Top 25 Performers over 25 Years in Hindi Cinema
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Living in a Chawl in Tilak Nagar, Punjabi-speaking Anil was born in 1959 to Surinder and Nirmal aka Suchitra Kapoor. He has an elder brother, Boney, a sister, Reena, and a younger brother, Sanjay. His dad used to be Shammi Kapoor's Secretary.
A loner, without many friends, he studied in the nearby O.L.P.S. (Our Lady of Perpetual Succor) School, and was an ardent fan of Bollywood flicks that were telecast during the Ganesh Maha Utsav every year. He was a fan of Raj Kapoor, and it was this that influenced his acting, and people saw him as a mimic of the legendary showman. He landed a role as a child artiste with Shashi Kapoor in the lead, but the movie (Tu Payal Main Geet) was never released.
After school, he went to study in St. Xaviers College. He commuted by bus and train from Chembur to Bombay V.T., and the walked the rest of the way. It was here that he met Mazhar Khan. A distracted Anil was kicked out of College in the second year due to his lack of presence. His attempts to join the Pune Film Institute were in vain, as he failed in the written examination. He then decided to join Roshan Taneja's Acting school.
He first appeared on the silver screen in Hamhare Tumhare in a character role. His first lead role was in 'Woh 7 Din' and from thence on there has been no looking back. He has acted in close to a 100 movies, and has 5 in production. He has produced two movies (Gandhi My Father & Badhaai Ho Badhaai), as well as been a Casting Director/Outdoor In charge for 'Hum Paanch'.
Kapoor's first role in an international film was in Danny Boyle's 2008 Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. His performance in the eighth season of the action series 24 generated rave reviews from the American press Globally, Anil Kapoor is one of the most recognized Indian actors.
Anil met wealthy and chic model, Sindhi-speaking Sunita Bhambhani, and married her in 1984. Since then they have given birth to 3 children, kapoor has two daughters and a son Harshwardhan Kapoor.Kapoor's elder daughter is actress Sonam Kapoor. Rhea Kapoor attended school in New York and is now a producer in Mumbai.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Dilip Kumar (1922-2021) is widely considered the greatest acting exponent India ever produced. Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Peshawar, British India (present-day Pakistan), he is better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar given to him by actress and owner of Bombay Talkies, Devika Rani. Credited with pioneering method acting in Indian cinema in mid-1940s, before Marlon Brando introduced it to Hollywood in 1950s, he has been often called as "Abhinay Samrat" (Hindi for "Emperor of Acting") by the audience. He was the biggest Indian star since Post-Independence period throughout 1960s, starring in some of the biggest commercial and critical successes of Indian cinema. It is to be noted that according to major trade analysts, many of his big commercial successes were films with apparently no commercial/entertainment value, which relied heavily on his histrionics to succeed, an extremely rare feat in the annals of cinema worldwide. Box Office India quoted that any such an instance has never happened with any other star, as their films had to be backed by at least few commercial elements/genres to succeed. Irrfan Khan, while saying that Kumar is the only one who should be called "legend", justifiably quoted the reason as, "the combination of artiste and star that he brought, started and ended with him."
Born to a fruit merchant, Lala Ghulam Sarvar Khan and his wife Ayesha Begum, Yousuf Khan and his family would migrate to Bombay Province, to expand their family business in 1930s which had come to a halt due to the complications of WWII. He had his schooling in Deolali and graduation in Mumbai. He started with managing a shop and selling fruits in an army canteen in Pune. Upon a rebellion in the canteen during Indian National Movement, he gave a speech justifying India's struggle for Independence, which resulted in his eviction from the canteen. A chance encounter with Devika Rani, got him opportunity to work for Bombay Talkies, at remuneration of Rs 1250/- per month. Having no clear intention of working there, he still accepted the job because of the high salary. Kumar later accepted that by the age of 14, he hadn't watched a film, and later in his teenage, watched few English films. Devika Rani selected Dilip Kumar as his stage name (a common tradition back then) from the 3 names suggested by Pandit Bhagvati Charan Verma, which also included Vasudev and Jehangir. Kumar in 1970, in an interview told that, one of the main reason, he agreed to adopt a stage name was out of fear of his father, who was strictly against films due to their poor reputation among the masses at the time. He further said that on being offered to choose among the three names, he expressed that he was okay with any of them. Later, he got to know his stage name, when it was first published in a newspaper.
Kumar's first film as an actor was Jwara Bhata (1944), which was the 6th highest grossing Hindi film of the year, according to some sources, though not really profitable. His performance was severely criticized by the major critic of the time, Baburao Patel of FilmIndia. Similarly the next venture, Pratima (1945) was also flop and his work again criticized. The next venture, Milan (1946), directed by Nitin Bose, proved to be fruitful for Kumar, not only because it was successful commercially, but his acting sensibilities greatly improved during the period of its filming. However his performance was still criticized by FilmIndia. The success of the next film Jugnu (1947), which was the highest grossing Indian film of the year, established him as the first star of Post-Independence India and arguably, the biggest star of the country at that moment. His performance was appreciated by Baburao Patel for the first time. However, he severely criticized the film, writing a letter to the then Home Minister (who later went on to become Prime Minister under Janata Dal in 1977), Moraji Desai, asking him to ban the film. It was banned for a few months, after which the ban was uplifted. The film, already a roaring success, became an even bigger hit, after it was re-released. The period starting from here till at least 1961, was a period of raging success in Kumar's career, both critically and commercially, which cemented his legacy notch above his contemporaries. Post 1961, the workload slowed, with fewer releases thereafter and also slowed their commercial success, although his earlier films still doing great in re-releases, many times higher than many of his contemporaries' fresh releases. During this period, his two main contemporaries were Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. The three of them were sometimes referred collectively as "the golden trio" of this period, with camaraderie between the three contemporary actors famous and each renowned for their own style.
Shaheed (1948) is cited by many to be the first true Dilip Kumar film, in the sense his legacy was to be built on performances like this in the years to come. It was a roaring success, highest grossing Hindi film of the year. Andaz (1949), a record grosser at the time, starring Nargis and Raj Kapoor along with Kumar, popularized the theme of love triangles in Indian cinema. His performance in the film was superlatively appreciated by masses and critics alike. Baburao Patel's review headline read "Dilip Kumar draws crowd to cinemas". His dramatic performances in the next films till early 1950s, brought him the title of "Tragedy King". These intense performances, in which he immersed himself, had an adverse affect on his psyche. He consulted psychiatrists in London, who advised him to take up lighter roles. Interestingly, almost all of his lighter roles starting from Aan (1952) and Aazad (1955) were huge commercial successes. His performance in these roles were appreciated by masses and critics alike. Aan (1952) was the highest grossing Indian film ever at the time both in India and overseas. Post Aan, Kumar's popularity again took a big leap, establishing him as undisputedly the biggest star of the country. Devdas released on 30 December, 1955 is considered one of the most iconic performance of his career. Although a moderate success when initially released, the film found greater success in subsequent years though re-releases, making it amongst the most popular role essayed by Kumar. All three Andaz (1949), Aan (1952) and Naya Daur (1957) briefly became the highest grossing Indian film upto that point, a feat later achieved by Kumar's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) in which he essayed the role of Prince Saleem (amongst his most popular roles), a record it held for 15 years. By adjusting for inflation, it is still the Highest-grossing Indian film of all time, as of 2022.
The decade 1950s was the most prolific decade of Kumar's career, with 21 releases of which only 1 film, namely Hulchul (1951) failed commercially. 5 (or even 6) of his films were placed in top 10 highest grossers of the decade by Box Office India. Similarly 9 (or even 10) of his 21 releases were placed among the top 30 highest grossers of the decade. The period from late 1940s to early 1960s is often referred to as the "Golden Age of Hindi cinema and music". The 1950s decade is also important in terms of popularising cinema and filmi music in India and establishing it as a part of popular culture. The decade also saw the rise of stars (in true sense), commercialisation of industry as well as rise in the number of theatres. Kumar was the representative of this period, holding the status of a matinée idol and the country's highest paid actor.
Gunga Jumna released on 6 Jan, 1961, few months after the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Kohinoor (1960), represents the peak of Kumar's career both as an actor and star. His performance as robust and defiant Gunga is considered by many to be the greatest acting performance in the history of Indian cinema. It won him international laurels. His performance was profoundly appreciated by actors in the West. The film set the template for the "Angry Young Man" films starring Bachchan in 1970s and the theme of brothers on the opposite side of the law. After Gunga Jumna (1961), Kumar's workload slowed significantly, his next venture Leader (1964), failed to be a big commercial success. It did mediocre business. Next film Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966) is the first flop film of Kumar in over 15 years. Ram aur Shyam (1967) is the last big hit of Kumar's first innings (as an actor) in Hindi cinema. It was his first double role film and popularized "double role" and "lost and found" films in mainstream Indian cinema. 1970s saw Kumar's career as a lead actor take a downturn. Age was becoming a factor, and the onset of new stars further convinced Kumar to take a hiatus. Out of his 4 Hindi films released in 1970s, Gopi (1970) was the only clean box office hit. As per the new reports of Box Office India, Bairaag (1976), is either "Hit" or "Semi-Hit". In 1970, he acted in his only Bengali film, Sagina Mahato (which also has a Hindi version, Sagina released in 1974, starring Kumar). The film was reportedly a huge success in Bengal. He won BFJA (Bengal Film Journalist Associations) award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. In 1976, he took a five-year hiatus aligning on the above mentioned reasons.
He returned to the big screen playing the title role of Kranti (1981), the highest grossing Indian film of the decade, when adjusted for inflation. In this phase of his career, he played senior, mature roles who were the main characters of the films. Films were specifically written for him which also starred other actors playing young roles. Films like Kranti (1981), Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986), and Saudagar (1991) were among the biggest hits of the time and all driven by him despite playing senior roles, a feat that had remained unprecedented even after him as per trade analysts. Some other films also found average success, including Shakti (1982), which starred Kumar along with Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles. The film won him his last Filmfare Award for Best Actor. His next venture after Saudagar (1991) was the commercially unsuccessful Qila (1998), which also turned out to be his last. He retired from film industry in 1999.
Kumar had been involved in many relationships including Kamini Kaushal, with whom he fell in love on the sets of Shaheed (1948). Their relationship fell apart as Kaushal was married to her brother-in-law after her sister-in-law died in a car accident. Reportedly she married on the insistence of her family to look after the little children of her sister-in-law. His next relationship was with Madhubala, which started on the sets of Tarana (1951). It was a seven year long relationship that ended after the Naya Daur court case in which Kumar sided with the producer B.R. Chopra and testified against Madhubala's father, Ataullah Khan as he declined her to travel to the planned shooting locations at the last moment. However Kumar in his autobiography cites another reason that played an important role in the fallout; Madhubala's father insisted him to act only under his own banner after their marriage. In 1966, he married actress Saira Banu in a private ceremony. Their marriage survived for over 50 years until Kumar's death in 2021-despite undergoing an upheaval-Kumar's alleged second marriage with Asma Rehman in 1981, whom he met at a cricket match in Hyderabad, where she lived. He soon divorced her in 1983, describing this incident as a "grave mistake taken in pressure" in his autobiography.
Kumar died on 7 July 2021, due to kidney complications and other age related issues. He had no children through his marriage. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Saira Banu.
As of 2022, he holds the record for winning 8 Filmfare awards for Best Actor ( later equalled by Shah Rukh Khan) and was also the inaugural recipient of the award. He has also won numerous other awards including Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1994. He is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan (in 2015) and Padma Bhushan (in 1991), India's second and third highest civilian honour respectively. He is also the only Indian recipient of Pakistan's highest civilian honour, Nishan-e-Imtiaz (in 1998). As of 2021, he holds the Guinness World record for having received the most awards by an Indian actor.
He holds several long standing box office records including giving at least 1 clean hit for 15 years straight, which is at least an Indian record, according to a trade analyst. Since independence till late 2010s, he held the record for giving the maximum number of highest grossing film of the year, 9 times which was then surpassed by Salman Khan. However as per latest Box Office India reports, highest grossing Indian film of 1991 was Kumar's Saudagar (1991) and not Salman Khan's Saajan (1991), thus perhaps re-establishing his long standing record. In regards to his films' success ratio, he is the most successful Bollywood actor (quite possibly, Indian actor) of all time, by a distance, as of 2022. These gigantic records, his overwhelming popularity across Indian subcontinent, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and beyond, especially among South Asian diaspora around the world, makes him easily among the biggest stars cinema has ever seen across the globe. He famously turned down David Lean's offer of the role which ultimately went to Omar Sharif in one of West's greatest critical and commercial success, Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which made a major Hollywood star out of Sharif. Justifying his decision, Dilip Kumar had remarked, "In your own bazaar you enjoy a certain status. What's the point of venturing out into fields unknown where you have no say? No contact with the subject matter." He was also considered for a role in another film Lean was working on, titled "Taj Mahal". Elizabeth Taylor was supposed to play the part opposite Kumar. However, the project was eventually shelved.
According to many, he is probably the first person to perform method acting on screen in mid 1940s. Despite not knowing what it meant by then, he had been practising it since a time when, perhaps, the term wasn't even coined. Kumar, who never went to any acting school, was described by the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray as "the ultimate method actor", despite not having worked with him. There are innumerable such complements by numerous luminaries across professions to quote, which is quite not possible; from the likes of the recent statement by Indian born naturalised British economist Lord Meghnad Desai, claiming Kumar to be the greatest actor on global scale to age old statements like the one by, V. Shantaram, one of founding fathers and pioneers of Indian cinema, prompted by Kumar's versatility expressed, "Had Shakespeare met Dilip Kumar, he would have added one more character to the already well-defined ones he had created." Most importantly, Dilip Kumar's complete impact is realized definitely in the fact how he changed the rules of acting and influenced generations of future artistes in Indian subcontinent (even his contemporaries), but also in the truth that at his best, he was the catalyst in expanding the reach of quality cinema, from metros to rural India, from classes to masses, from serious connoisseurs to common entertainment seekers. Some of the greatest critical successes became some of the biggest hits when he acted in them, liked, revered and celebrated by classes and masses alike. His intense, in-depth performances, eloquent silences and the most nuanced expressions observed and enjoyed and celebrated at the same time by the most casual entertainment seekers of his time. There have been some great artistes across the history. And there have been some huge stars across the history. But the instance of both of them being a single entity, elevating and expanding the art form to an even greater point, is true, an extremely rare sight, but equally magical while it lasts.- Actor
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Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, British India (present-day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) to legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan & Teji Bachchan. He also has a brother named Ajitabh. He completed his education from Uttar Pradesh and moved to Bombay to find work as a film star, in vain though, as film-makers preferred someone with a fairer skin, and he was not quite fair enough. But they did use one of his other assets, his deep baritone voice, which was used for narration and background commentary. He was successful in being cast in Saat Hindustani. He got his break in Bollywood after a letter of introduction from the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as he was a friend of her son, Rajiv Gandhi. This is how Bachchan made an entry in Bollywood, starting with Zanjeer, co-starred with his future wife Jaya Bhaduri, and since then there has been no looking back.
He married Jaya Bhaduri, an accomplished actress in her own right, and they had two children, Shweta and Abhishek. Shweta is married, lives a non-filmy life and has two children.
Being friends with Rajiv Gandhi, got him to decide to run for seat in the Indian National Congress (political party) from his home town but had to leave mid-term because of controversies, particularly after Rajiv and he were implicated in the now infamous "Bofors" case along with the U. K. based Hinduja Brothers.
After a four year break, he was back in the unsuccessful Mrityudaata (1997), a comeback which the actor wanted to forget. Critics written him off but his career was saved with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). But four flops in 1999 and incurring debt of over 90 crore rupees of his sinking company ABCL saw him at an all-time low. To make matters worse, after the defeat of the Congress party, Bachchan lost considerable political support, the opposition made him a target, and his credit rating deteriorated to such an extent that a leading nationalized bank, Canara Bank, sued him for outstanding loans. He did bounce back, presenting the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire called Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000). After a series of hits with Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Baghban (2003) and Khakee (2004), Bachchan is showing no signs of slowing down and proving the critics wrong once again.
Amitabh and Jaya were interested in getting their son Abhishek married to Karisma Kapoor, the daughter of Babita and Randhir Kapoor, they went through a formal engagement, but later broke it off.
The former Miss World and Bollywood actress, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek, were formally engaged on Sunday January 14, 2007, at the Bachchan residence in Juhu, Bombay, with the marriage taking place at the Bachchan residence on April 20, 2007.
On November 16, 2011, he became a Dada (paternal grandfather) when Aishwarya gave birth to a daughter in a Mumbai Hospital. He is already a Nana (maternal grandfather) to Navya and Agastye - Shweta's children.
He continues to be one of the busiest actors and singers in Bollywood as well as on TV, as can be seen from the commercials that he appears on, especially on Sahara One. Looks like there are no limits for this super-star and once the "Angry Young Man" of Bollywood.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Aamir Khan was born on March 14, 1965 in Mumbai. He is one of the most successful Indian Bollywood actors who is also known as "Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood". With his recent successes in both the Indian and Chinese film markets, he has shouldered his way into becoming one of the world's biggest superstars. Undergoing rapid transformations in his body structure to better embody the variegated characters in his energetic films, Aamir has garnered praise from all parts of the globe. His most visible transformations can be seen in such movies as Lagaan (2001), Fanaa (2006), Taare Zameen Par (2007), Ghajini (2008), 3 idiots (2009), Talaash (2012), Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017). His recent successes with movies like Dangal, PK , Talaash and TV serial Satyamev Jayate have attracted attention from more serious moviegoing crowds. However, he is perhaps better known for his fabulous comedic roles, as exemplified by his iconic performances in cult comedies such as Andaz Apna Apna, Passion, and Dil Chahta Hai, to name a few. Aamir is also no slouch at TV commercial work.
2001's Lagaan released in China nationwide, beginning what would be a series of Aamir Khan films that would firmly plant Indian filmmaking into the minds of Chinese audiences. 3 Idiots became a cult hit in China farther along in the 2000's, followed by Like Stars on Earth and Ghajini, both of which went on to gain huge followings. Aamir Khan's streak of Chinese box office hits continued into and throughout the 2010's with the rapid-fire release of Dhoom 3 (2013), PK (2014), Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2017).
Aamir was first introduced as a child artist in the 1970's hit Procession of Memories (1973) - he was the youngest child in the trio.
His performance in Earth (1998) as the Ice-Candy man has received rave reviews from Indian and international critics. Using classic "method acting" and an adopted technique inspired by his seniors Sanjeev Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor, Aamir acts in all genres of Indian films - comedy, action, drama and romance. He is regarded as a complete Indian actor of the post 1990 generation of actors for his diverse choice of roles and films. In 2007 he turned director with the film Like Stars on Earth (2007), which not only brought him immense critical acclaim but was also a huge box office success. Many of his films are considered as cult classics like Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Rang De Basanti (2006), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Andaz Apna Apna (1994). He divorced his first wife Reena Dutta on December 09, 2001 and married Kiran Rao in December 28, 2005 and divorced her on July 03, 2021.
In 2008 his first all out commercial action film Ghajini (2008) went on to become the highest grossing film of its time in Indian Cinema and 4th highest inflation adjusted, grossing a total of Rs.226 on the worldwide box office and the first film to cross 100 crores on the domestic Indian box office, making a total of Rs.115 crores. This record didn't last long, though, since his next release 3 Idiots (2009) went on to shatter not only the highest grosser record but many more. It not only made the highest opening first day, first weekend and first week records but subsequently continued to shatter many records on the following weekends and weeks, making many circuits on the way. It made a total of Rs.202 crores domestically and Rs.400 crores on the worldwide box office, becoming the highest overseas grosser to date, a staggering feat given that no other film had even come close to making Rs.100 crores on the domestic box office until then, except for his own Ghajini (2008) the previous year.
Aamir is said to be the actor who first started the trend of actors working in one film at a time, when the others worked in four or five at the same time. He is also known to shun popular film trade magazine awards like Filmfare, Star Screen, etc. as he doesn't have trust in their credibility and transparency. Recently he was awarded the third highest civilian honor Padama Bhushan by the government of India.
Aamir's expansive range of characterizations remains unparalleled amongst his contemporaries. Because of this diversity and his formidable ability to portray different characters believably on screen, he is today regarded not only as one of the biggest stars in Bollywood but also as one of the finest actors in all of Indian Cinema.- Harihar Jariwala a.k.a. Sanjeev Kumar was born in a Gujrati family in 1938. He portrayed many roles irrespective of the age or the type of chararcter. The actor ballooned in size in later years of his life due to the gastronomical pleasures he had inherited by sleeping in a kitchen while he was a child (which became the cause of his death in 1985 when he died of a heart ailment). Interestingly the actor was one of the very few who didn't have any competition within the industry. Sanjeev's notable performances were in films like Sholay, Parichay, Aandhi, Angoor and the Satyajit Ray masterpiece Shatranj Kay Khiladi.
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Vishal Veeru "Ajay" Devgn was born on April 02, 1969, in New Delhi, Delhi to action director Veeru Devgan and his wife Veena Devgan. He is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in the Bollywood industry and is one of the highest-paid celebrities in India. Devgn started his film career with Phool Aur Kaante (1991). He is known for films like All The Best: Fun Begins (2009), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999), Ishq (1997), The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), Singham (2011), Total Dhamaal (2019) etc. He is married to actress Kajol with whom he has two children (i.e son Yug and daughter Nysa). He is also the founder and owner of the production banner Ajay Devgn Ffilms.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Known for his trademark gelled spiked up crew cut with sunglasses, Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) is an Indian Bollywood movie star, movie producer, magazine model, showman, public speaker, author, philanthropist and television host/personality working predominantly in Hindi cinema.
Khan began his on-camera acting debut in 1987 at the age of 21 by guest starring in various Indian serial drama soap opera TV shows as well as appearing in numerous television commercials and brand advertisements for products. He studied theatre arts and drama during his second year of college after participating in numerous school plays. He landed a few acting gigs in Delhi, before acting on Indian TV and became popular. Khan came down to Mumbai to shoot a TV series with self doubt and under confidence. So he came for a year to give it a shot. He began auditioning for starring roles in Hindi movies in 1990 after the death of his mother (his father died a decade earlier in 1980). Khan's parents died early, which made him heartbroken in Delhi. Khan decided to pursue a full-time acting career and relocating to Mumbai to start afresh, hoping to enjoy acting and overcome the dejecting death of his parents, as there was nothing for him to go back to. He began auditioning for starring roles in Hindi movies in 1990 after the death of his mother (his father died a decade earlier in 1980).
After recuperating from a career-ending sports injury, he landed his breakout breakthrough feature film starring role in the Silver screen in June 1992, and rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1990s. Khan shot to stardom in his first feature film "Deewana" (1992) which won him the first of 13 Filmfare awards -- the Bollywood equivalent of an Oscar. He continued starring in blockbuster movies throughout the 2000s with a mixed bag of career fluctuations, establishing himself as a very bankable, versatile movie star in the early-to-mid 2010s. Following a 4-year sabbatical hiatus in the wake of the corona-virus pandemic, Khan made a resurgence comeback in 2023, and continues to act and star in A-Lister blockbuster movies.
Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has appeared in over 100 films, and earned numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare Awards.
He has been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, as well as the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Legion of Honour by the Government of France. Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of audience size and income, several media outlets have described him as one of the most successful film stars in the world. Many of his films depict and portray Indian national identity, Indian patriotism, and connections with diaspora communities, or gender, racial, social and religious differences and grievances.
Shah Rukh Khan has been TAG Heuer's brand ambassador in India since September 2003 & is close friends with Amir. He is Bollywood's most bankable movie stars with brand endorsements & resides in the affluent suburbs of Bandra, Mumbai, India with his wife and children.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Rajiv Hari "Akshay Kumar" Om Bhatia was born on September 09, 1967, in Amritsar, Punjab to Aruna Bhatia and Hari Om Bhatia. He is an Indian actor, film producer, former model, and television personality. He went to Bangkok to learn how to use a sword and also worked as a waiter in a restaurant. He studied martial arts in Hong Kong. It was a student who suggested that he should try modeling. Because of his success as model, he was offered films. Along with his good looks and excellent martial art skills, he was always the first choice to do adventurous movies. He does his own stunts in his films. His breakthrough performance was in Saugandh (1991). He was well known for his Khiladi series, an Indian version of James Bond, such as Mr. Bond (1992), Khiladi (1992), Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi (1997) and Khiladi 420 (2000). He dated strings of his co-stars including Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Pooja Batra and Rekha. His recent critically acclaimed performances include Airlift (2016), Baby (2015) and Rustom (2016). He is married to former actress and now author Twinkle Khanna with whom he has two children.- Actor
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Naseeruddin Shah was born on July 20 1950, in Barabanki, a small village in Uttar Pradesh. He is a seasoned Bollywood actor and has received several awards for his notable performance in several movies. The actor has also been awarded the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his enormous contributions to Indian cinema.
Shah was born into a Nawab family. He studied at St. Anselm's Ajmer School in Rajasthan and St. Joseph's College in Nainital. He completed his graduation from the Aligarh Muslim University in 1971. He also attended the National School of Drama, New Delhi.
At the age of 19, Shah married Manara Sikri, who was 36 years old and a divorcee. Post one year of their marriage, their daughter Heeba Shah was born. However, the relationship didn't work out, and they decided to part ways after 12 years of marriage.
Shah met Ratna Pathak Shah, daughter of Dina Pathak and a Bollywood actor in the 1970s. They fell in love and went on to co-star in several films. They tied the knot in 1982. They have two sons together - Imaaduddin Shah and Vivaan Shah. The couple currently resides with their children in Mumbai.
At the age of 18, Shah acted in Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968), starring Hema Malini and Raj Kapoor. However, his scene was removed before the release of the movie.
He made his Bollywood debut with an uncredited role in Aman in 1967, a film starring Rajendra Kumar Tuli and Saira Banu. From then onwards, he went on to feature in various movies like Nishant (1975), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Katha (1983) and Junoon (1979).
In 1974, Shah founded a theatre company called Motley Productions, and their inaugural production was Waiting for Godot. He is also part of a theatre troupe and has performed across different cities like New Delhi, Lahore, and Mumbai. He has directed a few plays written by Lavender Kumar, Ismat Chughtai and Saadat Hasan Manto.
He started gaining popularity with his films Hum Paanch (1980) and Masoom (1983), which was shot at St Joseph's College, Nainital, where Shah had studied during his childhood. Another movie called Karma (1986), where he starred beside Dilip Kumar gained much acclaim.
Shah has been a part of several multi-star Bollywood movies like Ghulami (1985), Tridev (1989), and Tridev (1989). In 1994, he completed his 100th movie as an actor with Mohra (1994), where he played the role of a villain.
Shah has also been a part of international projects like the Hollywood adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). He played the role of Captain Nemo in the film, which gained him a lot of praise.
In 2003, he acted in Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool (2003), an Indian adaptation of Macbeth, and in 2004, he appeared in Rajiv Rai's Asambhav (2004) with Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra.
Shah has won several awards, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare awards, one IIFA award and two Bengal Film Journalists' Association awards. He also received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival in 1984.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
For Amrish Puri, it was virtually the 'Summer of 42'. The actor's long simmering affair with acting found culmination when he reached his early 40s. And while his dream of playing the hero may have been thwarted, he went on to become the most loved villains of all time. He was also an artiste who redefined the dynamics for character actors. If he wowed the critics with his rough-edged portrayals in the art films of Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani, he won over the masala movie buffs with his louder-than-life histrionics. Puri with his reverberating baritone, piercing glance and dramatized dialogue delivery was a formidable figure against the hero. His costumes were all about prolific imagination and his one-liners ranging from, 'Mogambo khush hua' to 'Dong kabhi wrong nahin hota' are now part of cinema glossary. Puri even went ahead and worked in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom and Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, only to return and endorse the diversity that is Bollywood.
But behind the tough facade was a genteel person. "Upright and a true karma-yogi," as son and marine navigator Rajeev Puri describes him. "People from all walks of life loved him - even the police and the politicians." Rajeev adds, "A decade after his demise, some film or the other of his is constantly playing on channels - out of the 350 he did, 200 were hits!" And when people till date come up to him requesting for a photograph because he's the famed Mogambo's (Puri's character in Mr India) son, Rajeev realizes that Mogambo truly is larger than life, in fact beyond it.
Puri graduated from the BM College in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Puri was a leader of the RSS youth wing there and that explains why he remained a stickler for discipline and punctuality. In the '50s, he moved to Mumbai and found a job with the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). There he met my mother Urmila, a Konkani, and married her. His elder brothers Chaman Puri and Madan Puri were also actors. In fact, we lived with Madanji at Kings Circle for a few years before we shifted to our Santacruz home. Puri passion was acting. He worked during the day and in the evening did amateur theatre with Ebrahim Alkazi, Satyadev Dubey, Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad among others. In fact, Satyadev Dubey and he began Hindi theatre in Mumbai with plays like Hayavadana and Yugati winning him much applause. He became well known as a stage character actor, which led to him doing ads and finally films in the early '70s.
Believe it or not, Amrish Puri wanted to become a Bollywood movie star, but failed a screen test in 1953. And what a failure it was! Mr. Puri, went on to become one of the most renowned and credible villains in the history of Indian cinema. His most memorable and often quoted role is the character of 'Mogambo' (with the catchphrase "Mogambo Khush Hua"). It is still remembered fondly from Mr. India (1987).
On the silver screen, the very first time we felt that times were changing was when dad went to Jaisalmer to shoot Reshma Aur Shera (1971). It was an Ajanta Arts film directed by Sunil Dutt. A lot of new actors were being featured - Raakhee, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranjeet. Puri brought home pictures of the shoot. Puri's son must have been around 12 then and was excited watching them.
Another film, which was to change his life was Girish Karnad's Kannada film Kaadu (1973) where he played the villainous village headman. Girish Karnad handed his Filmfare Best Director trophy to Amrish as a gesture of appreciation. He was then noticed by Shyam Benegal, who featured him in his films Manthan, Nishant and Bhumika through the '70s. He also became part of Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed films Party, Vijeta, Aakrosh and Ardh Satya. Dad had a flair for roles that betrayed authority and rode the crest of new wave cinema with his earthiness.
In 1980, director Bapu roped in dad to play Duryodhana in Boney Kapoor's Hum Paanch. Soon other filmmakers started offering him villainous roles in commercial films too. After Feroz Khan's Qurbani (1980) there was no looking back.
One film that took him to the acme of his career was Mr India (1987). As the part menacing part comical Mogambo, he won fans across audiences. Mogambo was a favorite with kids because he was a comic-strip like character. At every function he attended, dad was asked to say the Mogambo dialogue. First Amjad Khan as Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) and later dad as Mogambo gave villainy a new status. He went on to become the highest paid villain. Earlier character actors were paid paltry sums as compared to the hero.
Puri's career spanned three decades and around 300 films. Among these his favorites remained Koyla, Vidhaata, Pardes, Chachi 420, Ghatak, Ghayal, Damini, Meri Jung and Saza-E-Kala Pani.
Off camera, his children remember their father as someone who was larger than life, someone who was strict but never unreasonable. Someone who urged us to speak the truth. He urged us to follow the three Ps - patience, perseverance and persistence.
Puri was realistic and that's why he insisted that his children seek a secure profession. He once told his son, "See, acting is my first love. I've been polishing my act for years. It took me long to establish myself. There's no need for you to be awed by the profession. You needn't risk your future. You must complete your education." That's why, I joined the Merchant Navy in 1978. I sailed for 11 years. It used to be fun watching his films on the ship.
As an actor he had a great ability to switch on and off. He was not fond of smoking, drinking or parties. His idols were Dilip Kumar, Motilal, Balraj Sahni and Amitabh Bachchan. He worked with Raj Kumar, Dilip saab, Amitji... he was like a student in front of them and had absolutely no ego. Also, a lot of youngsters began their careers with him like Ajay Devgan in Phool Aur Kaante and Shah Rukh Khan in Deewana. He was easy to work with except that he had no patience with people who didn't respect time.
Puri was particular about having nutritious food. He was largely vegetarian but enjoyed fish. He practiced yoga and was an early riser. He was one of the first members of Talwalkars gym in Mumbai. Also, he preserved his vocal chords. He stayed away from fried stuff. He'd just have a piece of sev puri when we insisted. Once he happened to shave off his hair for a Rakesh Kumar film. He was told his personality looked better that way. The bald look appealed to Steven Spielberg, who then offered him Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, where he played Mola Ram. Puri realized that with a shaved head, he could try different get ups. He was well-versed with the art of make-up and wigs. He knew the concentration of hair that a hairpiece for a 50-year-old character or a 60-year-old character would require. He also spent time with the tailors - in fact, directors often asked him to work on his costumes. He'd pick his own ties, bows, shirts for a role. He enjoyed observing people as he drove in his car. He'd keenly watch the hawaldar, the fit of his shirt, how worn out his shoes were which helped him play one in Gardish.
Puri loved watches. He owned all the possible brands. He was intrigued by its technology and the way each piece was assembled. Each time he'd go abroad, he'd visit a showroom and call me up excitedly, "Tikoo (my pet name) I've bought such a handsome looking watch!" Another fascination he had was for Mercedez Benz cars. He'd keep buying the latest editions. His family maintained his 1983 model in showroom condition.
Known for frequently portraying menacing, sadistic villains, Puri received a huge fan mail of around 50 to 60 letters a day. Some fans would constantly sit on the footpath outside our home to catch a glimpse of him. Women also wrote to him. Many were crazy about him. But he was not a young actor. By the time he got recognition he was 45. My mom did feel possessive with all the attention being showered on him. But she understood. He was at an age where he knew what to absorb and what to keep away from. He was cautious. He did have shades of romance in his role opposite Farida Jalal in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. That subtle equation suited his age. His female co-stars liked him because he was protective about them. He'd check with the production guys whether they were comfortable or not. While he was being pampered, he wanted them to enjoy those facilities too. He was like a father figure to junior artistes too. He'd call up the producers who defaulted on their payments.
Once they were shooting at Amritsar railway station for Gadar - Ek Prem Katha. Huge crowds had gathered and there was so much noise that the shooting couldn't proceed. Sunny Deol wanted to leave. Dad took over and in his baritone said, "Allow us to do our work. I want pin drop silence!" There was a hush and the shooting resumed.
Shyam Benegal cast him in movies such as Nishant (1975), Bhumika (1977), and Manthan (1976). Yash Chopra cast him in Mashaal (1984), the same year that Steven Spielberg cast him in his best-known role outside of India, as Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). His elder brother is none other than Bollywood actor Madan Puri.
Guddu Dhanoa's Jaal The Trap for (2003) was shot in Himachal Pradesh. Unfortunately, Puri met with an accident there. He suffered serious injuries on his face and eye. He lost a lot of blood and consequently had to undergo blood transfusion. Something went wrong there because in the coming years, he developed a blood disorder (myelodysplastic syndrome). It began with weakness and reduced appetite. When he came to know about the fatality of his illness he was shaken. But he had an iron will. He wanted to project a strong side to the world. Puri knew that at age 72 there was little that he could repair and that he was ailing. Jo hona hai woh hoga - that was his stance.
Puri was keen to complete the projects on hand, even though he was in pain. His terminal illness was detected in September 2003 and by December 15, 2004, he had finished all his films - Kachchi Sadak, Mujhse Shaadi Kaoroge, Hulchul, Ksna and Aitraaz despite looking emaciated, pale, frail . He was at home for a brief period. But he didn't want to remain bedridden. When asked how he was feeling he'd just say, "Kal se behtar hoon." Then one day he had a fall at home and suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. He passed away in Mumbai on January 12, 2005 due to a brain hemorrhage
Puri had served as the President of Cine and TV Artistes Association for six years before his demise. As a mark of respect the industry remained shut for two days. The whole road from our house in Juhu to the electric crematorium at Shivaji Park was full with people. There were onlookers perched on trees and buildings.
As a tribute to him the Times Of India carried a piece, which was titled, "No guns only roses." People recall his famous dialogue in Pardes, "What's the bottom line?" Well, for me it would be never doing anything that would disappoint him.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Anupam Kher is a renowned Indian actor who has worked extensively in the Indian film industry, as well as in international films and television shows. He is known for his versatile acting skills and has portrayed a wide range of characters throughout his career.
Kher studied at Simla in D.A.V. School and graduated with a degree in Economics from Simla's Himachal Pradesh University. He studied at the Government College, Sanjauli. He left the university mid-way and instead studied the Indian theatre in Chandigarh at Panjab University.
Kher was a part of several plays at Himachal Pradesh University. He took drama classes in Lucknow at Raj Bisaria's Bharatendu Natya Akadem for a small role in Sheeshay Ka Ghar (1984), his debut film.
In 1984, he landed his first role in Bollywood with the film Saaransh (1984). He played the role of a 65-year-old teacher in this film. He went on to work in projects like Tezaab (1988) and Vijay (1988), for which he was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Kher received public recognition for his performances in movies like Ram Lakhan (1989) and his first Filmfare Award under the Best Performer in a Comic Role category. He also won a Filmfare Critics Award and a National Film Award - Special Mention for his role in Daddy (1989).
In 1990, Kher starred in Dil (1990) and received another Filmfare Best Supporting Actor nomination. He was critically acclaimed for his performance in Lamhe (1991). He won a Filmfare Award as the Best Comedian for his role in the movie.
Kher later appeared in Beta (1992) alongside Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor. In the same year, his role in Khel (1992) earned him another Filmfare Award as the Best Comedian.
Kher went on to star in massive hits like Darr (1993), which got him a Filmfare award as the Best Comedian. In 1994, he appeared in another blockbuster, Laadla (1994).
One of Kher's most successful movies Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), earned him another nomination as the Best Supporting Actor at Filmfare and was the second movie for which he won the National Film Award, this time under the category Best Popular Film.
Kher's performance in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) got him his fifth Filmfare Best Comedian Award and was highly applauded and loved by the audience.
After a gap of almost three years, he made his comeback in yet another blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), for which he received the Best Comedian nomination at Filmfare.
Kher also tried his skills in directing with Om Jai Jagadish (2002) and was also the producer. In 2007, Kher collaborated with Satish Kaushik and started Karol Bagh Productions, a film production company. They produced their first movie Teree Sang: A Kidult Love Story (2009), in 2009.
He hosted TV shows like Say Na Something to Anupam Uncle (2000) and The Anupam Kher Show (2014).
Kher has also appeared in international films like Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride & Prejudice (2004).
Kher received the Best Actor Award at the Karachi International Film Festival for his performance in I Did Not Kill Gandhi (2005), which was also produced by him.
His other foreign films were The Mistress of Spices (2005), Lust, Lust, Caution (2007), the TV show ER (1994), Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and Hotel Mumbai (2018).
He also received a nomination for BAFTA for his supporting role in the British sitcom The Boy with the Topknot (2017).
In 2019, Kher took the role of Manmohan Singh, India's former Indian Prime minister in The Accidental Prime Minister (2019). In 2022, he appeared in the controversial film The Kashmir Files (2022), which was a blockbuster.
Kher was awarded the best actor for his role in a short film titled Happy Birthday (2021) at the New York City International Film Festival. He is a recipient of two National Film Awards, eight Filmfare Awards, two International Indian Film Academy Awards, two Screen Awards India, and five other state/viewer awards.
His handprint was preserved for posterity at Bandra Bandstand in Mumbai as he was honoured by 'Walk of the Stars'. The US state of Texas presented him with the "Honoured Guest" award for his contribution to cinema and art.
He has also been honoured with Civilian Awards like the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016 by the Indian Government for his contribution to Indian cinema and arts.
Anupam Kher tied the knot with Kirron Kher, a fellow Indian actress, in 1985. Kher became a stepfather to Kirron's son, actor Sikandar Kher. He was appointed as the goodwill ambassador of the Pratham Education Foundation in 2010, which works to improve the education of children in India. In 2021, Kher received an honorary doctorate degree in Philosophy of Hindu Studies from the Hindu University of America.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Ajay Singh Deol popularly known as Sunny Deol was born to actor Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur. Sunny began acting with super hit film Betaab (1983) which was a love story also featuring another new comer Amrita Singh; this film was a major success and then he goes on making films which portrayed him as Bollywood's best action hero. There is Arjun (1985), Tridev (1989), Ghayal (1990) among others that are too numerous to mention. Ghayal was a major success action flick which brought Sunny his first award; then he goes on to Damini (1993) featured as best supporting actor as a drunk lawyer and then came Ghatak (1996), Ziddi (1997), Border (1997) among others. Sunny also strive to be a director with Dillagi (1999) which was not so successful; in the film he acted with his younger brother Bobby Deol. We cannot forget Darr (1993) which he acted opposite Shahrukh Khan; the film that we all know him as not only a good-looking but romantic young man. In the 2000's Sunny also made some remarkable hits, the film Gadar (2001) which displays his acting skills also Apne (2007) and Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) which he also acted with his brother Bobby and his dad Dharmendra. And also not forgetting Heroes (2008) in which we all learn that if everyone tries in life then no one is handicapped. Overall Sunny is a remarkable personality and made a name for himself; hope he continue to progress in future.- Producer
- Actor
- Music Department
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan was born on December 27, 1965, in Mumbai to legendary screenwriter Salim Khan, who penned many super-hits in the yesteryear's like Sholay (1975), Deewaar (1975), and Don (1978). Khan started his acting career by doing a supporting role in the movie Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988). The following year he had the leading role in the box office romantic hit Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). From there he became a heartthrob of Indian cinema.
Following with other box office hits he showed his terrific performance in Saajan (1991), Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Khamoshi the Musical (1996), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). His transformations can be sensitive, vulnerable, funny, aggressive and charming as his role demands.
In 1998, he was arrested by the local police from the shooting location of the film Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), for killing protected wild animals and spent about a week behind the bars. The actor is facing trial in three cases of killing blackbucks and Chinkaras and another of illegal possession of arms. In September 2002, Khan had hit the headlines after he crashed his Land Cruiser near the American Express bakery in Bandra, killing one man and injuring others.
Being known for those roguish behaviors, he tried to balance his troubled life with his career. He gave his emotionally charged performance as playing an obsessed lover in In Your Name (2003) that translated into good reviews and a good run at the box office. He not only managed to revive his career but also to restore the confidence of his producers and distributors alike.
His work was noticed internationally in the moviePhir Milenge (2004) where he played the role of an AIDS patient. It was well appreciated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for presenting the problems of AIDS patients in today's world.
In 2007, he launched Being Human - Salman Khan Foundation. This charitable organization aids the underprivileged in areas such as education and health care.
More recently, he starred in the multiple record-breaking box office super-hits Dabangg (2010), Ready (2011) and Bodyguard (2011).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.
Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and served in the Indian Army. Puri graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India. He is also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National School of Drama where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.
Puri had worked in numerous Indian films and in many films produced in the United Kingdom and the United States. He made his film debut in the 1976 film Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a Marathi play of the same name. He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work. He had collaborated with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He had been active in cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal in Aakrosh (1980) (a film in which he spoke only during flash-back sequences); Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982); a police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982), where he revolts against life-long social, cultural and political persecution and for which he got the National Film Award for Best Actor; the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in 1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003). In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a strict police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld - it became a huge commercial hit. Puri's acting in the movie is very memorable. He has rendered his own voice for the Kannada dialogues. In the same year, he starred in the successful British comedy film East is East, where he played a first-generation Pakistani immigrant in the north of England, struggling to come to terms with his far more westernized children. Om Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough). In the mid-1990s, he diversified to play character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. He became known internationally by starring in many British films such as My Son the Fanatic (1997), East Is East (1999) and The Parole Officer (2001). He appeared in Hollywood films including City of Joy (1992), opposite Patrick Swayze; Wolf (1994) alongside Jack Nicholson; and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer. In 2007, he appeared as General Zia-ul-Haq in Charlie Wilson's War, which stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. He has worked in Hindi television serials like Kakkaji Kaheen (1988) (roughly meaning "Uncle says") as a paan-chewing 'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians, and Mr. Yogi (1989) as a suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg. These two serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He received critical acclaim for him performance in Govind Nihalani's television film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He essayed comic roles in Hindi films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro which reached a cult status, followed by Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Chor Machaye Shor (2002) and Malamaal Weekly (2006). His more recent Hindi film roles include Singh Is Kinng, Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Billu. Puri was seen in the role of Mohammad Ali Kasuri in Road to Sangam (2009). In 2010, he appeared in The Hangman. In 2011 he was in the Indian action movie Don 2. He had also worked in Aahat TV Series in some episodes during second season which was aired between 2004-2005 on Sony channel.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
On Stats Alone, The Most Popular Actor In The History Of Cinema!
The only actor to enjoy near God-like status across the length and breadth of India for a quarter century!
Elected in several expert online polls, as The Greatest Actor In The History Of World Cinema !
With 100+ All-Time Blockbusters- 48 Platinum Jubilee hits + 27 Golden Jubilee hits + 26 Silver Jubilee Hits, & 17 average hits, over 25 yrs.
So these quite wonderful film business websites have come up with a inflation adjusted analysis of few of his random films, which I shall present about now, just to open the eyes of today's audiences, to just the massive quantum of collections, achieved by this one actor alone. They've done this chronologically for just few of his mildly to very successful (~42/125 ie 1/3rd) lead/parallel lead films leaving out vast sums of his other massively successful films , from late 60s to late 90s, & only inflation-adjusted worldwide collection numbers, so audiences of today can get a decent idea.
1. Raaz - 284 Crores 2. Bandhan - 437 Crores 3. Aradhana - 1092 Crores 4. Ittefaq - 266 Crores 5. Doli - 344 Crores 6. Do Raaste - 1014 Crores 7. Kati Patang - 540 Crores 8. Safar - 426 Crores 9. The Train - 284 Crores 10. Sachcha Jhutha - 781 Crores 11. Aan Milo Sajna - 710 Crores 12. Amar Prem - 387 Crores 13. Mehboob Ki Mehndi - 233 Crores 14. Anand - 220 Crores 15. Haathi Mere Saathi - 903 Crores 16. Andaz - 516 Crores 17. Maryada - 581 Crores 18. Dushman - 644 Crores 19. Apna Desh - 492 Crores 20. Shehzada - 223 Crores 21. Daag - 689 Crores 22. Namak Haraam - 212 Crores 23. Aap Ki Kasam - 311 Crores 24. Prem Nagar - 440 Crores 25. Ajnabee - 243 Crores 26. Roti - 388 Crores 27. Prem Kahani - 168 Crores 28. Maha Chor - 143 Crores 29. Mehbooba - 177 Crores 30. Chhaila Babu - 197 Crores 31. Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka - 146 Crores 32. Muqabla - 175 Crores 33. Amar Deep - 139 Crores 34. Thodisi Bewafai - 143 Crores 35. Kudrat - 174 Crores 36. Fiffty Fiffty - 179 Crores 37. Rajput - 339 Crores 38. Ashanti - 217 Crores 39. Dharam Kanta - 272 Crores 40. Maqsad - 318 Crores 41. Swarg - 85 Crores 42. Aa Ab Laut Chalen - 153 Crores
Have a look at that. And we've just begun checking (a random 1/3rd of his films) !
He was born on 29 December 1942 in Amritsar, Punjab, India, and entered Hindi films in the year 1965 when began shooting for Raaz and did 180 films - 163 feature films and 17 short films. By 2011, he held the record for maximum number of films as solo lead hero and least number of multi star cast films in Hindi Cinema. Of the 163 films - 106 were solo hero films and 22 were multi star films and 29 films had him in special effective guest appearances(though only 97 solo and 20 two hero films only released and 11 unreleased from 1966 till 2013).He ranked first and won the United Producers All India Contest held in 1965 by beating 10000 candidates and the prize of it was acting in films Akhri Khat and Raaz. He first tasted success as an actor with 3 consecutive hit films like Aakhri Khat,Raaz and Aurat.His first brush with super-stardom was when outburst from his fans forced the director to change the story of Baharaon Ke Sapne's ending from a tragic one to a happy one after 1 week of its release. Though Baharon Ke Sapne was average in some centers it was declared flop in most places. In 1969 Rajesh Khanna achieved super-stardom with Shakti Samantha's 'Aradhana" (1969).He became the craze of the nation, and critics across India started calling him the First Superstar of both Indian Cinema (No. 1 Actor) and Hindi Films and remained so alone as the Superstar for 7 years (1969-1976) and had to share the status with Amitabh from 1977-1991 till he left films to join politics in 1991.He overtook his predecessors Dev-Dilip-Raj, Shammi Kapoor,Rajendra Kumar in terms of extreme popularity with audience and critics, quality of performances, variety of roles and films by doing quickly 47 films from 1966-75 which included 36 Golden Jubilee Hits(21 of the 36 were platinum) and 4 silver silver jubilee hits and only 7 flops in 9 years. He also made the world record of having 17 successive super-hits in 3 years from 1969-71 which included 15 consecutive solo super-hit films and 2 two hero films namely Andaz and Maryada. The main difference between him and his predecessors,successors, contemporaries was that Khanna's films ran successfully in whole of India and not just Hindi speaking areas and he did films of every genre simultaneously and has more critically acclaimed films to his credit than all other Hindi Actors of every generation. He stands out even by selection of his films as he regularly did both offbeat alternate cinema along with commercial potboiler films and had success in both.He introduced intelligent cinema to the masses with ease. Those 15 consecutive hit solo lead hero films from 1969-71 were Aradhana, Doli, Bandhan, Ittefaq, Do Raaste, Khamoshi, Safar, The Train, Kati Patang, Sachaa Jhutha, Aan Milo Sajna, Mehboob Ki Mehendi, Choti Bahu, Anand and Haathi Mere Saathi. His next release Maalik flopped ending thereby the record.
Anju Mahendru was his girl friend in 1968-1972, the then aspiring actress but they had breakup in 1972 when Anju was not ready for marriage while Khanna wanted to marry her, and Khanna married his fan Dimple Kapadia in March 1973, 8 months before Dimple's debut film Bobby released in theaters.
Khanna's pairing with Mumtaz always produced much success as they had all of their 8 films together as major platinum jubilee hits.His films with Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Tanuja, Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman was a favorite with audiences too in 70's.
From 1976 on-wards till 1978, he had 5 box office hits as lead hero(2 silver jubilee hits, 2 platinum hits, 1 average hit), 3 hits in guest appearances, 1 flop in guest appearance and 8 films of him as the main lead flopped unexpectedly although his performances and the film's music were praised by critics and thereby 76-78 is considered his bad phase.
K.Balaji wanted to establish himself in Hindi film industry as a producer and thereby wanted to remake his Tamil film Sivaji Ganeshan starer Dheepam in Hindi. At a time when Khanna's films were not working at the box office, Khanna got this film out of the blue and went on to become a big hit. Khanna bounced back with twin success of Amardeep and Prem Bandhan then again started giving many critically acclaimed and commercially successful films including 35 Golden Jubilee Hits(includes 25 platinum) and 14 SJH starting from 1979 till 1991 and had 9 average hits from 1976-1996. In the 80's his films opposite Tina Munim, Hema Malini, Reena Roy, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil and Poonam Dhillon were big hits.
He produced three films and co-produced 4 films. He had total 105 box office hits(91 as lead hero and 14 in guest appearance) from 1966-1991.He left film industry in 1991 and entered politics by joining the Congress Party in 1991 and became a member of parliament. Khanna was awarded Filmfare Special award in 1991 for having starred in 101 films as the solo lead hero(92 solo film released till 1992 and includes 7 unreleased solos and Anuraag) and having done just 21 two hero films(only 19 released till 1991) but having appeared in 153 films in short span of 25 years between 1966-1991. Has won most number of All India Critics Award for Best Actor for a record 7 times and was nominated for same 10 times.He holds record for being the actor to win maximum BJFA awards for Best Actor - 4 and was nominated the most for it - 25 times.He is still adored and fondly remembered by the masses. Songs from his films adorn the lips of youth and adolescents. He was the first mega-star and has left behind a storehouse of the finest moments in film history.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Dharmendra is one of the biggest stars of Indian cinema. Dharmendra Deol played the romantic hero in woman Cedric films from 1960-1968 and became romantic hero from 1968-69 and played the role of action hero from 1971-1997. Dharmendra has appeared in 306 films.
He is known as 'Garam' Dharam in Bollywood. Had the looks of a real gentle man, masculine body of a he-man and when it came to his films, he had a very humorous touch in his dialog-delivery and the timing.
Dharmendra's original name is Dharam Singh Deol. He was born in a Jat Sikh family in Phagwara in Kapurthala district in the Indian state of Punjab to Kewal Kishan Singh Deol and Satwant Kaur. He spent his early life in village Sahnewal and studied at Government Senior Secondary School at Lalton Kalan, Ludhiana. He did his intermediate from Ramgarhia College, Phagwara in 1952.
The heroics in his films - Phool Aur Patthar (1966), Jugnu (1973), Raja Jani (1972) and Loafer (1973) - are all quite remarkable and unforgettable. He got nominated for Filmfare best actor 4 times in his career though he couldn't get one but got "The Life Time Achievement" award in 1997 from Filmfare for his achievements, splendid performance during his times and wonderful career in Bollywood. Dharmendra was fond of movies from a young age. He participated in the Filmfare new talent contest, which he won and came to Mumbai from Punjab looking for work. He made his debut with Arjun Hingorani's Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960). After which he got supporting roles in the film Boy Friend (1961) and was cast as the romantic interest in several woman oriented films from 1960-1967, where the story revolved around the heroine's character and, he was usually cast as a romantic hero opposite senior established leading actress of the time and later, from 1974 on-wards, as an action hero. His major breakthrough was playing supporting role to hero Rajendra Kumar in Aaye Milan Ki Bela, where his character was negative and supporting role in patriotic film Haqeeqat (1964) and playing romantic interest in woman oriented films from 1960-1967 and playing supporting roles to Balraj Sahni, Ashok Kumar, Biswajit in some films from 1960-67 like Soorat Aur Seerat, Bandini, Mamta, Ghar Ka Chirag.His sensitive side was explored by Hrishikesh Mukherjee in Anupama (1966) and Satyakam (1969), the latter is considered one of the best performances of his career. He got solo hero stardom with the blockbuster, Phool Aur Patthar (1966), which was his first action film but he became established action hero from 1971 film Mera Gaon Mera Desh. He projected himself as romantic hero with films like Pyar Hi Pyar, Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Mere Humdum Mere Dost and Aaye Din Bahar Ke. He cemented his image as action hero with successful films like Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Raja Jani (1972), Jugnu (1973), Kahani Kismat Ki and Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973). Dharmendra formed a popular onscreen pair with Hema Malini who later became his second wife. Hema Malini was the biggest female star of 1970s and they went on to star in hits such as Tum Haseen Mein Jawan, Sharafat (1970), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Raja Jani (1972), Jugnu (1973), Pratiggya (1975), Sholay (1975), Charas (1976), Azaad(1977), Dillagi (1978), among many others. Dharmendra proved his versatility and comic timing through Pratiggya, Chupke Chupke and Sholay. In Ramesh Sippy's Sholay (1975) he shared screen space with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan and is still remembered for his inimitable portrayal of Veeru. His best romantic pairing was with the actress Asha Parekh with whom he had 5 hits - Shikhar, Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Samadhi and Mera Gaon Mera Desh. His next best pairing was with Hema Malini, with whom he did 35 films of them 31 had them as a leading romantic pair and Dharam Hema had 20 hits and 15 flops. Dharm Hema married in 1980 and Dharm-Hema have 2 children together, Esha and Ahana and he has two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol from previous marriage with Prakash Kaur.
Often in 1960's till 1971 he played the romantic lead opposite female leading ladies in woman oriented films where the female protagonist's role overshadowed his roles with Dharam playing only supporting role in these films opposite Meena Kumari, Nutan, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore. Phool Aur Paththar was the turning point in his career and established him as an action hero and as a solo lead hero.Artistically and popularity wise his peak period was the 1971-1979 where he did multi star as well as solo hero films in action and comedy genres and when his performances was appreciated by critics as well as audiences. Critics panned every film he did from 1985-2002 with exception being critically acclaimed films Burning Train, Ali Baba Aur 40 Chor, Jhutha Sach, Dharm Aur Qanoon, Rajput and Ghulami. He was the 2nd highest paid actor along with Vinod Khanna in Hindi films from 1976-1982 and Dharam alone was 3rd highest paid Hindi actor from 1987-1993 of A grade Hindi Films.
In the early 70s, Dharmendra became the first Indian actor to be voted among the most handsome men in the world. Through the 70s and 80s, Dharmendra worked with some of the biggest names in B'town such as Bimal Roy, Yash Chopra, Raj Khosla, Ramesh Sippy, Rajkumar Santoshi, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterji. In 1983, Dharmendra diversified into production and launched his elder son Sunny in 'Betaab', which was produced by his banner Vijayta Films and was a huge hit. in 1990, he produced Ghayal starring Sunny Deol in lead. The film was the second biggest hit of the year and won 7 Filmfare Awards including Best Film award and the coveted National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He would later go on to launch the successful careers of his younger son Bobby in 'Barsaat'(1995) and nephew Abhay Deol in 'Socha Na Tha'(2005) under the banner. He has also periodically made films in his native tongue of Punjabi, starring in Kankan De Ole (Special Appearance) (1970 ), Do Sher (1974), Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam (1974), Teri Meri Ik Jindri (1975), Putt Jattan De (1982) and Qurbani Jatt Di (1990).
His commercial hits from 1981 included Ram Balram, Professor Pyarelal, Kaatilon Ke Katil, Naukar Biwi Ka, Jaani Dost, Samraat, Bhaghavat, Raaj Tilak, Jaagir, Qayamat, Insaaf Kaun Karega, Insaniyat Ke Dushman, Loha, Sone Pe Suhaga, Mardo Wali Baat, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Nafrat Ki Anandi, Batwara and Elaan E Jung. His film Hukumat in 1987 was highest grossing film of that year. He continued to be strong in 1990s as the best action hero even stronger than Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. His commercial hits in 1990s included Veeru Dada, Naka Bandi, Farishtay, Tehalka, Kshatriya, Maidan E Jung and Dharma Karma.
The low brow action films directed by likes of Kanti Shah damaged his action career in late 90s. Dharmendra was nominated 4 times for Best Actor Award at Filmfare Awards but never won. He was honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by Filmfare in 1997. He made a comeback to A grade films with a role in Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya (1998). He joined politics and was elected as a Member of the Parliament in the 2004 general elections, from Bikaner in Rajasthan, on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. He returned to acting in 2007 with films Life in a... Metro and Apne were acclaimed and successful. In the latter, he appears with both his sons, Sunny and Bobby for the first time. His other release was Johnny Gaddaar, where he played a villainous role. In 2011, he starred alongside his sons again in Yamla Pagla Deewana released on 14 January 2011 and was a success. A sequel Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 was released in 2013. His also acted with his daughter Esha in his wife Hema Malini's directorial venture Tell Me O Khuda in 2011. In 2011, Dharmendra replaced Sajid Khan as the male judge of the third series of popular reality show India's Got Talent. Dharmendra's first marriage was to Prakash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954. From his first marriage, he has two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol both successful actors, and two daughters, Vijayta Deol Gill and Ajeeta Deol. He has 4 grand sons named Karan, Rajvir, Aryaman, and Dharam. Dharmendra fell in love with Hema Malini during the filming of Sholay. She eventually married him in 1980. As the Hindu Marriage Act forbade polygamy, he converted to Islam in 1979 to avoid protests and give legitimacy to his second marriage. The couple has two daughters, Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. Esha is an actress and Ahana is a dancer. Dharmendra has received several honors for his contribution to cinema and was awarded India's third highest civilian honor Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2012.- Devanand is known for Kapi (2008).
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Jaikishen was born in the Gujarati-speaking Shroff family on February 1, 1957. His dad's name is Kakubhai, his brother's is Hemant, and they live in Bandra, Bombay in a bungalow named 'Le Pepeyon". He became a superstar in the 1980s. By the television era begun in the 80s, he had become a superstar. In BR Chopra's Mahabharata, Jackie Shroff was offered the role of Arjun in the series but Shroff refused to play the role considering it a negligible role to play in the epic and insisted the Chopras for casting him for the lead role of Karna but BR Chopra refused because of dates' issue with Karna's role which required presence in almost all episodes but Shroff won't be able to give his dates .
A vegetarian, Jaikishen made his Bollywood debut in a bit-role as a villain in the hit Heera Panna (1973) which starred 'Dev Anand'. He then went on to act in another Dev Anand movie, Swami Dada (1982).
It was Subhash Ghai who signed him up for the hit Hero (1983) that catapulted this handsome young man to stardom, followed by yet another hit Andar Baahar (1984) with Anil Kapoor as his co-star. Thus Jaikishen became the new Bollywood legend: Jackie Shroff.
Since then there has been no looking back, as he went on to star in close to 150 movies with a career that spanned from 1973 onwards. Since 2000 or thereabouts he has appeared in a variety of character-roles, villain, comedian, and even as a ghost in Bhoot Unkle (2006).
He married his longtime girlfriend, Ayesha Shroff (née Dutt), who is also a producer and both husband and wife run Jackie Shroff Entertainment Limited. They have two children, a son, Jai (nickname Tiger), and a daughter, Krishna.- Actor
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Sunil V. Shetty was born on August 11, 1961 in Mulki to Veerapa Shetty and Mrs. Shetty. He is an Indian actor, film producer and action artist who is fondly called as Anna. He made his debut in 1992 with Balwaan (1992), which was not a major hit. Yet his great acting skills got noticed. For two years success eluded him until action thriller Mohra (1994) came along in 1994. Then followed his success streak with a comical film Gopi Kishan (1994) in which he played a dual role. The movie became a blockbuster hit and Shetty began to surface and went on to deliver blockbuster hits through his stunning performances. His intense acting abilities in patriotic movies like Border (1997), Refugee (2000), Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003) and LOC: Kargil (2003) were critically applauded.
Throughout his career that spanned fifteen long years, he had acted in over eighty movies - most of them being action oriented movies. Shetty also proved his acting abilities by donning various characters from villainous ones to innocent to serious and comical ones. Hera Pheri (2000), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) and Phir Hera Pheri (2006) testify to his acting talents in comedy genre and Dhadkan (2000) proved that he can pretty well play a villain too. Shetty set up a production company called "Popcorn Motion Pictures Ltd." and produced Khel (2003), Rakht (2004) and Bhagam Bhag (2006). Sunil Shetty family consist's wife Mana and children Athiya and Ahaan. Sunil's sister Sujata Hedge is married to Ravi Hedge. They are settled in Ohio,USA. They have 2 son's named Neil Hedge (Who also goes by the name Neil Ravi), and Shane Hedge. Neil is married to Jasmine Branch Hedge and have 2 children. Sunil's other sister Sumitra goes by the name Sumi and is married to Tarun Prathap.They are settled in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. They have 2 children. A son named Rohil Prathap and a daughter named Nikara Prathap.- Producer
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Raj Kapoor - a director and producer whose creative talent and imaginative work has been seen on stages around the world. He was honored to work with Ken Ehrlich on the 54th and 55th Grammy Awards as the show's creative consultant. He has worked on projects with Carrie Underwood, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Usher, Rihanna, Nikki Minaj, David Guetta, DeadMau5, N.E.R.D., Mary J Blige, Maroon 5, Tony Bennett, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Kid Rock, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, the Dixie Chicks, Josh Groban, Selena Gomez, Beach Boys and Britney Spears. He has worked on numerous television shows including The Grammys, AMA's, ACM's, CMA's, CMT's, Billboard Music Awards, The Voice, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars and Xfactor. Raj has also mounted large-scale tours and shows for Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Rascal Flatts and So You Think You Can Dance.- Actor
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Born in south Mumbai, Kapoor is the second son of film director and actor Raj Kapoor. He did his schooling with his brothers at Mumbai's Campion School. His brothers are well-known actors, Randhir Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor.
Rishi Kapoor debuted in his father's 1970 film Mera Naam Joker, playing his father's role as a child. Rishi Kapoor had his first lead role opposite Dimple Kapadia in the popular 1973 film Bobby which became an instant hit among youngsters. He made a popular pairing with future wife Neetu Singh in 1974-1981 but the pair was successful only in films with big casts, since films with Rishi as the lead - like Zehreela Insaan, Zinda Dil, Doosara Aadmi, Anjane Mein, Jhoota Kahin Ka, Dhan Daulat - were box office flops. Rishi Neetu pair was successful in multi-star films like Khel Khel Mein, Kabhie Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Duniya Meri Jeb Mein. The only solo hit of the Rishi Neetu was Rafoo Chakkar. Rishi Kapoor got 51 films as the solo lead hero from 1974-1997 but of them 40 were box office flops, and he managed only 11 hits: Bobby, Laila Majnu, Rafoo Chakkar, Sargam, Karz, Prem Rog, Nagina, Honeymoon, Banjaran, Heena and Bol Radha Bol. So, he was offered the role of playing younger brother to lead heroes in movies with big casts from 1977-1994. Rishi Kapoor did 41 films with big casts from 1976-2000 where Rishi was cast as 2nd or 3rd lead hero. Of them, 16 were flops and 25 were hits. He was often offered the role of younger brother to main lead heroes in the multi-hero films he did where his character would be a romantic one and the story would revolve on the main lead hero of the film. In the '90s, his 2 hero films Deewana, Damini and Eena Meena Dika were hits. He got the plum lead hero roles in two-hero films only few times like in Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, Badalte Roshtey, Aap Ke Deewane, Saagar then in the '90s with Chandni, Deewana (1992), Damini (1993) and Gurudev (1994); otherwise in the 2 hero films Rishi did in the late 70s and throughout the '80s, it was his other co-star whose character overshadowed Rishi's and the other co-star was appreciated more like in case of Katilon Ke Kaatil, Coolie, Sitamgar, Zamana. After several box office failures from in 1990s, he eventually moved on to supporting roles in the 2000s. In 1999 he directed the film Aa Ab Laut Chalen. His last film as a romantic lead was the 5-year delayed release Karobaar: The Business of Love (2000), which was unsuccessful. He has since then played supporting roles in films like Yeh Hai Jalwa, Hum Tum, Fanaa, Namaste London, Love Aaj Kal and Patiala House. He also appeared in the British films Don't Stop Dreaming and Sambar Salsa. He was paired with Neetu Singh in the film Do Dooni Chaar (2010). Rishi has acted in the movie Chintu Ji in which he plays himself. In 2012 he appeared in a villainous role in Agneepath and in the multi-starer Housefull 2 where he appeared with brother Randhir for the first time.- Actor
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Govinda was born on December 21, 1963. Govinda has acted in over 120 films since his debut in 1986. Govinda is best-known for his comedy related roles; his powerful contribution in dancing in Bollywood is inevitable. He is one of the most successful actors and is definitely the best dancer in Bollywood. His hardworking mentality and consistent performance made him a top class actor in Bollywood. He is known to be one of the most down to earth and kind hearted actors. He has acted with all Bollywood greats which include Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit.
He had great success with family based movies such as Dariya Dil (1988), Swarg (1990) and Hum (1991). He worked with David Dhawan for the first time in the 1989 action film Taaqatwar. He then formed a successful collaboration with him and then went onto act in 18 movies directed by him most of which were comedy films. The most successful films during their collaboration included Shola Aur Shabnam(1992), Aankhen (1993), Raja Babu (1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Hero No. 1 (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999), Jodi No. 1 (2001), Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (2003), and Partner (2007).
Having huge success in comedy based roles, he then also tried his luck for a villainous role in the movie 'Shikari' directed by N. Chandra. His performance in the movie was critically acclaimed. After a bad phase during 2002 until 2005, he actually made the biggest ever successful comeback ever witnessed in Bollywood with a number of hits, starting with Bhagam Bhag in 2006 and a critically praised performance in Salaam E Ishq in 2007.
After his latest 2007 release is the David Dhawan directed romantic comedy Partner. The film became the second highest domestic opening week gross for an Indian film and became a blockbuster and is ranked in the top 3 movies of 2007 in India. After his successful comeback in 2006 and 2007, he has been on a signing spree and is acting in many big movies ready for 2008 and 2009 with top directors of India. Amongst other work he has come on as a guest on Indian reality shows which are based on the X factor and strictly come dancing in the UK- Actor
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Sanjay Dutt, son of Nargis and Sunil Dutt, was first featured in Rocky (1981), the movie was a box office hit.
He emerged as a sensitive actor, alongside being the top prominent action hero of 80s & 90s Bollywood, whilst also finding noteworthy praise in the comedic genre.
Sanjay's personal life was exacerbated by drug problems, and he later lost his wife Richa Sharma, to cancer. He was also arrested for having illegal weapons, and was imprisoned. After his release, he appeared in three consecutive hits; Daag: The Fire (1999), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999) and Vaastav Vaastav: The Reality (1999), His performance in Vaastav Vaastav: The Reality (1999) earned him many Best Actor Popular awards, including FilmFare.
Sanjay then appeared in many movies such as Mission Kashmir (2000), Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) which also earned him many awards.
Recently a biopic on his life was made called Sanju (2018).- Actor
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Ravi Kapoor was born in a business family that dealt with imitation Jewelery and used to live in a chawl. While supplying jewelry to V. Shantaram, he was cast as Sandhya's double in the 1959 movie 'Navrang'.
His first break as a Bollywood leading man came in 'Geet Gaya Patharon Ne'. Although Ravi Kapoor was born on April 7, 1942, Jeetendra birth's took place in 1964.When he was to go for auditions, he used to seek help from his childhood friend Rajesh Khanna to mug up his dialog and get guidance to give expressions.Geet Gaaya Pattharonne was his first hit, but that didn't fetch him offers as lead hero. It was Farz released in 1967, which was his 4th film appearance and 3 rd as the male lead, which made him a known face in the public.
Ravi had met his present wife, Shobha, when she was only 14. She completed school, went to college, and was employed as an Air Hostess with British Airways.
Shobha gave birth to a daughter, Ekta, and subsequently to a son, Tusshar. While Ekta became a producer of TV serials, mostly starting with 'K', Tusshar followed in his dad's footsteps. Ekta and Jeetu run a production company by the name of Balaji Films, and have produced Bollywood movies. Their TV productions are usually in Hindi & Tamil languages.
Jeetendra has acted opposite Rajshree Shantaram, Mumtaz, Saira Banu, Mala Sinha, Nanda, Sharmila Tagore,Asha Parekh, Babita, Hema Malini, Moushumi Chatterjee, Reena Roy, Jaya Pradha, Sridevi, Komal, Rekha, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Shabana Azmi, Padmni Kolhapuri,Bhanupriya, Madhavi, Anita Raaj, Sangeeta Bijlani, Ashwini Bhave.
Whether running around trees (Tumhari Kasam, Ek Hi Bhool, Mawaali),singing songs (Banphool, Humjoli, Jigri Dost) or playing serious characters (Parichay, Khushboo, Dulhan, Kinara, Meri Awaz Suno,Chhup) or doing old man leading roles (Udhaar Ki Zindagi, Santaan, Jeetendra has always proved himself as an excellent actor, a family man, whose marriage is still intact, and someone who has yet to be involved in any controversy. He did 93 films as the solo lead hero and 103 multi star films as the lead hero and 2 films as a supporting actor and made guest appearances in 26 films.
Ravi had met his present wife, Shobha, when she was only 14. She completed school, went to college, and was employed as an Air Hostess with British Airways. When Jeetendra was struggling between 1960-66 to establish himself as an actor, he was in relationship with Shobha and Shobha was his girlfriend till 1972. But in 1974, after having worked in films like Waris and Gehri Chaal, friendship between Jeetendra and Hema Malini grew and while shooting for Dulhan, both expressed love for each-other and decided to have a quick marriage.But soon this information reached Shobha and Dharmendra.Shobha asked Dharmendra to change Hema's mind as she was in love with Jeetendra since many years. Soon both Shobha and Dharemndra came by helicopter and convinced Jeetendra and Hema not to marry. Jeetendra promised Shobha that if Bidai becomes a hit, he would marry her in 1974. It was not until the release of 'Bidaai"(opposite Leena Chandavarkar) on October 18, 1974, that Jeetendra and Shobha decided to get married, which they did in a simple ceremony on at Janki Kutir with only a few family and friends present (Gulzar, Rajesh Khanna and Sanjeev Kumar amongst the noted celebrities). The marriage was arranged hastily, as even Shobha's mom, who was in Japan at that time, could not attend.
Jeetendra's friendship with both actors Dharmendra, Hema Malini never got affected after this incident. All 3 remained friends. Jeetendra worked with Dharmendra and had hits like Dharamveer, Jaani Dost, Insaaf Ki Pukar, Nafrat Ki Andhi and flops like The Burning Train, Samraat, The Gold Medal, Jaan Hatheli Pe, Paapi Devtaa, Dharma Karma. Childhood school and college friends Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra worked together and gave 3 blockbusters in the 1980's- Dharam Kanta(1982), Nishaan(1983) and Maqsad(1984). Infact all 3 films revenue showed increasing trend. Maqsad was the highest box office earner in the year 1984. Jeetendra made guest appearances in Roti, Palkon Ki Chaon Mein and Begunaah - all three films which had Rajesh Khanna as the solo lead hero. Jeetendra-Rekha were romantically paired in 26 films and had 16 hits of the 26 films as lead pair starting from 1972-1998 and only 10 flops. In addition Rekha and Jeetendra worked in another 5 films where they were not paired opposite each-other.Jeetendra-Sridevi did 16 films together between 1983-88 and 13 of them were hits and 3 were flops. Jeetendra and Jaya Prada were romantically paired opposite each other in 24 films and 18 of them were box office hits and 6 were flops. In addition 2 more films they did together where they were not paired opposite each-other. Jeetendra gave 113 box office hits (excluding guest appearances in hits Navrang, Khilona, Roti, Umar Qaid, Rani Aur Lalpari,Naya Bakra, Anokha Bandhan, Begunaah and Om Shanti Om) as the lead hero from 1964-1997, off the 198 films he appeared till 2007 as lead hero.He appeared in guest appearance in 26 other movies from 1959 to 2007 and 2 more films in supporting role after 2000. Jeetendra was 2nd highest paid Hindi actor from 1980-89. He made a guest appearance in a TV serial 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'.Hence his total film appearances were in 226 films and 121 of them were box office hits and 102 were flops.- Actor
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Saif is the son of Bollywood actress, Sharmila Tagore, and Indian cricketer, Mansoor Ali Khan.
Both his grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, and father were professional cricketers. His mother, Sharmila Tagore, an actress within her own rights. He has two sisters, Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan, and fashion designer Saba Ali Khan.
Saif studied in Himachal Pradesh's Lawrence School Sanawar, and then went on to continue his studies in Lockers Park School and Winchester College - both located in the United Kingdom.
He commenced his career in Bollywood movies during the year 1992 with Parampara (1993). He has been received several awards as well as numerous nominations. He continues to not only act in movies but has also started his very own production company 'Illuminati Films'.
Saif Ali Khan married Bollywood actress, Amrita Singh, during October 1991, and has two children, namely daughter Sara Ali Khan, and son Ibrahim Ali Khan. The marriage ended in a divorce during 2004, and both the children live with their mother.
His father tragically passed away on September 22, 2011 due to chronic lung infection at the age of 70.
He has participated in a number of international tours, including raising funds for the 2004 Tsunami.
He is fluent in Bengal, Hindi, and English.