R. Madhavan

Name: R. Madhavan
Birthday: Monday, June 01, 1970
Star Sign : Gemini
First Film : Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein













BIOGRAPHY

Madhavan (b. 1 June 1970, Jamshedpur, India), also called Maddy is an Indian actor. He used to act in Hindi serials and appear in commercials before he started his movie career. He currently acts in Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood.
Madhavan was a popular face in Indian television even before he made his film debut. He acted in Hindi television serials like Saaya, Sea Hawks, Banegi Apni Baat and Ghar Jamai. His debut in movies came in the form of Shanti Shanti Shanti, a Kannada movie.

He got his first big break when Mani Ratnam introduced Madhavan to Tamil Cinema through his film Alaipayuthey (2000). Thereafter he has acted in successful Tamil movies like Kannathil Muthamittal, Ayutha Ezhuthu (both directed by Mani Ratnam), Minnale, Run, Anbe Sivam and Parthale Paravasam. Madhavan made his Bollywood debut with Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein, the remake of Minnale but unfortunately it was a flop.

Madhavan's parents are Ranganathan and Saroja and he has a sister named Devika. He is married to Sarita, and they have a boy - Vedanth. Personally, he is a patriotic person and very bold. He says that he would have become an air force pilot, if not an actor. He has a separate room in his house called the "hobby room" where he works on aeromodelling during leisure time. He is a relishing actor more than just hero. Before entering films he was taking personality development & public speaking classes. Finally we can call him a "White Collar Hero" who is very intelligent and optimistic.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Name: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan














BIOGRAPHY

Qawwali, the mystical music of Indian and Pakistani Sufism, is rooted in song forms that are over 700 years old. Qawwali songs are devotional songs that extol Islamic virtues and shower praise upon Allah. Qawwali is intended to affect heightened spirituality through ritualized listening known as Sama. The transcendent nature of the poetic lyrics, in combination with a vivacious musical base and the participatory act of Sama, stirs ecstatic feelings of mystical adoration among both performers and audience members alike. Undoubtedly the most popular qawwali singer of all time was the Pakistani-born Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Six weeks after his death in 1997, nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assumed the qawwali helm. Rahat took Nusrat's first name in a traditional gesture of admiration of his master, and in so doing was officially recognized as the new leader of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's group.

Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was selected at birth by his uncle for tutoring in the art of qawwali music. A precocious child, Rahat was singing at the age of three with his uncle and his father Farroukh Fateh Ali Khan, another respected qawwali singer. Rahat began formalized training with his uncle at the age of six. By age 15, Rahat officially joined his uncle's celebrated group.

Since becoming the head of the group, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has performed on a variety of recordings and has sung with Eddie Vedder at the Dead Man Walking Concert put on by Tim Robbins. He and his band continue to entrance world audiences with numerous shows around the globe. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's self-titled release on American Recordings is his U.S. debut. Recorded in Santa Monica, CA, its four tracks are both emotionally charged and expertly performed. Producer Rick Rubin, of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Beastie Boys fame, boosts Rahat's already potent sounds by cranking up the low end and placing the tabla way up in the mix.

Though Rahat is excited to play with Western pop musicians and lay down tracks in state-of-the-art studios, he is ultimately most concerned with the art of qawwali and its mystically imbued message. As he states, "qawwali music is not only music, it is a message. It was created by Sufis, and when we compose and practice this music, it stays forever. Other music comes and goes, but qawwali never goes. Once you start listening, it goes in your soul, goes in your spirit, and you become more human. I feel that this music is my duty, to go and give the message of Sufism. My future is that one day I will fulfill the desire of Nusrat to give this message to the world." ~ John Vallier, All Music Guide

Rahul Bose

Name: Rahul Bose
Birthday: Thursday, July 27, 1967
Star Sign : Leo
Family: Rupen and Kumud Bose
First Film : Bombay Boys 1998















BIOGRAPHY

Rahul Bose, a famous Indian stage actor (although he has recently acted in critically acclaimed films), was born on July 27, 1967 to Rupen and Kumud Bose. His elder sister, Anuradha, is married to Tarique Ansari, owner and director of "Mid-Day Multimedia", a multiple media conglomerate in Mumbai, India. Rahul Bose spent his childhood in Kolkata, then moved with his family to Mumbai. He faced the audience for the first time at the age of six, playing the lead in Tom, The Piper`s Son. His mother introduced him to boxing and arguably his greatest passion rugby. He still plays international rugby in " National Orange Indian Rugby Team". Rahul spent time doing theatre, boxing and playing rugby, during his college. He quit his job at "Rediffusion" as creative director to become a serious actor, writer and director. English, August directed by Dev Benegal is his first film.

Rahul is well-known for his social engagement and for his conviction that he would never do a commercial mainstream film. In May 2005 he had a retrospective in Geneva. Kofi Annan loved the film "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer", he was acting in as "Raja".

Raj Babbar

Name: Raj Babbar
Birthday: Monday, June 23, 1952
Star Sign : Cancer
First Film : Sau Din Saas Ke















BIOGRAPHY

Raj Babbar (born June 23, 1952, Agra, India) is an Indian actor who has acted in several successful Hindi films since 1980. He is an alumnus of the 1975 batch of National School of Drama. He is a reknown actor and known for his special style of dialogue delivery. Most of his roles have negative shades. Many art movies and commercial movies are under his name. Despite of his best acting capability, he was not given any star image. But, everyone enjoyed best roles acted by him. He married with Nadira Babbar and later on with Smita Patil. Arya Babbar and Juhi Babbar are two children from Nadira Babbar. After the birth of Smita's son Prateek Babbar, she died after few days. After her death Raj Babbar patched up with his first wife Nadira Babbar. Although Prateek Babbar lives with Raj Babbar's in-laws family.

His current project is to be released on 7 October 2005; entitled 'Yaraan Naal Baharaan'.

He joined Samajwadi Party and got himself involved in politics and became Member of Parliament of India for three times. Currently M.P. (Lok Sabha) from Agra. Due to some controversies with Amar Singh, Babbar got suspended from Samajwadi Party. There are some probabilities that he may join BJP, but, still options are open.

Raj Kapoor *

Name: Raj Kapoor *
Birthday: Sunday, December 14, 1924
Star Sign : Sagittarius
Family: Prithvi Raj Kapoor
First Film : Aag















BIOGRAPHY

Raj Kapoor (December 14, 1924 - June 3, 1988) was a legendary actor, director, and producer of Bollywood (Indian) movies.

Raj Kapoor began his career as a clapper boy assisting Kidar Sharma. At age eleven, he appeared in films for the first time, in the 1935 film Inquilab. Raj Kapoor's big break, however, came when he played the hero's role in Neel Kamal (1947) by Kidar Sharma. In 1948, at the age of twenty-four, he established his own studio, R. K. Films, and became the youngest film director of his time. His first movie as a director Aag (Fire) (1948) was an immediate success.

Raj Kapoor's career as director spanned the years from 1948 through 1988. He directed many films that are still remembered and loved, from Barsaat (1949) to Awaara (1951), Shri 420 (1955), and Sangam (1964). He starred in a number of the films he directed, often with actress Nargis, who was his real-life love interest.

After the box office failure of his ambitious 1970 film, Mera Naam Joker (My name is Joker), which took more than six years to complete, his movies took a sexy and determinedly crowd-pleasing turn. The film Bobby (1973) introduced Dimple Kapadia, later an Indian superstar, and was the first of a new generation of teen romances. By the restrictive if not puritan standards of commercial Hindi cinema, Kapadia appeared in suggestive, even sexually explicit, poses and scenes. Raj Kapoor trafficked in boundary-pushing sexuality in later films like Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) and Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).

Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to asthma in 1988 at sixty-three years of age.At the time of his death he was working on the movie Henna (an Indo-Pakistani love story). The film was later completed by his son Randhir Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor is appreciated both by film critics and ordinary film fans. Film historians and movie buffs speak of him as the "Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema," since he often portrayed a tramp-like figure, who, despite adversity, was still cheerful and honest. His fame spread world-wide. He was adored by audiences in large parts of Africa, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union; his movies were commercial successes.

Many of Raj Kapoor's movies had a patriotic theme. His films Aag,Shri 420 and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hein (In the Country Where the Ganges Flows) celebrated the newly independent India, and encouraged film-goers to be patriots.
The Kapoor family hailed from Samundri near the town of Lyallpur in present-day Pakistan. Raj Kapoor was born on 14th December 1924, at Peshawar in the North-West Frontier Province of what is now Pakistan. He was named Ranbirraj Kapoor at birth, and was the eldest of the four children of renowned stage and cinema actor Prithviraj Kapoor and his wife Smt. Ramsarni (Rama) Devi nee Mehra. His younger brothers were the actors Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor. He also had a sister by name Urmila Sial.

In 1946, at the age of twenty-two, Raj Kapoor was wed to Krishna Malhotra in a traditional family-arranged wedding. Krishna was Raj Kapoor's first cousin once removed, being his father's maternal uncle's daughter. Their eldest son Randhir was born the following year, followed by their elder daughter Ritu the year after, in 1948. The second son Rishi was born in 1952, and second daughter Rima in 1956. Their youngest son, Rajiv was born in 1962. Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv have all been associated with the Hindi film industry as actors, directors or producers.

Raj Kapoor is also known to have had a longtime romantic relationship with the renowned actress Nargis during the 1950s. The couple starred in several films together, including Awaara and Shri 420.

Noted film personalities Karisma and Kareena Kapoor are the granddaughters of Raj and Krishna Kapoor, being the daughters of their eldest son Randhir by his wife Babita.

Rajesh Khanna

Name: Rajesh Khanna
Birthday: Tuesday, December 29, 1942
Star Sign : Sagittarius
First Film : Akhri Khat















BIOGRAPHY

In the 60s there came an euphoria, a craze, a tidal wave which swept the entire genre of womankind with those naughty crinkling eyes, the stylish shake of the head and the enigmatic smile. It belonged to none other than superstar Rajesh Khanna, who later, with an amazing fan following, went on to create history of sorts in the Indian film industry.

Born in Amritsar, on 29th December 1942, Jatin Khanna (now Rajesh Khanna or `kaka` as he is affectionately called) was the adopted child of his parents and hence pampered right from the start. When the young Jatin expressed the desire to act, he became that rare newcomer who struggled in his own MG sports car! After doing theater, he was selected by the United Producers` Talent Contest.

Though Rajesh Khanna began his film career with inconsequential movies like Akhri Khat (1966) and Raaz (1967), but once Aradhna (1969) was released, he spread a frenzy in the masses that remained unfazed long after.

There was no obvious rationale for the Rajesh Khanna miracle. He didn`t really have the conventional good looks, yet the boy-next-door appeal and the charisma generated through his twinkling eyes and heady smile were enough to ensure the birth of a super-duper star.

He began his rule over the tinsel town when both his films Aradhana and Do Raaste ran simultaneously in the same year (1969), to become golden jubilee hits. A spate of stupendous hits like Safar, Sachcha Jhutha and Kati Patang followed within 1970. He could play the playful or the tragic romantic effortlessly with equal grace.

Khanna put an end to the Shammi Kapoor era, when he consolidated his position as the king of the box office by delivering a hat-trick of hits in 1971, in the form of Andaz, Anand and Amar Prem. Khanna immortalized himself through Anand when he played the poignant role of a determinedly cheerful chatterbox, living under the shadow of a fatal disease.

He was brilliant in Bawarchi (1972), Namak Haram (1973) Daag and Aan Milo Sajna (1973). Prem Nagar (1974) Aap Ki Kasam (1974) and Mehbooba (1976) also won him accolades.

With an appetite for creating headlines, he created a furore in the media by marrying the nubile Bobby girl Dimple Kapadia, overnight by separating from his longtime girlfriend Anju Mahendru. All the media focus was on him and anything that he did made hot news.

But then "Change happeneth to them all". The success by now had seemingly gone to his head, and thereafter, he was on the decline - both professionally and personally. Post-1974, though he starred in many movies, his era started to end with the onslaught of the new angry young man Amitabh Bachchan, who brought aggression and fire to the screen as against the romantic Rajesh with mannerisms that now looked jaded and repetitive. This was also followed by the split in his marriage with Dimple.

In a desperate attempt to regain his past glory he even tried pairing up with younger heroines like Sridevi, Padmini Kolhapure, Tina Munim who even happened to be his love interest for a long time, but all in vain. With a mix of flops and occasional hits like Thodi si Bewafai (1980), Agar Tum Na Hote (1983) Avtaar (1983), Souten (1983), he managed to survive.

But after that, he was seen less and less. He was appreciated in his final comeback vehicle Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999) due to his subtle and polished performance. Meanwhile, both his daughters Twinkle and Rinkie Khanna too joined Bollywood.

He recast his career as a politician and won an election from a Delhi constituency to become an Member of Parliament. But later, his defeat in the next election disillusioned him further and recently he made a comeback in one of the serials on television, to reach a wider audience. Years may have passed, blockbusters may have happened, the film galaxy may have produced several other stars, but those who have seen him in his heydays still believe that there was or there still is no one like him.!!

Rajni kant

Name: Rajni kant
Birthday: Monday, December 12, 1949
Star Sign : Sagittarius















BIOGRAPHY

Is he merely a mega star? People unfamiliar with the intricate ways Tamil films, its popularity and its sway over politics would wonder.

Such is his clout over the Tamilians all over the world that many of them are more than happy to sacrifice their life for their hero of reel life! One would, for one’s intellectual boorishness, tend to dismiss it as classic case of hyper-emotions. But that is disdainful to meteoric rise of a bus conductor to super stardom and his unparalleled charisma, unrivalled mannerism, unmatched talents and uncanny knack of stirring the sentiments of millions. He is Shivajirav Gaikwad alias Rajnikant. The living legend of Tamil films.

An insightful film critic since childhood, Rajnikant also learned the finer nuances of cinema from Madras film institute. Though Katha Sangama was his debut film, it was Apoorva Ragaangal, directed by K Balachander, which brought him into limelight. He admits that K Balachander is his mentor as it was under his tutelage that he flourished as an actor.

A veteran of more than 150 films, Rajni, as he is popularly known, may not be a critics’ choice. But he essentially is mass’ choice. He may not match the histrionics of some of his contemporaries. But none of his contemporaries matches his superlative style of acting and action. His flipping a cigarette before he catches it in his mouth would send the masses in hysteric delight. He has an uncanny knack of delivering the dialogues, which are carefully worded to strike straight at souls of masses. Perhaps none in Indian cinema matches his acumen to reach out to the masses through dialogues and actions. No wonder he enjoys a peerless position not only in Indian cinema but in socio-cultural and political realm of Tamil Nadu as well.

Over the years he has outgrown the status of mega star. The phenomenal success of his latest flicks Bhasha, Muthu, Arunachalam, Padayappa, underlines that fact. In Mani Ratnam-directed Dalapati, he gave a fitting reply to those critics who doubted his range of histrionics.

Rajni is one of the few south Indian heroes who successfully crossed over to the North. Andha Kannon , Giraftarr, Chal Baaz , Gangwa etc speak for his success in Bollywood.

Of late, his stock of actions and idiosyncrasies has been a huge success abroad too. That his latest film Padayappa was sold to a Japanese distributor for a mind-boggling sum of 50,000$ is testimony to his popularity in Japan. This amount is termed to be highest amount any Indian film fetched for a commercial release.

He is rare phenomenon in terms of commercial success of films. Even Amitabh Bachchan, the super star of Indian cinema, has given flops. But Rajni’s films never flop in box-office. What is the secret of his enviable success? Critics attribute his success to his mysterious ability (whatever may be the role he enacts on the screen) to identify with the common folk.

In 1999, Rajni completed 25 years in cinema. The Government of Indian in recognition of his outstanding contribution conferred on him Padmabhushan the same year.