Category: Bollywood


2009 saw a dry spell in terms of super hit Bollywood movies. The much anticipated big banner films like Blue, Kurbaan, Kaminey, Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani and even Paa, though tried to steer away from the conventional path, tanked nonetheless. The audience is, no doubt, quite starved for some quality entertainment.

The New Year promises to bring with it some fresh new ideas to Hindi cinema and hope to make way for a new breed of Bollywood movies. With films like Rann, Chance Pe Dance, Teen Patti, My Name is Khan and Kites, set to release this year, there seems to be a little something for everyone. As many as 12-15 films are set to release in just the first quarter of 2010, so imagine what all is in store for the whole year!

Let us take a look at what is in store for us movie buffs this year, and get to know a bit more about the biggies of 2010. The most anticipated and eagerly awaited Hindi movies, scheduled for release in 2010, have been discussed here.

Upcoming Hindi Movies – Bollywood 2010

shahrukhkhan-kajol-my-name-is-khanMy Name is Khan
Release- January, 2010
Banner- Dharma Productions.
Director- Karan Johar

About the film - Karan Johar’s new flick brings back the timeless Jodi of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol after a long time. People just love this on screen couple. According to media reports, the movie is about terrorism and how it affects everybody’s life. The much awaited blockbuster My Name is Khan is finally set to release this year on February 12, 2010! This Karan Johar film brings the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan together again with the Kajol. My Name is Khan boasts of a musical score by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Based on a true story, the movie revolves around Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh) a Muslim based in San Francisco, who suffers from a rare kind of autism called the Asperger syndrome. He is married to Mandira (Kajol) who plays a Hindu single mother. Trouble ensues after the 9/11 attacks, when he is detained by US authorities in California, who mistake his disability for ‘suspicious’ behavior. Thus starts a fight for injustice and a journey to meet the US president.

hrithik-and-barbara-mori-kitesKites
Release – February, 2010
Music - Rajesh Roshan
Banner- FilmKraft Productions (I) Pvt Ltd.
Producers- Sunaina Roshan, Rakesh Roshan
Director - Anurag Basu.

Starring- Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut, Kabir Bedi, Nick Brown.

The much talked about Hrithik Roshan starrer Kites, is scheduled to release in May this year. The movie tells the story of love and dance, with lots of drama and action thrown in. A co-production between the Indian and Mexican film industries, Kites is a poetic film, set in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New Mexico, starring Hrithik Roshan and Mexican actress Barbara Mori. Directed by Anurag Basu, this bilingual film revolves around the lives of the three main characters in the film played by Hrithik, Barbara and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.

Chance Pe Dance

Set to release in January this year, Chance Pe Dance showcases the story of a struggling actor Sameer, played by Shahid Kapur, who is ready to take on every obstacle that comes his way, head on. Genelia D’Souza plays Tina, a choreographer, and Sameer’s friend, who encourages him in his fight for success. The story revolves around whether Sameer makes it big in the movie industry or not. A grab for all Shahid fans!

Rann: Another Ram Gopal Verma multi-starrer, set to release in the last week of January 2010, Rann tries to deface the ugly side of the Indian media. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal, Ritesh Deshmukh, Gul Panag and others, Rann is set in the context of society’s complex organized structure and the battle raging between news channels, industrial giants and the government. Typical RGV style, be prepared for some dark truths about news organizations playing dirty, all in the race to hit the number one slot among TRP ratings.

Teen Patti: Directed by Leena Yadav, Teen Patti brings together some of the big names of Bollywood and Hollywood, creating a mantra for success. Starring Amitabh Bachchan and Oscar winning Hollywood actor Ben Kingsley, along with other successful actors such as R. Madhavan and Raima Sen, Teen Patti is scheduled to release in the later half of February 2010. Allegedly based on the Hollywood blockbuster 21, the plot revolves around a mathematics genius Venkat (Amitabh) deriving an equation that could redefine the principles of probability and randomness. He practices his new found theory on a card game Teen Patti in popular gambling ‘addas’ of Mumbai. Things take an ugly turn when curiosity is replaced by greed and becomes a matter of life and death. Produced by Hinduja Ventures and Serendipity Films, Teen Patti could make it big this year. For more information on the Teen Patti, visit their snazzy website here.

Milenge Milenge: After the success of Jab We Met, Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor will now be seen together in this romantic comedy. Based on the lines of Hollywood flick Serendipity, Milenge Milenge was expected to release in 2005 but a number of delays pushed the date to 2010. This film brings out the love story of goody goody girl Priya (Kareena) and prankster Amit (Shahid) who is everything Priya is not. With a series of ups and downs in their relationship, it remains to be seen what destiny has in store for them.

Pyaar Impossible: A typical love story between the beauty and the geek is what Yash Raj Films try to explore through this romantic comedy. Set to release in January 2010, Pyaar Impossible stars Priyanka Chopra who plays Alisha, the hottest girl in college who every guy is dying to be with. Uday Chopra plays Abhay the nerd who is oddly paired with this beauty by a twist of fate. Expect a series of laughs as an almost impossible love story unfolds.

Munnabhai Chale America: After the success of Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai, comes yet another tale of the deadly duo, Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) and Circuit (Arshad Warsi). Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Munnabhai Chale America promises to be a barrel of laughs, just like his two previous ventures. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the story revolves around the comical adventures of Munnabhai and Circuit as they take on America with their crazy antics.

Right Yaaa Wrong: Right Yaaa Wrong is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Neeraj Pathak, and produced by Neeraj Pathak and Krishan Choudhary. It stars the deadly combination of Sunny Deol and Irrfan Khan. The movie is an action packed tale of two powerful cops and best friends Ajay (Deol) and Rane (Khan). Ajay’s wife is found brutally murdered and Ajay is the prime suspect while his nemesis ACP Rane is heading the case. The investigation transpires into a mystery filled with secrets behind which lies an astonishing discovery.


Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?: Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? is an upcoming Hindi comedy film directed by Ashwni Dhir. Paresh Rawal, Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma are in lead roles. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures (India) Pvt. Ltd. & Wide Frame Films and is scheduled to release on 26th February 2010. The movie is about a happily married couple living in Mumbai. When a distant relative arrives at their doorstep from a far off village, their lives take an interesting turn. The guest overstays his visit so much that the exasperated couple comes up with various ploys to hasten his departure, starting a series of comical disasters.

Karthik Calling Karthik: Karthik Calling Karthik is another upcoming Hindi film, written and directed by Vijay Lalwani, under the banner of Excel Entertainment. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani have produced the film. Farhan Akhtar and Deepika Padukone play the lead roles. The music is by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and the movie is scheduled to release on February 26, 2010. The story revolves around Karthik (Farhan Akhtar) who gets phone calls from someone named Karthik and this completely changes his life. Karthik Calling Karthik tells the story of one man’s victory against all odds.


Hissss Aka Nagin: Hissss is the story of a Snake Woman, written and directed by American director Jennifer Lynch with an Indo-American co-production. The music is given by Anu Malik and the movie is scheduled to release on March 5, 2010. Mallika Sherawat plays the lead role in this film. Irrfan Khan, Divya Dutta and Jeff Douchette also have pivotal roles in the film. Hissss is based on the age old Indian myth of a snake woman or nagin. The movie tells the revenge story of snake woman whose mate is captured by an American hunter.

Prince – Its Showtime: Prince – It’s Showtime is a fast paced action thriller starring Vivek Oberoi Nandana Sen, Neeru Singh and UK actress Aruna Shields. The movie will be releasing in February 2010. Vivek Oberoi plays a thief, wounded by a gunshot while committing his life’s biggest heist. This results in his loss of memory. In the quest for his identity, he finds out his name is Prince and he works for Sarang. The cops and the criminals are in search of him, as he is the only person who knows where the heist is which contains a secret that is linked not only to his loss of memory but that threatens the future of the entire human race.

Shaapit: Shaapit is an upcoming Hindi film. This film has been directed and produced by Vikram Bhatt and casts stars like new girl Shweta Agarwal who is featured opposite Aditya Narayan, also making a debut with this film. The story is about a girl who is trapped in a generational curse hence stopping her from love and marriage. Her lover, however, even vows to conquer this curse to win her.

Kajraare: Kajraare is another upcoming film. This film has been directed by Pooja Bhatt and produced by Bhushan Kumar and Kishan Kumar. It casts stars like Himesh Reshammiya and Mona Liza. This is a romantic thriller about a young man who falls in love with a girl in Morocco. He soon starts to realize that his lover’s past lies in the murky lanes of Lahore’s red light area, Herra Mandi.


Bum Bum Bole: Bum Bum Bole is yet another upcoming film. This film has been directed and produced by Priyadarshini. The main star casts in this film are (Darsheel’s mother) Rituparna Sengupta and (Darsheel’s father) Atul Kulkarni.  There are two parts to this story. One which deals with Darsheel’s faith in god and the other deals with Darsheel’s relationship with his parents and his aunt.

Dhobi Ghat: Dhobi Ghat is an upcoming Hindi film directed by Aamir Khan’s wife Kiran Rao. This movie has been produced under Aamir Khan’s banner. There are two main casts in this movie – Prateik Babbar who plays a lead role as a ‘dhobi’ and Aamir Khan who plays the lead role as a painter who works in a studio apartment in Bhendi Bazar in Mumbai.

With so many different films hitting the scene this year, Bollywood is sure to keep movie goers busy. It remains to be seen, however, which ones we should catch, and which ones should we trash!

Kajraare - Hindi Movie
Kajraare Release Year : 2010
About Movie
Director Pooja Bhatt
Producer Krishan Kumar, Bhushan Kumar
Starring Himesh Reshammiya, Divya Khosla

Toonpur Ka Superhero - Hindi Movie
Toonpur Ka Superhero Release Date : 19,Mar 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Kireet Khurana
Producer Kumar Mangat
Starring Kajol, Ajay Devgan

Muskurake Dekh Zara - Hindi Movie
Muskurake Dekh Zara Release Date : 16,Apr 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Som Shekar
Producer Som Shekar
Starring Gashmeer Mahajani, Twinkle Patel, Sunil Sabarwal, Simran Suri, Chirag Sethi, Hiten Paintal, Tiku Talsania, Mukesh Bhatt(1), Atul Parchure, Khayali, Rajshree Choudhary, Om Katare, Arijit Sen Gupta, Jiten Mukhi, Reshma Merchant, Sudesh Lehri, Ranjeet

Paathshaala - Hindi Movie
Paathshaala Release Date : 16,Apr 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Milind Ukey
Producer Shaira Khan , Ahmed Khan
Starring Nana Patekar, Sushant Singh, Ali Haji, Shraddha Arya, Shahid Kapur, Ayesha Takia, Swini Khara, Dwij Yadav, Avika Gor, Saurabh Shukla, Nassar Abdulla, Sanatan Modi, Anjan Shrivastava, Vicky Ahuja, Preeti Kopikar, Anjan Shrivastava, Sunny Singh, Shraddha Ar

Phoonk 2 - Hindi Movie
Phoonk 2 Release Date : 16,Apr 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Milind Gadagkar
Producer Prashant Burra, P Chandrashekhar
Starring Neeru Bajwa, Sudeep, Amruta Khanvilkar, Ahsaas Channa, Rishabh Jain, Anu Ansari, Ashwini Kalsekar, Amit Sadh, Ganesh Yadav, Zakir Hussain, Vikas Srivastav, Rakesh Raj, Chyan Trivedi, Jeeva

Kites - Hindi Movie
Kites Release Date : 21,May 2010
About Movie | Photos | Lyrics
Director Anurag Basu
Producer Rakesh Roshan
Starring Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangna Ranaut, Kabir Bedi, Anand Tiwari, Yuri Suri

Short Kut - The Con is On - Hindi Movie
Short Kut – The Con is On Release Year : 2010
About Movie | Photos | Lyrics
Director Neeraj Vora
Producer Anil Kapoor
Starring Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao, Chunkey Pandey

Munnabhai Chale Amerika - Hindi Movie
Munnabhai Chale Amerika Release Year : 2010
About Movie
Director Rajkumar Hirani
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Starring Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi

Taalismaan - Hindi Movie
Taalismaan Release Year : 2010
About Movie
Director Ram Madhwani
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Starring Amitabh Bachchan

Khalbali - Fun Unlimited - Hindi Movie
Khalbali – Fun Unlimited Release Year : 2010
About Movie | Photos | Lyrics
Director Ajay Chandok
Producer Azam Khan
Starring Sada, Suresh Menon, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever, Asrani, Paresh Ganatra, Sanjay Mishra, Shakti Kapoor, Delnaz Paul, Rakesh Bedi, Shruti Seth, Aasif Shaikh, Tarina Patel, Nikhil Dwivedi, Rajpal Yadav, Tiku Talsania, Manoj Joshi, Mukesh Tiwari, Zakir Hussai

Ada... a way of life - Hindi Movie
Ada… a way of life Release Year : 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Tanvir Ahmed
Producer Kazaan Ahmad
Starring Ayesha Jhulka, Rahul Roy, Nauheed Cyrusi, Milind Gunaji, Saurabh Dubey, Ayaan Ahmad

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro - Hindi Movie
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Release Year : 2010
About Movie | Photos
Director Sanjay Sharma
Producer K.C. Sharma
Starring Kapil Sharma, Kulraj Randhawa, Anupam Kher, Vijay Raaz, Makrand Deshpande, Raj Zutshi, Dilip Joshi, Dinyar Contractor, Prem Chopra, Akhilendra Mishra, Jennifer Mayani, Pratima Kazmi, Atul Parchure, Sahila Chadda, Mushtaq Khan, Ganesh Yadav

Zindagi Tere Naam - Hindi Movie
Zindagi Tere Naam Release Year : 2010
About Movie | Photos | Lyrics
Director Ashu Trikha
Producer Shree Sai Productions
Starring Mithun Chakraborty, Ranjeeta, Yatin Karekar, Dalip Tahil, Supriya Karnik, Sharat Saxena, Himani Shivpuri

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Kareena Kapoor


Kapoor at the 2008 Global Indian TV Honours.
Born September 21, 1980 (1980-09-21) (age 29)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation Film actress
Years active 2000–present
Domestic partner(s) Saif Ali Khan (2007–present)

born on 21 September 1980),[1] often informally referred to as Bebo,[2][3] is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. Born into a film family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. However, she did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee, which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham became India’s highest grossing film in the overseas market in 2001 and is her biggest commercial success to date.[4][5]After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast. Consequently, from 2004 to 2006 she was recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility.[6] 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.[7] She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare ceremony for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy film, 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.[8][9][10] Kapoor’s off-screen life is subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her and boyfriend, actor Saif Ali Khan and speculation of a possible marriage

Early life and family

See also: Kapoor family

Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra into the Kapoor film family of Punjabi Khatri origin, Kapoor is the youngest daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani). She is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, great-granddaughter of actor Prithviraj Kapoor, sister of actress Karisma Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor.[1] According to Kapoor, the name “Kareena” was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her.[13] She is also often informally referred to as Bebo.[2][3]

As children, the Kapoor sisters dreamed of becoming actresses.[14] Kapoor was particularly inspired by actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.[14] However, despite her family background, her father disapproved of women acting because he believed it to be incompatible with their duty to the family.[15] This led to conflict between her parents, and Kapoor’s mother ultimately left her father.[16] Kapoor was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.[17]

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She studied commerce for two years at the Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai.[14] However, she disliked her term there and studied only because she was close to her family.[14] Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States.[14] She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate.[14] However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor returned to her initial plan to become an actress and began training at the Kishore Namit Kapoor’s Acting Institute in Andheri

Career

Debut and breakthrough, 2000-2003

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan‘s Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai (2000), opposite the director’s son Hrithik Roshan.[12] 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]

Kapoor made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta‘s war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as “Refugee” (portrayed by debutant Abhishek Bachchan). He illegally transports civilians back and forth across the Indo-Pakistani border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Refugee while illegally migrating to Pakistan. Her debut 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.”[20] Refugee was the fifth-highest grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor’s performance earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.[21]

Kapoor’s first role in 2001 was in the romantic drama Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai, which became one of the highest earners of the year.[22] A review in The Hindu noted that, “Kareena is definitely the actress to watch out for, if her debut with Abhishek in Refugee and now Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai are any indication […] Kareena shines throughout the flick, with the grace of a seasoned sizzler already.”[23] She next starred in Subhash Ghai‘s family drama Yaadein alongside Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan. The drama centers on the character of Raj Singh Puri, a middle-class man and his daughters’ marriages. Kapoor played the part of the youngest daughter and Roshan’s love interest, Isha Singh Puri. Upon release, the film met with mixed critical reaction and garnered poor box office returns.[22][24] Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller Ajnabee. The film, based on Consenting Adults (1992),[25] was a moderate box office success in India.[22]

Later in the year, she starred in Santosh Sivan‘s period epic Asoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. The film had a strong release in the United Kingdom and North America. It was also screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.[26][27] Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki, a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor’s performance received a mixed reaction from some critics. Rediff.com concluded that, “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”.[28] Nonetheless, her performance was praised by some critics and earned her a first nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare Awards.

Kapoor’s final release of 2001 was the drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, directed by Karan Johar. The film, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, emerged as the second-highest-grossing film of the year in India and Kapoor’s biggest commercial success, with a domestic total of Rs 490 million (US$ 10.78 million).[22] It also performed well internationally and became India’s second biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over Rs 350 million (US$ 7.7 million).[4] Her performance as “Poo” was well-received by critics and earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.[29]

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a slump in her career. She featured in six films — Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Jeena Sirf Merre Liye, Talaash: The Hunt Begins…, Khushi, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, and the four-hour war epic LOC Kargil — all of which proved critically and commercially unsuccessful in India.[30][31] Kapoor’s performances were often identified by many critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration.[32][33] They expressed concern that she was becoming typecast but these negative reviews were fundamental in motivating her to improve her integrity as an actress in subsequent years by accepting more demanding roles

Turning point, 2004–2006

Following the negative period in Kapoor’s career, 2004 marked the beginning of her work in more serious films, most of which would bring her critical acclaim rather than commercial success.[7][34] Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor played a prostitute in Chameli opposite Rahul Bose. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. Chameli received predominantly positive reviews and Kapoor’s performance was generally well-received by critics, with the Indiatimes praising Kapoor’s “intuitive brilliance” and stating that she had exceeded all expectations.[35] However, another reviewer expressed concern that they found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing her as, “sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened streetwalker” and likening her mannerisms to that of a caricature.[36] Nonetheless, Kapoor’s performance garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and marked a change in direction in her career as an actress.[37]

A woman in blue dress leaning against a door and  smoking

Kapoor as the prostitute “Chameli” in Chameli (2004).

Kapoor then appeared alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Fardeen Khan in Govind Nihalani‘s critically acclaimed film Dev, which revolved around the 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in the Indian state of Gujarat.[38] Kapoor’s role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zahira Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara‘s Best Bakery case.[38] The film 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.”[39]

Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida (opposite Shahid Kapoor and Fardeen Khan). The film explores Internet theft and the Mumbai underworld. Although it failed commercially, Kapoor received positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles.[40][41] Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan‘s moderately successful thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan‘s comedy Hulchul, her first box office success since 2002.[40]

In 2005, she starred in the Dharmesh Darshan directed drama Bewafaa. Kapoor played the role of the Indo-Canadian Anjali, who marries her sister’s husband after her death, but is unsatisfied with the ensuing married life and resumes a relationship with her previous boyfriend. The film received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor’s performance was not well-received.[42] Nikhat Kazmi of Indiatimes believed that in an effort to become a serious actress, Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more jaded character ahead of her years in Bewafaa which appeared peculiar for a young girl of her age.[42]

Later that year, she appeared in Priyadarshan’s romantic drama Kyon Ki. The drama, set in a psychiatric hospital, relates the love story of a mentally ill patient, played by Salman Khan, and his physician, played by Kapoor. The film was a box office failure,[43] though Kapoor’s performance was generally well-received by critics, with the BBC reporting, “It goes without saying that she is a pure natural when it comes to acting.”[44] Kapoor then featured in the romance Dosti: Friends Forever alongside Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, and Lara Dutta. While not a success in India, the film became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2005 in the United Kingdom.[45]

In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both films performed reasonably well.[46] She next portrayed the Shakespearean character of Desdemona in Omkara, the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Othello. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh.[47] The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival.[48][49] Omkara was well-received by critics and Kapoor’s performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Star Screen Award. Rediff.com concluded, “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.”[50] Kapoor herself considers her role in Omkara as a “new benchmark” in her career and has made comparisons between her portrayal of Dolly and her own evolving maturity as a woman

Recent work, 2007–present

A man in white and a woman in pink on a cycle

Kapoor (as Geet Dhillon) with Shahid Kapoor in Jab We Met (2007), which earned the actress a Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali‘s romantic comedy 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 Sikh girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year’s most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303 million (US$ 6.67 million).[51] 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.”[52]

Following Jab We Met, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). Though an indiaFM poll named it the most anticipated film of the year,[53] Tashan eventually became a commercial and critical failure.[54][55] Kapoor next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio.[56] In preparation for her role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues.[57] Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she ventured into other projects.[58]

Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty’s comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received a mixed reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was unoriginal, concluding, “There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it.”[59] Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of over Rs 500 million (US$ 11 million) domestically.[54]

In 2009, Kapoor appeared in Sabbir Khan’s romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. The film, which explores the relationship between two different individuals, became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors.[60] Kapoor portrayed the character of Simrita Rai, a part-time supermodel and an aspiring surgeon. Upon release, the film met with negative reviews and Kapoor’s performance was not well-received.[61] The Times of India described her performance as “a complete let-down” and further stated that “she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon.”[62] The film was an economic success nonetheless, earning over Rs 650 million (US$ 14.3 million) worldwide.

As of August 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for Prem Soni’s drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to star alongside Salman Khan.[63] She was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar Hirani‘s 3 Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008.[64]

Other work

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to participating 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.[65] In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit,[66] whilst in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[67] 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 isolated regions along with the NDTV team.[68]

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.[69] The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home and Mount Mary’s Bandra.[70] In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 5,000,000 (US$ 110,000) winnings to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home, Bandra.[71] In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Rs. 1,000,000 (US$ 22,000) from 10 Ka Dum to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home.[72]

Personal life

A man in a suit and a woman in sari

Kapoor with boyfriend Saif Ali Khan at the 53rd Filmfare Awards ceremony in 2008.

In 2004, Kapoor began dating actor Shahid Kapoor [73] whom she eventually parted with during the filming of Jab We Met in 2007.[74][75] In September 2007, speculation began to surface that she was dating Saif Ali Khan. On 18 October 2007, during Manish Malhotra‘s grand finale show at the Lakme Fashion Week, Khan confirmed their relationship to the media.[11][76][77]

Kapoor is very close to her family[78] and has resided with her mother Babita for much of her life. Kapoor and her mother lived together in Lokhandwala and then at Park Avenue in Bandra, Mumbai for several years, and in 2008 Kapoor and her mother purchased adjacent flats in Khar, Mumbai designed by Akshay Kumar’s wife Twinkle Khanna.[79] Kapoor says she is an avid reader and swimmer in her leisure time.[14]

Kapoor’s weight and diet have often been scrutinized by the media. In 2006, Kapoor declared that she was becoming a vegetarian to keep her weight in check.[80] Kapoor has denied rumours that she is suffering from anorexia and has attributed her weight loss to yoga and a closely-monitored, balanced diet.[81][82] When Kapoor lost weight and collapsed on set during the filming of Tashan in 2008, media speculation about her health was rampant. She dismissed the incident as a minor health scare.[82]

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.[78] In previous years, in response to media speculation, Kapoor had developed a nonchalant relationship with the media and gained a reputation for discussing her professional or private life with the press with few reservations.[83][84]

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.[85][86] The following year, she appeared as a guest judge along with Priyanka Chopra on the singing talent contest Indian Idol 2.[87] Several months later, Kapoor was chosen alongside actors Shahid Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar to model and walk the ramp for designer Manish Malhotra‘s fashion display, titled Freedom, during Fashion Week 2006.[88] In 2007, Kapoor was among several Bollywood celebrities to perform at the opening ceremony of Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) in Chandigarh.[89] In June 2008, Kapoor modelled once again for Manish Malhotra’s fashion display at the 2008 IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.[90]

Kapoor annually features in many polls in the media. In 2004, she was ranked third on Rediff’s “Top Bollywood Female Stars”.[91] She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007.[9][92][93] In February 2007, Kapoor appeared fourth on Indiatimes list of “Top 10 Hottest Actresses of Bollywood”,[94] and later that year, the actress was ranked eighth by the U.K. magazine Eastern Eye as one of “Asia’s Sexiest Women”.[95] Kapoor has also won numerous vegetarian online polls, being declared the female winner of PETA India‘s “Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities” successively in 2007 and 2008.[96] In March 2009, she became the only woman to be featured on Filmfare Magazines annual “Power List”, a list of the ten most powerful people of Bollywood.[97]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2000 Refugee Nazneen “Naaz” Ahmed Winner, Filmfare Best Female Debut Award
2001 Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai Pooja Saxena
Yaadein Isha Singh Puri
Ajnabee Priya Malhotra
Asoka Kaurwaki Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Pooja “Poo” Sharma Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge! Tina Kapoor
Jeena Sirf Merre Liye Pooja/Pinky
2003 Talaash: The Hunt Begins… Tina
Khushi Khushi Singh (Lali)
Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Sanjana
LOC Kargil Simran
2004 Chameli Chameli Winner, Filmfare Special Performance Award
Yuva Mira
Dev Aaliya Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Playback singing for the song Jab Nahi Aaye The Tum[98]
Fida Neha Mehra First villain role
Aitraaz Priya Saxena/Malhotra
Hulchul Anjali
2005 Bewafaa Anjali Sahai
Kyon Ki Dr. Tanvi Khurana
Dosti: Friends Forever Anjali
2006 36 China Town Priya
Chup Chup Ke Shruti
Omkara Dolly Mishra Winner, Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Don – The Chase Begins Again Kamini Cameo
2007 Kya Love Story Hai Herself Special appearance in song It’s Rocking
Jab We Met Geet Dhillon Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2008 Halla Bol Herself Special appearance
Tashan Pooja Singh
Roadside Romeo Laila (voice) Voice over for first animated film
Golmaal Returns Ekta
2009 Luck by Chance Herself Special appearance
Billu Herself Special appearance in song Marjaani
Kambakkht Ishq Simrita Rai
Main Aurr Mrs Khanna Raina Khanna
Kurbaan Avantika Ahuja/Khan Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
3 Idiots Pia Sahastrabuddhe Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2010 Milenge Milenge Priya Delayed[99]
Love You Maa Filming[100]
2011 Ra.One Filming[101]

Katrina Kaif

Born Katrina Turquotte
16 July 1984 (1984-07-16) (age 25)
Hong Kong
Occupation Model, Actress
Years active 2003 – present

Katrina Turquotte[1] on 16 July 1984) is a British Indian actress and model who has appeared in Bollywood, Telugu and Malayalam films. Today, with 17 films to her credit, she is the country’s sexiest woman, according to the lads’ magazines FHM and Maxim; and the sub-continent’s most bankable female lead, according to the past year’s box-office receipts. Mattel, the toymaker, said that a forthcoming Barbie doll would be modelled on her.[2]

Early life

Kaif was born in Hong Kong[3] to a Muslim Indian Kashmiri father,[4] Mohammed Kaif, and a British mother, Suzzane Turquotte.[5] Her mother, a Harvard graduate, was a lawyer but later became involved in charity work. Her parents separated when Kaif was very young. Kaif has seven siblings. She was raised in Hawaii, United States and later moved to her mother’s home country, England.

Career

At the age of fourteen she was approached by an agent and she began modeling; her first job was for a jewelry campaign. She continued modeling in London, under a contract with the Models 1 Agency and did campaigns for houses, such as La Senza and Arcadius and even walked on the London Fashion Week.[3]

Kaif’s London modeling-work led her to discover by London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who gave her a part in his film Boom (2003). She moved to Mumbai and was offered a number of modeling assignments. However, filmmakers were initially hesitant to sign her because she could not speak Hindi.[6]

Kaif saw success with the 2005 film Sarkar where she played the bit part of Abhishek Bachchan‘s girlfriend. Her next release, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), where she was paired opposite Salman Khan, earned her the Stardust Breakthrough Performance Award.

In 2007, Kaif appeared in the hit movie Namastey London, wherein she starred as a British-Indian girl alongside Akshay Kumar for the second time after the box office dud Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006). Her hit films stride continues with Apne, Partner and Welcome.[7]

2008 saw her play a negative role for the first time in Abbas-Mustan‘s hit action thriller Race. She played the role of Saif Ali Khan‘s secretary who is secretly in love with his hostile stepbrother played by Akshay Khanna.

Kaif’s second release of the year was Anees Bazmee‘s production Singh Is Kinng, opposite Akshay Kumar. Upon release the film was a big success at the box office. Kaif’s final release of the year, Subhash Ghai‘s Yuvvraaj, was a commercial failure[8], but its script has made its way into the Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for artistic merits, original screenplay with a substance and the film as a whole.[9][10]

Kaif’s first release for 2009, New York, with John Abraham was a critical and commercial success.[11] Kaif’s performance was highly appreciated with the critic Taran Adarsh writing, “Katrina gives you the biggest surprise. Known for her glamour roles, Katrina proves that she can deliver if the director and writer offer her a role of substance. She’s outstanding. In fact, people will see a new, different Katrina this time.”[12] She next appeared in a bit role as a biker chick in the multi starrer action film Blue, popularly known as India’s first underwater thriller,[13] performed averagely at the box office.[14] At the year’s end, she appeared in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani with Ranbir Kapoor and De Dana Dan with Akshay Kumar. Both films were commercial successes.

In the year 2010, she is set to appear in the multi starrer film Raajneeti that opens on 4 June 2010.[15] She is currently filming for Farah Khan‘s Tees Maar Khan along with Akshay Kumar, which is set to release on 24 December 2010

Awards

Nominated

Winner

Honours and Achievements

  • 2005: Face of the Year at Lakme India Fashion Week
  • 2005: Voted Most Luscious Lips in the Film Industry
  • 2008: Most searched Indian celebrity on Google[8]
  • 2008: Voted Sexiest Woman Alive by FHM India
  • 2008: Sexiest Asian Women by British Magazine Eastern Eye
  • 2009: Ranked 48 on Most Desired Woman List by Askmen.com[9]
  • 2009: India’s First Barbie Doll by Mattel[10]
  • 2009: Most Googled celebrity in India leaving Michael Jackson behind
  • 2009: Voted Asia’s Sexiest Women by FHM India
  • 2009: Voted by No.1 Hot & Sexy Herione by Filmfare
  • 2009: Most Searched Celebrity on Bollywood Hungama[11]
  • 2009: Voted Most Desirable Woman on ZOOM’s 50 Most Desirable poll

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2003 Boom Rina Kaif/Popdi Chinchpokli
2004 Malliswari Princess Malliswari Telugu film
2005 Sarkar Pooja
Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya Sonia
Allari Pidugu Shwetha Telugu film
2006 Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye Jia A. Yashvardhan
Balram vs. Taradas Supriya Malayalam film
2007 Namastey London Jasmeet Malhotra (Jazz)
Apne Nandini
Partner Priya Jaisingh
Welcome Sanjana Shetty
2008 Race Sophia
Singh Is Kinng Sonia
Hello The Storyteller/Mysterious Woman/Angel Special appearance
Yuvvraaj Anushka Banton
2009 New York Maya Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Blue Nikki Special appearance
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Jennifer (Jenny)
De Dana Dan Anjali Kakkad
2010 Raajneeti Indu Pratap[19] Post-production
Tees Maar Khan Filming
Running With The Bulls Pre Production

Aishwarya Rai

1 November 1973) is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 1994. During her career, Rai has acted in over forty movies in Hindi, English, Tamil and Bengali including the international productions Bride & Prejudice (2004), The Mistress of Spices (2005), The Last Legion (2007) and The Pink Panther 2 (2009) in English.

Often cited by the media as the most beautiful woman in the world,[2][3][4] Rai made her movie debut in Mani Ratnam‘s Tamil film Iruvar (1997) and had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans (1998). She came to the attention of Bollywood in the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her performance in the film won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. In 2002 she appeared in Bhansali’s next project, Devdas (2002), for which she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award.

After a low phase in her career during 2003–2005, she appeared in the blockbuster Dhoom 2 (2006), which turned out to be her biggest Bollywood commercial success. She later appeared in films like Guru (2007) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008), which were commercially successful and got her critical acclaim. Rai has thus established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Indian film industry.


Aishwarya Rai at a 2008 product launch
Born Aishwarya Rai
1 November 1973 (1973-11-01) (age 36)
Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Other name(s) Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Occupation Actress
Years active 1997 – present
Spouse(s) Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present)

//

Early life

Rai was born in Mangalore to Krishnaraj Rai and Vrinda Rai. She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy and has also co-produced one of Rai’s movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003). At an early age her parents moved to Mumbai where she attended the Arya Vidya Mandir high school in Santa Cruz. Rai then entered Jai Hind College at Churchgate for one year, and then moved to Ruparel College in Matunga to finish her HSC studies. She did well in school and planned to become an architect and went on pursuing studies in architecture. She can communicate in several languages, including her mother tongue Tulu,[5] as well as Hindi, English, Marathi and Tamil.[6] She started studying architecture but gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.[7]

Miss World

While pursuing her studies in architecture, Rai began modelling on the side. In the 1994 Miss India contest, she won the second place behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World. She went on to win the Miss World title the same year, where she also won the Miss Photogenic award. She abandoned her academic education after winning the pageant and spent one year reigning as Miss World in London. Rai then started working as a professional model and then moved on to her current profession as an actress.

Film career

Early career (1997–1998)

Rai made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam‘s Tamil biopic film, Iruvar (1997) with Mohanlal,[8] The controversial film was a critical success and won many awards including Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival, two National Film Awards, and two Filmfare Awards South. Rai appeared in dual roles, opposite veteran actor Mohanlal, with one of her roles being a cinematic depiction of political leader and ex-actress J. Jayalalithaa.[9] Rai made her Bollywood debut in the film, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya opposite Bobby Deol, which also released that year; the film did not do well at the box office,[10] and was also panned by critics. However, her third project, S. Shankar‘s Tamil film, Jeans (1998) was a commercial success. The film was also noted for the song “Poovukkul“, written by Vairamuthu, and some reviews of the music video compared her to prominent world monuments.[11][12]

Success (1999–2005)

In 1999 Rai starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam opposite Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. The film was centered on Rai’s character, Nandini, who is forced to marry Devgan’s character despite being in love with another man (Khan), and as her husband tries to get her to her previous love, she eventually falls for him. Rai’s portrayal won her critical acclaim, with a review on Rediff.com writing, “Aishwarya looks beautiful as usual… This film will most likely draw her accolades from all over, maybe even get her recognised as an actress the way Manisha Koirala did in Khamoshi. In many scenes, there is no trace of makeup and she looks very fresh”.[13] The film also became her first box office success in Bollywood and earned her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her. In the same year she appeared in Subhash Ghai‘s Taal, in which she played the role of a young village girl Mansi, who becomes a big Pop star after being hurt by her lover played by Akshay Khanna, the film was an average performer in India but was a big success among the international audience, especially in the United States, where it became the first Indian film to reach the top 20 on Variety’s box office list.[14] Her performance in the film was praised with Rediff.com writing, “After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. She looks etheral and unlike the former film, has a very sober and soft role. Though she looks pained and tragic in most of the film, she does a good job of a woman who is very protective of her father and one who doesn’t think twice before rejecting a lover who has insulted her father.”[15] She received another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare for her performance in the film.[16]

In 2000, she appeared in Mansoor Khan‘s Josh alongside Shahrukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh, in which she played a Catholic girl named Shirley who falls in love with the sibling of her Brother’s enemy. The film was a commercial success. Later that year she appeared in Satish Kaushik‘s Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai opposite Anil Kapoor. It was a moderate success and her performance earned her a Filmfare Best Actress Award nomination. Later that year she played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra‘s Mohabbatein alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. The film was a major commercial success and became the second-highest grosser of the year, and it earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award nomination. Later that year, she starred in the Tamil film Kandukondain Kandukondain, alongside Mammooty, Ajith Kumar and Tabu.

In 2002, Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay‘s famous novel by the same name. She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist, played by Khan. The film received a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival.[17] It became the highest-grossing film of the year in both India and overseas, earning a revenue of Rs 390 million domestically.[18][19] Devdas won numerous awards, including 10 Filmfare Awards, and Rai received her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance. In 2003, she acted in Rituparno Ghosh‘s Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore‘s novel by the same name. She portrayed the character of a young woman called Binodini, who is left to her own devices when her sickly husband dies soon after they are married.[20] That year she also appeared in her home production Dil Ka Rishta alongside Arjun Rampal and Rohan Sippy‘s Kuch Na Kaho alongside Abhishek Bachchan, none of which succeeded.

In 2004 she appeared in Gurinder Chadha‘s Bollywood-style English adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Bride and Prejudice alongside Martin Henderson. In the film she portrayed the role of Lalita Bakshi, the film’s counterpart of Elizabeth Bennet in Austen’s novel. This was followed by Rajkumar Santoshi‘s Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Jayapradha, in the film she played a negative role for the first time in her career. In the same year she appeared in in her second film with Rituparno Ghosh, Raincoat alongside Ajay Devgan. The film was highly acclaimed by the critics, with Rai receiving rave reviews for her performance.[21]

In 2005 she appeared in Shabd a film based on a love triangle alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan. The film was a box office flop wheraeas it received average reviews from the critics. Her next release that year was Paul Mayeda Berges‘s The Mistress of Spices based upon the novel The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in which she starred alongside Dylan McDermott. The film received negative review by critics and was also a commercial failure. The same year she made a special appearance in Shaad Ali‘s Bunty Aur Babli in a hugely popular seven-minute dance sequence for the song “Kajra Re“, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan.

Recent work (2006–present)

Aishwarya Rai and Rajinikanth at the Machu Picchu, Peru site during a song picturization for Endhiran

In the year 2006, Rai starred in J P Dutta‘s Umrao Jaan, a second film adaptation of the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. She portrayed courtesan and poetess by the same name from 19th century Lucknow. The film was a critical and commercial failure, though Rai’s work was generally well received. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote, “Aishwarya Rai looks ethereal. She has looked heavenly and performed so convincingly. She emotes through her expressive eyes and the consistency in her performance is evident from start to end”.[22] Later that year she appeared as a master thief, Sunheri, in Yash Raj Films‘s Dhoom 2 directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, with an ensemble cast of Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra. The film turned out to be a blockbuster and became the highest grossing film of the year in India, earning revenues of over Rs 770 million domestically.[23] The film also sparked a controversy for a scene containing a kiss between her and Hrithik Roshan.[24] However, Rai’s performance in the film received mostly negative reviews with a reviewer on Rediff.com writing, “Ash’s character too is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions as she accompanies the master thief on potentially dangerous missions. Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it two minutes after appearing in the film—she spoils the image. There is no sensuality anymore, and half an hour later, one wonders what made the master thief fall for her.”[25]. Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 2007 she appeared in Mani Ratnam‘s Guru as Sujata. Speculated to be based on the life of Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, it was a rag to riches story about an ambitious small town man who ends up as the owner of the biggest corporation in India. The film was premièred at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada, making it the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in Canada.[26][27] The film was critically acclaimed and performed well at the box office.[28] Critical reception for Rai was mixed. While Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India wrote that she is “just okay and fails to register the growth in her character”, Rediff.com‘s Raja Sen described it as “arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film’s climax.”[29][30] Rai got her seventh Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for the role. In the same year she starred in Jag Mundhra‘s British film Provoked as Kiranjit Ahluwalia (an NRI woman who killed her abusive husband after facing severe domestic violence) alongside Naveen Andrews. The film was panned by critics and was also a commercial failure, though Rai received positive reviews from critics. In the same year she appeared as a female Indian warrior from Kerala named Mira in Doug Lefler‘s epic film The Last Legion alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster. The film was a critical failure.[31]

Aishwarya Rai at the Cannes Film Festival (2008)

In 2008, she starred alongside Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker‘s historical drama Jodhaa Akbar, a partly fictionalised account of the life of Muslim Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, played by Roshan and his Hindu wife Jodha Bai, played by Rai. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning revenues of over Rs 590 million domestically. Rai’s performance in the film was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand writing, “Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen”.[32] She earned her eighth nomination for Best Actress at the Filmfare for her performance. Later that year she co-starred with husband Abhishek Bachchan and father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan in Ram Gopal Verma‘s Sarkar Raj, a sequel to his previous film Sarkar. She played the CEO of a major power company proposing to establish a new power plant in rural Maharashtra.

In 2009 she appeared in Harald Zwart‘s spy comedy film The Pink Panther 2 playing the role of criminology expert, Sonia Solandres. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics and did a moderate business of $75,871,032 worldwide.[33] As of August 2009, she is slated to appear with Rajinikanth in the Tamil film Endhiran, directed by S. Shankar,[34] with Vikram Kennedy in Mani Ratnam‘s next film, Raavana which is also to be simultaneously made in Hindi, titled Raavan, with Abhishek Bachchan in the lead.[35] She will also appear in Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s Guzaarish opposite Hrithik Roshan,[36] Vipul Shah‘s Action Replay opposite Akshay Kumar, Abhinay Deo’s next film produced by Farhan Akhtar and Vishal Bharadwaj‘s next directorial venture.[37]

In 2009 Rai was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to Indian cinema.[38] In the same year she refused to accept the second-highest Order Of France, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres as her father was suffering from serious illness, and she wanted her whole family to attend the award function.[39] She is only the fourth Indian actor after Amitabh Bachchan, Nandita Das and Shahrukh Khan to be chosen for an Order Of France.[40] In June 2009, she was declared the Female Star of The Decade at the tenth International Indian Film Academy Awards held in Macau.

Other work

In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna.[41] In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.[42]

Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India’s nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.[43]

In 2004 she travelled to Siachen Glacier, which at a height of 13000 ft is the highest battlefield in the world, to boost the morale of the jawans for a special New Year episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan.[44] In 2005, she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate Polio in India.[45]

In February 2005, Rai performed at the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of 2004 tsunami earthquake in company with other Bollywood stars.[46] In 2008 she along with her family laid the foundation of a special school for underprivilged girls in the Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh. The school will be made by her family and is going to be named after her.[47]

She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, as part of a performance showcasing Indian culture, on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[48]

In Summer 2008, Rai joined her husband and father-in-law along with Preity Zinta and Ritesh Deshmukh on the Unforgettable World Tour. The first leg of the tour covered the USA, Canada, London, and Trinidad. The second leg of the tour will most likely happen by the end of this year 2008. Amitabh’s company AB Corp Ltd. along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd are behind the concert.[49]

Personal life

Aishwarya Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan at the IIFA Awards (2007).

In 1999 Aishwarya began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited “abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity” on part of Khan as a reason for ending their relationship, though Khan has denied this.[50]

Rai is married to actor Abhishek Bachchan. After much speculation concerning their relationship, their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007. The announcement was later confirmed by his father Amitabh Bachchan.[51] The couple got married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the South Indian Bunt community, to which she belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence Prateeksha in Juhu, Mumbai. Though the wedding was a private affair intended for the Bachchan and Rai families and friends, the involvement of the media turned it into a national extravaganza. They have been cited as a supercouple in the Indian media.[52][53] Rai has been very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai until her marriage.[54][55]

International media

Rai has been the most popular face of Indian cinema globally. In 2004 she was chosen by Time magazine as one of the World’s “100 Most Influential People”,[56] and appeared on the cover of Time magazine, Asia Edition in 2003.[57] In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London‘s Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.[58] She was the 6th Indian and the second Bollywood personality after her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan to get this honour.

She was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January 2005, which said that “at least according to thousands of Web sites, Internet polls and even Julia Roberts”, she was “The World’s Most Beautiful Woman”.[2] In that same year she became a global brand ambassador of L’Oreal alongside Andie Macdowell, Eva Longoria and Penelope Cruz. The same year, a special Tulip in the Netherlands was named “Aishwarya Rai” after her.[59] Rai became the first Indian to appear on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah’s “Women Across the Globe” segment. In 2005, Harpers and Queen‘s list of 10 Most beautiful women in the world ranked her at the 9th spot.[60] In 2009 she made an appearance on Martha Stewart‘s show Martha.[61] The same year she also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show hosted by Tyra Banks.[62]

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Year Title Language Role Notes
1997 Iruvar Tamil Pushpa / Kalpana
Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya Hindi Ashi Kapoor
1998 Jeans Tamil Madhumita
1999 Aa Ab Laut Chalen Hindi Pooja
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam Hindi Nandini Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Ravoyi Chandamama Telugu Special appearance
Taal Hindi Mansi Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2000 Mela Hindi Champakali Guest appearance
Kandukondain Kandukondain Tamil Meenakshi Bala
Josh Hindi Shirley
Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai Hindi Preeti Virat Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke Hindi Sahiba Grewal
Mohabbatein Hindi Megha Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
2001 Albela Hindi Sonia
2002 Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam Hindi Suman Guest appearance
Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin Hindi Komal Rastogi
23rd March 1931: Shaheed Hindi Special appearance
Devdas Hindi Parvati (Paro) Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Shakti: The Power Hindi Herself Special appearance in song “Ishq Kamina”
2003 Chokher Bali Bengali Binodhini
Dil Ka Rishta Hindi Tia Sharma
Kuch Naa Kaho Hindi Namrata Shrivastav
2004 Bride & Prejudice English Lalita Bakshi
Khakee Hindi Mahalakshmi
Kyun…! Ho Gaya Na Hindi Diya Malhotra
Raincoat Hindi Neerja Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2005 Shabd Hindi Antara Vashist/Tammana
Bunty Aur Babli Hindi Special appearance in the song “Kajra Re
Mistress of Spices English Tilo
2006 Umrao Jaan Hindi Umrao Jaan
Dhoom 2 Hindi Sunehri Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2007 Guru Hindi Sujata Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Provoked English
Hindi
Kiranjit Ahluwalia
The Last Legion English Mira
2008 Jodhaa Akbar Hindi Jodhaa Bai Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
Sarkar Raj Hindi Anita Rajan
2009 The Pink Panther 2 English Sonia Solandres
2010 Endhiran Tamil Sharmili Filming
Raavana Tamil Filming
Raavan Hindi Filming
Action Replay Hindi Filming
Guzaarish Hindi Filming

Top 5 Bollywood Actress

Top 5 Bollywood Actresses
Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai is an iconic actress in Hindi films. With her blockbuster performances in films, Aishwarya won billions and billions of hearts across the world. She is truly a phenomenal global superstar the world has ever seen.
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone, the gorgeous model-turned-actress is one of the most promising actresses in Hindi films. She gained stardom overnight with her dazzling performances which also won her awards & accolades from her fans and critics as well.
Kareena Kapoor Cute Kareena Kapoor is a beautiful actress who dazzled in several Hindi movies with blockbuster performances. Kareena’s awesome acting talents won her multiple awards and honors; and made her one of the most sought after actresses in Hindi films.
Katrina Kaif Katrina Kaif, the stunning beauty is a magnificent Hindi film actress who rose to become the top-notch actress in Hindi films. Katrina Kaif’s magnificent performances have also made her the dream girl of millions of fans across the world.
Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra, the dazzling beauty with a mischievous smile and twinkling eyes is a wonderful actress in Hindi movies. Her exhilarating performances in a number of films have made her the heartthrob of Hindi film audiences and won hundreds and thousands of fans.

Aishwarya Rai: Picture 232
Aishwarya Rai: Picture 231Aishwarya Rai: Picture 230

Bollywood Actress

Aishwarya Rai: Picture 229

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