PAGE RANK TOOL

Check Page Rank of your Web site pages instantly:

This page rank checking tool is powered by Page Rank Checker service

Showing posts with label happy birthday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy birthday. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

EKTA KAPOOR TURNS 36 TODAY


TODAY, Television and Film Producer, Ekta Jeetendra Kapoor turns 36 who born on 7th, June 1975 is an Indian TV and film producer. She is the Creative Director and Joint Managing Director of Balaji Telefilms, her production company.

BIOGRAPHY:-


Kapoor is the daughter of Hindi film actors Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor. Her younger brother Tusshar Kapoor is also a Bollywood actor.

She has produced numerous soap opera, television series and movies. Her television series include Hum Paanch, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kaahin Kissii Roz, Kkusum, Kutumb, Kahiin To Hoga, Kasamh Se and Bandini . She is currently producing Pavitra Rishta, Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain . Payar kii Yeh Ek Kahhni.

She has also produced five Bollywood movies: Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta, Kucch To Hai, Krishna Cottage, Koi Aap Sa and Kyaa Kool Hai Hum . She also co-produced Shootout at Lokhandwala, Mission Istanbul and produced Love Sex aur Dhokha, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Shor in the City and Ragini MMS . She is also producing the upcoming film The Dirty Picture.

PRODUCTIONS:-

Ekta Kapoor has produced several TV serials, most of which use to air on her first network STAR Plus. While some of her other productions air on Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television, STAR One, Imagine TV and Colors TV.

Monday, June 6, 2011

AADESH SHRIVASTAVA TURNS 45 TODAY


TODAY, Bollywood Music Composer and Singer, Aadesh Shrivastava  turns 45 who born on 6th June, 1966 - is an Indian composer and singer. Over the course of his career, he has composed the music for over 50 Hindi films. His wife Vijeta Pandit is a former Bollywood actress and the sister of the composer duo Jatin Lalit. Shrivastava also serves as the vice president of the Music Composers Association of India.

CAREER:-

Shrivastava wanted to become a doctor, but his passion for music was so strong that he decided to make his career as a composer.[citation needed] He learned to play the drums, and shifted to Mumbai where he at first struggled to find work, even sleeping at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus for lack of funds. Eventually he met composers Sapan-Jagmohan. He then proceeded to gain a foothold in the industry by playing drums for music directors such as O P Nayyar, Shankar Jaikishan and Salil Choudhary.[citation needed] He assisted Laxmikant Pyarelal for almost a decade before taking the responsibility of a professional composer.

Shrivastava got his first big break with film Kanyadaan in the year 1993. Among the singers who sang in this movie, there was Lata Mangeshkar who sang his first song. But the film did not release, and the songs went unnoticed. The same thing happened with Jaane Tamanna, but he bounced back with Aao Pyaar Karen. One track, Haathon mein jo aa gaya jo kal was a hit. His other films are Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya and Shastra. The chart buster Kya ada kya jalwe tere Paro from the film Shastra got him in the limelight once again. In 1998, his music in the film Angaarey became a hit.

Shrivastava also sang a number of songs and rendered hit songs such as Sona sona, Shava shava, Gustakhiyaan and Gur nalon ishq mitha. He won accolades for his work in Kunwara, Tarkieb and Shikari in the year 2000. In 2001, his success continued with the movie Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai.

In 2005, he was a judge on the talent hunt show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005. The following year he turned to direction with his short film on child prostitution, "Sanaa". In 2009 he made a cameo in the film World Cupp 2011 and returned to television as a judge on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009. His semi-classical song Mora Piya from Raajneeti became a hit in 2010.

On the international front Shrivastava has collaborated with artists such as Akon, Julia Fordham and Wyclef Jean. Together with Akon, he has launched an India-wide talent search on the website hitlab.com which uses music analysis technology to predict the hit potential of new songs.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Shrivastava is married to Vijeta Pandit, the sister of Jatin Lalit and actress Sulakshana Pandit. They have two sons. His elder brother Chitresh Shrivastava owned Eyeline Telefilm and Events, the event management company implicated in the Rahat Fateh Ali Khan black money incident. He died in an automobile accident on 7 May 2011 while on tour with Fateh Ali Khan. Aadesh Shrivastava was diagnosed with cancer in December 2010 and went through chemotherapy.

AWARDS:-

2003 - Nominated - Star Screen Award for Best Background Music - Chalte Chalte (2003)
2004 - Nominated - IIFA Popular Award for Best Music Director - Chalte Chalte (2003)
2002 - Nominated - IIFA Popular Award for Best Music Director - Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)
2001 - Won - IIFA Award for Technical Excellence for Best Background Score - Refugee (2000)





Sunday, May 1, 2011

LEGEND SINGER MANNA DEY TURNS 90 TODAY


TODAY, Prabodh Chandra Dey turns 90 who born on 1st May, 1919, better known by his nickname Manna Dey (Bengali: মান্না দে), is a playback singer in Bengali and Hindi films. Along with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, he was a part of Indian film playback music from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has recorded more than 3500 songs over the course of his career. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1971, the Padma Bhushan in 2005 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2009.

BIOGRAPHY:-

Dey was born to Purna Chandra (father) and Mahamaya Dey (mother) on 1 May 1919. Besides his parents, his youngest paternal uncle Sangeetacharya (meaning "Venerable Teacher of Music" in Sanskrit). K. C. Dey highly inspired and influenced him. Dey received his early education in a small pre-primary school named Indu Babur Pathshala. Thereafter he attended Scottish Church Collegiate School and Scottish Church College,[1] followed by Vidyasagar College where he received his graduate education.

During Dey’s years at Scottish Church College, he sang to entertain his classmates. He began taking singing lessons from his uncle, Krishna Chandra Dey and Ustad Dabir Khan. During this period, Manna Dey stood first for three consecutive years in three different categories of inter-collegiate singing competitions.

In 1942, Dey accompanied Krishna Chandra Dey on a visit to Bombay. There he started working as an assistant, first under Krishna Chandra Dey, and then under Sachin Dev Burman. Later he assisted other music composers and then started to work independently. While working independently as a music director for various Hindi movies, Manna Dey continued to take musical lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Aman Ali Khan and Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan.

Dey started his career in playback singing with the movie, Tamanna, in 1943. The musical score was by Krishna Chandra Dey and Manna sang a duet with Suraiya. The song was an instant hit. He sang a solo composed by Sachin Dev Burman, Upar Gagan Vishal, in the 1950 movie, Mashal. Its lyrics were written by Kavi Pradeep. In 1952, Dey sang for a Bengali and a Marathi movie with the same name and storyline, Amar Bhupali. This established him as a leading playback singer.

Dey recorded a popular duet, Ketaki Gulab Juhi, with classicist Bhimsen Joshi. With Kishore Kumar, he sang duets of different genres such as, Yeh Dosti Hum Nehi Torenge (Sholay) and Ek Chatur Naar (Padosan), "Babu Samjho Ishare" (Chalti ka naam Gadi ). With Md Rafi, Dey sang 58 duets like "Isq Isq"(Barsat ki raat) "Tu hai mera prem Devta (Kalpana), "Mama o mama" (Parvarish ). With Lata Mangeshkar, Manna recorded 113 duets including "E raat bhigi bhigi","Pyar hua iqrar hua", "Aja madhur sanam", "Ritu aye". With Asha Bhosle, Manna recorded more than 100 duets including "Re man sur me ga", "Tu chupi hai kahan", "Zindegi hai khel". Dey sang with singer/composer, Hemant Kumar (Hemanta Mukherjee), in Bengali movies, and also for some other Bengali composers like Nachiketa Ghosh and Sudhin Dasgupta. He sang a duet, "Ke Prothom Kachhe Esechi", with Lata Mangeshkar in the movie Sankhyabela. He also performed Rabindra Sangeet and has recorded over 3500 songs.

He was presented the Filmfare Life Time Achievement Award in 2011.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

On 18 December 1953, Manna Dey married Sulochana Kumaran from Kerala. They have two sons: Ajit, born on 19 October 1956; and Abhijit, born on 20 June 1958. Manna Dey currently lives in Bangalore in the township of Kalyannagar after spending more than fifty years in Mumbai. He also maintains a Calcutta address. He still travels widely in the world to present musical programs.

His Bengali-language autobiography, Jiboner Jalsaghorey, has been published by the renowned Ananda Publisher in the year 2005 which has been translated in English as Memories Come Alive, in Hindi as Yaden Jee Uthi and in Marathi as Jiboner Jalsaghorey.

Jibaner Jalsaghore, a documentary on Dey's life, was released in 2008. Manna Dey Sangeet Academy is developing a complete archive on Manna Dey. In association with Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, the Manna Dey Music Archive has been developed in the Sangeet Bhawan.

He has also lent his voice for Madhushala, composed by Late Harivansh Rai Bachchan

AWARDS:-

Dey has been honored with the titles Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

The following is the list of Manna Dey's other awards:-

1969 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Hindi Film Mere Huzur
1971 National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the Bengali film Nishi Padma
1971 Padma Shri Award by Government of India
1985 Lata Mangeshkar Award awarded by Government of Madhya Pradesh
1988 Michale Sahittyo Puraskar awarded by Renaissance Sanskritik Parishad, Dhaka
1990 Shyamal Mitra Award by Mithun Fans Association
1991 Sangeet Swarnachurr Award awarded by Shree Khetra Kala Prakashika, Puri
1993 P.C.Chandra Award by P.C.Chandra Group & others
1999 Kamala Devi Roy Award by Kamala Devi Group
2001 Anandalok Lifetime Award by the Anandabazar Group
2002 Special Jury Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music
2003 Alauddin Khan Award by the Government of West Bengal
2004 National Award as Playback singer by Government of Kerala
2004 Hony D. Lit Award by the Rabindra Bharati University
2005 Lifetime Achievement award by the Government of Maharashtra
2005 Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India
2007 First AKSHAYA Award by Government of Orissa
2007 Awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke Award by the Government of India
2008 Hony D. Lit Award by Jadavpur University
2011 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

Thursday, April 28, 2011

JESSICA ALBA - CELEBRATED HER 30TH BIRTHDAY


TODAY, hollywood celebrity, Jessica Alba turns 30. She’s one of the hottest women in Hollywood and a soon-to-be mother of two, and today (April 28) she has a lot to celebrate – her own birthday.

The “Machete” mama is ringing in her 30th birthday and kicked things off the previous afternoon with a visit to the Chateau Marmont for a Piaget press event.

As previously reported by GossipCenter, Miss Alba is the new face and brand ambassador of Piaget’s Possession jewelry line.

Jess also took to her Twitter to thank her fans for their well-wishes, as she wrote, “Thank u all 4 my bday tweets! my bday wish is to also become friends with ya'll on FB.”

Monday, March 7, 2011

ANUPAM KHER TURNS 56 TODAY


TODAY, Bollywood famous actor ANUPAM KHER, turns 56 who born on  7th March 1955, who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. He has held the post of Chairman of the Censor Board and National School of Drama in India.

EARLY LIFE:-

Anupam Kher was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family, and lived in Shimla and did his schooling from D.A.V. School in Shimla. He is an alumni and former chairperson of the National School of Drama. Some of his early acting was in plays performed at Himachal Pradesh University.

CAREER:-

Kher made his acting debut in the 1982 Hindi movie Aagman. Then in 1984 came Saaransh, where he played a retired man who has lost his son. He hosted TV shows such as Say Na Something To Anupam Uncle, Sawaal Dus Crore Ka and the recent Lead India. He has had many comic roles but has also played the villain such as his acclaimed role as terrorist Dr. Dang in Karma (1986). For his role in Daddy (1989) he received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Kher has won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role five times, more than any other actor.

He has starred alongside Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan many times in films such as Darr (1993), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Chaahat (1996), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000) and Veer-Zaara (2004).

He ventured into directing with Om Jai Jagadish (2003) and has also been a producer. He produced and starred in the film Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005). He received the Best Actor Award from the Karachi International Film Festival for his performance in the film.

Kher is known internationally for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), his appearance on the hit TV show ER, and most recently in The Mistress of Spices (2006) and Lust, Caution (2007).

Kher has written and starred in a play about his own life called Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, which is directed by Feroz Abbas Khan.

Until recently he served as chairman of the Indian Film Censor Board. He is an alumnus of National School of Drama (1978 batch) and was its director between 2001 and 2004.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Anupam Kher is married to fellow actor Kirron Kher. Her son, his stepson, is actor Sikander Kher. His brother, Raju Kher is also an actor, who appeared in Anupam's directorial debut Om Jai Jagadish.

In 2007, Anupam Kher, with his batchmate of NSD, Satish Kaushik, started a film production company, Karol Bagh Productions. Their first film, Tere Sang, is being directed by Satish Kaushik.

He has recently been appointed the goodwill ambassador of the Pratham Education Foundation, which strives to improve children's education in India.

He is also widely regarded as an intellectual talk show participant.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

NAMRATA SHIRODKAR TURNS 39 TODAY


TODAY, Bollywood one time hot and sexy actress, NAMRATA SHIRODKAR turns 39 who born on 22nd January, 1972 in Mumbai, is an Indian actress, sister of actor Shilpa Shirodkar. Namrata has also worked as a model, and was 1993's Miss India. She came close in the top 6 semi-finalists at Miss Universe (1993).

CAREER:-

She made her debut with Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, (1998). The film also starred Salman Khan and Twinkle Khanna. The film was received averagely at the box office. She then went on to star in the hit Vaastav. Her performance was appreciated and she became a known name in Bollywood.

She has played mainly supporting roles in films. Films like Pukar, Hera Pheri and Astitva went on to do well. Since then she has had a combination of average or flop films.

In 2004 she went back into the spotlight when she played the role of Jaya Bakshi in Bride and Prejudice. She played Aishwarya Rai's older sister in the film. It was a huge hit overseas particularly in the UK. She has since left the industry after her marriage.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

In February 2005, she married Telugu actor Mahesh Babu. She recently gave birth to a son named Gowtham Gattamaneni on August 31, 2006.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

MINISHA LAMBA TURNS 26 TODAY


TODAY, Bollywood most hottest and sexiest actress, Minissha Lamba turns 26 who born on 18th, January 1985 is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films. She is known mostly for her role in Bachna Ae Haseeno and Kidnap.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Minissha was born in a Jat Sikh family of Delhi. Growing up, her father was in the hospitality business and this gave her the opportunity to travel around the country and meet many people. She can converse in Hindi, English and French fluently.

CAREER:-

Lamba's long term ambition was to become a journalist. While studying for a degree in Delhi, Lamba pursued modelling as a hobby and soon became a well-placed model in the Indian modelling industry. Examples of Lamba's early modelling work include several television commercials for companies such as LG, Sony, Cadbury, Hajmola, Airtel, Sunsilk, and also others. She has also done a music video (Tera Suroor) for the hit music album Aap Ka Suroor by Himesh Reshammiya.

She did her schooling from Sherwood Hall and later on moved to Chettinad Vidyashram, both in Chennai. In 2004, she majored in English with honours from Miranda House, University of Delhi. Her first movie "Yahaan", which was directed by Shoojit Sircar was released in 2005. Critics praised the movie citing Lamba's performance as one of the highlights. In 2008, she acted in Siddharth Anand's film Bachna Ae Haseeno which stars Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone along with Ranbir Kapoor in the lead roles. This movie was produced by Yashraj Films. Her next major role was in the Shyam Benegal film Well Done Abba (2010), which was highly acclaimed at Cannes Film Festival.

She is currently working on a movie series called "Mysticism”; its eight versions will be directed by four different directors including Soham Shah and Sanjay Gadhvi. She has also posed for Maxim India.she is often considered as a sex symbol.she went to Bangladesh for opening Shoppers World.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

IMRAN KHAN TURNS 28 TODAY


TODAY, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's nephew, Imran Khan turns 28 who born on 13th January 1983, is an Indian film actor. Khan gained popularity for his role in the 2008 film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na.

EARLY LIFE:-

Khan was born to Anil Pal,a Bengali Indian, and Nuzhat Khan in Wisconsin, USA.His father works as a consultant at LinkedIn in Silicon Valley. His parents divorced when he was one and a half years old and he replaced his surname Pal with Khan.He is the nephew of actor Aamir Khan, director Mansoor Khan and the grandson of Nasir Hussain, a noted director and producer. In India, he studied at Bombay Scottish School but left Scottish after standard 4 and moved to a boarding school in Ooty.

CAREER:-

Khan made appearances as a child artist in his uncle Aamir's films, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992). Both times he played the role of a young Aamir Khan. He aspired to be a director, as that was his original plan before he entered Bollywood as an actor. Khan joined Kishore Namit Kapoor's Acting Institute in Mumbai.

Khan made his debut as a lead actor in the 2008 film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na directed by Abbas Tyrewala, produced by Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan and co-starring Genelia D'Souza. The film received rave reviews from critics and proved to be one of the biggest hits of the year.Khan was furthermore nominated for Best Male Debut at the 54th Filmfare Awards and won it along with Farhan Akhtar.

His next movie was Kidnap with Sanjay Dutt and Minissha Lamba, where he played a negative role. The movie flopped at the box office, attributed by critics to its poorly executed direction. However, Khan's performance was appreciated and earned him an IIFA Award nomination in 2009. Khan made his next appearance in the action film, Luck with Shruti Haasan and Sanjay Dutt.

In 2010, he appeared in I Hate Luv Storys, directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar. The film went on to become a hit at the box office.His forthcoming films include, Delhi Belly, an English-language comedy directed by Abhinay Deo, and Break Ke Baad directed by Danish Aslam and produced by Kunal Kohli. He will also be playing a cameo in the Telugu film, Badhrinaadh

Khan co-hosted the 54th Filmfare Awards alongside Ranbir Kapoor. Along with his uncle Aamir Khan, he appeared on the popular television show Dus Ka Dum hosted by Salman Khan.He also appeared on the show, Tere Mere Beach Mein along with Kareena Kapoor.In 2010, he made an appearance on the show Koffee with Karan alongside Ranbir Kapoor.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Khan became engaged to his long-time girlfriend, Avantika Malik, on 16 January 2010 in the farm house of Avantika's family in Karjat near Navi Mumbai.The couple married on January 10, 2011 at a private civil ceremony at Aamir Khan's residence at Pali Hill

Friday, January 7, 2011

BIPASHA BASU TURNS 32 TODAY


TODAY Bollywood hot and sexy celebrity, Bipasha Basu turns 32 who born on 7th Janaury, 1979 is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Bollywood films. A former model, she was the winner of the Ford's Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996.

EARLY LIFE:-

Basu was born on January 7 in New Delhi to a Bengali Hindu 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

In an interview, she has stated that she had initially planned to study medicine, but entered modelling and acting by accident. Basu studied science till the 12th standard at Bhavan's Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir and then studied commerce at The Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society College, an undergraduate college affiliated with the University of Calcutta. In Kolkata, she did modeling and ramp shows part-time. However, in 1996, she met model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. Basu participated, and won the contest.

CAREER:-

After winning the Ford Godrej Cinthol contest, Basu also was flown to New York by the Ford Company, where she had a successful modelling career at the age of 17.

Basu made her film debut in Abbas Mustan's Ajnabee, with Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor. She played a married woman who goes all out to woo her husband’s married friend, and eventually won the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for her performance.

In 2002, Basu starred in Telugu movie Takkari Donga and Vikram Bhatt's thriller Raaz. Raaz was a big commercial success and surfaced as the biggest hit of that year. For her performance in the film, she received her first Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare. One review in The Tribune noted, "...it is Bipasha Basu who steals the show with her fine performance." She appeared as Sonia Khanna in the 2003 hit movie Jism alongside John Abraham. The movie earned her a Filmfare Best Villain Award nomination.

Besides acting, Basu did the video "Tu" for Sonu Nigam's album, Kismat. She also made a guest appearance in Jay Sean's music video Stolen.

In 2006, she performed an item number during the song Beedi in the film Omkara for which Rediff noted Basu's picturisation.

In 2008 Basu starred in Race, her second collaboration with duo Abbas Mustan, with whom she debuted in Bollywood. Co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film performed well at the box office, and Basu's performance was appreciated by critics. Taran Adarsh of indiaFM described her performance as "her best work so far. She’s superb". She also received good reviews for her role in Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor. She completed the year by appearing in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in the song Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte.

In 2005 Bipasha and John Abraham did a fitness video with Eros called Bollywood Bodies. In 2010 she has launched her own line of videos with Shemaroo under the banner BB - Love Yourself. The first release is called 'Fit and Fabulous You.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Basu is currently dating actor John Abraham. The couple have been together since late 2002 and have been referred to as a supercouple in the Indian media. She previously dated fellow Bollywood actor Dino Morea.

In 2006, Basu claimed to have been harassed by certain organizers of the India Day Parade in Edison, New Jersey. Basu was initially scheduled to lead the parade on 13 August 2006. Basu eventually appeared on stage late, according to her, because of the harassment. She said, "I wanted to attend the parade, but I could not." She explained that she was harassed physically and mentally in the car by two people who were taking her to the parade.

In 2005 and 2007, UK magazine Eastern Eye named Basu the "Sexiest Woman in Asia".



Thursday, January 6, 2011

A. R. REHMAN TURNS 45 TODAY


TODAY, Allah Rakha Rahman turns 45 who born on 6th January, 1966, is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer. His film scoring career began in the early 1990s. He has won fourteen Filmfare Awards, eleven Filmfare Awards South, four National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe.

Rahman obtained a degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music in London, and set up his own in-house studio called Panchathan Record Inn at Chennai, arguably one of Asia’s most sophisticated and high-tech studios.Later by working in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, by 2004, Rahman, in a career spanning nearly two decades, had sold more than 150 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide,and sold over 200 million cassettes,making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists. He was described as "India's most prominent movie songwriter" by Time magazine in 2005.

His works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres, new technology and traditional orchestral arrangements. Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal (Tamil: இசைப் புயல்; English: Music Storm).In 2009, Time magazine placed Rahman in its list of World's Most Influential People.

EARLY LIFE:-

A. R. Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to a musically affluent Mudaliar Tamil family. His father R. K. Shekhar, was a Chennai based composer and conductor for Malayalam films. Rahman lost his father at the age of 9 and his family rented out his father's musical equipment as a source of income. He was raised by his mother Kareema (previously called Kashturi). During these formative years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots", with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja.Rahman is the founder of the Chennai-based rock group, "Nemesis Avenue".He played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer, in particular increased because, he says, it was the "ideal combination of music and technology".He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja,one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan, Ramesh Naidu and Raj-Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.

He was introduced to Qadiri Islam when his father was dying and his younger sister fell severely sick. He describes the process as taking five years; he along with other members of his family converted to Islam in 1989 when he was 23 years old. He changed his name to Rahman.

CAREER:-

Though his film career started in 1992, Rahman at the age of 9, in 1975, had accidentally played a tune on piano during his father's recording for a film, which R.K.Shekhar later developed into a complete song "Vellithen Kinnam Pol", for the Malayalam film "Penpada". This track credited to his father, was sung by Jayachandran and penned by Bharanikkavu Sivakumar.
Film scoring and soundtracks

His notable film career began in 1992, when he began the Panchathan Record Inn, a music recording and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house. Over time it would become the most advanced recording studio in India.He initially composed scores for documentaries, jingles for advertisements and Indian Television channels and other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja.The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, an unprecedented win for a first-time film composer. Rahman has since been awarded the Silver Lotus three more times for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.

Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim in both its original and dubbed versions, bringing about a marked change in film music at the time. Rahman followed this with successful scores for Tamil–language films of the Chennai film industry including Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, the urbanite Kadhalan, Bharathiraaja's Karuththamma, the saxophonic Duet, Indira, and the romantic comedies Mr. Romeo and Love Birds, which gained him considerable notice.His fanbase in Japan increased with Muthu 's success there.His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil Nadu film industry and around the world for his stylistic versatility incorporating Western classical, Carnatic and Tamil traditional/folk music traditions, jazz, reggae and rock music.The Bombay Theme—from Ratnam's Bombay—would later reappear in Deepa Mehta's Fire and various compilations and media. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut for Hindi-language films made in the Mumbai film industry. Many successful scores for films including Dil Se and the percussive Taal followed. Sufi mysticism would inspire the track "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from the former, as well as the composition "Zikr" from his score for the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero, for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements.Musical cues in scores for Sangamam and Iruvar employed Carnatic vocals and instruments such as the veena with leads of rock guitar and jazz.In the 2000s Rahman created hit scores for Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain, Alaipayuthey, Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades and Rang De Basanti.He composed songs with Hindustani motifs for Water (2005).

Rahman has worked with Indian poets and lyricists such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Vairamuthu and Vaali. He has consistently produced commercially successful soundtracks when collaborating with particular film directors such as Mani Ratnam who he has worked with since Roja, and the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys, Sivaji and Enthiran.

In 2005, Rahman extended his Panchathan Record Inn studio by establishing AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai, thereby creating the most cutting-edge studio in Asia.In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music.Its first release was his score to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal.Rahman scored the Mandarin language picture Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 after researching and utilizing Chinese and Japanese classical music, and co-scored the Shekhar Kapoor project Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007. His compositions have been sampled for other scores within India,and appeared in such films as Inside Man, Lord of War, Divine Intervention and The Accidental Husband. In 2008, he scored the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so. In the United States, the soundtrack topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chartand reached #4 on the Billboard 200 chart.The song "Jai Ho" reached #2 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singlesand #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100

PERSONAL LIFE:-

He is married to Saira Banu and has three children, Khatija, Rahima, and Ameen. Rahman made his son Ameen sing the track "NaNa" from Couples Retreat and his daughter Khatija the track "Pudhiya Manidha" from Enthiran.Rahman is the uncle of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, who is the son of Rahman's elder sister, A. R. Reihana. She debuted in film singing on the track "Vidai Kodu Engal Naadae" from Kannathil Muthamittal. He is the brother-in-law of Malayalam film actor Rahman.

He had become an atheist as a result of childhood struggles, and eventually in 1989 converted to Islam, the religion of his mother's family. In an interview with Time magazine, he said that he embraced Islam through Sufism.He is very devoted to his mother. During the 81st Academy Awards ceremony, he paid her a tribute saying: "There is a Hindi dialogue 'mere pass ma hai' which means even if I have got nothing I have my mother here."

Despite being a former atheist, Rahman began his own catchphrase, "Ella pughazhum iraivanukke", a sentence in Tamil which literally means "All praises dedicated to God". The phrase was further popularized after Rahman uttered it during his speech at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.

AWARDS:-

Rahman was the 1995 recipient of the Mauritius National Award and the Malaysian Award for contributions to music. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his first West-End production. A four-time National Film Award winner and conferred the Padma Shri from the Government of India, Rahman has also received six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, fourteen Filmfare Awards and eleven Filmfare Awards South for his music and scores. In 2006, he received an honorary award from Stanford University for contributions to global music.In 2009, for his score of Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won the Critics' Choice Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song at the 2009 Oscars. Middlesex University and Aligarh Muslim University have announced that they plan to bestow honorary doctorates on Rahman.Later the year Rahman was conferred the honorary doctorate from Anna University in Chennai.He has also won two Grammy Awards, for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for a Visual Media.Rahman was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honor, in 2010.Rahman has been nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film 127 Hours





Wednesday, January 5, 2011

DEEPIKA PADUKONE TURNS 25 TODAY



TODAY, Bollywood most beautiful and sexy actress, Deepika Padukone  turns 25 who born 5th January 1986, is an Indian actress and a former model. Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya. The following year, she made her Hindi film debut in the blockbuster Om Shanti Om which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award.

EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND:-

Deepika was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her family moved to Bangalore, Karnataka, India, when she was eleven months old.Deepika is of Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin origin, and her mother tongue is Konkani.Her father, Prakash Padukone, is a retired badminton player of international repute, and her mother is a travel agent. Padukone also has a younger sister, Anisha, born on February 2, 1991.

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore, and completed her pre-university studies at Mount Carmel College Bangalore.While in high school she played badminton at the state level.However, she was not keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player.

MODELING CAREER:-

While in college, Padukone pursued a career in modeling.She was spotted in a ramp competition in NLS, Bangalore.Over the years, she has modeled for such Indian brand names as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, and has been "brand ambassador" for the Jewels of India retail jewelry show.The cosmetics company Maybelline made her its international spokesperson

At the fifth 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".Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and later Levi Strauss and Tissot SA.In addition, she appeared in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song Naam Hai Tera.

ACTING CAREER:-

In 2006, Padukone made her cinematic debut in the Kannada film Aishwarya opposite actor Upendra. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan.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!"Padukone was then seen in Siddharth Anand's romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno opposite Ranbir Kapoor and alongside Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba. The film, which released on 15 August 2008, performed reasonably well at the box office. Her next film Chandni Chowk To China, released on 16 January 2009, and was a critical and commercial disaster. Padukone's fourth release Love Aaj Kal, released on 31 July 2009 and proved to be one of the biggest hits of 2009.Her first release in 2010 was Excel Entertainment’s Karthik Calling Karthik opposite Farhan Akhtar.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

In March 2008, Padukone began dating Ranbir Kapoor, her co-star from the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008).The couple broke up in November 2009.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

GOVINDA TURNS 47 TODAY


Today BOLLYWOOD COMEDIAN actor, GOVINDA turns 47 who born on  21st December 1963 is a Filmfare award-winning Indian actor and politician. He has appeared in over 120 Hindi language films. At the start of his career, his acting and dancing skills gained him widespread attention among film viewers. He later gained worldwide fame as a Bollywood icon through comedy films such as Shola Aur Shabnam, Aankhen, Coolie No.1, Haseena Maan Jaayegi and Partner.

He was a member of the Indian National Congress Party. He was elected as the seventh Member of  Parliament for the Mumbai North Constituency of Maharashtra, India in the 14th Lok Sabha elections in 2004, after defeating Ram Naik of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the 2009 General Elections, he opted out of politics to concentrate more on films. However he continues to have political favor from Congress Party. His constituency was succeeded by Sanjay Nirupam (also from Congress).

In June 1999, Govinda was voted as the tenth greatest star of stage or screen of the last thousand years by BBC News Online users.

EARLY LIFE:-

Govinda’s father, Arun Kumar Ahuja, was born in pre-partition Gujranwala, Punjab (now in Pakistan) on January 26, 1917. He studied in an engineering college at Lahore. Veteran producer Mehboob Khan brought him to Mumbai in 1937 and cast him in Ek Hi Raasta as the leading man. Arun was notable for acting in Mehboob Khan's Aurat (1940). Govinda's mother, Nazeem who was Muslim had converted to Hinduism and adopted the name Nirmala Devi.Arun and Nirmala first met during the making of the film Savera, in which they were cast opposite each other. They married in 1941.

The only film Ahuja ever produced was a flop. Unable to bear the loss, his health failed. The family, living in a bungalow on Mumbai's upmarket Carter Road, was forced to move to Virar — a far flung semi-rural  Mumbai suburb, where Govinda was born. The youngest of six children, his pet name Chi Chi means little finger in Punjabi, the language they speak at home. Since his father was unable to work, Nirmala Devi brought up the children through hard times in Mumbai.

ACTING CAREER:-

He studied at Annasahb Vartak College in Vasai, Maharashtra. He graduated in commerce, but failed to find a job. He was not considered for a steward's position at the Taj Mahal hotel, because his English wasn't good enough. His father suggested films. Around this time, Govinda saw the film Saturday Night Fever and dance became his obsession. He practiced for hours and circulated a promo of himself on a VHS cassette. Soon a fertilizer commercial came his way, followed by an Allwyn ad, finally his very first leading role in Tan Badan, which was to be directed by his uncle Anand. He started shooting for his next film Love 86 in June 1985. By mid-July, he had signed 40 others.

His first released film was Ilzaam (1986), a box office success and the fifth biggest hit of 1986. The film established him as a dancing star. He acted in a string of movies after that with mixed success. Most of the films he appeared in during the 1980s were in the action, romance or family drama genres. He was often paired opposite actress Neelam and together they appeared in several hit films such as, Love 86 (1986), Khudgarz (1987) and his brother Kirti Kumar's directed, Hatya (1988). He had success with family drama films such as Dariya Dil (1988), Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988) and Hum (1991) as well as action films such as Marte Dam Tak (1987) and Jung Baaz (1989). He worked with David Dhawan for the first time in the 1989 action film Taaqatwar. He also worked with Rajini Kanth and Sridevi in a hit film that year titled, Ghair Khanooni.

Govinda appeared in several successful films in the 1990s. In 1992, he was seen in the critically acclaimed film, Zulm Ki Hukumat, an Indian remake of The Godfather where his performance was appreciated. He then formed a successful collaboration with David Dhawan and went onto act in 17 movies directed by him most of which were comedy films. The most successful films made by their collaboration include, Shola Aur Shabnam (1992), Aankhen (1993), Raja Babu (1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Hero No. 1 (1997), Deewana Mastana (1997), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999), Anari No.1 (1999) and Jodi No. 1 (2001). Dhawan and other directors frequently cast him opposite actresses such as Divya Bharati, Karishma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, and Raveena Tandon during the 1990s.

His box office graph suffered a setback in the early 2000s following a series of commercially unsuccessful films. He played the role of a villain for the first time in his career in Shikari (2000). Although the movie was not a commercial success, Govinda's convincing portrayal of a sociopath murderer was critically acclaimed. He turned down roles in Taal, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Devdas which went on to become successful films.His acting career was further affected when he contested and won the seat for Member of Parliament from Mumbai North in the 2004 parliamentary elections. He did not have any new film releases in 2004 and 2005 although some of his delayed films such as Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen (2005) and his own home production Ssukh (2005) were released but resulted in box office disasters.

Govinda made a comeback to films in late 2006 with the comedy film, Bhagam Bhag, alongside Akshay Kumar which became a hit. His first release of 2007 was the huge multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love. Although a box office disappointment, Govinda was praised for his performance.

His second release of 2007 was the David Dhawan directed comedy, Partner, which co-starred Salman Khan. The film grossed Rs. 300 Million in India on its opening week, the second highest domestic opening week gross for an Indian film until then.In 2008, he appeared in the film, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai. The same year, Salman Khan invited David Dhawan and Govinda on his show Dus Ka Dum to celebrate the success of their film Partner. In 2009, he had a successful release titled Life Partner. Govinda got back to the successful trio of David Dhawan, Vashu Bhagnani and himself with the film, Do Knot Disturb, which flopped at the box office.

In 2010, Govinda was seen in Mani Ratnam's bilingual project, Raavan, along with Vikram, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Govinda played a forest officer who takes Vikram's character through the forests in search of a wanted criminal. While it was earlier speculated that his character was a contemporary version of Hanuman, Govinda refuted the claim.Despite having a small role in the film, Govinda was appreciated for his performance.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Govinda's father Arun Ahuja was an actor in the 1940s and his mother Nirmala Ahuja was also an actress as well as a singer. His brother, Kirti Kumar is an actor, producer and director. His sister, Kaamini Khanna is a writer, music director, singer, anchor and founder of 'Beauty with Astrology'. Govinda has six nephews and two nieces in the entertainment industry: actors Vinay Anand, Krushna Abhishek, Aryan, Arjun Singh, Ragini Khanna, Amit Khanna, Aarti Singh and director Janmendra Kumar Ahuja. Govinda's brother-in-law, Devendra Sharma has also acted in a few Hindi films.

Govinda's maternal uncle Anand Singh, who was assistant to director Hrishikesh Mukherjee, launched him in his film, Tan Badan. Anand Singh's wife's younger sister Sunita fell in love with Govinda during the 'Mahurat' of Tan Badan. They got married on 11 March 1987. Their marriage was a closely guarded secret for the initial four years.

The couple now have two children, Narmada and Yashvardhan. Govinda narrowly escaped death on 5 January 1994 while traveling to a studio for the shooting of Khuddar (1994), the actor's car collided with another car, resulting in him sustaining injuries to his head. Though bleeding profusely, Govinda did not cancel the shooting. After visiting a doctor, he shot for the film till midnight.

AWARDS:-

FILMFARE AWARDS:-

WINNER:

1997 - Filmfare Special Award for Saajan Chale Sasural
1999 - Filmfare Best Comedian Award, Haseena Maan Jaayegi

NOMINATED:

1994 - Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Aankhen
1996 - Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Coolie No. 1
1997 - Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Saajan Chale Sasural
1998 - Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Deewana Mastana
1999 - Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
2000 - Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for - Haseena Maan Jaayegi
2000 - Filmfare Best Villain Award forShikari
2001 - Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Kunwara
2002 - Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Jodi No.1
2002 - Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta
2003 - Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Akhiyon Se Goli Maare

OTHER AWARDS:-

WINNER:

1995 - Star Screen Award Special Jury Award for Coolie No. 1
1998 - Lux Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Dulhe Raja
1998 - Special Videocon Screen award from Jury for overall performance
1999 - Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan
2000 - Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Haseena Maan Jaayegi
2002 - IIFA Best Comedian Award for Jodi No. 1
2007 - "Excellent Comic Actor" Award at the Star Gold Comedy Honors
2007 - Most Stylish Comeback Award at the MTV Lycra Style Awards
2008 - Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards, "NDTV Imagine Best Jodi of the Year 2007" along with Salman Khan.
2008 - Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Male for Partner2008 - IIFA Best Comedian Award for Partner.










Friday, December 17, 2010

JOHN ABRAHAM TURNS 38 TODAY



Today bollywood star, JOHN ABRAHAM turns 38 who born on 17th December 1972.After modeling for numerous advertisements and companies, Abraham made his film debut with Jism (2003), which earned him a Filmfare Best Debut Award nomination. This was followed by his first commercial success, Dhoom (2004). He received two Filmfare Award nominations, for his negative roles in Dhoom, and then in Zinda (2006). He later appeared in the major critical success Water (2005). In 2007, he was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Baabul (2006).

Abraham was born in Mumbai to a Malayali father and a Parsi mother. His father is an architect from Alwaye, Kerala; his mother is named Phiroza Irani. Abraham's Parsi name is "Farhan" while his father being a Syrian Christian (Syrian Malabar Nasrani) named him "John". He has a younger brother, Alan.

He studied economics at the Bombay Scottish School, Mahim in Mumbai and did his MBA from the Mumbai Educational Trust (MET).

MODELING:-

Abraham started his modelling career appearing in the music video of the song "Surma" by Punjabi singer Jazzy B. He then joined the media firm Time & Space Media Entertainment Promotions Ltd., which, however, closed because of financial problems. Later, he worked for Enterprises-Nexus as a media planner.

In 1999, he won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest and went to the Philippines for Manhunt International, where he won second place. Following this, he was signed by Carrie Models in Singapore and did some modelling there; he later modelled in Hong Kong, London and New York City. He also appeared in a number of commercial advertisements and in other music videos for singers including Pankaj Udhas, Hans Raj Hans and Babul Supriyo. To improve his acting skills, Abraham joined the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting laboratory and completed an acting course while juggling modelling assignments.

ACTING:-

Abraham made his acting debut with Jism (2003), a thriller film which, according to Box Office India, was "above average" grossing 13,25,00,000.During filming, Abraham and co-star Bipasha Basu started dating each other.

His next films included a paranormal thriller Saaya (2003), Pooja Bhatt's directorial debut Paap (2004) and Ahmed Khan's Lakeer – Forbidden Lines (2004).

He appeared, in a villainous role, as Kabir in Dhoom in 2004, an action film produced by Yash Raj Films. The film was one of the highest grossing films of that year.

In 2005 he starred in the supernatural thriller Kaal and the comedy Garam Masala both of which did well at the box office.Later that year, he had a major role in the critically acclaimed film Water, which portrayed the tragic fate of Hindu widows in British India of the 1930s. The film was written and directed by independent Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta. It was popular internationally, and was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards.

In the summer of 2006, Abraham performed at the "Rockstars Concert" along with fellow Bollywood actors Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Shahid Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat.In that same year, he starred in the films Zinda, Taxi No 9211, Baabul and Kabul Express.Among these Taxi No 9211 and Kabul Express were substantially successful.

Nikhil Advani's multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love was Abraham's first release in 2007. The movie failed to do well at the Indian box office,though it did well in the overseas markets.His last two 2007 releases included the arthouse thriller No Smoking and the sports film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

In 2008, Abraham starred alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra in Dostana, his only release that year. Produced by Karan Johar, the film performed well at the box office.

His first release of 2009 was another much awaited production by Yash Raj Films, New York. The film was a critical and commercial success. It followed the lives of three best friends after the September 11 attacks in New York City.

He has a fashion line— branded JA Clothes — which primarily features his favorite article of clothing, jeans.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Abraham has been dating actress Bipasha Basu since 2002. The couple is often cited as a supercouple in India.



Thursday, December 9, 2010

DIA MIRZA TURNA 29 TODAY


Today Bollywood famous celebrity, Dia Mirza Handrich who popularly known as Dia Mirza turns 29 who born on 9th December,1981. She was second runner up at Femina Miss India, 2000 and was subsequently sent to Miss Asia Pacific, 2000, where she won. She completed the hat-trick of India winning international pageants in the year 2000 (Lara Dutta won the Miss Universe title and Priyanka Chopra won the Miss World title in the same year) when she won the Miss Asia Pacific title on 3rd December 2000 in Manila, Philippines, also making her the first Indian contestant to win this title in 29 years.

PERSONAL LIFE AND EDUCATION:-

Dia Mirza was born in Hyderbad, Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Frank Handrich, was a German graphic and industrial fair designer, architect, artist and interior designer from Munich and her mother, Deepa is a Bengali Indian who is an interior designer, landscaper and currently does social work as a volunteer to help alcoholics and addicts. They separated when she was six years old. Her father died when she was nine and her mother remarried Ahmed Mirza, who died in 2004. She adopted her stepfather's surname Mirza and has recently adopted the last name of her birth-father and became Dia Mirza Handrich.

When living in Khairatabad, Hyderabad, she attended Vidyaranya High School for Boys And Girls, a school based on the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti, and later Nasr School, in Khairtabad.She completed her graduation in Bachelors of Arts from Open University, Hyderabad.

CAREER:-

Mirza started working at the age of 16 years while continuing her college education.She worked as a marketing executive in a multi-media firm called Dr. Neeraj’s Multi media studio.She simultaneously modeled for the print and television advertisement campaigns of various brands such as Walls, Lipton, Emami etc. Mirza wanted to complete her graduation in Arts by correspondence, but decided to postpone it as it was becoming difficult to juggle between the Miss Asia Pacific competition, modeling assignments, traveling and training. She was assisted by Sabira Merchant on diction and etiquette; diet with Anjali Mukherjee; gymnasium and physical fitness with Talwalkars; clothes from Ritu Kumar and Hemant Trivedi; skin care with Dr. Jamuna Pai; and make-up and hair-care from Bharat and Doris Godambe.She is proficient in Telugu,Bengali, Hindi and English.

FILM CAREER:-

Mirza made her cinematic debut with Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein opposite R. Madhavan.Though, the film was not a box office success, but she received a nomination for 'Best Female Debut' at the Zee Cine Awards.

In 2005, Mirza appeared in Parineeta, a Vidhu Vinod Chopra production. She also starred in the music video, Kajara Mohabbat Wala alongside Sonu Nigam from his album Kajara Nite. The album contained multiple remixes, but was mainly advertised with the title song, sung by Sonu Nigam and Alisha Chinai.

She also appeared in the films Dus and Fight Club. She was the only female actor among the six key characters in the film, Acid Factory in which she played a femme fatale who is also a gangster.

COMMUNTY SERVICES:-

Mirza has been involved with Cancer Patients Aid Association, Spastics Society of India, and has worked extensively with government of Andhra Pradesh to spread HIV awareness, prevention of female foeticide, PETA, CRY and most recently the NDTV Greenathon – an effort to find tangible solutions against pollution and book, "Deke Dheko" by Radio Mirchi (a campaign initiated to collect books for underprivileged children). Her other hobbies include writing, reading, painting, pottery, horse riding and theater. She has written several articles for The Hindustan Times and various other publications as a guest writer. She is on the board of the Coca Cola foundation that works towards development in rural India.She recently adopted 2 cheetah cubs at the Prince of Wales zoological park in Lucknow.



Thursday, December 2, 2010

BRITNEY SPEARS TURNS 29 TODAY


Today hollywood famous celebrity, Britney Jean Spears turns 29 who born on 2nd December, 1981 is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album in 1999. During her first decade within the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.

In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone released in 2003, which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime". After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and career went under hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behaviour and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer". After embarking on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, she released greatest hits The Singles Collection, which featured U.S. and Canadian number-one single "3".

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

UDIT NARAYAN TURNS 55 TODAY



Today most popular bollywood singer, Udit Narayan Jha turns 55, who popularly known as Udit Narayan. Narayan has sung in 26 different languages.He won three National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

CAREER:-

Udit Narayan Jha has stated that he was born in 1955 at his maternal grandparents' home in a village called Baisi in the Supaul district of Bihar, India.His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.

Narayan studied at Kunauli Bazaar (Saharsa, now Supaul, Bihar), where he passed his S.L.C. and later obtained his intermediate from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus (Kathmandu).

Udit Narayan began his career in Nepal singing for Kathmandu Radio Station as a staff artiste for Maithili and Nepali folk songs. After eight years in that role, Indian Embassy offered him the chance to study classical music at a prestigious school in Bombay, Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan on a music scholarship. He moved to Bombay in 1978.

He got his first break in 1980, when noted music director (composer) Rajesh Roshan asked him to do a song for the Hindi film Unees Bees, in which he got an opportunity to sing with his inspiration, Mohammed Rafi. However, the actual success story of his career began in 1988 with the successful Bollywood movie Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, earning him a Filmfare Award.The film also brought actor Aamir Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and playback singer Alka Yagnik to stardom. After the success of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, he became one of the leading playback singers in the Indian film industry.

He has worked with musicians like Rahul Dev Burman, A. R. Rahman, Anand-Milind, Jagjit Singh, Anu Malik, Jatin Lalit, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, Vishal Bhardwaj, Nadeem-Shravan, Rajesh Roshan, Shankar Mahadevan, Himesh Reshammiya, Pritam Chakraborty, Vishal-Shekhar, and directors likeYash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowariker and Karan Johar. Some of those films include Lagaan, Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein, Devdas, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Swades, and Veer Zaara. Narayan has been hailed as the screen voice of Shahrukh Khan. He has also sung hit songs for actors like Aamir Khan, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar and young Shahid Kapoor. He credits his own success in part to being able to sing for the top actors.

At the same time, he sang in Nepalese movies, and also acted in Kusume Rumal and Pirati. He has worked in Nepalese films as well, in particular for composer Shambhujeet Baskota. During his early singing career, he performed songs composed by Shiva Shankar, Natikaji and Gopal Yonzan. In 2004, he released his first private Nepalese album, Upahaar, in which he also sang duets with his wife Deepa Jha. At the Hits FM Awards in 2004 he won awards in two major categories for the album, Record of the Year and Album of the Year. Some of Narayan's other private albums are Bhajan Sangam, Bhajan Vatika, I love You, Dil Deewana, Yeh Dosti, Love is Life, Jhumka de Jhumka, Sona No Ghadulo, Dhuli Ganga, and Ma Tarini.

He was in the panel of judges of Indian Idol 3 along with music composer Anu Malik and female playback singer Alisha Chinai on Sony TV.

He was in the panel of judges on Sony TV for Waar Pariwaar, a reality show based on the bringing together of a singing gharana (family of singers). He shared judging duties with fellow playback singer Kumar Sanu and Jatin Pandit of the famous music duo Jatin-Lalit.

Narayan has performed in many stage shows in India and abroad and is the recipient of a large number of awards. These include Screen Videocon Award, MTV Best Video Award and Pride of India Gold Award.

In 2009, Narayan was considering running as a candidate for the Padma Shri.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Narayan is a resident of Mumbai.He is married and has one son. His wife Deepa Narayan, whom he married in 1985, is a singer, and the two recorded an album together titled Dil Deewana.

His son Aditya Narayan started his career singing for child artists in Hindi movies in the 1990s.



Friday, November 26, 2010

ARJUN RAMPAL TURNS 38 TODAY


Today, Arjun Rampal turns 38 who born 26th November 1972, is an award winning Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films, as well as a fashion model.

FILM CAREER:-

Arjun's debut movie was Moksha and it was released in 2001 and was directed by Ashok Mehta. However, this film was released after his second film, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, in which he appeared with Sunil Shetty and Aftab Shivdasani. Although both films did not perform well at the box office, his performances in both films were lauded by critics. In 2002, he won the Award from the International Indian Film Academy for Face of the Year.

Since his debut, he has worked steadily in films such as Aankhen (2002), which was successful. But his films like Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), Yakeen (2005) and Ek Ajnabee (2005), did not succeed commercially.

He has also appeared in the Temptations 2004 concert with stars Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, and Priyanka Chopra.

In 2006 he made an extended appearance in the multi-starrer Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and played a supporting role in Don - The Chase Begins Again, a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. Rampal donned the role of Jasjit who was played by Pran in the original version. And this film, like the original version turned out to be a huge hit.

He then decided to produce as well as act in the film I See You (2006) which released on 29 December 2006. Arjun produced it with his own production company, Chasing Ganesha Films. His wife, Mehr Jesia, was the co-producer. The film starred Rampal, Vipasha Agarwal, Sonali Kulkarni and Boman Irani. Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan made cameos in the film. I See You was shot entirely in London. The film received poor reviews and was a failure at the box office. He, however, received positive reviews for his villainous role in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om (2007), which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Bollywood. And his biggest hit till date. He also won several awards for the film.

The hunky actor has recently opened up a hotel named LAP Lounge And Party in Delhi as joint venture with Restaurateur AD Singh.

He also appeared in an international Schweppes Drink commercial along with Nicole Kidman,produced by Sir Ridley Scott ( Gladiator fame director) and directed by famous international director Shekhar Kapur ( Mr.India, Bandit Queen, Elizabeth)

Recently he has become the brand ambassador of a famous clothing brand named Thomas Scott. It was recently reported that in the beginning of 2010 he started shooting for the sequel film to the highly successful remake of the movie Don, alongside SRK and Kunal Avdana of ABCL production with Big B and will also be in next Abhisekh Kapoor's movie.

In 2008 Arjun starred in Rituparno Ghosh's English-language arthouse film The Last Lear, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Preity Zinta. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was received well at a number of other film festivals. Upon its theatrical release in India, Rampal got favourable reviews for his performance. In 2008, Rampal starred in Rock On!!, in which his role as the lead guitarist of the band was widely acclaimed, getting him several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.

In 2010, Arjun won critical acclaim for his portrayal of 'Prithvi' in the Prakash Jha multi-starrer blockbuster, Raajneeti.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Arjun attended St.Patrick's High school in Deolali. He completed his graduation i.e. B.A in Economics in from Delhi universities Hindu College. His father is Amarjeet Rampal and his mother is Gwen Rampal.
Both his paternal as well as maternal grandfathers were in Indian army.
Arjun and his younger sister Komal Rampal later attended the prestigious Kodaikanal International School located in the Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, where his mother was also teaching.
Arjun Rampal married former Miss India and supermodel Mehr Jesia and they have two daughters, Mahikaa, born on 17 January 2002 and Myra, born June 2005.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

TUSSHAR KAPOOR TURNS 34 TODAY


Today Bollywood actor, Tusshar Kapoor  turns 34 who born 20th November 1976 in Mumbai, is an Indian actor. He is the son of Bollywood actor Jeetendra and Shobha Kapoor and brother of Ekta Kapoor. He studied at the University of Michigan and graduated with a BBA from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Tushar made his debut with Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai alongside Kareena Kapoor in 2001. The next two years followed with a list of box office flops, although he was noted for acting alongside his father in the teen slasher film Kucch To Hai (2003). He was recognized for his role as a shy boy who gains the ability to become invisible in Gayab (2004).Kapoor appeared in comic roles in Golmaal (2006), Sunday (2008) and Golmaal Returns (2008). He is also slated to appear in Golmaal 3 (2010).

Tusshar Kapoor's first claim to fame is that he is Jumping Jack Jeetu's ek lauta beta. Though surprisingly he did not make his debut with a home production but Vashu Baghnani's Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai. From being touted as a dead pan face to doing interesting roles, this boy has come a long way. Though his big Sister hepled him, we cannot deny the fact that he definitely has the genes that maketh a star of a common man.


Friday, November 19, 2010

SUSHMITA SEN TURNS 35 TODAY


Today, Sushmita Sen turns 35 who born on 19th November 1975 is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood films. A former beauty queen, Sen was crowned Miss Universe 1994. She was the first Indian woman to win the competition.

BIOGRAPHY:-

Sushmita was born in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh to a Bengali Hindu family. Her father, Shubeer Sen, is a former Indian Air Force Wing Commander and her mother, Subhra Sen, is a fashion artist and jewelry designer. She has a brother, Rajeev Sen. She was born in St. Theresa's hospital, Hyderabad, and grew up in New Delhi. She attended school at the Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute.

In 2000, she adopted a daughter, named Renee. On 13th Jan, 2010 she adopted a three-month-old girl and named her Alisah.

MISS UNIVERSE:-

In 1994, at the age of eighteen, Sushmita won the title of Femina Miss India beating Aishwarya Rai, who was the runner up. Sen represented India at the 1994 Miss Universe Pageant, held in Manila, Philippines and won there.

At Miss Universe, Sushmita ranked third overall in the preliminaries, right behind preliminary winner Miss Colombia Carolina Gómez, and Miss Greece Rea Totounzi, who ranked second but won the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions. Sushmita went on to place second, fifth and third in the swimsuit, interview, and evening gown semi-final competitions respectively, placing third place behind Miss Colombia and Miss Venezuela Minorka Mercado. All three women went on to be the final three contestants. In the end, the judges placed their votes on Sushmita, making her the first woman from India to become Miss Universe.

FILM CAREER:-

After her reign as Miss Universe was over, Sushmita became an actress. Her first movie, Dastak was in 1996, in which she played the victim of a stalker. The movie did not do well at the box office. However, two years later her appearance as Rupali in David Dhawan's movie Biwi No.1 won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award in 1999. Biwi No.1 was the highest grossing movie of 1999.The same year, she was also nominated for her role in Sirf Tum in the same category, making her an obvious choice for winner. She received critical acclaim and box office success for film Aankhen.

So far, her biggest hit has been the 2004 movie Main Hoon Na, in which she starred as Shahrukh Khan's love interest. The film grossed a total of Rs 340,000,000 and was the second best selling movie of that year.Later, Sushmita played a lawyer in Main Aisa Hi Hoon opposite Ajay Devgan. In 2005, she also starred in a remake of Cactus Flower, called Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya: Sen played the lead opposite Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. Her most recent movies include Karma, Confessions and Holi (2006) opposite Naomi Campbell, Do Knot Disturb, Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag (2007) and Dulha Mil Gaya (2010) opposite Fardeen Khan.

It has been reported that Sushmita will portray the slain Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto in a film co-produced by Zaid Aziz and Henna Rai of the Karachi production company Vox Vision, and Leicester-based Sum Films. Tentatively titled Benazir Bhutto: The Movie, the film will be shot in locations in Pakistan, the US, Britain and Dubai, where Bhutto spent years as a student and later as a political leader in exile. When Sushmita was asked about this big opportunity, she excitedly said, “Yes, I am keen to play the role.”

Recently she starred in Do Knot Disturb with long-time screen partner Govinda. The film failed to do well.Sushmita plays the role of a successful supermodel called Shimmer in Dulha Mil Gaya.



Saturday, November 13, 2010

JUHI CHAWLA TURNS 43 TODAY


Today bollywood most famous actress, Juhi Chawla turns 43 who born on 13th November 1967.

After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career. She went on to become one of the top leading actresses of Bollywood and starred in films ranging from the romances Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Darr to Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, to Yes Boss and Ishq.Chawla has been mostly recognised for her comic timing in films as well as her vivacious screen persona.

During the 2000s, after having starred in over 70 mainstream Hindi films, Chawla started acting in art and independent films. She appeared in films in her native tongue of Punjabi, and has been mostly working in parallel cinema.She gained critical recognition for her performances in films like Jhankaar Beats, 3Deewarein, My Brother Nikhil and Bas Ek Pal.Since 2000, Chawla branched out into film production and television presenting as well.

EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND:-

Juhi Chawla was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. She is the first child born to Dr. S. Chawla and Mona Chawla.

She completed her schooling from Ludhiana before the family moved over to Mumbai. She graduated from Sydenham College, with a specialisation in HR Mumbai.She was the winner of Miss India title in 1984; later she won Best Costume Award for the Miss Universe contest in 1984.She is also a very good dancer. In a Baaje Payal (a film based on a collection of interviews for dancers/actresses) interview, she mentioned having learnt Kathak for three (3) years and regretted giving it up as it could have helped her in her career as an actress. She is also an accomplished classical singer and has been training for the last 6 years.

CAREER:-

Film

Chawla ventured into films with the 1986 Sultanat. She also acted in Kannada classic Premaloka directed by Ravichandran in 1987. Her first major role in Bollywood was in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, in which she starred with Aamir Khan. The film, a modern-day adaption of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, became both a major critical and commercial success. It won the Filmfare Best Movie Award, and Chawla won the Filmfare Lux New Face Award and received her first nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award.The film subsequently received classic status.

In 1990, she starred in such films as Pratibandh, which was a box office success and for which she was nominated the Filmfare Best Actress Award, and Swarg.In 1992, she was nominated for a Filmfare for Bol Radha Bol which performed well commercially.

In 1993 she starred in the moderately successful project Aaina, and hits like Lootere opposite Sunny Deol and Mahesh Bhatt's hit Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke.She followed it with a leading role in Yash Chopra's thriller Darr, which went on to become the third top-grossing film of the year in India.She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.Most of Chawla's films of 1994-6 were unsuccessful, though she received a Filmfare nomination for her performance as a battered wife in Daraar.She had a revival in 1997 with such romantic comedies as Yes Boss, Deewana Mastana and Ishq. Ishq became one of the top-earners of the year, and Chawla received her sixth Filmfare nomination for her portrayal of a model in Yes Boss.

Chawla's pairing with Aamir Khan and their on-screen chemistry was often cited by the media as successful She has also teamed up with Shahrukh Khan in several movies, including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Darr, Duuplicate and Yes Boss.

Through the 2000s, Chawla started appearing in independent and art films, and her work in the genre included the critically acclaimed films 3 Deewarein, 7½ Phere and My Brother Nikhil, which Taran Adarsh termed as "amongst the finest in her career".She won a Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for 3 Deewarein.

She was seen in Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love for which she received good reviews.She starred with Urmila Matondkar in Bas Ek Pal (2006) and with Manoj Bajpai in Swami. Juhi's latest releases include Ravi Chopra's Bhoothnath with Amitabh Bachchan, in which she made her singing debut with the song "Chalo Jaane Do". Another film called Krazzy 4 with Irfan Khan and Arshad Warsi was released in 2008. Both Bhootnath and Krazzy 4 were critical and commercial successes in India. In 2009, she appeared in a supporting role in Luck By Chance for which she dyed her hair blonde. The film got extremely positive reviews and has got a good opening at the box office.

Chawla has appeared in several non-Hindi language films. She has appeared in three Punjabi films: Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000), Des Hoyaa Pardes (2004), and Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waris (2006). Her first Malayalam film was Harikrishnans, which also starred actors Mohanlal and Mammootty. In the beginning of her career she acted in Kannada films, which include the successful Premaloka and unsuccessful films like Shanthi Kranthi and Kindara Jogi. She acted with popular Kannada actor Ravichandran in all these three films. Currently, she finished wrapping up Onir's next feature I Am Megha. Manisha Koirala joined the cast, playing Juhi Chawla's childhood friend. The feature consists of a few movies with different storylines with I Am Megha being one of them.

Television

During the 2000s, Chawla has also been presenter and host of numerous television shows, particularly award ceremonies, including the Filmfare Awards and the Zee Cine Awards. Chawla has been a judge for the entertainment show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa alongside Saroj Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant during the show's third season.

Producer

Juhi later turned producer and became the co-owner of a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Shahrukh Khan and director Aziz Mirza.The first two films produced by the production company were Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Asoka. Their third film, Chalte Chalte was the first success for the company.

PERSONAL LIFE:-

Juhi Chawla is married to industrialist Jai Mehta; the couple have two children;a daughter born in 2001and a son born in 2003.Her mother died in a car accident in Prague during the shooting of the movie Duplicate in 1998.

Jai Mehta and Juhi Chawla are the co-owners of the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders in partnership with Shahrukh Khan under their company Red Chillies Entertainment.