He was the man with an exuberant sprit, a man who knew what was his objective, a man who believed in unceasing endeavour for his goal, a man who sang, danced and acted like none before him could do, a man with a golden heart, an actor with a panache and class. He was Shammi Kapoor, originally known as Shamsher Raj Kapoor. He was the ideal example of an alpha male, a perfect romance material for numerous girls across the country, an inspiration to all the budding actors. An actor per excellence, a director, a star with such unconventional and attractive looks all seemed to be amalgamated in Shammi Kapoor.
Birth and the Rise of a Star
Born on the 21st October, 1931in the famous Kapoor family, Shammi Kapoor possessed the genes of genius in films from birth itself. He always was aware of the fact that Film Industry is his place to be in and a series of flops in his early film career also could not restrict the 'strong man with a soft heart'. He had a long film career starting from the 1953 debut film, Jeevan Jyoti. Though the early films of his could not produce the expected results in the box office, the landmark film 'Tumsa Nehi Dekha' not only hit the box office but also the audience's heart in an unprecedented way. He also started his journey towards stardom from this film. He got the first Filmfare Nomination as the Best Actor for 'Professor' in 1962 but received one only in 1968 for the film 'Brahmachari'. Throughout 1950's and 1960's Shammi Kapoor literally dominated the Hindi film industry and he gave his last performance in the film 'Rockstar' with his grand nephew Ranbir Kapoor. However, the light of the star faded completely on 14th August, 2011 in Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai owing to a renal failure.
The Personal 'larger-than-life' of Kapoor
Born to father Prithvi Raj Kapoor, he had two brothers, the elder one Raj Kapoor, and the younger one, Shashi Kapoor. In 1953, he first dated a Cairo based belly dancer named Nadia Gamal which somehow didn't materialize and eventually he married famous actor, Geeta Bali. With her Shammi Kapoor had a prosperous family life with a boy and a girl. However, their union was destined to be short-lived as Geeta Bali died in 1965. After her, Shammi Kapoor remarried Neila Devi Gohil, belonging to a royal family of Gujarat in 1969. With this his professional life also started declining as he was ageing and couldn't have continued as the mainstream hero any longer and 'Andaz' remained one of his last solo hits. Yet the chronic illness could never dominate his super will power and life-style and he continued to be a tech-savvy person keeping a keen interest in films and social life. He received the Dadashaheb Phalke Award in 2009 along with a host of lifetime achievement awards.
The glorious film career
Success didn't come easily to this man as in the initial film career he gave a series of box office duds yet he always had the self-confidence in himself that this was his 'karmabhumi'. With a great passion of being in films and the heavy responsibility of carrying forward the Kapoor legacy, he strived immensely to achieve the glory and the success which he claimed till the very fag end of his career.
Initially around 15 of his films including 'Jeevan Jyoti', 'Laila Majnu', 'Chor Bazaar' bombed at the box office but the film which chaged his life was 'Tumsa Nehi Dekha' opposite Ameeta. It was followed by hits like 'Dil De Ke Dekho', 'Junglee', 'Teesri Manzil', 'Jaawan Mohabbat' and the likes. These films clinched highest positions in box office and gradually became classics. He mostly prefered Mohammed Rafi for his playback songs. All the actress who starred with him in the later years like Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Saira Banu became most coveted stars of their time. With his unique acting style, voice of Md.Rafi and those energetic dancing moves he was termed as "the Elvis Presely" of the country! While he was in his zenith, he was appreciated by the critics and the audiences alike. Shammi Kapoor denoted a spirit, a passion, an actor going 'Yahooo', a 'junglee' who charmed countless women with his killer looks and suave attitude. But the 1970's saw Kapoor dealing with weight issues which had a great impact on his film career. Very few lead roles started coming his way though he got Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actor for 'Vidata'.
He was last seen in Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar' where his stardom was still intact - a stardom which is not to fade so easily in future also as Kapoor continues to be in our heart forever.
Vinod Khanna, a noted Indian film actor, producer and then a politician, was born in Peshawar to a Punjabi family on the 6th of October, 1946. He has three sisters and a brother. He has acted in a total of 137 films out of which 54 are solo hero films and the remaining consisted of two lead actors.
The country was partitioned shortly after his birth and the family had to leave Peshawar and migrate to Mumbai. His father K.C. Khanna was a textile, dyes and chemical merchant. Vinod went to Queen Mary's School till the second standard and then moved on to St. Xavier's High School. Considered a teacher’s pet, Vinod excelled in studies and was a favorite among the teachers. In 1957, the Khanna family moved to Delhi and he was admitted to Delhi Public School on Mathura Road. While in standard IX, the family again shifted base back to Mumbai and he was sent to Barnes School in Deolali, which was a boarding school close to Nashik. His school days were spent in studying, theatre and plenty of sports. It was during his school days in Deolali that he watched the film Mughal-e-Azam and was completely bowled over. He slowly started having a strong penchant for motion pictures. He graduated from Sydenham College with a degree in commerce.
Personal life
Vinod Khanna has quite often been described as an unsung hero. Despite being extremely good looking and popular along with the best of films, he never reached the heights of success like his two contemporaries Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. However, he was considered a class apart on account of his attitude and his inclination for taking risks. He once said that he chooses to live by spirit and not by the script of life.
Khanna tied the knot with Geetanjali in 1971. She bore him two sons Rahul Khanna and Akshaye Khanna. Khanna became a devoted follower of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the year 1975 and called himself Osho’s “mali”. He spent four years with his guru attending to his beck and call. Osho was regarded as a sex guru and Vinod was thus referred to as the ‘sexy sanyasi’. He was the only Indian to have stayed with Osho in Rajneeshpuram (Osho’s commune in America). He spent his time cleaning dishes, washing clothes and gardening.
During his stay in Rajneeshpuram, he stayed in touch with his family over the phone. This phase however, turned out to be a terrible one since people would tell his sons that their father had run away with Osho. These reports eventually started having a huge impact on the Khanna family and thus Vinod and Geetanjali decided to divorce. Khanna married Kavita in 1990 and they have a son Sakshi and a daughter Shraddha.
Professional Life
Vinod Khanna got a break in films at a party when he was noticed by the legendary Sunil Dutt. Dutt offered him a role in films which he was making for his brother, Somu. Vinod once said that his father put up a stiff resistance towards his advancement in Bollywood and threatened to shoot him. However, his mother came to his rescue and convinced his father to let their son join the film industry.
His first film was Sunil Dutt’s ‘Man Ka Meet’ in 1968 where he took upon the role of a villain. During the beginning of his career, he took up the roles of a supporting actor and villain in super hit films like ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ (1970), ‘Sachaa Jhutha’ (1970) and ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh’ (1971).
The audience loved him on account of his charming personality and soon he started getting offers for lead roles. It is to be noted that he is one the few Indian actors to have made a successful transition from negative to positive roles. The year 1971 gave him a big break with ‘Mere Apne’ directed by Gulzar. Another film directed by Gulzar, “Achanak’ in 1973, where Khanna was portrayed as an army officer facing death penalty, received wide recognition.
Some of his hit movies in the 1970s include ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikander’, ‘Parvarish’, and ‘Hera Pheri’ among others. He quit the film industry in 1982 for five years and became a disciple of Osho, having reached his peak in Bollywood. Following his divorce with Geetanjali, he came back to the film industry in 1987 and acted opposite Dimple Kapadia in the movie ‘Insaaf’, which turned out to be a massive hit. In the period between 1987 to 1994 he worked as a hero in numerous solo and multi starrer movies like ‘Satyamev Jayate’(1987), Chandni (1989) and ‘Eena Meen Deeka’ released in the year 1984.
Life in Politics
Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1997 and was elected from Punjab’s Gurdaspur constituency in the following year’s Lok Sabha poll. He was re-elected in 1999 to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency. In July 2002 he became the Union Minister for culture and tourism and moved to MEA as a minister of state six months later. However, he was defeated in the Lok Sabha poll of 2009.
From a timid girl of modest origins to the mystical epitome of beauty beyond all comparisons, Madhubala, born as Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dahlavi to a Pashtun couple, was the fifth of eleven children. Her life and works are the objects of research and speculation even today, almost 4 decades after her premature death: such is the prolific influence this belle holds over the minds and imaginations of her admirers and critics alike. She never received a single award, not even for her soul-baring performance in K.Asif's opus magnum 'Mughal-e-Azam', yet she is widely considered beyond doubt to be the one of the most significant artistes that Hindi cinema has produced.
Personal and Professional Life
Madhubala moved to Bombay, now Mumbai, at the tender age of seven when her father lost his job in the Imperial Tobacco Company in Peshawar, Pakistan, and was forced to relocate with his family to make both ends meet. For a year after their resettlement, the family faced severe financial and personal hardships, including the death of some of Madhubala's siblings. This was the time when Madhubala and her father began visiting Bombay Studios looking for jobs. 9-year old Madhubala entered Bollywood as 'Baby Mumtaz' in the 1942 film 'Basant', where her precocious performance was noticed by many. Among them was Devika Rani, who christened her as 'Madhubala'. She went on to work in several other films as a child artiste, and her first big break as the leading lady came in Neel Kamal (1947), where she was cast opposite Raj Kapoor. Over the next few years, she not only established her reputation as an exemplary professional performer, but also cemented her identity as the ideal embodiment of feminine beauty and grace. After the successful 'Mahal' in 1949, she starred in a slew of hits, like Dulari in 1949, Beqasoor in 1950 and Tarana and Badal in 1951. These phenomenal commercial highs were paralleled by the dismal lows of her deteriorating health. She first coughed up blood on the sets of 'Bahut Din Huwe' in 1954. At a ripe 24, this queen of hearts, born on Valentine's Day in 1933, was told that she had a hole in her heart.
Madhubala then starred in several films, working non-stop to support her family financially, often portraying roles that perhaps did not fully challenge her acting abilities, as her contemporaries acknowledged that she was capable of far more. Her stardom saw a decline during the mid-1950s, when her films consistently did poorly, but she gave her image a new lease of life with the hit 'Howrah Bridge', which is emphatically remembered for her sensuous and subtle characterization of an Anglo-Indian cabaret singer, especially in the song 'Aaiye Meherban'. She rose to the new zenith of immortal stardom when she played one half of the star-crossed lovers Salim and Anarkali, in her swan song 'Mughal-e-Azam'. Her relationship with her co-star Dilip Kumar was an intensely speculated facet of her life, and still is today, as hers was a fiercely protected and confidential privacy. She eventually married singer Kishore Kumar.
After the roaring success of 'Mughal-e-Azam', she was offered a plethora of strong lead characters, but her troubling health did not permit her to make full use of this golden period in her career. Her untimely death at the mere age of 36 put a halt to this charismatic lady's myriad talents.
Madhubala as A Screen Legend
Her bespoke delicate loveliness combined with her fantastic acting talent and understated classic elegance lent her a wondrous, larger-than-life aura: unquestioningly, Madhubala has been considered at par with legendary actresses like Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. She was the reigning empress extraordinaire of Indian cinema, and is still unparalleled in skin and skill. The stature of her fame reached even Hollywood, and she featured in 'Theatre Arts' in a 1952 issue with a full-page portrait and a generous article titled "The Biggest Star In The World (And She's Not In Beverly Hills). Her magnificent carriage on screen and powerful performances that touched the soul, ensured that this timeless beauty remained at the top her trade even in the face of life-threatening health conditions. However, beneath this glamorous exterior was an unassuming person of generosity and innocence, with incredible depth of personality. She was the complete package: beautiful inside and outside.
What makes her the stuff of legends, is the added intrigue of her tragic death, which led to the cessation of what would have been a highly fruitful contribution to the world of cinema. She was called the 'Venus of the Screen' by leading movie magazines of the time, and a commemorative stamp was released by the India Post in 2008. Only 15 films out of the total of 70 films that she starred in during her woefully short lifespan are considered box-office hits, yet her enduring appeal, even today, proves that statistics rarely have anything to do with popularity and like ability, and empiricism is too abstract a concept to be applied to someone of her stature.
That is Madhubala: the seduction of the senses by something other-worldly that leaves a bitter-sweet aftertaste and a lingering fascination, for she is more than an identity, more than a person, more than a character. She is a phenomenon.
Personal Life
The life story of Bruce Lee commenced in San Francisco, California on the 27th November, 1940. He, popularly known as Lee Jun Fan, was born as the fourth sibling to the Chinese father named Lee Hoi-Chuen and mother Grace who was of Chinese and German descent. During 1959, Lee was in trouble with the police for fighting and fearing lack of safety for him in the area they were living in, his mother, sent him back to the United States to reside with some friends. There, he became a graduate in high school in Edison, Washington prior to enrolling with the University of Washington for pursuing studies in philosophy. He commenced teaching martial arts there too and that was how he met his would-be wife, Linda Emery. Bruce Lee was married to Linda Emery in the year 1964 and eh couple was blessed with twin children - Brandon Lee and Shannon. Alas, his son who too an actor, got accidentally gunned down by a gun which was supposed to be empty while he was on the set of The Crow in 1993.
Bruce Lee’s father was an opera singer in Hong Kong and was on tour to San Francisco when he was born, and thus Lee became a U.S. citizen. Three months thereafter, the family returned to Hong Kong, which was conquered by the Japanese during that time. At the age of 12, he got into a high school called La Salle College and later, he took education at another high school St. Francis Xavier’s College.
Bruce Lee with Kung Fu Background
Lee’s first martial arts instructor was his father, Lee Hoi-Cheun who taught the Wu style of Tai Chi Chuan to him in the initial stage. After handling a Hong Kong street gang of 1954, Lee perceived the need to progress his fighting. He thus started pursuing Wing Chun Gung Fu under the guidance of Sifu Yip Man and simultaneously, Lee trained a Yip’s top student, Wong Shun-Leung with Wong acquiring a major impact on his training. Lee, until he was 18, studied under Yip Man. Due to his blended descent, certain students had reservations to work with Lee and hence Yip man occasionally trained Lee in private.
Bruce Lee’s advancement in Martial Arts
Many people did not realize the diversity of Lee’s martial arts background. Further than Kung Fu, Lee got trained in western boxing too winning the 1958 boxing championship against Gary Elms by knockout in the third round. Peter Lee, his brother, was a champion in the sport imparted fencing techniques to Bruce Lee. This diverse milieu led to personal adaptations to Wing Chun Gung Fu, calling his newer version of the style, Jun Fan Gung Fu. In fact, Lee launched his maiden martial arts school in Seattle under the name, Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute.
After contesting against Wong Jack Man, Lee concluded to have failed to live up to his potential due to the rigidity of practices of Wing Chun. Thus, he started formulating a practical martial arts style for street fighting and was present beyond the strictures besides constraints of other martial arts styles. To put it in different sense, the task which worked prevailed while what did not work went did not and this way, Jeet Kune Do was born in 1965. Lee launched two additional schools after shifting to California, certifying only three instructors in the art - Taky Kimura, James Yimm Lee, and Dan Inosanto.
Initial Career in Acting and Revisit to America
At three months of age, Bruce Lee appeared his first film acting as a standby for an American baby in Golden Gate Girl wherein, he made about 20 appearances as a child actor in the films. Bruce Lee made certain headlines as an actor in the American television series, The Green Hornet, which went live telecast during 1966-67 wherein he served as the Hornet’s sidekick, Kato showing off his film-friendly fighting style. Still with extra appearances, the acting stereotypes proved great obstacles and prompted him to come back to Hong Kong during 1971 where Lee became a big film star, acting in movies like Fists of Fury, The Chinese Connection, and Way of the Dragon.
Died as an American Star
At his age of 32, Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973 at Hong Kong and the official cause for his death was a brain edema resulted by the effect of a prescribed painkiller he used to consume for obtaining relief from a back injury. A storm swelled against his demise since Lee was obsessed with the notion that he might face premature death leaving many to wonder if he had been killed. A month past Lee’s death in the United States, the film Enter the Dragon was released in the U.S., finally grossing over $200 million.
Then came a moment of renaissance, I looked up you again are there, A fleeting vision, the quintessence, Of all that's beautiful and rare.
The above lines by a poet truly reflect the emotions of thousands and millions of people who watched in awe every time the silver screen was graced with who might be arguably the greatest Indian actress of all time- Nargis. A class act, a surreal beauty and a life full of generosity- Nargis is a name still at the pinnacle of Indian film industry.
Born Fatima A. Rashid to a HIndu Brahmin father Uttamchand and a Muslim mother Jaddanbai, Nargis was a child prodigy. She started acting at a young age being encouraged and supported by her equally prodigal mother who herself was a stage actor and trained dancer and musician. In her roles as a child actor, she was introduced as Baby Nargis. The stage name stuck with her for the rest of her life. Nargis's step-brother Anwar Hussain also enjoyed an acting career in the film industry.
Achieved Greatness
As she progressed to acting in adult roles, the film-makers had already sensed the arrival of a beauty that could charm and a talent that could make a fictional character come to life. It was therefore obvious that she got to work with the top-notch directors, producers and actors of her time. In a career spanning over two decades, Nargis delivered some colossal performances and hit movies. In some of her most popular movies like Barsaat(1949), Andaaz(1949), Awaara(1951) and Shree 420(1955), her acting was widely appreciated and critically acclaimed while her mere screen-presence won the hearts of audiences all over. While acting in nearly 50 movies she formed some wonderful on-screen pairs with some great actors like Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. However, the actor who along with Nargis gave a new meaning to the words "Romance" and "Chemistry" was Raj Kapoor. Along with each other, the pair starred in various movies each of which was tagged as a blockbuster.
Private Affairs
When Nargis and Raj Kapoor were delivering hits after hits in their profession, it was but natural that the media focus shifted to their personal life too. While there is no denying that the two formed a sizzling on-screen couple, rumours were that this reel-life chemistry between the two also extended in real-life. However, apparently both of them somehow managed to keep their sanity and dignity intact. Neither Raj Kapoor divorced her wife nor Nargis tried to break the married couple. During the shooting of the cult classic "Mother India" Nargis got into a relationship with her co-actor Sunil Dutt after the latter saved her when she was accidentally surrounded with real fire on the shooting location. The two later married and had three children - Namrata, Priya and Sanjay. While Priya Dutt is a politician, Sanjay Dutt became a popular and successful actor in Hindi film industry. Shortly after getting married, Nargis bid adieu to film industry and settled with her family.
A Life Worth Living
Nargis was a phenomenal actress and her acting prowess fetched her numerous awards. She won the prestigious Filmfare award for the widely appreciated "Mother India"(1957). The movie went on to be the first Indian movie to be nominated in Best Foreign Language Film category in the Oscars. She was also awarded the National Film Award in best actress category for "Raat Aur Din"(1967). In recognition to her brilliant work in film industry, Nargis was conferred with the Padma Shree Award by the Government of India in 1958. Apart from her contribution to film industry, she was held in high regards for her social work. She was associated with Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe and the Spastic Society of India. Her social work got her nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP in 1980 but unfortunately during her tenure she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died in 1981. In her memory, the Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust and the Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation have been established. Also, the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration was named as Nargis Dutt Award in her honour.
With her movies and social work, Nargis touched millions of lives and put a smile on their faces. Incidentally, the word Nargis means a kind of flower. Now what name could be more befitting for a person so giving.
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