Name	Sharmila Tagore
Birth date	December 08, 1946
birth place	Hyderabad, Hyderabad State, British India
Occupation	Actress
Othername	Ayesha SultanaAyesha Sultana KhanSharmila Tagore KhanSharmila Khan Ayesha Khan
Birth name	Sharmila Tagore
Spouse	Mansoor Ali Khan (1969–22 September 2011, his death)
Children	Saif Ali KhanSaba Ali KhanSoha Ali Khan
Yearsactive	1959–present }}

Sharmila Tagore (born 8 December 1946) is an Indian film actress. She has won National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her performances. She has led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011. In December 2005 she was chosen as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Early life

Sharmila was born in a Hindu Bengali family in Hyderabad State, British India to Gitindranath Tagore who was then deputy general manager of the British India Company owner of Elgin Mills. Gitindranath was the son of Kanakendranath Tagore who is the son of noted painter Gaganendranath Tagore. She attended St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School and Loreto Convent, Asansol. She is the great-grand niece of noted poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Career

Sharmila began her career as an actress in Satyajit Ray's 1959 Bengali film ''Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)'', as the ill-fated bride of the title character. She appeared in a number of Ray films, often co-starring with Soumitra Chatterjee. She established herself as a popular Hindi film actress with Shakti Samanta's ''Kashmir Ki Kali'' with Shammi Kapoor in 1964. Samanta again cast her in many more hit films, notably ''An Evening in Paris'' (1967), again with Shammi, the first appearance in a bikini of an Indian actress, (Sadhana had appeared in one-piece bathing suit in earlier films) which not only shocked conservative Indian audiences but also set off a wave of bikini-clad actresses carried forward by Parveen Babi (in ''Yeh Nazdeekiyan'', 1982), Zeenat Aman (in ''Heera Panna'', 1973; ''Qurbani'', 1980) and Dimple Kapadia (in ''Bobby'', 1973) but established Tagore's role as somewhat of a sex symbol in Bollywood. Wearing a bikini put her name in the Indian press as one of Bollywood's ten hottest actresses of all time and was a transgression of female identity through a reversal of the state of modesty, which functions as a signifier of femininity in Bombay films. But, when Tagore was the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, she expressed concerns about the rise of the bikini in Indian films.

Samanta later teamed up Tagore with Rajesh Khanna for movies such as ''Aradhana'' (1969) and ''Amar Prem'' (1972). Other directors paired them together in ''Daag'' (1973), ''Maalik'' (1972) and ''Safar'' (1970). She starred in Gulzar's 1975 film, ''Mausam'' and won the National Film Award for Best Actress. She also played a supporting role as heroine Sarita Choudhury's mother in Mira Nair's 1991 film ''Mississippi Masala''.

Her latest release is a Marathi film ''Samaantar'' by Amol Palekar. Her earlier releases were Vidhu Vinod Chopra's ''Eklavya: The Royal Guard'', which brought together real-life mother and son, Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan. They shared screen space for the first time since ''Aashiq Awara'' (1993).

Personal life

Tagore married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Nawab of Pataudi, a former captain of the Indian cricket team, in a ceremony held on 27 December 1969. They have three children: Saif Ali Khan (b. 1970), Saba Ali Khan (b. 1976) and Soha Ali Khan (b. 1978). Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died, at age 70, on 22 September 2011.

Awards

1969 - Filmfare Best Actress Award — ''Aradhana''

1970 - Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award — ''Safar''

1976 - National Film Award for Best Actress — ''Mausam ''

1997 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

2002 - Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award

2004 - National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress — ''Abar Aranye''

2004 - Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France

2006 - Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award — ''Viruddh... Family Comes First''

2007 - Lifetime Achievement National Award (Actress) — Journalist Association of India

2011 - Outstanding Achievement in Indian cinema — Floriana IIFA Awards, Toronto

Filmography

Full list of Sharmila Tagore's film career is available at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0846616/

Satyajit Ray ''Devi (1960 film) ''Nirjan Saikate'' ''Chhaya Shurjo'' ''Kashmir Ki Kali'' ''Waqt (1965 film) ''Anupama (1966 film) Mohan Sehgal Satyajit Ray ''An Evening in Paris'' Suraj Prakash ''Yakeen (1969 film)Hrishikesh MukherjeeShakti Samanta ''Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest)'' ''Safar (film) ''Seemabaddha'' K.B. Tilak ''Amar Prem'' ''Daag: A Poem of LoveManmohan Desai ''Mausam (1975 film)Hrishikesh Mukherjee Shanker Mukherjee ''Amanush'' ''Besharam'' ''Dooriyaan'' ''Namkeen''Manmohan Desai ''Sunny'' ''Anurodh'' ''Mississippi Masala'' ''Aashiq Awara'' ''Mann (film) ''Dhadkan'' ''Shubho Mahurat'' ''Viruddh... Family Comes First'' ''Eklavya: The Royal Guard'' ''Fool and Final'' ''Tasveer 8*10'' ''Antaheen'' ''Morning Walk'' Amol Palekar ''Break Ke Baad''

Year !! Film !! Director !! Role !! Other notes
1959	''Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)''	|	Aparna	Bengali
1960	Devi / The Goddess'' ||	Satyajit Ray	Doyamoyee	Bengali
1963	|	Tapan Sinha	Renu	Bengali
1963	|		Ghentoo	Bengali
1964	|	Shakti Samanta	Champa
1965	Waqt'' ||	Yash Chopra	Renu Khanna
rowspan=4	1966	Anupama'' ||	Hrishikesh Mukherjee	Uma Sharma
''Devar''	|
''Nayak (1966 film)	Nayak''	|	Aditi
''Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi''	|
rowspan=2	1967	|	Shakti Samanta	Deepa Malik/Roopa Malik (Suzy)
''Aamne Samne (1967 film)	Aamne Saamne''	|
rowspan=3	1969	Yakeen'' ||	Brij	Rita
''Satyakam''	|	Ranjana
''Aradhana (1969 film)	Aradhana''	|	Vandhana Tripathi	Winner, Filmfare Best Actress Award''
1970	|	Satyajit Ray	Aparna
1970	Safar'' ||	Asit Sen (director)>Asit Sen	Neela Kapoor	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
rowspan=2	1971	|	Satyajit Ray	Tutul
''Chhoti Bahu''	|	Radha
rowspan=2	1972	|	Shakti Samanta	Pushpa
''Dastaan''	B.R.Chopra
rowspan=2	1973	Daag''||	Yash Chopra	Sonia Kohli
''Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973 film)	Aa Gale Lag Jaa''	|	Preeti
rowspan=3	1975	Mausam'' ||	Gulzar	Chanda/Kajli	Winner, National Film Award for Best Actress
''Chupke Chupke''	|	Sulekha Chaturvedi
''Faraar''	|	Mala/Asha
1977	|	Shakti Samanta	Rekha
1978	|	Deven Verma	Rinku/Monica
1979	|	Bhimsain Khurana
rowspan=2	1982	|	Gulzar	Nimki
''Desh Premee''	|	Bharti
1984	|		Sunny's mother
1987	|		Bengali
1991	|	Mira Nair	Kinnu
1993	|	Umesh Mehra	Mrs. Singh
1999	Mann'' ||	Indra Kumar	Dev's grandmother
2000	|	Dharmesh Darshan	Dev's mother
2003	|	Rituparno Ghosh	Padmini Chowdhury	Bengali
2005	|	Mahesh Manjrekar	Sumitra Patwardhan	Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award
2006	|	Vidhu Vinod Chopra	Suhasinidevi
2007	|	Ahmed Khan	Bhabi
2008	|	Nagesh Kukunoor	Savithri Puri
2009	|			Bengali
rowspan=2	2009	|	Arup Dutta	Neelima
''Samaantar''	|	Shama Vaze	Marathi
2010	|	Danish Aslam	Ayesha Khan

See also

List of Indian film actresses

References

External links

Biography from satyajitray.org

Being Sharmila

Category:Bengali actors Category:Bengali film actors Category:Bengali people Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Converts to Islam Category:Indian Muslims Category:Hindi film actors Category:People from Hyderabad, India Category:People from Mumbai Category:UNICEF people Category:Indian people of Bangladeshi descent Category:Tagore family

bn:শর্মিলা ঠাকুর de:Sharmila Tagore dv:ޝަރުމީލާ ޓޭގަރު es:Sharmila Tagore fr:Sharmila Tagore hi:शर्मिला टैगोर it:Sharmila Tagore ml:ശർമിള ടാഗോർ mr:शर्मिला टागोर ps:شرميلا تاګور pl:Sharmila Tagore ta:ஷர்மிளா தாகூர்

name	Hrithik Roshan
birth date	January 10, 1974
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
yearsactive	1980–1986 ''(child artist)'' 2000–present
spouse	Suzanne Khan (2000 – present)
children	2
occupation	Actor }}

Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian film actor. Having appeared as a child actor in several films throughout the 1980s, Roshan made his film debut in a leading role in ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' in 2000. His performance in the film earned him Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and Best Male Debut. He followed it with leading roles in ''Fiza'' and ''Mission Kashmir'' (both 2000) and a supporting part in the blockbuster ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001), which was India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market up to then.

Following through with several unnoticed performances from 2002 to 2003, he starred in the blockbusters ''Koi... Mil Gaya'' (2003) and its sequel ''Krrish'' (2006), both of which won him numerous Best Actor awards. Roshan received his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2006 for his performance in the action film ''Dhoom 2'', his biggest commercial success to date, and his fourth for ''Jodhaa Akbar'', for which he was also awarded at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival. These accomplishments have established him as one of the leading contemporary actors of Hindi cinema. He later received further acclaim for his work in ''Guzaarish'' (2010), ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'' (2011) and ''Agneepath'' (2012).

Biography

Early career, until 1999

Roshan's first movie role was as a child artist when he was six years old in the 1980s movie ''Aasha'', where he appeared in a dance sequence as an extra. Roshan went on to play minor roles in ''Aap Ke Deewane'' (1980) and ''Bhagwan Dada'' (1986) both of which starred his father Rakesh Roshan in the leading role. He then became an assistant director assisting in the production of his father's films ''Karan Arjun'' (1995) and ''Koyla'' (1997).

Breakthrough, 2000–2002

In 2000, Roshan made his film debut as the leading man in the film ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' opposite another debutante actress Amisha Patel. The film, which was directed by his father and saw him playing a double role, proved to be very successful at the box office and was declared a blockbuster, it also became the highest grossing film of 2000 and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan's performance was well-received, and the film made him an overnight star. He eventually received both the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the role. The film entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of awards won by a Bollywood film – 102 awards.

Later that year, Roshan starred in Khalid Mohammed's ''Fiza''. Although the film did poorly at the box office, his performance was praised, earning him another nomination for ''Best Actor'' at the Filmfare ceremony. Taran Adarsh from ''indiaFM'' noted, "The mainstay of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan. His body language, his diction, his expressions, his overall persona deserves great praise. With this film, Hrithik proves that there is more to him than just being a fashionable rage, a Mills & Boon lover-boy and a sex symbol. His talent comes to the fore in several scenes, especially those with Karisma. All said and done, the show belongs to Hrithik, who saves ''Fiza'' to a major extent. A brilliant performance undoubtedly!"

Roshan's last release of the year, ''Mission Kashmir'', became the third highest grossing film of the year. His performance was once again acclaimed with one critic praising him, "Hrithik once again cuts a splendid performance as a youngster sucked in the vortex of terrorism. He is portrayed as anti-government in the early part of the film-- a bold role to play for even a seasoned actor, leave alone a budding superstar." All these achievements promoted him as one of the biggest stars in the industry.

Subhash Ghai's ''Yaadein'' was his first release in 2001. This was followed by Karan Johar's melodramatic ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'', which did extremely well at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2001 and the biggest hit overseas. Roshan's performance was well received and his performance earned him a nomination for ''Best Supporting Actor'' at various award ceremonies.

Roshan had an unsuccessful year in 2002 when all three of his releases – ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'', ''Na Tum Jaano Na Hum'' and ''Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage'' – failed to make an impact the box office and were declared flops.

Success, 2003–present

In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film ''Koi... Mil Gaya'', which saw him playing a mentally disabled young man. The film was the highest grosser of the year and won him many awards, including his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor and his first Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. Taran Adarsh noted, "Hrithik Roshan dominates the show and packs in a power-packed performance. The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water. He manages to pull off the zero to hero routine exceptionally well. As an actor, he scales dizzier heights with this splendid performance." His performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare. Farhan Akhtar's ''Lakshya'' was Roshan's only release in 2004; the film was critically acclaimed but did not do well at the box office. His performance was praised by critics. and again, was included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by Filmfare.

Roshan took a two-year break from acting before resurfacing with the superhero film ''Krrish'' opposite Priyanka Chopra. A sequel to his 2003 film ''Koi... Mil Gaya'', the film was a major box office success and became the second highest grosser of 2006. His performance as a superhero was praised, earning him many ''Best Actor'' awards at various award ceremonies, including Star Screen and the International Indian Film Academy. ''IndiaFM'' wrote, "To state that Hrithik is the soul of ''Krrish'' would be an understatement. If the actor walked away with all noteworthy awards in ''Koi... Mil Gaya'', it's going to be an encore with ''Krrish''. You cannot imagine any other actor enacting the role of a gifted child with aplomb. If his mask and robe look is splendid, watch his makeup, gait and mannerisms as the aged father and you had agree, he's one of the finest talents on the Indian screen today. ''Krrish'' is yet another ground-breaking film in his dazzling repertoire!"

His next film that year was ''Dhoom 2'', a sequel to the 2004 ''Dhoom''. Featured opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Roshan's performance in the movie not only earned him widespread critical acclaim, but also his third Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film went on to become the highest grossing film of 2006, as well as one of the most successful films of Bollywood.

In 2008, Roshan featured in Ashutosh Gowariker's ''Jodhaa Akbar'' opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. He played the historical role of Akbar the Great. The movie did very good business, both in India and abroad. His performance in the movie was widely appreciated by critics, earning him his fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award as well as his first international award for Best Actor at the Golden Minbar International Film Festival in Kazan, Russia.

Roshan then appeared in Zoya Akhtar's ''Luck by Chance'' (2009), in which he made a guest appearance. The following year, he was seen in Anurag Basu's ''Kites'' along with Mexican actress Bárbara Mori and Kangna Ranaut. The film failed to do well at the box office after taking a huge start and was eventually declared a flop. He next acted in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Guzaarish'' opposite Aishwarya Rai. Upon release, the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and Roshan's portrayal of Ethan Mascarenhas, a quadriplegic patient earned him several ''Best Actor'' nominations at various award ceremonies.

In July 2011, he appeared in Zoya Akhtar's ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'' alongside Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin. The film opened to positive reviews, and Roshan's portrayal was praised. According to Rajeev Masand, "Hrithik Roshan once again brings real depth to his character with a spectacular performance. He’s shy and restrained, then lets go with such fantastic intensity that you make the inward journey with his character". The film was declared as "super-hit" in both in India and Overseas. In the same year Roshan featured as a judge for the dance competition reality show, ''Just Dance'' along with Farah Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant. The show got the highest opening (a cumulative TRP of 4.7) for a reality show that year for which he was voted as the best TV host by a poll conducted by Ormax Media. In 2012, he then appeared in ''Agneepath'' in which he reprise the role of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan opposite Priyanka Chopra. The film has taken a historic opening and has broken all opening-day records.

Besides acting, Roshan made his debut as a singer in ''Kites'', and has also sung in the films ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'' and ''Guzaarish''.

Personal life

Roshan was born in Mumbai to a Hindu family of cinema personalities. His father, film director Rakesh Roshan, is the son of music director Roshan, while his mother, Pinky, is the daughter of producer and director J. Om Prakash. Hrithik has an ''elder'' sister, Sunaina. His uncle Rajesh Roshan is a famous music director. As a child, Roshan attended the Bombay Scottish School. He later attended Sydenham College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Commerce.

During an interview he revealed that his childhood was traumatized because of stammering, a defect that surfaced when he was around six years old and plagues him even today. "For oral tests at school, I used to bunk school, I used to fall sick, I used to break my hand, I used to get a sprain" the actor said. He however said that things improved for him gradually, after he started practicing speech therapies on a daily basis.

Roshan is married to Suzanne (Khan) Roshan, owner of ''Suzanne Roshan's House of Design'' and daughter of actor Sanjay Khan. Hrithik got married to Suzanne on 20 December 2000. The couple have two sons, Hrehaan, born in 2006 and Hridhaan born in 2008. Roshan has two thumbs on his right hand. Although it is usually hidden in his films, it was not hidden in ''Koi... Mil Gaya'', and was even used as a minor plot point, as Jaadu the alien was also designed to have two thumbs.

Awards and honours

Among other awards, Roshan has won six Filmfare Awards, four of which are in the Best Actor category.

A life-size wax figure was installed at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum on 20 January 2011, making him the fifth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

Filmography

''Aap Ke Deewane'' ''Bhagwan Dada (film) ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' ''Fiza'' ''Mission Kashmir'' ''Yaadein (2001 film) ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' ''Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage'' ''Na Tum Jaano Na Hum'' ''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!'' ''Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon'' ''Koi... Mil Gaya'' ''Lakshya (film) ''Krrish'' ''Dhoom 2'' ''I See You (film) ''Jodhaa Akbar'' ''Krazzy 4'' ''Luck by Chance'' ''Kites (film) ''Guzaarish'' ''Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'' ''Don 2'' ''Agneepath (2012 film) ''Krrish 3''

Year !! Film !! Role !! Other notes
1980	''Aasha''	Sunny (Child artist)
1980	|	Child artist
1986	Bhagwan Dada'' ||	Govinda (Child artist)
2000	|	Rohit/Raj Chopra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut
2000	|	Amaan Ikramullah	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2000	|	Altaaf Khan
2001	Yaadein'' ||	Ronit Malhotra
2001	|	Rohan Raichand	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
2002	|	Rohit
2002	|	Rahul Sharma
2002	|	Raj Khanna
2003	|	Prem Kishen Mathur
2003	|	Rohit Mehra	Filmfare Award for Best Actor Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
2004	Lakshya'' ||	Karan Shergill	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006	|	Krishna Mehra (Krrish)/ Rohit Mehra	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006	|	Aryan Singh/Mr.A	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2006	I See You'' ||		Special appearance in song "Subah Subah"
2008	|	Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar	Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2008	|		Special appearance in song "Krazzy 4"
2009	|	Ali Zaffar Khan
2010	Kites'' ||	Jai Singhania
2010	|	Ethan Mascarenhas	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2011	|	Arjun Saluja	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2011	|		Special appearance
2012	Agneepath'' ||	Vijay Deenanath Chauhan
2013	|	Krishna Mehra/Krrish	Filming

See also

List of Indian Actors

References

External links

Category:1974 births Category:Indian film actors Category:Living people Category:Indian child actors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Indian actors Category:Indian Hindus Category:Hindi film actors Category:Filmfare Awards winners

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name	Kareena Kapoor
birth date	September 21, 1980
birth place	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
occupation	Film actress
years active	2000–present
partner	Saif Ali Khan (2007–present)
signature	KareenaKapoor sig.jpg
signature alt	"Kareena Kapoor"
website	}}

Kareena Kapoor (pronounced ; born on 21 September 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. During her career, Kapoor has been noted for her performances in a range of film genres; these include her work from contemporary romantic dramas to comedies, period films to major Bollywood productions, as well as less publicised independent films.

Born into a family where her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age, but did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film ''Refugee''. Her melodrama ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' became India's highest-grossing film in the overseas market in 2001, and is one of her biggest commercial successes to date. After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles, Kapoor accepted more demanding parts in order to avoid being typecast, and was consequently recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility as an actress. Her portrayal of a sex worker in ''Chameli'' (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and she was later noted for her performances in the critically acclaimed projects ''Dev'' (2004) and ''Omkara'' (2006). She went on to play the lead female role in the Imtiaz Ali-directed romantic comedy ''Jab We Met'' (2007), for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and the drama ''3 Idiots'' (2009), which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

Inspired by Bollywood actresses like Nargis and Meena Kumari, as well as her sister Karisma, Kapoor is well-recognized for her fashion style and her film roles, both of which have contributed in making her a style icon for young girls and women. Her contributions to the film industry have garnered her numerous achievements including six Filmfare Awards, among nine nominations, making her a leading actress of Hindi cinema. In addition to film acting, Kapoor is a regular stage performer and has launched her own clothing line in association with being the former brand ambassador for the retail chain Globus. Her off-screen life, including her relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan, is the subject of wide media coverage in India.

Early life and background

Born in Mumbai, India, on 21 September 1980, into the Kapoor film family, Kapoor is the younger daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita (''née'' Shivdasani); her elder sister Karisma, is also an actress. Often informally referred to as ''Bebo'', she is the granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor and niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. According to Kapoor, the name "Kareena" was derived from the book ''Anna Karenina'', which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. She is of Punjabi descent from her father's side and on her mother's side she is Sindhi.

As a child, she had strong aspirations to become an actress, and was particularly inspired by watching the films of Bollywood actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari. Kapoor, who describes herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", would regularly dress up in her mother's clothes and perform in front of the mirror. Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering the acting profession because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family. This led to a conflict between her parents and resulted in Kapoor's mother leaving the house with her daughters. After her parents' separation, she was raised in Lokhandwala by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991. In an interview with Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor said that growing up in a household filled with women helped her become strong and independent. Following her parents' reconciliation in October 2007, Kapoor explained that they "were never officially divorced ... [but] ... liv[ed] separately." Asked about the relationship she shared with her father, Kapoor remarked, "My father is ... an important factor in my life. [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."

Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai before progressing to Welham Girls Boarding School in Dehradun. She later recalled, "I learnt so much from being at Welham", and described her experience there as "one of the finest parts of my life". According to Kapoor, she was a good student and received first-class honours in all subjects except mathematics. Upon graduating from the boarding school, she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College in Vile Parle, Mumbai, but later confessed that she only studied there because she was close to her family. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States. She later developed an interest in law and enrolled at the Government Law College in Churchgate; during this period she became immersed in law books and developed a long-lasting passion for reading. However, after completing one year at Churchgate, Kapoor realized that she was not inclined towards academics and returned to her initial plan to become an actress. She began training at an acting institute in Andheri, mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

Acting career

2000–03: Debut and breakthrough

Kapoor was initially scheduled to make her debut in Rakesh Roshan's ''Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'' (2000), opposite the director's son Hrithik Roshan. Several days into the filming, however, 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."

She made her debut later that year in J.P. Dutta's war drama ''Refugee'', alongside Abhishek Bachchan. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man known simply as "Refugee", who 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 with her family. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote that 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 is no denying the fact that she is a natural performer who is very camera friendly." On the experience of making her first film, she described it as "...tough ... [but] also a great learning experience." ''Refugee'' became the fifth highest-grossing film in India in 2000, and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.

In 2001, Kapoor appeared opposite Tusshar Kapoor in the romantic drama ''Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai'', which became one of the highest earners of the year. A review in ''The Hindu'', in regards to her performance, noted that she was "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." 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. The film was met with negative reactions from reviewers and garnered poor box office returns. Kapoor then appeared in the Abbas-Mustan thriller ''Ajnabee''. The feature was adapted from the 1992 American thriller film ''Consenting Adults'', and was a moderate box office success in India.

Later in the year, she played the female lead in Santosh Sivan's period epic ''Asoka'', a partly fictionalized account of the life of Ashoka the Great. It was widely screened across the United Kingdom and North America, and was also selected for screening at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan who played Ashoka, Kapoor portrayed the character of Kaurwaki—a princess of Kalinga with whom Ashoka falls in love—and received her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. While the film received generally positive reviews, Kapoor's performance received a mixed reaction from 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." Meanwhile, David Rooney from ''Variety'' wrote, "Kapoor plays ornately tattooed Kaurwaki as a lively mix of flirtatious coquette and feisty warrior woman, kind of like J.Lo meets Michelle Yeoh."

Her final release of 2001 was ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'', a melodrama, in which she featured as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Karan Johar, the film was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year, as well as Kapoor's highest-grossing film up until then. It also performed well internationally and became one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over worldwide. Kapoor's performance as "Poo", a good-natured but superficial girl, was described as "one of the main ... highlights of the film", and her portrayal earned her a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress nomination.

During 2002 and 2003, Kapoor experienced a setback in her career. She was 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. Kapoor's performances were often identified by critics as unoriginal and repetitive, with little inspiration. 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.

2004–06: Critical acclaim

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. Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor portrayed the role of a prostitute in ''Chameli''. The film relates the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker (played by Rahul Bose), and follows the development of their relationship as they share their devastating life experiences. When Kapoor was initially offered the film, she refused it, stating that she wouldn't be comfortable playing the role. However, when the director again approached her a year later, she agreed to do the film and viewed it as an opportunity to show the range of her acting skills. To prepare for the role, she visited several of Mumbai's red-light areas at night to study the dress and mannerisms of sex workers. Upon release, the film and Kapoor's performance opened to predominantly positive reviews by critics, with the ''Indiatimes'' praising her "intuitive brilliance" and stating that she had exceeded all expectations. Another reviewer, however 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. Nonetheless, Kapoor's portrayal of Chameli garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award and the film marked a significant turning point in her career as an actress.

She next co-starred in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project ''Yuva'' alongside Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji and Esha Deol. The film, consisting of three chapters, tells the story of six individuals linked by a car accident. Kapoor is featured in the third chapter as Oberoi's love interest, Mira, a young witty woman. In a review published by ''The Times of India'', film critic Subhash K Jha described her role as "fey and insubstantial", but further stated that "she turns these character traits to her own advantage to create a girl who is at once enigmatic and all-there, a bit like the film itself which is both mysterious and voluptuous". She 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. Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh, a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case. It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress, 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."

Shortly afterwards, she was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller ''Fida''. The film follows the story of an on-line robbery and the Mumbai underworld with which her character Neha Mehra becomes involved. During the filming of ''Fida'', Kapoor entered into a relationship with actor Shahid Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life." Although the film did not succeed at the box office, Kapoor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with some critics noting a distinct progression from her earlier roles. Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's thriller ''Aitraaz'' and Priyadarshan's comedy ''Hulchul'', both of which did well at the Indian box office. Following the success of her last two releases, she was cast as the protagonist in the 2005 drama ''Bewafaa''. The feature received mostly negative reviews and Kapoor's portrayal of Anjali Sahai, an unfaithful woman, was not well-received. 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 woman of her age. She then starred in Priyadarshan's romantic drama ''Kyon Ki'', a film that 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, though Kapoor's performance was generally enjoyed by critics, with the ''BBC'' reporting that she is "[...] a pure natural when it comes to acting."

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. 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. The film premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. ''Omkara'' was embraced by critics and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Screen Award; her performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by ''Filmfare''. 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.

Following ''Omkara'', she stopped acting for a short time, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes". In an interview with ''The Times of India'', Kapoor commented, "In my initial years in the industry, I pushed myself to do a lot of work because I was greedy. I did some films – which I now regret – purely for the money. Today, I want to do selective films"; she later described this period as a way of "finally getting to do the things I have always wanted to do."

2007–present: ''Jab We Met'' and other works

Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life, in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy ''Jab We Met'' (2007). Featured opposite Shahid Kapoor, the film relates the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year's most successful films, with a domestic box office of . Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including her second Screen Award as well as the Filmfare 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." While shooting for ''Jab We Met'', Kapoor and Shahid ended their three-year relationship. Asked in ''Mumbai Mirror'' about their well-publicized break-up, she stated that "I hold him in utmost regard, and I hope one day we could be good friends. He is a great guy." During this period, speculation began to surface that she was dating actor Saif Ali Khan, her co-star in the film ''Tashan''; Khan later confirmed their relationship to the media during Manish Malhotra's grand finale show at the ''2007 Lakme Fashion Week''.

The following year, she co-starred alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller ''Tashan''. Though a poll conducted by Bollywood Hungama named it as the most anticipated release of the year, the film eventually became a commercial and critical failure. She 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. In preparation for the role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor then appeared in Rohit Shetty's comedy ''Golmaal Returns'', the sequel to the 2006 film ''Golmaal: Fun Unlimited''. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi and Tusshar Kapoor, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received an ambivalent 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." ''Golmaal Returns'' was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of internationally.

In 2009, Kapoor was cast as Simrita Rai opposite Akshay Kumar in Sabbir Khan's battle of the sexes comedy ''Kambakkht Ishq''. Set in Los Angeles, California, it became the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California, and featured several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. The film earned over worldwide, but was a critical failure. ''The Times of India'' described her performance as "a complete let-down" and further stated that "despite her haute-coutured look, micro minis [and] pencil heels, she comes across as a completely unconvincing supermodel cum surgeon." She next played the leading female role in the dramatic thriller ''Kurbaan'', alongside Saif Ali Khan and Vivek Oberoi. The film, which marked the directorial debut of Rensil D'Silva, featured Kapoor in the role of Avantika Ahuja, a woman who is confined to house arrest after finding out that her husband is a terrorist. She described the film as "an emotionally draining experience", which did not let her disconnect from her character during shooting. Upon release, the film was critically embraced and Kapoor received her fourth Filmfare Best Actress nomination. According to Subhash K Jha, "''Kurbaan'' belongs to Kareena Kapoor. In her most consistently-pitched performance to date she pulls out all stops to play a betrayed wife with splendid sensitivity. Kareena accommodates her radiant beauty into an utterly credible character and performance. At her best, Kareena is incomparable. She proves it in ''Kurbaan''."

Her final release of the year was Rajkumar Hirani's drama ''3 Idiots'', a film loosely based on the novel ''Five Point Someone'' by Chetan Bhagat. Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor starred as Pia, an independent-minded medical student and Khan's love interest. On acting alongside Khan, Kapoor revealed that it was "a dream come true" and further stated that her journey as an actress was "finally complete". The feature received much critical devotion and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, grossing at the Indian box office. It also did well internationally and earned over , the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market. ''The Deccan Herald'' opined that Kapoor "brings a dollop of sunshine and feminine grace to an otherwise masculine tale. She is so spunky and spontaneous you wish there was room for more of her." During the 55th Filmfare Awards, Kapoor received another ''Best Actress'' nomination for her role.

In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''Milenge Milenge'', a production that had been delayed since 2005. The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Kapoor's role was small and was not well-received. She next took the supporting role of the career-oriented Shreya Arora in ''We Are Family'', the Hindi adaptation of the 1998 Hollywood release ''Stepmom''. Prior to working on the project, Kapoor explained that she did not want to watch the original film in an attempt to "interpret the role...in my own style". Reaction to the film was mostly lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews and ultimately won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress; Priyanka Roy of ''The Telegraph'' wrote: Kapoor "breathes life and a new-found maturity into what is largely a uni-dimensional character lacking depth." At the end of the year, she reunited with director Rohit Shetty for his sequel to the 2008 release ''Golmaal Returns''. Like its predecessor, the project was met with mixed reactions from reviewers, though became the most successful entry in the ''Golmaal'' film series, earning more than domestically. For her portrayal of the tomboy Daboo, Kapoor went on to receive several ''Best Actress'' nominations at a number of award ceremonies, including Filmfare.

Kapoor received further success in 2011 by starring as the love interest of Salman Khan in the romantic drama ''Bodyguard'', a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The project opened to mixed reviews upon release, though became the most popular film of the year, with a domestic total of . In a review published by ''Mint'', film critic Sanjukta Sharma dismissed Kapoor's role as the "sacrificial, ornamental [and] submissive female" whilst ''MiD DAY'' referred to her as "bright", arguing that she "actually manages to bring her caricature of a role alive." She next appeared in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction film ''Ra.One'', alongside Shahrukh Khan. The film, which follows the story of a London-based videogame designer who creates the strongest villain—only to later realize that it has escaped from the game, saw the use of several new visual effects never seen before in the cinematic history of Bollywood, and became the most expensive Hindi film ever produced. With revenues of over worldwide, ''Ra.One'' went on to become one of the highest earners of the year and Kapoor's fourth major success in three consecutive years.

She followed it by playing the female lead in Shakun Batra's directorial debut ''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu'' (2012), alongside Imran Khan. Produced by Dharma Productions, the romantic comedy is set in Las Vegas and tells the story of two strangers who accidentally get married one night after getting drunk. Kapoor essayed the role of the quick-witted hairstylist Riana Braganza. In an interview with ''The Times of India'', Kapoor explained that she was drawn to the relatable qualities of her character: "Riana knows what she is doing. Even though she does not have a house or a job, she is a positive person... very similar to the way I am." Upon release, the film was greeted with positive reviews and was an economic success, earning over internationally. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' found her "endearingly natural" while Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com asserted that "after doing ornamental roles in films like ''Bodyguard'' and ''Ra.One'', it is nice to see the spunky actress in her element again since ''Jab We Met''. Though vivacious, her Riana isn't a child-woman like Geet but a free-spirited, unflappable adult armed with plucky impulses and scrumptious smile that helps Rahul come-of-age and ''Ek Main Au Ekk Tu'' worth a helping."

Following the completion of Sriram Raghavan's ''Agent Vinod'', Kapoor began working on Madhur Bhandarkar's drama ''Heroine'' in November 2011. Originally the first choice for her role, she was initially not able to take on the project due to a scheduling conflict with ''Bodyguard'' and ''Ra.One'', and was later replaced by Aishwarya Rai. Several days after production began, Rai left the film due to her pregnancy, enabling Kapoor to rejoin the film.

Off-screen work

Stage performances

Kapoor has been part of several stage shows and world tours since 2002. Her first world tour, the ''Heartthrobs: Live in Concert'', was successfully performed across the United States and Canada alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. At the end of the year, she performed alongside several Bollywood stars at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa, for the show ''Now or Never''. Four years later, Kapoor took part in the ''Rockstars Concert'' world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The concert was showcased in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, United States and Canada, and went on to become a success. In 2008, Kapoor participated in Shahrukh Khan's ''Temptation Reloaded 2008'', a series of concerts showcased across several different countries. The show, which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar, took place at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Several months later, she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.

Humanitarian work

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has been involved with various humanitarian causes. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the ''Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert'', a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, while 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. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawan troops 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. During her 2010 appearance at the ''NDTV Greenathon'', Kapoor adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh to provide them with electricity. While there, she also raised awareness on creating a greener future for the environment. Several months later, Kapoor was roped in by UNESCO and FIFA for their international campaign, ''1GOAL Education for All''. The project consisted of a group of individuals raising public awareness and involvement in achieving education for children. Upon joining the project, she said: "Education is a way to emancipation. It is not just freedom from poverty but also from hopelessness. Countries in Southeast Asia have a high level of poverty [...] and we should do something to help erase this. I would like to contribute in some way or other to help spread this awareness." In March 2011, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, Kapoor was appointed as the brand ambassador of the ''Shakti'' campaign, a project launched by the television company, NDTV, to help fight violence against women.

Clothing line

In August 2007, Kapoor replaced actress Soha Ali Khan, when she was hired as the brand ambassador for the clothing chain Globus on a two-year contract. Vinay Nadkarni, CEO of Globus Stores Pvt Ltd, explained that in an attempt to move away from being a multi-branded retail chain to adopting a single brand strategy for its stores, the clothing chain decided to appoint a different brand ambassador for its new business ventures. On being appointed by Globus, Kapoor commented, "I am delighted to be the face of Globus [...] I look forward to spreading this new language of fashion across the nation". Since her start, it was reported that the brand had experienced a 75 percent increase in sales.

Several months later, Kapoor announced that she would be launching her own line of clothing, thus becoming the first Indian actress to do so. She said, "I will be launching my exclusive line of clothes soon and I am quite sure people will like it. My clothing line is very reflective of my personal sense of style and will have my label on it. Just like I am pretty casual about my dressing, my line will also consist of an extremely wearable yet stylish collection. I am taking out this line in association with Globus, a brand that I am also the ambassadress for". Kapoor further stated that she would also be involved in the planning and designing process of the clothing as well. Her clothing line debuted several months later in stores across India and was well-received by the public. Following the end of her contract with Globus, Kapoor expressed her desire of working with an international design house to release her clothing line internationally; she later explained that her plans had to be put on hold due to prior commitments.

In the media

Hailing from a family deeply involved in the Bollywood film industry, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. As a child, Kapoor regularly attended award ceremonies and events with her mother Babita and sister Karisma Kapoor, and would also accompany her sister on set during filming. In an interview with ''Filmfare'', she said that growing up in a film family helped her develop a sense of professionalism towards her work and remain grounded as a human being. Kapoor's off-screen life has been subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her weight and diet. She also created headlines with her much publicized breakup with Shahid Kapoor and her subsequent relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan. Often referred to as India's "Brangelina" ("Saifeena") by the press, her relationship with Khan has become one of the most reported celebrity stories in India since 2007. 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 with no reservations.

As one of her most distinctive physical features, Kapoor's lips have been cited by the Indian media as her trademark. Her off-screen image has been open to much debate and criticism. While a section of the press has described her as friendly and extremely close to her family, others have described her as arrogant and vain, an image she gained after the portrayal of her snobbish character "Poo" in ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001). She subsequently went on to play similar characters in her films from 2002–03, which further established her off-screen as well as her on-screen image as an actress. Prior to the release of ''Chameli'' (2004), in which she played the role of a sex worker, Kapoor stated that, "there is a certain image that people identify you with. It always follows you whichever role you play. I am trying to transgress this image and become more screen-friendly than image-friendly." Following the release of ''Chameli'', which helped her gain a new on-screen image, Kapoor was asked about her off-screen image. During an interview, she explained that as a child she was always taught to be self-confident, a trait she says was often misunderstood by the media for her arrogance.

In 2004, Kapoor appeared third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars". She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005–2006 respectively, and came back to the third position in 2007. She has been featured frequently on other Rediff lists, including "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women" and "Women of Many Faces". Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India. Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young girls and women. In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper ''DNA'', she was voted as one of India's most popular icons. According to the UK magazine ''Eastern Eye'', Kapoor was ranked fourth in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2009; she had been previously ranked eighth in 2007 and third in 2008. She became the only actress to be featured on CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India" and was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by ''People'' in 2010. In July 2010, Kapoor was placed eighth in ''Filmfare Magazine'''s annual power list, an achievement she repeated from the previous year, where she was ranked at number ten.

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
2000		Nazneen "Naaz" Ahmed	Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut
2001	''Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai''	Pooja Saxena
2001		Isha Singh Puri
2001		Priya Malhotra
2001		Kaurwaki	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2001	''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''	Pooja "Poo" Sharma	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2002	''Mujhse Dosti Karoge!''	Tina Kapoor
2002	''Jeena Sirf Merre Liye''	Pooja / Pinky
2003	''Talaash: The Hunt Begins...''	Tina
2003		Khushi Singh (Lali)
2003	''Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon''	Sanjana
2003	''LOC Kargil''	Simran
2004		Chameli
2004	''Yuva''	Mira
2004		Aaliya	Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress
2004	''Fida''	Neha Mehra
2004	''Aitraaz''	Priya Saxena / Malhotra
2004		Anjali
2005	''Bewafaa''	Anjali Sahai
2005	''Kyon Ki''	Dr. Tanvi Khurana
2005	''Dosti: Friends Forever''	Anjali
2006	''36 China Town''	Priya
2006	''Chup Chup Ke''	Shruti
2006		Dolly Mishra	Filmfare Critics Award for Best ActressNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2006	''Don: The Chase Begins Again''	Kamini	Cameo
2007	''Kya Love Story Hai''	Herself	Special appearance in song "It's Rocking"
2007	''Jab We Met''	Geet Dhillon	Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2008	''Halla Bol''	Herself	Special appearance
2008		Pooja Singh
2008	''Roadside Romeo''	Laila	Voice
2008	''Golmaal Returns''	Ekta
2009	''Luck by Chance''	Herself	Special appearance
2009	''Billu''	Herself	Special appearance in song "Marjaani"
2009	''Kambakkht Ishq''	Simrita Rai
2009	''Main Aurr Mrs Khanna''	Raina Khanna
2009		Avantika Ahuja / Khan	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2009	''3 Idiots''	Pia Sahastrabudhhe	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2010	''Milenge Milenge''	Priya Malhotra
2010		Shreya Arora	Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010	''Golmaal 3''	Daboo	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actress
2011		Divya
2011	''Ra.One''	Sonia Subramaniam
2012	''Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu''	Riana Braganza
2012		Iram Parveen Bilal / Dr. Ruby Mendes
2012	''Rowdy Rathore''		Cameo
2012		Mahi Arora	Filming (Releasing on September 14, 2012)
2012			Post-production (Releasing on November 30, 2012)

See also

List of Indian film actresses

List of Punjabis

List of awards and nominations received by Kareena Kapoor

Notes

References

Further reading

, ,

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Indian film actors Category:Indian voice actors Category:Hindi film actors Category:People from Mumbai Category:Punjabi people Category:Indian vegetarians Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Living people Category:Mithibai College alumni

ar:كارينا كابور an:Kareena Kapoor az:Karina Kapur bn:কারিনা কাপুর ca:Kareena Kapoor de:Kareena Kapoor dv:ކަރީނާ ކަޕޫރު es:Kareena Kapoor fa:کرینا کاپور fr:Kareena Kapoor gv:Kareena Kapoor hi:करीना कपूर io:Kareena Kapoor id:Kareena Kapoor it:Kareena Kapoor jv:Kareena Kapoor kn:ಕರೀನಾ ಕಪೂರ್ kk:Карина Капур ml:കരീന കപൂർ mr:करीना कपूर my:ကရီနာကပူး (ရုပ်ရှင်သရုပ်ဆောင်) oc:Kareena Kapoor pnb:کرینہ کپور ps:کرينه کپور pl:Kareena Kapoor pt:Kareena Kapoor ru:Капур, Карина simple:Kareena Kapoor fi:Kareena Kapoor sv:Kareena Kapoor ta:கரீனா கபூர் te:కరీనా కపూర్ th:กรีนา กปูร tg:Карина Капур uk:Карина Капур zh:卡琳娜·卡浦爾

name	Ajay Devgan
birth date	April 02, 1969
birth place	New Delhi, India
yearsactive	1991–present
occupation	Film actor, Director, Producer
spouse	Kajol(m.1999–present; 2 children)
birthname	Vishal Veeru Devgan
othername	Ajay Devgan
website	ajaydevgn.com }}

Ajay Devgan (), born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer. He made his film debut with ''Phool Aur Kaante'' in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film. He then starred in films such as ''Jigar'' (1992), ''Dilwale'' (1994), ''Suhaag'' (1994), ''Naajayaz'' (1995), ''Diljale'' (1996) and ''Ishq'' (1997). In 1999, Devgan received his first National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Mahesh Bhatt's drama ''Zakhm''. Some of his later films of the decade are ''Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha'', ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' and ''Kachche Dhaage''. In the early 2000s, he starred in ''Lajja'' (2001) and ''Company'' (2002). In 2003, he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Bhagat Singh in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic ''The Legend of Bhagat Singh''. Throughout his career he has given many critically and commercially successful films including ''Raincoat'' (2004), ''Yuva'' (2004), ''Omkara'' (2006), ''Golmaal: Fun Unlimited'' (2006), ''Golmaal Returns'' (2008), ''All the Best: Fun Begins'' (2009), ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'' (2010), ''Golmaal 3'' (2010), ''Raajneeti'' (2010), and ''Singham'' (2011). Having done so, he has established himself as one of the leading actors of Bollywood. In 2008, he debuted as a film director with his starrer ''U Me Aur Hum'' which proved to be an moderate success at the box office. He then established the production house, ''Ajay Devgn Films''.

Biography

Devgan was born in Mumbai. His father Veeru Devgan, is originally Punjabi from Amritsar, Punjab. Veeru Devgan, is a stunt choreographer, and his mother Veena Devgan, has produced one film. Anil Devgan, his brother, is a Hindi film director. He is a graduate of Silver Beach High School in Juhu and Mithibai College. On 24 February 1999, he married Hindi film actress Kajol. The venue for the wedding was changed from a Sikh Gurdwara at Andheri in northwest Mumbai to the Devgan residence, after a newspaper revealed the location. The couple have two children. Their daughter Nysa was born 20 April 2003 and their son Yug was born 13 September 2010. In August 2009, Devgan changed his last name to Devgn on the request of his family. He became the first Bollywood personality to acquire a private jet for transport to shooting locations, promotions and personal trips.

Career

1990s

Ajay Devgan debuted in ''Phool Our Kaantee'' in 1991 which grossed 11,000,000 Indian rupees () and earned him Filmfare Award for Best Newcomer. In 1992, he starred in ''Jigar'' alongside Karisma Kapoor, which grossed 7,00,00,000. In 1993, he worked with director Deepak Bahry in the action film ''Ek Hi Raasta'', and with Deepak Pawar in ''Platform''. In 1994, Devgn worked in Harry Baweja's ''Dilwale'', ''Suhaag'' and ''Vijaypath". In 1995, he appeared in Mahesh Bhatt's ''Naajayaz'', for which he was nominated for "filmfare best actor award". In 1996, he continued with "Diljale". Devgn began starring in comedy films, such as ''Ishq'' in 1997. In 1998, he starred in ''Major Saab'' and ''Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha''. He next starred in Mahesh Bhatt's ''Zakhm''. He won several awards for his performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Star Screen Award for Best Actor Devgn's 1999 work included Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' as well as ''Hindustan ki kasam'' and ''Kachche dhage''.

2000s

In 2000, he worked in Harry Baweja's ''Deewane''. In this film, he essayed the role of two persons, where one is thief and another is police officer. The film was a flop at the box office. In the same year, he starred in his first home production ''Raju Chacha'' opposite wife Kajol. The film also bombed at the box office.

In 2001, he starred in ''Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke'' co-starring Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. This film was an average grosser at the box office. His next release ''Lajja'', alongside Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor, earned him a nomination for the "Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award". The film did not perform as expected at the box office. He then worked in Mahesh Manjrekar's ''Tera Mera Saath Rahen''.

In 2002, he featured in Ram Gopal Varma's fictional expose of Mumbai underworld ''Company''. He was nominated for Filmfare Best Actor Award and won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. The film fared well at the box office. His next release was ''Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai.

In the same year, he starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic ''The Legend of Bhagat Singh''. The film didn't fare well at the box office. However, he won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance. He then starred in Anees Bazmee's ''Deewangee''. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's English language novel ''Primal Fear''. He won several awards for his negative role including, "Filmfare Best Villain Award", "Star Screen Award for Best Villain" and "Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role". This film was a success at the box office.

In 2003, he starred in Ram Gopal Verma's ''Bhoot'' opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically & performed very well at the box office. He then starred in action thriller ''Qayamat: City Under Threat'' opposite debutante Neha Dhupia which was huge commercial success. He then worked in Milan Luthria's romantic film ''Chori Chori'' opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office.

In that same year he featured in Prakash Jha's ''Gangaajal'', for which he was nominated for "Filmfare Best Actor Award". He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut ''Zameen'', which grossed 16,00,00,000 and J. P. Dutta's war film ''LOC Kargil''.

In 2004 he was cast along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's ''Khakee'' which grossed 36,25,00,000.The film had a bumper opening and was declared success in one week. He then appeared in director Indra Kumar's ''Masti: Sanam Teri Kasam''. The movie has average performance. Then he starred in critically acclaimed movies such as ''Yuva'' (his role was appreciated), and Rituparno Ghosh's ''Raincoat''. He then had cameo appearance in ''Taarzan: The Wonder Car''.

2005 was less successful for him as he starred in a series of flop movies like ''Insan'', ''Blackmail'', ''Main Aisa Hi Hoon'', ''Tango Charlie'' and ''Shikhar'' whilst ''Kaal'' and ''Apaharan'' succeeded at the Box Office. For his performance in Apaharan the Superstar was nominated National Film Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Best Actor Award. For his villanous performance in ''Kaal'' he was nominated Filmfare Best Villain Award

2006 was a remarkable year in his career as he starred in two of his famous films ''Golmaal'' and ''Omkara''. ''Omkara'' was a critical and a commercial hit in which he was cast in the title role and ''Golmaal'' was a sleeper hit and which was later followed by two super hit sequels ''Golmaal Returns'' and ''Golmaal 3''. He is also featured in a short documentary about Mumbai floods of 2005 named ''The Awakening''.

2007 was again disappointing for him as he starred only in 2 movies, one of which was Anubhav Sinha's action thriller ''Cash'' in which he was cast along with Sunil Shetty. The movie did a below average collection at the box-office and the other was ''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'' which was a remake of the 1975 classic] ''Sholay''. The film received extremely poor reception from critics, and is currently placed at number 14 on the bottom 100 movies on Imdb. The film is considered as a benchmark for bad movies.

In 2008 he worked with Rajkumar Santoshi and was cast with Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan in Halla Bol. He then starred in director Rohit Shetty's third film ''Sunday'', before directing his first movie with wife Kajol and himself in lead roles. The film, titled ''U, Me aur Hum'', was an average success. He also had a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film ''Haal–e–dil''. He starred with long-time friend Sanjay Dutt and actress Manisha Koirala in Afzal Khan's ''Mehbooba''. He then re-teamed with Rohit Shetty for the sequel of his hit film ''Golmaal: Fun Unlimited'', ''Golmaal Returns'' which was a blockbuster hit.

In 2009 he produced his third film ''All the Best'' also directed by Rohit Shetty. The film did good business and was a semi-hit. Later in the year he starred in Vipul Shah's ''London Dreams'' with Salman Khan and Tamil film star Asin. The film did not succeed and was declared a flop.

2010s

In the beginning of 2010 he worked with actors Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley in Leena Yadav's ''Teen Patti''. He starred in the comedy ''Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?'' alongside Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma which was a success. He followed this with Prakash Jha's ''Raajneeti'' and Milan Luthria's ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbai''. Both movies were among the top grossers of 2010. Then he worked alongside Akshaye Khanna in Priyadarshan's rough adaptation of ''Mississippi Burning'', ''Aakrosh''. He again teamed up with Rohit Shetty for ''Golmaal 3''. The movie was a super hit and the fourth highest grossing movie in Bollywood history as it received mixed to good reviews. Then he starred in the animated film ''Toonpur Ka Super Hero''. In 2011 he again teamed up with Emraan Hashmi in Madhur Bhandarkar's comedy ''Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji'' which also starred Omi Vaidya and the film became a moderate success. He was a narrator in ''Yamla Pagla Deewana''. He also did a cameo role in the 2011 Salman Khan-starrer ''Ready''. Devgn's next film, ''Singham'', proved to be a milestone for him. The film grossed 100 crores net in India, making it the 7th film to do so. His latest film is ''Rascals'' which opened to mainly negative reviews, and was a box office flop. Devgn also established his own production house in his name, ''Ajay Devgn Films''.

Awards and honours

Among other awards and nominations, Devgan has won two National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards.

Filmography

Actor

''Jigar'' ''Dil Hai Betaab'' ''Divya Shakti'' ''Platform (1993 film) ''Sangram (1993 film) ''Shaktiman (1993 film) ''Ek Hi Raasta (1993 film) ''Bedardi'' ''Dhanwan (1993 film) ''Dilwale ''Kanoon'' ''Vijaypath'' ''Suhaag (1994 film) ''Naajayaz'' ''Hulchul (1995 film) ''Gundaraj'' ''Haqeeqat'' ''Jung (1996 film) ''Jaan (film) ''Diljale'' ''Itihaas (film) ''Ishq (1997 film) ''Major Saab'' ''Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha'' ''Sar Utha Ke Jiyo (film) ''Zakhm'' ''Dil Kya Kare'' ''Kachche Dhaage'' ''Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet'' ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'' ''Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999 film) ''Gair'' ''Thakshak'' ''Deewane'' ''Raju Chacha'' ''Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke'' ''Lajja (film) ''Tera Mera Saath Rahen'' ''Company (film) ''Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin'' ''The Legend of Bhagat Singh'' ''Deewangee'' ''Bhoot'' ''Qayamat: City Under Threat'' ''Chori Chori (2003 film) ''Gangaajal'' ''Parwana (2003 film) ''Zameen (2003 film) ''LOC Kargil'' ''Khakee'' ''Masti (2004 film) ''Yuva'' ''Taarzan: The Wonder Car'' ''Raincoat (film) ''Insan'' ''Blackmail (2005 film) ''Zameer: The Fire Within'' ''Tango Charlie'' ''Kaal'' ''Main Aisa Hi Hoon'' ''Apaharan'' ''Shikhar (film) ''Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke (2006 film) ''Golmaal: Fun Unlimited'' ''Omkara (film) ''The Awakening (2006 film) ''Cash (2007 film) ''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'' ''Halla Bol (film) ''Sunday (2008 film) ''U Me Aur Hum'' ''Mehbooba (2008 film) ''Golmaal Returns'' ''All the Best: Fun Begins'' ''London Dreams'' ''Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?'' ''Teen Patti (film) ''Raajneeti'' ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'' ''Aakrosh (2010 film) ''Golmaal 3'' ''Toonpur Ka Super Hero'' ''Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji'' ''Yamla Pagla Deewana'' ''Ready (2011 film) ''Singham'' ''Rascals (film) ''Tezz'' ''Bol Bachchan'' ''Power (2012 film) ''S.O.S.-Son Of Sardar'' ''Singham 2''

Year !! Film !! Role !! class="unsortable"	Notes
1991	''Phool Aur Kaante''	Ajay
1992	|	Raj "Raju" Verma
1993	|	Ajay
1993	|	Prashant Varma
1993	Platform'' ||	Rajoo
1993	Sangram'' ||	Raja S. Singh Kanwar
1993	Shaktiman'' ||	Amar
1993	Ek Hi Raasta'' ||	Karan Singh
1993	|	Vijay Saxena
1993	Dhanwaan'' ||	Kashinath
1994	|	Arun Saxena
1994	|	Vishal
1994	|	Karan
1994	Suhaag'' ||	Ajay R. Sharma/Malhotra
1995	|	Jay Bakshi	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1995	Hulchul'' ||	Deva
1995	|	Ajay Chauvan
1995	|	Shiva/Ajay
1996	Jung'' ||	Ajay Bahadur Saxena
1996	Jaan'' ||	Karan
1996	|	Shyam
1997	Itihaas'' ||	Karan
1997	Ishq'' ||	Ajay Rai
1998	|	Virendra Pratap Singh
1998	|	Shekhar
1998	Sar Utha Ke Jiyo'' ||		Special appearance
1998	|	Ajay R. Desai	National Film Award for Best ActorNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1999	|	Anand Kishore
1999	|	Aftab
1999	|	Raju
1999	|	Vanraj	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1999	Hindustan Ki Kasam'' ||	Ajay/Tauheed
1999	|	Vijay Kumar/Dev
1999	|	Ishaan Singh
2000	|	Vishal/Arun
2000	|	Shekhar/Raju Chacha
2001	|	Vicky/Rohit Verma
2001	Lajja'' ||	Bulwa	Nominated—Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
2001	|	Raj Dixit
2002	Company'' ||	Malik	Filmfare Critics Award for Best ActorNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2002	|	Raja
2002	|	Sardar Bhagat Singh	Filmfare Critics Award for Best ActorNational Film Award for Best Actor
2002	|	Tarang Bharadwaj	Filmfare Best Villain Award
2003	|	Vishal
2003	|	Rachit
2003	Chori Chori'' ||	Ranbir Malhotra
2003	|	S.P. Amit Kumar	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2003	Parwana'' ||	Parwana
2003	Zameen'' ||	Col. Ranveer Ranawat
2003	|	Capt. Manoj Pandey
2004	|	Yashwant Angre	Nominated—Filmfare Best Villain Award
2004	Masti'' ||	Inspector Sikander
2004	|	Michael Mukherjee
2004	|	Deven Chaudhary	Cameo
2004	Raincoat'' ||	Manoj
2005	|	DCP Jai Prakash Phaswan
2005	Blackmail'' ||	Shekhar Mohan
2005	|	Suraj Chauhan
2005	|	Havaldar Mohammed Ali
2005	|	Kali Pratap Singh	Nominated—Filmfare Best Villain Award
2005	|	Neel
2005	|	Ajay Shastri	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2005	Shikhar'' ||	Gaurav Gupta
2006	Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke'' ||	SP Kunal Singh	Bhojpuri Film
2006	|	Gopal
2006	Omkara'' ||	Omkara "Omi" Shukla
2006	The Awakening'' ||		Short Film
2007	Cash'' ||	Karan/Doc
2007	|	Hirendra Chavan (Heero)
2008	Halla Bol'' ||	Ashfaq Khan/Sameer Khan
2008	Sunday'' ||	ACP Rajveer Randhawa
2008	|	Ajay Malhotra
2008	Mehbooba'' ||	Karan
2008	|	Gopal
2009	|	Prem Chopra
2009	|	Arjun
2010	|	Puneet
2010	Teen Patti ||	Sunny	Special appearance
2010	|	Sooraj
2010	|	Sultan Mirza	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2010	Aakrosh'' ||	Pratap Kumar
2010	|	Gopal
2010	|	Aditya
2011	|	Naren
2011	|	Narrator
2011	Ready'' ||	Raju	Cameo appearance
2011	|	Bajirao Singham	Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor
2011	Rascals'' ||	Bhagat
2012	|	Aakash Rehna
2012	|		Filming
2012	Power ||		Filming
2013	|		Filming
2013	|	Bajirao Singham	Pre-Production

Producer

Year !! Film !! Other notes
2000	''Raju Chacha''
2008	''U Me Aur Hum''
		2009	''All the Best: Fun Begins''
2012	''Bol Bachchan''
2013	''S.O.S.-Son Of Sardar''

Director

Year !! Film !! Other notes
2008	''U Me Aur Hum''

References

External links

Ajay Devgn's Official Site

Category:Indian actors Category:Indian film actors Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:National Film Award winners Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:People from Delhi Category:Indian film producers Category:Indian film directors Category:Hindi-language film directors Category:Hindi film actors Category:Punjabi people Category:People from Mumbai Category:Mithibai College alumni

de:Ajay Devgan es:Ajay Devgan fr:Ajay Devgan hi:अजय देवगन it:Ajay Devgn kn:ಅಜಯ್ ದೇವ್ ಗನ್ ml:അജയ് ദേവഗൺ mr:अजय देवगण pl:Ajay Devgan ru:Девган, Аджай so:Ajay Devgan fi:Ajay Devgan sv:Ajay Devgan ta:அஜய் தேவ்கான் tg:Аҷай Девган tr:Ajay Devgan

name	Amitabh Bachchan
birth name
birth date	October 11, 1942
birth place	Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
residence	Prateeksha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
occupation	Actor, producer, singer, television presenter
years active	1969–present
spouse	Jaya Bhaduri (1973–present)
children
website
signature	}}

Amitabh Bachchan (, born Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan on 11 October 1942) is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades. Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.

Bachchan has won numerous major awards in his career, including four National Film Awards, three of which are in the Best Actor category, and fourteen Filmfare Awards. He is the most-nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare, with 37 nominations overall. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer and television presenter. He also had a stint in politics in the 1980s. He has received both the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan civilian awards from the Indian government.

Early life

Bachban was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a Hindi poet, and his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh from Faisalabad (now in Pakistan). Bachchan was initially named Inquilaab, inspired from the famous phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle. However, at the suggestion of fellow poet Sumitranandan Pant, Harivansh Rai changed the name to Amitabh which means, "the light that would never go off." Though his surname was Shrivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan (meaning child-like in colloquial Hindi), under which he published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his family. Bachchan's father died in 2003, and his mother in 2007.

Amitabh is the eldest of Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. His mother had a keen interest in theatre and had been offered a role in a film, but preferred her domestic duties. She had some degree of influence in Bachchan's choice of career because she always insisted that he should take the centre stage. He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree. In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta now known as Kolkata, to pursue a career in acting.

Career

Early work: 1969–1972

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's National Award winning film ''Bhuvan Shome''. Thereafter he got his first acting role as one of the seven protagonists in '' Saat Hindustani'', a film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and featuring Utpal Dutt, Madhu and Jalal Agha. Though the film was not a financial success, Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer.

''Anand'' (1971) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna. Bachchan's role as a doctor with a cynical view of life garned him his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. He then played his first negative role as an infatuated lover-turned-murderer in ''Parwaana'' (1971). This was followed by several films including ''Reshma Aur Shera'' (1971). During this time, he made a guest appearance in the film ''Guddi'' which starred his future wife Jaya Bhaduri. He narrated part of the film ''Bawarchi''. In 1972, he made an appearance in the road action comedy ''Bombay to Goa'', directed by S. Ramanathan. Many of his films during this early period did not do well, but that was about to change.

Rise to stardom: 1973–1983

Director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for the film ''Zanjeer'' (1973) as Inspector Vijay Khanna. The film was a sharp contrast to the romantically themed films that had generally preceded it and established Amitabh in a new persona—the "angry young man" of Bollywood cinema. He earned a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor. Filmfare considers this one of the iconic performances of Bollywood history. The year 1973 was also when he married Jaya, and around this time they appeared in several films together; not only in ''Zanjeer'' but in films such as ''Abhimaan'' which followed and was released only a month after their marriage. Later, Bachchan played the role of Vikram in the film ''Namak Haraam'', a social drama directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and scripted by Biresh Chatterjee addressing themes of friendship. His supporting role won him his second Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

left|thumb|Bachchan in ''[[Deewar (1975 film)|Deewar''.]]In 1974, Bachchan made several guest appearances in films such as ''Kunwara Baap'' and ''Dost'', before playing a supporting role in ''Roti Kapda Aur Makaan''. The film, directed and written by Manoj Kumar, addressed themes of honesty in the face of oppression and financial and emotional hardship. Bachchan then played the leading role in film ''Majboor'', released on 6 December 1974, which was a remake of the Hollywood film Zigzag. The film was only a moderate success at the box office. In 1975, he starred in a variety of film genres from the comedy ''Chupke Chupke'', the crime drama ''Faraar'' to the romantic drama ''Mili''. 1975 was the year when he appeared in two films which are regarded as important in Hindi cinematic history. He starred in the Yash Chopra directed film ''Deewaar'', opposite Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, and Neetu Singh, which earned him a Filmfare Nomination for Best Actor. The film became a major hit at the box office in 1975, ranking in at number 4. ''Indiatimes Movies'' ranks ''Deewaar'' amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. Released on 15 August 1975 was ''Sholay'' (meaning flames), which became the highest grossing film of all time in India, earning INR 2,36,45,00,000 equivalent to US$ 60 million, after adjusting for inflation. Bachchan played the role of Jaidev. In 1999, BBC India declared it the "Film of the Millennium" and like ''Deewar'', has been cited by ''Indiatimes movies'' as amongst the ''Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films''. In that same year, the judges of the 50th annual Filmfare Awards awarded it with the special distinction award called Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years.

Bachchan starred in comedies such as ''Chupke Chupke'' (1975) and ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' (1977) and in films such as ''Kabhie Kabhie'' (1976). In 1976, he was once again cast by director Yash Chopra in his second film, ''Kabhi Kabhie'', a romantic tale in which Bachchan starred as a young poet named Amit Malhotra who falls deeply in love with a beautiful young girl named Pooja played by actress Rakhee Gulzar. The film saw him again nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 1977, he won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' where he played the third lead opposite Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor as Anthony Gonsalves. In 1978 he starred in all four of the highest grossing films of India in that year. He once again resumed double roles in films such as ''Kasme Vaade'' as Amit and Shankar and ''Don'' playing the characters of Don, a leader of an underworld gang and his look alike Vijay. His performance won him his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. He also performed in ''Trishul'' and ''Muqaddar Ka Sikandar'' which both earned him further Filmfare Best Actor nominations. He was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director François Truffaut.

In 1979, for the first time, Amitabh was required to use his singing voice for the film ''Mr. Natwarlal'' in which he starred alongside Rekha. His performance in the film saw him nominated for both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and the Filmfare Best Male Playback Awards. In 1979, he also received Best Actor nomination for ''Kaala Patthar'' (1979) and then went on to be nominated again in 1980 for the Raj Khosla directed film ''Dostana'', in which he starred opposite Shatrughan Sinha and Zeenat Aman. ''Dostana'' proved to be the top grossing film of 1980. In 1981, he starred in Yash Chopra's melodrama film ''Silsila'', where he starred alongside his wife Jaya and rumoured lover Rekha. Other films of this period include ''Ram Balram'' (1980), ''Shaan'' (1980), ''Lawaaris'' (1981), and ''Shakti'' (1982) which pitted him against legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

1982 injury while filming ''Coolie''

On 26 July 1982, while filming ''Coolie'' in the University Campus in Bangalore, Bachchan suffered a near fatal intestinal injury during the filming of a fight scene with co-actor Puneet Issar. Bachchan was performing his own stunts in the film and one scene required him to fall onto a table and then on the ground. However as he jumped towards the table, the corner of the table struck his abdomen, resulting in a splenic rupture from which he lost a significant amount of blood. He required an emergency splenectomy and remained critically ill in hospital for many months, at times close to death. The public response included prayers in temples and offers to sacrifice limbs to save him, while later, there were long queues of well-wishing fans outside the hospital where he was recuperating. Nevertheless, he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983, and partly due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.

The director, Manmohan Desai, altered the ending of ''Coolie'' after Bachchan's accident. Bachchan's character was originally intended to have been killed off but after the change of script, the character lived in the end. It would have been inappropriate, said Desai, for the man who had just fended off death in real life to be killed on screen. Also, in the released film the footage of the fight scene is frozen at the critical moment, and a caption appears onscreen marking this as the instant of the actor's injury and the ensuing publicity of the accident.

Later, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis. His illness made him feel weak both mentally and physically and he decided to quit films and venture into politics. At this time he became pessimistic, expressing concern with how a new film would be received and stated before every release, "Yeh film to flop hogi!" ("This film will flop").

Politics: 1984–87

In 1984, Bachchan took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's seat of 8th Lok Sabha against H. N. Bahuguna, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and won by one of the highest victory margins in general election history (68.2% of the vote). His political career, however, was short-lived: he resigned after three years, calling politics a cesspool. The resignation followed the implication of Bachchan and his brother in the "Bofors scandal" by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court. Bachchan was eventually found not guilty of involvement in the ordeal.

His old friend, Amar Singh, helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined the Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha member. Bachchan has continued to do favors for the Samajwadi party, including advertisements and political campaigns. These activities have recently gotten him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims after a previous incident of submission of legal papers by him, stating that he is a farmer.

A 15 year press ban against Bachchan was imposed during his peak acting years by ''Stardust'' and some of the other film magazines. In his own defense, Bachchan claimed to have banned the press from entering his sets until late 1989.

Slump and retirement: 1988–1992

In 1988, Bachchan returned to films, playing the title role in ''Shahenshah'', which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film, ''Hum'', for which he won his third Filmfare Best Actor Award, looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film ''Agneepath''. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of ''Khuda Gawah'' in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994, one of his delayed films ''Insaniyat'' was released but was also a box office failure.

Producer and acting comeback 1996–99

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period, setting up Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996, with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. Its operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film was produced by the company. ''Tere Mere Sapne'' failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films star Simran. ABCL produced a few other films, none of which did well.

In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film ''Mrityudata'', produced by ABCL. Though ''Mrityudaata'' attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the ''1996 Miss World beauty pageant'', Bangalore but lost millions. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later declared a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999, restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.

Bachchan attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with ''Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'' (1998), and received positive reviews for ''Sooryavansham'' (1999) but other films such as ''Lal Baadshah'' (1999) and ''Hindustan Ki Kasam'' (1999) were box office failures.

Return to prominence: 2000–present

In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office hit, ''Mohabbatein'', directed by Aditya Chopra. He played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of Shahrukh Khan. His role won him his third Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in ''Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love'' (2001), ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001) and ''Baghban'' (2003). As an actor, he continued to perform in a range of characters, receiving critical praise for his performances in ''Aks'' (2001), ''Aankhen'' (2002), ''Khakee'' (2004) and ''Dev'' (2004). One project that did particularly well for Bachchan was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's ''Black'' (2005). The film starred Bachchan as an aging teacher of a deaf-blind girl and followed their relationship. His performance was unanimously praised by critics and audiences and won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor and fourth Filmfare Best Actor Award. Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh began endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006, he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films ''Bunty Aur Babli'' (2005), the ''Godfather'' tribute ''Sarkar'' (2005), and ''Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna'' (2006). All of them were successful at the box office. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007 were ''Baabul'' (2006), ''Ekalavya'' and ''Nishabd'' (2007), which failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them were praised by critics.

In May 2007, two of his films ''Cheeni Kum'' and the multi-starrer ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' were released. ''Shootout at Lokhandwala'' did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India, while ''Cheeni Kum'' picked up after a slow start and only had average success. A remake of his biggest hit, ''Sholay'' (1975), entitled ''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'', released in August of that same year and proved to be a major commercial failure in addition to its poor critical reception. The year also marked Bachchan's first appearance in an English-language film, Rituparno Ghosh's ''The Last Lear''. The film premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his best ever since ''Black''. Bachchan was slated to play a supporting role in his first international film, ''Shantaram'', directed by Mira Nair and starring Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead. The film was due to begin filming in February 2008 but due to the writer's strike, was pushed to September 2008. The film is currently "shelved" indefinitely. Vivek Sharma's ''Bhoothnath'', in which he plays the title role as a ghost, was released on 9 May 2008. ''Sarkar Raj'', the sequel of the 2005 film ''Sarkar'', released in June 2008 and received a positive response at the box-office. ''Paa'', which released at the end of 2009 was a highly anticipated project as it saw him playing his own son Abhishek's Progeria-affected 13-year-old son, and it opened to favourable reviews, particularly towards Bachchan's performance. It won him his third National Film Award for Best Actor and fifth Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 2010, he debuted in Malayalam film through ''Kandahar'', directed by Major Ravi and co-starring Mohanlal. The film was based on the hijacking incident of the Indian Airlines Flight 814. Bachchan did not receive any remuneration for this film.

Television career

In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game show, ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' entitled, ''Kaun Banega Crorepati''. As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate success. He has hosted all but one of the seasons of the show. Canara Bank withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted ''KBC'' till November 2005, when he fell ill. At that time he was admitted to Lilavati Hospital's ICU once more, to undergo surgery for diverticulitis of the small intestine. During the period and that following his recovery, most of his projects were put on hold, including ''KBC''. He has hosted all but one season of the show. Its success set the stage for his return to film popularity. In 2009 Oscar winning movie ''Slumdog Millionaire'' in the first question of ''Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'' contest "Amitabh Bachchan" was the correct answer to the question "Who was the star of ''Zanjeer''? Feroz Abbas Khan performed as Amitabh Bachchan in a scene in the movie while Anil Kapoor performed as the host of the contest. Bachchan hosted the third season of the reality show ''Bigg Boss'' in 2009.

Voice

Bachchan is known for his deep, baritone voice. He has been a narrator, a playback singer and presenter for numerous programmes. Renowned film director Satyajit Ray was so impressed with Bachchan's voice, that he decided to use his voice as commentary in ''Shatranj Ke Khilari'' since he could not find a suitable role for him. In 2005, Bachchan has lent his voice to the Oscar-winning French documentary March of the Penguins, directed by Luc Jacquet.

Controversies and criticism

Barabanki land case

In the runup to the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007, Bachchan made a film extolling the virtues of the Mulayam Singh government. His Samajwadi Party was routed, and Mayawati came to power.

On 2 June 2007 a Faizabad court ruled that he had legally acquired agricultural land designated specifically for landless Dalit farmers. It was speculated that he might be investigated on related charges of forgery, as he has allegedly claimed he was a farmer. On 19 July 2007, after the scandal broke out, Bachchan surrendered the land acquired in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and Pune. He wrote to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, to donate the lands that were allegedly acquired illegally in Pune. However, the Lucknow Court has put a stay on the land donation and said that the status quo on the land be maintained.

On 12 October 2007, Bachchan abandoned his claim in respect of the land at Daulatpur village in Barabanki district. On 11 December 2007, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court gave a clean chit to Bachchan in a case pertaining to alleged fraudulent allotment of government land to him in Barabanki district. A single Lucknow bench of Justice said there was no finding that the actor "himself committed any fraud or manipulated any surreptitious entry in the revenue records".

After receiving a positive verdict in Barabanki case, Amitabh Bachchan intimated to Maharashtra government that he did not wish to surrender his land in Maval tehsil of Pune district.

Raj Thackeray's criticism

In January 2008 at political rallies, Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, targeted Amitabh Bachchan, asserting that the actor was "more inclined" towards his native state than Maharashtra. He expressed his disapproval of Amitabh's inaugurating a girls' school named after his daughter-in-law, actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, at Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, rather than in Maharashtra. According to media reports, Raj's censure of Amitabh, whom he admires, stemmed out of his disappointment of not being invited to Amitabh's son Abhishek's marriage to Aishwarya, despite invitations to his estranged uncle Bal and cousin Uddhav.

Responding to Raj's accusations, the actor's wife, SP MP Jaya Bachchan, said that the Bachchans were willing to start a school in Mumbai, provided the MNS leader donated the land to build it. She told the media, "I heard that Raj Thackeray owns huge properties in Maharashtra, in Mumbai—Kohinoor Mills. If he is willing to donate land, we can start a school in the name of Aishwarya here." Raj responded to it saying, "Jaya bachchan claims she does not know me then how come she knows how much property I own?". Amitabh abstained from commenting on the issue. However, he apologized to Raj for controversial remarks from Jaya in some other incidence. "

Bal Thackeray refuted the allegations, stating, "Amitabh Bachchan is an open-minded person, he has great love for Maharashtra, and this is evident on many occasions. The actor has often said that Maharashtra and specially Mumbai has given him great fame and affection. He has also said that what he is today is because of the love people have given him. The people of Mumbai have always acknowledged him as an artiste. It was utter foolishness to make these parochial allegations against him. Amitabh is a global superstar. People all over the world respect him. This cannot be forgotten by anyone. Amitabh should ignore these silly accusations and concentrate on his acting."

On 23 March 2008, more than a month and half after Raj's remarks, Amitabh finally spoke out in an interview to a local tabloid saying, "Random charges are random; they do not deserve the kind of attention you wish me to give." Later, on 28 March at a press conference for the International Indian Film Academy, when asked what his take was on the anti-migrant issue, Amitabh said that it is one's fundamental right to live anywhere in the country and the constitution entitles so. He also stated that he was not affected by Raj's comments.

Awards, honours and recognitions

Apart from National Film Awards, Filmfare Awards and other competitive awards which Bachchan won for his performances throughout the years, he has been awarded several honours for his achievements in the Indian film industry. In 1991, he became the first artist to receive the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in the name of Raj Kapoor. Bachchan was crowned as Superstar of the Millennium in 2000 at the Filmfare Awards. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Bhushan in 2001. France's highest civilian honour, the Knight of the Legion of Honour, was conferred upon him by the French Government in 2007 for his "exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond". In 2011, actor Dilip Kumar blogged that ''Black'' should have been nominated for an Oscar. Kumar added: "If any Indian actor, in my personal opinion, deserves the world's most coveted award, it is you."

In 1999, Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" in a BBC ''Your Millenium'' online poll. The organisation noted that "Many people in the western world will not have heard of [him] ...[but it] is a reflection of the huge popularity of Indian films." In 2001, he was honoured with the Actor of the Century award at the Alexandria International Film Festival in Egypt in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema. Many other honours for his achievements were conferred upon him at several International Film Festivals, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 Asian Film Awards.

In June 2000, he became the first living Asian to have been immortalised in wax at London's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Another statue was installed in New York and Hong Kong in 2009.

In 2003, he was conferred with the Honorary Citizenship of the French town of Deauville. He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Jhansi, India, in 2004, the University of Delhi in 2006, the De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, in 2006, the University Brandan Foster by the Leeds Metropolitan University in Yorkshire, UK, in 2007, and the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, in 2011.

Severals books have been written about Bachchan. ''Amitabh Bachchan: the Legend'' was published in 1999, ''To be or not to be: Amitabh Bachchan'' in 2004, ''AB: The Legend: (A Photographer's Tribute)'' in 2006 /, ''Amitabh Bachchan: Ek Jeevit Kimvadanti'' in 2006, ''Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar'' in 2006, ''Looking for the Big B: Bollywood, Bachchan and Me'' in 2007 and ''Bachchanalia'' in 2009. Bachchan himself also wrote a book in 2002: ''Soul Curry for you and me – An Empowering Philosophy That Can Enrich Your Life''. In the early 80s, Bachchan authorized the use of his likeness for the comic book character Supremo in a series titled ''The Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan''.

Personal life

Bachchan is married to actress Jaya Bhaduri. They have two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek is also an actor and is married to actress Aishwarya Rai.

Filmography

Latest films

''Eklavya: The Royal Guard'' ''Jodhaa Akbar'' ''Delhi-6'' ''Rann (film) ''Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap'' ''Department (film)

Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
rowspan="4"	2006	''Family — Ties of Blood''	Viren Sahi
''Darna Zaroori Hai''	Professor
''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna''	Samarjit Singh Talwar (aka. Sexy Sam)
''Baabul (2006 film)	Baabul''	Balraj Kapoor
rowspan="7"	2007	|	Eklavya
''Nishabd''	Vijay
''Cheeni Kum''	Buddhadev Gupta/Ghaspus
''Shootout at Lokhandwala''	Special appearance, Dingra
''Jhoom Barabar Jhoom''	Special appearance, Sutradhar
''Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag''	Babban Singh
''Om Shanti Om (film)	Om Shanti Om''	Special appearance, Himself
rowspan="5"	2008	|	Narrator
''Bhoothnath''	Bhoothnath (Kailash Nath)
''Sarkar Raj''	Subhash Nagre aka Sarkar
''God Tussi Great Ho''	God Almighty
''The Last Lear''	Harish 'Harry' Mishra
rowspan="3"	2009	|	Special appearance, Dadaji
''Aladin (2009 film)	Aladin''	Genius the Gennie
''Paa (film)	Paa''	Auro
rowspan="3"	2010	Rann'' ||	Vijay Harshvardhan Malik
''Teen Patti (film)	Teen Patti''	Venkat
''Kandahar (2010 film)	Kandahar''	Lokanathan Sharma
rowspan="2"	2011	|
''Aarakshan''	Prabhakar Anand
rowspan="4"	2012	Department'' ||
''Shoebite (2010 film)	Shoebite''	John Periera
''Taalismaan''
''The Great Gatsby (2012 film)	The Great Gatsby''	Meyer Wolfsheim

Producer

! Year !! Film
1996
	''Ullaasam''
''Mrityudata''
1998	''Major Saab''
1998	''Saat Rang Ke Sapne''
2001
2005	''Viruddh... Family Comes First''
2006	''Family — Ties of Blood''

Playback singer

! Year !! Film
	''The Great Gambler''
''Mr. Natwarlal''
''Silsila''
	''Mahaan''
1984	''Sharaabi''
	''Toofan''
''Jaadugar''
1992	''Khuda Gawah''
1998	''Major Saab''
1999	''Sooryavansham''
''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...''
2002
''Aetbaar''
2006
	''Nishabd''
''Cheeni Kum''
2008	''Bhoothnath''
2011	''Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap''
2012	''Kahaani''

Further reading

Mazumdar, Ranjani.'' Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City''. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.

References

External links

Amitabh Bachchan's official blog

Amitabh Bachchan Documentary, Classic BBC Archive video and exclusive interview conducted in Amitabh's own house for BBC Asian Network

British Academy of Film and Television Arts brochure

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