Pehla pehla pyar .
Mo
on DVD or watch it on Zee . A laugh a minute- great dialog
by Kader Khan ..
Mo
The A to Z of Bollywood's unforgettable female stars of the
20th century, presented by Ashok Banker
Aishwarya Rai: Miss World's delicate beauty didn't make as
big an impact as she'd hoped at first. After the initial
struggle, she finally found success with Taal and Hum Dil De
Chuke Sanam. She still remains better appreciated for her
china-doll looks than than her histrionic talent, though.
<Picture: Asha Parekh>Asha Parekh: Before her subsequent
roles as TV producer-director and controversial chairperson
of the Censor Board overshadowed her previously enjoyed
fame, she was the endearing lisping tho-thweet heroine of
the '60s musical romances.
Bina Rai: The opening of Anarkali (1953) featured a giant
close-up of her full lips, the first ever such shot in Hindi
films. Cameras would spend many more long hours lingering on
her old-fashioned beauty in a succession of costume and
social dramas. She was married to Shammi Kapoor until her
early demise.
<Picture: Devika Rani>Devika Rani: Star and manager of
Bombay Talkies, she dominated the first decade of Indian
sound films and set the standard for generations of film
heroines. A hard-edged, no-nonsense daughter of an army
colonel and grand-niece of Rabindranath Tagore, she was also
qualified in fields of drama and architecture and was a
successful textile designer. She starred in her husband
Himanshu Rai's Karma, the first Indian film made in English.
She subsequently remarried the great Russian painter,
Roerich.
Dimple Kapadia: From her first appearance in a bikini in
Bobby at the age of 16, she captured the hearts of film fans
nationwide. Her early 'retirement' from films after her
marriage to a much older Rajesh Khanna ended almost two
decades later with her return. Quixotically refusing most
roles offered to her, she made great impact in offbeat films
like Rudaali while continuing to successfully play the role
of the typical glamour-endowed heroine.
<Picture: Durga Khote>Durga Khote: Long before Madhuri,
there was Durga Khote, the first Marathi actress to become a
national star. A staunch feminist, she became famous for
playing bold roles -- a queen with a cheetah at her feet, a
swashbuckling pirate. She was famous for her fearlessness on
and off the screen.
Fearless Nadia: She was India's first and most famous stunt
action heroine. An Australian by birth, she worked in a
Russian circus and a ballet troupe, and continued to do live
shows while making films. In her films, like Hunterwali,
mostly directed by husband Homi Wadia, she scorched the
screen with stunning action stunts, usually accompanied by
her horse, Punjab Ka Beta, at a time when safety standards
were non-existent.
Geeta Bali: While dramatic roles eluded her, her success as
a dancer-singer more than made up for that. Her eloquent
innocence in Baazi, Albela, Banwre Nain and her famous
portrayal of a blind girl in Sohrab Modi's Jailer will
always be remembered. She died tragically of smallpox before
completing the classic, Ek Chadar Maili Si.
Glorious Gohar: The Lanka Ni Laadi, as she was known after
her debut film of the same name, was a Gujarati actress who
acted mostly in husband Homi Master's films, specially
scripted for her by Mohanlal Dave. She was often billed as
the Glorious Gohar.
<Picture: Hema Malini>Hema Malini: The second big South
Indian actress to become a major Hindi film star. Like her
predecessor, Vyjanthimala, this trained Bharatnatyam dancer
used her craft to brilliant effect in her roles. She shot to
fame with Seeta Aur Geeta, and was later promoted as the
'dream girl' by Pramod Chakravarty in his films. She
unsuccessfully tried to change her image with Gulzar's
Kinara, Khushboo and Meera and by producing Basu
Chatterjee's Swami. Her offscreen affair with co-star
Dharmendra became a fantasy come true when the duo got
married, creating a media sensation.
<Picture: Jaya Bhaduri>Jaya Bhaduri: Better known now as Mrs
Bachchan, this Bengali actress became an instant success
with her sincere and heart-touching performances in films
Mili and Guddi. She later blossomed into a majorly talented
actress with the ability to convey volumes without even
saying a word, as in her brief but memorable part in Sholay.
She quit acting after husband Amitabh's career took off,
returning only for the much publicized Silsila. Now she has
resurfaced as a serious mature stage and screen actress.
Juhi Chawla: The QSQT image of the girl-next-door belied her
serious acting abilities. Restricted by her looks to a
series of wide-eyed innocent-damsel roles, she managed to
rise above her films to carve a niche. She briefly dropped
out of sight after her alleged (unconfirmed) marriage. She
recently turned producer with partners Aziz Mirza and Shah
Rukh Khan and started Dreamz Unlimited.
Kajol: Tanuja's daughter, Nutan's niece, Shobhana Samarth's
grand-daughter, she carried on the tradition of female
stardom by rising slowly but steadily to the top of the
heap. Today she is considered the biggest female star
despite her intense looks, her marriage to Ajay Devgan, her
cutback on new films and her bookish nature. She is a future
legend in the making.
Kanan Devi: She was the child actress who became a star with
P C Barua's Mukti and Bidyapati. Her self-taught classical
singing ability enabled her to hold her own against
stalwarts like K C Dey, making her a top singer-star. She
later trained with Ustad Alla Rakha, Anadi Dastidar and Rai
Chand Boral, metamorphosing like a real-life Eliza Doolittle
from the illegitimate Kananbala into the glamorous Kanan
Devi.
Karisma Kapoor: She is a third generation Kapoor and the
first Kapoor woman to enter films. Her former
actress-mother, Babita, groomed her for an acting career
apparently against the wishes of actor-director father,
Randhir Kapoor. She blossomed from a pouting teenybopper
starlet into a mature, glamorous star with Raja Hindustani
and other subsequent hits.
Lalita Pawar: Starting as a Hindi and Marathi film heroine,
she later turned to the persona that made her famous, the
vamp-like scheming mother in numerous films, using her
slightly defective left eye as an advantage. (The squint was
the result of an accident on the set of an early stunt
movie.) She will be remembered as a legendary character
actress.
Madhabi Mukherjee: This Bengali stage and film actress's
performances in the screen adaptations of Rabindranath
Tagore's works are still considered exemplary. While she
never ventured out of Bengali cinema, her roles in movies
like Ritwik Ghatak's Subarnarekha, Mrinal Sen's Baishey
Shravan, Satyajit Ray's Charulata and Mahanagar moulded the
way Hindi film heroines would be depicted for decades to
come.
Madhubala: She was born Begum Mumtaz Jehan and starting out
as Baby Mumtaz. She rose to fame with films like Lal Dupatta
and the classic Mahal, reaching her peak as 'the living
creation of Mughal sculptors' in the grand epic
Mughal-e-Azam. Versatile enough to also find success in
husband Kishore Kumar's musical comedies, she is
nostalgically remembered as one of Hindi filmdom's greatest
stars.
Madhuri Dixit: A Biology student at Parle College, she began
her career with a flop called Abodh. She then struggled for
years, until her success with the Ek do teen song in N
Chandra's Tezaab. Her overtly sensual dance style continued
to bring her fame -- Dhak dhak in Beta and Choli ke peeche
in Khalnayak being a few examples. Now Mrs Nene, she reigns
as one of the leading female stars of Bollywood, proving her
acting ability with fine performances in films like Prakash
Jha's Mrityudand.
Manisha Koirala: She has been dubbed the 'modern-day Meena
Kumari' by the press for her bold lifestyle and
tragic-heroine looks. Able to straddle both serious films
like Mani Ratnam's Bombay as well as blockbusters like Gupt
with equal panache, her talent seems to often demand bigger,
better roles than the ones she usually gets.
<Picture: Meena Kumari>Meena Kumari: Daughter of a Parsi
stage actor and a Muslim dancer, she began her career as
Baby Meena when her family fell on hard times. She was
renamed Meena Kumari in the big musical hit, Baiju Bawra.
Best known for her '50s comedies, she turned to serious
roles in Kamal Amrohi's Daera, Bimal Roy's Yahudi, Guru
Dutt's Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and her most famous film,
Pakeezah. Continuing in the tradition of Zubeida, she
created the classic image of the tragic Hindi film heroine,
adding to her legend by her real-life passion and drinking,
which led to her premature death.
<Picture: Nargis>Nargis: She was introduced to Hindi cinema
at the age of five by her mother, actress-singer-producer,
Jaddanbai. Baby Rani, as she was then known, went on to
become famous as Raj Kapoor's heroine in some of Hindi
cinema's greatest melodramas: Barsaat, Andaz, Awara, Shri
420. Her entwined image with Raj Kapoor went on to become
the emblem of R K Studios. Later, she became a serious
actress, reaching her pinnacle with her classic role in
Mother India, after which she married co-star Sunil Dutt,
who played her son in the film. She became a Congress MP for
a brief period. She also launched a scathing attack on
Satyajit Ray's films and was honoured by the Indian and
Soviet governments. She died of cancer after seeing her son,
Sanjay, launched as an actor.
Nirupa Roy: A Gujarati actress who became the most famous
mother in Hindi films -- that is Nirupa Roy in a nutshell.
Oddly enough, even in her early Gujarati films as a young
actress, she became famous for her roles as a mother goddess
-- Seeta (thrice), Parvati (thrice), Taramati, Draupadi and
Damayanti. As Amitabh Bachchan's mother in Amar Akbar
Anthony, Deewar and earlier Yash Chopra films, she earned
her place in film history.
<Picture: Nutan>Nutan: She was Shobana Samarth's daughter,
Tanuja's sister, Kajol's aunt and Mohnish Bahl's mother. She
became famous for her ability to portray realistic female
characters, thanks to her relatively plain looks and natural
acting ability. From frothy, romantic roles in Paying Guest
and Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, she moved on to become the
neo-realistic heroine in films by Bimal Roy, Hrishikesh
Mukherjee, Bimal Dutt and Raj Khosla. Later, she played
mother roles to perfection.
Persis Khambatta: A former Miss India who found little
success in Hindi films on account of her overtly Westernised
looks and accent, she became the only Indian actress to play
lead roles in mainstream Hollywood films such as The Wilby
Conspiracy, Star Trek: The Movie, and Nighthawks. Her rising
career declined after she refused to strip for films, as
well as pose nude for Playboy to promote a film.
<Picture: Rekha>Rekha: She is the illegitimate daughter
southern superstar, Gemini Ganeshan. Starting out as a
gangly awkward heroine, she later followed in the tradition
of Zubeida and Meena Kumari, with the first of her famous
kothewali roles in Umrao Jaan and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. She
then became more famous for her alleged offscreen trysts
with Amitabh Bachchan, before finally shaking off the shadow
of the Big B to resume work as a serious actress in films
such as Aastha and Kamasutra, where she epitomises the
ultimate sensuality of Indian womanhood.
Sandhya: The dancer-actress was famed for her legendary
classical dancing ability in films such as Janak Janak Payal
Baaje and her memorable team up with V Shantaram.
Seema Biswas: Spotted by director Shekhar Kapur in a
National School of Drama stage comedy, she made her film
debut with the stunning role of real-life dacoit Phoolan
Devi in his internationally acclaimed Bandit Queen. While
her ability to play demanding roles, as in Khamoshi, remains
undisputed, her unglamorous looks restrict her opportunities
in Bollywood. She is a great actress waiting for another
great role.
Shabana Azmi: Along with Naseeruddin Shah, she was a
cornerstone of the parallel cinema movement. She later
turned towards commercial roles quite successfully, as in
Amar Akbar Anthony. Found international acceptance with a
few well-chosen roles like Madame Souzatska. Recently,
better known as a Rajya Sabha MP and prominent human rights
and women's right activist, she plays an occasionally
controversial role as in Deepa Mehta's Fire.
Shanta Apte: Like Kanan Devi, she was one of the great
singing stars in the pre-playback era when actors performed
their own songs. She created a sensation with her songs in
Amritmanthan, which brought her huge success even in the
north and helped Prabhat Studios achieve national-level
distribution. Her performance in Duniya Na Mane, opposite
Keshavrao Date is still enjoyable even today. She was the
first actress to go on a hunger strike (in July 1939) over a
clause in her contract with Prabhat Studios!
Shanta Hublikar: An icon of Marathi cinema, she played the
daring role of a prostitute in V Shantaram's Aadmi among
other unconventional roles. She later acted in Hindi films
and stage musicals. She was a woman ahead of her time.
Sharmila Tagore: A Bengali actress who made her debut as
Apu's wife in Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar, she went on to act
in several Bengali classics. Later, she became a Hindi film
star and a national sex symbol with Shakti Samanta's Kashmir
Ki Kali (opposite Shammi Kapoor), Sawan Ki Ghata (where she
wore a bikini) and An Evening In Paris (where she played a
cabaret dancer). She successfully changed her image in
Rajesh Khanna's first megahit Aradhana, where she played his
wife as well as his mother! She returned to her
controversial sexy persona for the last time with Gulzar's
memorable Mausam.
Sitara Devi: Daughter of a former court musician in Nepal,
she was trained by her father in Kathak. She worked with
Mehboob, then Chandulal Shah and later with Kardar on famous
films like Holi, Pagal, and Pooja. Her animated performance
as a tribal in Roti is still remembered. Married to K Asif,
she also featured in his Phool and Mughal-e-Azam.
<Picture: Smita Patil>Smita Patil: She is considered to be
the greatest Hindi film actress. An MA in Literature, she
worked briefly as a TV announcer before joining FTII and
going on to lead the parallel cinema movement. Her
unglamorous dusky looks proved no barrier to her success in
commercial films, earning her praises and accolades. Her
premature death during childbirth was a loss to the
industry.
Sridevi: A highly successful actress in Tamil and Telugu
films, she struggled for a long haul before finding success
opposite Jeetendra in a series of South-produced Hindi
films. After Mr India, she became the leading female star in
Bollywood (and the highest paid, it was rumoured) for a
while. After a brief hiatus on account of her mother's
unexpected death and her much talked about marriage to
producer Boney Kapoor, she unexpectedly returned to the
screen.
Suchitra Sen: This Bengali star reigned supreme with co-star
Uttam Kumar for over 20 years. She created a new image of
the eloquent and bold heroine. She also did some memorable
Hindi films such as Devdas, Bambai Ka Babu and Gulzar's
controversial Aandhi, a role apparently modelled on Indira
Gandhi. She is also the mother of actress Moon Moon Sen.
Suraiya: She acted with Saigal in some of his last Hindi
films and became a major singing star of the '50s Urdu-Hindi
cinema. Her acting style was noted for its adakari,
reminiscent of north Indian Muslim gestures and mannerisms,
which were effectively used by Mehboob in his classic Anmol
Ghadi and by Kardar in Dastaan.
<Picture: Tabu>Tabu: While elder sister Farah failed to make
an impact in her screen career, Tabu's rise to success is
marked by visible hard work, well chosen films and roles and
immense talent. She is faintly reminiscent of the similarly
dusky Smita Patil in her roles in films like Virasat. Tabu's
ability to switch from a glamour doll to serious mature
star, often in the same film, makes her unique and
irreplaceable in today's film industry.
Tanuja: Shobhana Samarth's daughter, her contribution to
films was just as substantial as those made by her family.
Playing a popular Indian heroine in the '60s musicals, she
became known for her sophisticated appearance and strength
of personality. The very same qualities that would
subsequently be clearly visible in her daughter, Kajol.
<Picture: Urmila>Urmila: After struggling for years for a
break, she finally found fame with her oomphy role in Ram
Gopal Varma's Rangeela. The sex symbol persona continues to
haunt her, through her ubiquitous presence in Varma's films
as well as her other performances, often overshadowing her
potential as a histrionic talent.
<Picture: Vyjyanthimala>Vyjyanthimala: Along with Padmini,
she was one of the first South Indian actresses to become a
major Hindi film star. Trained in Bharatnatyam, her
expressive eyes made her famous sinuous snake dance in the
smash hit Nagin go down in film history. Since then, all her
films have had at least one classical dance item, a fact
that Kishore Kumar spoofed brilliantly in the song,
Nakhrewali, in his comedy New Delhi. Her full-hipped,
large-bosomed figure led to her being used as a living
"Ajanta poster" by Raj Kapoor, B R Chopra and a number of
other film-makers.
Waheeda Rehman: Coming to prominence with her role as the
prostitute in Guru Dutt's Pyaasa, her expressive face and
dancer's grace were eloquently used by Guru Dutt in his song
sequences in various films. She will never be forgotten in
Guide either. In her later years, she played mother roles.
An icon of Hindi cinema, she is a legend in her own right.
Zeenat Aman: From the rebellious hippie of Dev Anand's Hare
Rama Hare Krishna to the sultry but damaged sex symbol of
Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Zeenat Aman's perfect
beauty and slender Western figure became one of the most
recognised images of the transition from traditional to new
age Hindi cinema. She recently returned to acting after a
long gap with the film, Bhopal Express.
Zubeida: A Muslim princess from Surat, daughter of Fatma
Begum, she was India's first woman director. Sister of the
extraordinarily beautiful Sultana and teenage actress
Shehzadi, Zubeida played a series of roles as the kothewali
in lavish costume dramas, peaking with the first sound film,
Alam Ara.
Ashok Banker presents a list of Bollywood heroes -- in
strict alphabetical order -- who made their presence felt in
the century gone by
<Picture: Amitabh Bachchan>Aamir Khan: The QSQT cutie grew
from a chocolate-faced loverboy into a seriously saleable
star in Raja Hindustani and Sarfarosh. His policy of 'a
movie a year keeps the flop doctor away’ makes him the most
difficult and desired star.
Abhi Bhattacharya: Bengali star of the 1940s, he brought the
upright Westernised hero into Hindi films with Anuradha,
Aradhana, Amanush and other films.
Ajay Devgan: The son of stunt maestro Veeru Devgan made a
death-defying leap from action hero to serious romantic
lead, a taali-winning career stunt. Currently on an amazing
award-chasing spree with some great performances.
Amitabh Bachchan: The angry young man redefined acting,
popular mythology and stardom. His off-screen roles (MP,
near-death accident, pop singer, ad model, ABCL) were as
dramatic as his onscreen legends. Our greatest star, without
any doubt.
Amol Palekar: The epitome of the bhola-bhala, seedha-saadha,
middle-class non-hero. Now a successful art film director.
Anil Kapoor: The loverboy charm of Woh Saat Din still hasn’t
faded completely, but it took a lot of false relaunches and
a truckload of South Indian adaptations to return him to the
top list. Helped greatly by his producer brother Boney’s
sumptuous production mounting.
<Picture: Ashok Kumar>Ashok Kumar: The Bombay Talkies lab
assistant who shot to stardom as the original
cigarette-smoking anti-hero in Kismet. The first actor to
use 'modern' naturalistic acting in place of the
'jatra-style' used earlier, made acting seem as natural as
breathing.
Balraj Sahni: Writer, journalist, theatre director-actor, he
brought his neo-realist style to the screen as the rickshaw
puller in Do Bigha Zameen. Continued to write as well as
act, penning the story and dialogues of Guru Dutt’s Baazi,
several novels and an autobiography. A card-carrying
Communist to the end.
Chiranjeevi: Telugu megastar who became one of the highest
paid actors in the country in the early '90s. Famous for his
‘goonda’ and negative roles, but switched to a good guy in
Hindi films.
Dev Anand As producer, he introduced a galaxy of talent --
Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand, Raj Khosla, S D and R D. Burman,
Jaidev, Sahir Ludhianvi, Fali Mistry. As a star, he
introduced the 'style' school of acting. As director, he
makes typically Dev Anand films with nubile newcomers.
Dharmendra: Original macho North Indian 'Punj hero. King of
the North territories for 30 years. Changed track from
serious Bengali-style socials (Bandini, Anupama, Satyakam)
to mainstream Hindi thrillers and comedies (Sholay onwards).
The first Punjab da puttar, Sunny aur Bobby da baap.
<Picture: Dilip Kumar>Dilip Kumar: Born Yusuf Khan, was
renamed by novelist B C Varma, became a star with Jugnu,
superstar with Andaz, Jogan, Deedar, Devdas. Turned to
action roles with Aan, Azad, Insaniyat. After an eight-year
gap, he returned with Kranti and Shakti with legendary star
status. Most famous dialogue: 'Mumbe mumble' (inaudible).
Feroz Khan: The first star Khan, with his trademark cowboy
hat, intense dialogue delivery and highly Westernised
directorial style. The 'Dharmatma' of stylish and sexy
action melodrama, his films are still eagerly awaited by
distributors and fans.
Girish Karnad: Rhodes scholar from Oxford, Gnanpith-award
winning Kannada playwright, pioneer of the post-Independence
theatre movement, first director of FTII (1974-75), great
Kannada director-actor. Hindi film fans saw him as the hero
of Shyam Benegal’s Nishant, Manthan, Kalyug and Utsav.
Govinda: This tapori from Virar burned up the dance floors
and celluloid screens with his street-fresh attitude. He
learned acting on the sets, literally blossoming before our
eyes to become one of the finest 'all-rounders' and star
comedians. Truly the tapori no 1!
<Picture: Guru Dutt>Guru Dutt: Jalaa do yeh duniya, if it
doesn’t recall the contribution of this great film maker and
actor. One of Hindi cinema’s greatest directors, he created
stark, layered, unforgettable black-and-white visions in
Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Pyaasa and Kagaz Ke Phool which
hinted at his own tragic suicide.
Jairaj: The oldest living Indian actor, even today, at 96,
retains his personality, memory and evidence of the multiple
fractures and injuries sustained during his career as the
first great stunt-action hero. His reign of the silent era
culminated with Hatimtai (1956), ranked by Time magazine as
one of the century’s best films.
Jeetendra: The ageless, dancing loverboy, whose white
patent-leather shoes, perennial boyishness and string of
South Indian musical romances were unmatched by any other
mainstream Hindi star.
Johnny Walker: A bus conductor who used to entertain his
passengers, discovered by Balraj Sahni and a staple of Guru
Dutt films. The original Indian stand-up comic and hero’s
sidekick, he inspired a whole generation of new stars from
Govinda to Johnny Lever, who even imitated his name.
<Picture: K L Saigal>K L Saigal: His legendary performance
in Devdas set the standard for musical melodrama, and was
inspired by his Sufi peer and other classical Indian forms.
A true giant of the industry, his songs remain some of the
most popular in Hindi film history.
Kamal Haasan: A towering figure in Tamil, Malayalam and
Telugu films, he brought his exceptional talent into
Bollywood with the superhit Ek Duje Ke Liye. After a string
of tepid masala films, he finally found popular acclaim with
his '90s commercial hits. His brilliant scripts were often
adapted by other directors like Govind Nihalani.
Kishore Kumar: The first great all-rounder -- actor, singer,
director, composer and producer. His rich mellifluous voice
was formally untrained, and he imitated jazz-scat, Swiss
yodeling and other techniques to create his own unique
style. Famous for his screwball offbeat humour, he later
shot to fame with Rajesh Khanna’s Aradhana as the first
superstar playback singer.
Manoj Kumar: Mr Bharat, as he loved to be known, began as an
actor in films like Hariyali Aur Raasta. Turned to directing
long, epic patriotic films which combined national
sentiments with commercially exploitative elements.
Prominent campaigner for the BJP at the height of its
communalist heydeys.
Master Vinayak: Legendary Marathi and Hindi actor-director
known for his powerful singing and impressive acrobatic
acting style. Commissioned great scripts from Marathi
literary giants like Mama Warerkar, P K Atre and V S
Khandekar. Later played simpleton roles in Brahmachari,
Ardhangi and other films.
Master Vithal: The most successful Marathi and Hindi film
stunt-star of the silent era. A desi Douglas Fairbanks of
his time, he helped define the Hindi film action hero, and
also starred in India’s first talkie, Alam Ara.
Mithun Chakraborty: India’s most awarded actor, the amazing
movie-a-month sensation churns out a factoryload of films
from his Ooty residence, like a second Bollywood. His
ability to combine truckdriver-appeal B-movies with
impressive National Award-winning performances puts this
former alleged Naxalite in a league of his own.
Motilal: His varied roles ranged from the gentleman crook in
Mr Sampat, the hero’s urban friend in Devdas, the
sophisticate in Taqdeer and Anari, a negative role in Holi,
and other dissimilar performances, making him the ‘Indian
Lon Chaney,’ after the Hollywood actor known as the ‘man of
1000 faces.’ Inspired Dilip Kumar, and was a cousin of
singer Mukesh.
Nana Patekar: The most unlikely filmstar in Bollywood. Shot
to instant fame with N Chandra’s Ankush, went on to be a
great success as a character actor who also pulled in
audiences. Once rumoured to be the highest-paid star, his
impressively low-key talent tided him over lean patches, and
his real-life simplicity elevated him to legendary status.
<Picture: Naseeruddin Shah>Naseeruddin Shah: The pillar of
the parallel cinema movement and perhaps India’s most
admired actor. His hesitant, casual delivery and
unconventional looks couldn’t keep him from commercial
stardom in his second avatar as a successful Bollywood star.
Om Puri: Still remembered for his role as a brutal police
officer in Govind Nihalani’s Ardh Satya, this NSD and FTII
graduate used his early theatre experience and Ibsenite
naturalism to create a unique common-man persona. Found
commercial stardom and roles in international films like The
Ghost And The Darkness in the '90s.
Prithviraj Kapoor: If he had just fathered the Kapoor clan,
he would still be worth honouring. But this son of a police
officer who dropped his law studies to act was also one of
India’s greatest early stars. His larger-than-life
personality, powerful voice and experience in English
Shakespearean theatre made him a legend. Produced plays by
day while shooting films at night, finally forced to stop
when he lost his voice.
Raj Kumar: The 'jaani' star whose unique dialogue delivery
and fiery good looks gained him a loyal following. Continued
acting almost to the day he died, remembered as the 'prince'
of gentlemanly acting.
<Picture: Raj Kapoor>Raj Kapoor: The great showman.
Megastar, producer, director and the founder of RK Studios.
Learned his craft by working with father Prithviraj, created
a Chaplinesque persona in his early films. Later performed
more ambitious serious roles, peaking with his mega-flop,
Mera Naam Joker. The first Indian star to become popular
internationally (especially in Russia). As a major director,
explored bold sexual themes.
Rajendra Kumar: First shot to fame because of his
resemblance to Dilip Kumar, he created his own musical hero
image with a string of hits. Known as the 'jubilee star' for
his long-running hits. Started a trend of father-son
launches when he directed son Kumar Gaurav in his debut
smash hit, Love Story.
<Picture: Rajesh Khanna>Rajesh Khanna: The first Indian
megastar, shot to fame with Aradhana and Do Raaste -- both
released simultaneously, both superhits. His early image,
formed from Gulshan Nanda’s novel characters, gave way to a
more flamboyant stylishness which bombed in contrast with
Amitabh Bachchan’s serio-tragic acting style in the '80s.
Now, better known as an MP, husband of Dimple, father of
Twinkle and Rinke, and IT defaulter!
Rajinikanth: Tamil superstar who also appeared in Hindi,
Telugu and Kannada films. A bus conductor and fanatic film
buff, brought his unique style to acting -- his trademark of
flipping a cigarette into his mouth became one of the most
imitated filmi gestures.
Rishi Kapoor: The ultimate chocolate hero. The chubby
innocence of Mera Naam Joker, adolescent cuteness of Bobby,
lovable lover boy of Khel Khel Mein, mischievous casanova of
Amar Akbar Anthony, flashy popstar icon of Karz, Rishi
Kapoor was the oldest young actor until recently. Now
following in the RK tradition by turning director.
Salman Khan: Son of scriptwriter Salim Khan, his early
smouldering intensity in Maine Pyaar Kiya was drowned in a
string of forgettable flops. Rediscovered his niche as a
sexy (muscular) comic loverboy in the '90s to become one of
the most successful male stars.
Sanjeev Kumar: The only Gujarati actor to become a Hindi
film legend. Brought a refreshing ordinariness to his roles.
Astonishing talent showcased in multiple roles (nine in one
film!) and some of the most moving performances on
celluloid. His unsexy chubbiness and middle-class looks made
him the most natural looking filmstar of the industry.
Shah Rukh Khan: The no 1 box office star of the millennium,
and the only megastar to come out of television. Burst onto
the screen with a remarkable range of roles, including the
smash hit Darr, where he played the villain (as originally
scripted) who lost the heroine but stole the audience’s
heart. With Baazigar, he achieved the peak of negative hero
roles. Later known more as a comic, romantic star in some of
the century’s biggest hits.
<Picture: Shammi Kapoor>Shammi Kapoor: Younger brother of
Raj, son of Prithviraj, went through a number of imitative
styles (Errol Flynn, James Dean, Elvis Presley) before
establishing his own fantastic song rendition style, peaking
with the amazing Junglee. Nobody else could deliver a Hindi
song the way he did. Later appeared in a number of bearded,
endearingly overweight, paternal roles.
Shashi Kapoor: Youngest Kapoor brother, son of Prithviraj.
Debuted in serious roles in Merchant-Ivory and other
international productions like the controversial Siddharth,
before turning to commercial films like Deewar and Kabhi
Kabhi. Turned producer and director, revived Prithvi Theatre
alongwith daughter Sanjna, in his father’s memory.
Shatrughan Sinha: The negative hero of Kalicharan and
Vishwanath, starred in a series of B-grade action potboilers
as well as serious parallel roles. Memorable for his
overblown arrogant delivery and Bihari machismo. Later
turned talk show host and MP, also known for his
entertaining ability to spin jokes.
Sohrab Modi: Urdu-Hindi actor, director, producer who
brought Parsi theatre conventions of production design and
storytelling to a series of spectacular costume historicals
like Pukar, Sheesh Mahal and Jhansi Ki Rani. Also the man
who brought Shakespeare to Hindi films.
Sunil Dutt: Former radio announcer (on Radio Ceylon), shot
to fame as the daku hero of Mother India, playing the son of
his future wife Nargis. Changed to the clean-cut young man
image with Sujata and successfully continued playing both
types of roles, as well as outright comic parts like
Padosan. Father of Sunjay Dutt, and MP who played a heroic
role in the 1993 Bombay riots.
Sunil Shetty: The first pahalwan since Dara Singh to make a
niche for himself. After a string of lukewarm average hits,
he hit big time with his acclaimed performance in the
successful Border. Also a local Bombay celebrity known for
his fashion boutiques and restaurants.
<Picture: Sanjay Dutt>Sanjay Dutt: Gained notoriety for his
imprisonment under TADA for alleged involvement in a
gun-running scandal. Struggled against family tragedies --
mother Nargis’s and Richa Sharma’s untimely deaths and
up-down career graph -- to make an impact as the intense
young rebel of Rocky and Naam, the negative hero of
Khalnayak, the crippled loverboy of Saajan and his current
muscular action comedy avatar.
Sunny Deol: Son of Dharmendra, he continued the reign of the
Punjabi macho man with his debut Betaab and other hits. But
after the angry young idealist of Arjun, suffered a lean
patch until his career revived with the violent,
award-winning Ghayal, setting his image as a Rambo-style
action hero as well as a fiery idealist in Damini. One of
today’s biggest box office draws.
Uttam Kumar: Bengali superstar who was once considered a
one-man Tollywood. Was unable to turn 'national' when his
Hindi films like Chotisi Mulaqat and Amanush failed, but
remains notable for his impressive work in mainstream
Bengali cinema.
V Shantaram: Marathi and Hindi director, ranked with the
greatest in India. From his Prabhat Studio, turned out
classic films of the 1930s. Married his heroine Sandhya and
launched his daughter Rajshree as an actor. Best known for
his highly symbolic political dramas like Dr Kotnis Ki Amar
Kahani, Do Aankhen Barah Haath and Aadmi.
The greatest heroines
OM
----- of course some thing fun, some thing interesting
had to be written by a Muslim, if it was written by a pagan
it would have turned out like Hinduism - sex , perversion
and then hindus will wanna kill the truth teller
remember "WATER" any one?
Mo
and my favourites . At heart they are probably Hindus ..