Sachin Bhatt (born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA) is an American theatre,^[1] film and television actor of Indian origin.

Bhatt is best known for his lead role as Ali in the 2008 film The Ode directed by Nilanjan Neil Lahiri.^[2] He also played in a number of TV series and short films.

Sachin Bhatt also played important roles in theatre production including the lead role of Akaash in the 2006 national tour of "Bombay Dreams"^[3] and as Chino in the Asian-European tour of "The Westside Story",

Filmography[link]

Films

• 2008: The Love Guru as a group dancer
• 2008: The Ode as Ali
• 2009: Bollywood Beats as Raj
• 2009: Arranged: The Musical as Siddharth (short film)
• 2011: Worker Drone as Rahul (short film)
• 2011: Embrace as Javed (short film)

TV series

• 2011: The Fresh Beat Band as Bob in episode "Genie"
• 2011: Outsourced as Cousin Manish in 2 episodes: "Gupta's Hit & Manmeet's Missus" and "A Sitar Is Born"
• 2011: Glass Heels as Samdaji Kumar Reshamiya
• 2011: Private Practice as Dr. Barksdale in episode "If I Hadn't Forgotten..."

References[link]

External links[link]

Sachin Bhatt at the Internet Movie Database

Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla (Punjabi: غالب شیراز دھلا (Shahmukhi), ग़ालिब शिराज़ धल्ला (Devanagari)) born in Mombasa, Kenya, is a Los Angeles-based writer. He is most famous for his novel Ode to Lata published in 2002, that was adapted to a film in 2008 under the title The Ode. He has also published the novel The Two Krishnas in 2011, which was released as The Exiles in India.

Career[link]

At 13 years old, the aspiring young novelist published his first article on infertility in a national magazine VIVA. Since then he's written for various publications including Instinct, Genre, Angeleno, Detour and Details and is the Editor of the upscale lifestyle E-zine IndulgeMagazine.com

An excerpt from Ode to Lata was featured in the award-winning anthology Contours of the Heart: South Asians Map North America (Rutgers), which went on to win the 18th Annual American Book Award. The Los Angeles Times Book Review hailed Dhalla's debut as "an achievement" (Sunday, March 24, 2002) and Christopher Rice called it "a rare, great novel" (book jacket). Ode to Lata created milestones as the first South Asian gay novel ever to be reviewed by The Los Angeles Times and to be excerpted by Genre Magazine. It was also the first account of the South Asian gay experience from an author from the African continent. The cultural and academic impact of Dhalla's debut novel was further recognized when it was presented at the Between The Lines Festival at MIT (Boston) in 2004, and added to college syllabuses around the country like California State University.

Ode to Lata was adapted for a motion picture, The Ode starring Sachin Bhatt, Wilson Cruz, and Sakina Jaffrey. Dhalla wrote, co-directed and produced the film. The Ode premiered at the Outfest Film Festival on July 17, 2008 to a sold-out audience. It was called "a beautiful portrait of the American experience for many first and second-generation Indian-Americans" (CineQueer, July 18, 2008) and a film with performances that are "memorable" and filled with "cinematic intensity" (Planet Homo, July 19, 2008). The UCLA Asia Institute praised it as a film that inspired "after-film contemplation" and boasting performances that are "noteworthy" (Asia Pacific Arts, August 8, 2008).

Dhalla's follow-up novel, The Two Krishnas (Magnus Books, September 2011) draws from romantic Sufi poetry and archetypal Hindu mythology. It paints a picture of infidelity and political upheaval across three continents; exploring how, with a new world come new freedoms, and with them, the choices that could change everything we know about those we thought we knew—including ourselves.

Some of Dhalla's influences are Dorothy Parker, Andrew Holleran, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and the poetry of Rumi.

In January 2011, Dhalla wrote, directed and produced the film Embrace starring Rebecca Hazlewood, Ajay Mehta and Randy Ryan. Embrace is the first dramatization of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on record.

In popular culture[link]

• East Indian in heritage and a passionate activist, Dhalla co-founded the South Asian program for the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team (APAIT) which provides prevention, health and social services, community leadership and advocacy to over 10,000 individuals in Southern California. He was also one of the founding members of SATRANG, a support group for LGBT South Asians in Los Angeles.
• In June 2007, Dhalla was listed as one of the Top 21 Tastemakers and “Most Important Movers and Shakers” in America by Genre Magazine.
• In August 2007, Dhalla was listed as one of the "Top 25 People Who Make Us Melt - Angelenos Who Redefine What's Hot" by Frontiers Magazine.
• In March 2008, Dhalla was included in Anokhi Magazine's "Sexy & Successful 2008" roster.
• Dhalla joined the prestigious Humanitas Prize organization in 2009 as a Reader for excellence in TV and Film scripts for the 35th Humanitas Prize. *On August 29, 2009 Dhalla was showcased at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York with the headlining event, An Evening with Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla where he had the opportunity to map the journey of his semi-autobiographical novel, Ode to Lata to screen and celebrate his body of work. The event was thrown by Engendered, an arts and human rights organization aimed at creating awareness around gender and sexuality.
• In April 2011, Dhalla was invited to be the subject and guest of the prestigious Master's Tea at Yale University.

Works[link]

Novels

• Ode to Lata - Novel (Really Great Books, 2002)
• The Two Krishnas - Novel (Magnus Books, 9/11) Published as The Exiles (HarperCollins India 2011)

Short stories

• A - short story, Love, West Hollywood anthology (2008)

Films (screenwriter)

• The Ode - Screenplay (2007)
• Embrace - Writer/Director/Producer (Post-Production)
• Abandon - Original Screenplay (Development)

Films (producer)

• The Ode - Associate Producer (2007)

Notes and references[link]

• The Los Angeles Times Book Review of Ode to Lata
• Indulge Magazine

External links[link]

• Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla Official website
• Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla Facebook
• Embrace on Facebook
• Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla at the Internet Movie Database
• The Ode at the Internet Movie Database
• Embrace at the Internet Movie Database

Related

• APAIT website
• Satrang website

Madhuri Dixit
Madhuri Dixit in 2011
Born	(1967-05-15) 15 May 1967 (age 45) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1984–2002 2007–present
Spouse	Dr Shriram Madhav Nene (1999–present)
Website
www.madhuridixit-nene.com

Madhuri Dixit (born on 15 May 1967)^[1] is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Hindi films. Often cited by the media as one of the best actresses in Bollywood,^[2][3] Dixit made her film debut in Abodh (1984) and received wider public recognition with Tezaab (1988). She went on to establish herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading actresses, acknowledged for several of her performances, her beauty, and her accomplished dancing.^[4]

Some of her proceeding films include such box-office hits as Dil (1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Raja (1995). After a relatively low phase, she reinvented herself with the romance Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and subsequently received critical acclaim for her work in films like Mrityudand (1997), Pukar (2000), Lajja (2001) and Devdas (2002). In 2002, she retired from films in order to raise her children and made a comeback with the musical Aaja Nachle in 2007.

Dixit has won five Filmfare Awards, four for Best Actress and one for Best Supporting Actress. She holds the record for the highest number of Best Actress nominations (13) at Filmfare. In 2008, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India.^[5]

She is married to Dr Shriram Madhav Nene, with whom she has two children. The couple resided in the United States before moving to India in 2011.

Early life[link]

Madhuri Dixit is a native of Mumbai, India. She was born Madhuri Shankar Dixit to Shankar and Snehlata Dixit, of a Marathi Brahmin family. Dixit attended Divine Child High School and Mumbai University and studied to be a microbiologist.^[6] She is a trained Kathak dancer^[7] and a great admirer of it.^[8]

Film career[link]

1980s[link]

Madhuri Dixit made her acting debut in Rajshri Productions' movie Abodh in 1984. The film failed but minor and supporting roles continued to follow.

In 1988, Dixit attained stardom after she landed the lead female role of Mohini in N. Chandra's blockbuster Tezaab opposite Anil Kapoor. The film went on to become that year's highest grossing movie.^[9] Dixit received her first nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 1989, Dixit continued her success by starring in a number of successful hit movies. Her first release was Subhash Ghai's movie Ram Lakhan, in which she was paired once again with Anil Kapoor. The film became a super-hit movie and went on to become the second highest grossing film of the year.^[10] Dixit's next release Prem Pratigyaa, in which she starred opposite Mithun Chakraborty, earned her second nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit's next big performance came in the multi-starrer Tridev, in which she was paired with Sunny Deol. The movie became the year's third highest grossing film. Dixit continued her success with her third pairing with Anil Kapoor in Parinda.

1990s[link]

In 1990, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's romantic-drama Dil opposite Aamir Khan. She played the role of a rich and arrogant girl who falls in love with a poorer boy and later leaves her house to marry him. The film became the biggest box-office hit of the year in India^[11] and Dixit's performance earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career.

After the success of Dil, Dixit became one of the top actresses of Bollywood. In 1991, she starred in Lawrence D'Souza's super-hit movie Saajan opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. The movie became the year's highest-grossing movie. Dixit's performance earned her the fourth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[12]

In 1992, Dixit featured in Indra Kumar's blockbuster Beta opposite Anil Kapoor.^[13] Dixit's performance of Saraswati, a woman married to an illiterate, well-meaning man who exposes her scheming mother-in-law, won her a second Filmfare Best Actress Award. Following the film's success, Dixit became famously known as the "Dhak Dhak Girl" for her performance in the famous song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga".

In 1993, Dixit starred in Subhash Ghai's super-hit Khalnayak opposite Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. Her portrayal of the police officer Ganga earned her a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Khalnayak became the year's second highest grossing film.^[14]

In 1994, Dixit starred in Rahul Rawail's Anjaam, being paired with Shahrukh Khan for the first time. Dixit's performance of a revenge-seeking wife and mother earned her a seventh nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit was praised for her performance, though the film was a below average performer at the box office. Her next starring role was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! opposite Salman Khan.The film became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema. The film was a commercial success and made 135 crore in worldwide breaking the record of Sholay. It became the highest grossing Bollywood film in Hindi cinema history after its theatrical run and held the record for 7 years till the release of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. Dixit's role of a modern yet family-oriented young girl fetched her the third Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career. In the Millenium Edition of the "Guinness Book of World Records" Hum Aapke Hain Kaun became the Bollywood's highest grossing film.^[15]

In 1995, Dixit starred in Indra Kumar's Raja opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film became the fourth highest grosser of the year and she earned her ninth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[16] Her next release David Dhawan's Yaraana opposite Rishi Kapoor, in which she plays a dancer on the run from her abusive lover, earned her tenth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

After Raja, Dixit's career went into a slump during 1996 and much of 1997. However, she bounced back commercially with Yash Chopra's musical-romance Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997 alongside Shahrukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Her portrayal of a young woman faced with a moral dilemma fetched her a fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award.^[17] The movie became the second highest grosser of the year.^[18] In that same year, Dixit starred in Prakash Jha's critically acclaimed Mrityudand.

2000s[link]

In 2002, she starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's melodrama Devdas. The film, which co-starred Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai saw Dixit portray the role of Chandramukhi, a prostitute in love with Khan. The film was a box-office success and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. The film was featured at the Cannes Film Festival. The following year a film named after her, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, was released^[19] in which a woman (played by Antara Mali) aspires to become the new Madhuri Dixit by trying her luck in Bollywood.^[20][21]

On 7 December 2006, Dixit returned to Mumbai with her husband and sons to start filming for Aaja Nachle (2007).^[22] The film released in November 2007 and, despite the critics panning it, Dixit's performance was highly appreciated,^[23][24][25] with the New York Times commenting about her that "she's still got it".^[26][27]

On Women's International Day in 2007, Dixit topped Rediff's list of the Best Bollywood Actresses Ever.^[2] In May 2008, she was given a tribute by Indian Film Festival at Los Angeles.^[28] In March 2010, The Economic Times named Madhuri Dixit in the list of the "33 women who made India proud".^[3] She also received a Filmfare Special Award in honor of her 25 years in the Bollywood industry. In 2011, Rediff.com listed her in top 10 "Readers Choice: The Greatest Actresses of all time".^[29]

Dance[link]

Madhuri Dixit dancing on stage for the Unforgettable Tour in 2008

Dixit is not only known for her acting skills,^{[2][20][21][30][30][31]} but for her dancing skills as well.^[32] Often referred to as the "Dhak Dhak Girl", she is famous for her dance in the song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" from the film Beta. She is also known for her dance sequences accompanying Bollywood songs such as "Ek Do Teen" (from Tezaab), "Humko Aaj Kal Hai" (from Sailaab), "Bada Dukh Deenha" (from Ram Lakhan), "Chane Ke Khet Mein" (from Anjaam), "Didi Tera Devar Deewana" (from Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!), "Choli Ke Peechhe" (from Khalnayak), "Akhiyan Milaun" (from Raja), "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" (from Yaraana), "Kay Sera Sera" (from Pukar), and "Maar Daala" (from Devdas).

Pandit Birju Maharaj, a Kathak dancer, who choreographed Dixit in the film Devdas calls her as "the best Bollywood dancer due to her versatility." ^[33]

Television appearances[link]

Dixit on the sets of Nach Baliye

In 2001 on the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati's first season, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, she won 50,00,000 that she donated for people affected in natural calamities. She also made an appearance in Season 4's Grand Finale that aired in 2010.

In 2002, Madhuri Dixit hosted a TV show Kahina Kahi Koi Hai which was a match-making show that aired on Sony Entertainment.^[34] She also made appearances on Koffee with Karan in Season 2 & Season 3 that aired in 2007 & 2011. Her Season 2 appearance was a solo appearance and in Season 3 she shared the chat show with Sonakshi Sinha.

Dixit has been guest on Nach Baliye Season 1 and 3, a celebrity-couple dancing competition in 2005 (aired on Star One) & 2007 (aired on Star Plus).

In 2011, she appeared as a judge on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 along with other co-judges Remo D'souza and Malaika Arora Khan.^[35]

Social work[link]

In 2009 Madhuri Dixit performed for NDTV Toyota Greenathon — India's first-ever nationwide campaign for save the environment and creating awareness about environmental issues. NDTV organised India's first 24-hour live telethon — a fund-raising event that brings in people to donate money to support TERI's initiative — Lighting a Billion Lives which aims at providing solar power to villages without electricity. Dixit became a part of this great social cause, and she performed her hit numbers on the live show.^[36][37]

On 3 February 2011 Dixit spent an evening with 75 orphanage kids of farmers at an ashram in Trimbakeshwar and participated in the birthday of two children: Hrishikesh and Rani. "We artists are ready to help such children. People from the higher society should come forward and stand firmly behind them," she said on the occasion.^[38]

Madhuri Dixit is a brand ambassador and a patron for Emeralds for Elephants — a charity project for the conservation of Asian Elephants and other endangered species. This project has been designed to create awareness and raise vital funds for the protection of the critically endangered Asian Elephant. A collaborative project between the World Land Trust (a UK based nonprofit environmental organisation) and the Wildlife Trust of India that is creating protected wildlife corridors connecting National Parks and protected areas to others. Speaking about the issue she said: "Elephants are one of my favourite animals and I love them. So what we need to do today is to see how we can preserve our animals. I feel very strongly about this."^[39]

Personal life[link]

Madhuri Dixit with Shriram Madhav Nene at the Filmfare 2011 Nominations Bash

On 17 October 1999, Madhuri Dixit married Shriram Madhav Nene, a UCLA-trained cardiovascular surgeon who practiced in Denver.^[40][41][42] Nene is also from a Marathi Brahmin family.^[43] They have two sons, Arin (born in March 2003) and Raayan (born in March 2005). After marriage, Dixit had relocated to Denver, US for almost a decade. In October 2011, Dixit again shifted her base back to Mumbai, India, along with her family.^[44]

Madhuri Dixit has been the muse for the famous Indian painter M.F. Husain. He was so fascinated by Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! that he watched the film 67 times, and in 2007 he booked an entire theatre to see her comeback movie Aaja Nachle.^[45] He made a series of paintings of her, and in 2000 made a film named Gaja Gamini starring her, which was intended as a tribute to Dixit herself.^[46]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Madhuri Dixit

• Madhuri Dixit at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website
• Madhuri Dixit on Twitter

Pooja Bhatt
Pooja Bhatt at Tommy Hilfiger Footwear Launch
Born	(1972-02-24) February 24, 1972 (age 40) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress, Producer & Director
Spouse	Manish Makhija
Parents	Mahesh Bhatt Kiran

Pooja Bhatt (Hindi: पूजा भट; born 24 February 1972) is an Indian film actress and model, currently devoting time to film production and direction. She is the daughter of Indian film director Mahesh Bhatt.^[1]

Early life[link]

Bhatt was born to Mahesh Bhatt and Kiran Bhatt (aka Loraine Bright). She is the step daughter of Soni Razdan. She has a brother, Rahul Bhatt and step sisters Shaheen and Alia. Her cousin Mohit Suri is a film screenwriter & director. Emraan Hashmi is another famous cousin.^[2]

She acted in many films which were produced and directed by her father. In most of her films, she used her real name Pooja.

Career[link]

Bhatt made her acting debut at age 17, in 1989 with Daddy, a TV film directed by her father Mahesh Bhatt. In the film she portrayed a soul-searching teenage girl in an estranged relationship with her alcoholic father, played by actor Anupam Kher.

Her biggest solo hit and her big screen debut came with a musical hit, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), which was a remake of the Oscar-winning Hollywood classic It Happened One Night. Pooja received the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for the film. Another hit movie of Bhatt was Sadak (1991).

Her most well-known films in the 1990s included, Sadak opposite Sanjay Dutt (1991), Junoon, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin opposite Aamir Khan (1991), Sir (1993), Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993), Naaraaz (1994), Hum Dono, Angrakshak opposite Sunny Deol (1995), Chaahat opposite Shahrukh Khan (1996), Tamanna (1997), a super-hit and multi-starrer Border (1997) and Zakhm (1998). Pooja Bhatt has also acted in some popular hit regional Indian films.

Her last film appearance was in Everybody Says I'm Fine! in 2001. She has since focused on producing and directing. She made her directorial debut with Paap in 2004, starring John Abraham and Udita Goswami. Since then, she has made three more directorial ventures: Holiday (2006), Dhokha (2007) and Kajraare (2010).

Personal life[link]

On 24 August 2003, Bhatt married Manish Makhija, also known as Udham Singh, a former VJ of Channel V and now the owner of a restaurant-bar in Goa. She had met Makhija a few months earlier, while he was working with her in the film, Paap (2004), in which he also did a small role.

Awards and nominations[link]

Winner[link]

• 1991 - Filmfare Award for Lux Face of the Year

Nominations[link]

• 2005 - Popular Award for Best debuting Director for Paap (2004)

Filmography[link]

Producer[link]

• Tamanna (1997)
• Dushman (1998)
• Zakhm (1998)
• Sur: The Melody of Life (2002)
• Jism (2003)
• Paap (2003)
• Rog (2005)
• Holiday (2006)