Best of India
by ecstatic_ascetic | created - 3 months ago | updated - 3 months ago | PublicPeople of Bollywood
1. Manoj Bajpayee
Actor | Gangs of Wasseypur
Manoj Bajpayee is a highly acclaimed Indian film actor known for his versatile acting skills and intense performances. Despite facing financial struggles during his childhood, he pursued his passion for acting and worked hard to achieve success in the film industry. Bajpayee is the second child in ...
2. Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Actor | Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Nawazuddin Siddiqui (born 1974) is an Indian film actor who has appeared in some of Bollywood's major films including, Black Friday (2004), New York (2009), Peepli Live (2010), Kahani (2012), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2 (2012).
Early life and education
Nawazuddin ...
3. Irrfan Khan
Actor | The Lunchbox
Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan, in Jaipur, Rajasthan (NW India) January 7, 1967 to a Pashto-speaking Muslim family. Khan's mother, Begum Khan, was from the Tonk Hakim family and his father, Jagirdar Khan, from the Khajuriya village near the Tonk district, ran a tire business.
The Khan family name ...
4. Rajkummar Rao
Actor | Shahid
Raj Kumar is also known as Rajkummar Rao. He was born in Gurgaon. He finished his schooling in Gurgaon and graduated in Arts from Delhi University. He was simultaneously doing theatre with Kshitij Repertory and SRC in Delhi. He is an Acting graduate from Pune's Film and Television Institute of ...
5. Pankaj Tripathi
Actor | Gangs of Wasseypur
Pankaj Tripathi is a well-known Indian actor who has made a significant contribution to Indian cinema. Born to Pandit Benares Tiwari, a priest and Hemanti Devi, Tripathi had a humble upbringing in a small town in Bihar, India.
Tripathi, as a child, participated in a few amateur plays where he played...
6. Shahid Kapoor
Actor | Haider
Shahid's rise to stardom reads like a bollywood script: from a struggler to a winner. With his hard work, perseverance and sincerity, he has written his own destiny.
Shahid is a mine of unabashed talent and spark, beneath his calm and innocent veneer. Shahid Kapoor is young and vibrant, with a ...
7. Paresh Rawal
Actor | Hera Pheri
Paresh Rawal is a renowned Indian film actor, comedian, and producer best known for his work in Bollywood films. He has also worked in Telugu, a few Tamil, and a few Gujarati movies. Highly versatile, he has essayed several types of characters, including comic, serious, and villainous character ...
8. Nana Patekar
Actor | Krantiveer
Vishwanath Patekar (born on January 1, 1951 in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, India) is an actor, writer and filmmaker. He is known for his work on Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), Raajneeti (2010) and Parinda (1989). He made his acting debut in the early 70's and since then has been nominated for multiple ...
9. Farhan Akhtar
Producer | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
An accomplished and award-winning producer-director-writer-actor-singer, Farhan Akhtar is the ultimate Bollywood multi-hyphenate. Born in 1974 to prolific Indian film writer and poet, Javed Akhtar and writer-director, Honey Irani , Farhan was raised in an environment where creativity and ...
10. Ranbir Kapoor
Actor | Rockstar
Son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh; nephew of actors Randhir Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, Kunal Kapoor. Grandnephew of actors Shashi Kapoor, Jennifer Kendal, Shammi Kapoor, Geeta Bali; cousin of actresses Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor.
Belongs to the fourth generation of highly prestigious and considered ...
11. Naseeruddin Shah
Actor | A Wednesday
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 ...
12. Pankaj Kapur
Actor | Maqbool
Pankaj Kapur, born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, is a highly respected Indian actor, director, and playwright known for his exceptional contributions to the world of Indian cinema, television, and theater. With a career spanning over four decades, Pankaj Kapur has carved a niche for himself with his ...
13. Om Puri
Actor | The Hundred-Foot Journey
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 ...
14. Kamal Haasan
Actor | Vishwaroopam
Kamal Haasan was born November 7, 1954 in Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. He debuted as a child artiste in the film "Kalathoor Kannamma" (1960). Since then, he has starred in nearly 220 films in the major Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He has been a...
15. Sanjay Mishra
Actor | Masaan
Sanjay Mishra is an Indian actor primarily working in the Hindi film and television industry.
Mishra was raised in Varanasi, India. His father was an employee of the Press Information Bureau under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. His grandfather served as a District Magistrate.
Mishra's ...
16. Kay Kay Menon
Actor | Haider
Kay Kay Menon is a well-known Indian actor who has acted in numerous movies and web series. He was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, but raised in Ambarnath, Maharashtra, India.
Menon pursued his early education at St Joseph High School in Pune. After this, he went on to earn a degree in ...
17. Kader Khan
Actor | Taqdeerwala
Kader Khan was an Indian actor, comedian, and screenwriter who worked in Hindi cinema. Khan's family migrated from Afghanistan to Mumbai, India, in 1942, and was raised in the neighbourhood of Kamathipura, Mumbai.
He completed his education at Ismail Yusuf College in Mumbai, earning a Master's ...
18. Jaideep Ahlawat
Actor | Gangs of Wasseypur
Jaideep Ahlawat is an Indian actor who is known for his acting skills and captivating performances.
He attended Govt. High School in Kharakara, Haryana, for his elementary and secondary studies. After that, he graduated from Jat H.M. College in Rohtak, Haryana. On completing his undergraduate degree...
19. Vijay Raaz
Actor | Gully Boy
Vijay Raaz was born and raised in Delhi where he attended Kirori Mal College. While at college he was a part of the dramatic society The Players. He also appeared in plays at the National School of Drama. He decided to focus on a film career and moved to Mumbai where he received a role in Ram Gopal...
20. Radhika Apte
Actress | Andhadhun
Radhika Apte is a well-known Indian theatre and film actress born in Vellore and brought up in Pune. Before endeavoring into films, she began with theatre. Radhika Apte is a perfect example of beauty with brains. Apte is an Economics and Mathematics graduate from Fergusson College, Pune. Apte ...
21. Shefali Shah
Actress | Gandhi, My Father
Shefali is a National Award-winning actress with a career spanning over two decades across various genres and formats. She has given power packed performances in films such as Satya, Monsoon Wedding, Gandhi, My Father, Dil Dhadakne Do and Once Again. Shefali has won numerous awards including the ...
22. Vijay Varma
Actor | Gully Boy
Vijay Varma began his acting journey as a theatre artist, who went on to work in both Hindi and Telegu films. He was nominated for a Filmfare award for his exceptional performance in Gully Boy (2019), a coming of age story about an aspiring street rapper from the Dharavi slums of Mumbai, directed ...
23. Saurabh Shukla
Actor | Jolly LLB 2
Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he graduated from Khalsa College, Delhi. His professional career began in 1984 with his entry into theater.
Shukla began serious theater in 1986 with roles in plays like A View From The Bridge (Arthur...
24. Ratna Pathak Shah
Actress | Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
Ratna Pathak Shah, born in Mumbai, India, is a highly esteemed Indian actress known for her versatile performances in Indian cinema, television, and theater. With a career spanning several decades, Ratna Pathak Shah has become a respected figure for her nuanced portrayals of characters, blending ...
25. Neena Gupta
Actress | Badhaai ho
Neena Gupta is an Indian actress, producer, and director. Her repertoire of films includes art-house films, commercial films, and several international films as well.
Gupta attended The Lawrence School in Sanawar in Himachal Pradesh. And she pursued her graduation from Janki Devi Memorial College in...
26. Gajraj Rao
Actor | Badhaai ho
Gajraj Rao is an Indian actor predominantly appearing in Hindi films. His father worked with the Indian Railways, so, he lived in different railway colonies with his parents, where he met people from various states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. His interactions with people ...
27. Vidya Balan
Actress | Kahaani
Vidya was born in Palghat, Kerala, India. Her family consists of her dad, P.R. Balan, who is the Vice-President of ETC Channel; mom - a home-maker, and an elder sister, Priya, who is married to Kedar. She also has an aunt by the name of Raji Raju.
The Balan family re-located to live at Road No. 11, ...
28. Ali Fazal
Actor | Death on the Nile
Ali Fazal is a renowned Indian model and actor born in New Delhi and brought up in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Since his parents were separated, he spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandparents.
Fazal studied for a few years at International Indian School, Dammam, and then at La Martiniere ...
29. Bhumi Pednekar
Actress | Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Bhumi Pednekar is a renowned Bollywood actress born to late Satish and Sumitra. Her father was a former 'Maharashtra home and labor minister' while her mother worked as an activist fighting for the anti-tobacco regime after her husband passed away suffering from oral cancer.
Pednekar worked at Yash ...
30. Taapsee Pannu
Actress | Haseen Dillruba
Taapsee Pannu was born on August 1, 1987 in Delhi, India. She made her acting debut with the 2010 Telugu film Jhummandi Naadam, directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. Since then, she has appeared in a number of critically acclaimed films such as Aadukalam, Vastadu Naa Raju and Mr. Perfect. Her Tamil film ...
31. Rasika Dugal
Actress | Mirzapur
Rasika Dugal was born in Jamshedpur and did her schooling from Sacred Heart Convent. She pursued a bachelors degree in Mathematics (Hons) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. After completing her bachelors, she attended the Sophia Polytechnic (Mumbai) for a Post Graduate Diploma in 'Social ...
32. Rani Mukerji
Actress | Black
Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including seven Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.
Mukerji make her debut in her father directorial Bengali ...
33. Tabu
Actress | Andhadhun
Tabu is an Indian actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali-language films, as well as one American film. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's...
34. Supriya Pathak
Actress | Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela
She is an Actress in the new 2013 movie Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela. She is a very successful star in Bollywood Industry.
Supriya Pathak Kapur (conceived 7 January 1961) is an Indian performer, destined to on-screen character Dina Pathak into an ethnic of Gujarati family, she was one of the ...
35. Divya Dutta
Actress | Veer-Zaara
Divya Dutta is an Indian Actress from Ludhiana (Punjab) who has acted in various Hindi and Punjabi movies.She did her schooling from Sacred Heart Convent in Ludhiana.She has won more than 25 awards in the Film Industry including Zee Cine awards for best supporting role in "Veer Zaara" and IIFA ...
36. Shabana Azmi
Actress | Fire
One of the leading lights of the 1965-1990's Indian New Wave, Shabana Azmi (alongside the late Smita Patil) was one of the main female actors who dominated the films of the so-called "Parallel Cinema" in India in the 1970s and 1980s. Born to noted Urdu progressive poet and lyricist Kaifi Azmi and ...
37. Shweta Tripathi
Actress | Masaan
Swetha Tripathi is an Indian actress predominantly working in Hindi films, television, and web series. She started her career as a production assistant and went on to act in movies and websites.
Tripathi spent her childhood in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and moved back to Delhi for her education. ...
38. Richa Chadha
Actress | Gangs of Wasseypur
Richa began her career as a model and then she moved to theater. She has performed plays touring in India and Pakistan. Later, she also received her training under Barry John
Richa acted in the critically acclaimed movie Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! as the character of Dolly, both the movie and her role ...
39. Sheeba Chaddha
Actress | Badhaai ho
Sheeba Chaddha is a renowned Bollywood actress known for her versatile unconventional portrayals of Indian women across different movies and series.
She grew up in Delhi and has spent most of her life in the capital, from where she gradually developed a keen interest in the world of theatre and ...
40. Smita Patil
Actress | Bhumika
Smita Patil, born in Pune, Maharashtra, India, was a highly acclaimed Indian actress known for her exceptional performances in Hindi and Marathi cinema. Regarded as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, Smita Patil's career was marked by her ability to portray a wide range of characters ...
41. Abhay Deol
Actor | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Abhay is an actor who has never shied away from speaking his mind; a producer who doesn't believe in the 'formula', a film curator with a keen eye for detail and good stories, a painter who's not scared to experiment with colours and a philanthropist who wishes to leverage his position to bring a ...
42. Vikrant Massey
Actor | 12th Fail
Vikrant Massey, a well-known Indian film and television actor was born on 3rd April 1987 in Mumbai (Maharashtra). Vikrant is great at doing more with less. Some of his most magical moments on screen are in projects where he had limited screen time, which is a trait common to gifted actors. He is ...
43. Madhavan
Actor | Vikram Vedha
Ranganathan Madhavan was born on June 01, 1970, to businessman R. Iyengar and his wife R. Saroja in a Tamil family. He is an Indian actor, writer, film director and producer.
At the age of 18, his college entrusted him with the responsibility of representing India as a Cultural Ambassador to Canada.
...
44. Deepak Dobriyal
Actor | Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Deepak Dobriyal (born 1 September 1975) is an Indian film and theatre actor. he was born in Pauri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand. His parents are from Kabra village near Rithakhal and Satpuli village, Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. There, Deepak completed his studies at Govt. Boys Senior Secondary ...
45. Ashutosh Rana
Actor | Pathaan
Ashutosh Rana born in Gadarwara, Madhya Pradesh is an Indian actor working in the Hindi Film and Telugu Film industry. He finished his Primary School education in Gadarwara and used to play the role of ravana in the city Ramleela. Later, he went to National School of Drama (New Delhi) for acting. ...
46. Piyush Mishra
Actor | Gangs of Wasseypur
Piyush Mishra, is an Indian film actor, music director ,lyricist, singer, script and dialogue writer, and a well known theatre director and Hindi playwright. He spent his early life in Gwalior, where he received his education.
Theater and television After his graduation from National School of Drama...
47. Amole Gupte
Music_department | Taare Zameen Par
Amole Gupte is an Indian screenwriter, actor, and director, known for his work on Bollywood films like Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth), Stanley ka dabba, Kaminey and others. He is also an actor in Bheja Fry 2 (2011), stanley Ka Dabba (2011),Urumi (2011) Phas gaye re obama (2010) and Kaminey.
48. Satyajit Ray
Writer | Pather Panchali
Satyajit Ray was born in Calcutta on May 2, 1921. His father, Late Sukumar Ray was an eminent poet and writer in the history of Bengali literature. In 1940, after receiving his degree in science and economics from Calcutta University, he attended Tagore's Viswa-Bharati University. His first movie ...
49. Anurag Kashyap
Producer | Gangs of Wasseypur
Anurag Singh Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. Kashyap made his directorial debut with as yet unreleased Paanch, with Kay Kay Menon as the lead. As a filmmaker, he is known for Black Friday (2004), a controversial and award-winning Hindi film ...
50. Rajkumar Hirani
Writer | PK
Rajkumar Hirani is an Indian film director and editor. Hirani has directed five Hindi films, including Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Lage Raho Munnabhai, 3 Idiots, PK and Sanju, and all of which have been commercial and critical successes. Most of which have won several awards, including the national awards...
51. Guru Dutt
Actor | Pyaasa
Considered to be a man ahead of his time, Guru Dutt was one of the greatest icons of commercial Indian cinema. Although he made less than ten films, they are believed to be the best to come from Bollywood's Golden Age, known both for their ability to reach out to the common man and for their ...
52. Tigmanshu Dhulia
Actor | Gangs of Wasseypur
Tigmanshu Dhulia was born on July 3, 1967 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a director and actor, known for Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011).
53. Sudhir Mishra
Director | Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
Sudhir Mishra was born on January 22, 1959 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a director and writer, known for Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), Calcutta Mail (2003) and Dharavi (1992).
54. Ram Gopal Varma
Director | Rangeela
Ram Gopal Varma was born in Hyderabad, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He initially was a video store owner before eventually becoming one of India's leading film directors. A film buff during his youth, Varma would watch both American and Indian cinema regularly. As a young...
55. Mani Ratnam
Writer | Dil Se..
The man who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema, Mani Ratnam is the biggest director in south India and one of the most respected directors in all of India. Each of his films contain its own unique style, with beautifully photographed songs and unique back-lighting. However, his films contain ...
56. Anand Gandhi
Writer | Tumbbad
Born 26th September 1980 in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Anand started writing and directing plays in school at the age of 12. At 19, he wrote a total of hundred episodes of two television soap operas, which went on to become the most popular shows in the history of Indian Television. The same year ...
57. Anubhav Sinha
Director | Article 15
Anubhav Sinha was born on June 22, 1965 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. He is a director and writer, known for Article 15 (2019), Mulk (2018) and Thappad (2020).
58. Varun Grover
Music_department | Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Varun Grover was born on 26th January, 1980 in Sundernagar (Himachal Pradesh) to a school-teacher mother and army engineer father. He spent his initial years in Sundernagar and Dehradun (then in Uttar Pradesh) before moving to state capital Lucknow for his adolescent years. He went on to graduate ...
59. Gulzar
Music_department | Raazi
Gulzar is a writer, a lyricist, a director and, at heart, a poet. His films, sensitive, lyrical, and yet successful, were a welcome relief from the violent films that filled the 1970s and 1980s.
Born Sampooran Singh Kalra in Deena, in the Jhelum District in what is now Pakistan, he came to Delhi ...
60. Javed Akhtar
Music_department | Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
Javed Akhtaris an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and poet. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. He writes many Hindi songs and now is not performing as much. Ateist Javed Akhtar Got Attacked By Cyber Crime ...
61. Imtiaz Ali
Writer | Jab We Met
Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director, actor and writer. In 2005, he made his directorial debut with the film Socha Na Tha. However, it was his second film Jab We Met (2007) that brought him success and fame. His 2009 film Love Aaj Kal gained much critical success, and was declared a super hit at ...
62. Badal Sircar
Writer | Ballavpur Ki Roopkatha
Badal Sircar was born on July 15, 1925 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India. He was a writer and actor, known for Ballavpur Ki Roopkatha (2017), Ballabhpurer Roopkotha (2022) and Baaki Itihaas (2017). He died on May 13, 2011 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
63. Girish Karnad
Writer | Ondanondu Kaladalli
Girish Karnad was born on 19th May 1938 in Matheran, Maharashtra. He is acclaimed for his contemporary playwrights in Kannada. He is also an actor, director and screen writer. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and won four Filmfare Awards where three are ...
64. Vijay Tendulkar
Writer | Aakrosh
Vijay Tendulkar was born on January 6, 1928 in Kolhapur, Bombay Presidency, British India. He was a writer and actor, known for Aakrosh (1980), Ardh Satya (1983) and Kamla (1984). He was married to Nirmala Tendulkar. He died on May 19, 2008 in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
65. Mohan Rakesh
Writer | Mohan Rakesh's Adhe Adhure
Mohan Rakesh is known for Mohan Rakesh's Adhe Adhure (2014).
66. Kumud Mishra
Actor | Article 15
Kumud Mishra is an Indian actor, predominantly working in Hindi cinema. His father was a soldier in the Indian Army, which led Mishra to attend the Rashtriya Military School in Belgaum, Karnataka. After finishing school, he moved to Bhopal for his Bachelor of Arts degree.
Mishra always had a passion...
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