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Tabu is an Indian actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali-language films, as well as one American film. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with four. With few exceptions, she is best known for acting in artistic, low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than substantial box-office figures. Her appearances in commercially successful films were few, and her parts in these films were small, such as Border (1997), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Biwi No. 1 (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). Her most notable performances include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Maqbool (2003) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Her leading role in Mira Nair's American film The Namesake (2006) also drew major praise.
Regarded as one of the most talented Indian actresses of her generation, Tabu is known to be selective about her film roles. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2011 by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts.- Actress
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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
- 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.- 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
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Manisha Koirala (born 16 August 1970) is a Nepali actress who mainly appears in Bollywood, though she has worked in several South Indian and her native country's films. Noted for her acting prowess, Koirala is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards-and is one of India's most well-known actresses. Critics have noted that her niche as an actor remains unharmed irrespective of her commercial potent. Manisha was born into the politically prominent Koirala family, in which several of her family members went on to rule the nation, but she did not aspire to pursue a career in politics. A stint in modeling opened a career path in films, and she made her Bollywood debut with the top-grossing production Saudagar (1991). In spite of initial struggle to leave a mark, she went on to establish herself as one of the leading actresses in the 1990s with such films as 1942: A Love Story (1994), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), Agni Sakshi (1996) and Gupt (1997). Koirala gained particular recognition for her willingness to experiment with a variety of strong, dramatic roles, and she delivered several acclaimed performances in a range of films that did well with critics, including Bombay (1995), Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), Dil Se.. (1998), Mann (1999), Lajja (2001), Company (2002), and Escape from Taliban (2003). These films brought Koirala several awards and nominations, including three Filmfare Critics Awards for Best Actress, a South Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and a Star Screen Award Best Actress, among others. This was followed by a major period of decline when most of her films failed to do well. Her work in the Malyalam drama Elektra, the anthology film I Am (both 2010), and the romantic comedy Mappillai (2011) was received well, but she took a break from acting in 2012 to return three years later with the psychological thriller Chehere: A Modern Day Classic (2015).
She was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund in 1999 and 2015, and was involved in the relief works after the Nepal earthquake 2015. She promotes various causes such as women's rights, prevention of violence against women, prevention of human trafficking and cancer awareness.
Manisha was seen back on the Silver Screen with Sunaina Bhattnagar's Dear Maya. Manisha received appreciation from her fans and industry from across the whole of India. She has been seen doing some amazing motivational and social events.
She was one of the speakers along side Dalai Lama and CM of Andhra Pradesh at the Womens's Parliament, Amravati. She advocated on how we need more women in our board rooms, court rooms, schools and universities to make policies for women and that women should stand in solidarity for each other. Manisha's TEDx talk touched hearts of millions of people and she has received appreciation from across worldwide for same. She spoke about her struggle with cancer and her brave victory as a warrior and highly advocates on how focusing from early day on our personal health can do wonders. Her philosophy is to focus on mind, body and soul rather than just physical body to stay fit and positive.- Actress
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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
- 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
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Fate intervened when Bipasha recoiled and passed out when dissecting a rat. Thus ended her dream of being a medical professional. She was enrolled in the science faculty until 12th standard, but switched to commerce thereafter. After acquiring a degree in commerce she planned to be a chartered accountant but ended up being the Ford Supermodel of the World when she was just 17 years old.
Bipasha was born on January 7th 1979 in New Delhi. subsequently the Basu family re-located to Calcutta. Bipasha is the second of three sisters, born and brought up in a Hindu Bengali family, she is fluent in Hindi, English, and Bengali. The names of her sisters are Bidisha and Bijoyeta. Unbelievable as it may sound, sexy Bipasha was considered 'ugly' in her younger years due to her dark complexion. Her name means 'Dark Deep Desire', and is also the name of a river.
After her triumph as the Ford Supermodel, she went on to be crowned Miss Vivacious sponsored by Tulips.
Bipasha made her foray into Bollywood with Ajnabee (2001) in 2001, and subsequently acquired a place for herself in the tinsel world. She went to star in Raaz (2002), Jism (2003), No Entry (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Corporate (2006) & Dhoom 2 (2006). All of these movies did fairly well at the box office, and escalated her position as not only a leading lady, but one who can dare to bare. Dhoom 2 (2006) also credits her as a playback singer.
She has also appeared in two music videos, and was one of the judges in the 2004 Femina Miss India beauty pageant.- Actress
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Kangana was born on 23 March 1987 in Bhambla, near Manali, which is in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Her dad Amardeep is a businessman and her mom Asha is a schoolteacher. She has two sisters and a younger brother. Her grandfather was an IAS Office. She spent her childhood in Dehra Dunand studied in DAV's High School, where she participated in many debates and elocutions and also played basketball.
After completing her schooling, she attended Science College in Simla. She was enrolled in the Elite School of Modeling and also tried theater acting in Delhi and was a member of the Smita Theater Group under Arvind Gaur. She is also a trained Kathak dancer.
She decided to relocate to Bombay and lived in a flat in Yari Road, Versova. In September 2005 she was spotted drinking coffee in a cafe by filmmaker Anurag Basu, who approached her and eventually signed her for a lead role in Gangster (2006).
Since then, Kangana Ranaut has won 4 National Awards for her performance in _Fashion (2008)_qv, _Queen (2014)_qv, and _Tanu Weds Manu Returns (2015)_qv. Manikarnika(2019) Panga (2019).- Meghna was born in the Naidu family on September 19, 1980 in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
She shot into fame with a video titled 'Kaliyon Ka Chaman', and instantly became popular as an 'item girl' in Bollywood.
Although she debuted in movies in Southern India in the Tamil language, she made her Bollywood presence in 'Hawas' during the year 2004. Since then she has acted in 11 more movies. As of September, 2007, she is also slated to act in Telugu and Malyalam language movies, including one titled 'Chandrika', and hopes to shed off her glamorized image in Ashok Nanda's movie titled 'Riwaaz'. - Actress
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Ramya Krishnan is a versatile Indian actress who has appeared in over 260 Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films. She is the niece of the Late Cho Ramaswamy, a Tamil film actor and former member of the Rajya Sabha.
In her early years, Krishnan received formal training in western, Bharathanatyam, and Kuchipudi dance forms and appeared in several stage performances.
She got her first acting break in 1983 in the Malayalam film Neram Pularumbol (1986) when she was only 13. However, the film's release was delayed. This made Vellai Manasu (1985), a Tamil film starring Y.G. Mahendran her first official movie appearance in 1985.
Krishnan continued working in Tamil cinema and was featured in supporting roles in films like Padikkathavan (1985) with Rajinikanth in the lead role and Per Sollum Pillai (1987) with Kamal Haasan as the lead.
Some of her notable Telugu performances include films like Madana Gopaludu (1987), Aasthulu Anthasthulu (1988), BhamaKalapam (2022), and Bava Marudula Sawal (1988).
Krishnan appeared in various Malayalam movies, like Orkkappurathu (1988), Aryan (1988), and Anuragi (1988), in 1988. That year, she also featured in some successful Kannada movies, like Krishna Rukmini (1988). She made her debut in Hindi movies by playing a small role in the film Dayavan (1988), featuring actors Feroze Khan and Vinod Khanna.
Krishnan enjoyed her first blockbuster in 1990, with K. Viswanath's Sutradhaarulu (1990), which fetched the movie a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu. After the film's success, she was offered lead roles in the Telugu film industry.
Krishnan's subsequent hit performances and box-office successes included Alludugaru (1990), Allari Mogudu (1992), Major Chandrakanth (1993), and Allari Priyudu (1993).
Her next major blockbuster was with Nagarjuna in the movie Annamayya (1997). She also gave another stellar performance as the lead in Kante Koothurne Kanu (1998), for which she was awarded the Nandi Award for Best Actress.
During this time, Krishnan essayed some supporting role performances in famous Hindi movies like Parampara (1993), Khalnayak (1993), Chaahat (1996), Banarasi Babu (1997), and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998).
She took a break from Tamil cinema for four years, after which she returned in 1999, playing an antagonist in Padaiyappa (1999), starring Rajinikanth. She has also been applauded for her performances in devotional films like Ammoru (1995) and Annai Kaligambal (2003).
Krishnan married Telugu film director Krishna Vamsi in 2003. They have a son together.
Besides movies, Krishnan has appeared in TV serials like Thangam (2009), Rajakumari (2013), and Vamsam (2013) on Sun TV. She served as the host of Big Boss Telugu Season 3 after Nagarjuna Akkineni, the main host, had to fly to Spain. In November 2021, when host Kamal Haasan was diagnosed with COVID, Krishnan took over Bigg Boss Tamil Season 5, becoming the first woman to host the show.
One of Krishnan's biggest box-office successes, highest-grossing movies, and most critically acclaimed performances came from her role as Rajamata Sivagami Devi in S.S. Rajamouli's movies, Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017). After Bahubali, she went on to give solid performances in Mama Manchu Alludu Kanchu (2015) and Soggade Chinni Nayana (2016).
Krishnan was felicitated with a special award by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu at the 30th Ugadi Celebrations & Puraskar Presentation in 2018.
She ventured into the realm of web series in 2019 with Queen (2019), playing Jayalalithaa, the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. She also made her OTT debut in 2022 as a judge for the show Dance Ikon, streaming on AHA.- Actress
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Gracy Singh is a unique combination of star quality and a girl next door appeal. With amazing hits to her name, she has carved a name for herself in the field of acting and dance. She is known for her amazing roles in Lagaan, Munnabhai M.B.B.S, Armaan and Gangajaal. Gracy is equally committed to her spiritual quest. As a member with the Brahma Kumaris, She is a much loved and respected by the BK family.
Born and brought up in Delhi, in a traditional Sikh family; Gracy's passion for acting and dance goes back to her school days. She started taking Bharat Natyam lessons during her vacations, while studying at Manav Sthali School. Finishing school in the mid-nineties, she joined a dance troupe called "Planets" and started performing on stage, simultaneously pursuing her graduation in Arts. Around this time, she also traveled to Bombay for a few modeling assignments, ad films and dance shows. In 1997 came the break, when she tested successfully for the TV serial 'Amanat'. Television became Gracy's real school for acting, where she developed gradually as an actress. The success of the serial gave Gracy the right platform. In 2001, she endeared herself to movie audiences in her first leading role as Gauri in Oscar nominated film Lagaan alongside Aamir Khan . She won the viewers with her rustic looks and a neat performance in the celebrated film. Gracy's soft and endearing personality went in her favor and she became the part of the film that created history.The year 2003 marked the release of three of her films 'Armaan', 'Gangajaal' and 'Munna Bhai MBBS'. MBBS was another super hit film. Gracy turns out to be the actress with best ratio of hits to her credit. With a few successful films under her belt, Gracy accepted more offbeat roles. Gracy also became an accomplished classical dancer. She performed her first theater project "Radhika" (Dance Drama) in 2006.More substantial roles followed, she got few successful films to her credit in regional language such as "Santosham" (Telugu), "Loudspeaker"(Malyalam) and "Rama Rama Krishna Krishna"(Telugu). She also starred in Punjabi films such as "choodiyan". Gracy formed her Dance Troupe in 2009 and involved herself in creating stage performance, depicting the rich cultural heritage of India, to show women in a better light, etc. She is equipped with technical skill and full of innovative ideas. Everyone who has seen Gracy perform is struck by her unique thought process and fresh approach to dance. While deeply rooted in tradition she has evolved her own individual style.- Actress
- Producer
Born in Kanpur, India, Poonam Pandey is an Indian model and Bollywood actress. She started her Bollywood career with Nasha (2013), directed by Amit Saxena. Pandey was among the top 9 contestants in Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest.
In 2015, Pandey starred in the Telugu film Malini & Co. (2015), directed and written by Veeru. K.. In 2018, she was seen in the Hindi film The Journey of Karma (2018) as Karma D'Souza.
Apart from movies, Pandey has also starred in tv shows. She was among the top 11 contestants in Dance of the lizards (2011). In 2022, she was a part of Lock Upp: Badass Jail, Lock Upp (2022), an Indian reality TV show hosted by Kangana Ranaut.- Actress
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Priyanka Chopra Jonas (née Chopra) was born on July 18, 1982 in Jamshedpur, India, to the family of Capt. Dr. Ashok Chopra and Dr. Madhu Chopra, both Indian Army physicians. She had a very varied upbringing. She started her education at La Martinière Girls College in Lucknow as a resident student; a short stay at Maria Goretti College in Bareilly prepared her for further studies in the U.S. Having completed tenth grade in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., she decided to become a software engineer or a criminal psychologist. She enjoys Indian music and dance; flair for writing poetry and short stories; reading, especially biographies; and has worked for a lot of social welfare programs.- Actress
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Born into a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms; the ones that brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the Pepsi ad. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title, which she won, her beauty and charm made her India's darling. Ash stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Her performance in Iruvar (1997) was critically acclaimed, and she won the Screen best female debutant award for her role in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). She was adored in movies like Taal (1999), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), her item number in 'Bunty & Bubbly' had sent waves of rhythm across the nation. With her successful Bollywood movies and prestigious Hollywood projects lined up for release it is impossible to ignore this Indian diva in international scenes.- Actress
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- 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.- Divya was born on February 25, 1974 to Meeta and Om Prakash Bharti.
Opting for acting, she quit college, & landed a role in 'Bobbili Raja' (Telegu) in 1990 at just 16 years of age. This movie became a hit, and was dubbed into Hindi and released as 'Raampur Ka Raja'.
Divya made her debut in Bollywood in 1992 'Dil Hi To Hai', then in a musical romance 'Dil Ka Kya Kasoor', but it was the multi-starer 'Vishwatma' that really got her noticed. Thereafter she acted in 13 more movies amidst speculations that she would be the next Sridevi.
Her personal life was not as well chartered as her tinsel one, for she fell in love with Sajid Nadiadwala, married him secretly as her parents strongly disapproved, changed her religion from Hindu to Islam, and her name to Sana.
Her life tragically came to an end on April 5, 1993 when she fell from the balcony of her 5th floor flat in Yari Road, Versova.
Two of her movies 'Rang' and 'Shatranj' were released after her passing, and were dedicated to her memory. Her film-maker husband has also dedicated several of his films to her name. - Actress
- Producer
Neha was born in the Punjabi-speaking Dhupia family in Cochin, India, on August 27, 1980, and as is customary with most Punjabi and Sikh families - she was nicknamed 'Chotu'. Her dad is an Officer in the Indian Navy, Pradip Singh Dhupia; her mom, Manpinder, is a homemaker, and she has a brother, Hardeep, who works with Jet Airways.
As a child she completed her schooling in Vizag, then in Naval Public School, and eventually graduated in History from Jesus and Mary College in Delhi.
She started her career as an actress in Rajdhani (1999) a TV serial during the year 1999. Since then she has appeared in a number of TV advertisements, ramp shows, as well as two music videos.
She gained instant fame in India when she was crowned 'Miss India 2002', taking over this title from Bollywood actress, Celina Jaitley. Neha finished amongst the top 10 in the 'Miss Universe 2002'.
She made her debut on the tinsel screen during 1997 with Jab Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1997). Then during the year 2003 she appeared in two Telugu movies, before making her first major appearance in a Bollywood flick Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003) also during the same year.- Actress
Ayesha was born in Srinagar, Kashmir on July 28th. She dad is a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, & she has a sister named Aparna.
Due to her dad's frequent transfers, they re-located to Delhi, where she developed her gregarious ways. Lived in Delhi, India till her early teen days. She moved to Bombay to act in films after her childhood lover Rajat Mathur jilted her.
She debuted in Kaise Kaise Log in 1983, and up until has starred in over 45 movies. Her performance in 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' was her best. She is currently modeling for Prafful Sarees.
She married Sameer Vashi, who is the construction business, and they live in Tirupati Apartments, Andheri (west), Bombay, India.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Sonal Singh Chauhan, an Indian fashion model and actress.
She was born in a Rajput family, originally hailing from the state of Uttar Pradesh(UP) - India.
Her father is a Police Inspector, and she has one elder brother and two younger sisters. She studied at Delhi Public School, Noida and then Philosophy honors at Gargi College in New Delhi.
She was crowned as the Miss World Tourism 2005 at Miri, [Sarawak, state of Malaysia]. She was a noteworthy former Miss India contestant. She is the first Indian to have claimed Miss World Tourism title. She has been a popular model of Delhi, and has appeared in a number of advertisement campaigns in print and electronic media.
Her debut movie in Bollywood (the film industry in Mumbai, India as it is fondly called in comparison with Hollywood of USA) is Mukesh Bhatt's "Jannat" due for release in mid 2008
She won several beauty contests, following which she has featured in the movie "Jannat" alongside Emraan Hashmi.- Kim Sharma is an Indian actress and model who gained prominence in Bollywood during the early 2000s. Born in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India, as Kim Michelle Sharma, she has made a mark in the entertainment industry with her charming screen presence and acting skills.
Kim Sharma began her career in the spotlight as a model before making her acting debut in the 2000 film "Mohabbatein," directed by Aditya Chopra. Although her role was relatively small, it helped her grab attention in the industry. Following her debut, she went on to feature in several Bollywood films, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
One of her notable roles was in the 2001 film "Yeh Hai Jalwa," where she starred alongside Salman Khan and Amisha Patel. Kim also appeared in movies like "Nehlle Pe Dehlla" (2007), "Money Hai Toh Honey Hai" (2008), and "Tom, Dick, and Harry" (2006). While she didn't become a leading actress, Kim Sharma carved her niche with supporting roles and special appearances in various films.
Apart from her acting career, Kim Sharma has been associated with several brand endorsements and modeling assignments. Her striking looks and graceful presence have made her a sought-after personality in the fashion and advertising industry.
In addition to her career in entertainment, Kim Sharma's personal life has also been a subject of media attention. She was briefly married to Ali Punjani, a Kenyan businessman, but the marriage ended in divorce. - Geeta Basra was born on 13 March 1984 in Portsmouth, England. She is an actress, known for Dil Diya Hai (2006), Zila Ghaziabad (2013) and Calling Mr. Joe B Carvalho (2014). She has been married to Harbhajan Singh since 2015.
- Born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Tanushree comes from a conservative Hindu Bengali family, and had her personality groomed according to strict social norms, resulting in her being shy and very introverted. Her father Tapan was an employee of the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Her mother is a housewife.
Tanushree finished junior school in her hometown and completed high school studies in Pune. She dropped out of college to pursue a career in modeling which was a long-cherished dream. She first started modeling for ramp shows, local ad campaigns, print shoots etc., and worked part time as a sales junior executive at an event management company while she built her resume and portfolio as an amateur model and actor.
Tanushree took part in several local beauty beauty pageants in Pune in 2003. She also appeared in music videos, stage shows, a Bengali show on local TV, Bangladeshi ad campaigns and several print and commercial assignments and finally went on to take part in and win the title at the Miss India pageant in 2004 which was a turning point in her career. In June 2004 she represented India amongst 133 countries at the Miss Universe pageant in Quito, Equador in South America. She placed amongst the top ten participants at the finals.
During her growing-up years Tanushree was exposed to Indian classical music and dance and had been trained in painting and fine arts at the Rabindranath Tagore Society for Arts for a few years. From a very early age Tanushree had an inclination towards the performing arts. The title of Miss India opened doors for her and she started receiving offers from Bollywood as a lead actor. She also bagged several prestigious modeling assignments thereafter with top Indian designers and national brands.
Her career as an actress started with the films 'Chocolate' and 'Ashique Banaya Apne' in 2005. 'Ashique Banaya Apne' went on to become a box office success and the music of the film broke all existing records in Indian cinema till date, whereas the film'Chocolate'received a lukewarm response and failed to create an impact at the box office. Still, the double impact of these films proved to be a perfect launch pad for Tanushree into Bollywood. She worked in several other feature films after that - romance, comedy, horror, thriller and action were the different genres that she covered in a short career span of five years from 2005-2010.
Tanushree has very often made headlines for her red carpet appearances, personal life and the controversies very common in Bollywood. Putting up a brave front and maintaining a dignified silence, she has let her talent and work talk for her and eventually proven her detractors wrong by garnering rave reviews for her performances in latter films like Rokk, Apartment, and Rama the Saviour.
Tanushree culminated her career with the film 'Rama the Saviour' that released in November 2010 and went on a self-imposed sabbatical for two and a half years.During this time she traveled extensively and pursued different and varied personal interests like spirituality, yoga and eastern mysticism as well as adventure sports. She rediscovered and reinvented herself through this whole process.She was back in the limelight in the spring of 2013 with stunning appearances at several high profile media and red carpet events. - Priyamani is an established actress in the South Indian film industry. She grew up in Bangalore, completed her schooling at Sri Aurobindo Memorial School and later went to Bishop Cotton Woman's College.
Right from student life, Priyamani was enthusiastic about extracurricular activities. As a student, she took part in a lot of competitions. She began working as a model for Kanchipuram silks after completing her studies.
During her college years, she began modelling and appeared in several advertisements, which eventually led to her foray into the film industry.
She was soon spotted by Bharathiraja in 2003, who offered her a role in the Tamil film Kangalal Kaidhu Sei (2004). However, it is the Telugu film Evare Athagadu (2003) that is considered her debut film as it came out first.
After her debut, she appeared in several other South Indian films and made a name for herself with her performances in films like Sathyam (2004), Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam (2005), and Pellaina Kothalo (2006).
Priyamani's breakthrough performance came with the Tamil film Paruthiveeran (2007), directed by Ameer Sultan. She played the role of a village girl, and her portrayal of the character won her several awards, including a National Film Award and a Tamil Filmfare award for Best Actress.
After winning the National Award, the actress went on to give a noteworthy performance in the commercially successful Telugu film, Thief of Yama (2007), directed by S.S. Rajamouli.
In 2008, Priyamani received praise for her performance in the Malayalam film Thirakkatha (2008). This movie's plot revolves around twists and turns of the real-life lived by the late film actress Srividya. She also starred in the critically acclaimed and successful Tamil film Thotta (2008).
In 2009, Priyamani appeared in the successful remake of Ninaithale Inikkum (2009) and made her Kannada film debut with the successful Raam (2009).
In 2010, Priyamani starred in the super hit Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010) with Mammootty. She played a Mumbai interior designer, and the film grossed over four crores in a little over two weeks.
Priyamani then worked with director Mani Ratnam on Raavanan (2010) and Raavan (2010), which was a hit in Tamil but a box-office disaster in Hindi.
She later acted in Ram Gopal Varma's Rakta Charitra (2010) with Vivek Oberoi, Suriya, and Shatrughan Sinha. The movie was critically acclaimed, and a box-office hit.
In 2012, Priyamani received critical acclaim for her roles in Anna Bond (2012) and Grandmaster (2012). She also starred in the superhit Kannada film Chaarulatha (2012) and won multiple awards, including Kannada Filmfare, for her portrayal of conjoined twins.
In 2013, she starred in the commercially and critically successful Telugu film Chandi (2013).
In 2016, she appeared in Kathe Chitrakathe Nirdeshana Puttanna (2016), a comedy horror film that had a successful 50-day run. She then starred in the romantic comedy Dana Kayonu (2016) directed by Yograj Bhat.
In 2017, she starred in the horror film Kalpana 2 (2016), directed by R. Anantharaju.
On August 23, 2017, Priyamani married her long-time boyfriend, Mustafa Raj, a businessman, in a private ceremony in Bangalore. It was rumoured that Priyamani planned to retire from acting after the wedding, but these reports were proven incorrect when she starred in the film Dhwaja (2018).
Having established herself in the South Indian film industry, Priyamani is now making waves with her performances in web shows. Her portrayal of the character "Suchitra Iyer" in her debut web series, The Family Man (2019), fetched her the Filmfare OTT award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (Critics).
Besides The Family man, her on-screen performance of the character Sakshi in ZEE5's His Story (2021) has moved audiences with her acting skills.
Priyamani has also appeared as a judge in many dance reality shows like the Telugu dance shows Dhee (2013) and the Tamil show Dance jodi dance 2.0 (2017). - The daughter of a lecturer, actress Urmila Matondkar began her celluloid career as a child artiste with the film _Kalyug (1980)_. Although an average film at the box-office, her next film, Masoom (1983), about a family coping with an illegitimate member, showed her acting talents blossom and she received critical acclaim from both her fans and the film fraternity. She subsequently appeared in a number of films including Dacait (1987), where she plays Sunny Deol's under-aged sister who gets brutally raped.
Years later, Urmila then made her debut as an adult actress in N. Chandra's Narasimha (1991) opposite Sunny Deol . She then did the fantasy Chamatkar (1992) with the then-débutant Shahrukh Khan and Shreemaan Aashique (1993), a comedy on male chauvinism opposite Anupam Kher and Rishi Kapoor and a crime movie Drohi (1992), But no matter what films she did, while her fellow actresses Manisha Koirala and Raveena Tandon reached the peak of their popularity with blockbuster after blockbuster, success seemed to elude her.
Then she did Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela (1995), a tale of a girl's journey in the film industry. The movie came as a refreshing surprise and Urmila gave a magnificent performance, which is no small feet alongside actors Aamir Khan and Jackie Shroff, but what gave the film classic status was A.R. Rahman's music, Asha Bhosle's songs and designer Manish Malhotra, who transformed Urmila from a Maharashtrian middle-class girl into a sexy and glamorous actress. With this movie Urmila revolutionized sensuality on the Indian screen. What most actresses hadn't managed even after a dozen hits, Urmila had achieved with only one film. And ever since, she has been associated with Asha Bhosle's sensual voice and of course the image of the sizzling seductress - in fact, she is still known for her sizzling sensuality and her stunning looks.
However, Urmila is not to be judged only for her looks. She is also an actress of great talent and skill - her performance in Satya (1998) as a modest girl whose boyfriend, the titular character, gets sucked into the Bombay underworld is one of her best ever performances to date. And since 2000, she began to play roles of depth and substance, making an impact most notably in the films Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya... (2001), Om Jai Jagadish (2002), Pinjar (2003), a drama based on India's partition, I Did Not Kill Gandhi (2005), about a man accused of Gandhi's murder and Banaras (2006).
As of 2006, she has acquired several assignments, both using her talents as an actress and as a seductress - she is doing Onir's Bas Ek Pal (2006) and Ram Gopal Varma's Sholay (2006), the latter of which audiences are eagerly waiting for with bated breath. On March 3, 2016, she married actor-model-businessman Mohsin Akhtar in a small private ceremony.
Today Urmila is known as one of Bollywood's most versatile actresses. After Sridevi, she is known to have the played the most varied characters next to fellow actresses Tabu and Mahima Chaudhry. - Actress
- Producer
Rambha is a south sensation who has acted in over 100 South Indian Films and also in Bollywood films. From Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam to Hindi, Kannada and Bengali, Rambha has done many successful films in many Indian regional languages. People loved her glamour roles and especially her gorgeous smile on the silver screen. Rambha made her career debut with the 1993 Kannada movie Server Somanna opposite Jaggesh. The same year Rambha did Malayalam film Sargam opposite Vineeth. The film received a National Award and Rambha won the State Award for her performance.- Actress
- Producer
Grand-daughter of Indian freedom fighter, lawyer and former Justice Rajni Patel, Amisha, a Gemini, was born in Bombay's Breach Candy Hospital. Her younger brother Ashmit Patel is also a Bollywood film actor and her name is a blend of the first three letters of her father's name Amit and the last three letters of her mother's name Asha.
She studied at the Cathedral and John Connon High School in Bombay and went on to obtain a degree in Economics from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, U.S.A. After graduation she worked for a Finance company and also modeled on the side.
She has studied Bharat Natyam dance form since the age of five and had acted in several plays in Satyadev Dubey's Theatre including a play titled 'Neelam'.
She did not have any plans of being an actress, but when Amit's friend, film-maker and actor, Rakesh Roshan, met her during a family lunch, he offered her the lead role in 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'. Amisha accepted the offer, the movie went on to become a blockbuster and made her a star overnight.
She went on to star in a number of films and her most notable works include 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha', 'Humraaz', 'Yeh Hai Jalwa', 'Mangal Pandey', 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa', 'Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic' and 'Race 2'.
She has also acted in several South Indian films.
Amisha has been the recipient of four awards for her performances in 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai' and 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'.
She has co-starred with Akshaye Khanna, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Aftab Shivdasani, Hrithik Roshan, Arjun Rampal among others.
Her personal life has been marred with misunderstandings with her parents and brother, so much so that she has sought the intervention of the courts. She dated Bollywood director, Vikram Bhatt, for five years since the release of their first film together, 'Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage', but they had broken-up in 2007. Patel started dating London and Delhi-based businessman Kanav Puri after her break-up, but they eventually broke up two years later in 2010.
She has many critics, who have described her as inconsistent, but have since then bitten their lips when they were proved wrong by this petite and beautiful actress - who has, and continues to enthrall her fans with a variety of performances on the silver screen.- 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
Born in Patna, Bihar and currently residing in Los Angeles, USA, Nitu Chandra is an Indian actor, National award winning producer, international taekwondo player, humanitarian, activist & theatre artist. She is famously known for her work in 'Garam Masala', 'Traffic Signal', 'Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye!' 'Aadhi Bhagavan' and 'Godavari' to name a few. Nitu Chandra has not only carved a distinctive space for herself in Indian films but is on her way to conquering the global domain with her multiple interesting Hollywood projects.
In addition, she is also a skilled classical dancer and has a natural affinity for sports. She has been actively playing and promoting basketball in India through her close association with the NBA. In 2017, she became the brand ambassador for Patna Pirates, a winning teaming in the Pro Kabaddi League for the last 4 years. She has also represented India 3 times at World Taekwondo Championships. She has been honoured the 4th dan black belt by Korean Embassy, New Delhi.
She made her Bollywood film debut with Garam Masala (2005) opposite Akshay Kumar & John Abraham where she essayed the role of an air hostess. She is known for her performances in several films which include 'National Award' winning Traffic Signal (2007) and 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), alongside One Two Three (2008), Summer 2007 (2008), 13B: Fear Has a New Address (2009), Mumbai Cutting (2008), Rann (2010) with Amitabh Bachchan, Apartment: Rent at Your Own Risk (2010), No Problem (2010), 'Sadiyaan' (2010), Kucch Luv Jaisaa (2011), 'Kusar Prasad Ka Bhoot' (to be released) and 'Shooter' (to be released). With her incredible acting prowess, she has enacted every character with perfection.
Nitu made her foray into theatre with a play called 'Umrao' (2013) essaying the iconic character 'Umrao Jaan' showing her versatility from portraying a 17 years old teenager to an 85 year old octogenarian. Her acting in the play was critically acclaimed and applauded by the audience.
Known to wear many hats, she ventured into film production with Deswa (2011), a Bhojpuri film which entered 37 international film festivals and was honoured in many. This film is also credited to be the first film from Bihar to enter International Film Festival in Goa 2012 in 'Indian panorama' category.
It was in 2008 that she set up her own production house, named, 'Champaran Talkies' with her brother Nitin Chandra, a National award winning filmmaker. The objective of this production house is to produce films that talk about real India. Champaran Talkies recently produced Mithila Makhaan (2019) a Maithili language movie that went on to be the first movie from Bihar to ever win the prestigious National Film Awards (2016) for 'Best Maithili Film'. The film was also officially selected for the International Film Festival of South Asia in Toronto (2016) alongside more than 25 other international film festivals.
She will mark her Hollywood debut with Sony Motion Pictures franchise, Never Back Down: Revolt (2021) where she will essay the role of a fierce fighter, 'Jaya'. She is the first Indian actor to do a Greek film, called Block 12 (2013) and has been a part of Gown and Out in Beverly Hills (2017) on Amazon Prime. She has recently completed a pilot episode for an international web series 'The Worst Day'.
Besides Hindi films, she has given memorable performances, in other regional language movies too. She made a guest appearance with the Telugu film Vishnu (2003), followed by other prominent Telugu films which include Godavari (2006), Satyameva Jeyathe (2009) and Manam (2014). Her key Tamil films include 'Yavrum Nalam' (2009), Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai (2010), 'Yuddham Sei' (2011), Settai (2013), Thilagar (2015), Singam 3 (2017), Vaigai Express (2017), 'Brahma.com' (2017). She has even appeared in a Kannada movie, Power (2014).
For the Tamil movie Aadhi Bhagavan (2013), she won the 'Best Actor (2014) in the negative role (Tamil) at the 3rd South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA). Having worked in various Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films, Neetu is considered to be one of the most versatile actor of Indian cinema.
Nitu Chandra is a philanthropist and has received wide recognition for her humanitarian work. She has advocated various social causes. Aiding Cancer patients is a social cause which is particularly close to her heart. She has been the brand ambassador of Cancer Patients Aid Association, Mumbai for the last 12 years and Teen Cancer America for the last 3 years. She has also been associated with the United Nations as a Gender 50:50 Champion.
Talented Nitu has gone to forge a multi-hyphenate career and has left an indelible mark in films and sports alike. She strongly believes that "the only way to succeed in anything would be to give it everything and remain consistent."- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Anushka Sharma was born on 1 May 1988 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer, and her mother, Ashima Sharma, is a homemaker. Her father is a native of Uttar Pradesh, while her mother is a Garhwali. Her elder brother is film producer Karnesh Sharma, who earlier served in the Merchant Navy. Prior to joining the navy, Karnesh played for the under-19 Bangalore Ranji cricket team. Sharma has stated that being a military brat played an important role in shaping her as a person and contributing to her life. In an interview with The Times of India in 2012, she said, "I take pride in saying that I am an army officer's daughter even more than being an actor. She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She then moved to Mumbai to further her modeling career. Sharma says she originally wished to make it big in the modeling world but had no strong aspirations for films. She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks's Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks's finale model at the Spring Summer '07 Collection. Since then she has done campaigns for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio.
Her first acting role was in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was a huge success and her performance was appreciated. Film critic Taran Adarsh said, "Anushka looks the character and surprises you with a confident performance. It's no small achievement to share screen space with an actor of the caliber of SRK and Anushka manages it very well from start to end." Her second film, Badmaash Company, also under Yash Raj Films, was released on May 7, 2010. She was praised for breaking out of the shell of the conservative and homely Taani to play the feisty and independent Bulbul, and her performance was applauded.
She has two other projects on hand. She began shooting for her first venture outside of Yash Raj with Nikhil Advani and Akshay Kumar in Patiala House in December 2009. Patiala House is scheduled to be released on February 11, 2011. She has also started filming for her third Yash Raj Film, Band Baaja Baaraat, directed by Maneesh Sharma and co-starring debutant Ranveer Singh.- Actress
- Music Department
Aditi Rao Hydari was born in 1986 in Hyderabad, from two royal lineages, that of Sir Akbar Hydari and J. Rameshwar Rao the erstwhile Raja of Wanaparthy.
A classical Bharatanatyam dancer, she made her acting debut with Sharada Ramanathan's acclaimed film Sringaram and rose to fame after her performance in Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi. In 2012, she played the female lead in the movie London Paris New York opposite Ali Zafar and later became a part of Mahesh Bhatt's Murder franchise in Vishesh Bhatt's directorial film Murder 3 (2013).
Aditi is best known for her roles in Murder 3 (2013), Rockstar, London Paris New York, and Yeh Saali Zindagi. She will be soon seen in films like Guddu Rangeela directed by Subhash Kapoor; The Legend of Michael Mishra, directed by Manish Jha; Aur Devdas by Sudhir Mishra and Wazir, directed by Bejoy Nambiar along with Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar and Fitoor, directed by Abhisheik Kapoor where she plays a young Begum.- Ileana D'Cruz is an Indian-born Portuguese actress and model. She made her debut in the Telugu film Devadasu, which became the year's first major commercial success. She debuted in Tamil with "Kedi".
Telugu movie "Pokiri", which was one of the highest money grosser, set her in top slot actresses. She appeared in many commercially successful movies like Jalsa, Kick etc.
She made her debut in Bollywood with Anurag Basu's Barfi! (2012) starring Ranbir Kapoor. - Mallika Sherawat is an Indian actress who mainly works in the Hindi film industry. She was named Reema Lamba at birth but later took up Mallika Sherawat as her screen name.
Sherawat did her schooling at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. She earned her degree in philosophy from Miranda House at Delhi University. She worked as an air hostess and acted in commercials before joining the film industry.
Sherawat's film career began with Talat Jani's romance film Jeena Sirf Merre Liye (2002), in which she plays a small role. She debuted in a lead role in Khwahish (2003), directed by Govind Menon, starring Himanshu Malik. While the film failed to impact the box office, Sherawat gained popularity due to her 17 kissing scenes in the movie.
A year later, she appeared in Murder (2004), a romantic thriller co-starring Emraan Hashmi and Ashmit Patel, directed by Anurag Basu. She went on to act in films like Kis Kis Ki Kismat (2004) and Bachke Rehna Re Baba (2005).
In 2005, Sherawat appeared in her first international film, The Myth (2005), a Chinese fantasy-adventure and martial arts film directed by Stanley Tong that had Jackie Chan in the lead role. Her next film was Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), a romantic comedy written and directed by Saket Chaudhary with Rahul Bose playing the lead opposite her.
Sherawat was next seen on Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story (Joy: The Real Love Story (2007)), a romantic thriller directed by Prashant Chadha, starring Himesh Reshammiya and Hansika Motwani. She essayed the role of an advocate in the movie. Her next film was Welcome (2007), directed by Anees Bazmee, starring Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Nana Patekar. The film became a huge commercial success and earned more than Rs. 117 crores worldwide.
The following year, Sherawat appeared in Ugly Aur Pagli (2008) and Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam (2008). She debuted in Tamil cinema with the film Dasavatharam (2008), with Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
Sherawat played the lead role in Hisss (2010), an English-Hindi crossover from the adventure-horror genre directed by Jennifer Lynch. She promoted the film at the Cannes Film Festival 2010. She won the Best Actress Award at the Gotham Screen Film Festival & Screenplay Contest 2011 for her performance in the film.
She went on to work on Politics of Love (2011), directed by William Dear. Sherawat plays the lead role in this romantic comedy set during the campaign for the U.S. Presidential Election in 2008.
Sherawat appeared in films like Double Dhamaal (2011), Kismet Love Paisa Dilli (2012), and Dirty Politics (2015), among others. She acted in Time Raiders (2016), a Chinese fantasy-action-adventure movie directed by Daniel Lee.
Sherawat has also appeared in item numbers in several films, such as Thank You (2011), Bin Bulaye Baraati (2011), and Tezz (2012). She appeared in TV shows like Sarabhai V/S Sarabhai (2004) and Hawaii Five-0 (2010). In 2013, she took part in Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon ki Mallika (2013), a reality dating show meant to find the ideal bachelor for herself.
Sherawat received the 2008 Renaissance Artist Award. She also received the International Youth Icon Award at the Kalakar Awards in 2015 - Actress
- Producer
Rimi Sen is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.
Rimi Sen was born as Shubhomitra Sen in Kolkata, West Bengal. She completed her schooling from Bidya Bharati Girls' High School in the year 1998.[citation needed] She completed her graduation in Commerce from University of Calcutta. She trained in Odissi dance under eminent Kolkata-based Odissi exponent, Guru Aloka Kanungo.
Since childhood Sen nursed the dream of becoming an actress. After completing her studies, she persuaded her mother to accompany her to Mumbai. She later said that she wasn't encouraged by anyone in her family except for her grandfather. After doing the rounds, she got into ads including one Coca-Cola ad with Aamir Khan. She was instantly noticed and her first offer for films started rollin in. Rimi made her debut as a lead actress in Telugu movie Nee Thodu Kavali. Her debut Hindi film, Vijay Galani'sHungama, released in 2003. It was a comedy film, in which she co-starred with Akshay Khanna, Aftab Shivdasani, Paresh Rawal, as well as other actors. She followed it with appearance in big budget movies like Dhoom (2004), Garam Masala (2005) and Golmaal (2006). She also did a cameo in 2006 film Dhoom 2, and followed it with Johnny Gaddaar alongside newcomer actor Neil Nitin Mukesh. In 2008, she appeared in De Taali and in Sankat City in 2009.- Raima Sen was born on 11 November 1979 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. She is an actress, known for 22 Shey Shraban (2011), Nishijapon (2005) and Tarikh (2018).
- 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
Genelia D'Souza is an Indian actress, model, and host. She has appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognized for her role in Boys the same year, and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films during 2003-2005. D'Souza received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, Bommarillu, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in Santosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu, and the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. Having acted in several commercially successful movies in Telugu and Tamil, D'Souza has established herself as one of the leading actresses of the South Indian film industry.In addition to movie acting, D'Souza has hosted the television show Big Switch, and is the brand ambassador of Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, and Perk in India- Born in Rajasthan, Nimrat was brought up in an army environment, thus hopping from one city to other and from one school to other. After losing her father, during a counter-terrorist operation, at a very young age she moved to Noida in the north of India and went on to finish her remaining schooling from DPS Noida and studied for her Bachelor's in Commerce from Sri Ram College of Commerce. Nimrat finally made the inevitable move to Mumbai in 2004 after graduating and forayed into the world of modeling and advertising. She first caught the eye with the Tera Mera Pyaar music video from Sony Music. Thereafter she went on to model for over 80 Indian and international television commercials and numerous print campaigns for brands like Asian Paints, ICICI, Videocon, Pantaloon, Samsung, Aircel and Cadbury.
In 2009 Nimrat started her stint with the stage acting with theatre veteran Sunil Shanbag in a musical at the Prithvi Theatre Festival. She went on to do many plays but the most acclaimed one was All About Women, where she was required to play four different characters ranging from the age of 25 to 85. Having completed close to 50 shows she earned herself a nomination at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in the Best Actress category. Billed as one of the most promising theatre actors, Nimrat went on to work with stage stalwarts including Manav Kaul and recently won Best Actress award for her work in Akarsh Khurana's Baghdad Wedding. - Katrina Kaif is one of eight siblings, 7 girls and 1 boy, from a mother who is a Caucasian of British Nationality, and a father who was formerly from Kashmir, India, but who has since acquired British citizenship. Her mother is now re-settled in Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the Capital of the state of Tamil Nadu in India.
She spent subsequent years in Hawaii, and then in London, Britain, She started modeling accidentally when she was in Hawaii at the tender age of 14, when she was approached for a jewelry campaign. Thereafter she continued modeling in London.
Continuing to model was the reason she got her break in a Bollywood movie Boom (2003) offered by none other than film-maker Kaizad Gustad.
She was flooded with modeling assignments the minute she set her foot on Indian soil, especially with her innocent expressive face, hour-glass figure, and drop-dead gorgeous looks.
Professionally she started off as a model with photographer Atul Kasbekar, and upon being accepted, she received offers from LG, Cola, Fevicol, Lakme, & Veet. It was the Lakme commercial that got her noticed. She retained Matrix as her Manager to accept work on her behalf and at the price she deserved.
Moving to different culture and country was not much of a culture shock for her, as she states that no matter where you come from, the bottom line is that everyone wants to be loved, respected, and cared for.
Despite of her positive attitude, she had been stereotyped as "Indian" by extreme right-wingers in Britain who made it clear that she did not quite fit-in with their "Blonde" Caucasian culture; while on the other hand in India itself she had been ranked as an 'outsider' very much like Sonia Gandhi.
Unlike other artistes from foreign lands, Katrina did not experience any difficulties in getting a visa nor of getting it extended in India.
Although linguistically challenged, Katrina puts on a bold face and states that other Bollywood artistes like Sridevi, who did not know Hindi, did get offers from Bollywood film-makers, and she is no different. She has taken Hindi and dancing lessons to fit in with the Bollywood culture. She likes to display a picture of her learning Kathak dancing where she used to dance 7 hours a day non-stop.
Adorned with soft gorgeous looks, she is not easily intimidated, but admits that she is very emotional, sensitive, and concerned about her privacy, Almost an incurable romantic, she prefers to wear comfortable non-revealing clothes when at home, hates to do her hair, and above all dislikes make-up. Admitting to being lonely in the beginning, but now has several friends who she can hang out with.
Although her first movie Boom (2003) was panned by the critics and shunned by the audiences, two other Telugu movies Malliswari (2004) and Allari Pidugu (2005) did get her noticed. She grossed 70 Lakh Rupees for Malliswari (2004) - making her top the list of the highest paid actresses during a South Indian movie debut.
Not done with South Indian movies, she has been signed in a Tamil movie 'Bheema' opposite National Award Winner Vikram.
She has received decent reviews for her part in "Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya", as well as a brief appearance in 'Sarkar'.
Katrina had made Mumbai her base, didn't mind singing and dancing around trees and as a result is now one of the biggest mega-stars, perhaps one of the highest paid female-lead actresses in Bollywood, and a crowd-puller whenever she makes an appearance for a live song and dance number. - Actress
Athiya Shetty is the daughter of Suniel Shetty and Mana Shetty. She was born and brought up in Mumbai and she attended American School of Bombay while growing up. She chose to take up acting at a young age following her father's footsteps and then she enrolled herself at the New York Film Academy to study acting. She made her acting debut in Hero (2015) alongside another débutante, Sooraj Pancholi the son of another Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi. She has a younger brother, Ahan Shetty.- Actress
- Producer
Among very few actresses, Shilpa Shetty was nominated for her first film Baazigar (1993). The following year she delivered another blockbuster hit Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) where she starred with Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. However, the proceeding years her movies failed to succeed at the box office, though she did receive critical acclaim for some of her performances. Then in 1998, 'Pardesi Babu' was released and people noticed her again. Two years after that she finally delivered a super hit, 'Dhadkan'. Since then her career has taken an up turn. In 2002, she had several releases and films like 'Hathyar' and 'Rishtey'. They solidified her status as a brilliant actress. In 'Rishtey' she stole the show from superstars Anil Kapoor and Karishma Kapoor. However, it was in 2004 that her performance in 'Phir Milenge' that brought her to the top actress list. In 2005, she delivered modest hits like 'Fareb' (where she costarred with sister Shamita Shetty and Manoj Bajpayee) and Dus.
Though she has worked with top actors, unlike many Bollywood actresses who are either scared of or shy away from working with top actresses, Shilpa has worked with numerous talented actresses (such as Juhi Chawla, Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Tabu, Kajol, Mahima Chaudhry and Konkona Sen Sharma) and is said to share a great rapport with her co-stars.
Today her career boasts of her versatility. In 'Baazigar' she played a naive college student, in 'Aag' a charming village girl, in 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari' a street dancer, in 'Himmat' a seductive cop, in 'Dus' an anti-terrorist agent, in 'Fareb' a doctor and housewife, in 'Phir Milenge' an HIV positive, in 'Pardesi Babu' a charming city lass, in 'Dhadkan' she is forced to betray her lover, in 'Khamosh' a prostitute, in 'Jung' a sensational club dancer, in 'Tarkieb' a promiscuous military nurse, in 'Rishtey' a comical and tragic performance as a fisher woman, in 'Darna Mana Hai' a housewife haunted by apples and in 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar' a negative role where she plays a model turned housewife.
In 2000, Shilpa reinvented herself and became known as one of the hottest actresses in the industry! She is the only Bollywood actress who has been seen to do a split on screen and is known today to have the best body in Bollywood. She is also recognized as a graceful dancer.
Shilpa Shetty laughed a lot when she was young. She still laughs most of the time. According to Shilpa's mother (Sunanda), Shilpa was a naughty child and was called a "fightercock" as she mostly fought with her younger sister (Shamita). Her mom also acknowledges that she was a very bubbly and vivacious child and her pet name is "Manya" but her mom calls her "babucha" or "Honeybunch". Shilpa went to school at St. Anthony's Girl's convent in Chembur, then she went to Podar College.
Shilpa was her school team's baseball captain. She is a black belt karate champion. She actively participated in her father's chemical business. Acting was the only thing she had not tried her hand at.
Shilpa is known to have a great sense of humor and has the capacity to crack jokes on herself. She'll start laughing even before you crack a joke. Shilpa's favorite actors include Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan. Shilpa's method of spending a holiday would be to wake up late, cook, watch movies, work out and spend time with her family. She is also a huge fan of prints, especially Tiger and Leopard prints. Her room is filled with all the different kind of prints. Even her pillow case.she got married to Raj Kundra in 2009 and after that, she entered the Married life- Shamita made her film debut in 2000 with the Yash Raj Films blockbuster Mohabbatein, which was directed by Aditya Chopra. Her portrayal of Ishika earned her the 2001 IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year - Female[5]. Soon after she gave the best dance numbers to Bollywood , including "Sharara Sharara" in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2001) and "Chori Pe Chori" in Saathiya (2002) to getting appreciated for her acting in blockbuster hit Zeher (2005) where she was nominated as the Star of the Year - Female at Stardust awards (2006). She worked once with her sister Shilpa Shetty in Fareb. She has also been part of multi-starcast projects like "Cash" (2007) , "Bewafa" (2005). Alongside her acting career, she decided to focus on other love i.e. Interior designing. She designed Royalty (a club in Mumbai), Chandigarh Iosis spa (Won best interior award at Asia spa awards) and few other properties abroad. She has a registered company called "Golden Leaf interiors" [6] Her passion for the entertainment industry kept drawing her back and she returned with a popular reality show Bigg Boss [7]internationally known as Big Brother on Indian television. She opted out of the show for her sister Shilpa Shetty wedding [8]. She was out of the show on 14 November 2009 (day 41) after staying for 6 weeks and the only contestant who wasn't nominated even once during her stay in Bigg Boss house. .Soon after, she stormed the nation with her graceful dancing and became the most popular face on the Indian version of Dancing with the stars - Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa [9]. Recently she did a web series "Yo Ke Hua Bro" [10] streaming on Voot, Viacom 18 digital platform. Directed by Suparn Verma and stars talented bunch of actors like Aparshakti Khurana, Gaurav Pandey and Ridhima Pandit.
- Actress
- Producer
Preeti was born in the Sindhi-speaking Jhangiani family on August 18, 1980 in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. She used to study in St. Xavier's College, in Ahmedabad. She is fluent in Sindhi, Hindi, English and also has some knowledge of Malyalam and Telugu.
Preeti first made her appearance in a music video titled 'Chui Mui' from Rajshri opposite South Indian actor, Abbas. This video became a hit, and so did Preeti, Abbas, as well as the Koala bear icon. This paved her way to appear in two movies during the year 1999 - one each in Malyalam and Telugu.
She made her debut quite dramatically with 'Mohabbatein' opposite Bollywood stalwarts such as Amitabh Bachchan, and Shahrukh Khan. This movie was a huge success and virtually launched her career, even though she played the role of a young widow.
She started receiving many offers, but before she could commence filming, she became seriously ill. Her looks and weight suffered considerably due to consumption of strong antibiotics, and she lost all the offers that had come her way. She did recover and did manage to pick up where she had left off. As of August 2007, she has appeared in a total of 15 movies, 13 of which are in Hindi.
Formerly engaged to Mushtaq, the brother of film-maker, Feroz Nadiadwala, she instead got married to Parvin Dabas on March 23, 2008.
She is fond of listening to music, browsing the web, as well as watching romantic movies. She resides in Bandra (West), Mumbai.- 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
Shriya Saran also known by the mononym Shriya, is an Indian film actress, model and presenter. She has worked in multiple of the regional industries of Indian cinema, including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu language films, as well as a few films in English, Malayalam and Kannada. Saran made her film debut in 2001 with Ishtam and had her first commercial success with the Telugu film Santosham (2002). She would subsequently appear in several Telugu films, while making in-roads in the Hindi and Tamil film industries. In 2007, Saran starred in Sivaji (2007), the highest grossing Tamil film at that time. Her following projects include such Tamil films as Azhagiya Tamilmagan (2007) and Kanthaswamy (2009), as well as high-budget Hindi productions like Mission Istanbul (2008), her roles in which have established her as one of the leading actresses in the South Indian film industry. In 2008, Saran played the lead role in the American-Indian co-production The Other End of the Line (2007). Apart from her work in films, Saran has been the brand ambassador for several stores across India, endorsing beauty and health products. Among other activities, she has taken part in a number of charity organizations, and has recently opened a spa employing visually challenged people.- Actress
- Producer
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Richa began her career as a model and then she moved to theater. She has performed plays touring in India and Pakistan. Later, she also received her training under Barry John
Richa acted in the critically acclaimed movie Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! as the character of Dolly, both the movie and her role were well appreciated. She was cast by Anurag Kashyap for his movies Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1 and Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2 wherein she plays the pivotal character of Nagma Khatoon in the narrative. In the movie, she matured from 16 to 60 years of age. She got the name "Ms. Fire" for her spirited portrayal in the epic movie. This performance was well appreciated by the Critics. The movie was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 and the entire cast was present at the event.- Mamta Kulkarni was born in a Marathi-speaking household, and lived at Yari Road, Versova, Andheri West, along with two sisters, Mithila and Moulina.
Nothwithstanding Mamta's Marathi accent, and her inability to speak fluent English, she did land several roles in Bollywood flicks, starting in 1992 with Tiranga, and thereafter in Karan Arjun, Sabse Bada Khiladi, Baazi, until the 2002 release of Kahbhi Tum Kabhi Hum. In role in Aashiq Awara opposite Sharmila Tagore's son, Saif Ali Khan, got her an 'New Face' award from Filmfare & Lux.
In most of her films she is shown as a glamorous, sexy, song-and-dance girl. She did try to change this in Raj Kumar Santoshi's Chinagate, but the movie flopped, and this, amongst other misunderstandings, led to souring of relationships between Mamta and Santoshi.
It was during 1993 that Mamta created controversy by appearing topless, albeit with her arms crossed across her breasts, in the September issue of 'Stardust'. This angered several conservative groups, leading to her her arrest, subsequent conviction by the courts in the year 2000 and a fine Rs.15,000/-.
She was involved in another controversy by appearing in Court wearing an Islamic Burkha - incurring the wrath of Islamic groups.
Controversy again followed her when she appeared on a stage show in 1997 at the invitation of a Bihar-based Legislator, who was subsequently arrested for his involvement in a scam. Mamta has denied her involvement in this scam.
Her natural beauty and outspokenness sparked jealousies and fears amongst other leading ladies, thus leading to considerable diatribe between herself and other actresses, Urmila Matondkar in particular.
It cannot be denied that Mamta is breathtakingly beautiful, and deserves a second chance in movies. Although she has re-located in the U.S., she continues to have many fans, who wish her well, and hope she makes a comeback someday. - Actress
- Producer
Daughter of Bombay film industry (Bollywood) director Ravi Tandon. Raveena dropped out of Bombay's Meethibai College to pursue a career as a model with middling success. She made her movie debut with the flop _Pathar Ke Phool (1991)_. Her next few films were also failures and it was only with Andaz Apna Apna (1994) that she tasted success. Mohra (1994) made her a superstar all set to become Bollywood's reigning actress. However she then began a tangled affair with co-star Akshay Kumar. All her films flopped and her arch-rival Karisma Kapoor had her fired from some top films. By the end of 1995 her career was in tatters and she was reduced to the level of a starlet doing bit roles. Her career revived with a huge hit Ziddi (1997) and she now is again a top rung star.- Actress
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Born in Ontario, Canada, Sunny Leone grew up in idyllic surroundings, loving the cold Canadian winters and the snow that came with them. Building snowmen and ice skating were regular activities outside the Leone household every November through March. With a love for sports, singing and dancing, young Sunny was a consummate performer, basking in the attention it brought her and eating up every word of praise that came her way. Everything changed in 1996, when her family packed up and moved to Southern California. It was a difficult adjustment for the little Canadian girl, whose innocence and naiveté were less than fully appreciated by her new high school classmates. In addition, her adopted hometown lacked the change of seasons she so loved in the Old Country. Sunny persevered, however, and after graduating in 1999, enrolled in a local junior college. After a friend told her she should try modeling - a natural choice for a young beauty - she found a contact who specialized in adult entertainment and decided to give it a try.
Though initially wary of taking her clothes off and striking suggestive poses for the camera, curiosity got the better of her and she dived in full force, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after adult models. In 2001 Sunny was named Penthouse Pet of the Month for the March issue, and numerous layouts in other magazines soon followed, including "Cheri", "High Society", "Swank", "Leg World", "Hustler" and "Club International". She also appeared in the Penthouse: Pets in Paradise (2001) home video, as well as Ja Rule's "Livin' It Up" music video.
In 2005, Sunny Leone entered the adult film industry and worked her way to the top, becoming one of the most successful pornstars in the world. In addition to acting in adult films, Leone produced and directed over 60 films under her production company, Sun Lust Pictures. In 2011, Sunny set off to India to appear in the reality TV show Bigg Boss, it was here where her fortune changed and she was offered the lead role in an upcoming erotic thriller, Jism 2 by Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Following on from the success of Jism 2, Sunny dedicated herself to Indian cinema making appearances not just in Bollywood films but regional cinema with special appearances in song and dance numbers . Her third feature role in Ragini MMS 2 garnered her more praise and box office success. As of 2016 she has appeared in over 20 Indian films and will be seen in some big projects in 2017, most notably Raees (2017) starring Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan. A documentary titled Mostly Sunny (2016) released at the Toronto International Film Festival and charted her meteoric rise from pornstar to Bollywood star.- Tamanna Bhatia is an Indian film actress born in Mumbai, India. She made her acting debut in 2005 with Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005).
Also in 2005, she made her Telugu debut with movie Sree (2005). In 2006, she appeared in her first Tamil film, Kedi (2006). In 2007, she starred in two films, Happy Days (2007) and Kalloori (2007), which both earned her critical acclaim.
With many commercial successes like Padikathavan, Ayan, Paiyaa and Siruthai, she established herself as one of the leading actresses in the south Indian film industry. - Actress
- Music Department
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Shruti Kamal Haasan is an India Film actress and singer and the daughter of legendary actor Kamal Haasan and Sarika Thakur. She has studied at Abacus in Chennai, until 10th grade, when she moved to Mumbai to study psychology at St Andrew's College.
She debuted as a child artist in "Hey Ram" in the role of a daughter of Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel. After that she was appeared in "Luck" as a lead actress.
Apart from acting, she is an amazing singer and sung as a playback singer in many films including Thevar Magan (1992), Chachi 420 (1997), Hey Ram (2000), Luck (2009) etc.- Anushka Shetty is an Indian Film Actress. She was also a Yoga Instructor and has trained under yoga guru Bharat Thakur.
This tall and gorgeous beauty debuted in the 2005 Telugu film Super starring Nagarjuna which was super hit at box office. Later her performance in Vikramarkudu make her noticeable. But in Arundhati in which she had played the role of Jejamma, she got high critical acclaim and become one of the strong actress of Telugu Film Industry. - Actress
- Music Department
Kajal made her acting debut in the 2004 Hindi film, Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... (2004), as a minor supporting role as the friend of lead actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Telugu film Chandamama (2007) became her first major successful film. In "Magadheera (2009)" which was the biggest blockbuster of all time in Telugu cinema, she played the role of Yuvarani Mitravinda Devi and Indira (Indu), by which she became one of the most sought-after actresses in the Telugu film industry.- Vimala Raman (born on 23 January) in Sydney Australia, is an Indian film actress and model who has worked in all South Indian Film Industries including Bollywood and predominantly appears in Telugu and Malayalam films. She made her debut in 2005 with Tamil film Poi. An established Bharatanatyam Dancer and a graduate in Bsc Information Systems from the University Of New South Wales, Sydney, Vimala had also won the titles of "Miss India Australia" in 2004 and "Miss India WorldWide - Beautiful Face" in 2005. She made her acting debut in 2005 with Poi, a Tamil film directed by Kailasam Balachander. Her first Malayalam film was Time with Suresh Gopi. She paired with Ajmal Ameer in Pranayakalam in 2007. In the same year, she also appeared with Mammooty in Nasrani and with Dileep in Romeoo. She appeared in College Kumaran with Mohanlal and in Calcutta News with Dileep in 2008. Vimala Raman attended the Natanalaya Dance Academy based in Sydney, Australia. She studied dance under the tutelage of Jayalakshmi Kandiah.
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- Producer
Nayantara was born as Diana Mariam Kurien in a Malayali Nasrani (Syrian Christian) family to an Indian Army Officer father, Kurien Kodiyattu, and Omana Kurien, in Bangalore, Karnataka. She has a brother, Leno, who resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
After her father's retirement the family settled down in Kerala where she continued with her college studies but she did her schooling in several schools in Chennai, Jamnagar, Delhi, and Gujarat.
During the year 2003, while still in college, she was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikkad who cast her in a Malayalam movie. Two years later, she went on to act in Tamil and Telugu movies. As she became popular she also appeared in Kannada language movies.
She soon acquired the reputation of acting opposite male actors who are almost twice as old. She starred in her first Malyalam film opposite Jayaram, and then in "Chandramukhi" with renowned Indian actor Rajnikanth, then with other aging actors like Sarath Kumar, Mohanlal, and Mammotty.
She has been cast to play the lead role in a much younger Simbu's directorial debut, in which he also has the lead role. Nayanthara and Simbu's intimate life-sized posters created shock waves in Chennai, which were subsequently pulled down by the police. Similar excitement resulted when glamorous life-sized posters were posted all over Chennai- this time with her co-star S.J. Surya.
During September 2010, Prabhu Deva, publicly declared his love for her, even though he was married to Ramalath and had three children. After a bitter and contested court battle, the couple was divorced during July 2011.
On August 7, 2011, Diana, a Jacobite Christian, converted to Hinduism at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Chennai and her screen-named is now her formal official name.
With her attractive looks and talent, it is no wonder that she is one of the most popular and sought after actresses in the South Indian film industry.- Urvashi Rautela was born and raised in Haridwar, a small town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. She is an established Bollywood actor, model and beauty pageant enthusiast having won several crowns and accolades for herself including participating in the 2015 Miss Universe contest. She shot to fame in late 2014 when she appeared in Yo Yo Honey Singh's music video Love Dose, which was followed by minor roles in both Bollywood and South Indian films until 2016, when she appeared as the supporting actress and lead actress in Sanam Re and Great Grand Masti respectively.
Outside of her film industry and modeling work, Urvashi runs a foundation along with her family called the 'Urvashi Rautela Foundation' to help empower the needs and rights of underprivileged people in India. She also actively supports PETA India and 'Save the Girl Child Camp'. - Actress
- Writer
Pallavi Sharda is an international film & theatre actress and classical Indian dancer. In 2022 she starred in Netflix rom com 'Wedding Season', directed by Tom Dey.
Pallavi's Hollywood credits include 'Tom & Jerry', Oscar nominated film 'Lion' and in the UK, Pallavi has essayed leading roles in Gurinder Chadha's period drama 'Beecham House' and Netflix series 'The One'. In Australia, Pallavi was the lead actress in the lock-down comedy 'Retrograde' which garnered Most Outstanding Comedy at the 2021 Equity Awards. Her other Australian credits include 'The Twelve' (Sam Neill) and 'Les Norton' (Rebel Wilson & David Wenham). Pallavi has been awarded the 'Rising Star' award by the Casting Guild of Australia. Her Bollywood credits include 'Begum Jaan', 'Hawaizaada' and 'Besharam'.
Trained in the classical dance form of Bharatha Natyam, movement is a large part of Pallavi's performing arts repertoire, particularly her free form fusion dance style which she showcases in her live performances. Pallavi is the first Australian to break into Bollywood and has been a pioneer in the realm of multicultural representation on Australian screens, becoming the first Indian origin actress to lead projects in both Australian television and film.- Sonali Bendre started out as a model before being selected for the "Stardust Talent Search". She was invited to Bombay and received training from a variety of top actors and performers of the Indian film industry. Sonali has three sisters and was in her own words a quiet child who loved to read, while she was growing up. Since her debut in 1994, Sonali has appeared in several films and has starred opposite top stars such as Sunjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh. Sonali was also awarded the price of "Newcomer of the year" in 1995. She married Goldie Behl in 2002, and during 2005 became a mother.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Very few people have the privilege of being born on the same day as their mom or dad, Tina is one of them. She was born on 29 December 1973, and shares her date of birth with her dad, Jatin alias super-star Rajesh Khanna, born in 1942. Tina is the daughter of well-known Bollywood actress, Dimple Kapadia; has a sister, Rinke, who is married to Industrialist Sameer Saran, and has a daughter. Her aunt is Bollywood actress and costume designer, Simple Kapadia. Her parents are no longer married to each other.
Tina, now renamed Twinkle, made her debut in Barsaat (1995) at the age of 21, opposite Dharmendra's second son, Bobby Deol. This movie got an average box office rating, and catapulted both actors to a fair level of popularity. She then went on to star in a total of 15 movies, including one in Telugu ('Seenu') opposite Venkatesh. She has acted opposite Salman Khan, Govinda, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan amongst others. She was the recipient of Best Debut award for her performance in 'Baraasat'.
She was once engaged to Rajiv Bhatia, alias Bollywood actor Akshaye Kumar, the engagement was broken, however, they did get engaged for a second time, and were subsequently married on 14 January 2001.
After her marriage, Twinkle quit acting, and subsequently gave birth to a baby boy, Araav, on 15 September 2002.
After Araav's birth, Twinkle, in partnership with Gurlein Manchanda, opened an interior design store (White Window) in Bombay's Crawford Market, and subsequently went on to receive the El Decor Award. She is in the process of opening another store in Bombay.- Actress
- Music Department
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Parineeti Chopra is an Indian actress and singer who appears in Hindi films, was born on in Ambala, Haryana into a Punjabi family. Her father, Pawan Chopra, is a businessman and supplier to the Indian Army at Ambala Cantonment and her mother is Reena Chopra. Chopra studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala. In an interview published in The Hindu, she revealed that she was a very good student and had always wanted to become an investment banker. Chopra is also a trained Hindustani classical singer with a B.A. Honours in music. She used to perform on stage with her cousin, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and their fathers in her childhood.[12]
Chopra initially aspired to pursue a career in investment banking, but after obtaining a triple honor's degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School she returned to India during the 2009 economic recession and joined Yash Raj Films as a public relations consultant. Later, she signed a deal with the company as an actress. Chopra made her acting debut with an acclaimed performance in the 2011 romantic comedy Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl (2011), winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut and a Best Supporting Actress nomination. She followed it by garnering widespread critical acclaim for her starring roles in the box office hits- Ishaqzaade (2012), Shuddh Desi Romance (2013) and Hasee Toh Phasee (2014). The first of these won her the National Film Award - Special Mention while the first two of these earned her two nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. After a three-year hiatus from full-time acting, she starred in the blockbuster comedy Golmaal Again (2017).- Jacqueline Fernandez is a Sri Lankan actress from Manama, Bahrain and was raised in a multi-ethnic family. Jacqueline's father Elroy Fernandez is from Sri Lanka (Sinhalese - Catholic)and her mother Kim is a Malaysian. She has two brothers and an older sister. Her parents moved to Bahrain in 1980s due to the Lankan civil unrest and hence she was born and raised in Bahrain.
After her schooling in Bahrain, she was awarded a Scholarship to study at the University of Sydney, where she pursued a degree in Media and Communications in Sydney, Australia. Having a passion for cultures and languages she also joined the Berlitz school of languages, where she learned to speak Spanish and improve her French and Arabic.
In 2006, she was crowned the Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe 2006 in March, 2006 and also competed in Miss Universe 2006. After winning Miss Sri Lanka title in 2006, she entered the world of television and anchored a show on Sri Lanka's business called Lanka Business Report.
She came to Mumbai on a modeling contract and landed a role in Bollywood movie Aladin (2009) directed by Sujoy Ghosh along with well known Indian stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Riteish Deshmukh. After the success of her first film, she got signed on by Milap Zaveri for his directorial debut movie Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2010) in which she plays the part of an alien who comes to earth in search of love. Her co-star from her first movie, Riteish Deshmukh was her leading-man again. The director recommended her to well-known director Farah Khan who guest-starred in this movie. She made a cameo appearance (in a song) in the movie Housefull (2010) which was directed by Farah Khan's younger brother, Sajid Khan - Actress
Coming from a Konkani-speaking Mangalorean family of learned academicians, Isha has herself completed a course in Life Sciences from Ruia College, and was born on September 19, 1976 in Bombay, India. She has a younger brother.
After completing her college course, she contested the 1995 Miss India contest, and won the Miss Talent crown.
This win got her lead roles in two 1998 Tamil movies 'Kaadhal Kavidai' and 'En Swasa Katre' opposite Prasanth and Arvind Swamy respectively. Both movies got her a lot of positive reviews, and she even won the Best Female Debut from Filmfare for her role in 'Kandhal Kavidai'.
She shot to fame after a modeling shoot with Gautam Rajyadhaksa when she was still in Junior College.
So far She has modeled for "Camay", "Rexona", "L'Oreal", "Tips & Toes", "Coke" "Synergy", "Ponds", "Deepam Sarees", and also took part in several ramp shows. she has also modeled for Anita Dongre.
Talented, stunningly beautiful, and tall, a majestic five feet seven inches in height, which is literally head and shoulders above the average Indian woman (and a lot of men, too!), she has better chances of becoming a leading lady opposite the taller Bollywood heroes.
Isha got her fame in Bollywood when she did the Ram Gopal Varma number (Khallas) in the movie named "Company", and since then has been referred to as the "Khallas Girl" .
Isha towers over many Bollywood actresses, has come far beyond just a sizzling "item" girl, to become a household name. She fills the niche (and much more) created by the exit of another attractive Bollywood actress, Sonam.
Isha's name bounced back into lime-light when she starred in a controversial film named "Girlfriend", which is the story of two lesbian lovers - a subject that is still very taboo in India and some other parts of the world.
Isha was nominated for her part in "Qayamat" in which she plays a negative role. She also received accolades for her role in "Pinjar".
Taking the cue from other personalities from Indian Cinema, she changed her name to Eesha Koppikhar. She subsequently obtained a black-belt in Taekwondo.
After a prolonged 10-year affair with Inder Kumar both broke off after he got involved in an accident. He then got married to Sonal, the daughter of Raju Kariya, a marriage that lasted just five months. Both Isha and he patched-up after the divorce but the relationship did not last too long.
Lina Mogre and Preity Zinta introduced her to hotelier Timmy Narang, both clicked, dated for about a year, got formally engaged in a glittering 'Ken and Barbie' party; followed by a Sangeet ceremony at Worli's Mayfair on November 27; and on November 29, 2009, tied the knot at Juhu's Hare Krishna Mandir in the presence of close friends and relatives. The wedding was performed in traditional Maharashtrian style at approximately 11 a.m., lasted about 4 hours, followed by a reception at the Narangs' residence.- Bhumi Pednekar is a renowned Bollywood actress born to late Satish and Sumitra. Her father was a former 'Maharashtra home and labor minister' while her mother worked as an activist fighting for the anti-tobacco regime after her husband passed away suffering from oral cancer.
Pednekar worked at Yash Raj Films as a casting director for six years before making her acting debut in Sharat Katariya's Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), in which she played the obese wife of Ayushmann Khurrana's character. She was widely appreciated for her performance in the movie and won the Filmfare Award, Screen Award, and International Indian Film Academy Award for Best Female Debut for her work.
She was cast in the satirical film Toilet: A Love Story (2017) opposite Akshay Kumar as a young lady in rural India who campaigns to enhance sanitation conditions, especially in rural areas. It grossed over 3 billion (about US$38 million) worldwide, making it one of the year's highest-grossing films and Pednekar's highest-grossing film overall.
Pednekar's first nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress was in the same year for her performance opposite Ayushmann Khurrana in the comedy Shubh Mangal Savdhan (2017), which revolved around male impotence in India.
In 2018, Pednekar played a maid in a relationship with her boss on the Netflix anthology series Lust Stories (2018). Her first film of 2019 was the Abhishek Chaubey-directed criminal thriller Sonchiriya (2019). She co-starred as a young housewife on the run with the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and Manoj Bajpayee in the rural region of Chambal. In Saand Ki Aankh (2019), which came out the next year, she played Chandro Tomar, a sharpshooter in her 70s. Her sister-in-law, Prakashi Tomar, was played by Taapsee Pannu. Pannu and Pednekar spent a lot of time with the two women and shot a lot of targets for practice.
In Bala (2019), Pednekar reprised her role as a headstrong small-town teen. This was her third time working with Khurrana; in this film, she played a woman with a dark complexion who faced prejudice. And in Pati Patni Aur Woh (2019), a remake of the 1978 film, she played the role of a housewife whose husband was having an affair.
Alankrita Shrivastava directed Dolly Kitty and Those Twinkling Stars (2019), which had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival in 2019 and was released on Netflix in 2020. After that, she played a small role in the comedy-drama Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) and the horror movie Bhoot: Part One - The Haunted Ship (2020).
Pednekar appeared in Durgamati: The Myth (2020), the Hindi version of the horror film Bhaagamathie (2018). After a year from the silver screen, Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao starred in the comedy-drama Badhaai Do (2022) as homosexuals in a lavender marriage.
Her appearance with Akshay Kumar in Aanand L. Rai's Raksha Bandhan (2022), a family comedy, has also been immensely praised. She next appeared in the Disney+ Hotstar comedy-suspense film Govinda Naam Mera (2022) with Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani, directed by Shashank Khaitan.
Her first movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) got her seven awards. She also won Zee Cine Awards for her movie Bala (2019) as the best supporting actress in 2020. Later in the same year, she was awarded the best actress award (critics) for her movie Saand Ki Aankh (2019) by Screen Awards, which was shared with Taapsee Pannu as well. Another Best actress (critics) award came her way in 2020 for her role in Sonchiriya (2019).
Pednekar also appeared in four episodes of Man's World (2015), a satire on YouTube made by Y-Films about what would happen if women treated men the way men treat women.
In 2020, she collaborated with MTV India on the Nisedh campaign that aimed at increasing young people's understanding of women's health care. - Actress
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- Soundtrack
Deepika Padukone, born 5 January 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark, is an Indian model and actress. She is the daughter of former badminton champion Prakash Padukone. Her mother tongue is Konkani. Deepika has a younger sister named Anisha.
She has been modeling appearances in print and television advertising campaigns for Liril, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, receiving many prestigious modeling offers, including brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India, an annual jewelry exhibition. She hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international cover-girl face.
At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards, for Indian models and designers, she was awarded the title of Model of the Year. Shortly after wards, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006, thus cementing her reputation as a supermodel. She also bagged two trophies at the Idea Zee F Awards in 2006 - female Model of the year (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the year.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Alia Bhatt (born 15 March 1993) is an India actress. The recipient of several accolades, including one National Award, six Filmfare Awards and three IIFA Awards. Bhatt is one of the highest-paid actresses in India. She has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2014 and was featured by Forbes Asia in their 30 Under 30 list of 2017.- Actress
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- Director
Konkona Sen Sharma is an awarding winning actress and the daughter of the celebrated actress and director Aparna Sen. Konkona is regarded as one of the most respected actresses in Bollywood with her memorable performances right from Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) to Page 3 (2005), from Omkara (2006) to Life in a Metro (2007). Her singularly exquisite portrayal of a struggling actress in the undisputed hit Luck by Chance (2009) opposite Farhan Akhtar has also established her commercial success. Praising her performance in the film, noted film Critic Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India wrote, "The highpoint of the film are its performances, Konkona is a complete natural before the camera".- Actress
- Producer
Amala Paul is an Indian film actress, who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. After appearing in supporting roles in a few low budget ventures, she was acclaimed for the portrayal of a controversial character in the film, Sindhu Samaveli. Despite the failure of that film, Amala became noted after playing the title role in Mynaa, receiving critical acclaim for her work in the film. Since then, she has signed several notable projects and is considered the leading upcoming actress in Tamil films.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Daisy Shah is an Indian film actress and model, born on in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She gained recognition in the Indian film industry for her work in both Bollywood and regional cinema.
Daisy began her career as a model and worked in the advertising and modeling industry before making her foray into acting. She got her breakthrough in Bollywood with the 2011 film "Bodyguard," where she played the role of Divya, the leading lady opposite Salman Khan. The film was a commercial success, and her performance was appreciated, marking a significant entry into the Hindi film industry.
Following her debut, Daisy Shah appeared in several films across different languages, showcasing her versatility as an actress. Some of her notable works include "Jai Ho" (2014), where she starred alongside Salman Khan once again, and "Hate Story 3" (2015). In these films, she displayed her acting skills and garnered attention for her on-screen presence.
Apart from Hindi cinema, Daisy has also ventured into regional films, including the Kannada film "Bhajarangi" (2013), where she had a special appearance in an item song. She continued to explore diverse roles in her career, solidifying her status as a prominent actress in the Indian film industry.
Daisy Shah has also been associated with various social causes and charity work, making efforts to contribute positively to society beyond her acting career.- 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.- Gayatri was born in the Marathi-speaking Joshi family on March 20, 1977 In Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
She studied in Mount Carmel High School in Nagpur, and when the family re-located to Bombay, and she was enrolled in the J.B. Vachha High School in Dadar. After completing her schooling she went on to study in Sydenham College. While still enrolled there, she modeled for brands such as Godrej, LG, Ponds, Bombay Dyeing, Sunsilk, Philips, as well as with Shahrukh Khan in the Hyundai ad.. She then went on to obtain a degree in Commerce from the same college.
She was chosen as one of the five finalists of the 1999 Femina Miss India Contest, and represented India at the Miss International beauty pageant in Japan during the same year.
After this success she returned to modeling and appeared in Seasons Catalogue and Calendar during the year 2001.
She also appeared in two music videos: Hansraj Hans' 'Jhanjaria', and Jagjit Singh's 'Sagar Ki Kashti'.
She made her debut on the silver screen opposite Shahrukh Khan in the 2004 movie 'Swades'.
On June 23, 2005, she was officially engaged to Vikas Oberoi, the Managing Director of Oberoi Constructions in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A.. The couple were married at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on August 27, 2005. Twinkle Khanna, Isha Koppikar, Abbas-Mastan, Rakesh Roshan, Bhushan Kumar, Inder Kumar were amongst the guests at this wedding. She gave birth to a baby boy on September 1, 2006. - Actress
- Additional Crew
5' 3" tall, Bhoomika Chawla was born on August 21 in New Delhi. Her father was a military officer who was posted in various places across the country, so she saw much of India. Her elder brother is also a military officer. Bhoomika finished her schooling in Delhi and moved to Mumbai in 1997 for work on her career starting in ads and music videos. Her campaign for Ponds talcum powder became popular and inevitably, film offers followed. She got an offer from the Telugu film industry and though "Yuvakudu" (2000) was her first movie, she became popular with mega hit "Khushi" (Telugu). She won the "Best Actress Award" for the film Kushi.- Soha, born in New Delhi, is the daughter of Bollywood actress, Sharmila Tagore, who is also the Chair of the Indian Censor Board, and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. She is also the sister of Bollywood actor, Saif Ali Khan, and former sister-in-law of Bollywood actress, Amrita Singh. She has a fashion/jewelry designer sister, Saba, and a nephew and niece, Ibrahim and Sara respectively. Saif and Amrita divorced during the year 2004.
Her mother, grand-niece of renowned Rabindranath Tagore, converted to Islam after the marriage and has changed her name to Begum Ayesha Sultana.
Soha studied in New Delhi's British School, then went on to study in Oxford's Balliol College. Thereafter she obtained a Master's Degree from the London School of Economics & Political Science - majoring in International Relations.
She commenced her career with Citibank and Ford Foundation as well as did some modeling. With acting in her blood, she did debut with a Bengali (Iti Srikanta) as well as a Hindi movie (Dil Maange More) during the year 2004. She continues to act mostly in off-beat Hindi/Bollywood movies, and has also appeared in a Godrej-sponsored show on 'Star Plus'.
She has won a number of awards, including the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in 'Rang De Basanti'.
Her father tragically passed away on September 22, 2011 due to chronic lung infection at the age of 70.
She is fluent in Hindi, English and some Bengali. - Actress
- Producer
Mona Singh was born on 8 October 1981 in Chandigarh, India. She is an actress and producer, known for Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), 3 Idiots (2009) and Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin (2003). She has been married to Shyam Rajagopalan since 27 December 2019.- Actress
Lisa Haydon is a model-turned-actress. Born to an Indian father and Australian mother.
Lisa was born in Chennai and has lived in Australia, India and the US. She started modelling at the age of 19 in Australia and then she moved to India in 2007 at the age of 21.
Ever since, she has walked the ramp for Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) and HDIL-India Couture Week(HDIL-ICW) and also featured in commercials like Hyundai 120, Indigo Nation and Blender's Pride.
"Aisha" is her first Bollywood movie, starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol in the leads, it is an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Emma and Sonam plays the main protagonist of a matchmaker.
Her new movie is "Rascals" with Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Shraddha Kapoor is an Indian film actress. Prior to making her cinematic debut, she took up theatre studies at Boston University, but dropped out after her first year to begin her acting career. She made her screen debut in the 2010 drama fictional Teen Patti for which she earned a nomination for the Filmfare Best Female Debut. The following year, she received appreciation and the Stardust Searchlight Best Actress Award for her role in the teen drama Luv Ka The End. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Arohi Keshav Shirke in the 2013 romantic musical Aashiqui 2, which emerged as her first commercial success venture in which she gained positive acclaims and numerous nominations including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.- Sushmita was born in the Bengali-speaking Sen family on November 19, 1975 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her family consists of her dad, Shubeer, a former Indian Air Force Wing Commander; mom, Subhra, Jewelry Designer and owner of a Dubai-based store. She has two siblings, a sister named Neelam, who is married to Nauman Malik, and a brother named Rajeev. Subhra's dad was a poet.
She attended different schools in Jorhat, and Nagpur, but spend the majority of her schooling days in the Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute and Air Force Silver School in Delhi. She was regarded as a tomboy and spent most of her times with boys. Since the schools were Hindi medium, she could not speak English until she was 16 years of age. She subsequently not only mastered English, but became an English Honors student, and also obtained a degree in Journalism. Due to her place of birth she can speak Urdu flawlessly.
Her first public appearance was at the Air Force Club Contest at the age of 15. She did a few fashion shows thereafter. Then during 1994 she decided to be a participant in Miss India beauty pageant, fully aware that she was being pitted against the reigning favorite, Aishwarya Rai. Sushmita took everyone by surprise when she was crowned Miss India while Aishwarya had to content with being the First Runner-up. Both beauties went on to win Miss Universe and Miss World titles respectively. Ironically the final outfit for Miss Universe for Sushmita was made by a little-known Meena Bazar tailor, and her mom.
It was during 1996 that she first appeared as herself in a Bollywood movie titled 'Dastak'. Though the movie did not fare too well, she was noticed and thus began her career on the silver screen. She has since then portrayed herself in a variety of characters and also some 'item' numbers.
Not considered a classic beauty and leading quite an unconventional lifestyle she ended up in many relationships but did not marry anyone. She wanted to be a mother and to adopt a baby girl, and name her Renee. Since she is single, she had to fight a Court battle before she could finally adopt Renee. Finally on 13 April 2000 she was given the go-ahead to adopt her, even though the family-owned business in Dubai was already re-named as 'Renee' quite ironically a year earlier on 13 April 1999. - Actress
- Producer
Fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil, Scorpion Esha was born on November 2, 1982 to Hema 'Dreamgirl' Malini, and Dharmendra 'He-Man' Deol. She has a younger sister, Ahana, and two step-brothers, Sunny and Bobby, both well-known Bollywood super-stars in their own rights. Bobby is married to Tanya Ahuja, and has a child.
Esha studied in the Jamnabai Narsee School, excelled at football, then went on to attend Oxford University and obtained a Masters Degree in Media Arts and Computer Technology. She also learned classical dance forms from her mom, the daughter of Jaya Chakraborty.
Having Bollywood connections, she did aspire to be an actress and follow in the footsteps of her parents and half-siblings, and landed a lead role in 'Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche' in 2002.
She delivered her very first hit with 'Dhoom' in 2004 and went on to another hit after hit in 'Kaal' 'No Entry', and 'Dus'. She demonstrated her versatility when she accepted a negative character-role in 'Ankaee' in 2006. She has also acted in a Tamil movie 'Aiyatha Ezhuthu'.
Amongst her friends at Bollywood are Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan. She likes to work out and listen to music.
She will shortly be seen in Just Married, and has started filming in the following movies; Cash, Darling, and Honeymoon.- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sonam Kapoor comes from an established film family. She is the daughter of actor and producer Anil Kapoor and the grandchild of filmmaker Surinder Kapoor. Sonam is Bollywood royalty with immense support in the Indian film fraternity.
Unlike most star children, Sonam started life with a structured education and a grounding in the process of filmmaking. She graduated from college in Political Science and Economics. She is interested in writing and direction and has assisted the celebrated director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali in the production of his films including the path-breaking 'Black'.
The veteran director then asked her to star in his next project, the critically acclaimed "Saawariya". Sonam made a confident debut and elicited notable reviews for it. She was nominated for a number of film awards as a debutante and an actress. She won the "Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow" award.
Her second movie, "Delhi 6" got her glowing reviews and established her as an actress of calibre. 2010 has been the turning point for Sonam, with two back-to-back hits - "I Hate Luv Storys" and "Aisha". These hits propelled her into the league of superstars.
Sonam was named the "Best Dressed Celebrity" of 2009 by People's Magazine. Sonam is associated with prestigious brands like L'Oreal Paris, Electrolux, Spice Mobile, Mont Blanc and Anant Diamond Jewellery (a sub brand of Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council).- Ayesha Takia was born in Mumbai on April 10th 1986. Her father's name is Nishit, a Gujarati and her mother's name is Faridah, who is half Maharashtrian and half Caucasian British.
Ayesha had never let her lack of speaking Hindi fluently come in her way. A go-getter, she is no stranger to the silver screen and has faced cameras even at the tender age of 4. Her continuity was what got her noticed and the makers of 'Socha Na Tha' approached her in 2004 to play the lead role opposite Dharmendra's nephew Abhay Deol which she accepted.
She also signed up for another film 'Tarzaan The Wonder Car' which proved to be her debut in Bollywood, as the release of 'Socha Na Tha' was delayed.
With 'Tarzaan The Wonder Car' Ayesha quickly made her mark in Bollywood and not only was noticed but also received an Award - The Best Filmfare Debut.
Thereafter her films have done poorly at the Box Office, although she scored highly with teenaged audience in India and abroad, especially with her performance in 'Dil Maange More' and 'Shaadi No. 1'.
She also appeared in a 2006 Telegu movie named 'Robbery', which was later dubbed into Hindi and released as 'Super'.
And then came Dor in which she played the role without any glamor - the film that brought a lot of praise and much needed recognition for her. Here she has proved that she can enact both good and glamorous on one hand and the more ordinary next door type girl roles with ease.
Now Ayesha is one of the most gorgeous and beautiful actresses much sought after by movie makers and a force to be reckoned with, especially for other leading ladies of Bollywood. - Actress
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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
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Jiah Khan was born on 20 February 1988 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Ghajini (2008), Nishabd (2007) and Housefull (2010). She died on 3 June 2013 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.- Actress
Nargis was born to multi-cultural parents in Queens, New York City. In 2011, she made her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar alongside Ranbir Kapoor. She gained further success for her roles in Madras Cafe (2013) and Main Tera Hero (2014). 2015 will see her make her Hollywood debut in Paul Feig's 'Spy' alongside names such as Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham and Jude Law amongst others.- Actress
Amrita was born in the Rao family on June 7, 1986 in Mumbai, She speaks Konkani. She comes from a well to do Hindu family. Her dad owns an Advertising Agency.
Amrita did not want to purse any career with Bollywood as she wanted to graduate in psychology, which she eventually did.
No stranger to cameras and bright lights, she has modeled for approximately 35 advertisements. Her first assignment was for Fairever Face Cream. Amongst other assignments that got her noticed were Hindustan Lever's 'Close-up' Cadbury's Perk, & Nestle Bru Coffee. Ken Ghosh approached Amrita for his debut movie Ishq Vishq after seeing her in the perk commercial, where she plays a hungry bride eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband on the religious occasion of 'Karva Chauth'. Ishq Vishq was a world-wide hit and made her famous virtually overnight. Amrita Rao is also a Brand Ambassador for D'Damas Gold Jewellery, Parachute Hair Oil, and Miss Players Apparels.
Her other hit movies Masti (2004), Main Hoon Na (2004) and Vivah (2006) added to her popularity and stardom. While 'Pyare Mohan', 'Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi', 'Shikhar' 'Deewar' were average at the box office. So far she has won 6 awards, mostly related to her performances in 'Ishq Vishk' and 'Vivah'.
Barely 12 movies' old, she is already quite well-known for her skilled performances and her dancing talent. Madhuri Dixit went gaga over her performance at the Filmfare Awards 2007. Renowned artist M.F Hussain chose her as his Muse and theme of paintings after Madhuri Dixit.
She also has a Telegu movie to her credit which turned out a huge box office hit. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi. She is passionate about reading short stories. Allergic to spicy Indian food, she prefers bland continental, and loves dessert such as Gulab Jamun
She has co-starred with Shahid Kapur, Zayed Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Akshay Khanna, and Mahesh Babu.
A winner of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award at the young age of 25, Amrita Rao is all set for her successful innings at Bollywood.- 5' 4 1/2" tall, Bombay girl, Maliaka Arora's sister, Amrita Arora was born on January 31st, 1981. She started her career as a model and then appeared in music videos. She was featured in ads for Ponds, Elle 18, After Smoke, and Sunsilk fruitiness. She is now most famous for hosting MTV House full and MTV Chillout on MTV India. Her first debut film was Kitne Door Kitne Paas. Her good looks and light skin were popular for casting directors looking for the next new face to promote in the commercial cinema of boy meeting girl. Song and dance. Fight. More song and Dance. Heartbreak. Song and Dance. Boy gets girl again. Song and Dance. The end. Now she has couple of offers in her hand and she says that she is always following her sister Maliaka's footsteps.
- First got noticed as a model for Pepsi, where she was over-shadowed by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Career launched by Subhash Ghai, who also launched Madhuri Dixit, 'Meenakshi Seshadri' and Manisha Koirala. Changed her screen name to Mahima as Subhash Ghai was superstitious about being successful with girls whose names start with M.
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Amy Jackson is a British actress who began her acting career in India.
Amy became a household name after movies such as 'I', 'Singh is Bling' and '2.0'.
Jackson landed her first Hollywood role as Saturn Girl in season 3 of The CW's superhero series Supergirl (2017) and can be next seen in Guy Ritchie's upcoming spy thriller opposite Jason Statham (2021)- Minisha Lamba was born in the New Delhi-based Punjabi speaking Sikh family consisting of her dad Kewal, mom Manju, and brother Karan. She had not really decided to act in films, her goal was to become a Journalist, but she loved modeling and was fortunate enough to be selected to model for Cadbury. Clearly her intent was to complete her education, concentrate on an academic career and do some modeling on the side. She was successful in completing her schooling from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, as well as from Srinagar's Army School, and then majored in English with Honors in 2004 from Delhi University affiliate Miranda House.
She got her first break unexpectedly, when she was auditioning for a Cadbury commercial in Delhi. Bollywood Director, Shoojit Sircar, approached her and signed her to to act "Yahaan (2005)'. She has subsequently changed her first name to Minissha.
Since the movie was successful in launching her career as an actress, she re-located to Mumbai and has starred in over a dozen movies. Some of the more popular ones include: Corporate, Heyy Babyy, Bachna Ae Haseeno, and Well Done Abba. - Actress
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Dia Mirza was born on 9 December 1981 in Hyderabad in an interracial, German and Bengali family.
Her father Frank Handrich was a German graphic and industrial fair designer, architect, artist and interior designer and her mother Deepa excelled in interior and landscape design. She now volunteers as a counsellor at addiction centres.
As a student of J. Krishnamurti School, Dia learnt early to never conform to the limitations of the conditioned mind. Her education and family values made her world-view naturally inclusive and composite.
The hunger to chase every dream was encouraged at her school and at home.
That is why at the age of 16, while she was still a student, Dia began working towards financial independence. Modelling offers poured in and after endorsing brands like Lipton and Walls Ice Cream, she decided to dive deeper and participate in a beauty pageant that would transform her fate.
The Miss India Contest in 2000 made her a household name and then she won the Miss Asia-Pacific Pageant for India, after a span of nearly 29 long years.
Films were the next natural step. And Dia was ready to study the craft rather than take the opportunities coming her way for granted. Dia began her training as an actor in theatre workshops conducted by acclaimed director Feroz Abbas Khan and made her debut with Vashu Bhagnani's Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), with Madhavan.
She then went on to appear in several memorable films, including the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Parineeta (2005), Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Kurbaan (2009), Dus Kahaniyaan (2007), Tehzeeb (2003), Sanju (2018), Thappad (2020) and many more.
In 2012, Dia forayed into regional cinema with Bengali Filmmaker Pratim Dasgupta's festival favourite Paanch Adhyay. In the same year, she also added a new dimension to her cinematic career, by turning producer to form Born Free Entertainment. A production house mirroring her desire to seek the new constantly. 'Love Breakups Zindagi (2011)' and 'Bobby Jasoos (2014)' were produced under this banner.
In 2016, Dia made her debut on Indian television with the much loved show Ganga: The Soul of India where she took viewers on a breath-taking journey to rediscover the holy river and the many stories connected with it.
Her debut on a streaming platform as an actor was in Kaafir, a highly acclaimed 2019 web-series about the Indo-Pak cross border dispute. Critics and audiences were moved and stirred by Dia's award winning portrayal of a young woman's journey from innocence to devastation and then resilience and courage. The series and Dia's work in it continue to win accolades.
On her 38th birthday in 2019, Dia Mirza launched a new production house, One India Stories LLP, which aims to bring out meaningful content across different formats and mediums.
Dia and her hand-picked team plan to collaborate with gifted individuals from different film industries and also have women-led stories as part of the roster.
As an actor and individual, Dia has always believed in the power of one and in the thread of oneness and humanity that connects us all. One India Stories is a culmination of this thought and aims to create stories that remind us of our connection to each other and the planet.
In her career as a performer, and her subsequent work as a producer and a climate change-maker, Dia has made unconventional choices.
Today, she is not just an actor and a producer but a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.
The search for the unknown, the less familiar continues.- Actress
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Tena Desae is a model turned actress who debuted in Bollywood with Yeh Faasley (2011) and made her Hollywood debut almost a year later with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). Desae appeared on television for the first time in the Netflix television series Sense8 (2015), which follows the story of eight strangers who find themselves growing mentally and emotionally connected, as Kala Dandekar, an successful Hindu pharmacist in Mumbai.
The Bengaluru born model first came into limelight when she participated in Reality show Get Gorgeous. Though she did not win the contest she was offered a contract with Elite Model India Management Private Limited which powers the reality show, even before the eventual winner. After that she never looked back since then and has 90+ commercials to her credit.
She was also one of the models in the 2012 Kingfisher calendar.- Actress
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"You have outdone Smita Patil," said Shekhar Kapur, when he saw Chitrangda Singh's performance in her debut movie Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003). And he is not the only one. Time and again Chitrangda has been compared to the legendary Smita Patil.
Chitrangda began her career as a model prior to making the transition to the silver screen. Chitrangda also acted in the 2005 film Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow (2005). She took a break from acting from 2005 to 2008 after her marriage to Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa. She made her film acting comeback with the leading role opposite Sanjay Suri in the film Sorry Bhai! (2008) Her recent release was Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011).
Chitrangda is the face of popular brands like Aliva, Parachute Advansed and Garnier Age Lift. Chitrangda Singh is back and here to stay!