- published: 15 Jul 2016
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Rajeev Masand (born 1979) is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for Noida, Uttar Pradesh-based English language news channel CNN-Indian Broadcasting Network (CNN-IBN). He usually reviews Hindi-language films (Bollywood) and major American films released in India in his weekend show Now Showing.
A graduate from Mumbai University, Masand started reporting at the age of 16 at The Times of India newspaper. He later became assistant editor at The Indian Express. In January 2003, he joined STAR News as a special correspondent and as the host of Masand Ki Pasand. In 2005, Masand moved to CNN-IBN where he is currently the film critic and runs an ongoing video reviews series on the CNN-IBN website, Masand's Verdict. He also became the host of CNN-IBN's entertainment series, To Catch a Star.
Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), better known by his stage name Akshay Kumar, is an Indian actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. He has been nominated for Filmfare Awards several times, winning it two times. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was known for his appearances in films of the "Khiladi series" as well as other action films such as Waqt Hamara Hai (1993), Mohra (1994), Elaan (1994), Suhaag (1994), Sapoot (1996), Jaanwar (1999).
Later, Kumar also gained fame for his drama, romance, action and comic roles. His performances in romance films like Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dhadkan (2000), Andaaz (2003) and Namastey London (2007), as well as drama films such as Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005). His comic performances in comedy films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Bhagam Bhag (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Singh Is Kinng (2008) met with acclaim. In 2007, he starred in four consecutive commercially successful films. Kumar hit a rough patch since 2009 to 2011 but came back with two successes, Housefull 2 (2012) and Rowdy Rathore (2012) with both of them grossing over ₹1 billion (US$15 million). His other films like OMG (2012), Special 26 (2013), Holiday (2014), Gabbar is Back (2015) and Airlift (2016) were highly successful critically and commercially. In February 2013, many media outlets reported that the net box-office collection of Kumar's films had crossed ₹20 billion (US$290 million) and he was the first and the only Bollywood actor to do so.Box Office India listed Kumar as one of the most successful actors in the history of Indian Cinema. Having done so, he has established himself as a leading contemporary actor of Hindi cinema.