Bollywood's Most Cutest Actress
This list include the most cutest Bollywood actress in chronological order.
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Vyjayanthimala was born to actress and dancer Vasundhara Devi in a Tamil-speaking family in Chennai, India, on August 13, 1933.
At the age of 4, she got the rare chance of performing a dance before the Pope. Then at the age of 15, while in her final year at school, she was signed-up by family friend, M.V. Raman, for a role in a Tamil film 'Vazhkai'. This movie was successful at the box office and was re-made in Hindi during 1951 and released as 'Bahaar'.
Since her entry into films from 1949, this actress, who is also proficient in Bharat Natyam, has appeared in approximately 62 movies, the majority of them in the Hindi language. Her career spanned from 1949 through to 1989. She has received a total of five awards for her performances in 'Devdas', 'Sadhna', 'Ganga Jamuna', and 'Sangam', as well as a lifetime achievement award during 1995.
Her dance numbers, such as 'Hothon Pe Aisi Baat Main Dabake Chali Aai...', 'Man Doley Mera Tan Doley...'; 'Chad Gaiyo Paapi Bichua...'; 'Main Ka Karu Ram Mujhey Buddha Mil Gaya' continue to be popular even today. She made waves when she appeared in a fire red swimsuit in 'Sangam'. She also paved the way for other South Indian actresses, like Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, etc. to make a transition to Bollywood. Her career was managed by her grandmother, Yadugiri Devi.
She married Raj Kapoor's personal physician, Dr. Chamanlal Bali after he divorced his first wife and re-located to Chennai, where she gave birth to a son, actor Suchindra Bali.
After quitting films, Vyjantimala took up shrimp farming, opened up a dance academy, even took an active interest in politics, and with the backing of Indira Gandhi's Congress Party was elected Member of Parliament during the 1980s. She chose to quit politics due to principled differences during 1999.
After the passing of her husband, she now resides in Chennai, with her son, who is an aspiring actor in his own right, and has removed herself completely from Bollywood, in particular, and movies in general, though she could have easily continued on for another decade.
One of her hits 'Naya Daur', originally in Black & White, has now been colorized, and re-released.
In 2007, she published her autobiography titled "Bonding," where she revealed that she didn't have an affair with Raj Kapoor, her leading man and director from "Sangam" (1964).
In 2011, her son Suchindra and daughter-in-law Nandini presented her with a grandchild named Swara.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Arguably the most beautiful artiste to ever grace the Indian screen, Madhubala rose from humble beginnings to become the most captivating star India has ever produced. Madhubala was born Mumtaz Jehan Begum on Valentine's Day 1933, in a poor, conservative family of Pathan Muslims in Delhi, a part of a prolific brood of sisters, and entered the world of films at the tender age of eight. After about five years of playing child roles, Madhubala got her first break in a lead role in Neel Kamal (1947), produced anddirected by her mentor, veteran filmmaker Kidar Sharma. At the age of 14, she played a romantic lead against another fledgling star, Raj Kapoor, and Madhubala had finally arrived on the Indian screen. Over the next two years she had blossomed into a truly rapturous beauty (which earned her the sobriquet of the Venus Of the Indian Screen) and with the movie Mahal (1949), literally overnight, she was a superstar.
It has been often said that her beauty overshadowed her acting talents, which to an extent is true; however this was more due to poor judgement than lack of talent. Being encumbered by a large family to support, and forever living under the domination of an imperious father who, she made several poor choices in movies which seriously undermined her credibility as a serious performer, to the extent of being labelled "box-office poison". However, her more or less dismal repertoire in the 50s was marked by spots of true brilliance - movies like Tarana (1951), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955) and of course her swansong Mughal-E-Azam (1960) showcased her remarkable talents as a serious artiste across several genres and revealed what this ethereal beauty was truly capable of.
Sadly, she was plagued by a persistent heart disease that confined her to a bed for almost nine torturous years, and eventually claimed her life on February 23 1969, nine days after her 36th birthday. In this short life, she had made over 70 movies, and to this day remains one of the most enduring legends of Indian cinema.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Geeta Bali was born on 30 November 1930 in Amritsar, Punjab, British India. She was an actress and producer, known for Albela (1951), Baaz (1953) and Bawre Nain (1950). She was married to Shammi Kapoor. She died on 21 January 1965 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.- Producer
- Director
- Actress
Asha Parekh was born in a middle-class Gujarati household to a Hindu father, Pranlal Parekh, and a Muslim mother Sudha Parekh on October 2, 1942 in India. Since she was an only child, she became the center of her parents' lives. Her mother enrolled her in classical dance classes at an early age, and Asha excelled at dance to the point where she performed at stage shows. Famed film director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function and cast her at the tender age of ten in Maa (1957). He liked her and cast her again in Baap Beti (1954). The film's failure disappointed her, and even though, she did a few more child roles, she quit to resume her schooling. At sixteen, she decided to try acting again and make her debut as a heroine, but director Vijay Bhatt fired her from Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) claiming she wasn't star material. Almost immediately, film producer Sasadhar Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain cast her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho (1959) which made her a huge star. Shammi Kapoor became her favorite hero and friend, and they starred in three more films, the most famous being the murder mystery Teesri Manzil (1966). The film also led to a long and fruitful association with Nasir, and he cast her as the heroine in six more films.
Her fame gave her enough leverage to get producers to hire her mother Sudha Parekh to design her costumes for most of the films that she starred in. A fallacy that surrounded her was that she was generally considered a glamorous dancer/tomboy and not a serious actress until director Raj Khosla cast her in the tragedienne role in the hit film Do Badan (1966). The truth was directors and audiences knew early on that she had genuine acting talent. She won the Gujarat State Award for Best Actress for her first Gujarati film Akhand Saubhagyavati (1963). And she easily compensated for non-actors like Joy Mukherjee and Biswajit in Hindi films, while holding her own against acting giants like Ashok Kumar.
Important directors were casting her and repeating her in their films, but Asha also brought out jealousies from her female co-stars. Simi Garewal claimed that Asha tried to cut her part down in "Do Badan", but Asha insisted that she never did that, and as proof, she showed that Simi won the Filmfare Award as Best Supporting Actress for the film. The "Do Badan" team also stood by Asha, especially the director Raj Khosla who later cast her in three more films. Her leading man Manoj Kumar soon directed and starred opposite her in his blockbuster Upkar (1967), which also won the Filmfare Best Picture Award.
Although Asha earned the title "Jubilee Girl" because of the continuous string of box office successes, such as Ziddi (1964), Shikar (1968), Aan Milo Sajna (1970), she also hit a rare bump with Raj Khosla's Chirag (1969). But she also earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for the film, and Khosla didn't blame her for the film's failure and in fact, cast her soon again and came up with a huge hit, Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971). However, success brought controversy. Once again, a female co-star claimed that Asha cut her role down in the film. This time, Asha confronted Laxmi Chhaya directly and told her to think before she spoke as Padma got twice the number of songs than Asha did in "Mera Gaon Mera Desh". Aruna Irani allegedly said that Asha reduced her role in Nasir Hussain's box-office smash Caravan (1971), but facts back up Asha that she would never cut another performer's role, as Aruna had more songs than Asha, and she received a Filmfare nomination, while Asha wasn't nominated for the film at all. However, Asha did win the much coveted Best Actress Filmfare Award for Shakti Samanta's Kati Patang (1970). She played a deglamourised woman in a white sari pretending to be a widow whose vulnerable smile hides a painful past. Asha was thrilled when she won the award, but Mumtaz Askari, her box-office rival and former co-star from Mere Sanam (1965) and Bhai Bhai (1972), complained that she was more deserving for her own performance in Tere Mere Sapne (1971).
Asha was hitting the heights of fame and glory even though she was now 30, an age where heroines normally would pack it in. But her passion for dancing sent her abroad on a extended trip to do dance shows and as a result, turned down important film roles. When she came back in 1973, she found that a younger and bolder breed of heroines like Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman got those roles and now ruled the roost. Asha focused on her distribution concern which she had started with Nasir Hussain when he directed her in the film Baharon Ke Sapne (1967) and would continue to do so for twenty more films. She also threw herself in her charity work, even having a Santa Cruz hospital named after her. She lived with her parents in her beautiful seaside bungalow, whose innovative design drew a lot of attention. Asha's passion with dance continued and her performance of famous dance ballets like "Chauladevi" won her acclaim. She did supporting roles in films, garnering Filmfare nominations as Best Supporting Actress for Udhar Ka Sindur (1976) and Raj Khosla's massive hit, Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978), which also won the Filmfare Award as Best Film. But the rest of her supporting roles as mother and bhabhi (sister-in-law) disenchanted her, with the exception of her strong performances in Hathyar (1989) and the Gujarati film Kulvadhu (1977). And her back problems forced her to give up doing dance shows.
But she found a new passion, directing television serials such as the hugely popular Kora Kogaz in the early 90's, which convinced her to give up acting permanently in 1995. She formed her production company "Akruti," through which she produced and directed television serials. However, her acting accomplishments were not forgotten as she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. After her mother's death, she sold her huge bungalow and moved into a smaller place to take care of her ailing father until he, too, passed away. She has never married and has not had any affairs with her many heroes, claiming that her reputation of being unapproachable probably intimidated men. In her 2017 memoir "The Hit Girl" (co-written by Khalid Mohamed) she confirmed that her longtime director Nasir Hussain was the "only one and true love of my life." Since he was already married with two children, she couldn't marry him without wrecking havoc on both their families. Their romantic relationship eventually ended after several decades. His wife Ayesha Khan died in 2001, but Asha didn't try to marry the widowed Husain, since "he had become a shadow of his former self." He died just a year later in 2002. Asha continues to remain in touch with his children Mansoor Khan and Nuzhat Khan, grandson Imran Khan and nephew Aamir Khan. When she was in her mid-thirties, she tried to adopt a child, but the doctors wouldn't let her, because he had birth defects. Since marriage and motherhood didn't happen for her, Asha decided to devote all her time to her hospital and other humanitarian efforts. She also has set up a dance academy "Kara Bhavan," which has produced many skilled and talented dancers. For several years, she served as a judge on talent shows on television. She also kept up with the times, by having her official Instagram account. She turned 80 in 2022, but age hasn't slowed her down, as she traveled from India to USA to collect a lifetime achievement award at a film festival. Today, Asha says that she is very flattered to know that she has fans all over the world.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Tanuja Samarth was born on 23 September 1943 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India. She is an actress, known for Paisa Ya Pyar (1969), A Death in the Gunj (2016) and Jewel Thief (1967). She was previously married to Shomu Mukherjee.- Actress
- Music Department
Mumtaz was born on July 31, 1947 to Abdul Sameed Askari and Sardar Begum Habib Agha aka Naaz, both of Iranian origin but settled in Bombay, India. Mumtaz first appeared in as child artist in Sanskar (1952),Yasmin (1955),Lajwanti (1958),Sone Ki Chidiya (1958),Stree(1961).Her mother, Naaz, was also an actress in films. When her family faced financial crisis, Mumtaz agreed to act in films as a junior artist and started appearing in group-scenes, at a very young age. She appeared in front of camera in V. Shantaram's Stree and Sehra but she went almost unnoticed.Mumtaz, as an adult her first role was that of the role of sister of the hero in O. P. Ralhan's Gehra Daag. Mumtaz then got the lead role in Pathan being made by Ataullah Khan, Madhubala's father, but the film remained incomplete. In early 1960's there was a union of the artistes playing extras in films in Bombay and every junior artist had to shell a part of their income to this union. From 1958-1964 she was only an extra in Hindi films in films like Vallah Kya Baat Hai.Too young to be cast as leading lady, she started with bit roles only, but was not missed, and gradually graduated to lead roles in low budget B grade movies with Dara Sing as hero.With Dara Sing she had 10 hit films of the 16 they did together from 1964-68. Mumtaz got the roles of supporting actress in A grade hit films like Sehra, Kaajal, Khandaan, Sawan Ki Ghata, Anpad, Hamraaz ,Pyar Kiye Jaa,Pati Patni, Mere Sanam, Suraj, Pathhar Ke Sanam, Ram Aur Shyam and Brahmachari. Then she was signed opposite Rajesh Khanna in Do Raaste in 1969. After release of Aradhana, Rajesh Khanna had become the superstar and his next 2 releases were Do Raate and Bandhan both with Mumtaz as his heroine. After release of these 2 films, Mumtaz became the highest paid Hindi actress from 1970-1976. She was extremely versatile, beautiful, charming, and stole everybody's heart by her captivating looks and inspired performances in each of her film. She quickly out-shadowed and dethroned the established queens in a very short time because of her histrionics. Mumtaz was sensitive, quick to understand and translate every nuance hinted at, onto the screen. Even in her brief roles against established actresses, she was the one who got noticed more and lingered in viewers memories for longer periods. She acted in more than 100 films during a short career span of 14 years, and there is not even a single film in which her performance could not be termed as excellent. In her very first film with significant banner and role, Khilona (1970), she won the most coveted Filmfare award in 1970. She has also been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Filmfare in 1997. She was in the Marilyn Monroe mold; every man's fantasy woman. She outshone everybody because of the simple reason that she was so versatile that every role appeared as if it was written with just Mumtaz in mind. Whether the role was negative or positive, serious or light, she proved her worth. Whether the role was for an urbanite or rustic, majestic or pauper, innocent or vile, gentle or venomous, coy or flaunting, Mumtaz just fitted them like a glove. The public adulation for her is still strong. The response to the continuous spate of screening of her movies on various television channels, even after more than two decades of her self-retirement, proves her tremendous unending popularity due to her incomparable charisma.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Hema was born in the Tamil-speaking Chakravarthy household on October 16, 1948 in Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu. Her dad's name is V.S.R. Chakravarthy and her mom, Jaya, was a film producer. She was enrolled in the Chennai-based Andhra Mahila Sabha.
After performing as a dancer in a 1961 regional movie, she was rejected by Tamil Director, C.V.Sridhar, during 1964 when she first attempted to act, on the grounds that she was too thin to be heroine in Venniradai and the role went to Venniradai Nirmala. Later Hema performed in the song Singara Therukku Selai sung by Seergazhi Govindrajan and L.R.Eshwari as a supporting actor from the 1963 Tamil film Idhu Sathiyam starring S.A.Asokan as the hero. But Hema persisted, debuted opposite Raj Kapoor in 'Sapnon Ka Saudagar' just 4 years after her rejection but the movie was a flop.
Thereafter there has no been looking back for this attractive Libran, who went to star in close to 155 movies; who also produced and directed two movies, and also directed a TV serial 'Noopur'.
After turning down marriage proposals from Sanjeev Kumar and Jeetendra, she met with hot fellow actor, Dharmendra, both were attracted to each other and wanted to get married. Dharmendra, who was already married to Prakash Kaur, and had two sons, Sunny and Bobby, could not marry Hema as Prakash refused to divorce him. According to the Hindu Marriage Act, a Hindu cannot marry a second time while the first wife is still alive. Dharmendra belongs to a Arya Samaj Hindu Punjabi Jatt family.
She had a hit on-screen pairing with Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor and Dev Anand in the 70's and, post-marriage, she had 8 hits opposite Rajesh Khanna in 1980-87. Dharmendra Hema Malini were paired in lead roles romantically in 31 films but have worked in 35 films. Of them 20 were hits and 15 were flops. Interestingly Rajesh Khanna-Hema Malini pair had 2 hits in early 70's and then 3 unfortunate flops in late 70's after which pair was written off but in eighties they gave 8 blockbusters as a pair. In all Hema has 10 hits with Rajesh Khanna.
On August 21, 1979, both Hema and Dharmendra converted to Islam, changed their names to Aisha Bi R. Chakravarty and Dilawar Khan Kewal Krishn respectively, and got married in accordance with Islamic rites. Three years after their marriage, Hema subsequently gave birth to Esha and then later to Ahana. Esha is an actress in her own rights. The trio, well proficient in the arts of Bharatnatyam dance form, have performed together at a number of dance events and concerts.
Hema is a member of the right-winged Bharatiya Janata Party, and became a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.
She was amongst the first actresses to wear bell-bottom and shirts in Hindi movies, and is also amongst the few who have kept their word of not wearing any revealing outfits in public. Hema, who is also called 'Dream Girl' continues to act in movies as of 2013.- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
In April 1948 Jabalpur-based, Bengali-speaking Indira and Tarun Kumar Bhaduri were blessed with a child they named Jaya, and enrolled in the St. Joseph's Convent School in Bhopal.
Her acting career started when she was 15 in a Bengali film Mahanagar. She became an actress in her own right in Bollywood after the release of Guddi. She went on to star in many Hindi language films, including blockbusters like Jawani Diwani, Uphaar, Anamika, Abhimaan, Sholay, Bawarchi, Chupke Chupke Zanjeer just to name a few. Her acting spanned from 1963 to 1981. She also wrote the script of Shahenshah.
She married Amitabh Srivastav alias Bachchan, and subsequently gave birth to Shweta and Abhishek. Amitabh is the son of Sikh-Hindu parents, namely Teji and Harivansh Rai Srivastav alias Bachchan.
Jaya quit acting after 1981. Then her married life faced considerable upheavals especially with the much-publicized affair of her husband with Bollywood actress, Rekha. Then their lives were disrupted when Amitabh was seriously injured by a blow from actor, Puneet Issar, while filming 'Coolie', which almost took his life.
The family suffered another setback in 2005 when her asthmatic husband was admitted in Lilavati Hospital after complains of severe pains in his abdomen.
Her husband did recover, and both husband, wife, Abhishek, and his new bride, continue to dominate Bollywood with their screen presence. Jaya has also received a number of awards recognizing her talents in Bollywood.- Actress
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sonia Singh, now known as Neetu Singh, started her career as a child artiste (Baby Neetu/Sonia) in Bollywood movies and went on to become a full-fledged Bollywood movie actress, with a reputation of having her mom accompany her to almost all shoots. She married her co-star, Rishi Kapoor, and in keeping with the Kapoor Clan's tradition for women, retired from acting to care for her family. Over 25 years later, she returned to acting.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963 in her father's hometown of Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India. Her mother was from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. So Sridevi grew up speaking Telugu and Tamil. She has a sister named Srilatha and a stepbrother named Satish. Her dad passed away during the year 1991, while her mom died during 1997.
She started her career at a very early age in 1967 as a child artiste in a Tamil movie 'Kandhan Karunai'. She also starred as a child actress in a Telugu movie 'Bangarakka' in 1977, and in a Malyalam movie 'Kumara Sambhavan' in 1969.
She made her foray on the Bollywood tinsel screen in 1975 as a child actor with the smash-hit 'Julie' in which she played the younger sister of the lead actress. Thereafter she started to act in adult roles in Hindi only from 1979. She appeared in 63 movies in Hindi; 62 in Telugu; 58 in Tamil; and 21 in Malyalam - in a career that has spanned from 1967 through to 2007.
Sridevi established strong onscreen pair with Kamal Hasan in Tamil films from 1977-1983 and then with Jeetendra in Hindi Films from 1983-1988 which helped her get foothold in Hindi films. Her initial claim to fame was appearing as romantic interest to established stars NTR, ANR, Krishna Ghattamaneni,Vishnuvardhan in Telugu and Kannada films from 1978-1985.She has four hits with Rajesh Khanna and then from late 80's till 1996 her pair with Anil Kapoor was popular. But she became popular all over India, thanks to Tamil films' remakes in Hindi in 1983-1990 which were produced and directed by the same team which had made the southern version first and in these films she was cast opposite Rajesh Khanna or Jeetendra.
She has also appeared in the TV series 'Malini Iyer', judged a TV show 'Kaboom' as well as appeared in numerous print and TV ads. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Asian Academy of Film & Television.
Sridevi went on to get married to her co-star, Anil Kapoor's older brother, Boney, on June 2, 1996. They are now parents of two daughters: Jhanvi and Khushi.
She made a comeback to films with "English Vinglish" in 2012.
She passed away on 24 February 2018 by accidental drowning in bathtub during her stay at the hotel Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai UAE, when she was attending the wedding of Bollywood actor Mohit Marwah in Dubai, UAE. She was 54 years old.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Jayaprada was born as Lalita Rani in a middle class household to Krishna and Neelavani in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh on April 3, 1962. She was a small town girl with dreams of becoming a doctor. Her mother enrolled her in dance and music classes when she was seven years old, in addition to going to a regular school. Even though, her father and uncle were film financiers, her initial break into films didn't come through them. She was discovered dancing on stage at a school function when she was just fourteen years old. Character actor Prabhakar Reddy gave her the name of Jayaprada and introduced her in a three minute song in the Telugu film, "Bhoomi Kosam" (1976). That immediately led her to longer roles in "Devude Digivaste" (1975) and "Naaku Swatantram Vachindhi" (1976). The floodgates opened. Major film directors, such as Bapu, K. Vishwanath and K.Balachander, approached her with quality projects. She immediately became a huge star in Telugu films as diverse as the color-drenched, big-budget "Seeta Kalyanam" (1976) to the stark, naturalistic black-and-white film "Antuleeni Katha" (1976), where she won a special acting award for her unforgettable dramatic performance. But it was her dancing skills and nuanced acting style as a mute girl that made K. Vishwanath's "Siri Siri Muvva" (1976) into a timeless classic. It would also be her passport into Hindi films as K. Vishwanath remade it into "Sargam" (1979) and made her a overnight star in Bollywood as well. She earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for the film, and it would become one of her favorite films. She stalled on doing more Hindi films for two years as she wasn't fluent in the language. But she became fluent in Hindi, as well as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali, and had hit films in all these languages. She endeared audiences with her sincere portrayal of Amitabh Bachchan's girlfriend in her next favorite film "Sharabi" (1984), which became another big hit and earned her second Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. K. Vishwanath directed her to her third Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for her other favorite film "Sanjog" (1985). But some of her best performances would go unrewarded. In the Telugu film directed by K.Balachander, "47 Rojulu" (1981) showed Jayaprada as a innocent girl duped by her husband in Paris, France, and her struggle to escape from him. But in Hindi films, she usually played the traditionally dressed, docile, obedient wife, and while that image led to hit films, it also eventually tired her audiences. She also seemed bored and indifferent with no new challenges ahead as she had already made her other favorite films: the Hindi films "Sur Sangam" (1985) and "Tohfa" (1984), the Telugu film "Sagara Sangamam" (1983), the Kannada films "Sanadi Appanna" (1977) and "Kavi Ratna Kalidasa" (1983). The only excitement came from her personal life when she met her husband film producer Srikant Nahata. They started out as friends as he was already a married man with children. But it turned into love when he stood by her because of her income tax problems. She was branded the "other woman," especially since Nahata wouldn't leave his wife. So she ended up marrying him in 1986, and he has continued to be married to both women. In 1994, she also became a politician by joining the Telugu Desam Party. A few years later, a rift developed with the political party and she was deeply hurt when she was no longer in the party. She also didn't have any major films lined up. But she kept up with her many social and humanitarian causes, especially related to poor women and children. She also became tough and strong and forged on ahead by joining a different political party in a different state, Uttar Pradesh. She won the election with the slogan line, "Andhra is my janambhoomi but Uttar Pradesh is my karmbhoomi." She also started making films playing stronger, mature roles. In "Deh," she played an older woman having an affair with a much younger man. She also wrote and directed "Class Medal," a Telugu film that starred her sister's son Siddharth and produced by her brother Rajababu. She didn't forget her first love, dancing, and did a dance ballet in 2005 that won her great acclaim. And she also dabbled in playback singing and even recorded an album with music composer Bappi Lahiri. In 2008, she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for her long and plentiful contribution to the South Indian film industry. Having three careers (acting, dancing, politics), and a husband, left her no time to have children of her own, even though she has expressed a desire to have children. So far, she has shown no desire to give up her three careers and in fact, stated that she'll be as hardworking and dedicated in the future as she is now.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Padmini Kolhapure was born on 1 November 1965 in Maharashtra, India. She is an actress and producer, known for Prem Rog (1982), Ahista Ahista (1981) and Vidhaata (1982). She has been married to Tutu Sharma since 1993.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Juhi was born in the Chawla family on November 13, 1967 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and is the daughter of Punjabi-speaking dad, Dr. S. Chawla and Gujarati-speaking mom, Mona. She has a brother named Sanjeev. Her mother passed away in an accident during the year 1998 while Juhi was filming 'Duplicate'.
After completing her school in Ludhiana, the Chawla family moved to Bombay, Maharashtra, India, where Juhi attended at Sydenham College. After graduating, she entered in the Miss India competition and was crowned 'Miss India 1984', taking over from Miss India 1983, Rekha Hande.
Her first appearance on the tinsel screen was as Zarina in the 1986 release 'Sultanat'. She shot to fame after the release of 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' opposite Aamir Khan. As of August 2007, she has been bestowed with three awards for her performance in 'Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke', 'Duplicate', and '3 Deewarein'.
Juhi got married to multi-millionaire industrialist, Jai Mehta during the year 1998. Since then the couple have a daughter, Jhanvi, and son, Arjun.
Juhi continues to act in movies, and also makes appearances in many off-beat movies, rather than the mainstream cinema with which she started her career. She also appears in a number of TV ad commercials.- Meenakshi Sheshadri (born on November 16th 1963) is an Indian (Bollywood) film actress and dancer who acted in more than 20 Bollywood films during her times. She won the Miss India contest in 1981 at age 17, nominated as the youngest woman to be crowned Miss India. Making her debut film into Bollywood by appearing in Painter Babu (1983); Meenakshi quickly shot to fame in Hero (1983) a film that was directed by Subash Ghai also starring Jackie Shroff. We cannot forget her in films that made her the leading lady and which brings her the awards as an actress. Films such as Jurm (1990), Ghayal (1990), Shahenshah (1988), Ghatak (1996) and most of all Damini (1993) a film that leave a mark in our mind and in which Meenakshi became a superb actress. She made her last appearance in Bollywood in the year 1997 and is married to Harish Mysore, an investment banker. The couple have settled in Texas, with a daughter called Kendra and son, Sanjosh.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Madhuri Dixit is one of the most acclaimed actors and Kathak dancers Bollywood have ever witnessed. Born in a Marathi Brahmin Koknastha family to Mr. Shankar and Mrs. Snehlata, Madhuri Dixit has two sisters Rupa, Bharti, and brother Ajit. She performed decently well in her academics and aspired to become a Microbiologist which made her pursue the subject from Mumbai's Sathaye College, formerly known as Parle College; but within six months she opted out from college to pursue her career in Bollywood. Though she debuted with 'Abodh' in 1984, it's with 'Tezaab' (1988), a romantic thriller caste opposite Anil Kapoor, where she started garnering fame and popularity. She earned her first nomination of Filmfare Best Actress with this movie and it was also the highest grossing film in that year. Her performance in 'Ek Do Tin' made every heart groove to the beats of the song. During this time, Madhuri also got featured on Debonair and she was also featured as the cover girl on 1986 Filmfare edition. Since then she has graced more than 72 movies with her stupendous performances.
After 'Tejaab', Madhuri Dixit once again was paired with Anil Kapoor for Subhash Ghai's 'Ram Lakhan'(1989) which went on to be a super hit and the second highest grossing movie of the year. In her next 'Prem Pratigya' she received critical acclamation for her performance and earned her second nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit continued her success with her fourth pairing with Anil Kapoor in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama 'Parinda'. In 1990, Madhuri starred in the romantic drama 'Dil' opposite Aamir Khan. The film became the biggest box office hit of the year and made her one of the leading actresses of Bollywood. Her performance in 'Dil' also earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career. She was also seen in the dramas 'Sailaab' opposite Aditya Pancholi and 'Kishen Kanhaiya' opposite Anil Kapoor. The following year in 1991, she starred in the super-hit movie 'Saajan' opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt which also earned her the fourth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. In 1992, Dixit featured in the film 'Beta' once again opposite Anil Kapoor which won her the second Filmfare Best Actress Award. Following the film's success, Dixit became famously known as the "Dhak Dhak Girl" for her performance on the song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga".
In 1993, Dixit starred in the super-hit film 'Khalnayak; opposite Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. Her portrayal of the police officer Ganga earned her critical acclaim and a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award and became the year's second highest grossing film. In 1994, Dixit starred in '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. She was praised for her performance, even though the film was an average performer at the box office. Her next was 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' opposite Salman Khan. The film became one of the biggest hits & the highest grossing Bollywood film after its theatrical run and held this record for 7 years till the release of 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' (2001). Madhuri was awarded her third Filmfare Best Actress Award for the film. 1995 witnessed Dixit star in the hit film 'Raja' opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film became the fourth highest grosser of the year and its success was attributed to her immense popularity. Her next release was David Dhawan's 'Yaraana' opposite Rishi Kapoor, in which she played a dancer on the run from her abusive lover. Both films earned her nominations for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
After a not so successful year in 1996 with films like 'Prem Granth' and 'Rajkumar'Madhuri Dixit bounced back with Prakash Jha's 'Mrityudand' in 1997 followed by Yash Chopra's 'Dil to Pagal Hai' (1997), opposite Shahrukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Her performance in 'Dil toh Pagal Hai' fetched her the fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. The film also proved to be a success at the box office. However, her career growth slowed down with films like Wajood (1998) and Aarzoo (1999). In 2000, Madhuri starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's 'Pukar' opposite Anil Kapoor which earned her twelfth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. She then played the title character in 'Gaja Gamini' In 2001, Dixit starred in Deepak Shivdasani's love triangle 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke' opposite Ajay Devgan and Preity Zinta, followed by reuniting with Rajkumar Santoshi in the multi-starer 'Lajja' (2001). Dixit was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Lajja. In 2002, Dixit starred in a lead role in the love triangle film 'Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam' opposite Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan. Madhuri Dixit's next release was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance 'Devdas', co-starring Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Devdas was chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. Dixit won the Filmfare Best supporting actress award for the film. It turned out to be her last film for a while as she shifted to Denver, U.S.A with her husband Dr. Shriram Madhav Nene, a Cardiovascular Surgeon. She subsequently became a proud mother of two sons (Arin and Ryan) in March 2003 and March 8, 2005, respectively.
In 2006, Dixit returned to India with her family and acted in Anil Mehta's dance film 'Aaja Nachle' (2007). It was her first release in five years and her performance was appreciated by critics and also earned her the nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 2008, she was also awarded the prestigious 'Bharat Ratna' for her contribution to Indian cinema by the Government of India. In 2011, Dixit was felicitated with the Filmfare Special Award for completing 25 years in the film industry.
In 2012, she was seen in the comedy 'Dedh Ishqiya' (2014), a sequel to Ishqiya (2010) opposite Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Huma Qureshi. The film opened to a positive response from critics who called it "one of the year's most important releases". The film also earned her the fourteenth nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her next release of the year was the debuted director Soumik Sen's 'Gulaab Gang' alongside Juhi Chawla.
Madhuri Dixit made her debut in Marathi cinema both as an actor & Producer in 2018. She played the lead in 'Bucket List' and produced "15th August" which is slated for a Netflix worldwide released in 2019. She has also lent her voice for the Netflix original 'Mowgli'.
In (2019) she was seen reunited with Anil Kapoor after 17years on screen in a comedy, action and adventure movie 'Total Dhamaal' the third sequel of 'Dhamaal' (2007). In the same year, she also a part of Dharma productions 'Kalank' a period drama film directed by Abhishekh Varman starring along with Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Alia Bhatt, and Sonakshi Sinha.
Madhuri Dixit is also associated with various philanthropic activities. She is associated with UNICEF since 2014 to advocate the rights of children, prevent child labor and child trafficking. She was appointed as the brand ambassador for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign by the Government of India in 2015 that aspires to create awareness and upgrade the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls.
Dixit made her first appearance on television as a host for India's first reality show Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai on Sony TV followed by Jhalak Dikhla Ja & Dance Deewane.- Actress
- Music Department
Born into Bombay filmdom's legendary Kapoor clan, Karisma Kapoor made her film debut with Prem Qaidi (1991) opposite Harish. Her next big hit was Anari (1993) and during this time she made news with a fight with her Andaz Apna Apna (1994) co-star, actress Raveena Tandon. She had a series of hit comedies between 1994 and 1997 starting with Raja Babu (1994) and ending with Hero No. 1 (1997) with Govinda and director David Dhawan. She hit the big time with the super success of Raja Hindustani (1996) and further consolidated her career with Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). Today she is the reigning mega-star of Hindi cinema leaving her contemporaries like Manisha Koirala and Raveena Tandon far behind. In Fiza (2000) she surprised many with an excellent performance showing great emotional range and depth.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kajol Devgn is a well-known Bollywood actress known for her exceptional performances on screen. She attended St. Joseph's Convent School in Panchgani and was actively involved in extra-curricular activities such as dancing. In her early teens, Kajol was supposed to make her debut as an actress in a movie directed by her mother, Tanuja, but the project was cancelled. She eventually made her acting debut at the age of sixteen with the film Bekhudi (1992), while still in school. Later, she quit school to pursue a full-time career in the film industry.
She made her debut with Rahul Rawail's Bekhudi (1992) in 1992. Her film career flourished with commercial successes like Baazigar (1993), Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), which established her as a leading star in the 1990s. She was appreciated critically for her role in Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997) and as an avenger in Dushman (1998). Another blockbuster Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) won her multiple awards, after which she took a break. She returned to the industry after a brief period with the romantic thriller Fanaa (2006).
She was cast in My Name Is Khan (2010) in 2010 opposite Shah Rukh Khan - it was widely appreciated by critics worldwide. Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan became the first Indian actors to be invited by NASDAQ to open the NYSE American to promote My Name Is Khan (2010). She was also appreciated for her performance in Dilwale (2015) - it also featured other renowned stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, and Kriti Sanon. She was also cast in the period film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020) in 2020.
She also appeared in the social drama Tribhanga (2021), her first collaboration with Netflix.
She holds a managerial position at Devgn Entertainment and Software Ltd., And as the supervisor, she launched the filmmaking-related portal Cineexplore in 2000. Devgn established another company, Ajay Devgn Films, in 2009.
She appeared with Ajay Devgn, and her mother Tanuja as the supervisor in Zee TV's 2008 reality show Rock-N-Roll Family. She was named a part-time public broadcaster Prasar Bharati member in 2016.
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis honored her with the Swabhimani Mumbaikar Awards. She was also included on Forbes India's "Celebrity 100", a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities, in 2012, 2013, and 2017.
She has won 23 awards, including 6 Filmfare Awards, 5 Screen Awards, 4 Zee Cine Awards, 1 Stardust Award and 1 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award, and one Bollywood Movie Award till the year 2021. She was also honored with the Rajiv Gandhi Award for her contribution to Indian cinema in 2002. Kajol was listed in the Box Office India's "Top Actresses" for five consecutive years (1995-1999), topping the list in 1998.
In 2001 and 2006, she was featured in Rediff annual "Top Bollywood Actresses" listing. And in 2007, she received Karamveer Puraskar, presented by the Mumbai Pradesh Young Congress, for her social work in helping educate unprivileged children.
During the shooting of Gundaraj in 1994, Kajol and Ajay Devgn started dating. They eventually tied the knot on 24th February 1999 in a traditional Maharashtrian wedding ceremony held at Devgn's residence.- Actress
Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including seven Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.
Mukerji make her debut in her father directorial Bengali film Biyer Pool (1996). Her first Hindi film was the drama film Raja Ki Aayegi Bharat (1997). Mukerji first commercial success film was Ghulam (1998) which paired her with actor Aamir Khan, and followed by the worldwide blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) make her first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan.
Mukerjis is known for her versatility. Her performances often sited as the most iconic and remarkable role in Hindi cinema. She established her career in the early 2000s with successful films including Saathiya (2002), Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum (2004), Veer Zaara (2004), Bunty Aur Babli (2005), and Black (2005) later to be her best performance of her life time career.
Following the birth of her child, Mukerji took a four-year hiatus to focus on her daughter and was persuaded by her husband, Aditya Chopra, to return to acting. Mukerji makes her comeback with the all-time blockbuster film Hichki in 2018, which emerged as her highest-grossing release film of all time. She is continued her acting career with successful thriller Mardaani 2 (2019) and the drama Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Preity Zinta shot to fame as the refreshing, cool, wet model in the Liril commercial. She also modeled for Perk and her dimpled smile won the hearts of millions. Preity never thought she would be an actress. Kapoor saw her in the Liril commercial and liked her so much that he instantly decided that the next film he would announce would have her in the lead. However, 'Tara Rum Pum' never got made and is still pending since the director got very busy with his other projects.
But another offer soon came by, Kundan Shah's Kya Kehna (2000). Though the film was the first, Preity had actually begun shooting for her first release which was Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.. (1998). The film was a hit which won Preity accolades. Later Abbas-Mustan's Soldier (1998) that too was a hit at the box-office confirmed she was here to stay. Though Kya Kehna (2000) was her first film, but it released in 2000 and was the surprise hit of 2000.
Her role in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002) was appreciated and liked by all and that has made her an actress to reckon with in Bollywood. Her screen presence, charm and down to earth nature has made her the favorite actress of almost all the directors and producers. With banners and films like Rakesh Roshan's Koi... Mil Gaya (2003) with 'Hrithik Roshan', Nikkhil Advani's Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Jaya Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya (2004) with Hrithik Roshan and Amitabh Bachchan, Atul Agnihotri's Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha (2004) starring Salman Khan and Bhoomika Chawla, Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara (2004) with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, Siddharth Anand's Salaam Namaste (2005) with Saif Ali Khan, and Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) with Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, Preity has already made her place in the hearts of the public and also in Bollywood.- Actress
- Music Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kareena was born to Sindhi-speaking Babita (nee Shivdasani) and Punjabi-speaking Randhir Kapoor in Bombay, India. She has an elder sister, Karisma.
She is born in a family that have been actors for generations, including her paternal great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor; her grandfather, Raj Kapoor; her paternal uncles, Shammi, Shashi, Rishi, and Rajiv; as well as aunt, Neetu Singh, & Jennifer Kendall, the wives of Rishi and Shashi respectively. On her maternal side, her grandfather, Hari Shivdasani, and aunt, Sadhana, have been actors in their own rights.
As a child she studied in Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu, Bombay, and thereafter was enrolled in Dehra Dun's prestigious Welham Girls' Boarding School. Then she re-located to Harvard for approximately 3 months to take a course in information technology and microcomputers. Upon her return to India, she joined the Government Law College in Churchgate, Bombay, but left it after one year, to enroll in the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting School.
Her film debut was in the year 2000 with Refugee (2000) along with the debut of Amitabh Bachchan's son, Abhishek. She went on to appear in 31 other Hindi movies, and has thus far won four awards for her performances in Refugee (2000), Chameli (2003), Dev (2004), and Omkara (2006).
She is one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood, considered bankable, with an enviable A-listing and as of June 2007 is to appear in 'Tashan', 'Lajjo', 'Kismat Talkies' amongst others.
In 2012, she married actor Saif Ali Khan, son of actress Sharmila Tagore.- Actress
- Producer
Vidya was born in Palghat, Kerala, India. Her family consists of her dad, P.R. Balan, who is the Vice-President of ETC Channel; mom - a home-maker, and an elder sister, Priya, who is married to Kedar. She also has an aunt by the name of Raji Raju.
The Balan family re-located to live at Road No. 11, near Ambedkar Garden, Chembur, Bombay, when Vidya was very young. She studied in St. Anthony's Convent School, and thereafter in St. Xavier's College from where she obtained a degree in Sociology. She then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Sociology from Bombay University.
She also studied and performed in Prithvi Theaters' workshops. Due to tradition of most Tamil-Iyer families, Vidya and her Priya learned Carnatic dance form during their early childhood days, but Vidya opted out as the dance classes took place early on Sunday mornings and as she is not an early riser.
Considerably overweight, rather tomboyish, during her school-days, and an ardent fan of Shahrukh Khan, she decided to shed those extra pounds when she elected to opt for modeling and movies.
Facing disappointment after being rejected by a Tamil producer, she nevertheless persisted until she got her first break with a Malyalam movie 'Chakram' opposite Mohanlal, however, the project was shelved, and she had to wait until 1998 to debut in a Surf Excel commercial. She then went on to appear in several commercials directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She completed nearly 90 such ads.
She appeared in three music videos for Pankaj Udhas, Euphoria, and Shubha Mudgal in supporting roles. She then also appeared in two TV serials Ekta Kapoor's 'Hum Paanch', and Ashok Pandit's 'Hanste Khelte'.
During 2003 she was signed-up to play a role in a Bengali movie 'Bhaalo Theko' opposite Joy Sengupta. This project was completed during the year 2006, and was a considerable hit.
Then during 2006 Vidya was approached by Vidhu Vinod Chopra during a pop-concert in Mumbai to play a lead role in 'Parineeta'. She then had to undergo 17 make-up shoots and 40 screen tests before being chosen for this role. All this hard work did result in success as 'Parineeta' was very well received so much so that the Tamil producer, who had previously rejected her, invited her to appear in a 'Dasavatharam' opposite Kamal Hassan, and now it was Vidya's turn to reject this offer which eventually went to 'Asin'.
Apart from acting, Vidya occupies herself for supporting education for young Indians by promoting children's' books; is associated with Americans for Aids Research; with Hale House - that provides support and housing for children born with HIV and drug abuse; as well as hosting forums and attending events for Harvard Aids Institute.
When she was single, she was never involved in any scandal and claimed to get along well with both female and male friends. In 2012, she married producer Siddharth Roy Kapur
An ardent devotee of Bhagwan Shri Sai Baba, she makes it a point to attend Mandirs every Thursday. She is proficient in Tamil, Malyalam, Hindi, English, Bengali, and can also read Urdu.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Asin was born in Cochin, Kerala, India in the Malayalam-speaking Thottumkal family which consists of her businessman dad, Joseph, and mom, Dr. Seline, who practices in Ernakulam. She attended Naval Public School in Cochin, and after obtaining her Matriculation, was enrolled in St. Theresa's Higher Secondary School. After successfully obtaining her Higher Secondary School Certificate, she enrolled in St. Theresa's College to continue studying in the Arts Faculty. After obtaining a Degree in B.A. English Literature, she assisted her dad in his business (which includes software, export of furniture and antiques) and also took up modeling on the side. Her modeling assignments included Colgate Toothpaste, and Fairever Cream.
This exposure got her noticed and she made her debut on the tinsel screen through director Sathyan Anthikad's "Narendaran Makan" with Malayalyee actor Kunjachacko Boban.
After her initial success, she was offered Telugu movies, and warmly welcomed in the Telugu film industry. It was a smooth transition from Telugu to Tamil with the film "M Kumaran s/o Mahalakshmi". Asin starred in the original Telugu version, so she was the obvious choice for the Tamil remake, opposite Jeyam Ravi. The movie was a super hit. What makes Asin hot in the Tamil film industry, apart from her looks, is that she has teamed up with all the top heroes -- Vijay, Ajith, Surya and now Vikram, in "Maja".
She speaks a wide range of languages such as Malyalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, French, and may well be the only Indian actress with a Blogspot in French. She is very active in various functions throughout Southern India, and credits her good upbringing to her parents, who she considers her role models. She was the winner of an entrepreneurial award as a teenager. She is fond of reading and has a huge collection of books.
Asin, along with her mom and dad, have left their Harrington Road apartment at Chetpet, Chennai, and have re-located to an apartment in Lokhandwala Complex, in Andheri (West), Mumbai, in order to enable her to debut in Bollywood movies.
She has had a taste of success at a very young age in Indian regional movies, it remains to be seen if her success will continue in Bollywood also.- Actress
- Music Department
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
She is the daughter of legendary Indian actor Shatrughan Sinha and Poonam Sinha and sister to Luv Sinha and Kussh Sinha. She started her career as a model and walked the ramp in the Lakme Fashion week in 2008. She got her break in movies after being signed up by Salman Khan for his thriller Dabangg (2010)- Actress
- Writer
Kalki Koechlin was born to French parents in a small village in Pondicherry. Her parents had come to India as hippies in the 1970s and settled there after they fell in love with the country. Her parents are devotees of Sri Aurobindo.
Kalki was studying in Ooty when her parents insisted that she attend university. She studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she also worked with a theater company called Theatre of Relativity for two years. She performed in various plays, including David Hare's "The Blue Room," Marivaux's "The Dispute," and a devised play called "The Rise of the Wild Hunt" during her two-year stint with the theater group.
Kalki later decided to move to Mumbai to try her luck in Indian cinema. She was doing modeling assignments for television commercials before being shortlisted for the role of Chandramukhi (Chanda) in Dev.D (2009). Kalki, who can speak Tamil, English, and French, had to learn Hindi to prepare for her role in Dev.D (2009). She was apprehensive about how people would judge her after seeing her in the role.
She won The Hindu's 2009 MetroPlus Playwright Award, along with Prashant Prakash, for their co-authored entry "Skeleton Woman." Kalki also acted in the play "Hair" directed by Ajay Krishnan.