Sunny Deol

Sunny Deol was one of the brightest stars to hit the screens in the eighties with Betaab and Arjun. He still has the ‘it’ factor going as we saw in Gadar – Ek Prem Katha. He is action and intensity personified.

Ajay Singh Deol aka Sunny
Sunny Deol was born as Ajay Singh Deol on 19th October 1952 in New Delhi, India. He is the son of actor Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur. He has a younger brother, also an actor, Bobby Deol. His father married actress Hema Malini and Sunny has two half sisters Esha Deol, an actress and Ahana Deol. His cousin Abhay Deol is also an actor.
He is married to Pooja Deol and they have two sons Rajveer Singh and Ranvir Singh.
Sunny studied in Mumbai at the Sacred Heart High School and Podar College. England’s Old Web Theater is where he took lessons in acting and theater.

 A Hero Comes Along…
1983 to 1987   Sunny Deol’s debut movie Rahul Rawail’s Betaab (1983) was a big hit which followed the much celebrated storyline of poor boy falls in love with rich girl. Debutante Amrita Singh was the rich babe. The 1985 release Arjun with Dimple Kapadia was another movie that he is famous for.

1988 to 1992   He acted in movies like Samundar, Ram-Avtar, Majboor, Mein Tere Dushman and Rajiv Rai’s Tridev. The latter released in 1989, starred the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff. The plot about three men from diverse backgrounds who come together to fight the baddies was well received. Chaal Baaz (1989) with Sridevi and Rajnikanth was also a success. His performance as the boxer in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghayal (1992) with Meenakshi Sheshadri was remarked as brilliant and he won the Filmfare Best Actor Award.

1993 to 1997   In 1993, Damini was a huge success, winning him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, as was Yash Chopra’s Darr with Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. The audience continued to see him in movies like Vishwathma, Insaniyat, Jeet and Border. He played Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri in
J.P.Dutta’s Border (1997) that won many awards. Zor was another movie that was a critical success.

1998 to 2002  Sunny and Bobby Deol appeared together for the first time in Dillagi (1999). It was his directorial debut that failed. Gadar: Ek Prem Kahani (2001) enjoyed wide spread success. Set during the 1947 partition of India and the Hindu-Muslim riots, Sunny played a truck driver Tara Singh who falls in love with a Muslim girl Sakina. His next release was 23rd March 1931: Shaheed (2002) revolving around freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. The movie starred his brother Bobby Deol and Amrita Singh from his debut Betaab. However the movie didn’t see a good response.

2003 to 2009  In another role as an officer in the Indian Army, The Hero – Love Story of a Spy did well. Fool and Final (2007) was based on Hollywood flick Snatch. He was part of a larger star cast in Heroes (2008). He has five movies in 2009 – Airport, Hello Darling, Filmi Khabar, The Man and Right Ya Wrong.

Ayesha Takia

Ayesha Takia is best remembered as the Complan Girl who grew up to be Meera in Dor.

I’m a Complan Girl
     Ayesha was born on April 10th 1986 in Mumbai. Her father Nishit is a Gujrathi while her mother Faridah is an Anglo-Indian Muslim. She has a younger sister called Natasha.
She studied at the Anthony’s High School but did not pursue her education any further as she started her career in show business when she was as young as fifteen.
     She was dating Farhan Azmi and the wedding bells are ready to ring for this couple very soon.
     Ayesha was part of a popular Complan advertisement. She was also part of two music videos – Falguni Pathak’s Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye and DJ Aqeel’s Shake It Daddy.

In the Bollywood Mix
     Ayesha was first offered Socha Na Tha with Abhay Deol and then Tarzan:The Wonder Car in 2004. She won the Filmfare Best Debut Award for the latter. She has worked in more than fifteen films since then like Dil Maange More, Salaam-e-Ishq, Fool and Final, No Smoking and De Taali. Most of them did not do well at the box office.
     However her performance in Nagesh Kukunoor’s critically acclaimed Dor,in which she played the part of a Rajasthani widow Meera stood out winning her quite a few awards.

The End?
     Ayesha is said to be all set to bid adieu to Bollywood soon after her marriage. The films up for release before she ties the knot are Wanted: Dead or Alive with Salman Khan, Paathshaala with Shahid Kapoor, another Nagesh Kukunoor film Eight By Ten with Akshay Kumar, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, Naughty At Forty and Ab Dil Door Nahin, which is an animated film where she is lending her voice to a leopard cub.

Deepika Padukone

One look at this dimpled beauty and you know she was marked for fame and the world of glamour. And she hasn’t disappointed. From the daughter of a famous sportsperson to a supermodel, to an actress and now dating the dishy Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone has done it all with panache.


Growing up
Deepika arrived into the scene on 5th January 1986, in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is the daughter of Ujjala and Prakash Padukone, who was the Badminton Champion. The sports genes runs in her family, for she herself played badminton at state level until 10th grade while her younger sister Anisha has taken to sports on a more professional level, with a strong interest in golf.
She did her schooling in Sophia High School and her graduation from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore.


The Model
Deepika Padukone has appeared in several print and television commercials like Liril, Limca and Close-up. She was the brand ambassador for Jewels of India, a jewelry exhibition and the face of Maybelline, an international brand. She also appeared in the 2006 Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar.
She received recognition on the modeling scene by winning the Model of the Year title by the fifth Kingfisher Fashion Awards. The India Zee F Awards saw her walking away with not one but two prizes – Female Model of the Year (Commercial assignments) and Fresh Face of the Year.
She graced Himesh Reshamiyya’s video ‘Naam Hai Tera’ from his album Aap Ka Suroor.


Silver Screen Calling
It was hardly any surprise when she stepped into films in 2006 with her debut Aishwarya, a Kannada movie directed by Indrajit Lankesh, opposite Upendra who is one of the leading stars in the Kannada film industry.
Bollywood was not far behind. Her debut Farah Khan’s Om Shanthi Om was opposite none other than Shah Rukh Khan. She played a double-role, first as Shanthipriya a movie star and later as the bubble gum chewing star-struck Sandy. She walked away with the Filmfare Best Female Debut award and was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actress award.
She starred opposite her beau Ranbir Kapoor in Bachna Hai Haseeno, which released in 2008.

Kajol

Kajol is well known for her acting prowess, exuberance, and a family of successful filmi-types. She is vulnerable, fierce, and a complete natural.

The Fourth Generation
Kajol was born to actress Tanuja and film producer Shomu Mukherjee on 5 August 1975. She was born into a Bengali-Marathi family. Her family reads like the who’s who of the film industry – great grandmother Rattan Bai; maternal grandmother Shobana Samarth; maternal aunt Nutan who won five Filmfare Best Actress Awards; paternal uncles Joy and Deb Mukherjee who were producers; paternal grandfather Sashadhar Mukherjee, a filmmaker married to Satirani Devi, the sister of Ashok Kumar, Anup Kumar and Kishore Kumar; sister Tanisha; husband Ajay Devgan; cousins Rani Mukherji and Mohnish Behl.

She did her schooling at St.Joseph’s in Panchgani till she was seventeen when she quit school to play actress.

She married actor turned producer Ajay Devgan in 1999 and the couple had a daughter Nysa. She took a break from movies, making a comeback in 2006.

Making Waves
1992 to 1997 Kajol made her debut with Bekhudi in 1992 in which her real life mother Tanuja played reel-life mommy. It was Baazigar in 1993 with Shahrukh Khan that earned her recognition as an actress worth watching out for. Yeh Dillagi, a remake of Sabrina, in which she plays Sapna who is pursued by two brothers, won her a nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 1995, she had quite a few releases that were average performers like Taaqat, Hulchul, and Gundaraj. Karan Arjun did well. But it was Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge that broke records and is still running in theaters. The Filmfare Best Actress Award for her role as Simran was well-deserved.

She enjoyed a good run of success in 1997 with Gupt for which she won the Filmfare Best Villain Award, Hamesha that was about re-incarnation, Ishq that was a romantic comedy where she paired off well with Ajay Devgan, and the Tamil movie Minsaara Kanavu that won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award South.

1998 to 2003 The year 1998 was another big year as all her releases turned out to be hits. Pyaar Kiya Tho Darna Kya with Salman Khan; Dushman where she played a double role; Pyaar Tho Hona Hi Tha, a reworked version of the comedy French Kiss with Ajay Devgan; Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that saw her transform from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan and had Aman and Rahul swooning over her. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance as Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

She had three releases in 1999 with Dil Kya Kare, Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehete Hai, and Hote Hote Pyaar Ho Gaya. In 2000, she played the lead Anna in Raju Chacha that was produced by Ajay Devgan. The movie did not meet the set expectations. Kuch Katti Kuch Meethi had her in a double role and Karan Johar’s Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, an opulent family drama won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award.

2006 to 2009 Kajol, after a break of three years, made a come back with Fanaa, a story about a blind girl Zooni who falls in love with a terrorist, played by Aamir Khan. It won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award. She made some appearances in song sequences in Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna, Om Shanthi Om, and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. In 2008, she starred in U, Me Aur Hum which was directed and produced by Ajay Devgan and did reasonably well.

2010 Kajol’s next release is My Name Is Khan with Shahrukh Khan and Koochie Koochie Hota Hai which is an animated version of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Another animation movie she is working on is Toonpur Ka Superhero. She is also working on a movie with Kareena Kapoor, a remake of the Hollywood movie, Stepmom.

Amitabh Bacchan

Amitabh Bachchan needs no introduction in India or even abroad. The man seems to hold in him a charisma that remains unrivalled. An entrepreneur, politician, game show host, a singer, voiceover artist, and an actor - the roles he played are immortalized and idolized. A huge fan base that reveres him as though he is a demi-god and a multitude of awards and recognition gravitates to him endlessly, year after year after year. But his ride to stardom was anything but smooth.

The Big Bang!
Born under the Libran sun sign, Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his birthday on 11 October. He was born in 1942 in Allahabad, as Amitabh Harivansh Srivastav to Dr.Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan. His father was a well known poet. Bachchan was his pen name. When Amitabh entered the film industry he replaced Srivastav with Bachchan. He was initially christened Inquilab but this was later changed to Amitabh that means ‘limitless lustre’, which is so apt. Ajitabh is his younger brother.

Bachchan studied in Allahabad at Jnana Pramodhini and Boys High School. He also put in a few years at Sherwood College in Nainital and Kirori Mal College. He holds a double degree in M.A.

He worked as a freight broker with Bird & Co, a shipping firm based in Kolkata which he quit to pursue acting, which paid off.

He married his co-star Jaya Bhaduri of the Guddi fame on 3 June 1973 and they have two children, Shweta and Abhishek. The latter is also an actor, married to Aishwarya Rai.

Making it Big. And how!
Bachchan’s unconventional looks – dark, lean, and standing tall at 6’2” - worked against him when it came to acting roles. But his deep voice, a trademark, held him in good stead with offers to work on narration and background commentary.

1969 to 1979
In 1969, Bachchan made his debut with Saat Hindustani, which won him the National Film Award for Best Newcomer. After this came movies like Reshma Aur Shera, Parwana, and Anand in 1971. He made a huge impact with his performance in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand alongside Rajesh Khanna as a despondent doctor, winning the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award. In 1972, he appeared in movies like Sanjog, Bansi Birju, Ek Nazar, and also narrated Bawarchi.

His identity as the ‘angry young man’ took off in 1973 when he starred in movies like Zanjeer, Abhimaan, and Namak Haraam. Vijay went on to become a regular onscreen name. In Zanjeer, he played an honest cop implicated by false charges and thirsting for revenge. In Abhimaan, he was a struggling singer while his wife, played by Jaya Bhaduri, makes it big firing up his insecurities. He came together with Rajesh Khanna again in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Namak Haraam, which won him the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

In 1974 he made brief appearances in Kunwara Baap and Dost. Roti Kapda Aur Makhaan raked in a lot of moolah. He played the lead in Majboor, a dying man who gets a new lease of life and a prison sentence to get out of. In 1975, his movies like the comedy Chupke Chupke with Dharmendra, Sharmila Tagore and Jaya Bacchan, and the romantic drama Mili with Jaya and Ashok Kumar did well. However it was Deewar and Sholay that made a lasting impact on Bollywood. His performance in Deewar was intense while Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay was not only a big earner but is one of BBC’s Top 25 Must See Bollywood Movies.

In the 1976 film Kabhie Kabhie, he plays the role of a lovelorn poet Amit. Amar Akbar Anthony, released in 1977, showed Bachchan as the endearing Anthony Gonsalves, winning him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award. A string of hits marked 1978 with the release of Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Don, and Muqaddar Ka Sikander. It was Don that won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award out of the three movies for which he was nominated. In 1979, he starred in Mr.Natwarlal and also tried his hand for the first time in playback singing in this movie with the song Mere Paas Aao.

1980 to 1990
The early eighties saw the release of Dostana, Shaan, Laawaris (popular for the song Mere Angene Mein, Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai that AB sang), Silsila with Jaya Bhaduri and his rumoured lover Rekha. He played a double role in Satte Pe Satta and Namak Halaal. These movies enjoyed large scale popularity as did Bachchan. This was evident when he met with a fatal injury during the making of his 1982 movie, Coolie. Practically the entire nation prayed for his recovery which came after a year when he completed the movie and it was released with a change in script so that his character Iqbal, who was supposed to die, survives. In 1984, his role as Vicky Kapoor, an alcoholic in Sharaabi was also well-received.

Bollywood started taking a backseat post 1984 due to his illness. This made him look towards politics. It was well known that Bachchan enjoyed a close association with the Gandhi family having grown up with Rajiv Gandhi. He won the Allahabad’s Lok Sabha seat with a high margin of 68%. His stint in politics was marred when he was accused in the Bofors scandal and was later proved innocent. He later deflected to friend Amar Singh’s Samajwadi Party.
He ventured back into Bollywood with Shahenshah in 1988 and Toofan in 1989. Agneepath, released in 1990, won him a National Film Award for Best Actor.

1991 to 1999
Hum in 1991 did well. His much hyped last movie before retirement was Khuda Gawah with Sridevi, in 1992. Bachchan went on to start Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd that was to produce and distribute movies and music. Tere Mere Sapne, which was its first production, was an average performer while its later productions all failed dismally like Mrityudaatha which starred Bachchan. The company collapsed and Bachchan reverted back to acting but without much success in movies like Major Saab, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, and Sooryavansham. ABCL also released his album Aby Baby that was popular for the number ‘Eer Bir Phatte’.

2000-2008
The year 2000 salvaged his situation and he went on to reclaim his superstar status. In Mohabattein, he starred with King Khan, as the dogmatic Narayan Shankar and won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

He also hosted Kaun Banega Crorepathi, the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, that is known to be one of the most popular television shows in Indian television history. This was at a time when most movie stars saw television as a step back in their career but Bachchan changed that perception.

In 2001, he won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for Aks and was nominated for Filmfare Best Supporting Actor for his role as Yashchand Raichand in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Kaante (2002) was the remake of Reservoir Dogs. This was followed by Boom, Baghban, Khakee, Aetbaar, Rudraksh, and Lakshya.

And if anyone thought he was riding on his early success, he removed all doubts of that with his widely acclaimed portrayal of Debraj Sahai in Black (2005) that received international recognition and plenty of awards. The role won him the National Award for Best Actor, Filmfare Best Actor Award, and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. The same year in the comedy Bunty Aur Babli, he starred with his son Abhishek for the first time and followed it up with Sarkar as Subash Nagre, a ‘godfather’ of sorts.

In 2006, he played Sexy Sam, in another Karan Johar’s mega-starrer, Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. Ram Gopal Verma’s Nishabdh that was out in 2007 saw him enamoured with his daughter’s friend Jia. Cheeni Kum had him romancing a much younger woman played by Tabu. The Last Lear in which he brought to life the veteran theater actor Harish Mishra was appreciated.

His fans saw him in different avatars in 2008, with Bhoothnath where he was a ghost; the sequel Sarkar Raj, that starred his son Abhishek and bahu Aishwarya Rai; God Tussi Great Ho where he was God himself.

2009
He had a fleeting appearance in Delhi 6 in the first part of 2009. He played Genius the Genie in Aladin. The movie was an average success. He proved why he was a superstar yet again with his performance in Paa. He was seen as Auro, a thirteen year old child afflicted by Progeria which causes him to age rapidly. His son, Abhishek, played his father in this movie.

His might grows
Bachchan will be seen in three movies in 2010. In Teen Patti, he will be seen as a mathematician. Rann is about journalism. Shoebite will see him with Sarika and Dia Mirza. He will also be seen in Shantaram which is currently on hold.