Nargis Dutt

Nargis Dutt was born on June 1, 1929. Nargis who was considered as the greatest actress in the history of Hindi cinema made her screen debut as a child artist in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her career in acting began in 1942 with the film Tamanna.




During her career one of her best-known roles was that of Radha in the Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957), for which the actress won Best Actress trophies at the Filmfare Awards and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. For the film Raat Aur Din that came in 1967, the actress won the National Film Award for Best Actress.

Nargis died in 1981 of pancreatic cancer. Nargis Dutt appeared in numerous movies after her film debut. The actress starred in many popular Hindi-Urdu movies of the late 1940s and 1950s such as Barsaat (1949), Andaz (1949), Awaara (1951), Deedar (1951),Shree 420 (1955), and Chori Chori (1956).

Some of the noted films of the actress were Mela (1948), Anokha Pyar (1948), Anjuman (1948), Aag (1948), Roomal (1949), Lahore (1949), Darogaji (1949) etc.

Gul Panag

Born on January 3, 1979 Gul Panag is a critically acclaimed Bollywood actress and former beauty queen. Gul Panag won the Miss India title in 1999 and was crowned Miss Beautiful Smile at the same pageant.




Gul Panag began her movie career with the 2003 film Dhoop. Since then she had worked in films like Jurm (2005) and the TV series Kashmeer (STAR Plus). However Gul Panag received acclaim for her role of Zeenat Fatima in the 2006 Nagesh Kukunoor film, Dor.

The 2007 film, Manorama Six Feet Under, inspired from Roman Polanski's Chinatown (film), earned her fabulous reviews. In 2008 Gul Panag acted in the the films Hello and Summer 2007. Her 2009 projects include the movies Straight and A Rectangular Love Story. Gul appeared on the front page and a photo shoot for Maxim (magazine) in September 2008. Gul's notable films are Dhoop, Dor, Manorama Six Feet Under, Hello and Straight.

Gul is also Brand Ambassador for Tata Sky with Amir Khan. The actress was also nominated for the Stardust Award for Best Actress In A Supporting Role (2009) Movie: Hello, Screen Award for Best Actress In A Supporting Role (2007)Movie: Dor. She has also won the Zee Cine Critics Award - Best Actress , tied with Ayesha Takia for Movie Dor (2007).

Anita Guha "Silver Screen Ki Sita" Biography

Anita Guha was an Indian actress who usually played mythological characters in films. She became most famous for playing the title role in Jai Santoshi Maa (1975). Previously, she had played Sita in mythological films like "Sampoorna Ramayana" (1961), "Shree Ram Bharat milap" (1965) and, "Tulsi vivah" (1971).




She came to Mumbai in the 1950s when she was only 15 years old. She became an actress there and made her film debut in "Tangewali" (1955). She moved onto hit films like "Sharada" (1957) and "Goonj Uthi Shehnai" (1959), for which she earned her only Filmfare nomination of her career as Best Supporting Actress.

But it was her title role in Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) that brought her the most fame. She had never even heard of goddess Santoshi until she was offered the role, as this was a little-known goddess. It was only a guest appearance, and her scenes were shot 10-12 days. She fasted during the shooting. The low-budget pic was a surprise hit, and broke box office records while becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Other mythological films she acted in include "Dekh Kabira roya" (1957), "Kavi Kalidas (1959) "Jai Dwarkadesh" (1977) and "Krishna Krishna" (1986). She wasn't happy that she became typecast as a mythological actress, because acting offers eventually stopped coming her way.

Her earlier credits include period films such as "Sangeet samrat Tansen" (1962), "Kan kan mein bhagwan" (1963), "Veer Bhimsen" (1964). She played Rajesh Khanna's adoptive mother in the huge hit Aradhana (1969 film). Guha played major roles in films like 'Purnima' (1965), 'Pyar Ki Rahen' (1959), 'Gateway of India' (1957), 'Dekh Kabira Roya' (1957) and 'Sanjog' (1961). The last film had the memorable track by Madan Mohan sung by Lata Mangeshkar -- 'who bhooli dastan lo phir yaad aa gayee.'

She was married to actor Manik Dutt.She lived alone in Mumbai where she died of cardiac failure on June 20, 2007.

Deepa Sahi-Biography

Deepa Sahi was born in India in Dehradun. She is an Indian actress and producer. In Deepa's early film career she collaborated with noted auteur Govind Nihalani and made her debut with the 1984 film Party. This was well-received and she subsequently acted in Aghaat (1985). Deepa Sahi's thespian achievement, no doubt, will always remain her role as the independent-minded and empowered lower-caste Punjabi woman she played in the highly acclaimed television film Tamas (1986).




If we talk about the commercial cinema, after marrying film director Ketan Mehta Deepa Sahi acted in several of his films including Hero Hiralal (1988), Maya Memsaab (1992) and Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India (1995).

Deepa's other notable films include Hum (1991) and Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1991). Her last film appearance was in Aar ya Paar (1998).

In 2005 she co-produced her husband's film Mangal Pandey: The Rising - which was a moderate success at the box office. Deepa also wrote the screenplay for Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India which was written and directed by her husband.

Deepa Sahi became a producer in 1993 and she has produced 7 films to date which were Maya Memsaab, Oh Darling! Yeh Hai India, Aar ya Paar, Rules pyaar ka super hit formula, Mangal Panday (co-proudcer), Rang Rasiya and Phir Zindagi.

Besides this, Deepa has produced 12 TV series and is promotor of Maya Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. India's leading animation studio.

Leena Chandavarkar's biography

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Leena Chandavarkar was born in North Karnataka in the Karwar–Dharwar region. She is from the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin community. Leena studied at Bassel Mission Girl's high school, Dharwar for some years. She won a talent competition when she was 15 and after that she went to Mumbai to try her luck in acting.

In 1974, after several successful films like Humjoli, Manchali and a total of some 40 films, the actress married Siddharth Bandodkar, the son of Dayanand Bandodkar the first chief minister of Goa.

Unfortunately, Leena's husband died in an accident. Later Leena married the singer actor Kishore Kumar in 1980 until his death in October 1987. She has son with him Sumeet Kumar.

Leena also appeared as a guest judge for the first 2 episodes of "K for Kishore", a new reality TV singing show launched by Sony TV during December 2007.

Initially Leena Chandavarkar worked in advertisements but eventually ventured into films. The actress made her debut in Man Ka Meet. Between 1969-1979, Leena acted in many films. Leena gave one of her best acting performances in Mehboob Ki Mehndi with Rajesh Khanna in 1971.

Bairaag is another example where Leena acted against the great screen legend Dilip Kumar and a mighty star cast like Saira Bano,Prem Chopra and the lovely Helen.

Leena made her remarkable presence in the bollywood industry during her film career by giving outstanding performances.

The grand dame of Hindi cinema-Lalita Pawar

Lalita Pawar was born on April 18, 1916. Lalita was a prolific Indian actor, who later became famous as character actress, appearing in over 700 films in Hindi and Marathi cinema, where she gave hits like, Netaji Palkar (1938), made by Bhalji Pendharkar, New Hana Pictures’ Sant Damaji, Navyug Chitrapat’s Amrit, written by VS Khandekar, and Chhaya Films’ Gora Kumbhar. Lalita Pawar's other memorable roles were in film, Anari (1959), Shri 420 and Mr and Mrs 55, and the role of Manthara, in Ramanand Sagar's television epic serial, Ramayan.

Lalita Pawar's first marriage was to G.P. Pawar, a stunt film director, who directed most of her later silent, and initial sound films. Lalita co-produced and acted in a silent film, Kailash (1932), and later produced another film, Duniya Kya Hai in 1938, a talkie.

In 1942, Lalita was slapped by actor Bhagwan Dada, during the shooting of a film, which resulted in facial paralysis and a burst left eye vein. Three years of treatment later, Lalita Pawar was left with a defective left eye; thus she had to abandon lead roles, and switch to character roles, which won her much of her fame later in life.

Llita was known particularly for playing maternal figures, especially wicked matriarchs or mothers-in-law. She also notably played the role of the strict but kind Mrs. L. D'Sa in Anari (1959) with Raj Kapoor, acting under Hrishikesh Mukherjee's direction, she gave the performance of a lifetime , for which she received Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award; as the tough matriarch who falls in love in Professor (1962), and the devious hunchback Manthara in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan. Lalita Pawar died in 1998, February 24.

Lalita Pawar has had the longest ever innings in the industry which spanned seven decades.

The irreplaceable actress- Meena Kumari

Meena Kumari or Mahjabeen Bano was born on August 1, 1932. Meena Kumari was an Indian movie actress and poetess. Meena Kumari is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema.

During a career spanning 30 years from her childhood to her death, she starred in more than 90 films, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today.

Meena Kumari gained a reputation for playing grief-stricken and tragic roles, and her performances have been praised and remembered throughout the years. Like one of her best-known roles, Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Kumari became addicted to alcohol. Her life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972.

Kumari is often cited by media and literary sources as "The Tragedy Queen", both for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and dramatic roles in her films and her real-life story. Meena Kumari was the legendary tragedy queen of Indian Cinema who shot into stardom in the early 1950's.

Mahjabeen was renamed Baby Meena and her first film as a child was Farzand-e-Watan or Leatherface (1939), directed by Vijay Bhatt for Prakash Studios. She was the sole bread-earner of the family as she was given roles in films all throughout the 1940s. Her early adult work consisted of mainly mythological films like Veer Ghatotkach (1949), Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950) and fantasies like Alladin and The Wonderful Lamp (1952). Meena hit the big time with her mentor Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952).

Meena was known for her tragic roles and she too chose more such roles to cultivate her image of being the great tragidienne because in the few light-hearted films she did in-between like Azaad (1955), Miss Mary (1957), Shararat (1959), and Kohinoor (1960).

A reluctant entrant to films, her greatest celluloid fantasy, it seems, only waited for her dejection, and eventual death, before becoming a huge success. A legend when she was alive, and an irreplaceable actress after her death, Meena Kumari's iconic status will remain untouched for a long time to come."Gomti ke Kinare" was her last film.

The Living Legend-Asha Parekh

Asha Parekh was born into a middle-class Gujarati household on October 2, 1942 in Mahuva, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. Since Asha Parekh was an only child, she became the centre of her parents' lives. Her mother enrolled her in Indian classical dance classes at an early age and Asha excelled at dancing to the point where she performed at stage shows and private functions.

Asha Parekh started her career as a child artiste under the screen name Baby Asha Parekh in the film Aasmaan (1952). Famed film director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function and cast her at the tender age of twelve in Baap Beti (1954). The film's failure disappointed her and even though she did a couple more child roles, she quit to resume her schooling. Asha Parekh was one of the top stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973 and is said to have starred in more hit films than any other actress.

At the age of 16 Asha Parekh decided to try acting again and make her debut as a heroine, but Asha was rejected from Vijay Bhatt's Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) in favor of actress Ameeta, because the filmmaker claimed she was not star material. The very next day, film producer Subodh Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain cast her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho (1959) opposite Shammi Kapoor which made her a huge star.
Asha stopped acting in 1995 to pursue directing and producing television serials, but her acting accomplishments were not forgotten as she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

Asha Parekh has continued to receive other Lifetime Achievement Awards: Kalakar Award in 2004; International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2006; Pune International Film Festival Award (2007); Ninth Annual Bollywood Award (2007) in Long Island, New York. Asha received the Living Legend Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI).

Konkona Sen Sharma

Konkona Sen Sharma was born December 3, 1979. She is an Indian actress. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.

Making her debut as a child artist in the film Indira (1983), Konkona Sen Sharma debuted as an adult in the Bengali thriller Ek Je Aachhe Kanya (2000). She first gained attention with the English-language film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), which was directed by her mother, and received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film.
Konkona acted in Dosar, a highly acclaimed Bengali film by Rituporno Ghosh. Sharma won the best actress award at Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival for this film.

konkona's first release of 2007, Traffic Signal (2007) didn't performed well at the box office, but she received good reviews for her performance. Her second released film of 2007, Life in a Metro, was released to good reviews and emerged as a hit in India.

Sharma's performance as a confused girl was praised a lot and she won her second Filmfare Award for this performance. In late 2007, Konkona acted in two movies under Yash Raj Films banner. In the first one, Pradeep Sarkar's drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, she portrayed the character of a Banaras small town young woman, Chutki alongside Rani Mukherji. The film was a critical and commercial failure in India, even though her performance was highly praised.

The second one was Aaja Nachle; the comeback film of Madhuri Dixit. This film did not do well at box office but Konkona got good reviews for her performance in the film.

In 2008, Konkona starred in Dil Kabaddi, which was a flop. Moreover, Konkona also starred in a short film ‘How Can It Be?’ directed by Mira Nair for a movie project called 8, which screened at Rome Film Festival and Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival (MIAAC), 2008.

In 2009, there followed by low-budget English film The President Is Coming , directed by Kunaal Roy Kapur. her upcoming releases for 2009 are Amavas, Right Ya Wrong, Sunglass, Wake Up Sid.

Konkona Sen Sharma does not fit into the conventional Bollywood actress mould and put her acting talents to use initially in contemporary cinema moving every now and then into the commercial stream.

Ayesha takia Biography

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This pretty young gal born on 10th April, 1986 made it very early in the tinsel-town. Her father is a Gujrati and her mother is an Anglo Indian. She grew up speaking Gujrati and English but learned Hindi and Telugu for her filmy career. She studied in St Anthony's Girls High School, Mumbai, her birth place. Her younger sister is Natasha.

Ayesha entered in glamour world through advertisements and her first advertisement was the famous "I'm a Complan Boy, I'm a Complan Girl" alongside Shahid Kapoor. Her first music video was Falguni Pathak's "Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye", when she was just fifteen. Ayisha Takiya
drew the attention of the film industry with the video "Shake It Daddy" and film offers followed. Though Ayesha signed "Socha Na Tha" first but her first released movie was "Tarzan- The Wonder Car".

Ayesha Takyia won the Filmfare best debutant award in 2004 for her performance in "Taarzan". After that Ayesha acted in many films but most of them were unsuccessful at the box office.

On March 1, 2009, Takia married Farhan Azmi, a restaurateur and the son of politician Abu Azmi, a Samajwadi Party leader.

Ayisha Takia beautifully essayed the role of a young widow of Rajasthan living in a traditional joint family in the film "Dor". She was highly praised for her work in this film and went on to win Zee cine critics award for best actress.

She is also the proud winner of Star Screen, Stardust and Zee Cine Best Actress Award (Critics) for "Dor ".She shared it with co-actress Gul Panag at Zee Cine Awards.

She has worked in some 15 odd films like Dil Maange More, Socha Na Tha, Shaadi No.1, Home Delivery, Shaadi Se Pehle, Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota, Dor, Salaam-e-Ishq, Kya Love Story Hai, Fool and Final, Cash, No Smoking, Sunday.

Ayesha Takia listens to loads of trance, rock music and she also loves Ghazals. Her favorite Indian artists are Ghulam Ali and Abeeda Parveen.We anticipate her in only one film in 2009 that is Paathshala.