For other uses, see Shakira (disambiguation).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Mebarak and the second or maternal family name is Ripoll.
| Born | Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll February 2, 1977 Barranquilla, Atlántico, Colombia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Barcelona, Spain |
| Nationality | Colombian |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Partner(s) | Antonio de la Rúa (2000–2010) Gerard Piqué (2010–present) |
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| Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (pronounced: [ʃaˈkiɾa isaˈβel meβaˈɾak riˈpol]; born February 2, 1977),[2] (English /ʃəˈkɪərə/)[3] is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and model. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she began performing in school, demonstrating Latin, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities. Shakira released her first studio albums, Magia and Peligro,
in the early 1990s, failing to attain commercial success; however, she
rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut, Pies Descalzos (1996), and her fourth album, Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998). Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service. Its lead single, "Whenever, Wherever", became the best-selling single of 2002. Her success was solidified with her sixth and seventh albums Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), the latter of which spawned the best-selling song of the 21st century, "Hips Don't Lie". Shakira's eighth and ninth albums, She Wolf (2009) and Sale el Sol (2010), received critical praise but suffered from limited promotion due to her strained relationship with label Epic Records. Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time. With over 813 million views, its music video is the ninth most-watched video on YouTube. Since 2013, Shakira has served as a coach on the American version of The Voice, having appeared in two of its seven seasons—fourth and sixth. Her tenth album, Shakira (2014), is preceded by its lead single, "Can't Remember to Forget You" |
Shakira has won many awards, including five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and sold more than 60 million records worldwide, making the third best selling Latin artist of all time. She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work and benefit concerts, notably her Pies Descalzos Foundation, her performance at the "Clinton Global Initiative" created by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and her invitation to the Oval Office by President Barack Obama in February 2010 to discuss early childhood development.[4] As of 2014, she is listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.[5] As of July 2014, Shakira has become the first person to reach 100 million followers on Facebook
| Shakira is the one of the most popular singer in the world. Here we add popular video song. |
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| Shakira has the largest facebook like in the world. Her offical Facebook Fanpage. |
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Katrina Kaif
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Born in Hong Kong, Kaif and her family lived in several countries before she moved to India. She received her first modelling assignment as a teenager and later pursued a career as a fashion model. During a London show filmmaker Kaizad Gustad cast her in Boom (2003), a critical and commercial failure. While filming in India, Kaif received modelling assignments and established a successful modelling career. However, filmmakers were hesitant to cast her due to her poor command of Hindi. After appearing in the successful Telugu film Malliswari (2004), Kaif earned commercial success in Bollywood with the romantic comedies Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) and Namastey London (2007). She followed with a series of box-office hits, but was criticised for her acting, repetitive roles and inclination to male-dominated films.
Kaif's performance in the 2009 terrorism drama New York was better received, earning her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. After roles in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009), Raajneeti (2010) and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), she received her second Filmfare nomination for her performance in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011). She featured in the thrillers Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Dhoom 3 (2013), both of which rank among the highest-grossing Bollywood films of all time. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics for her acting prowess, she has established herself as a commercially successful actress of Hindi cinema.
In addition to acting, she is involved with her mother's charity and participates in stage shows. Kaif is guarded about her personal life, which is a subject of media scrutiny. Her background has also been a
topic of discussion, with some sources accusing her of fabricating her history.[6]
Contents
Early life and background
Kaif with her mother at the People's Choice Awards India, 2012
Kaif's mother decided to "dedicate her life to social causes", which led to the family's relocation to a number of countries for varying lengths of time. After her birth in Hong Kong, Kaif and her family moved to China and then to Japan. From there she went to France at age eight, living for several months at a time in Switzerland, Poland, Belgium and elsewhere in Europe. Kaif then moved with her family to Hawaii and eventually to her mothers home country, England.[13] Due to their frequent relocations, Kaif and her siblings were home-schooled by a series of tutors.[14] Although she is thought to have grown up in London, she lived there for only three years before moving to India.[13] According to Kaif, she then changed her surname to her father's because she thought it would be easier to pronounce.[15]
Kaif's Kashmiri descent and paternal parentage have been questioned by some sources.[6] In a 2011 interview with Mumbai Mirror, Boom producer Ayesha Shroff accused Kaif of fabricating her history: "We created an identity for her. She was this pretty young English girl, and we gave her the Kashmiri father and thought of calling her Katrina Kazi. We thought we'd give her some kind of Indian ancestry, to connect with the audience ... But then we thought that Kazi sounded too ... religious? ... Mohammad Kaif was at the top, and so we said, Katrina Kaif sounds really great."[10] Kaif called Shroff's comments "hurtful."[6]
Career
Modelling and film debut (to 2003)
Kaif first expressed an interest in modelling as a teenager when she won a beauty contest in Hawaii, and received her first assignment for a jewellery campaign.[16] She began to model professionally in London, working for several freelance agencies and appearing regularly at London Fashion Week.[6] At a fashion show Kaif attracted the attention of London-based filmmaker Kaizad Gustad. He selected her for a role in the English-Hindi erotic heist film Boom as part of an ensemble cast that included Amitabh Bachchan, Gulshan Grover, Jackie Shroff, Madhu Sapre and Padma Lakshmi.[17][18] While filming in India, Kaif received other offers and decided to stay in the country.[19] In 2003, she received notice as a model after walking the ramp for Rohit Bal at the India Fashion Week[20] and appeared in the first Kingfisher Calendar.[21] Kaif soon established a successful modelling career in India after endorsing brands such as Coca-Cola, LG, Fevicol and Samsung.[22]Kaif's successful career as a model led to anticipation surrounding her Bollywood debut.[18] Boom (2003) had its first screening at the Cannes Film Festival, and was heavily promoted at the event.[23][24] However, ten days before the film's release pirated VCDs of the film's uncut version were reportedly appearing on the black market.[25][26] Boom was a commercial and critical failure.[27][28] Kaif's enactment of a supermodel ensnared in the Mumbai underworld was poorly received, with Ziya U. Salam of The Hindu attributing the weak performances of the film's leading ladies to "the vacuity of their expressions."[29] Hindustan Times reported that after Boom 's release, Kaif was written off due to her poor Hindi and thick British accent.[30] She later dismissed the film: "I don't count Boom among important happenings in my life. When I signed this film, I didn't know much about India and its film audience."[31] Although Kaif was offered a number of modelling assignments,[31] filmmakers were hesitant to cast her because of her poor command of Hindi.[32] In one instance, Mahesh Bhatt replaced her with Tara Sharma in Saaya (2003) as he found her an "inconsistent performer."[33] Subsequently, Kaif began working on her diction through Hindi classes.[31]
Breakthrough and early success (2004–06)
Kaif at the 2006 IIFA Awards
7.5 million (US$120,000) for the film, the highest salary for a South Indian film actress at the time. Despite negative reviews for her acting, Malliswari was a profitable venture.[34][35]The following year, Kaif appeared briefly as Abhishek Bachchan's girlfriend in Ram Gopal Varma's political thriller Sarkar.[36] She next featured alongside Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen and Sohail Khan in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?, a film she considered her "first real step into Bollywood."[37] Directed by David Dhawan, the film was a successful remake of the romantic comedy Cactus Flower.[38][39] For her role as a suicidal model, Kaif received the Stardust Award for Breakthrough Performance – Female.[40] According to Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com, "Katrina's Disney princess-like charm adds to her adorable screen presence."[41] Kaif followed with a small part in her second Telugu film, Allari Pidugu.[42]
In 2006, she appeared with Akshay Kumar for the first of many films in Raj Kanwar's unsuccessful Humko Deewana Kar Gaye,[43] a story of two like-minded strangers who fall in love despite being engaged to others. According to Sify, "Katrina is passably competent in a tailor-made role, giving a mild emotional spin to a couple of scenes" but was overshadowed by her supporting actresses.[44] Kaif also appeared with Mammootty in the successful Malayalam crime thriller Balram vs. Tharadas,[45] in which Rishi Raj Singh of The Hindu called her performance "marvellous".[46]
Commercial success (2007–08)
Kaif's career prospects changed in 2007, when she appeared in four Bollywood hits.[47] In an interview with The Indian Express, she called Vipul Amrutlal Shah's romantic comedy Namastey London a milestone, saying that "for the first time, [she] had a dominating role."[11] Kaif used her life in London as a reference for her role as a spoilt British Indian girl intent on marrying her self-centred British boyfriend, despite her parents' disapproval.[48] Although critical reception was mixed,[49] her performance was praised.[47] Sukanya Verma wrote that she "suits the role to the T" and "brings the zingy mix of her character alive with style and substance."[50] Kaif's chemistry with co-star Akshay Kumar was particularly well received, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India calling their casting "refreshing."[51]
1.03 billion (US$16 million), the film was a major financial success.[55][56] Kaif's final film of the year was Anees Bazmee's comedy Welcome, alongside Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Mallika Sherawat and Anil Kapoor. Although the film generated mostly negative reviews, it proved to be the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2007.[47][55] Despite her box-office success, the similarity of Kaif's roles was noted by Shoma Chaudhury of Tehelka, who called her "unabashed eye-candy", adding that she was "a pretty prop in Welcome" and "more of the same in Partner and Apne."[14]In 2008, the actress had three releases, the first of which was Abbas-Mustan's action thriller Race, a story about two stepbrothers-turned-rivals who are in contention for their father's insurance money. Kaif played Saif Ali Khan's secretary, who is his stepbrother's (Akshaye Khanna) lover. Although Race continued Kaif's string of successes,[57] Nikhat Kazmi found her "too pale" in her role. Kazmi was more appreciative of the film, praising its "super cool look [and] testosterone-high action sequences."[58] After Race, Kaif rejoined Akshay Kumar in Anees Bazmee's action comedy Singh Is Kinng. The film earned
1.25 billion (US$20 million) worldwide, making it Kaif's sixth consecutive box-office success.[30][56][57] However, she received mixed reviews for her performance.[47] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN reviewed: "Katrina Kaif is an eyesore ... her acting so weak you want to urge her to watch everyone from Madhubala to Madhuri so she might pick up a few tricks."[59]Kaif's final film of the year—Subhash Ghai's drama Yuvvraaj—was a major box-office failure.[57] In preparation for her role as a cellist she practised her playing with orchestra members.[60] Her portrayal of a girl forbidden by her father from marrying her poor lover was well received by Sify's Sonia Chopra: "Katrina is wonderful, plays the cello convincingly, and looks ethereal."[61] Despite the film's mixed critical reception, its screenplay was added to the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its artistic merit.[62][63]
Except for Boom, Namastey London and Singh is Kingg, Kaif's voice was dubbed over by voice artists in her early films because of her lack of fluency in Hindi and other Indian languages.[64][65] Although she appeared in a series of successful films, critics noted that she had little to do in them as they were generally male-dominated.[30][66] Her performances were also largely criticised.[67][68] About her series of glamorous roles, Kaif said that her "first few films were really a process of learning ... There was no target."[6]
Katrian Kaif popular Vedo Song
New York and other roles (2009–11)
After a string of films in which she was cast to add glamour, Kaif's role in Kabir Khan's terrorism drama New York (2009) brought recognition of her acting ability.[69] Featuring John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh in lead roles, the film tells the story of how three friends' lives are changed when one is wrongly detained after 9/11. Kaif played Maya, a college student who later marries a terrorist. The actress said that she identified with Maya, since she experienced similar isolation because of her skin colour when she was growing up in London.[70] Kaif also remarked that she was tired of "arm candy" roles and was looking for more substantial parts.[71] New York did well at the box office and received favourable reviews.[72][73] According to Subhash K. Jha, Kaif "comes into her own as an actress of substance ... From the carefree effervescent campus girl to the anguished wife, Katrina makes the journey look plausible all the way."[74] New York brought Kaif her first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actress.[75] She then appeared in a cameo for India's first underwater thriller Blue.[76]Kaif starred with Ranbir Kapoor in Rajkumar Santoshi's hit comedy, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009), as an orphan forced to marry a rich man.[77] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama wrote, "Katrina Kaif continues to surprise ... She scores in both emotional and light scenes" and called her chemistry with Kapoor "electrifying."[78] Her final film of the year was Priyadarshan's comedy De Dana Dan.[71]
Kaif at a promotional event for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, 2011
1.4 billion (US$22 million).[56][86]Kaif collaborated with Akshay Kumar for the sixth time in Farah Khan's slapstick comedy Tees Maar Khan (2010).[87] The film was panned by critics and underperformed at the box office.[88][89] Kaif's portrayal of an aspiring actress was not well received; Renuka Rao of Daily News and Analysis said that her "drama queen act is performed ... poorly", but noted that she "does full justice" to the popular item number "Sheila Ki Jawani."[90][91]
The following year, Kaif was paired with Hrithik Roshan in Zoya Akhtar's coming-of-age dramedy Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.[92] The film narrates the story of three friends on a bachelor trip, and how the workaholism of one was overcome with the help of Laila (Kaif). The film was a critical and commercial success.[93][94] Kaif's performance was also well received by critics.[47] Richard Kuipers of Variety commented that she is "delightful as the sweet-natured girl who inspires everyone to look in the mirror and do something about it."[95] Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was one of the most awarded films of the year and received numerous Best Film accolades.[96]
Kaif then featured in Yash Raj Films' romantic comedy Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) with Imran Khan and Ali Zafar,[97] She was cast as Dimple Dixit, a "talkative", "unpredictable" girl, a role she described as challenging as the character's personality contrasted with her own.[98] While the film earned mixed reviews, Kaif was generally praised for her portrayal.[47][99] The book Mother Maiden Mistress called Dimple one of the more interesting female characters of the year and Gaurav Malani of The Economic Times said the film was watchable because of "Katrina's live-wire energy wherein she never goes overboard and keeps bustling with vivacity through the runtime."[100][101] For this performance, Kaif received her second Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category.[75]
Recent work (2012–present)
In 2012, Kaif appeared in "Chikni Chameli", an item number in Agneepath that incorporated dance steps from the Lavani genre (a Maharashtrian folk dance). The song was filmed over a ten-day period[102] and, according to the actress, "It was hard work. It was very fast and it was not a style I was used to, but I took it as a challenge."[103] Kaif appeared next in Kabir Khan's espionage thriller Ek Tha Tiger as a Pakistani ISI agent who falls in love with an Indian RAW agent. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote about her performance: "Katrina is an able, animated foil to Salman, her long legs making her leaps and kicks credible" and she "brings the right degree of playfulness" to her character.[104] The film received predominantly positive reviews, with Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis calling it "smart and stylish."[105][106] Kaif's reunion with Salman Khan was widely publicised, since it was their first film together after their breakup.[107] With worldwide earnings of3.1 billion (US$49 million), Ek Tha Tiger was the highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year.[108][109]
2.11 billion (US$33 million) worldwide.[115]In 2013, she appeared briefly with Aamir Khan in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action thriller Dhoom 3.[116] To prepare for her role as a circus performer, she undertook a year-long regimen of Pilates, functional training and aerial straps.[117] The film received ambivalent reviews, but Kaif was criticised for taking on an insubstantial part.[118] Rajeev Masand noted that "Katrina seems to show up strictly for the song sequences," though Sonia Chopra found Kaif "earnest in the limited scope offered."[119][120] Earning
5.42 billion (US$86 million) in box-office receipts, Dhoom 3 went on to become the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time until it was surpassed by PK in 2014.[121]Kaif's next appearance was in Siddharth Anand's Bang Bang! (2014), a remake of the 2010 action comedy Knight and Day.[122] She played a bank receptionist who unwittingly gets caught up with a secret agent (Hrithik Roshan). Raja Sen of Rediff.com was disappointed with her performance, describing it as "insufferable."[123] Although the film was commercially successful, financial analysts observed that it failed to meet box-office expectations.[124]
As of February 2015, Kaif has completed filming for Kabir Khan's post 26/11 counter-terrorism drama Phantom with Saif Ali Khan.[125] She is filming for two projects—Anurag Basu's comedy-mystery film Jagga Jasoos with Ranbir Kapoor and Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor, an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations in which she will play a role based on Estella Havisham.[126][127] Kaif will also appear with Sidharth Malhotra in Nitya Mehra's time-travel love story, and will reprise her role as Indu in a sequel to Raajneeti.[128][129]
Personal life
Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor at a promotional event for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, 2009
He’s had a huge role in my career. There’s no doubt about that. I value his opinion. But as a person, Salman has had the biggest impact on my life. I became friends with him when I was young. And his persona is very strong. If I were to look back and see his impact on my life, it’s been tremendous.[133]The reported reason for their breakup was Kaif's increasing closeness to Ranbir Kapoor during the filming of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.[134] Although this was denied by Kaif and Kapoor, the nature of their relationship was scrutinised by the media because they were involved with others at the time.[135][136] In August 2013, intimate photographs of Kapoor and Kaif on holiday in Ibiza were leaked by Stardust; the media interpreted this as confirmation of an affair.[137] After the appearance of the photos, Kaif published an open letter to the media saying that she was "upset, distressed and invaded" by the breach of privacy.[138] She later acknowledged Kapoor as "an extremely important part of [her] life", refusing to elaborate on the relationship.[139]
Although Kaif does not own a house in India, she has bought property in London.[140] As a British citizen, she works in India on a visa.[141] Kaif has a close relationship with her family, and the lack of a father figure in her life has given her a sense of responsibility towards them.[142] While Kaif's mother is Christian and her father is Muslim, Kaif was brought up to practise all faiths and says she is a "firm believer in God".[143][144] She reportedly visits Siddhivinayak Temple, Mount Mary Church and the Sufi shrine Dargah Sharif before her films are released.[145]
Off-screen work
Kaif performing at the Global Indian Film Awards, 2006
Kaif has also performed onstage, participating in Shah Rukh Khan's "Temptations Reloaded" world concert tour in 2008. Also featuring Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, the tour began in Amsterdam in June and ended four months later in Dubai's Festival City Arena before an audience of 15,000.[154][155] Kaif rejoined Shah Rukh Khan for his 2013 "Temptations Reloaded" concert in Muscat, performing to an audience of over 18,000.[156]
She performed with Akon at the closing ceremony of the 2009 Indian Premier League at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg,[157] and joined Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Pitbull in Kolkata for the opening ceremony of the 2013 IPL season.[158] Kaif has also performed at awards ceremonies. In 2006 Kaif performed at the Global Indian Film Awards and danced to songs from Race at the 2008 IIFA Awards in Bangkok.[159][160] She also performed at the 55th Filmfare Awards in 2010 and the 2013 Zee Cine Awards, both in Mumbai.[161][162]
In the media
Kaif at an event for Nakshatra Jewellery, 2010
She is considered one of the most beautiful celebrities in India, distinguished by her skin, hair and figure,[166] and has ranked highly in polls choosing the most attractive Indian celebrities. Kaif was named the "World's Sexiest Woman" by FHM India five times from 2008 to 2013,[167][168] and appeared on Verve 's list of most powerful women in 2009 and 2010.[169][170] The UK magazine Eastern Eye called her the "Sexiest Asian Woman" for three consecutive years beginning in 2008, and again in 2013.[171][172] Kaif was named The Times of India 's "Most Desirable Woman" in 2010, after being ranked second from 2011 to 2013.[173][174] The Indian edition of People described her as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" in 2011 and three years later she topped Maxim India 's "Hot 100" poll.[175][176]
Kaif is a celebrity spokesperson for a number of brands including Slice, Nakshatra, Lux, Panasonic and L'Oréal.[177][178] The Economic Times ranked Kaif India's second most prominent endorser in 2012.[179] Hindustan Times reported in 2014 that she received
50 million (US$790,000) to 60 million (US$950,000) for each endorsement, making her one of India's highest-paid celebrity endorsers.[180][181] In 2013, Kaif was ranked ninth on Forbes ' list of India's best-known entertainers with an estimated annual income of 637.5 million (US$10 million).[182] In 2010 and 2011, Mattel released two sets of Barbie dolls inspired by Kaif.[183][184] In 2015, a wax figure of Kaif was installed at Madame Tussauds in London.[185]Katrian Kaif Popular song Video :
Rani Mukerji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rani Mukerji | |
|---|---|
Mukerji at the Gr8! Women Awards in Dubai, 2013
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| Born | 21 March 1978 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Other names | Rani Mukherji Rani Mukherjee (See Mukherjee) |
| Ethnicity | Bengali |
| Alma mater | SNDT Women's University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse(s) | Aditya Chopra (m. 2014) |
| Relatives | See Mukherjee-Samarth family |
| Awards | Full list |
Although Mukerji was born into the Mukherjee-Samarth family, in which her parents and relatives were members of the Indian film industry, she did not aspire to pursue a career in film. However, while still a teenager she dabbled with acting by playing a supporting role in her father's Bengali language film Biyer Phool (1996) and later accepted a leading role in the 1997 social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat on the insistence of her mother. She then began a full-time career in film and gained recognition for a supporting role in the romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). After this initial success in her career, Mukerji's films fared poorly at the box office for the next three years. Her career prospects improved when Yash Raj Films cast her as the star of the drama Saathiya (2002).
By 2004, Mukerji had established herself as a leading actress of Bollywood with roles in the romantic comedy Hum Tum and the dramas Yuva and Veer-Zaara. She achieved further success for portraying a deaf, blind and mute woman in the acclaimed drama Black (2005) and an unhappily married woman in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Mukerji then collaborated with Yash Raj Films on several unsuccessful films which led critics to criticise her for choosing poor roles and pairing with the same set of actors. The semi-biographical thriller No One Killed Jessica (2011) proved to be her first box office hit in four years, and she followed it by starring in the successful thrillers Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012) and Mardaani (2014).
In addition to acting in films, Mukerji is involved with several humanitarian causes and is vocal about issues faced by women and children. She has participated in concert tours and stage shows, and featured as a talent judge for the 2009 reality show Dance Premier League. Despite constant media speculation, she remains guarded about her personal life and is sometimes labelled a recluse by members of the media. She is married to the filmmaker Aditya Chopra.
Contents
Early life and background
See also: Mukherjee-Samarth family
Rani Mukerji was born in Mumbai on 21 March 1978.[1] Her father, Ram Mukherjee (born to the Mukherjee-Samarth family), is a former film director and one of the founders of Filmalaya Studios. Her mother, Krishna Mukherjee, is a former playback singer.[2][3] Her elder brother, Raja Mukherjee, is a film producer and director.[4] Her maternal aunt, Debashree Roy, is a Bengali film actress and her paternal cousin, Kajol, is a Hindi film actress and her contemporary.[5] Another paternal cousin, Ayan Mukerji, is a scriptwriter and film director.[6]
Despite her parents and most of her relatives being members of the
Indian film industry, Mukerji was uninterested in pursuing a career in
film.[7] She said, "[T]here were already too many actresses at home and I wanted to be someone different".[8]Mukerji received her education at Maneckji Cooper High School in Juhu and graduated with a degree in Home Science from SNDT Women's University.[7][9] She is a trained Odissi dancer and began learning the dance form while in the tenth grade.[10] As part of an annual tradition, the Mukherjee family celebrates the festival of Durga Puja in the suburban neighbourhood of Santacruz every year. Mukerji, a practising Hindu, takes part in the festivities with her entire family.[11][12]
In 1994, director Salim Khan approached her to play the lead female role in his directorial, Aa Gale Lag Jaa. Her father disapproved of a full-time career in film at such a young age, so she rejected the offer.[9] At the age of eighteen, Mukerji experimented with acting by portraying a supporting role in her father's Bengali language film Biyer Phool (1996).[13] The film starred Prosenjit and Indrani Haldar in lead roles and narrates the story of two sisters; Mukerji played the younger sibling of Haldar's character. Soon after, Khan approached her with another film offer to play the protagonist of the social drama Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, Mukerji accepted the role due to her mother's insistence that she continue to pursue acting on an experimental basis.[14] Before she began work on the film, Mukerji trained at Roshan Taneja's acting institute.[15]
Career
Debut and public recognition (1997–99)
Mukerji portrayed a rape victim who is forced to marry her rapist in Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat, which released in 1997. Although the film was a commercial failure,[16] Mukerji's performance was praised, and she won a special recognition trophy at the annual Screen Awards ceremony.[2] Following the film's poor showing at the box office, Mukerji returned to college to complete her education. However, inspired by her cousin Kajol's success in Bollywood, she decided to pursue a full-time career in film.[8]In 1998, Mukerji starred opposite Aamir Khan in Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam (1998), a moderate commercial success.[17] Though her role in the film was small, the song "Aati Kya Khandala" earned her widespread recognition.[18] Due to Mukerji's broken voice texture, Bhatt hired a dubbing artist with a much higher pitched voice to dub for her lines. When asked if the director's decision to not use her voice in the film affected her, she said that her voice was dubbed as it "did not suit the character".[19][20]
Later that year, Karan Johar cast Mukerji opposite Shah Rukh Khan and her cousin, Kajol, in his big-budget directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The role was originally written for Twinkle Khanna, but when she rejected it, Johar approached several leading actresses, all of whom refused the offer. He eventually cast Mukerji after she volunteered to play the role.[21] Johar had originally intended that a dubbing artist dub Mukerji's lines in the film, but she improved her diction and eventually dubbed for her own lines.[22] She portrayed Tina Malhotra, a college student who is in a relationship with Khan's character. Writing for India Today, film critic Nandita Chowdhury considered Mukerji to be the scene-stealer and added, "Oozing oomph from every pore, she [..] proves herself an actress whose time has come."[23] Kuch Kuch Hota Hai proved a breakthrough for Mukerji; it emerged as a blockbuster in India and abroad with earnings of over
1.03 billion (US$16 million), and won eight Filmfare Awards, including a Best Supporting Actress trophy for Mukerji.[24][25]Following the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Mukerji played leading roles in the social drama Mehndi (1998) and the comedy Hello Brother (1999).[26] Both these films were critical and commercial disappointments which failed to propel her career forward.[27]
Career struggles and initial success (2000–03)
Mukerji at the audio release of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke in 2001
The year 2001 was a disappointing one for Mukerji. In a review for her first release of the year, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, a drama based on surrogate childbirth, film critic Sukanya Verma found Mukerji to be "handicapped with a role that doesn't give her much scope besides weeping and sobbing" and preferred the "meatier" role of her co-star Preity Zinta.[36] In Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai and Nayak: The Real Hero, films that failed to garner praise, Mukerji played the love interests of Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor respectively.[37] In a review for the latter, Sarita Tanwar wrote that "[Mukerji] has very little to do except being part of some magnificently picturised songs".[38]
After three consecutive years of poorly received films, Mukerji's career prospects began to improve in 2002 when Yash Raj Films, a leading production company in India, cast her for two high-profile productions: Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, a romantic comedy co-starring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, and Saathiya, a remake of the Tamil box office hit Alaipayuthey.[39] Mujhse Dosti Karoge! was heavily promoted before release and proved a success internationally, but failed to earn profits in India.[40][41] The romantic drama Saathiya proved a major turning point in her career, winning her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress in addition to a Best Actress nomination at the same ceremony.[33][42][43] Mukerji was director Shaad Ali's only choice to play the lead role; he said, "She was born to play this role. She looked the character. She looked vulnerable. She looked the right age. She was perfect".[44] The film co-starred Vivek Oberoi, and her paternal aunt Tanuja, and proved an economic success.[40] Mukerji's portrayal of Suhani Sharma, a medical student who deals with the tensions and discontent of being married at a young age, met with critical acclaim. The BBC stated that "Mukerji plays the character of a middle class girl with great conviction",[45] and Udita Jhunjhunwala of Mid Day added, "Her expressions and acting are understated in a role that fits her like a glove."[46]
In 2003, Mukerji replaced Aishwarya Rai to play the lead female role opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Aziz Mirza's romance Chalte Chalte.[47] Media reports suggested that Rai was replaced after feuding with her then boyfriend Salman Khan on the film's sets, but Shah Rukh Khan insisted that Mukerji had been the original choice for the role.[47][48] The film's concept was similar to Saathiya and dealt with misunderstandings between a married couple. Mukerji said, "[Unlike Saathiya], Chalte Chalte deals with a more mature and deeper form of love. It is about how a man and woman react to situations. [..] You cannot really get very different with the characters, but you can put them against a different background".[49] The film was well received by both critics and audiences, and the following year Mukerji received a second Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[33][50] Also that year, she starred in Milan Luthria's romantic comedy Chori Chori opposite Ajay Devgan, Sudhir Mishra's suspense drama Calcutta Mail, alongside Anil Kapoor and Manisha Koirala, and J.P. Dutta's ensemble war film LOC Kargil.[51] None of these films fared well critically or commercially.[50]
Widespread success (2004–06)
Mukerji at the 6th International Indian Film Academy Awards in Amsterdam. She won both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards, for Hum Tum and Veer-Zaara respectively, at the ceremony[33]
Later that year, Mukerji achieved further success when Yash Chopra cast her alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta in his romantic drama Veer-Zaara. The film narrates the story of star-crossed lovers, Veer Pratap Singh (played by Khan) and a Pakistani woman, Zaara Hayaat Khan (played by Zinta); Mukerji played the role of Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer embroiled in a court case involving Singh. With a worldwide gross of over
940 million (US$15 million),[24] Veer-Zaara emerged as the highest grossing film of the year; it was screened at the Berlin Film Festival and met with critical acclaim.[41][58]
Mukerji's role was praised by the critics; BBC noted, "[I]ts Rani
Mukerjee who deserves praise for her acting. To act through your eyes
and not using dialogue is an art. Rani for one, has perfected this."[59] She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the IIFA Awards ceremony, and received a nomination in the same category at Filmfare.[33]In 2005, Outlook magazine published that Mukerji had established herself as the most successful actress of contemporary Hindi cinema.[60] Her first film role that year was opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's highly acclaimed Black, a drama about an alcoholic man who dedicates his life to teach a blind and deaf girl how to communicate. Bhansali wrote the part of the blind-deaf girl specifically for Mukerji, who was initially hesitant to take on the role due to its "challenging" subject matter.[61] Once Bhansali enforced his faith in her, she agreed and began intensely studying sign language with professionals at the Helen Keller Institute in Mumbai.[62] Black won several awards including two National Film Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards, and Richard Corliss of TIME featured it as the fifth best film of the year.[63] Mukerji's performance met with unanimous acclaim; Empire called the performance "astonishing",[64] Filmfare included her work in their listing of Indian cinema's "80 Most Iconic performances" and wrote, "Rani has left an indelible mark with this role that usually comes once in a lifetime for most".[65] She became the only actress to win both the Best Actress and Best Actress – Critics trophies at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.[33][53]
That year, Mukerji received a second Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her work opposite Abhishek Bachchan in Bunty Aur Babli, a comedy film which marked her fifth collaboration with Yash Raj Films.[33] She played the titular character of Vimmi "Babli" Saluja, a con woman. The film was the second highest grossing film of 2005 and Mukerji's third major success in two consecutive years.[66] Film critic Namrata Joshi wrote that "Rani plays to the gallery with ease" and Taran Adarsh wrote that she "sinks her teeth into the role and comes out with flying colours".[67][68] She followed it with Amol Palekar's fantasy film Paheli, reuniting her with Shah Rukh Khan. The film was a box office flop in India but was given a strong international release; it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and was India's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards.[69] Raja Sen of Rediff.com was impressed by the film as well as Mukerji's performance which he called "another perfectly played part".[70] Mukerji's fourth and final release of the year was the highly anticipated period film Mangal Pandey: The Rising. Director Ketan Mehta initially approached her for a cameo appearance, which was developed into an "important part" after she gave her consent to star in the film.[71] Her role was that of Heera, a prostitute who forms the love interest of the titular character (played by Aamir Khan).[72] Derek Elley of Variety mentioned that Mukerji made "the most of her feisty nautch-girl," despite having "a small role for a star of her caliber."[73]
Mukerji turned down an offer from Mira Nair to star in the Hollywood film The Namesake, choosing instead to collaborate once again with her friend Karan Johar in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), an urban drama dealing with infidelity and dysfunctional relationships.[74][75] The high-profile production featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher, and told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York which results in an extra-marital affair. Mukerji played Maya Talwar, a woman layered with self-doubt and question about the relationship between her husband (played by Abhishek Bachchan) and herself. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was a popular release, emerging as a major economic success with gross earnings of over
1.13 billion (US$18 million).[41] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN
wrote, "Rani looks a million bucks and she dives under the skin of her
character to make that part one that we will remember for a long time".[76] The role won Mukerji a third consecutive IIFA Best Actress Award and among other nods, earned her a sixth Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[33] The poorly received melodrama Baabul was her final appearance that year.[77]Video song of Rani Mukhajee
Professional setback (2007–10)
Following the failure of Baabul, Yash Raj Films cast Mukerji in Siddharth Anand's family drama Ta Ra Rum Pum in the role of a popular racing driver's (played by Saif Ali Khan) wife and the mother of two. Mukerji was excited to play the part of a mother for the first time, and modelled her character after her own mother.[74] Released in 2007, the film was an economic success,[78] but received mixed reactions from the critics. Khalid Mohamed hailed Mukerji's performance as "near flawless" but Rajeev Masand thought that neither she nor Khan "are able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring."[79][80] The woman's film Laaga Chunari Mein Daag from director Pradeep Sarkar was Mukerji's second release that year. She described the film as a "journey of a girl into womanhood and her sacrifices for her family".[81] Her role (which earned her a Best Actress nomination at Filmfare) was that of Vibhavari Sahay, a young girl of limited means who is forced to moonlight as a prostitute to fend for her family. Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkana Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor co-starred in the film which released to poor box office returns and little praise from the critics.[78] The Indian Express noted that Mukerji was responsible for "hold[ing] the film together, even if her part, both as the ingénue and the hooker, doesn't have freshness".[82]
Mukerji at a promotional event for Dil Bole Hadippa! in 2009
After a series of serious roles, Mukerji sought to play a part that would be a "clutter-breaker" for her. She found the role in Kunal Kohli's Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (2008), a children's film about an angel who comes to Earth to help four troubled kids.[87] In a particularly scathing review, Khalid Mohamed criticised Mukerji's choice of roles and wrote, "As a Geeta Poppins, she's one-dimensional, either darting full blast smiles or tetchy scowls. Her costumes, too, are uneasy-on-the-eyes".[88] The film had low box office returns and further contributed to a decline in Mukerji's career prospects.[89] An India Today article spoke of her "running out of luck at the box office" and mentioned her decline in endorsements.[90]
In an attempt to overcome this decline in her career, Mukerji lost weight and underwent a complete makeover.[91] In 2009, she collaborated for the ninth time with Yash Raj Films on Dil Bole Hadippa!, a romantic comedy opposite Shahid Kapoor. Mukerji had high expectations from the film in which she played a cricket-obsessed Punjabi village girl masquerading as a man; it was hugely hyped before release and had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.[92] The Economic Times critic Gaurav Malani was disappointed with the picture and wrote, "Rani Mukherjee comes up with a spirited performance but her mock sob-whine-whimper do[es] not amuse anymore. Also after a point you dislike visualizing the charming actress as the moustached male player."[93] The film was Mukerji's fourth economic failure in a row.[94] When questioned about her recent spate of flops with the Yash Raj Films banner, she stated, "An actor is here to act and pick great roles and scripts. I was getting great roles from Yash Raj at that point, roles that any actor would give an arm to do. I stand by those films regardless of their fate".[95] Later that year, she featured as a talent judge for the Sony Entertainment Television reality show Dance Premier League. She said that appearing on television would make her "more accessible" to the audiences and help her "gain visibility" when she was "not doing too many films".[96] Mukerji did not make any screen appearances in 2010.
Popular song of Rani Mukharjee
No One Killed Jessica and beyond (2011–present)
Film critic Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis described Mukerji's performance in the 2011 film No One Killed Jessica as "one of her best performances till date".[97] The film (co-starring Vidya Balan) was Mukerji's first commercial success since Ta Ra Rum Pum, and was especially noted for being a success despite the absence of a prominent male actor.[98] The film was a semi-biographical thriller based on the Jessica Lal murder case in which Mukerji played the fictional character of Meera Gaity, a foul-mouthed television journalist who is deeply involved with the case.[99] To promote the film, she reprised the role of Gaity on the C.I.D. television series.[100] In an interview with The Telegraph she said, "It was such a different role to portray. It wasn't a role that was typical of a Hindi film heroine. Meera was more like a hero. It was a character that actually took the story forward. [..] Meera made a lot of things happen. It wasn't something that I had ever done before. I actually had to play a man!"[101] Certain critics, however, were critical of her performance, including Anupama Chopra of NDTV, who called her role, "the fatal, false note in No One Killed Jessica," arguing that "the character is written superficially and Rani's portrayal of her is equally banal. It's all about externals. She argues a lot and proudly labels herself a bitch but her hair stays perfectly in place and in the end, she even gets to do a super-hero-like slow motion walk."[102] Nonetheless, the role earned her several awards and nominations, including a third Best Supporting Actress trophy at Filmfare.[103]
Mukerji at the audio release of Talaash: The Answer Lies Within in 2012
1.74 billion (US$28 million).[107] Ronnie Schieb of Variety described Mukerji as "vivid in a quietly sympathetic role",[108][109] and she received Best Supporting Actress nominations at several award ceremonies, including Filmfare.[110]The following year, Mukerji starred in the anthology film Bombay Talkies consisting of four short films.[111] Mukerji was part of the segment entitled Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh in which she played Gayatri, a journalist who discovers that her husband (played by Randeep Hooda) is gay; it was her fourth collaboration with director Karan Johar. The film was screened at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival as part of the centenary year celebrations of Indian cinema.[112] Despite poor box office returns, Bombay Talkies met with widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed to Johar's segment.[113] Tushar Joshi of Daily News and Analysis said that Mukerji was successful in "proving [that] she's the queen of subtlety when it comes to stripping off the make-up and letting herself fly".[114]
In 2014, Mukerji appeared in Pradeep Sarkar's crime thriller Mardaani, in which she played the lead role of Shivani Shivaji Roy, a Maharashtrian policewoman involved in a kidnapping case that leads her to uncover secrets of human trafficking in India. She took on the role "to show all girls what the reality is, what the world has come to, and how they need to protect themselves".[115] In preparation, she interacted with senior officials of Mumbai's crime branch, and learned the Israeli self-defense technique of Krav Maga.[116][117] Rajeev Masand found Mukerji to be the prime asset of the film, adding that by "investing Shivani with both physical strength and emotional courage, she gives us a hero that's hard not to root for".[118] Writing for Hindustan Times, Anupama Chopra also praised her performance, writing that she not only "imbues Shivani with steely resolve but also gives her emotional depth".[119] The film was a commercial success and garnered Mukerji another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[120][121]
Personal life and off-screen work
Despite constant media attention, Mukerji remains guarded about her personal life.[86] Unlike many other celebrities, Mukerji limits her interactions with the media and is sometimes labelled a recluse; she said in a 2011 interview, "Today actors have become more open with the media. But this has posed a problem for actors like me because if I don't do that, then I end up being called reclusive. So now I have changed myself and am easily approachable."[122] Mukerji has collaborated frequently and maintained a close friendship with actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, and filmmaker Karan Johar.[123][124] The nature of Mukerji's relationship with filmmaker Aditya Chopra was the topic of fervent tabloid reporting in India, though she refused to publicly talk about it.[125][126] On 21 April 2014, she married Chopra at a private ceremony in Italy.[127]
Mukerji has made public appearances to support other charities and causes. In March 2004, she visited the Indian army unit in Pokhran, Rajasthan to interact with the jawan troops, for the NDTV reality show Jai Jawan.[130] In February 2005, Mukerji and several other Bollywood actors participated in the 2005 HELP! Telethon Concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[131] In March 2006, Mukerji celebrated her birthday with the physically challenged children of the Helen Keller Institute; she had previously worked with them while preparing for her role in Black.[132] In November 2010, she was part of a fund raising auction for the "Because I am a Girl" charity campaign.[133] In 2014, Mukerji attended a charity dinner on child abuse in London, where she was felicitated by Prince Charles for raising awareness on the issue through her work in Mardaani.[134]
Mukerji has participated in several concert tours and televised award ceremonies. Her first concert tour, "Magnificent Five", was in 1999 in which she performed with actors Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna.[135] The "Temptations 2004" concert had Mukerji perform alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in nineteen stage shows worldwide.[136] The following year, she participated in the "Temptations 2005" concert in New Delhi with Shah Rukh Khan, Fardeen Khan, Ameesha Patel and Malaika Arora Khan; the show was organised to help raise funds for the National Centre For Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).[137] In 2010, Mukerji performed at a concert in the Army Stadium of Dhaka, Bangladesh with several Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Rampal and Ishaa Koppikar.[138] For the "Temptations Reloaded" concert of 2012 in Jakarta, Mukerji performed alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Zinta and Bipasha Basu, for the 2013 concert of the same name in Auckland, she performed with Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Jacqueline Fernandez, and in 2014 she performed in Malaysia with Shah Rukh Khan, Dixit, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Arijit Singh.[139][140][141]
Artistry and media image
Mukerji at an issue launch of Hi Blitz magazine in 2009
Reema Kagti (the director of Talaash: The Answer Lies Within) said of Mukerji's craft, "Rani likes to prepare a lot. She gets obsessive about the role and wants to know everything about her character. What's her character's back-story, what is going on in her head at a specific point".[145] In an interview with Daily News and Analysis, Mukerji described her approach to acting:
"A month before I start shooting, I sit with my director, try to understand how he has visualised the character on the screen and take notes. Then I start working on the most basic thing — the look. It's very important that the physical appearance of the character gets decided because if I look the character, it makes it all the more believable. Once that is achieved, I go into the finer nuances of what the girl is like, her background. And then from there [..] I have to get the accent right".[146]
Mukerji at an event for India TV in 2014
Mukerji is one of the best-known and most high-profile celebrities in India; at the peak of her career she was frequently listed as one of the most popular and attractive Indian celebrities, was one of the highest paid actresses in Bollywood, and the brand ambassador for a number of products.[60] Filmfare featured her in their listing of the "Ten Most Powerful Names of Bollywood" for two consecutive years (2005–2006).[153] In 2006, Eastern Eye ranked her as one of "Asia's Sexiest Women".[154] Mukerji ranked first on Box Office India's '"Top Actresses" listing for two consecutive years (2005–2006).[39] She topped Rediff.com's annual listing of the "Top Bollywood Actresses" for three consecutive years (2004–2006); in 2007, she held the fifth position.[155][156][157][158] She was also featured by Rediff.com in their listing of "Bollywood's Best Actresses Ever", "Bollywood's Most Beautiful Actresses", and "Bollywood's Best Dressed Women".[143][159][160] Since 2007, Mukerji's popularity was on a decline and she lost out on her brand endorsements to a number of younger actresses.[85][161] In 2013, the American Embassy in India honoured her with a special trophy for her contributions to Indian cinema.[162]
Filmography and awards
Selected filmography
Main article: Rani Mukerji filmography
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
- Saathiya (2002)
- Yuva (2004)
- Hum Tum (2004)
- Veer-Zaara (2004)
- Black (2005)
- Bunty Aur Babli (2005)
- Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
- No One Killed Jessica (2011)
- Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (2012)
- Mardaani (2014)
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Rani Mukerji
For her roles in the films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Yuva (2004), and No One Killed Jessica (2011), Mukerji won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her roles in Saathiya (2002) and Black (2005), and received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her roles in Hum Tum (2004) and Black (2005).Kajol
From Top Celebrity News
Kajol at the Kelvinator Stree Shakti Awards, 2014
|
|
| Born | Kajol Mukherjee 5 August 1974 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Film actress |
| Years active | 1992–2001 2006–2010;2015 |
| Spouse(s) | Ajay Devgan (m. 1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | |
Born to actress Tanuja and film director Shomu Mukherjee, Kajol made her acting debut with Bekhudi (1992) while still in school. She quit her studies to pursue acting, and had her first commercial success with the 1993 thriller Baazigar. She subsequently earned wide public recognition for playing leading roles in several blockbuster family dramas, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). She earned critical appreciation for playing against type in the 1997 mystery film Gupt and the 1998 psychological thriller Dushman. Following a sabbatical from full-time acting in 2001, Kajol returned to film with the 2006 romantic thriller, Fanaa. She continued working infrequently through the rest of the decade, and earned critical acclaim for her work in U Me Aur Hum (2008) and My Name Is Khan (2010). She, thus, established herself as one of India's most successful female actors.[4][5]
Kajol is a social activist and is noted for her work with widows and children, for which she received the Karmaveer Puraskaar in 2008. She has featured as a talent judge for Zee TV's reality show, Rock-N-Roll Family (2008) and holds a managerial position at Devgn Entertainment and Software. Kajol has been in a relationship with actor Ajay Devgan since 1995. In 1999, they married, and she gave birth to their daughter, Nysa, in 2003 and their son, Yug, in 2010.
Contents
Early life and background
Main article: Mukherjee-Samarth family
Kajol describes herself as being "extremely mischievous" as a child. She added that she was stubborn and impulsive from a very young age.[11] Her parents separated when she was young; but according to Tanuja, Kajol was not affected by the split as "we never argued in front of [her]".[12] In the absence of her mother, Kajol was looked after by her maternal grandmother, who "never let me feel that my mother was away and working".[13] According to Kajol, her mother inculcated a sense of independence in her at a very young age. Growing up between two separate cultures, she inherited her "Maharashtrian pragmatism" from her mother and her "Bengali temperament" from her father.[13]
Kajol studied at the St Joseph Convent boarding school in Panchgani, where she was appointed as the head girl. Apart from her studies, she participated in extra-curricular activities, such as dancing.[14] It was in school that she began to form an active interest in reading fiction, as it helped her "through the bad moments" in her life.[15] At the age of sixteen, she began work on Rahul Rawail's film Bekhudi, which according to her was a "big dose of luck". She initially intended to return to school after shooting for the film during her summer vacations. However, she eventually dropped out of school to pursue a full-time career in film. On not completing her education, she quoted, "I don't think I am any less well-rounded because I didn't complete school".[13]
Career
1992–96: Breakthrough and success
Bekhudi, which released in 1992, turned out to be a commercial failure.[16] However, her performance in the film was noticed and she was signed for Baazigar (1993), a thriller by Abbas-Mustan, which emerged as a major commercial success.[4] The film, which also starred Shahrukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Siddharth Ray, saw her portray the leading role of Priya Chopra, a girl who falls in love with her sister's killer. The film marked the first of her many collaborations with Khan.[17]In 1994, Kajol featured in the melodrama Udhaar Ki Zindagi, as the granddaughter of the character played by Jeetendra. The film, which was a remake of the Telugu film, Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu, failed to do well at the box-office.[18] She subsequently starred and earned public recognition with Yash Raj Films's hit romantic drama Yeh Dillagi, alongside Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. The film, which was an unofficial remake of the Hollywood film Sabrina, narrated the story of a chauffeur's daughter who aspires to become a model.[19] Her performance in the film fetched Kajol her first Best Actress nomination at the annual Filmfare Awards.
Kajol with actor Shah Rukh Khan with whom she co-starred in several successful films including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Her other release, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, was not only the biggest commercial success of 1995, but also one of the most successful films of all time in India.[22][23] The film, which earned a worldwide gross of
1.23 billion (US$20 million) at the time of release,[24] has been continuously running in Mumbai ever since.[25] Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was also a major critical success; it won ten Filmfare Awards, and Kajol's performance as Simran Singh, a young Non-resident Indian from London who falls for Shahrukh Khan's character was praised, earning her a first Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[3] In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the 25 Must See Bollywood Films, citing it as a "trendsetter of sorts".[26] In that same year's retrospective review by Rediff,
Raja Sen stated that Kajol was "wisely picked ... to play Simran, the
real-as-life actress bringing warmth and credulity to the initially
prudish and reluctant Simran. Not to mention the on-screen chemistry
that has become the stuff of legend."[27] In 1995, she also acted opposite Ajay Devgn in two commercially unsuccessful films, Hulchul and Gundaraj.[28] In 1996, Kajol starred in the action drama Bambai Ka Babu, opposite Saif Ali Khan, which emerged as a critical and commercial disaster.[29]1997–2001: Gupt and other films
In 1997, her portrayal of Isha Diwan, in Gupt: The Hidden Truth, was lauded by critics and proved to be a major turning point in her career.[30] She explained that playing Diwan was the "toughest role" of her career as it was "difficult to play a mean character".[31] In an interview with The Hindu, director Rai quoted, "[I] tapped the versatile artistry in Kajol in Gupt! [She] had a complex role and she certainly brought a rare finesse to her etching of that character in the film".[32] The thriller, which co-starred Bobby Deol and Manisha Koirala, also emerged as a major commercial success.[33] Kajol eventually became the first woman to be nominated in and win the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role.[34]Kajol then starred as an aspiring nun in Rajiv Menon's Tamil film, Minsaara Kanavu opposite Arvind Swamy and Prabhu Deva. Kajol revealed that she found dancing alongside Prabhu Deva difficult and it "took me 20 retakes and 30 rehearsals" to get the steps right.[35] Her performance met with appreciation with The Indian Express reviewing, "Kajol is full of beans and fits into her character with commendable ease. Hers is perhaps one of the most expressive faces of the present."[36] The film was dubbed in Hindi as Sapnay and released in Northern India. The original Tamil version was a box-office success, but the dubbed version emerged as a commercial failure.[37] Her next release was Indra Kumar's romantic comedy Ishq alongside Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and Ajay Devgn, in which she played Kajal, a poor girl in love with a rich boy, played by Devgn. Upon release, the film emerged as a commercial success.[33]
In March 1998, Kajol appeared in her first hit of the year, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, in which she played Muskaan Thakur, the love interest of Salman Khan. In her next release, Dushman, Kajol played the dual role of twin sisters, Sonia and Naina Saigal. The film, which revolved around Naina avenging the murder of her sister, won Kajol critical appreciation with reviewer Sukanya Verma writing, "Kajol is in superb form, both as the opinionated career-minded twin who is murdered, and as the avenger. Even she must have preferred less glycerine and more restraint."[38][39] For her performance, Kajol won her first Screen Award for Best Actress and received a Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. She next starred opposite Ajay Devgn in the romantic comedy Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the Hollywood hit French Kiss as Sanjana, a clumsy woman who travels from Paris to India in search of her philandering fiancé. The film emerged as her second commercial success that year and fetched her another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare.[40]
However, her biggest success that year was her final release, Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring Shahrukh Khan and her cousin Rani Mukerji, the film emerged as a blockbuster in both India and overseas with a worldwide gross of
1 billion (US$16 million).[41][42] Kajol played Anjali Sharma, a tomboy, who is secretly in love with her best friend, played by Khan. A review carried by The Times of India
wrote, "Kajol is almost mesmeric as Anjali, the firebrand youngster who
doesn't know whether she should settle for best girl or basketball
buddy. [...] Kajol with her baggy apparel, her bouncy bob cut and her
boyish banter is absolutely riveting."[43] She eventually won the Best Actress award at the 44th Filmfare Awards ceremony for her performance in the film.[3]In 1999, Kajol featured in a supporting role opposite Ajay Devgn, post their marriage, in Prakash Jha's drama Dil Kya Kare. She played Nandita Rai, the other woman in the life of Anant Kishore, played by Devgn. In an interview with Filmfare she explained, "The only reason, I agreed to play my character was because it had shades of grey. I would have probably refused the wife's role. Because I felt it had nothing for me to do."[31] Upon release, the film met with largely negative reviews. Critic Sharmila Taliculam, however, described Kajol as "the only person who gives her role a semblance of sanity".[44] Commercially too, the film failed to do well. However, her next release, the woman's film Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain emerged as a critical and commercial success.[45] Starring alongside Anil Kapoor, Kajol received another Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare ceremony for her portrayal of Megha, the deceived wife of Kapoor's character. The film met with wide media coverage for being one of the few woman-centered films to emerge as a commercial success in India.[46]
In 2000, Kajol featured alongside her husband once again, in his home-production Raju Chacha. The children's film, with a production cost of
300 million (US$4.8 million) was described as the "most expensive Bollywood film ever", at the time.[47] Upon release, the film met with negative reviews and flopped at the box-office.[48] Her first release of 2001 was the comedy Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi,
where she played the double role of Tina and Sweety Khanna, twin
sisters who are separated at birth. The film was a major commercial
failure and fetched negative reviews from critics. Writing for
Rediff.com, Savera R Someshwar criticised Kajol's decision to star in
the film; termed her as a "glamorous prop" and described her performance
as "uninspiring".[49]Later that year, she played a leading role in Karan Johar's family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., which was a blockbuster in India and the top-grossing Indian production of all-time in the overseas market until 2006.[50] Also featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor in prominent roles, Kajol played the role of Anjali Sharma, a young Punjabi woman from Delhi's Chandni Chowk area, who falls for the rich Rahul Raichand, played by Khan. Kajol, faced initial difficulties while filming for her scenes, as she was required to speak in Punjabi, a language she wasn't fluent in. However, she learnt the right pronunciation and diction with the help of producer, Yash Johar and the crew members.[51] Her comic-dramatic performance met with unanimous critical acclaim and won her several awards, including her third Filmfare Award and her second Screen Award in the Best Actress category.[3] Taran Adarsh labelled her as "first-rate" and predicted that her "Punjabi dialect will win her immense praise".[52] The Hindu wrote, "Kajol ... steals the thunder from under very high noses indeed. With her precise timing and subtle lingering expression, she is a delight all the way."[53][54]
Following the success of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., Kajol took a sabbatical from full-time acting. In an interview with The Times of India she revealed, "I'm not quitting films, I'm just being selective. Fortunately, I'm in a position where I can pick and choose."[55] She added that the reason behind the break was to concentrate on her marriage and "start a family".[56]
2006–10; 2015: Fanaa and beyond
Kajol returned to films in 2006 with Kunal Kohli's romantic thriller Fanaa, opposite Aamir Khan. She, however, refused to term Fanaa as her "comeback film" because, "I never retired. I had just taken a break".[57] The film emerged as a "super hit" at the box-office with a worldwide gross of1 billion (US$16 million).[58] She portrayed the role of Zooni Ali Beg, a blind Kashmiri
girl who unwittingly falls in love with a terrorist, played by Khan.
Despite its commercial success, critics were less positive about the
film. Kajol's performance, however was well received with reviewer
Sudish Kamat calling her the "only reason to watch the film" and adding,
"Kajol performs like she never took a break from celluloid and peps up
the film with her presence."[59] A review carried by Bloomberg
noted, "[Kajol] still has the ability to light up the screen with ease,
making her one of the few leading ladies who can more than match Khan's
method-driven prowess."[60] Her work in Fanaa fetched Kajol a fourth Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[3]
Kajol pictured with Khan (left) and Karan Johar at a promotional event for My Name Is Khan (2010). Her performance in the film was acclaimed and she won a fifth Filmfare Award in the Best Actress category.
Kajol was next cast opposite Shahrukh Khan in Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan, a drama based on the ethnic profiling and discrimination faced by American Muslims post the 9/11 terrorist attacks[38] My Name Is Khan released in February 2010 to mainly positive reviews and emerged as an international success with a worldwide gross of
2 billion (US$32 million).[64] Kajol's portrayal of Mandira, a divorced, Hindu single mother who marries a Muslim autistic man was praised by critics, with Rajeev Masand
observing, "Bringing emotional depth to what is essentially Rizwan's
story, Kajol is immensely likeable as Mandira, using her eyes to convey
volumes, topping the performance off with a powerful breakdown scene
that literally puts her through the wringer."[65]
Kajol won her fifth Best Actress award at the Filmfare for the film,
thereby sharing the record for the most Best Actress wins with her aunt,
Nutan.[3]She next starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in Siddharth Malhotra's We Are Family, an official adaptation of the Hollywood tearjerker Stepmom (1998). Kajol played the role of Maya, a character originally played by Susan Sarandon, and which she described as "a control freak", believing it "is something which every woman would identify with."[66] While reviewing the film for Hindustan Times, critic Mayank Shekhar stated, "The premise is stuff dry tissues are made for. Yet, the pathos here is produced not from moments, but from performances alone: a stunning Kajol's in particular. She appears superior to Susan Sarandon, I suspect."[67] New York Times's Rachel Saltz wrote, "The always appealing Kajol knows how to play melodrama without being melodramatic, and her naturalism gives the movie a genuine emotional kick."[68]
Her final release of the year was Toonpur Ka Super Hero, a live-action/animated film, opposite Ajay Devgn. In an interview with The Express Tribune, Kajol mentioned that it was difficult to work on the film. She added, "Dubbing and shooting was equally frustrating. You had to keep so many things in mind and there were a few action sequences too where I had to do action in front of a green space, so I was smiling, scowling, laughing – all in the wrong places!"[69] The film was a critical and commercial failure and fetched Kajol mostly negative reviews for playing a role that provided her with "no scope" to perform.[70]
After another five-year absence from the screen, Kajol has committed to star with Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in Rohit Shetty's upcoming comedy-drama Dilwale.[71]
Off-screen work
Kajol at FICCI Frames, 2013
Managerial work
In 1999, following the launch of Ajay Devgn's production company, Devgan Films (now renamed Devgn Entertainment and Software Ltd[72]), Kajol worked towards building a website for the company.[31] In 2000, she launched an online portal, Cineexplore for the production company. She explained, "The portal takes into account every aspect of film-making. My role is that of a supervisor. I just have to overlook the proceedings. We have our hands in everything. We are making software for TV and music videos."[73] She, however, clarified that she wasn't involved in the production aspect of the company, but participated in supervising and "overseeing everything".[74]Stage performance and television
In 1998, Kajol participated in a concert tour entitled Awesome Foursome alongside Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Akshay Kumar.[75][76] After travelling across United Kingdom, Canada and the United States of America, Kajol refused to participate in any more world tours, as she couldn't handle "the stress".[77]In 2008, Kajol featured as a talent judge, alongside her husband, Ajay Devgn and mother, Tanuja, in Zee TV's family reality show, Rock-N-Roll Family.[78] She described her experience of working in television by saying, "Working on television is much, much tougher than films. But television has a great connect with a live audience which is a refreshing change for us actors."[79]
Social work
Kajol has been actively involved in several philanthropic endeavours related to women and children. According to her, "every child deserves education", as "education is the basis of society".[80] In 2008, she was awarded with the Karmaveer Puraskaar, for her contribution in the field of social service.[81]Kajol is involved with Shiksha, an NGO that works in the field of children's education.[82] In 2009, she launched the Shiksha 2009 campaign, to support the cause.[83] In 2011, Kajol participated in a fashion show organised by the Cancer Patients Aid Association, to generate funds for the organisation.[84] Kajol is the international goodwill ambassador and patron of The Loomba Trust — a charity organisation devoted to supporting widows and their children around the world, particularly in India.[85] Speaking about the issue, she said: "It's sad to know that widows are still considered a blight in our society. There are widows who are still not marriageable. I strongly feel for them and take it as a social responsibility to eradicate the issue."[86]
In 2012, Kajol was appointed as the brand ambassador of Pratham, a charity organisation for children. In April, she featured in a short film about education and literacy, with the children of Hanuman Basti Primary School in Mumbai, for the organisation.[87]
Personal life
Kajol with her husband, Ajay Devgan, 2013.
Following her marriage, Kajol moved in with Devgn and his parents at the latter's ancestral house in Juhu. While media members speculated about a lack of compatibility between her in-laws and her, Kajol clarified that they were "like parents to me" and encouraged her to continue working in films.[13] Tabloids have often romantically linked Devgn with other Bollywood actresses, and have reported about an imminent divorce. Refuting the rumours, Kajol stated, "I don't believe in those rumours because I know the way this industry functions. [...] You cannot continue a marriage without the basic trust. Frankly, I don't care for such talk."[73]
In 2001, Kajol was pregnant with her first child. However, due to an ectopic pregnancy, she suffered from a miscarriage.[93] On 20 April 2003, Kajol gave birth to a daughter, Nysa.[94] Seven years later, on 13 September 2010, she gave birth to a son, Yug.[95] She described motherhood as "fab" and added that her kids brought out "the best in her".[96]
In the media
Kajol at the Vogue Beauty Awards, 2012
Kajol has often been criticised in the media for "her lack of interest in maintaining her appearance by means of slimming, grooming, jewellery or fashion".[98][99] Filmfare labelled her as an "unconventional beauty" and added, "Not one to abide by the trending norms, Kajol set her own rules in the '90s, a time when individuality didn't work for most heroines.".[100][101]
After portraying leading roles in a series of family dramas, Kajol showed versatility as an actress with Gupt, and was subsequently noted in the media for her unconventional approach in selecting projects.[102] Her acting style has been described as being "natural". According to the The Hindu, "What Kajol abounds in is talent and a felicity for expression. Kajol does not act out her scenes and deliver her lines; she inhabits her characters."[4] Furthermore, unlike most of her contemporaries, Kajol has had a successful career post-marriage and motherhood. Certain members of the media, however, attribute her success to her friendship with Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra and Shahrukh Khan, who "still find central roles for her in their movies".[103]
Kajol featured in Box Office India's Top Actresses list for five consecutive years (1995–99).[104] In 2001 and 2006, following the commercial success of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... and Fanaa, respectively, Kajol featured in Rediff's annual Top Bollywood actresses listing.[105] [106] In 2007, Kajol occupied the ninth spot in Rediff's listing of the Best Bollywood Actresses. Ever.[107] In 2011, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri for her contribution to Indian Cinema.[108]
In 2006, Kajol was one of the four Bollywood actors, alongside Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Shahrukh Khan, whose miniature dolls were launched in the United Kingdom, under the name of "Bollywood Legends".[109] In 2010, Kajol and her My Name is Khan co-star, Shahrukh Khan, became the first Indian actors to be invited by NASDAQ to open the American stock exchange.[110] In 2012, Kajol was placed at the fourth position by NDTV in the listing of "The most popular actresses of all time", behind actresses Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Meena Kumari.[111] The same year, she featured by Yahoo.com as one of the ten most iconic beauties of Hindi cinema.[112]
Filmography and awards
Filmography
Main article: Kajol filmography
- Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
- Gupt: The Hidden Truth (1997)
- Dushman (1998)
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)
- Fanaa (2006)
- My Name
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
From Top Celebrity News
Aishwarya Rai (born 1 November 1973), known as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after her marriage, is an Indian actress and the winner of the Miss World pageant of 1994. Through her successful Bollywood career, she has established herself as one the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India. Rai has received several awards, including two Filmfare Awards from ten nominations. She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2012. She is cited in the media as the "most beautiful woman in the world".[4][5][6][7][8][9]Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Rai at an event for Longines in 2014Born 1 November 1973 [1]
Mangalore, Karnataka, IndiaResidence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[2] Occupation Actress, Model Years active 1991–present Spouse(s) Abhishek Bachchan (2007–present) Children 1[3] Signature
While in college, Rai did a few modelling assignments. Following appearances in several television commercials, she entered into the Miss India pageant, in which she placed second. She was then crowned Miss World 1994, after which she began receiving offers to act in film. She made her acting debut with the 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her first Hindi film release in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya the same year. Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans (1998), following which she achieved wider success with her collaborations with the filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002). She won two Best Actress awards at Filmfare for her performances in them. Rai's greatest commercial successes have been the adventure film Dhoom 2 (2006), the historical romance Jodhaa Akbar (2008), and the science fiction film Enthiran (2010). She garnered critical appreciation for portraying Rabindranath Tagore's heroine, Binodini, in Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Chokher Bali (2003), a depressed woman in Ghosh's relationship drama Raincoat (2004) and a nurse in Bhansali's drama Guzaarish (2010).
Rai's off-screen roles include duties as a brand ambassador for several charity organisations and campaigns; she is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Following a tumultuous relationship with actor Salman Khan, Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, with whom she has a daughter.
Contents
Early life and modelling career
Rai was born into a Bunt[10] family in Mangalore, Karnataka.[11] Her father, Krishnaraj, was a Army biologist, while her mother, Brinda, is a homemaker.[1] She has one elder brother, Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy. He co-produced one of her movies, Dil Ka Rishta (2003).[12] Rai's values and lifestyle were influenced by her family, and even as her fame continues to rise, she holds strong to a religious, value-based life, influenced early on by her parents.[13]
The family moved to Mumbai, where Rai attended the Arya Vidya Mandir High School, Mumbai.[1] Rai did her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year,[14] and then joined DG Ruparel College[15] in Matunga, securing 90 percent in the HSC exams.[1][16] She trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens.[16] Her favourite subject was zoology, so she initially considered a career in medicine but was unsuccessful later on.[16] Then with plans to become an architect, she enrolled at Raheja College of Arts.,[16] but later gave up her education to pursue a career in modelling.[14][14] In 1991, Rai won a supermodel contest (organised by Ford) and was eventually featured in the American edition of Vogue.[15][17]
In 1993, Rai gained public recognition for her appearance in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan.[17][18] In the 1994 Miss India pageant, she won second place, behind Sushmita Sen, and was crowned Miss India World.[19] With Sen representing India at the Miss Universe pageant, Aishwarya's duties as the first runner-up included representing India in the rival Miss World Pageant, held that year in Sun City, South Africa. She went on to win the crown[20] where she also won the "Miss Photogenic" award and Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty − Asia and Oceania.[21] After winning the pageant, Rai spoke of her dream for peace for this world, and her desire to be an ambassador of peace during her one-year reign in London.[19][22] Rai continued to pursue a career as a model until she became an actress.[23]
Acting career
Early work (1997–98)
Rai made her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Iruvar, a semi-biographical political drama, featuring Mohanlal, Prakash Raj, Tabu and Revathi. The film was a critical success and among other awards, won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival[24] Rai featured as Pushpavalli and Kalpana – dual roles; the latter was a fictionalised portrayal of politician and former actress Jayalalithaa.[25] Due to Rai's weak Tamil-speaking skills, her dialogue in the film was dubbed by another actor.[26] That same year, she was cast as Ashi, a naive teenager in her first Bollywood film – Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya, a romantic comedy opposite Bobby Deol. The film was a commercial failure, and reviewers were critical of the film and Rai's acting ability.[17][27]
In the 1998 big-budget Tamil romantic drama Jeans directed by S. Shankar, Rai appeared alongside Prashanth and Nassar. She played Madhumita, a young woman who accompanies her ailing grandmother to the United States to seek medical attention. A commercial success, the film earned Rai praise for her dancing skills.[28] Unlike in Iruvar, Rai practised and dubbed for her own lines in the film.[29] Jeans was later submitted as India's official entry to the Academy Awards for 1998.[30] Her first role in 1999 was in the melodrama Aa Ab Laut Chalen, directed by Rishi Kapoor. The film was a critical failure and had a below average performance at the box office.[31] Rai's portrayal of Pooja Walia, a traditional Indian woman living in the United States, met with negative reviews; Rediff.com published, "Aishwarya Rai sports a plastic smile and never gets a scene where she can portray any depth. All she does is cry and smile and look pretty".[32]
Public recognition (1999–2001)
In 1999, Rai starred in the romantic drama Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam which became a significant turning point in her career.[33] The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel Na Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan. She played the leading role of Nandini, a Gujarati woman who is forced into wedlock (with Devgan's character) despite being in love with another man (played by Khan). TheMovieReport.com praised Rai's performance over her co-actors and noted, "Rai, in a luminous, award-winning performance (largely considered her big dramatic breakthrough—and justifiably so), fills in the conflicted emotional shades that Khan fails to bring with his one-dimensional presence".[34] Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam emerged as a major commercial success and won Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[35] Rai next took the leading role of Mansi, an aspiring singer, in Subhash Ghai's musical Taal; alongside Akshay Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri and Alok Nath.[36] Rai's performance earned positive feedback from critics. Rediff noted "After being praised for her looks and acting talent in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Aishwarya has excelled in Taal. The film will again enhance her reputation as an actress; besides acting well she also dances beautifully.[37] A moderate domestic success, Taal was notable for being the first Indian film to feature in the top twenty listing at the American box-office.[38][39] Rai received a second Best Actress nomination that year at the Filmfare Awards ceremony.
In 2000, Rai starred in Kandukondain Kandukondain, a Tamil language adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility. Directed by Rajiv Menon, the film also starred Tabu, Mammooty and Ajith Kumar in prominent roles. Rai was cast as Meenakshi (based on the character of Marianne Dashwood), the younger sister of Tabu's character.[40] The film was a critical and commercial success and earned Rai positive comments from critics; a review carried by The Indian Express summarised, "Attacking her role with just the perfect dollop of innocence, Aishwarya does full justice to her part, and matches up perfectly to Tabu."[41][42][43]
Rai next starred alongside Shahrukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh in the action drama Josh. She portrayed Shirley Dias, the twin sister of Khan's character who falls in love with his arch enemy's brother (played by Singh).[44] The casting of Rai as Khan's sister was considered an unusual pairing at the time; director Mansoor Khan, however, described it as "perfect".[45] Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics, Josh emerged as a commercial success.[46][47] Satish Kaushik's social drama Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai was Rai's next release; she played a rape victim in the film. Co-starring Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre, the film was well received by critics and did moderate business at the box office. Film critic Sukanya Verma praised Rai's decision to star in the film and added that she "conveys the turmoil and pain of a rape victim well. But it is her transition from an emotional wreck trying to gather the broken pieces of her life back together that is amazing."[48] Rai eventually earned a third Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.[49]
Following a leading role in the box-office flop Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Rai took on a supporting role in Aditya Chopra's ensemble romance Mohabbatein. Rai's role was that of Megha Shankar, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan's character who commits suicide after realising that her father will not accept her romance with one of his students (played by Shahrukh Khan). Despite earning mixed reviews from film critics, Mohabbatein emerged as the second highest grossing film of the year and earned Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination.[47][49][50] The following year, she starred alongside Govinda and Jackie Shroff in the romantic comedy Albela. Upon release, both the film and her performance received mostly negative reviews; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticised the film and mentioned Rai as "plastic in some scenes".[51]
Devdas and international recognition (2002–07)
After featuring in David Dhawan's slapstick comedy film Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Rai appeared alongside Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's love-saga Devdas, an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel of the same name.[52] She played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist (played by Khan). The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was featured by Time in their listing of the "10 best films of the millennium".[53][54] The film emerged as a major international success with revenues of overRai with co-star Madhuri Dixit at the premiere of their film Devdas in 2002
In 2003, Rai featured in two romantic dramas of Bollywood, her brother's production début Dil Ka Rishta, alongside Arjun Rampal, and Rohan Sippy's Kuch Na Kaho, alongside Abhishek Bachchan.[60] Neither of these films fared well critically or commercially.[60][61] She was later noted for her starring role in Rituparno Ghosh's independent Bengali film Chokher Bali, an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's novel of the same name.[62] She portrayed the character of Binodini, an emotionally manipulative widow, struggling with her sexual desires in early-20th century Bengal.[63] The film was a major critical success and Rai earned positive notice for her performance; Derek Elley of Variety noted, "Rai dominates the film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace".[64] Commercially, the film was a sleeper hit.[65][66]
After the success of Chokher Bali, Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film with Rajkumar Santoshi's Khakee (2004), a suspense thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan and Tusshar Kapoor. The film tells the story of five constables embroiled in a mystery surrounding a terrorist attack; Rai's role was that of Mahalakshmi, a gun moll. While filming for Khakee, Rai was accidentally hit by a running car, which resulted in the fracture of her left foot.[67] Upon release, the film received moderate critical and commercial success.[68] In her next release, the romantic comedy Kyun! Ho Gaya Na..., Rai played Diya Malhotra, a university student who develops a one-sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna (played by Vivek Oberoi). The film received positive to mixed comments from critics, but failed commercially.[69][70]
In late 2004, Rai garnered international recognition for her starring role opposite Martin Henderson in Gurinder Chadha's British film Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. International film critics were appreciative of Rai's "beauty" but questioned her acting abilities; a review carried by The New York Times mentioned her as "radiantly beautiful but inert".[71] With a worldwide gross of $24 million against a production budget of $7 million, Bride and Prejudice proved a commercial success.[72] Rai next collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh, for the second time, in the relationship drama Raincoat, an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Also featuring Ajay Devgan, Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and among other wins, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.[73] The Hindu noted, "[A]s Neerja, [Rai] appears to have shed her inhibitions about looking unglamorous. What is more, she seems to have made an earnest effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular".[74] She eventually received another Best Actress nomination at Filmfare.
Rai next co-starred alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan in the 2005 adult drama Shabd, which tells the story of an author who convinces his wife to pursue an illicit relationship with a younger man in research for his next book. The film received predominantly negative reviews and proved a commercial failure. The Times of India concluded, "For the umpteenth time, Ms Rai looks drop-dead gorgeous. And that's about it. She is like that picture postcard you get when what you were actually waiting for is a letter. It's very beautiful to look at, but is of no use because it says nothing."[75] That same year, Rai took on the lead role of Tilo in Paul Mayeda Berges's romantic fantasy film The Mistress of Spices, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.[76] The film received unanimous negative reviews from film critics[77][78] and emerged as a commercial failure.[79] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian termed Rai's performance as "annoying" and wrote that she "wafts and simpers" through the entire film.[80] Rai's only successful venture of 2005 was a special appearance in Shaad Ali's comedy Bunty Aur Babli, in which she featured in the popular item number Kajra Re.[81][82]
Rai had two film releases in 2006, J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan and Yash Raj Films' Dhoom 2. The former, an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), tells the story of a doomed courtesan from 19th-century Lucknow. Rai played the titular role, a character famously played by Rekha in the first film adaptation of the novel. Reviewers, while comparing the film to its previous adaptation, were critical of the film as well as of Rai's performance. BBC noted, "While only Aishwarya could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", adding that "Rai's incandescent beauty and artistry [..] does indeed keep the audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged."[83]Rai at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
In the Sanjay Gadhvi-directed adventure film Dhoom 2, Rai portrayed Sunehri, a petty thief who helps the police catch an illusive criminal; the film had an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, and Uday Chopra.[84] Though critically unsuccessful, the film was Rai's first major commercial success since Devdas; the film was declared a blockbuster, and became the highest grossing Indian film of 2006 with gross revenues of over
In 2007, Rai played the wife of Abhishek Bachchan's character in Mani Ratnam's social drama Guru. A fictionalised biography of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, Guru tells the rag to riches story of an uneducated man who builds a multinational corporation. The film met with international critical acclaim and emerged as a box-office success.[87] Richard Corliss of Time labelled her character as an "ornament", but Raja Sen from Rediff described it as "her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax."[88][89] Rai received her seventh Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her performance in the film. Rai next starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra's independent British drama Provoked, as the real-life character of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, a non-resident Indian who murders her husband after suffering from years of domestic abuse.[90] Rai earned mostly positive comments for her performance.[91] Critic Indu Mirani from DNA wrote, "Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date. Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock, bewilderment, remorse and finally vindication".[92] Internationally well-received, the film emerged as a moderate commercial success in the United Kingdom.[93][94] That same year, Rai starred as Mira, an Indian warrior in Doug Lefler's epic film The Last Legion. Starring alongside Sir Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, and Thomas Sangster, the film was a major critical and commercial failure.[95] New York Daily News noted, "[T]hough Rai may be the most beautiful woman in the world, ... she's no actress."[96]
Jodhaa Akbar and other roles (2008–10)
After a series of films that under-performed either critically or commercially, Rai garnered both critical and box-office success with Ashutosh Gowariker's period romance Jodhaa Akbar (2008). The film narrates a partly fictionalised account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (played by Hrithik Roshan) and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai (played by Rai). Rajeev Masand noted, "Aishwarya Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen".[97] The film had gross earnings of
Rai's next role was in the 2009 Harald Zwart-directed spy comedy The Pink Panther 2. Starring alongside Steve Martin, Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer, Rai portrayed the role of Sonia Solandres, a seductive criminology expert. Like its predecessor, the sequel received negative reviews from critics,[102] but did a moderate business of $34 million at the American box office.[103] Roger Ebert wrote, "Rai is breathtaking in Bollywood films, where they devote a great deal of expertise to admiring beauty, but here's she's underutilized and too much in the background";[104] USA Today mentioned her expressions as "wooden" and added, "She looks gorgeous, but her expression rarely changes".[105]Rai at the premiere of Raavan in 2010
In 2010, Rai was cast by Mani Ratnam in his bilingual modern-day adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Her role was that of Ragini (modeled on Sita, the heroine of Ramayana), a woman married to the superintendent of police, who is kidnapped by a bandit. The Hindi version (Raavan) and the Tamil version (Raavanan) of the film were shot simultaneously and Rai played the same role in both the film versions.[106] The films received polarising reviews from film critics, as did Rai's performance. Kaveree Bamzai of India Today wrote, "Aishwarya's Sita is one of the best things in the film. Her performance is heartfelt—this is a performer who is at ease playing women, rather than girls.[107] However, film critics Aniruddha Guha and Rajeev Masand criticised her character and noted, "She's left to scream and shriek and hiss."[108] Commercially, Raavanan emerged as a success while Raavan flopped.[109] Rai's next role was opposite Rajinikanth in the science fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), directed by S. Shankar.[110] She was cast as Sana, a college student and the girlfriend of Rajinikanth's character. At the time of release, Enthiran was the most expensive Indian film production and eventually emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.[111][112][113] She then appeared as Mala, an impetuous brat, in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy; a science fiction comedy co-starring Akshay Kumar, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Neha Dhupia. Upon release, the film met with largely negative reviews and proved an economic failure.[114]
Rai's final film of 2010 was the drama Guzaarish; her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan.[115] The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenas, a former magician (played by Roshan) suffering from quadriplegia, who after years of struggle, files an appeal for euthanasia. Rai's role was that of Sophia D'Souza, Mascarenas' nurse, who is abused by her alcoholic husband. Despite flopping at the box-office, Guzaarish met with positive critical comments. The Telegragh described it to be Rai's "best performance" and The Times of India summarised, "Aishwarya is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality."[116][117] In 2011, Rai was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar's social drama Heroine; however, due to her pregnancy, Rai was replaced by actress Kareena Kapoor, the original choice for the role.[118][119]
Upcoming projects
As of January 2015, Rai is filming Sanjay Gupta's action-thriller Jazbaa, co-starring Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan, which will mark her screen comeback after a five-year absence from the screen.[120] She has also committed to play a leading role alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Karan Johar's romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.[121]
Off-screen work
Rai at an event for L'Oréal in 2015Endorsements
Rai made her first commercial for Camlin pencils when she was in the 9th grade. Rai became popular after appearing in a Pepsi commercial with actor Aamir Khan.[16] She is the only actress who endorsed both Pepsi and Coca-Cola.[122] She is one of the top brand ambassadors in the country and is one of the top paid Bollywood actresses in this respect.[123] She modelled for Titan Watches,[124] Longines watches, L'Oréal, Coca-Cola,[125] Lakmé Cosmetics, Casio pager, Philips, Palmolive,[126] Lux, Fuji films,[127] Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery,[128] and Kalyan Jewellers.[129] She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India.[127] Rai has been ranked the 2nd most popular watch brand ambassador worldwide in a survey, conducted by World Watch Report.[130] In 2013 Rai and her husband Abhishek Bachchan have been roped in as the brand ambassadors by the TTK Group.[131] Aishwarya Rai to endorse Lodha’s Worli project by Lodha Group World One [132]
Social and humanitarian work
In 1999 Rai participated in a world tour called the Magnificent Five, along with Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshaye Khanna, and Twinkle Khanna.[133] In the same year, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance.[134] In 2003 she became the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.[135] In 2003 she became a global brand ambassador of L'Oréal, alongside Andie MacDowell, Eva Longoria, and Penélope Cruz.[136][137] Rai is the brand ambassador for The Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation in India.[138] In 2005 she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio, a campaign established by the Government of India in 1994 to eradicate polio in India.[139] In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit, raising awareness of the main goals and priorities of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts.[140]
In February 2005 Rai performed alongside other Bollywood stars at the HELP! Telethon Concert, an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake.[141] Along with other members of the Bachchan family, she laid the foundation of a special school for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh in 2008. Construction is being funded by the Bachchan family, and the school will be named after Rai.[142] She appeared along with various other Bollywood actors at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[143]
Aishwarya is a UN Microcredit Spokesperson[144] She supports PETA India[145] She pledged to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank Association of India, and appeared in a public awareness film on eye donation.[146] In November 2004, Aishwara Rai created the Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India.[147] In 2009 Rai was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train, an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train will focus not only on India, but on 76 different developing countries around the world.[148][149] In September 2012, Rai had joined United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and renowned Hollywood actor Michael Douglas at a ceremony to commemorate the International Day of Peace in New York.[150] Later that week, she was appointed as the new international Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS, the joint United Nations programme on AIDS and HIV. She will raise global awareness on protecting children from HIV infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment.[151]
Stage performances
Rai has taken part in several stage shows and world tours since 2001. Her first world tour, a series of concerts called Craze 2001, was performed across the US alongside Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Priety Zinta and Gracy Singh. The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the team prepared to return to India as soon as possible. However, the shows continued successfully in Canada.[152] In 2002, she participated in the show From India With Love in the UK, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Priety Zinta. It took place at two outdoor venues, Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park, with over 100,000 spectators.[153] In the summer of 2008, Rai, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, and actors Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, and Madhuri Dixit starred in the "Unforgettable World Tour" stage production. The first leg covered the USA, Canada, Trinidad, and London, England. Rai is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of her father-in-law's company, originally known as ABCL, and rechristened as AB Corp. Ltd. That company, along with Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., developed the Unforgettable production.[154][155]Rai performing at the 17th Annual Star Screen Awards (2011)
Personal life
In 1999, Rai began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Rai cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship.[156] In a 2009 Times of India article, Khan denied ever beating her: "It's not true that I hit a woman.".[157]Rai with her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, 2013.
Though they both appeared in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (in which her then longtime boyfriend, Salman Khan, had a brief cameo) and Kuch Naa Kaho, Abhishek Bachchan fell in love with Aishwarya whilst filming Dhoom 2.[158] Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and later confirmed by his father, Amitabh Bachchan.[159] The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the Bunt community, to which she belongs.[160] Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence, "Prateeksha", in Juhu, Mumbai.[160] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media.[161][162] Rai is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra, Mumbai, until her marriage.[163][164][165] Rai is Hindu and deeply religious.[7] Her international presence shot up when Abhishek Bachchan accompanied her to the Cannes Film festival shortly after their marriage, and later to The Oprah Winfrey Show, appearing on 28 September 2009.[166] They were described as being more famous as a couple than Brangelina.[167][168][169]
Rai gave birth to a baby girl on 16 November 2011.[170] Her daughter became popularly known by the name of "Beti B", a name attributed to her by fans and the media, since the couple took over four months to name their daughter. The baby girl was finally named Aaradhya Bachchan in March 2012.[171]
In the media
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has become one of the most admired and revered women in India, and in the world.[41][172][173] Mass media has described her as dignified, statuesque, beautiful and charismatic person.[174][175] Despite constant media speculation, she has always managed to keep her personal life well-guarded.[176] Her beauty and performances have made her as a style icon for young women.[177] Over 17,000 websites dedicated to her,[178] she was selected by Verve Magazine in its list of the country's most powerful women.[179] In 2001 Forbes named Rai among the top five Indian movie stars.[5] In a reader poll conducted by UK's Hello! magazine, she was voted "the most attractive woman of 2003".[180] In the same year, Rai appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's annual "Hot List".[181] In 2004 she was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the world's most influential people, and appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition.[182][183][184] She has earned the distinction of being the first Indian actress to be on the jury of the Cannes International Film Festival[185] In October 2004 a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.[186] She was the sixth Indian and the second Bollywood personality—after her father-in-law, Amitabh Bachchan—to get this honour. In 2007 the same figure was displayed at Madame Tussaud's Museum in Times Square in New York.[187] As her most distinctive physical features, Rai's green-blue eyes, luscious lips, sexy curves and ultra-feminine mannerisms have been cited by the media as her trademark.[188] In 2005 she was the subject of a 60 Minutes profile on 2 January, which said that "at least according to thousands of Web sites, Internet polls and even Julia Roberts", she was "the world's most beautiful woman".[7] The same year, a tulip in the Netherlands was named "Aishwarya Rai" after her.[189] Also in 2005, Mattel released a limited edition of Barbie dolls of Aishwarya Rai in the United Kingdom.[190] The British magazine Maxim ranked Rai first on their list of "Hottest Women of India".[191] Rai appeared on such shows as Late Show with David Letterman, and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah's "Women Across the Globe" segment. In 2005 Harpers and Queen's list of "Most Beautiful Women in The World" ranked her ninth.[192] In May 2006 Aishwarya was featured in People Magazine as one of the "World's Most Beautiful People".[193] The UK magazine Eastern Eye ranked her third in the list of "Asia's Sexiest Women" in 2006,[194] and she was ranked eighth in 2009.[195] In 2008 American television channel E!: Entertainment listed Aishwarya's eyes as the sexiest on their Sexiest Body Parts list.[196] In 2009 she made appearances on Martha Stewart's show Martha and on the The Tyra Banks Show.[197][198] In the same year Forbes listed Rai at 387th out of 1,411 actors on their list of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. She is the highest-ranked Indian actor on the list.[199][200]Rai at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
In 2009 a poll conducted by the newspaper Daily News and Analysis, she was voted as one of India's most popular icons.[201] She attended the 83rd Academy Awards, along with her husband, Abhishek.[202] Rai with her husband Abhishek Bachchan appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 28 September 2009. She is the first Indian celebrity who appeared in The Oprah Winfrey Show twice.[166] They have been described as a supercouple in the Indian media[203] She ranked 2nd in The Times of India's 50 most desirable women of 2010,[204] and ranked 9th for 2011.[205] In 2011, she has received a lot of negative publicity for failing to lose her post-pregnancy weight as is apparently "required" of a public figure. However she silenced her critics by walking the red carpet at the "AmfAR Cinema Against Aids" gala in 2012 Cannes Film Festival for the 11th time.[206] Later that year, Rai has made it to the issue of New York Magazine’s list of "Forty Women That Women Find Beautiful", where she grabbed the 21st position in the list, with New York Magazine saying "She may be the "world’s most beautiful woman,” but what we really love is that she never feels fragile onscreen,”.[207] She was considered by the media one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India.[208]Rai walks for Manish Malhotra at HDIL India Couture Week 2010
Filmography and awards
Selected filmography
Main article: Aishwarya Rai filmography- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
- Taal (1999)
- Mohabbatein (2000)
- Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai (2000)
- Devdas (2002)
- Raincoat (2004)
- Dhoom 2 (2006)
- Guru (2007)
- Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
- Guzaarish (2010)
Awards
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Aishwarya RaiRai has received 10 Filmfare Awards nominations, and has won two Best Actress trophies for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002).[49][122][209][210] In 2009 she was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest Indian civilian award, by the Government of India for her contributions to the arts .[211][212] In 2012, she was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the second-highest Order of France.[211]
Kareena Kapoor
From Top Celebrity News
Kareena Kapoor (pronounced [kəˈriːnaː kəˈpuːr]; born 21 September 1980), also known by her married name Kareena Kapoor Khan, is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres—from contemporary romantic comedies to crime dramas—Kapoor has received six Filmfare Awards, and has established herself as one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.[1][2]Kareena Kapoor
Kapoor at an event for Channel V in 2013Born 21 September 1980
Bombay, Maharashtra, IndiaOccupation - Film actress
- fashion designer
- author
Years active 2000–present Spouse(s) Saif Ali Khan (2012–present) Parent(s) Relatives See Kapoor family
After making her acting debut in the 2000 war drama Refugee, Kapoor established herself as a leading actress of Hindi cinema in 2001 with roles in the historical drama Aśoka and the blockbuster melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.... This initial success was followed by a series of commercial failures and repetitive roles, which garnered her negative reviews. The year 2004 marked a turning point for her when she played against type in the role of a sex worker in the drama Chameli. She subsequently earned wide critical recognition for her portrayal of a riot victim in the 2004 drama Dev and a character based on William Shakespeare's heroine Desdemona in the 2006 crime film Omkara, following which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 2007 romantic comedy Jab We Met. Kapoor achieved further success by featuring as the female lead in four of India's top-grossing productions—the 2009 dramedy 3 Idiots, the 2010 comedy Golmaal 3, the 2011 romantic drama Bodyguard, and the 2011 science fiction Ra.One—and received praise for her roles in the 2009 thriller Kurbaan and the 2012 drama Heroine.
Married to actor Saif Ali Khan, Kapoor's off-screen life is the subject of widespread coverage in India. She is known in the Indian media for being publicly outspoken and assertive, and is recognised for her contributions to the film industry through her fashion style and film roles. In addition to film acting, Kapoor is a stage performer and has contributed as a co-author to three books: an autobiographical memoir, and two nutrition guides. She has also launched her own clothing line in association with the retail chain Globus.
Contents
Early life and background
See also: Kapoor family
Born into a film family in Mumbai on 21 September 1980, Kapoor (often informally referred to as 'Bebo')[4] is the younger daughter of Randhir Kapoor and Babita (née Shivdasani);[5] her elder sister Karisma is also an actress. 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.[6] She is of Punjabi descent on her father's side,[7] and Sindhi on her mother's side.[8] As a child, Kapoor regularly practised Hinduism, but was also exposed to Christianity from her mother.[9]Pictured with mother Babita (left) and sister Karisma. In an interview with journalist Vir Sanghvi, Kapoor stated that growing up with the two of them helped her become strong and independent[3]
Describing herself as a "very naughty [and] spoilt child", Kapoor's exposure to films from a young age kindled her interest in acting;[3] she was particularly inspired by the work of actresses Nargis and Meena Kumari.[10] Despite her family background, her father disapproved of women entering films because he believed it conflicted with the traditional maternal duties and responsibility of women in the family.[11] This led to a conflict between her parents, and they separated.[12] She was then raised by her mother, who worked several jobs to support her daughters until Karisma debuted as an actress in 1991.[13] After living separately for several years, her parents reconciled in October 2007.[12] Kapoor remarked "My father is also an important factor in my life [...] [Al]though we did not see him often in our initial years, we are a family now."[13]
Kapoor attended Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai, followed by Welham Girls' School in Dehradun.[10] She attended the institution primarily to satisfy her mother, though later admitted to liking the experience.[3] According to Kapoor, she wasn't inclined towards academics though received good grades in all her classes except mathematics.[3] After graduating from Welham she studied commerce for two years at Mithibai College in Vile Parle (Mumbai).[10] Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard University in the United States.[10] She later developed an interest in law, and enrolled at the Government Law College, Mumbai; during this period, she developed a long-lasting passion for reading.[10] However, after completing her first year, Kapoor decided to pursue her interest to become an actress.[14] She began training at an acting institute in Mumbai mentored by Kishore Namit Kapoor, a member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).[15]
Acting career
2000–03: Debut, breakthrough and setback
While training at the institute, Kapoor was cast as the female lead in Rakesh Roshan's Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) opposite his son, Hrithik Roshan.[10] Several days into the filming, however, she abandoned the project; Kapoor later explained that she had benefited by not doing the film since more prominence was given to the director's son.[10] She debuted later that year alongside Abhishek Bachchan in J. P. Dutta's war drama Refugee. Set during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, the film centers on a man who illegally transports civilians back and forth across the border. Kapoor portrayed Naaz, a Bangladeshi girl who falls in love with Bachchan's character while illegally migrating to Pakistan with her family. Her performance was acclaimed by critics; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama described her as "a natural performer" and noted "the ease with which she emotes the most difficult of scenes",[16] while India Today reported that Kapoor belonged to a new breed of Hindi film actors that breaks away from character stereotypes.[17] On the experience of acting in her first film, Kapoor described it as "tough ... [but] also a great learning experience".[10] Refugee was a moderate box-office success in India[18] and Kapoor's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut.[19]
For her second release, Kapoor was paired opposite Tusshar Kapoor in Satish Kaushik's box-office hit Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001).[18] A review in The Hindu noted that based on her first two films, she was "definitely the actress to watch out for".[21] She next starred alongside Jackie Shroff and Hrithik Roshan in Subhash Ghai's flop Yaadein, followed by Abbas-Mustan's moderately successful thriller Ajnabee, co-starring Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Bipasha Basu.[18] Later that year, she appeared in Santosh Sivan's period epic Aśoka, a partly fictionalized account of the life of the Indian emperor of the same name. Featured opposite Shahrukh Khan, Kapoor played the role of Kaurwaki (a Kalingan princess) with whom Ashoka falls in love; she described the character as being "very complex... [a]t one point very feminine, at another an aggressive and fearsome fighter who could annihilate any enemy".[22] Aśoka was screened at the Venice and 2001 Toronto International Film Festivals,[23] and received generally positive reviews internationally but failed to do well in India, which was attributed by critics to the way Ashoka was portrayed.[24] Jeff Vice of The Deseret News described Kapoor as "riveting" and commended her screen presence.[25] Rediff.com, however, was more critical concluding that her presence in the film was primarily used for aesthetic purposes.[26] At the 47th Filmfare Awards, Aśoka was nominated for five awards including a Best Actress nomination for Kapoor.[19]Kapoor at the book launch of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... in 2001. Bollywood Hungama reported that the success of the film proved a breakthrough for her[20]
A key point in Kapoor's career came when she was cast by Karan Johar as Pooja ("Poo", a good-natured, superficial girl) in the 2001 melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... alongside an ensemble cast. Filming the big-budget production was a new experience for Kapoor, and she recalls it fondly: "[I]t was great fun doing [the film and] we had a blast. [W]orking with the unit and the six mega star set was a dream come true."[27] Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... was an immensely popular release, finishing as India's second highest-grossing film of the year and Kapoor's highest-grossing film to that point.[28] It also became one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over
Box Office India reported that the success of Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... established Kapoor as a leading actress of Hindi cinema,[31] and Rediff.com published that with Aśoka she had become the highest-paid Indian actress to that point earning
2004–06: Professional expansion
By 2004, Kapoor was keen on broadening her range as an actress and thus decided to portray more challenging roles.[33][34] Under the direction of Sudhir Mishra, Kapoor played the role of a golden-hearted prostitute in Chameli, a film relating the story of a young prostitute who meets with a widowed investment banker (played by Rahul Bose). When Kapoor was initially offered the film she refused it, explaining that she would be uncomfortable in the role.[33] She relented when Mishra approached her for the second time, and in preparation for the role, visited several of Mumbai's red-light districts at night to study the mannerisms of sex workers and the way they dressed.[33] Chameli was well received by critics and the film marked a significant turning point in her career,[34] earning Kapoor a special jury recognition at the 49th Filmfare Awards.[35] Indiatimes praised her "intuitive brilliance" and stated that she had exceeded all expectations.[36] Rediff.com, however, found her portrayal unconvincing and excessively stereotypical, describing her as "sounding more like a teenager playacting than a brash, hardened streetwalker" and comparing her mannerisms to a caricature.[37]
Kapoor next co-starred in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project Yuva alongside Ajay Devgan, 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 witty young woman). In a Times of India review 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".[38] 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.[39] Kapoor's role was that of a Muslim victim named Aaliya, modelled after Zaheera Sheikh (a key witness in Vadodara's Best Bakery case).[39] It earned her a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and nominations for Best Actress at various award ceremonies.[19] Taran Adarsh described her as "first-rate" and in particular noted her scene with Bachchan's character.[40]
Shortly afterwards, Kapoor was cast for the first time as a villain in the thriller Fida. Set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, the film follows the story of an online heist in which her character, Neha Mehra, becomes involved. Although the film was unsuccessful at the box office, Kapoor received positive reviews for her performance, and some critics noted a distinct progression from her earlier roles.[18][42] Her subsequent releases that year included Abbas-Mustan's thriller Aitraaz and Priyadarshan's comedy Hulchul, both of which were successful at the Indian box office.[18] Following the success of her last two releases, she was cast as the protagonist of 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 to become a serious actress Kapoor was embodying a maturer, more-jaded character beyond her years in Bewafaa.[43] She then starred in Priyadarshan's romantic drama Kyon Ki, which was a box-office failure;[18] however, Kapoor's performance was generally well received by critics (with the BBC describing her as "a pure natural").[44]Pictured with co-actor Shahid Kapoor at the audio release of 36 China Town in 2006. During the filming of Fida, the actress began a romantic relationship with Kapoor, whom she later described as having "a major positive influence in my life"[41]
In 2006, Kapoor appeared in three films. She first starred in the thriller 36 China Town, followed by the comedy Chup Chup Ke; both were moderately successful.[18] She next portrayed the character of Desdemona in Omkara—the Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. The film (directed by Vishal Bhardwaj) is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh.[45] Describing Bhardwaj as a "world-class director [with] a unique style", Kapoor was cast in the project after the director had seen her performance in Yuva, and was subsequently required to attend script-reading sessions along with the entire cast.[46][47] The feature premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival.[45][48] Omkara was received positively by critics, and Kapoor's portrayal earned her a fourth Filmfare Award and first Screen Award.[19] In a 2010 retrospective of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" of Hindi cinema, Filmfare wrote that she was "brilliant" and praised her ability to "effortless[ly]" convey the various emotions her character went through.[49] Kapoor considered her role in Omkara as a "new benchmark" in her career, and compared her portrayal of Dolly with her own evolving maturity as a woman.[50]
Following Omkara, Kapoor took a short break from acting, as she felt that "nothing [was] challenging enough for me to say yes".[50] 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."[51]
2007–11: Jab We Met and commercial success
Kapoor returned to film as the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a zest for life, in the romantic comedy Jab We Met (2007). Director Imtiaz Ali was not a well-known figure before its production, with only one feature credit to his name, but Kapoor agreed to the film after being impressed with his "mind-blowing" script.[27][52] 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 successful at the box office with gross earnings of
The following year, Kapoor co-starred in Vijay Krishna Acharya's action-thriller Tashan, where she met her future husband in actor Saif Ali Khan. Although a poll (conducted by Bollywood Hungama) named it the most anticipated release of the year,[57] the film under-performed at the box office grossingKapoor with husband Saif Ali Khan at the 53rd Filmfare Awards. Following her break-up with Shahid Kapoor, there was speculation in the media that she was dating Khan who later confirmed their relationship at the 2007 Lakme Fashion Week[56]
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, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors.[60] The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over
Kapoor's second Filmfare nomination that year came for Rajkumar Hirani's National Film Award-winning 3 Idiots, a film loosely based on the novel Five Point Someone by Chetan Bhagat.[65] Co-starring alongside Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi, Kapoor played Pia (a medical student and Khan's love interest). Several actresses were considered for the role, though Kapoor was eventually cast under the recommendation of Khan.[65] The film received critical acclaim and emerged as the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time up until then, grossing
In 2010, Kapoor appeared in the romantic comedy Milenge Milenge, a production delayed since 2005.[69] The feature garnered negative reviews and poor box-office returns. Kapoor's role was small, and not well received.[69] She next took a supporting role as career-oriented Shreya Arora in We Are Family, adapted from the 1998 Hollywood film Stepmom. Reaction to the film was lukewarm, but Kapoor's performance drew positive reviews and ultimately won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.[70] Priyanka Roy of The Telegraph praised Kapoor for "breath[ing] life and a new-found maturity into what is largely a uni-dimensional character".[71] At the end of the year, she reunited with director Rohit Shetty for Golmaal 3, a sequel to Golmaal Returns. Like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews though emerged as the most successful entry in the Golmaal series, earning more than
Kapoor had further success in 2011 as the love interest of Salman Khan's character in the romantic drama Bodyguard, a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, though became a financial success, with a domestic total of
2012–present: Marriage and recent work
Kapoor followed her success in Bodyguard and Ra.One with a role in Shakun Batra's directorial debut Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) opposite Imran Khan. Produced by Dharma Productions, the romantic comedy is set in Las Vegas and tells the story of two strangers who get married one night after getting drunk. In an interview with The Times of India, Kapoor explained that she was drawn to the qualities of her character Riana Braganza—a carefree young woman: "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."[78] The film received positive reviews and was an economic success, grossing a total ofKapoor at a promotional event for Heroine in 2012. Reviewers, while being generally negative of the film, were appreciative of her performance
For her next feature, Kapoor was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine, a drama revolving around the Bollywood film industry. Originally the first choice for the role, Kapoor was hesitant to take on the project when Bhandarkar approached her with the film's initial concept.[84] With reservations about the criticism her character might evoke, she was replaced by Aishwarya Rai.[84] Days after production began, Rai left the film (due to her pregnancy) and Bhandarkar re-approached Kapoor with the film. When the director reinforced his faith in her, she agreed to do the film after having read the completed script.[84] Kapoor (who described her character of Mahi Arora—a fading star—as "bipolar and schizophrenic") refrained from taking on any other projects, since she found Heroine "very aggressive and tiring".[85] Bollywood Hungama observed it as her best work to date noting that "[t]hough her character is inconsistent [...] Kareena furnishes the heroine's character with a rare vulnerability and an exceptional inner life."[86] Alongside her Filmfare nomination for Best Actress, Kapoor was nominated at the annual IIFA, Screen, Star Guild and Stardust award ceremonies.[70]
Following the release of Heroine, Kapoor married actor Saif Ali Khan on 16 October 2012. Described as India's "wedding and social event of the year" in Rupa Subramanya's blog at The Wall Street Journal,[87] the wedding consisted of a five-day celebration period beginning with a pre-wedding bash at Kapoor's residence followed by a registered marriage in the presence of family and close friends.[9] A reception was later held at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel in Mumbai and the Lutyens Bungalow Zone in Delhi.[9] In an interview with Zee News, Kapoor stated that despite adding Khan to her name, she would continue practising Hinduism after her marriage.[88] At the end of the year, she co-starred alongside Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji as the "tantalisingly seductive prostitute" Rosie, in Reema Kagti's crime mystery Talaash: The Answer Lies Within.[89] Set against the backdrop of Mumbai's red-light districts, it follows the travails of its personnel and principal, Inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Khan) who is assigned the duty of solving a mysterious car accident. With global revenues of
Kapoor's next appearance was a supporting role in Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha (2013), a film loosely inspired by social activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption in 2011.[92] The film featured an ensemble cast and was highly anticipated by trade journalists due to its release coinciding with the Mumbai and Delhi gang rape public protests.[93] Kapoor was cast as reporter Yasmin Ahmed and hoped that the film would help inspire people to stop violence against women in India.[94] Satyagraha received little praise from critics, though proved to be a modest success grossing over
As of March 2015, Kapoor is filming Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan, a romance between a Muslim man and a Brahmin woman, co-starring Salman Khan.[100][101] She is also filming Abhishek Chaubey's Udta Punjab, a thriller on drug abuse, co-starring Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt,[102] and has committed to an untitled film from director Raj Kumar Gupta in which she will play a woman suffering from schizophrenia.[103]
Other ventures
Clothing line and publication
Alongside her acting work, Kapoor has established a career as a designer and an author. During her five-year association as spokesperson for the retail chain Globus, Kapoor became the first Indian actress to launch her own line of clothing for women; she described the collaboration as being "special" and "reflective of my personal sense of style".[104] Her collection made its debut several months later in stores across India, and was well received.[105] Following the end of her contract with Globus, she expressed a desire to work with a design house to release her clothing line internationally,[106] but later explained that those plans were on hold.[107]
In 2009, Kapoor collaborated with nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar on Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight, a book which focused on the principles of healthy eating habits.[108] Published by Random House Publications, the book was well received by critics, and sold 10,000 copies within its first twenty days.[108] A follow-up titled, Women and The Weight Loss Tamasha, was released two years later. It addressed the weight loss concerns and eating habits of women in various parts of their life, and featured Kapoor in a voice-over for the audiobook.[109] In February 2013, Kapoor released her autobiographical memoir: The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva. Co-authored alongside Rochelle Pinto, it became the first book to be launched under the Shobhaa De imprint of Penguin Books—a set of series that included celebrity memoirs, guides and biographies.[110] In a review published by Mint, Shefalee Vasudev criticised the writing style as "too-breezy" but further stated that it is "a well-produced book, reproducing chirpy little post-it notes and diet charts, punctuated with Bebo's stunning pictures from her private albums to fashion magazine covers."[111] Later that year, she collaborated with Diwekar for the third time on The Indian Food Wisdom and The Art of Eating Right, a documentary film about nutrition.[112]
Stage performances
Kapoor has participated in several stage shows and world tours since 2002. Her first tour (Heartthrobs: Live in Concert (2002) with Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Aftab Shivdasani) was successful in the United States and Canada.[113] At the end of that year, she performed with several other Bollywood stars at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa in the show Now or Never.[114]Kapoor performing at Temptation Reloaded 2008
Four years later, Kapoor returned to the stage with six other Bollywood celebrities in the successful Rockstars Concert world tour. The concert was originally scheduled to commence in April 2006, but was postponed due to the arrest of Salman Khan.[115] It later began the following month and was staged in 19 cities across the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. In 2008 Kapoor performed in Shahrukh Khan's Temptation Reloaded 2008, a series of concerts in a number of countries. The show (which also featured Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Ganesh Hegde, Javed Ali and Anusha Dandekar) debuted at the Ahoy Rotterdam venue in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[116] Several months later she again joined Khan, Rampal and Kaif to perform for an audience of 15,000 at Dubai's Festival City Arena.[117]
Philanthropy
During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has made public appearances to support various philanthropic endeavours, and has been actively involved in promoting children's education and the safety of women.[118][119] In November 2003, she performed at a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit[120] whilst in 2005, she and other Bollywood actors participated in a concert to raise money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.[121] Later that year, she visited Indian jawans (troops) in Rajasthan, for a special Holi weekend episode of NDTV's reality show Jai Jawaan.[122] In 2010, Kapoor adopted the village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh as part of NDTV's Greenathon Campaign, to provide the village with a regular supply of electricity,[123] and later took part in the international campaign, 1GOAL Education for All.[124]
The following year, Kapoor was appointed ambassador for the Shakti Campaign—a project launched by the NDTV television network to combat violence against women—in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.[125] In December 2013, Kapoor launched Channel V's anti-rape mobile app 'VithU'; she stated that due to the increase in violence against women in India, "[i]t [was] important for actors to stand up for issues because they can reach out to a lot of people."[126] Kapoor later attended a gala dinner at the Taj Mahal Hotel (hosted by Valérie Trierweiler) where she participated in a campaign to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition in the world.[118] In 2014, Kapoor joined UNICEF's campaign to launch a higher-quality learning environment in Indian schools.[127] Also that year, while filming Bajrangi Bhaijaan in Kashmir, Kapoor made donations to the Kashmir flood relief.[128]
Public image and character
Known for her nonchalant relationship with the media, Kapoor has gained a reputation for discussing her private life with no reservations.[129][130] As a child she regularly attended award ceremonies and events with her family, and would also accompany Karisma on-set during filming.[4] In an interview with Filmfare, she explained that growing up in a film family helped her develop a sense of professionalism and dedication towards her craft.[131] Kapoor's private life has been the subject of media attention in India, with frequent press coverage of her weight and relationship with actor Saif Ali Khan.[129] The couple—dubbed "Saifeena" by the entertainment media—has been one of the country's most-reported celebrity stories since 2007.[132]
While a segment of the press has described Kapoor as friendly and extremely close to her family,[4] others have criticized her for being arrogant and vain—an image she gained in the wake of her superficial character, Poo, in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001).[34] She subsequently featured in films portraying similar characters, and this further established her off- and on-screen personae.[5] Before the release of Chameli (2004) (in which she played a sex worker), Kapoor stated that "there is a certain image that people identify you with [and] [i]t always follows you whichever role you play. I am trying to transgress this image and become more screen-friendly than image-friendly."[134] Chameli helped Kapoor reinvent her on-screen persona,[34] and she later explained that her honesty and openness was often perceived by the media as arrogance.[135]A wax sculpture of Kapoor at Madame Tussauds. As one of her most distinctive physical features, Kapoor's lips have been identified by the Indian media as her trademark[133]
Kapoor is also known for her assertive and moody nature,[135][136] and her outspoken views and independence have been singled out for making major contributions to her career; they "add to her superstar aura".[137] In an early interview, she confessed to being an "introvert, yet [...] extremely candid and blunt", reasoning: "Total faith and complete belief in myself is my attitude towards life, films and virtually everything else. I am all about doing what I feel is right. It is not easy to pin me down as I can be a bundle of contradictions."[135] Journalist Subhash K Jha explained that while this approach has sometimes been at the cost of professional opportunities, it "makes her such a favourite among the generation that believes in self regard being the highest form of creativity [...] She lives for the moment and crams all her intensity into it, not sparing a single thought for what is gone and what is waiting around the corner."[138] Meanwhile, Anu Ahuja suggested that Kapoor's demeanour is an act; she is "cold and unapproachable so that no one will act funny with her".[139]
Today, Kapoor is considered as one of the most popular Bollywood celebrities in India.[140] Her look and performances have established her as a style icon for young women.[11][141] In a 2009 poll conducted by the newspaper Daily News and Analysis Kapoor was voted one of India's most popular icons;[142] with her partner Saif Ali Khan, she was listed amongst the top celebrity endorsers for brands and products worldwide.[143] She became the only Indian actress to be featured on CNNGo's list of "Who Mattered Most in India",[2] and was later selected by Verve for its list of the country's most powerful women from 2008 to 2013.[137][144][145] In June 2010 Kapoor was described as "India's Most Beautiful Woman" by People;[2] Eastern Eye and Maxim named her as "Asia's Sexiest Woman" and "India's Hottest Woman" in 2011 and 2012 respectively.[146] The following year, she ranked seventh on Forbes ' list of India's biggest entertainers[147] and was later selected by India Today for its list of the country's most influential women.[148]
Performances: technique and analysis
According to media reports, Kapoor relies on her instincts and spontaneity as an actor.[136] She is known to commit heavily to each role, and refrains from rehearsing for a project.[136][150] Commenting on this, director Rajkumar Hirani said "I usually have a habit of conducting rehearsals for my actors, but she insisted on not having them as it would affect her spontaneity. She really surprised me with a couple of emotional scenes which we canned in just one take."[136] Karan Johar described Kapoor as a "natural", explaining that "she has no craft, grammar or process attached to her acting [...] It is a great sense of cinema that can keep her going."[136] According to Rensil D'Silva (who directed her in Kurbaan), "Kareena [..] is instinctive and has emotional intelligence. She absorbs the situation and performs accordingly. Discussing the scene, in fact, harms her."[151]On 28 March 2012, Kapoor inaugurated the Bollywood Walk of the Stars where she received a hand-print of her own[149]
While discussing her career highlights in a 2010 article, Rediff.com noted: "[E]ven though a lot of her starring roles have been forgettable, [a] look at her filmography now, however, would show a more thoughtful selection of roles [...] playing to her strengths."[130] Her portrayal of a series of superficial characters at the start of her career were criticized; film historian Gyan Prakash explained that these roles "tended to infantilise her, packaging her as daddy's little girl, all bubble and no fizz".[33] Critics noted Chameli (2004) as her coming of age, claiming that "a new actor in her was discovered".[34] Following her portrayal of a variety of character types in Chameli, Dev (2004), Omkara (2006) and Jab We Met (2007), Kapoor was noted for her versatility.[1][129] In 2010, Filmfare Magazine included two of her performances—from Omkara and Jab We Met—in its list of "80 Iconic Performances". India Today labelled her "the most versatile female lead in the industry", noting that she "play[s] her roles with trademark spunk".[152]
Manjula Sen of The Telegraph wrote that although she has "the worst success ratio among her contemporaries", it does not affect her marketability.[129] Sen further explained that Kapoor's strength lies in her being versatile; she is "effortlessly honest in her performances. It is a candour that spills over in her personal conduct."[129] Writing for CNN-IBN, Rituparna Chatterjee spoke of her transformation to date: "[A]fter 40 films and 10 years of fighting off competition from some of the most versatile actors of her generation, Kareena has matured into a bankable actor reinventing herself with surprising ease."[153] In 2004, Kapoor placed third on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Female Stars".[154] She was later ranked seventh and fifth in 2005 and 2006, respectively, and returned to third place in 2007.[155][156][157] In January 2011, Kapoor placed fourth on Rediff's list of "Top 10 Actresses of 2000–2010".[158]
Filmography and awards
Selected filmography
Main article: Kareena Kapoor Khan filmography- Refugee (2000)
- Aśoka (2001)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)
- Chameli (2003)
- Dev (2004)
- Omkara (2006)
- Jab We Met (2007)
- Kurbaan (2009)
- 3 Idiots (2009)
- We Are Family (2010)
- Golmaal 3 (2010)
- Heroine (2012)
Shah Rukh Khan
From Top Celebrity News
Shah Rukh Khan (born Shahrukh Khan, 2 November 1965), also known as SRK, is an Indian film actor, producer and television personality. Referred to in the media as "Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood" or "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 80 Bollywood films. Described by the Los Angeles Times as perhaps "the world's biggest movie star",[3] Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. He is one of the richest actors in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$400–600 million, and his work in Bollywood has earned him numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare Awards.Shah Rukh Khan
Khan at a media event for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012Born Shahrukh Khan
2 November 1965 [1]
New Delhi, India[2]Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Occupation Actor, producer, television presenter Years active 1988–present Religion Islam Spouse(s) Gauri Khan (m. 1991) Children 3 Signature
Khan started his career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s. He made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with Deewana. Early in his career, Khan was recognised for portraying villainous roles in the films Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Anjaam (1994). He then rose to prominence after starring in a series of romantic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of an alcoholic in Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist in Swades (2004), a hockey coach in Chak De! India (2007) and a man with Asperger syndrome in My Name Is Khan (2010). Many of his films display themes of Indian national identity and connections with diaspora communities, or gender, racial, social and religious differences and grievances. For his contributions to film, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, and the Government of France awarded him both the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Légion d'honneur.
As of 2015, Khan is co-chairman of the motion picture production company Red Chillies Entertainment and its subsidiaries, and is the co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders. He is a frequent television presenter and stage show performer. The media often label him as "Brand SRK" because of his many endorsement and entrepreneurship ventures. Khan's philanthropic endeavours have provided health care and disaster relief, and he was honoured with UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award in 2011 for his support of children's education. He regularly features in listings of the most influential people in Indian culture, and in 2008 Newsweek named him one of their fifty most powerful people in the world.
Contents
Early life and family
Khan was born on 2 November 1965 in New Delhi.[2] He spent the first five years of his life in Mangalore, where his maternal grandfather, Ifthikar Ahmed, served as the chief engineer of the port in the 1960s.[4][5][a] According to Khan, his paternal grandfather, Jan Muhammad, was from Afghanistan.[7][8] Khan's father, Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, an ethnic Pashtun (Pathan), was an Indian independence activist from Peshawar, British India (present-day Pakistan). As of 2010, Khan's paternal family was still living in Shah Wali Qataal area of Peshawar's Qissa Khawani Bazaar.[8] Meer was a follower of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan,[9] and affiliated with the All Indian National Congress.[8] He moved to New Delhi before the 1947 partition of India.[10] Khan's mother, Lateef Fatima, was the daughter of a senior government engineer.[11][b] His parents were married in 1959.[14] Khan described himself on Twitter as "half Hyderabadi (mother), half Pathan (father), [and] some Kashmiri (grandmother)".[15] His cousin in Peshawar, Maqsood Ahmed, claims that the family is actually of Hindkowan origin, and also contradicts the claim that his grandfather was from Afghanistan.[8]Khan with his wife Gauri at a party in 2012
Khan grew up in the Rajendra Nagar neighbourhood of Delhi.[16] His father had several business ventures including a restaurant, and the family lived a middle-class life in rented apartments.[17] Khan attended St. Columba's School in central Delhi where he excelled in his studies and in sports such as hockey and football,[18] and received the school's highest award, the Sword of Honour.[17] In his youth, he acted in stage plays and received praise for his imitations of Bollywood actors, of which his favourites were Mumtaz and Amitabh Bachchan.[19] One of his childhood friends and acting partners was Amrita Singh, who became a Bollywood actress.[20] Khan enrolled at Hansraj College (1985–88) to earn his Bachelor's degree in Economics, but spent much of his time at Delhi's Theatre Action Group (TAG),[21] where he studied acting under the mentorship of theatre director Barry John.[22] After Hansraj, he began studying for a Master's degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia, but left to pursue his acting career.[23] He also attended the National School of Drama in Delhi during his early career in Bollywood.[24] His father died of cancer in 1980,[c] and his mother died in 1991 from complications of diabetes.[26] After the death of their parents, his older sister, Shahnaz Lalarukh, born in 1960,[2] fell into a depressed state and Khan took on the responsibility of caring for her.[25][27] Shahnaz continues to live with her brother and his family in their Mumbai mansion.[28]
Although Khan was given the birth name Shahrukh Khan, he prefers his name to be written as Shah Rukh Khan, and is commonly referred to by the abbreviation SRK.[1] He married Gauri Chibber, a Punjabi Hindu, in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony on 25 October 1991, after a six-year courtship.[29][30] They have a son Aryan (born 1997) and a daughter Suhana (born 2000).[23] In 2013, they became parents of a third child named AbRam,[31] who was born through a surrogate mother.[32] According to Khan, while he strongly believes in Islam, he also values his wife's religion. His children follow both religions; at home the Qur'an is situated next to the Hindu deities.[33]
Acting career
Further information: Shah Rukh Khan filmography1988–92: Television and film debut
Khan's first starring role was in Lekh Tandon's television series Dil Dariya, which began shooting in 1988, but production delays led to the 1989 series Fauji becoming his television debut instead.[34] In the series, which depicted a realistic look at the training of army cadets, he played the leading role of Abhimanyu Rai.[35][36] This led to further appearances in Aziz Mirza's television series Circus (1989–90) and Mani Kaul's miniseries Idiot (1991).[37] Khan also played minor parts in the serials Umeed (1989) and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988–90),[37] and in the English-language television film In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989).[38] His appearances in these serials led critics to compare his look and acting style with those of the film actor Dilip Kumar,[39] but Khan was not interested in film acting at the time, thinking that he was not good enough.[37][40]
Khan changed his decision to act in films in April 1991,[41] citing it as a way to escape the grief of his mother's death.[42] He moved from Delhi to Mumbai to pursue a full-time career in Bollywood, and was quickly signed to four films.[41] His first offer was for Hema Malini's directorial debut Dil Aashna Hai,[24][35] and by June, he had started his first shoot.[43] His film debut was in Deewana, which was released in June 1992.[44] In it he starred alongside Divya Bharti as the second male lead behind Rishi Kapoor. Deewana became a box office hit and launched Khan's Bollywood career;[45] he earned the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance.[46] Also released in 1992 were Khan's first films as the male lead, Chamatkar, Dil Aashna Hai, and the comedy Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, which was his first of many collaborations with the actress Juhi Chawla.[47] His initial film roles saw him play characters who displayed energy and enthusiasm. According to Arnab Ray of Daily News and Analysis, Khan brought a new kind of acting as he was "sliding down stairs on a slab of ice, cartwheeling, somersaulting, lips trembling, eyes trembling, bringing to the screen the kind of physical energy ... visceral, intense, maniacal one moment and cloyingly boyish the next."[48]
1993–94: Anti-hero
Among his 1993 releases, Khan garnered the most appreciation for portraying villainous roles in two box office hits: an obsessive lover in Darr, and a murderer in Baazigar.[49] Darr marked the first of Khan's many collaborations with filmmaker Yash Chopra and his company Yash Raj Films. Khan's stammering and the use of the phrase "I love you, K-k-k-Kiran" were popular with audiences.[50] For Darr he received a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role, also known as the Best Villain Award, but lost to Paresh Rawal for Sir.[51] Baazigar, in which Khan played an ambiguous avenger who murders his girlfriend, shocked Indian audiences with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula.[52] In The Cambridge Companion to Modern Indian Culture, Sonal Khullar called the character "the consummate anti-hero".[53] His performance in Baazigar, which would be his first of many appearances with actress Kajol, won Khan his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[54] In 2003, the Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema stated that Khan "defied the image of the conventional hero in both these films and created his own version of the revisionist hero".[54] Also in 1993, Khan performed a nude scene with Deepa Sahi in Maya Memsaab, although parts of it were censored by the Central Board of Film Certification.[55] The ensuing controversy prompted him to eschew such scenes in future roles.[56]
In 1994, Khan played a love-struck musician in Kundan Shah's comedy-drama film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, which he later professed was his favourite role.[57] His performance earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, and in a retrospective review from 2004, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com referred to it as Khan's best performance, saying "He is spontaneous, vulnerable, boyish, mischievous and acting straight from the heart."[58] Also in 1994, Khan won the Filmfare Best Villain Award for his role as an obsessive lover in Anjaam, co-starring Madhuri Dixit.[59] At the time, playing antagonistic roles was considered risky to a leading man's career in Bollywood. Ray subsequently credited Khan for taking "insane risks" and "pushing the envelope" by choosing to play such characters, through which he established his career in Bollywood.[48] The director Mukul S. Anand called him "the new face of the industry" at the time.[42]
1995–98: Romantic hero
Khan starred in seven films in 1995, the first of which was Rakesh Roshan's melodramatic thriller Karan Arjun. Co-starring Salman Khan and Kajol, it became the second-highest grossing film of the year in India.[60] His most significant release that year was Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, the romance Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, in which he played a young Non-resident Indian (NRI) who falls in love with Kajol's character during a trip across Europe. Khan was initially reticent to portray the role of a lover, but this film is credited with establishing him as a "romantic hero".[61] Lauded by both critics and the public, it became the year's highest grossing production in India and abroad and was declared an "all time blockbuster" by Box Office India,[60][62] with a gross of overKhan with co-star Kajol in 2014 celebrating 1000 weeks continuous showing of their film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
In 1996, all four of Khan's releases failed critically and commercially,[67] but the following year, his starring role opposite Juhi Chawla in Aziz Mirza's romantic comedy Yes Boss earned him accolades that included a Filmfare Best Actor nomination.[68] Later in 1997, he starred in Subhash Ghai's diasporic-themed social drama Pardes,[69] portraying Arjun, a musician facing a moral dilemma. India Today cites it as one of the first major Bollywood pictures to succeed in the United States.[70] Khan's final release of 1997 was a second collaboration with Yash Chopra in the popular musical romance Dil To Pagal Hai. He portrayed Rahul, a stage director caught in a love triangle between Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor. The film and his performance met with critical praise, winning Khan his third Best Actor Award at Filmfare.[59]
Khan performed the lead role in three films and made one special appearance in 1998. In his first release of the year, he played a double role opposite Juhi Chawla and Sonali Bendre in Mahesh Bhatt's action comedy Duplicate, the first of his many collaborations with Yash Johar's production company Dharma Productions. The film was not well received,[71] but India Today lauded Khan for his energetic performance.[72] The same year, Khan won critical praise for his performance as an All India Radio correspondent who develops an infatuation for a mysterious terrorist (Manisha Koirala) in Dil Se..,[73] the third instalment of Mani Ratnam's trilogy of terror films.[74][75] In his final release of the year, he portrayed a college student in Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, in which he was involved in a love triangle along with Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The writer Anjana Motihar Chandra has referred to the picture as the blockbuster of the 1990s, a "pot-pourri of romance, comedy, and entertainment."[76] Khan won the Best Actor award at the Filmfare Awards ceremony for the second consecutive year,[59] although he and several critics believed his performance to have been overshadowed by that of Kajol.[77]
The roles in this phase of his career, and the series of romantic comedies and family dramas that followed, earned Khan widespread adulation from audiences, particularly teenagers,[78] and according to author Anupama Chopra, established him as an icon of romance in India.[79][80] He continued to have frequent professional associations with Yash Chopra, Aditya Chopra, and Karan Johar, who moulded his image and made him into a superstar.[81] Khan became a romantic leading man without ever actually kissing any of his co-stars,[79] although he broke this rule in 2012, after strong urging by Yash Chopra.[82]
1999–2003: Career challenges
Khan's only release in 1999 was Baadshah, in which he starred opposite Twinkle Khanna. Although the film underperformed at the box office,[83] it earned him a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Performance in a Comic Role, which he lost to Govinda for Haseena Maan Jaayegi.[84] Khan became a producer in 1999 in a collaboration with the actress Juhi Chawla and the director Aziz Mirza for a production company called Dreamz Unlimited.[85] The company's first production, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000), starring Khan and Chawla, was a commercial failure.[86] It was released one week after Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, starring Hrithik Roshan, then a newcomer, who critics believed overshadowed Khan.[87] Swapna Mitter of Rediff.com spoke of Khan's predictable mannerisms, saying "Frankly, it's high time he innovated his act a little."[88]
In 2001, Dreamz Unlimited attempted a comeback with Khan portraying the title role in Santosh Sivan's historical epic Aśoka, a partly fictionalised account of the life of emperor Ashoka. The film was screened at the Venice Film Festival and the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival to a positive response,[89] but it performed poorly at Indian box offices.[90] As losses continued to mount for the production company,[87] Khan was forced to close srkworld.com, a company that he had started along with Dreamz Unlimited.[91] In December 2001, Khan suffered a spinal injury while performing an action sequence for a special appearance in Krishna Vamsi's Shakti: The Power.[92] He was subsequently diagnosed with a prolapsed disc, and attempted multiple alternative therapies. None of these provided a permanent solution to the injury, which caused him severe pain while shooting several of his films.[92][93] By the beginning of 2003, his condition had worsened to the point that he had to undergo anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery at Wellington Hospital, London.[94][95][96] Khan resumed shooting in June 2003, but he reduced his workload and the number of film roles he accepted annually.[93]
Successes during this time included Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein (2000), and Karan Johar's family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001),[86][97] which Khan cites as a turning point in his career.[98] Both films co-starred Amitabh Bachchan as an authoritarian figure, and presented ideological struggles between the two men.[99][100] Khan's performances in the films were met with wide public appreciation, and he was awarded his second Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for Mohabbatein.[101][102] Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... remained the top-grossing Indian production of all time in the overseas market for the next five years.[63]Khan with co-star Aishwarya Rai at the home video launch of their film Devdas (2002)
In 2002, Khan played the title role as a rebellious alcoholic opposite Aishwarya Rai in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance Devdas. At a cost of over
2004–09: Resurgence
The year 2004 was a critically and commercially successful year for Khan. He transformed Dreamz Unlimited into Red Chillies Entertainment, adding his wife Gauri as a producer.[109] In the company's first production, he starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, the action comedy masala film Main Hoon Na. A fictionalised account of India–Pakistan relations, it was viewed by some commentators as a conscious effort to move away from the stereotypical portrayal of Pakistan as the constant villain.[110] Khan then played an Indian Air Force pilot who falls in love with a Pakistani woman (Preity Zinta) in Yash Chopra's romance film Veer-Zaara, which was screened at the 55th Berlin Film Festival to critical praise.[111] It was the highest earning film of 2004 in India, with a worldwide gross of over
In his final release of 2004, Khan starred as a NASA scientist who patriotically returns to India to rekindle his roots in Ashutosh Gowariker's social drama Swades (meaning "Homeland"), which became the first Indian picture to be shot inside the NASA research centre at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.[113] Film scholar Stephen Teo refers to the picture as an example of "Bollywoodised realism", displaying a transcendence in conventional narrative and audience expectation in Hindi cinema.[114] In December 2013, The Times of India reported that Khan found filming the picture such an emotionally overwhelming and life-changing experience that he had still not viewed the film.[115] Derek Elley of Variety found Khan's performance "unsettling" as "a self-satisfied expatriate determined to bring Western values to poor Indian peasants",[116] but several film critics, including Jitesh Pillai, believed it to have been his finest acting to date.[117][118] He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor Award for all three of his 2004 releases and eventually won the award for Swades.[46][119] Filmfare later included his performance in the 2010 issue of Bollywood's "Top 80 Iconic Performances".[120]Khan with Priyanka Chopra at the premiere for Don in 2006
Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the third time in the musical romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), the story of two unhappily married people in New York City who begin an extramarital affair. The film, which featured an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher, emerged as India's highest grossing film in the overseas market,[97] earning more than
In 2007, Khan portrayed a disgraced hockey player who coaches the Indian women's national hockey team to World Cup success in Yash Raj Films' semi-fictional Chak De! India. Bhaichand Patel notes that Khan, who had a background in the sport playing for his university's hockey team,[126] essentially portrayed himself as a "cosmopolitan, liberal, Indian Muslim".[127] Faring well in both India and abroad,[63][128] Khan garnered another Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance,[46] which Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN considers to have been "without any of his typical trappings, without any of his trademark quirks", portraying Kabir Khan "like a real flesh-and-blood human being".[129] Filmfare included his performance in their 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances".[130] In the same year, Khan starred alongside Deepika Padukone, Shreyas Talpade and Arjun Rampal in Farah Khan's reincarnation melodrama Om Shanti Om, portraying a 1970s junior artiste who is reborn as a 2000s era superstar. The film became the highest grossing Indian motion picture of 2007, both domestically and abroad.[97][131] Om Shanti Om earned Khan his second nomination of the year for Best Actor at Filmfare.[132] Khalid Mohammed from Hindustan Times wrote, "the enterprise belongs to Shah Rukh Khan, who tackles comedy, high drama and action with his signature style—spontaneous and intuitively intelligent".[133]"Such great things have happened to such a normal guy like me. I am a nobody who shouldn't have been able to do all this but I have done it. I tell everyone that there's this myth I work for; there is this myth called Shahrukh Khan and I am his employee. I have to live up to that ... I'll do it, I am an actor. But I can't start believing in this myth."—Khan reflecting in 2007 on his position as the Hindi film industry's top star[125]
Khan collaborated for the third time with Aditya Chopra on the romantic drama Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Anushka Sharma, at that time a newcomer. He played Surinder Sahni, a shy man with low self-esteem, whose love for his young arranged wife (Sharma) causes him to transform himself into Raj, a boisterous alter-ego. Rachel Saltz of The New York Times believed the dual role to have been "tailor-made" for Khan, giving him the opportunity to display his talents,[134] although Deep Contractor from Epilogue thought Khan displayed greater strength in the role of Surinder and weakness in the role of monologue-prone Raj.[135] In December 2008, Khan suffered a shoulder injury while filming a small role in Mudassar Aziz's Dulha Mil Gaya. He underwent extensive physiotherapy sessions at the time but the pain left him almost immobile and he had arthroscopic surgery in February 2009.[136][137] He performed an extended, special appearance in the 2009 film Billu, playing Bollywood superstar Sahir Khan—a fictionalised version of himself, wherein he performed musical item numbers with actresses Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra.[138] As head of the film's production company, Red Chillies, Khan made the call to change the title of the film from Billu Barber to Billu after hairdressers across the country complained that the word "barber" was derogatory. The company covered up the offending word on billboards that had already been installed with the original title.[139]
2010–15
After refusing the role that subsequently went to Anil Kapoor in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Khan began shooting My Name Is Khan (2010), his fourth collaboration with director Karan Johar and his sixth with Kajol.[140] The film is based on a true story and set against the backdrop of perceptions of Islam after the 11 September attacks. Khan plays Rizwan Khan, a Muslim suffering from mild Asperger syndrome who sets out on a journey across America to meet the country's president, in a role that film scholar Stephen Teo sees as a "symbol of assertive rasa values" and another example of Khan representing NRI identity in global Bollywood.[141] To provide an accurate portrayal of a sufferer without disparagement, Khan spent several months researching his role by reading books, watching videos and talking to people affected by the condition.[142][143] Upon release, My Name is Khan became one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time outside India,[63][97] and earned Khan his eighth Filmfare Award for Best Actor,[46] equalling the record for the most wins in the category with actor Dilip Kumar.[144] Jay Wesissberg from Variety noted how Khan portrayed the Asperger's sufferer with "averted eyes, springy steps, [and] stuttered repetitions of memorized texts", believing it to have been a "standout performance sure to receive the Autism Society's gold seal of approval".[145]
In 2011, Khan starred alongside Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor in Anubhav Sinha's science fiction superhero film Ra.One, his first work in this genre, as a favour to his children.[146] The film follows the story of a London-based videogame designer who creates a villainous character who escapes into the real world. It was billed as Bollywood's most expensive production; it had an estimated budget of
Khan's only release in 2012 was Yash Chopra's last picture,[158] the drama Jab Tak Hai Jaan, which saw him once again in a romantic role, starring opposite Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. CNN-IBN considered the overall performance by Khan to have been one of his finest to date, but believed that Khan's first screen kiss of his career with Katrina Kaif, twenty years his junior, was an awkward one.[82][159] Jab Tak Hai Jaan became one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all time, both in India and abroad, setting several records and earning overKhan with his Jab Tak Hai Jaan co-stars Katrina Kaif (left) and Anushka Sharma (right) at a promotional event in 2012
In 2013, Khan starred in Rohit Shetty's action comedy Chennai Express for Red Chillies Entertainment, a film which earned mixed critical reviews and a fair amount of criticism for its perceived disparagement of South Indian culture, although the film included a tribute to Tamil cinema star Rajinikanth.[164] The critic Khalid Mohamed thought that Khan overacted in the film and criticised him for "re-rendering every old trick in the acting book".[165] Despite the criticism, the film broke many box office records for Hindi films in both India and abroad, surpassing 3 Idiots to briefly become the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time, with a gross of almost
As of April 2015, Khan has completed work on Maneesh Sharma's Fan, in which he plays dual roles of a superstar and his fan.[172][173] He has signed on for director Rahul Dholakia's next film, entitled Raees, produced by Excel Entertainment and co-starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and has also committed to star with Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in Rohit Shetty's comedy-drama Dilwale.[174][175]
Other work
Film production and television hosting
Khan co-produced three films from 1999 to 2003 as a founding member of the partnership Dreamz Unlimited.[85] After the partnership was dissolved, he and Gauri restructured the company as Red Chillies Entertainment,[109] which includes divisions dealing with film and television production, visual effects, and advertising.[176] As of 2015, the company has produced or co-produced at least nine films.[177] Either Khan or Guari are usually given production credits, and he has appeared in most of the films, either in the lead role, or in a guest appearance. Khan was involved in several aspects of the making of Ra.One (2011). Aside from acting, he produced the film, volunteered to write the console game script, dubbed for it, oversaw its technical development, and wrote the digital comics based on the film's characters.[178][179] Khan has occasionally done playback singing for his films. In Josh (2000) he sang the popular song "Apun Bola Tu Meri Laila". He also sang in Don (2006) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012).[180] For Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011), which was produced by Red Chillies, Khan participated in the lyrical composition.[181]
In addition to his early television serial appearances, Khan has hosted numerous televised awards shows, including the Filmfare, Zee Cine, and Screen Awards.[182][183][184] In 2007, he replaced Amitabh Bachchan for one season as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,[185] and a year later, Khan began hosting Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, the Indian version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.[186] In 2011, he returned to television, appearing on Imagine TV's Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout, the Indian version of Wipeout; scenes featuring Khan were shot at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.[187] Contrary to his earlier television anchoring jobs, Zor Ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout performed poorly. It aired for only one season and became the lowest rated show hosted by a Bollywood star.[187]
Stage performances
Khan is a frequent stage performer and has participated in several world tours and concerts. In 1997, he performed in Asha Bhosle's Moments in Time concert in Malaysia, and returned the following year to perform with Karisma Kapoor for the Shahrukh–Karisma: Live in Malaysia concert.[188] The same year, he participated in The Awesome Foursome world tour across the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States along with Juhi Chawla, Akshay Kumar and Kajol, and resumed the tour in Malaysia the following year.[189][190] In 2002, Khan featured with Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta, and Aishwarya Rai in the show From India With Love at Manchester's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park; the event was attended by more than 100,000 people.[191] Khan performed alongside Rani Mukherji, Arjun Rampal and Ishaa Koppikar in a 2010 concert at the Army Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[192] The next year he joined Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the Friendship Concert, celebrating 150 years of India–South Africa friendship in Durban, South Africa.[193]Khan during a performance in a concert at the Army Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2010
Khan started an association with the "Temptations" series of concert tours by singing, dancing, and performing skits alongside Arjun Rampal, Priyanka Chopra, and other Bollywood stars in Temptations 2004, a stage show that toured 22 venues across the world.[194] The show played to 15,000 spectators at Dubai's Festival City Arena.[195] In 2008, Khan set up Temptation Reloaded, a series of concerts that toured several countries, including the Netherlands.[196] Another tour was held with Bipasha Basu and others in 2012 in Jakarta,[197] and in 2013 another series of concerts visited Auckland, Perth and Sydney.[198] In 2014, Khan performed in SLAM! The Tour in the US, Canada, and London,[199] and also hosted the Indian premiere of the live talent show, Got Talent World Stage Live.[200]
Ownership of IPL cricket team
In 2008, Khan, in partnership with Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, acquired ownership rights for the franchise representing Kolkata in the Twenty20 cricket tournament Indian Premier League (IPL) for US$75.09 million, and named the team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).[201] As of 2009, KKR was one of the richest teams in the IPL, with a brand value of US$42.1 million.[202] The team performed poorly on the field during the first three years.[203] Their performance improved over time, and they became the champions in 2012[203] and 2014.[204]
Khan performed alongside Sunidhi Chauhan and Shriya Saran at the opening ceremony of the 2011 season, where they danced to Tamil songs.[205] He appeared again in 2013 alongside Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Pitbull.[206] In May 2012, the Mumbai Cricket Association banned him from the Wankhede Stadium for five years for arguing with security guards and officials after a match between KKR and The Mumbai Indians.[207] Khan later apologised to his fans after his team won the final match.[208]
In the media
Main article: Shah Rukh Khan in the media
Shah Rukh Khan receives a considerable amount of media coverage in India, and is often referred to as "King Khan", "The Baadshah of Bollywood", or "The King of Bollywood".[209][210][211] Anupama Chopra cites him as an "ever present celebrity", with two or three films a year, constantly running television ads, print ads and gigantic billboards lining the streets of Indian cities.[212] The object of a sometimes fanatical following, with a fan base estimated to exceed one billion,[213] he was declared "the biggest movie star you've never heard of. And perhaps the world's biggest movie star, period" in 2011 by Steven Zeitchik of the Los Angeles Times.[d][3] Khan is one of the wealthiest and most powerful celebrities in India, topping the Forbes India's "Celebrity 100 list" for 2012 and 2013.[215][216] He was named by Newsweek as one of their fifty most powerful people globally in 2008,[217][218] and his wealth has been estimated at US$400–600 million.[219][220] Khan owns several properties in India and abroad, including a £20 million apartment in London,[221] and a villa on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.[222]Khan at a Tag Heuer press conference, promoting the Carrera Monaco GP watch in 2012
Khan frequently appears on listings of the most popular, stylish and influential people in India. He has regularly featured among the top ten on The Times of India 's list of the 50 most desirable men in India,[223][224] and in a 2007 poll by the magazine Eastern Eye he was named the sexiest man in Asia.[225] Khan is often referred to as "Brand SRK" by media organisations because of his many brand endorsement and entrepreneurship ventures.[226][227] He is one of the highest paid Bollywood endorsers and one of the most visible celebrities in television advertising, with up to a six per cent share of the television advertisement market.[228][229] Khan has endorsed brands including Pepsi, Nokia, Hyundai, Dish TV, D'decor, LUX and TAG Heuer.[229][230] Books have been published about him,[231][232] and his popularity has been documented in several non-fiction films, including the two-part documentary The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan (2005),[233] and the Discovery Travel & Living channel's ten-part miniseries Living with a Superstar—Shah Rukh Khan (2010).[228] In 2007, Khan became the third Indian actor to have his wax statue installed at London's Madame Tussauds museum, after Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan.[234][235] Additional versions of the statue were installed at Madame Tussauds' museums in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, New York and Washington.[236]
Khan has been brand ambassador of various governmental campaigns, including Pulse Polio and National AIDS Control Organisation.[230] He is a member of the board of directors of Make-A-Wish Foundation in India,[237] and in 2011 he was appointed by UNOPS as the first global ambassador of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council.[238] He has recorded a series of public service announcements championing good health and proper nutrition, and joined India's Health Ministry and UNICEF in a nationwide child immunisation campaign.[239] In 2011, he received UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award for his charitable commitment to provide education for children, becoming the first Indian to win the accolade.[240]
Awards
Khan is one of the most decorated Bollywood actors.[46] He has received 14 Filmfare Awards from 30 nominations,[241][e] including eight for best actor; he is tied for the most in the category with Dilip Kumar.[144] Khan has won the Filmfare best actor award for Baazigar (1993), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Devdas (2002), Swades (2004), Chak De! India (2007) and My Name Is Khan (2010). At times, he has garnered as many as three of the five total Filmfare best actor nominations.[119] Although he has never won a National Film Award,[242] he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2005.[46] The Government of France has awarded him both the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2007),[243] and its highest civilian honour, the Légion d'honneur (2014).[244]
Awards and nominations
For her role in Refugee, Kapoor was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut in 2000. She won the Filmfare Award for Special Performance for Chameli (2003), and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006). Kapoor received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Jab We Met (2007) and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for We Are Family (2010).
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