avenger in Ek Hasina Thi (2004). For her performance in Bhoot, she won her first Filmfare Award in the Best Actress (Critics) category, among others. She followed with leading roles in art and independent films, such as Tehzeeb (2003), Pinjar (2003), Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005), and Bas Ek Pal (2006).