Thalappil Pradeep
Professor T. Pradeep in his laboratory 2008
Nationality	Indian
Fields	Molecular materials and surfaces
Institutions	Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Alma mater	Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Thalappil Pradeep is a professor in the Department of Chemistry^[1] at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras^[2].

Education[link]

Pradeep^[3] earned a PhD degree in chemical physics working with Professors C. N. R. Rao^[4] and M. S. Hegde at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore^[5]. Subsequently, he spent about two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley^[6] and Purdue University, Indiana^[7]. Since then, he has been working in the Indian Institute of Technology Madras^[8], where he is a full professor. He also held visiting positions at Purdue University^[9], Leiden University, in the Netherlands^[10], EPFL, Switzerland^[11], the Institute of Chemistry, Taiwan^[12], Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea^[13] and the University of Hyogo, Japan^[14].

Research[link]

Pradeep’s work is in the area of molecular materials and surfaces. In his formative years, he measured the very first vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectrum of Ar₂^[15] and discovered a novel transition metal ion, NiH₂⁺.^[16] Currently most of his work is on nanoparticles and ice surfaces. His group studied the dynamics of monolayers in monolayer protected nanoparticles and has shown that monolayers are rotationally frozen on nanoparticle surfaces and do not exist in a ‘rotator phase’, as believed earlier.^[17] His group found a ‘transverse electrokinetic effect’, in which a potential is generated on nanoparticle assemblies anchored on surfaces, when a liquid flows over them.^[18] He showed that the equilibrium constant of the prototypical proton transfer reaction, NH₃ + HCl → NH₄Cl, is orders of magnitude lower on ice.^[19] More recently he found that diffusion of chemically similar molecules through ultra thin ice films exhibits several surprise effects.^[20] A new structural transition on the top-most layers of ice surfaces has been discovered at low temperatures.^[21]

Results[link]

Pradeep discovered that in the presence of metal nanoparticles, single walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles emit light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, irrespective of whether it is metallic or semiconducting.^[22] This is primarily attributed to the increase in the number of defects introduced by nanoparticle binding, which leads to the complete loss of metallicity of the tubes. While the visible light fluorescence has shown large potential in sensing, many novel applications are likely to be discovered through the loss of metallic nature of SWNTs.

His recent research is mostly concerned with anisotropic nanostructures^[23][24] and luminescent noble metal clusters.^[25][26][27] He found that noble metal nanoparticles can completely degrade halocarbons into amorphous carbon and metal halides.^[28] There are many important aspects of this discovery: the complete degradation of halocarbons, and extension of the study to toxic pesticides (as many of them are halocarbons),^[29] its eco-friendly nature (as the end-products are harmless), the efficient removal mechanism of pesticide residues in drinking water^[30] and simple visual color based detection systems for pesticide detection.^[31] Due to zero electricity usage, this technology is likely to be of use to rural populations affected by pesticide contamination. The technology has been commercialized and a nanoparticle-based water filter has been introduced in the market in partnership with Eureka Forbes Limited.^[32] It is the very first nanoparticle based water filter.^[33]

Pradeep discovered an unusual proton transfer phenomenon on ice surfaces, and showed that metastable species^{[clarification needed]} can be stabilized at ice surfaces. In a recent study he has shown that while the diffusion of CCl₄ is blocked by a three to four monolayers of ice, hundreds of monolayers are needed to block the transport of CHCl₃ and CH₂Cl₂.^[20] The oscillation of vapor pressure of CO₂ over melting ice is another discovery.^[34] Several studies have confirmed that this is a general phenomenon concerning the dynamics of the gas phase above a condensed system during its phase transition. The bond-specific processes at the top layers of ice are studied using an in-house developed ultrahigh vacuum instrument working at 10⁻¹¹. These studies are important for the understanding of chemical reactions involving ice particles in the atmosphere.

Views on nanotechnology[link]

Pradeep has been advocating the use of noble metal based nanotechnology for purifying the environment.^[35] As scientific understanding of the health effects of contaminants increases, it is likely that their allowed limits will be continuously revised. The contaminants levels are expected to reach molecular limits in the years to come. This implies that the technologies we use have to become molecule-specific and nanotechnology becomes the obvious choice.^[36]

Books[link]

Technology[link]

• T. Pradeep (Ed.), Advances in Physical Chemistry, New Delhi, 1999
• T. Pradeep, Nano: The Essentials Understanding Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, New Delhi, 2007, reprinted 2008, 2009 & 2010, McGraw Hill Education, New Delhi 2008
• S. K. Das, S. U. S. Choi, W. Yu, T. Pradeep, Nanofluids Science and Technology, New York, 2008

Popular science[link]

Kunjukanangalku Vasantham^[37], written in Malayalam, is about Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. The title may be translated as, "The Springtime of Small Particles". This book won the 2010 Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Knowledge Literature.^[38][39]

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (December 2011)

News and external links[link]

• Nanotechnology for drinking water purification
• Glowing future for nanotubes
• IIT Madras – Faculty page of Professor T. Pradeep
• Research articles published in peer-reviewed journals, from Professor T. Pradeep’s group
• Popular science articles published by Professor T. Pradeep

Meena Kumari (1 August 1932 – 31 March 1972), born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema. During a career spanning 30 years from her childhood to her death, she starred in more than ninety films, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today.

Kumari gained a reputation for playing grief-stricken and tragic roles, and her performances have been praised and reminisced throughout the years. Like one of her best-known roles, Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Kumari became addicted to alcohol. Her life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972.

Kumari is often cited by media and literary sources as "The Tragedy Queen", both for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and dramatic roles in her films and her real-life story.^[1][2]

Early life[link]

Meena Kumari was the third daughter of Ali Baksh and Iqbal Begum; Khursheed and Madhu were her two elder sisters. At the time of her birth, her parents were unable to pay the fees of Dr. Gadre, who had delivered her, so her father left her at a Muslim orphanage, however, he picked her up after a few hours.

Her father, a Shia Muslim, was a veteran of Parsi theater, played harmonium, taught music, and wrote Urdu poetry. He played small roles in films like Id Ka Chand and composed music for films like Shahi Lutere.

Her mother was the second wife of Ali Baksh. Before meeting and then marrying Ali Baksh, she was a stage actress and dancer, under the stage name, Kamini.

Career[link]

Early work[link]

When Mahjabeen was born, Ali Bakhsh aspired to get roles as an actor in Rooptara Studios. At the urging of his wife, he got Mahjabeen too into movies despite her protestations of wanting to go to school. Young Mahjabeen is said to have said, "I do not want to work in movies; I want to go to school, and learn like other children."

As Mahjabeen embarked on her acting career at the age of 7, she was renamed Baby Meena. Farzand-e-Watan or Leatherface (1939) was her first movie, which was directed for Prakash Studios by Vijay Bhatt. She became practically the sole breadwinner of her family during the 1940s. Her early adult acting, under the name Meena Kumari, was mainly in mythological movies like Veer Ghatotkach (1949), Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950), and fantasy movies like Alladin and The Wonderful Lamp (1952).

Breakthrough[link]

Meena Kumari gained fame with her role as a heroine in Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952). This heroine always negated herself for the material and spiritual advancement of the man she loved and was even willing to annihilate herself to provide him the experience of pain so that his music would be enriched. She became the first actress to win the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1953 for this performance.

Meena Kumari highly successfully played the roles of a suffering woman in Parineeta (1953), Daera (1953), Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Sharda (1957), and Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960). Though she cultivated the image of a tragedienne, she also performed commendably in a few light-hearted movies like Azaad (1955), Miss Mary (1957), Shararat (1959), and Kohinoor (1960).

One of her best-known roles was in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), which was produced by Guru Dutt. Kumari played Chhoti Bahu, an alcoholic wife. The film was a major critical and commercial success, which was attributed by critics to Kumari's performance, which is regarded as one of the best performances of Hindi Cinema.^[3] The role was famous for its uncanny similarity to Meena Kumari's own life. At that time, she herself was on a road to gradual ruin in her own personal life. Like her character, she began to drink heavily, though she carried on. In 1962, she made history by getting all the three nominations for Filmfare Best Actress Award, for her roles in Aarti, Main Chup Rahungi, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. She won the award for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Upperstall.com wrote about her performance,

"While each of the performances are spot on, if there is one person who is the heart and soul of the film, it is Meena Kumari. Her portrayal of Chhoti Bahu is perhaps the greatest performance ever seen on the Indian Screen. The sequence where Chhoti Bahu dresses for her husband singing Piya Aiso Jiya Main is a poignant exploration of a woman's expectations and sexual desire. And later on when she has become a desperate alcoholic, you cannot help but cry with her in the sequence where she pleads with her husband to stay with her and then angrily turns on him to tell him how she has prostituted her basic values and morals to please him. However the common factors between the actress's life and Chhoti Bahu are too dramatic to be merely coincidental - The estranged marital relationship, the taking of alcohol, turning towards younger male company, the craving to be understood and loved - all elements evident in Meena Kumari's own life."^[4]

Later work[link]

For four more years, Kumari performed successfully in Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Kaajal (1965), and Phool Aur Patthar (1966), all of which earned her Filmfare nominations, with Kaajal garnering her a fourth and last win of the Best Actress award. However, after divorcing her husband in 1964, her addiction to alcohol became stronger, and she often dulled her senses with liquor. She also relied more and more on intimate relationships with younger men like Dharmendra. Her subsequent releases, including Chandan Ka Palna and Majhli Didi did not do well.^[1]

Kumari's heavy drinking had badly damaged her liver, and in 1968 she fell seriously ill.^[1][5] She was taken to London and Switzerland for treatment. Back home, she started settling her debts and made peace with her estranged sister, Madhu, whom she had not spoken to for two years.^[5] Because of her heavy drinking, she increasingly lost her good looks, and when she returned, she began playing character roles in movies like Jawab (1970) and Dushmun (1972).^[1]

She developed an attachment to writer-lyricist Gulzar and acted in his directorial debut Mere Apne (1971). Kumari presented an acclaimed portrayal of an elderly woman who got caught between two street gangs of frustrated, unemployed youth and got killed, her death making the youth realise the futility of violence.

Pakeezah, starring Kumari and directed by her ex-husband Kamal Amrohi, took 14 years to reach the silver screen. First planned by Amrohi in 1958, the film went on the studio floors in 1964, but the shooting came to a standstill after their separation in March 1964, when it was more than halfway complete.^[5] In 1969, Sunil Dutt and Nargis previewed some reels of the shelved film and convinced the estranged Amrohi and Kumari to complete it.^[1] Hindustan Times described the meeting which Dutt had organised between the two:

"Not much was said, but streams of tears were shed... Amrohi greeted her with a token payment of a gold guinea and the promise that he’d make her look as beautiful as the day she had started the film."^[5]

Gravelly ill, Kumari was determined to complete the film and, well aware of the limited time left for her to live, went out of her way to complete it at the earliest. Despite her rapidly deteriorating health, she gave the finishing touches to her performance. Initially, after its release in February 1972, Pakeezah opened to a lukewarm response from the public; however, after Meena Kumari's death less than two months later, people flocked to see it, making it a major box-office success. The film has since gained a cult and classic status, and Kumari's performance as a golden-hearted Lucknow prostitute drew major praise. She posthumously received her twelfth and last Filmfare nomination.

Throughout her life, Kumari had a love-hate relationship with movies, and besides being a top-notch actress, she was a talented poetess, and recorded a disc of her Urdu poems, I write, I recite with music by Khayyam.

Death[link]

Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill, and died on 31 March 1972 of liver cirrhosis. At her death, she was in more or less the same financial circumstance as her parents at the time of her birth: It is said that when she died in a nursing home, there was no money to pay her hospital bills. She was buried at Rahematabad Qabristan located at Narialwadi, Mazgaon, Mumbai.

Relationship with Kamal Amrohi[link]

In 1952, on the sets of one of her films, Meena Kumari fell in love with and married film director, Kamal Amrohi, who was fifteen years elder than her and was already married. She wrote about Amrohi:

"Dil saa jab saathi paya
Bechaini bhi woh saath le aaya"

(When I found someone like my heart
He also brought sorrow with him)

Soon after marriage, Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari produced a film called Daera (1953), which was based on their love story. They also planned another film, Pakeezah. However, it took sixteen years (1956 to 1972) before Pakeezah reached the silver screen. (The scenes in Pakeezah's popular song, Inhi logon ne, were originally filmed in black and white, and were later reshot in color.)

It is said that Amrohi did not want children with Meena Kumari because she was not a Syed. They raised Kamal Amrohi's son, Tajdaar, who was greatly attached to his chhoti ammi (younger mother).

Due to their strong personalities, however, Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi started to develop conflicts, both professionally and in their married life. Their conflicts led to separation in 1960, and ultimately divorce in 1964. Highly affected Meena Kumari, who, once a happy woman, became depressed and found solace in heavy drinking. They remarried, but Meena Kumari had become an alcoholic by then.

She expressed her sorrows prominently in her poetry. About Kamal Amrohi she wrote:

"Tum kya karo ge sun kar mujh se meri kahani
Bay lutf zindagi ke qissay hain pheekay pheekay"

(Why do you want to listen to my story:
Colourless tales of a joyless life)

At the time of the divorce, she wrote:

"Talaaq to day rahay ho Nazar-e-qehar ke saath
Jawani bhi meri lauta do Mehar ke saath"

(You are divorcing me with rage in your eyes
Return to me, also, my youth along with the alimony!)

Filmography[link]

• Gomti Ke Kinare (1972) .... Ganga
• Pakeezah (1972) .... Nargis/Sahibjaan
• Dushmun (1971) .... Malti R. Din
• Mere Apne (1971) .... Anandi Devi/Auaji (Aunt)
• Jawab (1970) .... Vidya
• Saat Phere (1970)
• Abhilasha (1968) .... Mrs. Meena Singh
• Baharon Ki Manzil (1968) .... Nanda S. Roy/Radha Shukla
• Bahu Begum (1967) .... Zeenat Jahan Begum
• Chandan Ka Palna (1967) .... Shobha Rai
• Majhli Didi (1967) .... Hemangini 'Hema'
• Noorjehan (1967)
• Phool Aur Patthar (1966) .... Shanti Devi
• Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966) .... Heena Sharma
• Bheegi Raat (1965)
• Jadui Angoothi (1965)
• Kaajal (1965) .... Madhavi
• Purnima (1965) .... Purnima V. Lal
• Maain Bhi Ladki Hun (1964) .... Rajni
• Benazir (1964) .... Benazir
• Chitralekha (1964) .... Chitralekha
• Gazal (1964) .... Naaz Ara Begum
• Sanjh Aur Savera (1964) .... Gauri
• Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) Seema
• Dil Ek Mandir (1963) .... Sita
• Kinare Kinare (1963)
• Aarti (film) (1962) .... Aarti Gupta
• Main Chup Rahungi (1962) .... Gayetri
• Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) .... Chhoti Bahu
• Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan (1961) .... Geeta, Shyam's wife
• Pyaar Ka Saagar (1961) .... Radha/Rani B. Gupta
• Zindagi Aur Khwab (1961) .... Shanti
• Bahaana (1960)
• Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960) .... Karuna
• Kohinoor (1960)
• Ardhangini (1959) .... Chhaya
• Chand (1959)
• Char Dil Char Raahein (1959) .... Chavli
• Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959) .... Ratna
• Jagir (1959)
• Madhu (1959)
• Satta Bazaar (1959) .... Jamuna
• Shararat (1959)
• Farishta (1958)
• Sahara (1958) .... Leela
• Savera (1958)
• Yahudi (1958) .... Hannah
• Miss Mary (1957) .... Miss Mary/Laxmi
• Sharada (1957) .... Sharada Ram Sharan
• Bandhan (1956)
• Ek-Hi-Rasta (1956) .... Malti
• Halaku (1956) .... Niloufer Nadir
• Mem Sahib (1956) .... Meena
• Naya Andaz (1956)
• Shatranj (1956)
• Adl-E-Jahangir (1955)
• Azaad (1955) .... Shobha
• Bandish (1955) .... Usha Sen
• Rukhsana (1955)
• Baadbaan (1954)
• Chandni Chowk (1954) .... Zarina
• Ilzam (1954)
• Daera (1953) .... Sheetal
• Dana Paani (1953)
• Do Bigha Zamin (1953) .... Thakurain
• Foot Path (1953) .... Mala
• Naulakha Haar (1953) .... Bijma
• Parineeta (1953) .... Lalita
• Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag (1952)
• Baiju Bawra (1952) .... Gauri
• Tamasha (1952) .... Kiran
• Hanumaan Pataal Vijay (1951)
• Lakshmi Narayan (1951)
• Madhosh (1951) .... Soni
• Sanam (1951)
• Anmol Ratan (1950)
• Hamara Ghar (1950)
• Magroor (1950)
• Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950)
• Veer Ghatotkach (1949) .... Surekha
• Bichchade Balam (1948)
• Piya Ghar Aaja (1947)
• Bachchon Ka Khel (1946)
• Duniya Ek Sarai (1946)
• Lal Haveli (1944)
• Pratiggya (1943)
• Garib (1942)
• Bahen (1941) (as Baby Meena) .... Bina
• Kasauti (1941)
• Nai Roshni (1941)
• Ek Hi Bhool (1940)
• Pooja (1940)
• Leatherface (1939)

Filmfare Awards[link]

• Filmfare Best Actress Award – Won
  1953 Parineeta – Lalita
  1954 Baiju Bawra – Gauri
  1963 Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam – Chhoti Bahu
  1966 Kaajal – Madhavi
  

• Filmfare Best Actress Award – Nominated
  1956 Azaad – Shobha
  1959 Sahara – Leela
  1960 Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan – Ratna
  1963 Aarti – Aarti Gupta
  1963 Main Chup Rahungi – Gayetri
  1964 Dil Ek Mandir – Sita
  1967 Phool Aur Patthar – Shanti Devi
  1973 Pakeezah – Nargis / Sahibjaan (posthumous nomination)^[6]
  

Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards[link]

Meena Kumari has won several awards at the Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards (BFJA)

• 1963 Best Actress (Hindi): Aarti
• 1965 Best Actress (Hindi): Dil Ek Mandir
• Special Award: Pakeezah^[7]

Biography[link]

One of the first biographies of Meena Kumari was written just after her death by Vinod Mehta in the year 1972. It was simply titled Meena Kumari.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Meena Kumari at the Internet Movie Database
• Meena Kumari at Manas: Culture of India
• Collection of verses by Meena Kumari

Pradeep Kumar (born Pradeep Batabyal; 4 January 1925 - 27 October 2001) was an Indian actor in Bengali and Hindi films.^[1][2]

Career[link]

When Kumar was 17 years old, he decided to take up acting. His started his film career in Bengali films. His notable roles in Bengali films were in Alaknanda(1947) directed by renowned filmmaker Debaki Bose and in '42 (1951).

Kumar then shifted to Bombay and Filmistan studios, and had an important role in the film Anand Math (1952). He played the lead role with Bina Rai in Anarkali (1953) and with Vyjayanthimala in Nagin (1954). Both films were very popular and had songs that added to the movies success. He had a spate of releases in the second half of the 1950s. He did not enjoy as much success in the 1960s, though Ghoonghat (1960) , Taj Mahal (1963) and Aarti were successful. He worked with Meena Kumari in 7 films i.e. Adil-E-Jahangir, Bandhan, Chitralekha, Bahu Begum, Bheegi Raat, Aarti & Noor Jahan & with Mala Sinha in 8 films i.e. Naya Zamana, Hamlet, Baadshah, Detective, Fashion, Ek Shola, Duniya Na Maane, and Mitti Mein Sona.

He did not get to act in lead roles with the newer heroines of the 1960s like Sadhana, Saira Banu, Babita or Sharmila Tagore, though he did work with Asha Parekh in Ghoonghat and Meri Surat Teri Aankhen & with Waheeda Rehman in Raakhi(1963). In 1969, he moved to character roles with Sambandh and Mehboob Ki Mehndi, but did not have many visible roles till Jaanwar and Razia Sultan in 1983.

He won the Kalakar Award-Lifetime Achievement Award (1999).^[3]

Pradeep Kumar died in Calcutta on 27 October 2001, at the age of 76. He is survived by his daughters Reena, Meena and Beena who plays character roles in movies and TV serials including Uttran, son Debiprasad and granddaughters Tanisha, Riya and Hrishita.

Filmography[link]

Bengali[link]

Pradip kumar played the role of BANDIT MOHAN ( Dosshu Mohan in Bangla) a character based on a very popular bangla crime thriller series Dossu Mohan

Hindi[link]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Aakhri Insaf (1979)

Aarti (1961)

Adalat (1958)

Adl-E-Jehangir (1954)

Afsana (1966)

Amar Shakati (1978)

Anand Math (1952)

Anarkali (1953)

Anjaan (1956)

Apsara (1955)

Arab Ka Saudagar (1956)

Badshah (1955)

Bahu Begum (1966)

Batwara (1961)

Bheegee Raat (1965)

Chaitali (1975)

Chambal Ki Kassam (1979)

• Chitralekha (1964)

Detective (1958)

Do Anjaane (1976)

Do Dilon Ki Dastan (1967)

Duniya Na Mane (1959)

Dur Naheen Manzil (1972)

Durgesh Nandini (1956)

Ek Jhalak (1956)

Fashion (1957)

Gateway Of India (1957)

Ghunghat (1960)

Harishchandra Taramati (1970)

Hawas (1974)

Heer (1956)

Hill Station (1957)

Jab Se Tumhen Dekha Hai (1963)

Jagte Raho (1956)

Jalte Badan (1973)

Kagaz Ki Nao (1974)

Kalabaaz (1977)

Kranti (1981)

Lok Parlok (1979)

Mahabharat (1965)

Mangetar (1972)

Mehboob Ki Mehndi (1970)

Mere Armaan Mere Sapne (1963)

Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963)

Miss India (1956)

Mitti Me Sona (1960)

Modern Girl (1960)

Nagin (1955)

Naya Sansar (1959)

Noor Jehan (1967)

Palaniyappa Kalluri (2007)

Purana Mandir (1984) Parmatma (1976)

Passport (1961)

Patrani (1956)

Police (1957)

Pyar Ki Rahen (1959)

Raat Aur Din (1966)

Raj Hath (1956)

Rakhi (1962)

Saheli (1965)

Sambandh (1968)

Samjhauta (1972)

Sanjog (1961)

Shirin Farhad (1956)

Subah Ka Tara (1954)

Taj (1955)

Taj Mahal (1963)

Ustadon Ke Ustad (1963

Sindbad Alibaba & Aladin (1964))

Wahan Ke Log (1967)

Zindagi Aur Maut (1999)

References[link]

External links[link]

• An article from rediff.com
• Pradeep Kumar at the Internet Movie Database

This article about an Indian actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan at the launch of Indian Idol 6.
Background information
Birth name	Nidhi Chauhan
Born	(1983-08-14) 14 August 1983 (age 28) New Delhi, India
Genres	playback singing, Indipop
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocalist
Years active	1996–present

Sunidhi Chauhan (born Nidhi Chauhan^[1] on 14 August 1983) is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films .^[2]

Chauhan began to sing at the age of four^[3] and was discovered by a local TV anchor.^[4] She won recognition through a televised singing contest, Meri Awaz Suno, which she won, and made her entrance into playback singing with the Hindi film Shastra.^[4]

Her breakthrough was Ram Gopal Varma's film Mast, in which she sang the hit song, "Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi."^[4] She has been nominated for fourteen Filmfare Awards, winning it on three occasions. She has won two Star Screen Awards, two IIFA Awards and one Zee Cine Award.

Early career[link]

Sunidhi Chauhan family hail from Uttar Pradesh. She started her singing career as a child, giving her first performance at the age of four, in a local temple in Delhi.^[3] Thereafter, she began to participate in, and sing for, competitions and local gatherings. When local TV anchor, Tabassum, spotted her talent, her family shifted to Mumbai in a bid to further develop the young singer's skills, and Chauhan became the lead singer in Kalyanji's 'Little Wonders' troupe.^[4]

Recognition first met her in 1996, through the music show Meri Aawaz Suno — the first such televised contest in India — which was broadcast through the Indian national television channel, Doordarshan. She won the competition and bagged the top prize of recording an album, Aira Ghaira Nathu Khaira, with HMV.^[4]

Unluckily for Chauhan, Aira Ghaira Nathu Khaira was promoted as a children's album and failed to get the recognition it deserved.^[4] In 2002, Chauhan herself observed this in an interview:

"My first song and the contest did not help me much. Nothing happened for a while. But by then, I had made up my mind that I will pursue singing as a career."^[5]

Chauhan stepped into the world of playback singing with the 1996 Bollywood film, Shastra,^[2][4] after Aadesh Srivastava asked her to lend her voice to the song "Larki Deewaani Dekho, Ladka Deewaana."^[5] She followed it with work in films like Gang, Veergati, Dahek, Bade Dilwala, Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat and Samar. By the age of nineteen, Chauhan had already lent her voice to over 350 songs.^[5]

Breakthrough and later work[link]

Chauhan's breakthrough was Ram Gopal Varma's Mast, in which she sang the hit song, "Ruki Ruki Si Zindagi" and three others, including the title song.^[4] In an interview, while speaking of Mast, she said:

"Whatever I am today, I owe to Mast. I met Sandeep Chowta through Sonu Nigam, and fifteen days later, Mast was in my lap. I was only sixteen then."^[5]

In February 2007, as part of its marketing campaign and launch of Windows Vista in India, Microsoft hired Sunidhi Chauhan to sing the "Windows Vista Song"^[2] titled "Wow is Now". This song features English and Hindi lyrics proclaiming the many 'glamorous' features of the Windows Vista operating system.

Chauhan sung for the Hindi-dubbed version of Disney's movie, High School Musical^[2] — songs which were sung by Vanessa Anne Hudgens in the English version. Moreover, she was the singer of the English language song "Reach Out" at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games at Doha, Qatar.^[2]

2008 was a highly successful year for the young singer, as she went on to deliver a huge number of superhit songs like "Chhaliya" (Tashan), "Rock Mahi," "Lucky Boy," "Desi Girl" (Dostana), "Dance Pe Chance" (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), and "Race Saanson Ki" (Race), and which resulted in her winning the "Kelvinator GR8! FLO Women Award 2009" for her contribution to music.^[6][7]

In April 2010, Chauhan joined Anu Malik and Salim Merchant as a judge on the fifth season of the immensely popular singing talent show, Indian Idol 5. She will also be judging the sixth season of Indian Idol alongside Anu Malik and Salim Merchant.

Due to her high pitch voice and outstanding stage performances Sunidhi got "Chevrolet GIMA (Global Indian Music Awards) of Best Live Performer- Female"

Sunidhi Chauhan also joined Pitbull, John Ledend, K'Naan and Alicia Keys in the Western Union's World Of Betters to raise fund. Sunidhi sang two English songs, "Call me" and "Valentine". She moved the money to disadvantaged girls of Mumbai to help them discover their inner beauty

Collaborations[link]

Chauhan has collaborated with Indian singers such as Alka Yagnik, Shaan and Udit Narayan. She is known for her popular pairing with Sukhwinder Singh (in films such as Omkara and Aaja Nachle). She is most often paired with singer Sonu Nigam and with the female playback singer Shreya Ghoshal, whom critic's view as a stiff competitor of Chauhan.^[8] She had done a duet with Pakistani singer Faakhir Mehmood for album Mantra, She has also colaborated with Enrique Iglesias, on a song titled as "Heartbeat (India Mix)" which was included on Iglesias' album Euphoria (Special Indian Edition).

Lyricists she has worked with include Jaideep Sahni, Irshad Kamil, Gulzar, Sameer, Prasoon Joshi, Swanand Kirkire, Javed Akhtar and Anand Bakshi;^{[9][unreliable source?]} and the music directors include Vandemataram Srinivas, Bappi Lahiri, A. R. Rahman, Ilaiyaraja, Yuvan, Himesh Reshammiya, Anu Malik, Jatin Lalit, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Pritam Chakraborty, Rajesh Roshan, Nadeem-Shravan, Anand-Milind, Vishal-Shekhar, M. M. Keeravani and others.^[5][9]

Chauhan is one of the few female singers of the present generation who have lent there voice for most of the leading actressess in the Hindi entertainment industry, among those include Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Konkona Sen Sharma. She has also sung for actresses of yester year cinema, such as Rekha.^[10] She was the main singer who lent voice for the comebacks of two leading Bollywood actresses; Kajol, in the movie (Fanaa), and Madhuri Dixit (Aaja Nachle).^[10]

In 2011, Chauhan got her breakthrough in international pop world by collaborating with international pop star Enrique for Hindi version of song Heartbeat and becomes first Indian female singer for an international collaboration.

Special appearances[link]

In October 2008, Chauhan appeared on a special episode of the singing contest, Star Voice of India, alongside composer Ashu Dhruv, to promote their film, Drona.^[11]

She was a guest RJ for India's Radio City 91.1 FM's new morning show, Musical-e-Azam^[12] where, over her week-long stint, she interviewed the likes of Kunal Ganjawala, Daler Mehendi, Sukhwindar, Adnan Sami and Gulzar.

She also appeared on the Femina Miss India 2011 contest and X-factor India to promote her song HEARTBEAT, a song in collaboration with the international pop star Enrique Iglesias in his album Euphoria.

Personal life[link]

Chauhan was born in Delhi. Her father is a minor theatre personality who pushed her into the music industry from a young age. She has a younger sister, Suneha.^[13]

Chauhan, who believes herself to be "the most versatile singer today," attributes her success to her parents and Indian singer Sonu Nigam.^[2] She has cited Sadma (1983) as her favourite film; gymnastics and cricket as her favourite sports; and Akshaye Khanna and Madhuri Dixit as her favourite actors.^[14] Chauhan also loves western music and cites Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson as her inspirations. She has noted that one of her ambitions is to achieve global fame like they did.^[4] She is known for her admiration of international divas Celine Dion and Whitney Houston.

After entering the film industry, Chauhan upgraded her wardrobe and lost twelve kilos by jogging and working out.^[5] In an early interview, she revealed a "secret dream" of seeing herself as a Bollywood actress, saying, "I have many acting offers too, but I don't want to rush it. Frankly, I would like to do just one or two films to fulfill that secret dream of seeing myself as an actress. But my life is singing and my aim is to keep singing better."^[5]

In 2002, at the age of 18, Chauhan ran away with director and choreographer Bobby Khan, after working on the music video for "Pehla Nasha."^[15] It was reported that the couple married in a secretly arranged ceremony, attended only by very close friends and vigilantly watched over by security.

Chauhan was initially happy with the marriage. In an interview, she said:

"My in-laws don't make me feel I am 'married'. I don't feel I have stepped into a new house. I am so comfortable. And Bobby is a darling. I am very, very happy."^[5]

On the downside, the marriage caused a rift between the young singer and her parents, who considered the union unsuitable and consequently disowned her.^[16] However, Chauhan and Khan separated a year later, bringing about a reconciliation between the estranged parents and daughter.^[17] Chauhan, who lived with mentor, actor and TV anchor, Annu Kapoor and his wife Arunita during the separation, filed for divorce the same year, citing that she had realized she and Khan "wanted different things from life."

On April 27, 2012, Sunidhi Chauhan tied the knot childhood friend and music composer Hitesh Sonik at a low profile wedding ceremony in Mumbai, but the reception the couple threw saw some colleagues from the industry in attendance. Asha Bhonsle, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Smita Thackeray, Alka Yagnik, Konkona Sen Sharma were spotted at the reception.

^[18]

Filmography[link]

• Ehsaas - A Feeling (Released November 30, 2001) (Special Appearance)
• Bhoot (Special Appearance in Promotional Song Bhoot Hoon Main)
• Bas Ek Pal (Special Appearance in Promotional Song Dheeme Dheeme with singer K.K.)

Awards and honors[link]