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Kareena Kapoor

2008-10-20T01:40:00.001-07:00

Kareena Kapoor

(Hindi: करीना कपूर; born September 21, 1980[1]), nicknamed Bebo, is an Indian film actress appearing in Bollywood films. Born into the Kapoor film family, she made her acting debut with Refugee (2000), for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. In 2001, Kapoor received her first commercial success with her second release, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai[2] and later appeared in Karan Johar's melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which became India's top-grossing film in the overseas market that year and her biggest commercial success to date.[3]

After receiving negative reviews due to a series of unsuccessful films and repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts to avoid being typecast. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award.[4] She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006). After taking on such a range of acting roles between 2004 and 2006, she was recognized for displaying versatility as an actress.[5]

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the commercially successful comedy-romance Jab We Met. Although the box office earnings of her films have varied considerably, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Hindi film industry.

Early life and family

Main article: Kapoor family

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). According to Kapoor, her first name was derived from the book Anna Karenina.[8] She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and the great granddaughter of Prithviraj Kapoor. Bebo, as she is fondly called, is also the sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and the niece of actor Rishi Kapoor.[9]

Despite being born into a successful acting family, her father insisted that she marry early according to Indian tradition and avoid acting.[10] In an interview with Encyclopedia Britannica, he stated that the problem was not women acting itself, given that both he and his brother married well-known actresses as did their uncles. Rather, his concerns arose from the purported incompatibility between acting and the maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.[11] This led to irreconcilable differences between her parents and resulted in her mother leaving the house along with Kapoor and her older sister.[12] She was raised by her mother, who, with difficulty, worked several jobs to support the family, until Karisma began work as an actress in 1991.[13]

Kapoor was educated at Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, and later Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. After studying commerce at Mithibai College, Vile Parle for two years, she embarked upon a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University.[14] She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government's Law College in Churchgate.[14] After completing one year there, she returned to her initial plan to become an actress[15] and commenced training under Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute.[16]

Career

Early work, until 2000

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite his son, Hrithik Roshan.[17] However, several days into the filming, she abandoned the project and later explained that, "It was probably destined that I was not to be in the film. After all, it was a launch for his son. The whole focus was on the boy. Now I am glad I did not do the movie."[14]

After turning down Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, Kapoor made her acting debut later that same year in J.P. Dutta's war drama Refugee, opposite Abhishek Bachchan. Set during the Indo-Pakistani conflicts, the film centers on a young man known simply as Refugee (played by Bachchan) who illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Pakistan border. Kapoor portrayed the role of Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with him while migrating to Pakistan. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of indiaFM wrote, "Kareena Kapoor has a magnetic personality, which will make the viewer fall in love with her instantly. What surprises you is the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes [...] There's no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly."[18] Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, and Refugee went on to become the fifth-highest grossing film of the year.[19]

Breakthrough, 2001–2003

In 2001, Kapoor starred opposite Tusshar Kapoor in Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, a romantic drama film directed by Satish Kaushik. Revolving around the story about a troubled young man who falls in love with Pooja, played by Kareena, the film went on to become one of the highest earners of the year.[2] However, subsequent releases such as Yaadein and Ajnabee that followed for Kapoor did indifferent business at the box office.[2]

Later that year, she starred in Santosh Sivan's period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great (304 BC–232 BC), one of the noted Indian emperors of the Maurya Empire. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who took centre stage as Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls deeply in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's acting performance received a mixed reaction from some critics, with some believing her contribution to the film was primarily for aesthetic purposes. A review on Rediff.com said about her performance, "Kareena flashes a lot of skin and fills up the screen for a large portion of the first half. While a large portion of the first half is focused on the emerging romance between the runaway prince and herself and to their credit they do manage to whip up some on-screen chemistry, I am still unsure as to her acting abilities".[20] Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.[21]

Kapoor's final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which was released on December 14 of that year and was directed by Karan Johar. The film—which had a multi-starred cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan—emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing movie to date. It also performed well internationally and became the year's top-grossing Bollywood film overseas, earning over Rs 800 million worldwide.[2][22] Her performance as "Poo" was well received by critics, and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh noted, "Kareena Kapoor is one of the main highlights of the film. She provides the much-needed fun and entertainment in the second half; her performance will be loved by the youth. Playing a cosmetic beauty to the hilt, she is simply adorable."[23]

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her career. She featured in six films in total—Mujhse Dosti Karoge! and Jeena Sirf Merre Liye in 2002, and Talaash: The Hunt Begins..., Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon and the four hour J.P. Dutta war epic LOC Kargil in 2003—all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India. Yash Raj Films' Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, directed by Kunal Kohli on his debut, was a film with high public anticipation, yet it under-performed at the domestic box office despite generating revenue overseas.[24] One critic reported that "Kareena Kapoor is inconsistent. The actress looks ravishing in every frame, but she repeats her smug act in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham to an annoying effect here."[25] Another film during this period was Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, which released the following year. The film, directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya under the Rajshri Productions banner, also fared poorly at the box office in India despite becoming a success overseas.[26][27] Kapoor's performance was again identified by many critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. Her role was considered by some to be a repeat of her earlier performances and characters in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Yaadein, and her previous film Khushi.[28] At the time, critics expressed concern that Kapoor was becoming typecast. These negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to embody different roles, often with a stronger essence of character, in the years that followed.

Turning point, 2004–present

Following the negative period in her career between 2002 and 2003, the year 2004 marked the beginning of Kapoor's work with independent film directors and more serious roles, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success.[4][29] Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor played a prostitute in Chameli opposite Rahul Bose, which takes the name of her central character. Chameli relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker, and follows their way of getting close to each other by sharing their devastating life experiences. The film garnered predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. Indiatimes wrote about her performance, "... Kareena goes way beyond anyone's expectations, including most decidedly her own, to deliver an all-time great performance, on a par with Nargis in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), Meena Kumari in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) and Shabana Azmi in Mahesh Bhatt's Arth (1982). Kareena flashes an intuitive brilliance that comes to movies very, very rarely indeed".[30]

Kapoor then featured opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani's critically acclaimed Dev. The film centres around the Gujarat riots and communal violence which prevailed between February and May 2002 in the Indian State of Gujarat between the Hindu and Muslim communities.[31]

Modeled after Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case,[31] Kapoor's role was that of a middle-class Muslim girl named Aaliya who falls victim to the riots. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, as well as nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies. Taran Adarsh commented, "Kareena Kapoor is first-rate. Sporting a deglamorized look, the actress takes a giant leap with this film. Her scene with Amitabh Bachchan (when the latter asks for witnesses to come forward) is an example of superb acting."[32]

Shortly after that, Kapoor was cast in her first uncivil role in the thriller Fida opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan. The film deals with Internet theft and an underworld of Mumbai gangsters in which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. Although the film failed to earn significantly at the box office,[33] Kapoor received positive reviews for her performance. The Tribune noted, "Kareena Kapoor delivers well. She looks tired, but manages to freshen you up with her bitchy smile"; Rediff.com concluded, "Kareena has finally moved beyond "Poo" in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and has come into her own."[34][35] Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller, Aitraaz, and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, her first box-office hit since 2002.

In 2005, Kapoor appeared in three films. Her first release was the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa, in which she co-starred alongside Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Sushmita Sen. Kapoor played the lead role as the Indo-Canadian Anjaji, who marries her sister's husband after her death, but unsatisfied with the ensuing married life resumes a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mixed reviews and Kapoor's performance was not well-received by critics.[36] Later in the year, she appeared in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki opposite Salman Khan. The drama depicts the story of a man, who is hospitalized due to his inability to overcome the shock of accidentally killing his fiancé. In hospital, he meets Kapoor's character, Dr. Tanvi Khurana. Although the film failed to make a profit at the box-office, Kapoor's performance was generally well-received.[37] The BBC wrote, "It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting."[38] Kapoor then featured in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta. The film, whilst only a moderate success in India, became the highest earning Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.[39]

In 2006, Kapoor starred in the thriller 36 China Town, followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke. Both films performed moderately well at the box office.[40] She next portrayed the role of Desdemona in Omkara, a Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, the film starred Kapoor alongside Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Konkona Sen Sharma. Her performance was praised, earning Kapoor her fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com commented that "Her character is one of the hardest to essay, as she goes through love and awe, fear and bewilderment, defiance to her father and submission to her man. Kareena doesn't have the lines, but she has moments demanding powerful use of expression, and she delivers."[41]

Later that year, she appeared in an item number in Farhan Akhtar's Don - The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 Bollywood film Don. Although Kapoor's performance was generally well-received, critics commented that she did not perform as well in the role as Helen did in the original version.

The following year, she co-starred alongside Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali's comedy-romance Jab We Met. Relating the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love, Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikhni girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films at the box office.[44] Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work. I can't think of a greater compliment to pay her than to say with full confidence that no actress could play Geet better than Kareena has."[45]

Following the success of Jab We Met, Kapoor starred as Pooja Singh, a woman who seduces men to achieve her goals in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). The film, which marked her comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner, was a critical and commercial failure, though Kapoor's performance received positive reviews by critics. Sonia Chopra from Sify concluded, "Kareena is in the swash-buckling, action-mode avatar and she doesn’t disappoint [...] She depicts the entire range of her character from anger, emotion, comedy and ruthlessness with marvellous alacrity, even excelling in the action scenes."[46] As of July 2008, Kapoor has completed filming for Golmaal Returns—the sequel to the 2006 comedy Golmaal—as well as the animated movie Roadside Romeo, both of which are scheduled to release in late 2008. Confirmed future projects include Prem Soni's drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna and the romantic drama Kambakth Ishq, opposite Akshay Kumar.

Other work

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to taking part in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to become a success.[47] In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit,[48] whilst in 2005 she, along with other Bollywood stars, took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[49] Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in far-flung regions along with the NDTV team.[50]

In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat.[51] The following year Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of 50 lakh rupees from her winnings on the season finale of Kaun Banega Crorepati to St. Anthony's Old Age Home and Mount Mary's Bandra.[52] In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the television game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan. Earning a total of 500,000 rupees, Kapoor again donated half of her winnings to St. Anthony's Old Age Home, Bandra.

Personal life

Gossip columnists have linked Kapoor to a number of her co-stars, but she has strongly denied of all these rumors.[17] In 2004, she began dating actor Shahid Kapoor, the son of veteran actor Pankaj Kapoor.[54] While dating, their relationship was often reported in the media, and was once in the center of a scandal when onlookers with mobile phone cameras filmed them kissing and released it to the media.[55] The couple separated three years later while filming Jab We Met (2007). Though the media initially perceived it as a publicity stunt for the film,[56] it was later confirmed that the couple had indeed broken up.[57] According to her, they remained on good terms, and she said in an interview, "I have seen Shahid from his first film to Jab We Met and I can say that there is a marked difference. According to me he is a bundle of talent waiting to explode. I have that much of faith in him as an actor."[58]

In September 2007, during her breakup with Kapoor, rumors began floating around that she was seeing actor Saif Ali Khan. On October 18, 2007, during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media saying, "Yes, we are not exactly shouting from the rooftops but yes, clearly we are together. And we are happy together!"[59] Their relationship is frequently reported on in the media, and is often subject to press speculation of a possible engagement or marriage.[60] However, both of them have denied these rumours.

In 2006, Kapoor declared that she would turn vegetarian in order to keep her weight in check.

In the media

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age despite not making her acting debut until 2000.[14] As a child, Kapoor attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming.[64] In recent years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor has developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and has gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press without any reservations.

In 2004, Kapoor was ranked third on Rediff's "Top Bollywood Female Stars".[67] She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007.[68][69][6] In addition to that, Kapoor has also frequently been featured in different lists by Rediff, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses",[70] "Bollywood's Hottest Heroines",[71] "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women"[72] and "Women of Many Faces".[73] During 2005, Kapoor made her first appearance on Karan Johar's talk show Koffee with Karan alongside Rani Mukerji, whilst two years later she appeared along with Shahid Kapoor and Karisma Kapoor. The following year, Kapoor appeared as a guest judge alongside Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2. Several months later, she modeled and walked the ramp along with Shahid Kapoor and actress Urmila Matondkar for Manish Malhotra's fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week 2006.[74]

In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on Indiatimes' list of "Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood",[75] and later that year, became the only actress to be featured among "The Highest Tax Payers of 2006–07".[76] In July, she was declared the winner of PETA's "Cutest Vegetarian Celebrities" online poll with actor R. Madhavan.[77] Later in the year, the actress was ranked number 8 by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women"[78] and was among several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh.[79]

June 2008 saw Kapoor walk the ramp once again for Manish Malhotra's fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza. Proceeds from the show were given to the IIFA Foundation, a charity organization set up by the International Indian Film Academy to support families of film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of a film.[80]

Esha Deol

2008-10-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

Esha Deol

(Punjabi, Tamil:, Hindi:)(born November 2, 1982) is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the elder daughter of the famous couple of Bollywood, Dharmendra and Hema Malini.

Personal life

Esha is the eldest daughter of Dharmendra and Hema Malini. She is part AryaSamaji, Punjabi (Sikh) and part Hindu-Tamil. She is the half-sister of Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol.Besides working in movies, Esha is an accomplished Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancer and National Level football player. She speaks Tamil fluently with her mother Hema Malini and sister Ahana Deol.

Career

Esha Deol made her debut with the film, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, which did not do well at the box office. The film also starred Aftab Shivdasani, Jaya Bachchan, and Sanjay Kapoor.

Her performance was noticed, and she won the Lux New Face Award for this movie. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted that, " Esha Deol looks pleasant and delivers a sincere performance. However, she needs to brush up her acting skills and get a little more camera-friendly. "

She starred in a number of films over the next two years, but none of them succeeded. She finally had her first big hit in the form of Dhoom in 2004. This was followed by a Karan Johar and Shahrukh Khan joint production, Kaal.

Her next hit, Boney Kapoor's No Entry was declared the biggest grosser of 2005. She also had a hit with the action thriller Dus.

Esha played a negative character for the first time in Vikram Bhatt's Ankahee, co-starring Aftab Shivdasani and Amisha Patel. Joginder Tuteja, from indiaglitz noted that, " Esha Deol may not really term 'Ankahee' as the role of her life as a psycho/obsessive/possessive character has been beaten to death since the time Shahrukh Khan started it all in Darr. But it is to her credit that she never once let the grip of the narrative get loose due to any blemish on her part. She may not look the most glamorous to suit the role of a Miss World but still does reasonably well to not come as a caricature. "[1]

Esha's portrayal of a notorious and vengeful ghost in Ram Gopal Verma's Darling (2007) was praised all over and applauded with positive reviews. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted that, " Esha Deol is excellent in a role that’s nothing short of a challenge. It would’ve boomeranged had it been entrusted to any inferior actor, but Esha is in terrific form here. This should be the turning point in her career. "[2]

She is set to star in her mother's next directorial venture with Rekha and Abhishek Bachchan and also a film in which her mother and her will be starring together in for the first time.

Awards

2002: Filmfare Best Debut Award for Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe

2002: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female for Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe

2003: Bollywood Movie Award - Best Female Debut for Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe

Deepika padukone

2008-10-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

Biography

Padukone was born to Ujjala and Prakash Padukone on January 5, 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her family moved to Bangalore when she was only eleven months old.[1] Her father Prakash Padukone is a badminton player of international repute, while her mother is a travel agent. Furthermore, Padukone has a younger sister, Anisha (b.1991), who is an aspiring golfer

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore. She completed her studies from Mount Carmel College. While in high school she played badminton at the state level like her father and was a member of her father's badminton club.[3] However, she wasn't keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player and abandoned it because of her ICSE exams.

Career

Modeling

While pursuing her studies in college, she decided to pursue a career in modeling[5]. Over the years, she has modeled for famous Indian brand names such as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca. She received many prestigious modeling offers, which included becoming the brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India. Padukone hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international spokesperson.

At the 5th annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards she was awarded the title Model of the Year. Shortly afterward, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006 and won two trophies at the Idea Zee Fashion Awards: Female Model of the Year - (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the Year later that year. Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and most recently Levi Strauss and Tissot SA.[6].

Acting

After pursuing a successful career in modeling, Padukone branched out into acting. She started by starring in the music video for the song Naam Hai Tera from the independent pop album Aap Kaa Surroor by Himesh Reshammiya.

In 2006, Padukone made her cinematic debut in the Kannada film, Aishwarya staring opposite actor Upendra. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film went on to become the biggest hit of the year, both in India and abroad.[7][8] The film featured her portraying Shantipriya - a 1970s superstar, and later as Sandy - a young woman who looks exactly like Shantipriya. Her performance was well received, earning the actress a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star -- the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!"[9]

Padukone's most recent film is Siddharth Anand's Bachna Ae Haseeno, which released on August 15, 2008. As of August 2008, Padukone is currently working on Nikhil Advani's Chandni Chowk To China opposite Akshay Kumar.

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Winner

2008: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award; Om Shanti Om[10]

2008: Sony Head N Shoulders Fresh Face of the Year Award; Om Shanti Om[10]

Nominated

2008: Filmfare Best Actress Award; Om Shanti Om[11]

Star Screen Awards

Winner

2008: Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female; Om Shanti Om[12]

2008: Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 along with Shahrukh Khan; Om Shanti Om[12]

Zee Cine Awards

Winner

2008: Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut; Om Shanti Om[13]

Nominated

2008: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor - Female; Om Shanti Om[14]

IIFA Awards

Winner

2008: IIFA Awards' Best Debutant (Female); Om Shanti Om[15]

Nominated

2008: IIFA Best Actress Award; Om Shanti Om[16]

Stardust Awards

Nominated

2008: Stardust Superstar of Tomorrow - Female; Om Shanti Om[17]

Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards

Winner

2008: Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards' Best Female Debut; Om Shanti Om[18

Other Awards

2007: Star's Sabsey Favourite Kaun Awards, Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroine; Om Shanti Om[19]

2007: HT Café Film Awards, Best Newcomer Award (Female); Om Shanti Om[20]

2008: Reebok Zoom Glam Awards, Glam Debutant (Female); Om Shanti Om[21]

2008: Annual Central European Bollywood Awards, Breakthrough Role (Female); Om Shanti Om[22]

Celina Jaitley

2008-10-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Born June 9, 1981 (1981-06-09) (age 27)Kabul, Afghanistan

Occupation Actress, Model

Celina Jaitley

Celina Jaitley or Jaitly is a Bollywood Actress. She was born in Kabul, Afghanistan on June 9, 1981. She was crowned Miss India in 2001. She has appeared in several movies and music videos (including the Bombay Vikings' Zara Nazron Se Kehdo video). A child of a mixed marriage, Jaitley's Indian Punjabi father is a former Indian Army Officer, and her mother an Afghan child psychologist by profession, as well as a former beauty queen. She has one brother, who is serving in the Indian army. She grew up in different cities and mostly spent her time in Kolkata, India. Celina was raised as a Hindu. She has said that when she was young, she wanted to join the army herself, either as a doctor or a pilot.

She was a finalist in the Miss Universe 2001 contest. In addition to her title of Miss India, Celina has won the Miss Margo Beautiful Skin, Indiatimes Surfer's Choice, and MTV's Most Wanted awards.

In 2003 she made her debut in the movie industry with Feroz khan's Janasheen.In 2007 Celina flew to New Zealand and shot her first international movie "Love has no language", a romantic comedy. Whilst there she was targeted by a stalker who had followed her from India. Celina was said to be traumatised by the experience. Celina also used to beat and mouth off at her personal hairdresser on the set- which lead to complaints from the New Zealand actors who didnt understand the high strung diva. There were moments of tension.

She is the brand ambassador of Egyptian tourism & D'damas

Bipasha Basu

2008-10-19T23:12:00.001-07:00

Bipasha Basu

(Bengali: বিপাশা বসু , Hindi: बिपाषा बासु) (born January 7, 1979) is an Indian Bollywood actor and model. She was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest for 1996 and is currently one of the mainstream actresses in Bollywood. She is often cited by popular magazines and newspapers as one of Asia's sexiest celebrity women.

Early life

Basu was born in New Delhi, India, into a Bengali family. She is the second of three daughters to her parents, the elder being Bidisha, and the younger—Vijayeta. Although she was born in New Delhi, her family later moved to Kolkata.

According to her, she had come into modelling and acting quite by accident, because initially she had planned to study medicine.[2] Basu studied science till the 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir and later took up commerce at The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta. In Kolkata, she did modelling and rampshows partime. Although, as pointed above, she intended to become a doctor, her aversion for dissections made her opt for chartered accountancy.[3] However, in 1996, she met well-known model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. She eventually participated, and won the contest.

Career

After winning the Ford Godrej Cinthol contest, Basu was flown to New York by the Ford Company, where she had a successful modelling career at the age of 17.[2]

Basu made her film debut in Abbas Mustan's Ajnabee, with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. She played a married woman who goes all out to woo her husband’s married friend, and eventually won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance.

In 2002, Basu starred in Vikram Bhatt's thriller Raaz. The film was a big commercial success and surfaced as the biggest hit of that year.[4] For her performance in the film, she received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. One review in The Tribune noted, "...it is Bipasha Basu who steals the show with her fine performance."[5]

Besides acting, Bips, as she is fondly called, did the famous video "Tu" for Sonu Nigam's album, Kismat back in her early days before she became an actress. She also made a guest appearance in Jay Sean's music video Stolen.[6]

In 2006, she won popular acclaim for her performance in an Item number during the song Beedi in the film Omkara. The song was a national hit, and Basu's pictuarisation was appreciated.[7]

In 2008 Basu starred in Race, her second collaboration with duo Abbas Mustan, with whom she debuted in Bollywood. Co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film performed well at the box office, and Basu's performance was appreciated by critics. Taran Adarsh of indiaFM described her performance as "her best work so far. She’s superb".[8] She also received rave reviews for her recent role in Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor.

Personal life

Basu is currently dating actor John Abraham, They have been dating since late 2002. The relationship has had plenty of up-and-downs especially after Basu was photographed kissing Cristiano Ronaldo. She previously dated fellow Bollywood actors Milind Soman and Dino Morea.

In 2006, Basu claimed to have been harassed by organizers of the India Day Parade in Edison, New Jersey. Basu was initially scheduled to lead the parade on August 13, 2006. Basu eventually appeared on stage late, according to her, because of the harassment. She said, "I wanted to attend the parade, but I could not." She explained that she was harassed physically and mentally in the car by two people who were taking her to the parade.[9]

In November 2007, UK magazine Eastern Eye named Basu the "Sexiest Woman in Asia".[1]

Bhoomika Chawla

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Bhumika Chawla

(Telugu, Tamil:, Hindi:, Urdu: بھُومِکا چاولا) born 21 August 1978 , is an Indian actress. Her birth name is Rachna and she is affectionately called 'Gudiya'.

Early life

Chawla was born in New Delhi,India and completed her schooling there. She moved to Mumbai in 1997 and started her career with ad films and Hindi music video albums.She also appeared in the Zee Tv serial Hip Hip Hurray!

Career

Chawla started off her film career in the Tollywood film industry, starring in the feature film Yuvakudu (2000) in Telugu alongside actor Sumanth. Her second release, Khushi (2001), in which she starred opposite Pawan Kalyan was a box office success. This was followed by several films in Telugu and three films in the Kollywood industry in Tamil.

After a number of critically and commercially successful films, she starred in her first Bollywood film, Tere Naam (2003), alongside Salman Khan. The film was one of the year's highest grossing films and fared moderately well at the box office. Apart from it, it was a critical success and her performance in the film won her many positive notices as well as several nominations for Best Debut at different award ceremonies. She was nominated for her first Filmfare Best Actress Award, and won the Best Debut trophy at the Zee Cine Awards ceremony.In 2008, she starred alongside Gurdas Mann in the Punjabi film Yaariyan.

She married Bharat Thakur on October 21 2007.

Bhairavi Goswami

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Amisha Patel

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Biography

Early life

Amisha Patel is the daughter of Amit Patel and Asha Patel, sister of Ashmit Patel and the granddaughter of the famous lawyer-politician Barrister Rajni Patel who was the Congress Pradesh Committee President of Bombay. Her name is a blend of the first three letters of her father’s name Amit and the last three letters of her mother’s name Asha.

She studied at the Cathedral and John Connon High School in Bombay and graduated from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. After she graduated, she modelled for several products an then worked in a financial company for Morgan Stanley. After returning to India she joined Satyadev Dubey's theatre group and acting in plays, upon receiving permission from her conservative parents.[2]

Career

Patel made her acting debut with Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000). The film was the biggest hit of the year, and made her a star overnight, earning her awards for Best Debut at a number of award ceremonies.[3] Her second release was a Telugu language film titled Badri. She played the role of Prakash Raj’s pampered sister who falls in love with Pawan Kalyan’s character. 2001 saw her appearing in the cross-border romance, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, alongside Sunny Deol. The film went on to become the top-grossing film of the year, as well as the biggest hit of the 21st century, earning RS 973 million In India.[4] Set during the 1947 Indo-Pakistani conflicts, it featured Patel as Sakina, a Muslim girl who finds refuge in Deol’s house during the riots, and subsequently falls for him. Her performance was praised, and won her the Filmfare Special Performance Award.

These successes were followed by a series of films that flopped at the box-office. In Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001), she played a successful singer who was abandoned by her mother at the time of her birth. In 2002, she had four continuous flops but her last release, Humraaz, performed moderately well at the box office, and her performance earned her a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. She also starred in Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, in which she played a career-oriented young woman who rejects the advances of the film's hero. In Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, she plays the role of Sapna who is caged in protective custody of her own father. She co-starred opposite Hrithik Roshan for the second time in this film. Unlike their successful debuts in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, the film proved to be a disappointment and resulted in a critical and commercial failure. In 2005 she starred in Vaada playing the role of Arjun Rampal’s wife who is tracked by her former crazed lover. Her next release was Elaan. The film saw her play a reporter. She later appeared in the historical epic film Mangal Pandey: The Rising where she played the role of a widow who gets rescued from committing Sati by a British man. The film did an average business.

Patel featured in six films in 2006, all of which failed commercially. She first starred in Mere Jeevan Saathi, a production that had been delayed since 2004. Ankahee, which saw her playing the role of a wife and a mother who tries to save her marriage life after her husband's extramarital affair, followed. Despite the film's box office failure, her performance received critical praise. In Teesri Aankh, she played the role of a mute girl. She learned sign language in order to fit the role.[5]

After continuous flops during 2002-2006, Amisha finally saw success in 2007 with the super hit movie Bhool Bhulaiyaa where she played the role of a rejected adopted girl opposite Akshay Kumar. She also starred in Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. where she played the bubbly and vivacious wife of Karan Khanna. In 2008, she had only one release where she appeared in an item number in Kunal Kohli’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic in which she co-starred Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji. She essayed the cameo role of Khan’s girlfriend and her dumb bimbo act has won her accolades as well as her bikini in the song Lazy Lamhe that featured her along with Saif.

As of August 2008, Patel has completed working on two comic films, Run Bhola Run opposite Govinda scheduled for a January 2009 release, and Chatur Singh Two Star opposite Sanjay Dutt.

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Winner

2001: Filmfare Special Performance Award; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

Nominated

2000: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

2001: Filmfare Best Actress Award; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

2002: Filmfare Best Actress Award; Humraaz

Star Screen Awards

Nominated

2000: Most Promising Newcomer - Female; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

2001: Best Actress; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

Zee Cine Awards

Winner

2000: Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

Nominated

2001: Zee Cine Award Best Actor - Female; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

IIFA Awards

Nominated

2001: Best Actress; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

Other Awards

2000: 31st Annual Filmgoers "Best Female Debut"; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

2000: Kalashree "Sensational Discovery"; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

2000: Sansui Viewers Choice Award "Best Debut / Face of the Year"; Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai

2001: 32nd Annual Filmgoers, Best Actress; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

2002: Sansui Jury Award for Best Actress; Gadar: Ek Prem Katha

Amrita Rao

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Personal life

Of Dravidian ancestry, Amrita Rao was born on June 17, 1981 to a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family in Chitrapur, Karnataka[2]. She speaks English, Marathi, Konkani and Hindi.

Career

Model

Amrita Rao attended C.G High School in Mumbai,and later enrolled in Sophia College to pursue a degree in psychology. While studying there, she auditioned for an advertisement for Fairever Face Cream. To her surprise she was selected amongst 60 other contestants. After that, she got many offers and became one of the most sought-after models in India within an year.
Her appearance in Cadbury’s Perk Karwa Chaut ad and the Bru Coffee advertisement helped her receive offers from film directors in Bollywood. As she wanted to complete her education, she refused them. After earning a degree in psychology, she began her profession as an actress, working in films.

Actress

She made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras (2002), but gained recognition only after the success of her 2003 film, Ishq Vishk, in which her portrayal as Payal earned her the girl-next door image. Success followed for her in 2004 with films like Masti and Main Hoon Na.
Her career took a setback when her following releases, Deewaar (2004), Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005), Shikhar (2005), and Pyare Mohan (2006) did poorly at the box office. Things turned around when she starred in Sooraj R. Barjatya's blockbuster Vivah (2006) opposite Shahid Kapoor. The film was a universal success[3] and her performance was well appreciated by critics,[4] earning her a Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award.
Rao recently made her debut in Tollywood, with the Telugu hit Athidhi opposite Mahesh Babu. Amrita had no releases in Bollywood in 2007. Amrita's first release of 2008 was My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves , which failed at the box office. Her performance got poor reviews.[5]

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards
Nominated
2004: Filmfare Best Female Debut Award - Ishq Vishk
2005: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award - Main Hoon Na

Star Screen Awards
Nominated
2003: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female - Ab Ke Baras
2004: Star Screen Award Most Promising Newcomer - Female - Ishq Vishk
2007: Star Screen Award Best Actress - Vivah[6]
2007: Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1 along with Shahid Kapoor - Vivah[7]

Zee Cine Awards
Nominated
2004: Zee Cine Award Best Female Debut - Ishq Vishk

International Indian Film Academy Awards
Winner
2004: IIFA Awards, Best Female Debut - Ishq Vishk

Stardust Awards
Winner
2004: Stardust Awards, Superstar of Tomorrow - Female; Ishq Vishk

Other Awards
2004: Sansui Awards, Best Debut - Female - Ishq Vishk
2007: GR8 Women Awards, Young Achiever
2007: Anandalok Puroshkar Awards, Most Promising New Talent - Vivah
2007: Sports World Awards, Jodi of the Year along with Shahid Kapoor - Vivah
2007: Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award - Vivah[8]