Tabu

Tabu (Hindi: तब्बू, born Tabassum Hashmi Khan(तबस्सुम हाश्मी) on November 4, 1970 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India) is an award-winning Indian actress who has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and American films. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice. She is best known for her critically acclaimed acting in a number of films rather than achieving box office success.

Despite a few exceptions, Tabu is known best for her willingness to play characters in artistic, low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than they do substantial box office figures such as in Maqbool (2003), Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) or The Namesake (2007). Known to be selective on her film roles, she has said, "I do films which move me and most of all, the unit and the director should appeal to me."

Career

Tabassum "Tabu" Hashmi began her career in the film Hum Naujawan (1985) at the age of fifteen; she played Dev Anand's daughter in the film. Her first role as an actress was in the Telugu film Coolie No. 1. Her first release in Hindi as a leading lady was Pehla Pehla Pyar which went un-noticed. She came into prominence with her role in Vijaypath (1994) opposite Ajay Devgan for which she received the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. This was followed by many films that did not do well at the box office.

In 1996, Tabu had eight releases. Two films Saajan Chale Sasural and Jeet went on to be hits; both were within the top five films of that year. Her other significant film, Maachis, was critically acclaimed. Her role as a Punjabi woman caught in the rise of Sikh insurgency was acclaimed; she went on to win her first National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Mamta Kulkarni

Stardust controversy

She gained fame after posing topless (but with her arms crossed over her breasts) for a photograph that appeared on the cover of Stardust, a popular Indian film magazine in September, 1993. She was charged under India's obscenity laws, and found herself under attack from both conservative religious groups, and women's groups. The outspoken actress lashed out at protesters, calling them hypocrites.

Kulkarni was finally convicted in July 2000, and fined Rs 15,000. However, this caused yet another controversy because she appeared in court in a burqa to evade photographers, which led to death threats and protests from the local Islamic community^[1].

Unfortunately for her, Kulkarni's career was not a happy one. Her detractors claim that she could never fit into the class-conscious industry because of her inability to speak fluent English. However, the other view is that the actress's brazen outspokenness antagonised her colleagues. Kulkarni, who spoke with a broad Marathi accent, was reportedly taunted as being a 'vern' (a derogatory term, short for vernacular) by some well-heeled actresses.. Press interviews in which she attacked other actresses, and was attacked in return, worsened the matter further.

At the same time, she continued to be dogged by controversy. In 1997, she was reportedly paid a large amount to perform at a private function by a legislator from Bihar, who was later arrested after investigations into the Fodder Scam case. Kulkarni was interrogated, but she denied any knowledge of the legislator's antecedents^[

Hrishitaa Bhatt

Hrishitaa Bhatt (also spelled as Hrishita Bhat) is a Bollywood actress and model. She debuted in the film Asoka opposite Shah Rukh Khan. It was Haasil that brought major turn into her career. Hrishitaa Bhatt was Acclaimed Actress by this Feature Film and continued to work in films like Ab Tak Chappan and Jigyaasa. In 2008 she appeared in IshQ Bector's music video Daaku Daddy with Shakti Kapoor.

Personal life

Prior to joining the film industry, Bhatt dated actor Shahid Kapoor.

Amrita Arora

Early life

Arora was born in Mumbai, India to a Malayali mother, Joyce Polycarp and a Punjabi father, Anil Arora. she is the sister of Malaika Arora. Her brother-in-law is Arbaaz Khan, the brother of Salman Khan. She was romantically linked to Kevin Otter, Ashmit Patel and Upen Patel. She also dated the British-Pakistani cricketer Usman Afzaal.

Career

She made her debut opposite Fardeen Khan with the film Kitne Door Kitne Paas which was not successful at the box office. Her first successful movie was Awara Paagal Deewana. A series of flop followed, among them the controversial Girlfriend (2004) opposite Isha Koppikar, a movie about a lesbian relationship. Her latest release was Fight Club: Member's Only(2006 Film) produced by Sohail Khan. She appeared on the show Koffee with Karan, hosted by Karan Johar with her sister.

Her next movies will be Deha, Jeet: Feel the Force, all to be released in 2008. In 2007, Red -The Dark Side released starring Aftab Sivdastani, Celina Jaitley and Amrita Arora. There was a controversy over the twenty-seven minute sex scene. Red received mixed reviews at the Box Office. Her upcoming film Raakh will release this august in which she will be paired with Sohail.

Karisma Kapoor

Karisma Kapoor, nicknamed "Lolo" (Hindi: करिश्मा कपूर, born June 25, 1974 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is a National Film Award-winning popular Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.

Making her film debut in 1991, Kapoor went on to become one of the most popular actresses of her generation. During her career years, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest commercial success, and won Kapoor her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. She surprised critics and audiences with her performances in art films such as Fiza (2000) and Zubeidaa (2001), for which she earned a Best Actress and Best Actress (Critics) awards at the Filmfare ceremony. Since then, she has worked in several films though most of them performed poorly at the box office. In 2003, Kapoor took a break from cinema and is likely to make her comeback very soon.

Bhumika Chawla

Career

Chawla started off her film career in the Tollywood film industry, starring in the feature film Yuvakudu (2000) in Telugu alongside actor Sumanth. Her second release, Khushi (2001), in which she starred opposite Pawan Kalyan was a box office success. This was followed by several films in Telugu and three films in the Kollywood industry in Tamil.

After a number of critically and commercially successful films, she starred in her first Bollywood film, Tere Naam (2003), alongside Salman Khan. The film was one of the year's highest grossing films and fared moderately well at the box office. Apart from it, it was a critical success and her performance in the film won her many positive notices as well as several nominations for Best Debut at different award ceremonies. She was nominated for her first Filmfare Best Actress Award, and won the Best Debut trophy at the Zee Cine Awards ceremony.

In 2008, she starred alongside Gurdas Mann in the Punjabi film Yaariyan.

She married Bharat Thakur on October 21 2007

Udita Goswami

Career

The green-eyed, 5'8" actress started her career in modeling, then made her jump into the Bollywood industry. She modeled for PepsiCo, Titan Watch and Nokia among other companies.

Her first film was Paap directed by Pooja Bhatt. Her next film Zeher, which also starred Emraan Hashmi and Shamita Shetty, was her breakthrough role and she became a well known face in the industry. Her role was that of a femme fatale. The film was controversial as it included some explicit scenes. She also acted in the movie Aksar, opposite Dino Morea and Emraan Hashmi. She was featured with Upen Patel in Ahmed Khan's music video of the remix of Kya Khoob Lagti Ho.

Kareena Kapoor

, करीना कपूर, Karīnā Kapūr, Karina Kapur; * 21. September 1980 in Mumbai) ist eine indische Filmschauspielerin.

Sie gehört der Schauspielerdynastie Kapoor an, die tief in Bollywood verwurzelt ist. Ihre ältere Schwester ist Karisma Kapoor, der Vater Randhir Kapoor, der Großvater – der legendäre Raj Kapoor – und der Urgroßvater Prithviraj Kapoor waren auch Schauspieler. Seit Oktober 2007 ist sie mit ihrem Schauspielerkollegen Saif Ali Khan liiert.

Kareena Kapoor debütierte erst im Jahr 2000 in J. P. Duttas Refugee zusammen mit Abhishek Bachchan. Danach folgten Rollen als Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham und als Prinzessin Kaurwaki in Asoka – Der Weg des Kriegers. Schauspielerischen Mut bewies sie jedoch mit Rollen wie der einer Prostituierten in Chameli oder gänzlich ungeschminkt in Dev.

Deepika Padukone

Biography

Padukone was born to Ujjala and Prakash Padukone on January 5, 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her family moved to Bangalore when she was only eleven months old.^[1] Her father Prakash Padukone is a badminton player of international repute, while her mother is a travel agent. Furthermore, Padukone has a younger sister, Anisha (b.1991), who is an aspiring golfer.

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore. She completed her studies from Mount Carmel College. While in high school she played badminton at the state level like her father and was a member of her father's badminton club. However, she wasn't keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player and abandoned it because of her ICSE exams

Career

Modeling

While pursuing her studies in college, she decided to pursue a career in modeling^[5]. Over the years, she has modeled for famous Indian brand names such as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca. She received many prestigious modeling offers, which included becoming the brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India. Padukone hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international spokesperson.

At the 5th annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards she was awarded the title Model of the Year. Shortly afterward, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006 and won two trophies at the Idea Zee Fashion Awards: Female Model of the Year - (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the Year later that year. Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and most recently Levi Strauss and Tissot

Acting

After pursuing a successful career in modeling, Padukone branched out into acting. She started by starring in the music video for the song Naam Hai Tera from the independent pop album Aap Kaa Surroor by Himesh Reshammiya.

staring opposite actor In 2006, Padukone made her cinematic debut in the Kannada film, AishwaryaUpendra. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film went on to become the biggest hit of the year, both in India and abroad. The film featured her portraying Shantipriya - a 1970s superstar, and later as Sandy - a young woman who looks exactly like Shantipriya. Her performance was well received, earning the actress a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star -- the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!

Amrita Rao

Amrita Rao (Marathi: अमृता राव. IPA: [əmrita raʊ], born June 17, 1981 is an Indian model and Bollywood actress.

Beginning her career as a model, Rao made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras (2002), which went unnoticed. However, she grew into prominence when she starred in Ken Ghosh's love-story, Ishq Vishk (2003) and earned her first Filmfare nomination in the Best Female Debut category. Delivering acclaimed performances and commercial success with films like Main Hoon Na (2004) and Vivah (2006), her biggest commercial success so far, she has established herself as one of the most promising actresses of Bollywood.

Career

Model

Amrita Rao attended C.G High School in Mumbai,and later enrolled in Sophia College to pursue a degree in psychology. While studying there, she auditioned for an advertisement for Fairever Face Cream. To her surprise she was selected amongst 60 other contestants. After that, she got many offers and became one of the most sought-after models in India within an year.

Her appearance in Cadbury’s Perk Karwa Chaut ad and the Bru Coffee advertisement helped her receive offers from film directors in Bollywood. As she wanted to complete her education, she refused them. After earning a degree in psychology, she began her profession as an actress, working in films.

Actress

She made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras (2002), but gained recognition only after the success of her 2003 film, Ishq Vishk, in which her portrayal as Payal earned her the girl-next door image. Success followed for her in 2004 with films like Masti and Main Hoon Na.

Her career took a setback when her following releases, Deewaar (2004), Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005), Shikhar (2005), and Pyare Mohan (2006) did poorly at the box office. Things turned around when she starred in Sooraj R. Barjatya's blockbuster Vivah (2006) opposite Shahid Kapoor. The film was a universal success and her performance was well appreciated by critics,^[4] earning her a Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award.

Rao recently made her debut in Tollywood, with the Telugu hit Athidhi opposite Mahesh Babu. Amrita had no releases in Bollywood in 2007. Amrita's first release of 2008 was My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves , which failed at the box office. Her performance got poor reviews.

Manisha Koirala

Manisha Koirala (born on August 16, 1970 in Kathmandu, Nepal), is a Bollywood actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. She is also an accomplished Bharatnatyam and Manipuri dancer.

Making her acting debut in Nepali movie Pheri Bhetaula (1989), Koirala made her acting debut in Bollywood with Subhash Ghai's top grossing drama Saudagar (1991). She went on to collaborate with some of the most prominent Indian film directors of her times, and throughout the 1990s, was one of the best-known actresses in India, mostly recognised for her critically acclaimed performances.

Noted for her willingness to portray strong dramatic characters, Koirala primarily ventured into serious and realistic cinema, and though most of her films have not done well at the box office, her niche as an actor remains unharmed irrespective of box office collections.

Early life

Manisha Koirala was born into the politically prominent Hindu Koirala family; Her grandfather Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala was the Prime Minister of Nepal during the late 50s-early 60s, as well as two of her great grand uncles, Girija Prasad Koirala and MP Koirala. She studied at Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi and Vasant Kanya Mahavidhyalaya (VKM) Varanasi. She lived with her grandmother in Varanasi during her studies. Her ambition was to be a doctor, but a modelling stint opened a career path into Bollywood.

Her brother Siddharth Koirala is also an actor, and collaborated with her once in the film Anwar.

In 2004, she returned from New York after receiving a diploma in filmmaking. She became a member of an independent documentary filmmaker's society.

Preity Zinta

Preity Zinta (Hindi: प्रीति ज़िंटा. Pronounced /priːt̪ɪ zɪɳʈaː/ born January 31, 1975)^[1] is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu and English-language movies. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year. These performances earned her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She subsequently played a variety of character types, and in doing so has been credited with changing the image of a Hindi film heroine.^[2]

Zinta received her first Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2003 for her performance in the drama Kal Ho Naa Ho. She went on to play the lead female role in two consecutive annual top-grossing films in India: the science fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, her biggest commercial success,^[3] and the star-crossed romance Veer-Zaara, which earned her critical acclaim. She was later noted for her portrayal of independent, modern Indian women in Salaam Namaste and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, top-grossing productions in overseas markets.^[4] These accomplishments have established her as a leading actress of Hindi cinema.^[5][6]

In addition to movie acting, Zinta has written a series of popular columns for BBC News Online South Asia, is a regular stage performer, and along with boyfriend Ness Wadia she is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab. She is known in the Indian media for publicly speaking her mind and openly expressing her opinions, occasionally sparking controversy.^[7][8] These controversies include her being the only witness not to retract in court her earlier statements against the Indian mafia during the 2003 Bharat Shah case, for which she was awarded the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Award.

Early life and background

Zinta was born into a Hindu Rajput family from Rohru in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.Her father, Durganand Zinta, was an officer in the Indian Army. He died in a car accident when she was 13 years old; the accident also involved her mother, Nilprabha, who was severely injured and consequently remained bedridden for two years. Zinta has stated that the tragic accident and her father's death was a significant turning point in her life, which forced her to mature rapidly. She has two brothers; Deepankar and Manish, a year older and a year younger respectively. Deepankar is a commissioned officer in the Indian Army, while Manish lives in California.

Zinta, who describes herself as a tomboy as a child, has emphasised her father's military background as having a lasting impression on how family life was conducted. He asserted the importance of discipline and punctuality to the children.^[12] She studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary boarding school in Shimla. Although she confesses to loneliness in the boarding school, she noted that it was compensated by her finding a "... perfect set of friends" there. As a student, she developed a love for literature, particularly the works of William Shakespeare and poetry.According to Zinta, she enjoyed schoolwork and received good grades; in her free time she played sports, especially basketball.

Upon graduating from the boarding school at age 18, Zinta enrolled at St Bede's College in Shimla. She graduated college with an English honours degree, and then started a graduate programme in psychology.She earned a postgraduate degree in criminal psychology, but later took up modelling. Zinta's first television commercial was for Perk chocolates, the result of a chance meeting with a director at a friend's birthday party in 1996. The director persuaded Zinta to audition for the spot, and she was selected. Afterwards, she appeared in other catalogues and commercials, including one for the soap Liril.

Twinkle Khanna

Twinkle Khanna (born Tina Jatin Khanna on December 29, 1974 in Pune, India ) is an interior designer and co-owner of The White Window store, more popularly known as an ex-Indian film actress from the 1990s. She is the oldest child of film stars Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, sister of Rinke Khanna, wife of Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar, and mother of Aarav Bhatia. She was born on her father's 32nd birthday.

Career

She made her debut opposite Bobby Deol in Barsaat (1995). The film did well at the box office, and she received the Filmfare Best Debut Award for her performance. After an eye surgery for a slight crosseye condition, Khanna went on to do many films which got her good reviews and recognition from the audience. She has acted with some of the best stars in the industry, including Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Govinda.

Her notable film roles include the girl next door in Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai with Salman Khan (1998), the undercover spy along with Shahrukh Khan in Baadshah (1999) and the village belle in Mela (2000).

She left the industry after her marriage to Akshay Kumar, citing that she did not enjoy the acting profession anymore. She has moved on. Her last film was Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega (2001), which was received averagely at the box office.

In 2002, Khanna opened her own interior design store in Crawford Market, Mumbai called The White Window, in partnership with her long time friend Gurlein Manchanda. Since then, the store has received a prestigious Elle Decor International Design Award (from Indian edition of Elle Decor magazine). Twinkle has opened up another branch of the flagship store elsewhere in Mumbai and plans to expand throughout India

Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa Shetty (Tulu: ಶಿಲ್ಪ ಶೆಟ್ಟಿ; born 8 June 1975) is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar (1993), she has appeared in nearly 50 Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she went through years of decline during her career, Shetty was willing to reinvent herself quite often. Her performances in Dhadkan (2000) and Rishtey (2002) were appreciated, while her portrayal of an AIDS patient in Phir Milenge (2004), won her many accolades. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is also a Bollywood film actress.

Shetty has been embroiled in various controversies including suspected mafia links. In 2006 she was issued with a warrant on charges of obscenity. After taking part in the British Celebrity Big Brother TV show in 2007, Shetty was crowned the winner with 63% of the final vote,after an international racism controversy involving her and fellow contestants Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd. This was followed by her comeback to films in 2007 when she acted in two successive movies, Life in a... Metro and Apne, with her performance in the former drawing positive reviews. Shetty thus re-established her status in the film industry.

Biography

Shilpa Shetty was born in a traditional close-knit family^[3] that hails from the matrilineal Bunt community of Tulu Nadu. Although she was born in Tamil Nadu, she describes herself as a Mangalorean. She is the eldest daughter of Surendra and Sunanda Shetty, manufacturers of tamper-proof caps for the pharmaceutical industry, and her native language is Tulu although she speaks several other languages at differing levels, including English, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Urdu and basic French. One of her nicknames is "Silly Pooh".

In Mumbai, she attended St. Anthony Girls' High School in Chembur, and later attended Podar College in Matunga. A trained Bharatanatyam dancer, she is also into sports and was the captain of the volleyball team in school and earned a black belt in Karate and currently a dancesport expert and enthusiast.

Shetty currently lives in Mumbai with her parents and younger sister Shamita Shetty, who is a budding Bollywood actress. They worked together once in the film Fareb (2005). At 5 ft 10 inches (178 cm), Shilpa Shetty is among the tallest actresses in Bollywood.

Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat (Hindi: मल्लिका शेरावत, born October 24, 1981 as Reema Lamba in Karnal, Haryana, India) is a popular Indian actress and model. Known for her public openness, she is frequently featured in the Indian media as a sex symbol.

Career

Mallika's onscreen debut was in Lak Tunoo, a music video by Surjit Bindrakhia. She attracted wide notice with her appearance in the 2003 movie Khwahish. In 2004, she starred in Murder, a film inspired by Hollywood's Unfaithful. She received a nomination for Best Actress at the Zee Cine Awards ceremony for her performance in Murder. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year.

Since then, Sherawat has been known for her courage to express her opinions in public, as well as because of the reaction to some of her statements

She also made news when she won a small role in a Jackie Chan movie, The Myth; she made a widely publicized appearance at the Cannes Film Festival to promote The Myth.

However, her performance in the 2006 film Pyaar Ke Side Effects co-starring Rahul Bose won her praise from around the industry,^[5] and the film also garnered decent collections at the box office becoming a moderate success.

She is now beginning to work in the Kollywood (Tamil) film industry as well after her item number in a Kannada film. Her debut was Dasavathaaram, starring Kamal Haasan, Asin, and Jayapradha, in which she plays one of the lead antagonists.

Her first 2007 release was Himesh Reshammiya's Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story, where she played a "vampish role".Mallika herself has protested, saying that it is a negative role but not a vamp role. With Aap Ka Suroor she has become the most expensive "Item Girl", as she charged Rs. 1.5 crore for her Item number in the movie. Aap Ka Suroor did well at the box office. Her last release of 2007 was Welcome which also did well at the box office receiving blockbuster status.

Sherawat has been voted as one of Asia's 100 most beautiful people by the Hong Kong based fashion and beauty magazine, Cover.

Rani Mukerji

Rani Mukerji (Bengali: রাণী মুখার্জী, Hindi: रानी मुखर्जी) born on March 21, 1978, is an award winning Indian film actress who works in Bollywood movies.

Making her acting debut with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1996), Mukerji had her first commercial success with Karan Johar's romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), her biggest hit so far, and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in the film. She later starred in many films, most of which fared below expectations. She re-invented her image with Saathiya (2002), which was commercially and critically successful.

In 2004, her performances in the hit Hum Tum and the critically acclaimed Yuva earned her the Best Actress and the Best Supporting Actress awards at the Filmfare, making her the first actress to win two major awards in the same year. She received unanimous praise for her role as a deaf-blind girl in the film Black (2005), as well as many awards for her memorable performance, establishing herself as a leading actress in Bollywood.

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra (Hindi: प्रियंका चोपड़ा; born July 18, 1982)^[1] is an Indian film actress and former Miss World who works in Bollywood films.

Former Miss India World and later becoming Miss World 2000, Chopra made her acting debut with the Tamil film Thamizhan (2001). Two years later, she made her Bollywood debut with Anil Sharma's The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and had her first commercial success with her second release, Andaaz from the same year, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Becoming the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her critically acclaimed performance in Abbas-Mustan's Aitraaz (2004), Chopra later went on to deliver commercial success with films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006), her biggest commercial success so far, and Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006), establishing herself as a popular actress.

Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu (Bengali: বিপাশা বসু , Hindi: बिपाषा बासु) (born January 7, 1979) is an Indian Bollywood actress and model. She was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest for 1996 and is currently one of the mainstream actresses in Bollywood. She is often cited by popular magazines and newspapers as one of Asia's sexiest celebrity women.^[1]

Early life

Basu was born in New Delhi, India, into a Bengali family. She is the second of three daughters to her parents, the elder being Bidisha, and the younger—Vijayeta. Although she was born in New Delhi, her family later moved to Kolkata.

According to her, she had come into modelling and acting quite by accident, because initially she had planned to study medicine.^[2] Basu studied science till the 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir and later took up commerce at The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society College in Kolkata where she also did modelling and rampshows partime. Although, as pointed above, she intended to become a doctor, her aversion for dissections made her opt for chartered accountancy.^[3] However, in 1996, she met well-known model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. She eventually participated, and won the contest.

Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif (Hindi: कैटरीना कैफ; born July 16, 1984) is an Indian film actress who has appeared in Bollywood, Telugu and Malayalam films.

Biography

Personal life

Born in Hong Kong^[2] on July 16, 1984, One of eight siblings, Kaif was born to an Indian Kashmiri father and British mother, was brought up in Hawaii, and started modelling at the age of 14, when she was approached for a jewellery campaign. After that she continued modeling in London.

Professional life

At the age of 14, Kaif started modeling for a jewellery campaign in London, and was subsequently discovered by filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, who gave her a part in his film Boom (2003).

She moved to Mumbai and was offered a number of modelling assignments. However, filmmakers were at first hesitant to sign her because of her linguistic shortcomings . Films that did feature her usually had her voice dubbed over by a native speaker of the film's language.

Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan or Aishwarya Bachchan^[1] (Birthname: Aishwarya Rai; Tulu: ಐಶ್ವರ್ಯಾ ರೈ; born November 1, 1973) is an internationally renowned Indian actress. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model, and gained fame after winning the Miss World contest in 1994.

Often acclaimed as the most beautiful woman in the world,^[2] Rai made her movie debut in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film, Iruvar (1997) opposite Mohanlal. She had her first commercial success in the Tamil movie Jeans (1998), and came to the attention of Bollywood in the Hindi movie, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her performance in the film won her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and she successfully performed in Bhansali's next project, Devdas (2002), for which she won her second Best Actress Award at the Filmfare. Since then, she has acted in over forty movies in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and English, including the international productions, Bride & Prejudice (2003), Mistress of Spices (2005) and The Last Legion (2007) in English.