Leading Men of Bollywood
 Home Stallions Star Track Stable Services Wisdom Ads Bowling Bollywood Movies Cardio Cocktail Miscellaneous

 

Bollywood - Leading Men
The leading men of Bollywood that I have selected are certainly among the most cinematic stars in the world as these photographs and information about their background illustrates.  Although it is the remarkable Indian Female Movie Stars that drew my attention to Bollywood, I have discovered that the Bollywood Male Stars are remarkable people and this page is sure to provide my female online visitors with some true heartthrobs. So especially for the ladies; this page is for you.

Hrithik Roshan Photographs

 

  

 

 

 

 

 Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan (Hindi: ऋतिक रोशन, Urdu: رتک روشن, pronunciation: /rɪt̪ɪk roːʃən/ was born 10 January 1974) and is a prominent award-winning Bollywood actor. Hrithik Roshan was born in Mumbai, India, to Pinky and actor/director Rakesh Roshan. He is the nephew of well-known music director Rajesh Roshan. Music director Roshan is his paternal grandfather, and veteran producer and director J. Om Prakash is his maternal grandfather.

Roshan's first movie role was as a child artist when he was six years old in the 1980 movie Aasha, where he appeared in a dance sequence as an extra. Roshan went on to play minor roles in Aap Ke Deewane (1980) and Bhagwan Dada (1986) both of which starred his father in the leading role. He then became an assistant director assisting in the production of his father's films Karan Arjun (1995) and Koyla (1997). Roshan made his debut as a leading man in the 2000 film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai opposite another debutante actress Amisha Patel. The film was directed by his father and proved to be very successful at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of 2000 and winner of the Filmfare Best Movie Award. Roshan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award and the Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film entered the Limca Book of Records in 2003 for the most number of awards won by a Bollywood film - 102 awards.

Later that year, Roshan starred in Khalid Mohammed's critically acclaimed Fiza. Although the film did poorly at the box office, his performance was praised, earning him another nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare ceremony. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, "The mainstay of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan. His body language, his diction, his expressions, his overall persona deserves great praise. With this film, Hrithik proves that there is more to him than just being a fashionable rage, a Mills & Boon lover-boy and a sex symbol. His talent comes to the fore in several scenes, especially those with Karisma. All said and done, the show belongs to Hrithik, who saves Fiza to a major extent. A brilliant performance undoubtedly!" Hrithik's last release of the year, the moderately successful Mission Kashmir, became the third highest grossing film of the year. His performance was once again acclaimed with one critic praising him, "Hrithik once again cuts a splendid performance as a youngster sucked in the vortex of terrorism. He is portrayed as anti-government in the early part of the film-- a bold role to play for even a seasoned actor, leave alone a budding superstar." All these achievements promoted him as one of the biggest stars in the industry.

Subhash Ghai's Yaadein was Hrithik's first release in 2001, which failed to do well. This was followed by Karan Johar's melodramatic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, which did extremely well at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing film of 2001 and the biggest hit overseas. Roshan's performance was well received and his performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at various award ceremonies.

Roshan had an unsuccessful year in 2002 when all three of his releases - Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage - failed to make an impact the box office and were declared flops.

In 2003, he made a comeback with the science-fiction film Koi... Mil Gaya, which was the highest grosser of the year[10] and won him many awards, including his second Filmfare Best Actor Award and his first Filmfare Best Actor (Critics) Award. Critic Taran Adarsh noted, "Hrithik Roshan dominates the show and packs in a power-packed performance. The role of a mentally challenged person is no cakewalk, but the actor takes to it like a fish takes to water. He manages to pull off the zero to hero routine exceptionally well. As an actor, he scales dizzier heights with this splendid performance."

Farhan Akhtar's Lakshya was Roshan's only release in 2004; the film did not do well at the box office. However, his performance was praised by critics.

Roshan took a two-year break from acting before resurfacing with the superhero film Krrish, a sequel to his 2003 hit Koi Mil Gaya which released in June 2006. The film was a major box office success and one of the highest grossers of 2006. His performance as a superhero was praised, earning him many Best Actor awards at various award ceremonies. Critic Taran Adarsh noted about his performance, "To state that Hrithik is the soul of Krrish would be an understatement. If the actor walked away with all noteworthy awards in Koi... Mil Gaya, it's going to be an encore with Krrish. You cannot imagine any other actor enacting the role of a gifted child with aplomb. If his mask and robe look is splendid, watch his make up, gait and mannerisms as the aged father and you'd agree, he's one of the finest talents on the Indian screen today. Krrish is yet another ground-breaking film in his dazzling repertoire!"[His most recent release was Dhoom 2, a sequel to the 2004 hit Dhoom, in which he played a villain for the first time. Roshan's performance in the movie not only earned him widespread critical acclaim, but also his third Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film went on to become the highest grossing film of 2006, as well as one of the most successful films of Bollywood. Roshan's forthcoming release, Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is expected to release on February 15, 2008.

Roshan is married to Sussanne Khan (who is now Sussanne Roshan), his high-school sweetheart and daughter of Sanjay Khan. Film clans (see List of Bollywood film clans) tend to intermarry. The couple had their first child, a baby boy, on March 28, 2006 at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, India. The child was named Rehan.

 

 
Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan (Hindi: अमिताभ बच्चन. Pronunciation: /əmitaːbʱ bətʃtʃən/ born October 11, 1942) is a legendary Indian Bollywood actor, and one of the most prominent figures in the Indian film industry.

He has been awarded several major awards in his career, including three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He holds the record for most number of Best Actor nominations at the Filmfare Awards. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, television presenter, and was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987.

Bachchan is married to Jaya Bachchan and has two children, Shweta Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan. He is also the father-in-law of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Amitabh Bachchan hails from a Hindu Kayastha family. His father, Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan was a well-known Hindi poet, while his mother, Teji Bachchan, was a Sikh from Karachi-Pakistan.[1] Bachchan was initially named as Inquilab, inspired from the phrase Inquilab Zindabad, during the Indian independence struggle. He was re-christened Amitabh which means, the light that would never go off. Though his last-name was Srivastava, his father had adopted the pen-name Bachchan, under which was published all his works. It is with this last name that Amitabh debuted in films, and, for all public purposes, it has become the surname of all members of his current family.

Born in the middle of World War II, Amitabh is the elder of Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan's two sons, the second being Ajitabh. Even today, Bachchan emphasizes that he can never be the man his father was. His mother was very fond of stage and was also offered a role in a film, but she preferred to become a quintessential homemaker. She was reasonably responsible for Amitabh's career because she always wanted him to take the centre stage.[2] Bachchan's father passed away in 2003, and his mother—on December 21, 2007.

 
Bachchan has a double M.A. (Master of Arts) degree. He attended Allahabad's Jnana Prabodhini and Boys' High School (BHS), followed by Nainital's Sherwood College, where he majored in the art stream. He later went on to study at Kirori Mal College of the University of Delhi and completed a Bachelor of Science degree. In his twenties, Bachchan gave up a job as freight broker for the shipping firm, Bird and Co., based in Calcutta, to pursue a career in acting.

He married actress Jaya Bhaduri on June 3, 1973 according to Bengali rites. The couple have two children: daughter Shweta and son Abhishek.

Bachchan made his film debut in 1969 as one of the seven protagonists in Saat Hindustani. The movie was not a financial success but Bachchan won his first National Film Award for Best Newcomer. The critically acclaimed and commercially successful Anand (1970) followed, where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna the First Superstar of Indian silver screen. Bachchan held his own despite playing a supporting role, and won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his intense performance.

Anand was followed by many unsuccessful films such as Reshma Aur Shera (1971) and Parwaana (1971). In 1972 he had a hit with the multi-starrer road comedy Bombay to Goa. Then came 1973, and the start of the road towards the status he would eventually come to hold.

Bachchan's first solo film to achieve box office success came when director Prakash Mehra cast him in the leading role for his film Zanjeer (1973). The movie was a sharp contrast to the romantic-themed ones that had generally preceded it, and established Amitabh in a new persona – the "angry young man" action hero of Bollywood. The next decade catapulted him to the pinnacle of Bollywood superstardom. He churned out at least one major hit every year,[5] including Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975) Trishul (1978), Muqaddar Ka Sikander (1978), Don (1978), Kasme Vaade (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Ram Balram (1980), Shaan (1980), Lawaaris (1981), and Shakti (1982). In fact in 1978, the top four grossing films of India were Amitabh Bachchan starrers. On account of this unprecedented run and stature he enjoyed, he was billed a "one-man industry" by the French director Francois Truffaut.

Although the above-mentioned films cemented his status as Bollywood's pre-eminent action hero, Amitabh displayed a flair for more than just action roles. His remarkable comic timing was on display in such hits as Chupke Chupke (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and Namak Halaal (1982). He was also successful as a romantic lead, with particularly notable performances in Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Silsila (1981). In 1982 he nearly fatally injured in the intestines while filming Coolie. His accident received wider world coverage and hit the headlines in the UK something unheard of at the time and many Indians prayed in temples or offered to sacrifice their own limbs to save him. Nevertheless he spent many months recovering and resumed filming later that year after a long period of recuperation. The film was released in 1983 and due to the huge publicity of Bachchan's accident, the film was a box office success.

In 1984, Amitabh took a break from acting and briefly entered politics in support of long-time family friend, Rajiv Gandhi. He contested Allahabad's Parliament seat against H. N. Bahuguna, a well-known politician, and won his MP candidacy by the highest victory margin ever for a parliamentary candidate in Indian history (68.2% of the vote), His political career, however, was short-lived: He resigned after three years, leaving his term incomplete. The resignation followed Bachchan's implication and that of his brother in the 'Bofors scandal' by a newspaper, which he vowed to take to court.[11] Bachchan was eventually found not to be guilty of involvement in the ordeal. His old friend Amar Singh helped him during a financial crisis due to the failure of his company ABCL. Therefore Bachchan started to support Amar Singh's political party, the Samajwadi party. Jaya Bachchan joined Samajwadi Party and became a Rajya Sabha Member.[12] Bachchan has continued to do favours for the Samajwadi party, including adverts and political campaigns. This has recently got him into trouble again in the Indian courts for false claims, this is after a previous fiasco of submission of legal papers by him stating that he is a farmer.

Very few are aware of the ban on Bachchan – a somewhat self-imposed ban. Stardust and some the film magazines got together to form an association and banned Bachchan for 15 years during his peak. They decided not to print anything about Bachchan, in any of their publications. Bachchan had said that he had banned the press from entering his sets almost till the end of 1989. However, he had nothing personal against any particular magazine. It has been said that Bachchan had banned certain publications because he disliked what was being published about him and as such he vetoed them in an attempt to get them to conform.

In 1988, Bachchan returned to films after a three year stint in politics and played the title role in Shahenshah, which was a box office success due to the hype of Bachchan's comeback. After the success of his comeback film however, his star power began to wane as all of his subsequent films failed at the box office. The 1991 hit film Hum looked like it might reverse this trend, but the momentum was short-lived as his string of box office failures continued. Notably, despite the lack of hits, it was during this period that Bachchan won his second National Film Award, for his memorable performance as a Mafia don in the 1990 film Agneepath. These years would be the last he would be seen on screen for some time. After the release of Khuda Gawah in 1992, Bachchan went into semi-retirement for five years. In 1994 one of his delayed films Insaniyat was released but was also a box office failure.

Bachchan turned producer during his temporary retirement period and setup Amitabh Bachchan Corporation, Ltd. (A.B.C.L.) in 1996 with the vision of becoming a 10 billion rupees (approx 250 million $US) India's premier entertainment company by the year 2000. ABCL's strategy was to introduce products and services covering the entire section of the India's entertainment industry. It's operations were mainstream commercial film production and distribution, audio cassettes and video discs, production and marketing of television software, celebrity and event management. Soon after the company was launched in 1996, the first film produced by the company was Tere Mere Sapne which failed to do well at the box office but launched the careers of actors such as Arshad Warsi and South films superstar Simran. ABCL produced a few other films none of which did well.

In 1997, Bachchan attempted to make his acting comeback with the film Mrityudaata, produced by ABCL. Though Mrityudaata attempted to reprise Bachchan's earlier success as an action hero, like most of ABCL ventures, the film was a failure both financially and critically. ABCL was the main sponsor of the The 1996 Miss World beauty pageant, Bangalore and lost millions due to the poor management of the event. The fiasco and the consequent legal battles surrounding ABCL and various entities after the event, coupled with the fact that ABCL was reported to have overpaid most of its top level managers, eventually led to its financial and operational collapse in 1997. The company went into administration and was later on declared as a failed company by Indian Industries board. The Bombay high court, in April 1999 restrained Bachchan from selling off his Bombay bungalow 'Prateeksha' and two flats till the pending loan recovery cases of Canara Bank were disposed of. Bachchan had, however, pleaded that he had mortgaged his bungalow to Sahara India Finance for raising funds for his company.

Bachchan later attempted to revive his acting career and had average success with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998)[18] and received positive reviews for Sooryavansham (1999)[19] but most, however, then believed that Bachchan's glory days were over as all his other films such as Lal Baadshah (1999) and Hindustan Ki Kasam (1999) were box office failures.

In the year 2000, Bachchan stepped up to host India's adaptation of the British television game-show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? entitled, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). As it did in most other countries where it was adopted, the program found immediate and profound success, in no small part due to Bachchan's charisma. It is believed that Bachchan charged a whopping Rs 25 lakhs (2.5 million Indian Rupees, approximately US$60,000 ) per weekly episode which strengthened Bachchan and his family both financially and morally after the setbacks that he had to cope after ABCL's collapse. The Canara Bank also withdrew its law suit against Bachchan in November 2000. Bachchan hosted KBC till November 2005, and its success set the stage for his return to film popularity.

In 2000, Amitabh Bachchan regained his prominence when he appeared in Yash Chopra's box-office super hit, Mohabbatein directed by Aditya Chopra, in which he played a stern, older figure that rivalled the character of India's current heartthrob, Shah Rukh Khan. Audiences appreciated Bachchan's work, as he played a character whose age approximately mirrored his own and also because his character in the movie very much matched his pre-established image of angry-(no-longer)young-man. Other hits followed, with Bachchan appearing as an older family patriarch in Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love (2001), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and Baghban (2003). As an actor, he continued to exploit a range of characters suiting with his profile, receiving critical acclaim for his performances in Aks (2001), Aankhen (2002), Khakee (2004), Dev (2004) and Black (2005). Taking advantage of this resurgence, Amitabh started endorsing a variety of products and services, appearing in many television and billboard advertisements. In 2005 and 2006 he starred with his son Abhishek in the hit films Bunty Aur Babli (2005), the Godfather tribute Sarkar (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006). All of them have been very successful at the box office. His later releases in 2006 and early 2007: Baabul (2006), Eklavya and Nishabd (2007) failed to do well at the box office but his performances in each of them have been appreciated by critics. He also made a guest-appearance as himself in the Kannada movie Amruthadaare directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar.

On May 25, 2007 two of his films Cheeni Kum and the multi-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala were released. Shootout at Lokhandwala did very well at the box office and was declared a hit in India and Cheeni Kum picked up after a slow start and has been declared an overall average hit. He then made a special appearance as the narrator in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom which released in June.

On 31 August 2007, he starred in the remake of his biggest hit Sholay (1975) which was titled Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. He played the role of the villain Babban (originally Gabbar Singh) who was played by the late actor Amjad Khan in the 1975 original. The film proved to be a disaster at the box office[26] and was also poorly received by critics. His first English language film The Last Lear premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2007. He received positive reviews from critics who hailed his performance as his career best. On the sets of " The Last Lear" Bachchan turned dialogue writer and penned down some on-the-spot Hindi dialogues. Bachchan is also going to play a supporting role in his first international film titled Shantaram which is directed by Mira Nair and stars Hollywood actor Johnny Depp in the lead.

 

Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar (Hindi: अक्षय कुमार, born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, on September 9, 1967) is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in over 80 Hindi language films, also known as Bollywood.

During the 90s, Kumar was primarily described as the action hero of Bollywood, starring in hit action films such as Khiladi (1992), Mohra (1994) and Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), and being particularly known for his "Khiladi Series". However, he was simultaneously recognised for his performances in romantic films like Yeh Dillagi (1994) and Dhadkan (2000) as well as dramatic films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001), showing his versatility to perform a range of roles.

In 2002, he won his first Filmfare Award under the Best Villain category, for his performance in Ajnabee (2001). Willing to change his intransigent image, Kumar later ventured mostly into comedy films.[1] His comic performances in films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Garam Masala (2005) and Jaan-E-Mann (2006) met with critical acclaim. His success came to its peak in 2007, when he starred in five consecutive commercial hits. Having done so, he has thus established himself as one of the prominent actors of the Hindi film industry.

Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia was born to a middle class Punjabi family in Jalandhar (Punjab). His father was a government worker. From a very young age, he was recognized as a performer, particularly as a dancer. Kumar lived in Delhi for some time before moving to Mumbai. [3] He lived in Koliwada which was a Punjabi dominated area. And then moved to Amritsar.[3] He studied at Don Bosco school and then Khalsa College, where he took an interest in sports.

He studied martial arts in Bangkok and worked as a Chef. He then came back to Mumbai, where he started teaching martial arts. One of his students happened to be a photographer and recommended him to do modeling. The student gave him a modeling assignment for a small company. For his two hours posing in front of the camera, Kumar got Rs. 5,000, compared to his previous salary of Rs. 4,000 in one month. That was one of the main reasons why he chose to be a model. After a couple of months of modelling, Kumar was finally offered a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.

Kumar made his Bollywood acting debut with the 1991 film Saugandh, which was unnoticed. His first major hit was the 1992 thriller film Khiladi. 1993 saw a drop as many of his films failed to do well. However, 1994 proved to be a good year for Kumar as he followed up his success with Khiladi with the action films Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Mohra which were among the highest grossing films of the year. Later that year, Yash Chopra signed him for the romantic film Yeh Dillagi which was also a success. He received appreciation for his performance in this film, where he played a romantic role which was different compared to his action roles. He would consequently receive his first nominations for Best Actor award at the Filmfare and Star Screen ceremonies. All these achievements, promoted Kumar as one of the most successful actors of that year.

In 1995, along with his share of unsuccessful movies, he starred in the third film in his Khiladi series Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was another hit. He proved to have success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourth hit film with Khiladi in the title, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekha and Raveena Tandon, which was one of the highest grossing films of the year.

In 1997, he made an extended guest appearance in Yash Chopra's hit film Dil To Pagal Hai, for which he received a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award nomination. In the same year, he attempted a comedy role with the fifth film in the Khiladi series, Mr and Mrs Khiladi which was unsuccessful. Along with this film, his next few Khiladi films went on to fail at the box office. In 1999, he received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and in the box office hit Jaanwar.

In 2000 he starred in the comedy Hera Pheri (2000) which was a success and showcased his talent at doing comedy just as well as action or romantic roles. He also starred in the romantic film Dhadkan later that same year which was also a box office hit. In 2001, Kumar played a negative role in the film Ajnabee for which he won much acclaim as well as the Filmfare Best Villain Award.

After the success of Hera Pheri, he starred in many successful comedy films which include Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and Garam Masala (2005)

Apart from his action, comedy and romantic roles he also displayed a flair for dramatic roles in films such as Ek Rishtaa (2001), Aankhen (2002), Bewafaa (2005) and Waqt: The Race Against Time (2005) which did moderately well in India, but was a hit overseas.

In 2006 he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri which was also a huge success at the box office. Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan in the romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann which did not do as well as expected at the box office. Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised. He ended the year with Bhagam Bhag which was a success.

2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops."His first release, Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film." His next two releases, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, both received super hit verdicts at the box office as well. Kumar's last release of the year, Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status, simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit. All the 4 release film of Kumar in 2007 became also outright hits in the overseas market as well.

Kumar is an active stage performer. He led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.

During his years in Bollywood, Kumar was romantically linked with several of his co-star actresses like Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty and Priyanka Chopra. After being engaged twice to actress Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of veteran actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, he finally married her on January 14, 2001. Their son named Aarav was born on September 15, 2002.

 
 

 

 John Abraham
John Abraham (Hindi: जॉन अब्राहम, Urdu: جان ابراهام), (born December 17, 1974 in Mumbai, India), is a Bollywood actor and a former model.

Born in Mumbai, India on December 17, 1974, John Abraham is one of the most successful male models in India, His height is 6 feet and 1 inch. Abraham's Parsi name is Farhan but his father gave him the name John. He has one younger brother, Alan. Abraham's father is a Christian architect, from Alwaye, Kerala in India. His mother, Phiroza Irani, is part of Bombay's Parsi community.

Abraham first went to the Bombay Scottish School and later to Jai Hind College.[2] He was an avid sportsman, captaining the college football team. He earned his M.B.A degree from Mumbai Educational Trust (MET).

Abraham started his career with the media firm Time & Space Media Entertainment Promotions Ltd., which however closed down due to financial problems. Later, he worked for Enterprises-Nexus as a media planner.

In 1999, he won the Gladrags Manhunt Contest and went to Singapore for Manhunt International, where he won second place. Following this, he appeared in a number of commercial advertisements. To further hone his acting skills, John Abraham joined Kishore Namit Kapoor acting lab and successfully completed a course on acting while juggling modelling assignments.

John Abraham made his film debut in 2003 with the controversial film Jism. The film did well, and his work was noticed widely. [3] Later the same year came the paranormal Saaya (2003) and the romantic Paap (2003); none of them did well at box-office. John's first blockbuster hit came with the movie Dhoom in 2004 where he played the role of the villain 'Kabir'.

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 colonial India (See British India). The film was written and directed by independent Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta. The film was popular overseas, and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards, which exposed John to a more international audience.

In the summer of 2006, he performed at the "Rockstars Concert" along with fellow bollywood stars, Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Shahid Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat. In the same year, he starred in the films Zinda, Taxi No 9211, Baabul and Kabul Express (2006). Among these Taxi No 9211 , 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, but was successful in the overseas market.[9] His last two 2007 releases were the offbeat thriller No Smoking and was the sports film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.

John is playing an environmentalist activist in Deepa Mehta's new film Luna (currently under production) starring Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz and Chris Cooper. Apart from his movie commitments, John is also the brand ambassador for Castrol Power 1 and for the Yamaha Marque.

Abraham is currently dating actress Bipasha Basu, They have been dating since 2002.

 

 Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan (Hindi: अभिषेक बच्चन, born 5 February 1976 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India) is an award-winning Indian actor. He is the son of Indian actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. His wife is former Miss World turned actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Bachchan made his debut with J.P. Dutta's Refugee (2000). After that, his career consisted of films that went un-noticed at the box office. It was not until 2004, that the actor delivered a hit and a critically acclaimed performance, in the films Dhoom and Yuva. His performance in the latter was praised for which he received his first Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category as well as many other awards. Since then, Bachchan has starred in films that have been commercially and critically successful and has established himself as one of the leading actors of the industry.

Abhishek Bachchan is the son of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan and actress turned politician Jaya Bhaduri. His grandfather, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, was a well-known poet of Urdu and Hindi literature. The original last name of Abhishek's parental family is Srivastav, Bachchan being the pen name used by his grandfather. However, when his father Amitabh entered films, he did so under his father's pen name. He is of Punjabi Sikh heritage from his grandmother Teji's side, while also of Bengali Kulin Brahmin descent from his mother Jaya Bhaduri's side.

Abhishek was dyslexic as a child which he overcame. He attended Jamnabai Narsee School and Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai, Modern School in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, and Aiglon College in Switzerland. He then went to the U.S. to complete his education at Boston University but then left the course mid-way to pursue his acting career when his father's company ABCL was facing trouble.

Abhishek began his career with J.P. Dutta's moderately successful Refugee along with Kareena Kapoor in 2000. In a span of four years, Bachchan went on to do many more movies, without any major box-office successes.

2004 was a good year for him. His performance in Mani Ratnam's Yuva, proved his mettle as an actor. The same year, he starred in Dhoom which was his first major hit. In 2005, he shot to fame with four consecutive hits: Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Dus and Bluffmaster. He won his second Filmfare Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for Sarkar. Bachchan also received his first Filmfare nomination in the Best Actor category for Bunty Aur Babli.

His first 2006 release, the multi-starrer Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) was one of the highest grossing films of the year. He was also a part of Mani Ratnam's stage show, Netru, Indru, Naalai alongside many other co-stars. His second release Umrao Jaan failed to do well at the box office. His third release Dhoom 2, a sequel to his first hit Dhoom did very well at the box office.

His first release in 2007 was Guru. He received much acclaim for his performance and the film emerged as his first solo hit. In May 2007, he made a brief appearance in the multi-starrer Shootout at Lokhandwala which was successful. His next release Jhoom Barabar Jhoom released in June 2007. The film failed to do well in India[12] but did better overseas especially in the U.K. However while the film received mixed reviews, Bachchan received good reviews for his performance in the film.

Abhishek Bachchan is also involved in the functional and administrative operations of his father's company (formerly known as ABCL, now re-christened as AB Corp. Ltd.). It is known that during the times wherein his father was facing his worst phase with their company ABCL, which was declared a failed company, is when Abhishek got hugely involved in its revival.

In Summer 2008, Abhishek Bachchan will join his father Amitabh Bachchan and other leading entertainers from Hindi cinema on the world-wide One Amazing Night Tour. The tour will reportedly cover numerous countries and continents over a two month period. Amitabh's company AB Corp Ltd. is helping put the concert together.

Abhishek Bachchan was earlier engaged to Karisma Kapoor. The couple announced their engagement on Amitabh Bachchan's 60th birthday celebration in October 2002. The engagement was called off in January 2003. Gossip columnists have linked Abhishek to many industry figures, but he strongly denied most rumors of romance. In 2005, Abhishek dated Indian model, Dipannita Sharma.

A year later, news surfaced that Bachchan dumped Sharma for Aishwarya Rai - his co-star in several movies. After much speculation concerning their relationship, his engagement to Aishwarya Rai was announced on January 14, 2007. The announcement was later confirmed by Amitabh Bachchan.

Abhishek married Aishwarya on April 20, 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites of the South Indian Bunt community, to which his wife belongs. Token North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence Prateeksha in Juhu, Mumbai. Though the wedding was a private affair intended for the Bachchan and Rai family and friends, the involvement of the media made it a national extravaganza.

Bachchan's paternal grandmother Teji Bachchan passed away on December 21, 2007.
Salman Khan
Salman Khan (Hindi: सलमान ख़ान, Urdu: سلمان خان. Pronunciation: /səlmɑːn xɑːn/), born Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on December 27, 1965 is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood movies.

Khan, who made his acting debut with the film Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. He went on to star in some of Bollywood's biggest hits, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Biwi No.1 (1999) having appeared in the highest earning films of five separate years during his career.

In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), No Entry (2005) and Partner (2007). Khan has thus established himself as one of the most prominent leading actors of Hindi cinema.

Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India's highest grossing films. It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award.

1990 saw only one film release of Khan, Baaghi, co-starring along with south actress Nagma. The film was a box office success, and it was followed by another successful year in 1991, when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan. Despite this tremendous beginning at the box office, all of his next 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures.

 
However, Khan significantly restored his success in 1994, with his second venture beside director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Koun, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. The film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out a one of Bollywood's highest grossing films ever, placed as the fourth highest earner of all time. Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan in 1994, none of which succeeded to make a box-office impact, as did the previous. He did however win praise for his performace in Andaz Apna Apna which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he reinvented his success with Rakesh Roshan's blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan.[5] The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan.

1996 was followed by two successes. The first one was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, co-starring alongside Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. Though a box office failure, the film was critically acclaimed. He next starred alongside Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor in Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet.

He had only two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan co-starring Karisma Kapoor, where he played a double role of twins who were separated at birth. The film was a box office hit. The latter, co-starring Shilpa Shetty failed to do well, but developed a cult following after its video release.

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, the first being the comedy Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai. Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He lastly starred in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring alongside Sharukh Khan and Kajol, he only had an extended special appearance, playing the role of Aman. However, it eventually turned out beneficial to him, as his performance earned him his second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

1999 was his most successful year when he starred in three hit films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United which reunited him once again with Sooraj Barjatya, Biwi No.1, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In 2000 and 2001 he starred in two moderately successful films: Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) both of which co-starred Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam which was semi-hit at the box office. His following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam which was a hit and he continued to star in hits such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005). 2006 was an unsuccessful year for him when Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul both failed to do well at the box office.

Khan started his year in 2007 with the multi-starrer Salaam E Ishq which failed to do well at the box office. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict.[7] He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.

Khan is the eldest son of celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan. His stepmother is Helen, a famous yesteryear Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.

Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder. He trains everyday and is famous for taking off his shirt in movies and stage shows alike. In 2004, he was voted 7th best-looking man in the World and the best looking man in India by People magazine, U.S. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.

Despite being romantically linked with several actresses, and having relationships with ex-girlfriends Aishwarya Rai, Somy Ali and Sangeeta Bijlani, Khan is frequently featured by Indian media as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. He has been dating model-turned-actress Katrina Kaif since 2003.

On October 11, 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was finally installed there on January 15, 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

His turbulent relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicized topic in the Indian media, and had constantly filled gossip columns. After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him.

 
Shah Rukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan (Hindi: शाहरुख़ ख़ान, Urdu: شاہ رخ خان), born 2 November 1965, is a highly acclaimed Indian Bollywood actor, producer, and recent host of the game show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Khan started out his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut with the commercially successful Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercial successes, as well as delivering a variety of critically acclaimed performances. During his career years, he has won six Filmfare Best Actor Awards, and has had significant box office success, with films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Om Shanti Om (2007) being some of Bollywood's biggest hits, while films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Veer Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006) and more recently Chak De India are the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market. Since 2000, Khan branched out into film production and television presenting as well.

Khan was born to Muslim parents of Pathan ethnicity. His father Taj Mohammed Khan was a freedom activist. His mother Lateef Fatima was the adopted daughter of Major General Shah Nawaz Khan of the Janjua Rajput clan, who served as a General in the Indian National Army of Subash Chandra Bose.

Khan's father came to Gurgaon from Qissa Kahani Bazaar in Peshawar before the Partition of India, while his mother's family came from Rawalpindi, also in present-day Pakistan. Khan has an elder sister named Shehnaz. Khan attended St. Columba's School where he was accomplished in sports, drama and academics. He won the Sword of Honour, an annual award bequeathed to the student who embodies most the spirit of the school. He later attended the Hansraj College (1985-1988) to earn an Honors degree in Economics. After this, he studied for a Masters Degree in Mass Communications at Jamia Millia Islamia University. After the death of his parents, Khan moved from Gurgaon to Mumbai in 1991. In that same year, he married Gauri Khan in a Hindu wedding ceremony. They have two children, son Aryan (b. 1997) and daughter Suhana (b. 2000).
In 2005, Nasreen Munni Kabir produced a two-part documentary on Khan, titled The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. Featuring his 2004 Temptations concert tour, the film contrasted Khan's inner world of family and daily life with the outer world of his work. The book Still Reading Khan, which details his family life, was released in 2006. Another book by Anupama Chopra, "King of Bollywood: Shahrukh Khan and the seductive world of Indian cinema", was released in 2007. This book described the world of Bollywood through Khan's life.

Khan's life-size wax statue is available in Madame Tussauds wax museum, London, installed in April 2007. Khan has been chosen for the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of the Arts and Literature) award of the French government for his “exceptional career”.

Khan studied acting under celebrated Theatre Director Barry John at Delhi's Theatre Action Group (TAG). In 2007, John commented thus on his former pupil: "The credit for the phenomenally successful development and management of Shah Rukh's career goes to the superstar himself."

Khan made his acting debut in 1988 when he appeared in the television series, Fauji, playing the role of Commando Abhimanyu Rai. He went on to appear in several other television serials, appearing most notably in the 1989 serial, Circus (directed by Aziz Mirza), which depicted the life of circus performers. The same year, Khan also had a minor role in the made-for-television English-language film, In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones, which was based on life at Delhi University and was written by Arundhati Roy.

After the death of his parents, Khan moved from Gurgaon to Mumbai in 1991. He made his Bollywood movie debut in Deewana (1992). The movie was a box office hit, and launched his career in Bollywood. His performance won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. His second movie, Maya Memsaab, generated some controversy because of his appearance in an "explicit" sex scene in the movie.

In 1993, Khan won acclaim for his performances as a murderer and an obsessive lover, respectively, in the box office hits, Baazigar and Darr. He won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Baazigar. His role as a young musician in Kundan Shah's Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa earned him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. In 1994, Khan once again played an obsessive lover/psycho's role in Anjaam. Though the movie was not a box office success, Khan's performance earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award.

In 1995, Khan starred in Aditya Chopra's directorial debut Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, a critical and commercial success, which entered its twelfth year in 2007 in Mumbai theaters. By then the movie had grossed over 12 billion rupees, making it as one of the biggest movie blockbusters. 1996 was a disappointing year for Khan as all his movies released that year failed to do well at the box office. His first 1997 release, Yash Chopra's Dil to Pagal Hai, however, became that year's second highest grossing movie. Later that year, he saw success with Subhash Ghai's Pardes -- one of the biggest hits of the year-- and Aziz Mirza's Yes Boss.

In 1998, Khan starred in Karan Johar's directoial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which was the biggest hit of the year. His performance won him his fourth Best Actor award at the Filmfare. He won critical praise for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se. This movie did not do well at the Indian box office, but was a commercial success overseas. Khan's only release in 1999, Baadshah, was an average grosser.

In 2000, Khan starred in Aditya Chopra's second film, Mohabbatein, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film did well at the box office, and Khan's performance won him his second Critics Award for Best Performance at the Filmfare. He then starred in Mansoor Khan's Josh, which was also a box office success.  In that same year, Khan set up his own production house, Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla. Both Khan and Chawla starred in the first movie of their production house, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.. Khan also played a supporting role in Kamal Hassan's controversial film Hey Ram which failed to do well at the box office but won him critical acclaim.

In 2001, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the second time in the family drama, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham which was the second biggest hit of the year. Later that year, he received favorable reviews for his performance as Emperor Asoka in the historical epic, Asoka.

In 2002, Khan received acclaim for playing the title role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's award-winning period romance, Devdas. It was the third Hindi movie adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's well-known novel of the same name, and surfaced as one of the biggest hits of that year. Khan also starred opposite Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit in the family-drama Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam, which did well at the box office.

In 2003, Khan starred in the moderately successful romantic drama, Chalte Chalte. That same year, he starred in the romantic drama movie, Kal Ho Naa Ho, written by Karan Johar and directed by Nikhil Advani. Khan's performance in this movie as a man with heart disease was appreciated. The movie proved to be one of the year's biggest hits in India and the biggest Bollywood hit overseas.

2004 was a good year for Khan, commercially as well as critically. He starred in Farah Khan's directorial debut, Main Hoon Na. The movie did well at the box office. He then played the leading role of Veer in Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara, which was the biggest hit of 2004 in both India and overseas. Khan's performance in the film won him awards at several award ceremonies. In that same year, he received critical praise for his performance in Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades, which won him the Filmfare Best Actor Award for the sixth time, although the movie was a box office failure.

Khan's only movie release in 2005 was the fantasy film, Paheli. It was a box office failure, but won him acclaim.

In 2006, Khan collaborated with Karan Johar for the fourth time with the melodrama movie, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. It did well in India and much more so in the overseas market, becoming the biggest Bollywood hit in the overseas market ever. His second release in that saw him playing the title role in the action film Don, a remake of the 1978 hit Don. The movie was a success. Khan's first release in 2007 was the sports movie, Chak De India. He received good reviews for his performance as the coach of a girl's hockey team. The movie started low at the box office, but became one of the year's biggest hits. Khan's latest movie, Om Shanti Om (released on November 9, 2007) has taken an excellent start both in India and overseas and was declared a blockbuster.

Khan turned producer when he set up a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Juhi Chawla and director Aziz Mirza in 1999. The first two of the films he produced and starred in: Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) and Asoka (2001) were box office failures. However, his third film, as a producer and star, Chalte Chalte (2003), was the first box office hit from his production house.

In 2004,. he set up another production company called Red Chillies Entertainment and produced and starred in Main Hoon Na which was another hit at the box office. In 2005 he produced and starred in the fantasy film Paheli, which was a box office failure.[30] It was India's official entry to the Oscars for a nomination for Best Foreign Film, but it did not pass the final selection. That same year he also co-produced the supernatural horror film Kaal with Karan Johar and performed an item number for the film with Malaika Arora Khan. Kaal was moderately successful at the box office. The latest film Om Shanti Om, which he produced as well as starred him, has done very well at the box office.

Khan was chosen as the host of the third series of the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who wants to be a millionaire?, in 2007 taking over from the original host Amitabh Bachchan who had hosted the show from 2000 to 2005. On Monday, January 22, 2007, "Kaun Banega Crorepati" aired with Khan as the new host. The season ended on April 19 2007.