Vidya Balan

Jhanvi, Daughter of Sridevi

Bollywood and South superhit actress Sridevi is going to introduce her daughter Jhanvi to the film industry. As Sri first stepped into Kollywood and then Bollywood, she is going to do the same with her daughter.

Jhanvi will be paired opposite Nagarjuna’s younger son Akil in a Telugu film. Boney and Sridevi’s eldest daughter Jhanvi still reflects a child look and so Sri will wait till she grows up and develops a mature look to suit the Hindi film industry.

Prachi Desai

Television’s golden girl, Prachi Desai’s demure and pretty looks catch the eye at first sight. She showed that she was an actress to watch out for in Rock On.

Basics on Prachi
Prachi Desai was born on 12th September 1988 in Surat, Gujarat, India. Prachi’s father was involved in theater. Her mother is Ameeta Desai.
Part of her school years were spent in Surat and part of it at St Joseph Convent in Panchgani. She studied at the Sinhgad College of Arts, Science & Commerce in Pune.
She did a course in modeling and was seventeen years old when she got her first role in television.

Prachi on TV

Prachi Desai’s first role in television was with Balaji Telefilms’ "Kasam Se" on Zee TV as Bani. She was part of the serial until 2008. She became the surprise winner of "Jhalak Dikhla Ja2" after returning back to the show as a wild card entry.

In Vodafone’s "Yeh Hai Jalwa", she was seen as a mentor for the team ‘Masti Ki Paathshaala’.
She won the Sabse Favourite Kaun’s Best Newcomer Award as as well as Best Actress on Television at the Kalakar’s Awards.

Prachi Desai’s Movies

Prachi Desai’s debut in movies was in the role of Sakshi in Rock On (2008) opposite Farhan Akhtar. She was convincing in her portrayal of a wife who is trying to make their marriage work.
Another movie is a comedy "Life Partner" with Tusshar Kapoor and her upcoming movie is "Once Upon A Time In Mumbai" with Emraan Hashmi.

Amrita Rao

Amrita Rao was born in Mumbai, to a well-to-do Saraswat Brahmin family, on June 7th 1981. In Sanskrit "Amrita" is a drink which gives you immortality. This model-turned-actress has got the talent and beauty to be immortal in viewers mind.

Amrita never really dreamed to be an actress because she thought that with no contacts in the film industry, it would be a tough battle to establish her there. But she made it to Bollywood. Even though she has just acted in ten films so far, one of them is from Sooraj Barjatya. Her beauty bowled over acclaimed international painter M.F Husain and inspired him to make a series of paintings depicting her and her film "Vivah".

It all started when, while studying psychology at the Sophia College in Mumbai, she auditioned for "Fairever Cream" and to her surprise, got selected from among 60 other contestants. The close-up Ad campaign followed and it became a big success, granting her loads of offers. Within a year, she became one of the most sought-after models in India.

Her Cadbury's Perk and Nestle Bru Coffee advertisements fetched her offers from top directors, but she was apprehensive at first, as she wanted to complete her studies. After completing her studies, she signed Raj Kanwar's "Ab Ke Baras" which was also Raj Babbar's son Aarya's launch vehicle. The film didn't do as well as expected; she also got an offer to act in a historical film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi's "The legend of Bagath Singh", even though it was a small role.

"Ishq Vishk", with Shahid Kapur became a huge hit and earned her the girl-next-door image. She also won the best debutante award from Filmfare, Stardust and IIFA for the movie. She followed up the success with "Masti", a sex-comedy and "Main Hoon Na", which featured Shah Rukh Khan and gave her worldwide popularity. She also acted in "Deewaar", "Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi", "Shikhar", and "Pyare Mohan".

"Vivah", the Sooraj Barjatya movie is a big turning point of her career. Not only is the film a big success worldwide, but she has also gained a huge fan following of all ages through it. She and her co-star in the film, Shahid Kapur are considered the most promising pair after Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol.

The best thing about Amrita is that not only is she beautiful and talented, but she also has no hang-ups and is very down-to-earth, which makes her easy to work with. After "Vivah" she has lots of offers coming her way, but like before, she is taking it slow, waiting for the right scripts, because she knows "Slow and steady wins the race!"

Lara Dutta

Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000, was crowned the first Miss Universe of the new millennium on May 12, 2000 in Cyprus. The 5' 8'' Femina Miss India Universe was also judged Miss Photogenic at the preliminary round in Hyderabad on January 8.Lara Dutta, A student of Mass Communications, Mumbai University, beat out an incredible 60,000 applicants to take the Femina Miss India crown. High spirited and very adventurous by nature she cannot refuse a dare. Her fascination with astrology at an early age made Lara interested in being an astronomer or astronaut. An adventurous girl who is fearless and has done it all seeks more adventure. She is an established model by profession and has appeared in several advertisements like Synergie, Ceat, Coke, Sprite, etc.

Lara was born the youngest of three children to Wg. Cdr. L.K. Dutta (retired) and Jennifer Dutta in Ghaziabad, India on April 16,1978. In 1981, her family moved to Bangalore, India where she attended high school. After receiving the highest score in India on the English section of her National Board Exams, Lara continued her education at Bombay University and completed a degree in economics and a minor in communications.

As a representative of the Miss Universe Organization, Lara travels the world on behalf of the organization's sponsors and official cause, AIDS/HIV awareness. Lara is involved in AmFar (Americans for AIDS Research) and Hale House, a home for children born with HIV and drug addiction. Lara also works with the Harvard AIDS Institute by hosting forums and participating in events throughout the year. In addition, recently named UN Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Lara will work with Face to Face International. This international campaign is focused on increasing global awareness of woman's rights, especially access to reproductive health care and family planning services.

Kajol

Actress: Kajol

Address: Usha Kiran, Altamount Road, Mumbai 400 026, India

Date of Birth: 5th August 1975

Kajol

Kajol is not so beautiful, but there is some magnet in her personality, that attracts people.

Born to the producer-actress duo of Shomu Mukherjee and Tanuja on August 5, 1975, Kajol grew up in an influential setting. Her father and uncles ruled in the arena of producing films and her mother, Tanuja, aunt Nutan and grandmother Shobhana Samarth were established actresses par excellence.

Kajol took up films more as a hobby pursuit than a career choice. Rooted firmly in a family of film people, Kajol has strong financial support. Therefore, the actress was fortunate to never having to compromise on the kind of films she wanted to do for the sake of money.

The pre-requisites of a Bollywood actress, like a light complexion, dancing abilities, a slim and slender silhouette, chiseled features, all this Kajol did not enjoy. But she was an individual who did not fear to voice her thoughts and opinions, had loads of confidence, and oozed talent.

Kajol stepped into filmdom with Rahul Rawaail as her director and Kamal Sadaana as her co-star in a film titled Bekhudi. The film flopped but Kajol's draw continued to rise. Yeh Dillagi established her credentials as an actress. Her performance in the film made people sit up and notice the spontaneity and confidence she oozed.

There was no looking back. Hits or flops, Kajol remained unaffected. With every passing day her order rose and she became a star. She is the only actress in the recent crop on whom distributors and producers could bank on for returns.

At the peak of her career, in her usual carefree approach to making decisions in life, she decided to tie the nuptial knot and move away from the camera for sometime. Not even once did the thought of the consequences marriage could mean to her career irk her. She was in love and wanted to marry. It was that simple.

Kajol is back from her sabbatical and ready for work. But she is sure of one thing. That her schedules are going to be relaxed. Remember she treats films as a leisure pursuit, not a medium for money. That she in any case has plenty. Plus there are hubby Ajay Devgan's Production Company, a dotcom enterprise and a distribution company.

In future, Kajol will be seen in projects of her home production company and in a select few ventures from outside.

Karishma Kapoor

Karisma made her debut in the 1991 movie Prem Qaidi, which was a semi-hit. Although most of her multiple releases from 1992-1996 failed to do well at the box office, she had some success with films like Jigar (1992), Anari (1993), Raja Babu (1994), Coolie No. 1 (1995), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996) and Jeet (1996).

In 1996, Kapoor played the female lead in Dharmesh Darshan's Raja Hindustani opposite Aamir Khan. The movie was the highest grossing film of the yearand she won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award. The following year, she won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award and the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Yash Chopra's super-hit,Dil To Pagal Hai opposite Shahrukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit.

In 2000, she won her second Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Khalid Mohammed's Fiza. Her performance in the film was much appreciated as she surprised the audiences and the critics showing great emotional range and depth. She also achieved critical acclaim for her role in the film, Zubeidaa (2001), which garnered her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Her performance in Shakti - The Power (2002) was highly appreciated and earned her many nominations in the Best Actress category.

In 2003 she played the leading role in the television series Karishma: A Miracle of Destiny. After her film, Baaz: A Bird In Danger which also released in 2003, she took a sabbatical from full time acting for three years.

Her most recent release was the delayed film, Mere Jeevan Saathi (2006) in which she played a negative role.

Kareena Kapoor is sister of Karishma Kapoor.

Rani Mukherjee

Actress: Rani Mukherjee

Date of Birth: Mar 4

Address: B/404, Shakti Building, Kalyan Complex, Yari Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai - 400061

Karishma Kapoor

Actress: Karishma Kapoor

Date of Birth: Jun 25

Address: 2-B/110/1201, Excellency, 4th Cross Road, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri (West), Mumbai - 400058.

Madhuri Dixit

Madhuri Dixit’s allure lies in her classic good looks and poise. The much sought after actress was the muse of artist M.F.Hussain and is tagged as an outstanding dancer adding that extra bit of spice to the film screens.

Madhuri Shankar Dixit was born on 15th May 1967 into a Marathi Brahmin family in Mumbai, India. Her parents are Shankar and Snehalata Dixit. She is the youngest of four children. She has two older sisters Rupa and Bharati and an older brother Ajit.

Madhuri studied at the Parle College and considered a future in micro-biology. She also trained in Kathak for over eight years.

She was linked with actor Sanjay Dutt before she married Sriram Madhav Nene, a surgeon based in the USA in 1999. They have two sons, Arin born in 2003 and Ryan in 2005. The family lives in Denver, Colorado.

The Government of India conferred Madhuri the Padma Shri Award, the highest civilian award in 2008.

Queen of Hearts

It took Madhuri Dixit a little over three years before she shot to fame. Madhuri’s first movie was Abodh in 1984 and after a few forgettable performances, she appeared in Dayavan. Tezaab with Anil Kapoor became a box office hit and she followed this with performances in Ram Lakhan, Prem Prathiyaga, Tridev and Parinda which became India’s official entry to the Oscars. Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor enjoyed a successful chemistry on screen and worked together in many movies.

1990 to 1995 Madhuri won the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1990 for her role as Madhu in Indra Kumar’s Dil opposite Aamir Khan. Saajan, a love triangle, starring Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt did good business in 1991. She starred with Anil Kapoor in 1992 in movies like Khel, Zindagi Ek Jua and Beta. One of Madhuri’s most famous dance sequences Dhak Dhak Karne Laga was from Beta. She won another Filmfare Best Actress Award.

In 1993, Khalnayak with Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff was a blockbuster while her dance sequence Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai created ripples as she sets off to trap the criminal Ballu. If Anjaam with Shah Rukh Khan in 1994 failed to do well, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun with Salman Khan broke records and added another feather, a rather bright one, in her cap. She won her third Filmfare Best Actress Award. She had two releases in 1995, Raja and Yaarana.

Madhuri’s success rate tapered until the 1997 release Yash Chopra’s Dil to Paagal Hai as Pooja, a dancer. In 2000, she faced Anil Kapoor once again in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Pukar as Anjali who wreaks havoc in the life of Major Jaidev Rajvansh. She was also seen in M.F.Hussain’s Gaja Gamini. The movie famously inspired by her, explores the different facets of a woman.

In 2001, she played Jhanki in Lajja that centered around strong female characters. In Devdas, a much anticipated release in 2002, Madhuri donned the role of a courtesan Chandramukhi whose love for Devdas doesn’t save him. Her portrayal of the courtesan won her the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

She moved away from Bollywood for five years and returned back in Aaja Nachle in 2007 as Dia who is trying to bring the Ajanta Theater back on to its feet. The movie didn’t earned as expected.

Madhubala

The collective gasp that went up in theatres this week as Madhubala unveiled her magnetic beauty to an entirely new generation of moviegoers can be heard all over the country.

The Madhubala magic has reawakened, thanks to the enchantment created by the newly coloured version of K. Asif's timeless "Mughal-e-Azam" which opened this week.

The magic of Madhubala in "Mughal-e-Azam" is the magic of Hindi cinema. She epitomises all the grace and feminine beauty that make those flickering images on screen come alive as a collective emblem of the life force.

And to think that she died so young. Thirty-six is no age to die. Not for one of the most beautiful women god ever created... or maybe he needed to have her up there to beautify heaven.

Madhubala is as much synonymous with beauty as Lata Mangeshkar is with melody.

Short-lived as her stardom was, Madhubala's reign at the top was swift and splendid.

Born in a conservative Muslim family, Madhubala started her career in 1942 at the age of nine in "Basant". Her first hit as a grown-up leading lady was Kidar Sharma's "Neel Kamal" where both she and Raj Kapoor were introduced.

It was Kamal Amrohi's "Mahal" in 1949 which gave Madhubala the image of an ethereal, unattainable yet warm and gregarious beauty who could be diva and she-devil at the same time. Lata Mangeshkar's haunting melody "Ayega aanewala" added immense allure to Madhubala's screen persona. The actress and the singer remained associated throughout Madhubala's life and career.

Lata Mangeshkar recalls meeting Madhubala socially. "She was always warm and friendly. Though everyone stressed on her breathtaking beauty, Madhubala never took her looks seriously."

Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor (born on September 21, 1980), often informally referred to as Bebo, is an Indian film actress who appears in Bollywood films. Born into a film family where both her parents, Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and her elder sister Karisma were actors, Kapoor faced the media spotlight from a very young age. However, she did not make her acting debut until the 2000 film Refugee, which earned her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Her melodrama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham became India’s highest grossing film in the overseas market in 2001 and is her biggest commercial success to date.

After receiving negative reviews for a series of repetitive roles between 2002 and 2003, Kapoor accepted more demanding roles to avoid being typecast, and consequently was recognized by critics for displaying greater versatility between 2004 and 2006. Her portrayal of a sex worker in Chameli (2004) proved to be the turning point in her career and garnered her the Filmfare Special Performance Award. She later received two Critics Awards for Best Actress at the Filmfare ceremony for her performances in the critically acclaimed Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006).

In 2007, Kapoor earned a Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in the Imtiaz Ali directed romantic comedy film, Jab We Met. Although the box office earnings of her films have varied considerably, Kapoor has established herself as one of the leading contemporary actresses in the Hindi film industry. Kapoor’s off-screen life is subject to wide media coverage in India with frequent press coverage of her and boyfriend, actor Saif Ali Khan and speculation of a possible marriage.

In 2007, Kapoor starred opposite Shahid Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali’s romantic comedy Jab We Met. Relating the story of two people with contrasting personalities who meet on a train and eventually fall in love, Kapoor played the female protagonist Geet Dhillon, a vivacious Sikh girl with a strong zest for life. The film was received favourably by critics and became one of the year’s most successful films, earning a domestic total of Rs 303 million (US$ 6.45 million). Kapoor won several awards for her performance, including a Filmfare Best Actress Award and her second Star Screen Award for Best Actress. Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN noted, "Uninhibited and spontaneous, Kareena Kapoor is the soul of this picture, its biggest strength, as she brings alive her character with not just those smart lines, but with the kind of candor actors seldom invest in their work."

Following Jab We Met, Kapoor featured alongside Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Anil Kapoor in the action-thriller Tashan (2008). Though an indiaFM poll named it the most anticipated film of the year, Tashan eventually became a commercial and critical failure. Kapoor next provided her voice for the character of Laila, the love interest of a street dog named Romeo, in the Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures animated film Roadside Romeo. It was the second Bollywood film to receive a North American release by a Hollywood studio. In preparation for her role, Kapoor viewed several Hollywood animated films to analyse how actors delivered their dialogues. Kapoor was criticised for failing to promote the film as she ventured into other projects.

Kapoor next starred in Rohit Shetty’s comedy Golmaal Returns, the sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal. A part of an ensemble cast that included Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Arora, Celina Jaitley, and Anjana Sukhani, Kapoor played a distrustful wife who believed her husband to be unfaithful. The film received a mixed reception from critics and Kapoor herself received mixed reviews. The Indian Express believed the screenplay was unoriginal, concluding, "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Kareena plays it." Golmaal Returns was nonetheless a major financial success, with revenues of over Rs 500 million (US$ 10.65 million) domestically.

As of March 2009, Kapoor has completed filming for the romantic drama Kambakkht Ishq alongside Akshay Kumar. It is the first Indian film in history to be shot within Universal Studios Hollywood, California and features several cameo appearances from Hollywood actors. She has also completed filming Prem Soni’s drama Main Aur Mrs. Khanna in which she is to star alongside Salman Khan. Kapoor was also cast as the lead in Rajkumar Hirani’s Three Idiots, which began principal photography in July 2008. The romantic comedy film Milenge Milenge is also scheduled for a late 2009 release, having been postponed since 2005.

During her years in the film industry, Kapoor has also devoted time to other commitments, from being involved with humanitarian causes to participating in stage shows. In 2002, Kapoor set off on her first world tour, the Heartthrobs Concert, alongside Hrithik Roshan, Karisma Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, and Aftab Shivdasani. The show was performed throughout the US and Canada and went on to become a success. In November 2003, Kapoor performed at the Marco Ricci Each One Reach One Benefit Concert, a fundraiser for the World Youth Peace Summit, whilst in 2005, along with other Bollywood stars, she took part in the HELP! Telethon Concert to help raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Later that year, she visited the desert heartland of Rajasthan to boost the morale of the jawans for a special Holi weekend episode on the NDTV show, Jai Jawan. The show consists of entertainers and stars visiting Indian troops in isolated regions along with the NDTV team.

In 2006, Kapoor took part in the Rockstars Concert world tour, along with Salman Khan, Zayed Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Esha Deol and Mallika Sherawat. The following year, Kapoor, along with Priyanka Chopra, donated her half-share of five million rupees from her winnings on Kaun Banega Crorepati (India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home and Mount Mary’s Bandra. In June 2008, Kapoor appeared on the game show Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? alongside boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, and donated half of her Rs. 5,000,000 (US$ 106,500) winnings to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home, Bandra. In 2009, she once again donated her winnings of Rs. 1,000,000 (US$ 21,300) from 10 Ka Dum to St. Anthony’s Old Age Home.

Kapoor has endorsed several brands, including Kurkure and the clothing chain Globus. Kapoor is the Globus brand ambassador and features in its advertisements; since her start, the brand has experienced a 75 percent increase in sales.

Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra (born July 18, 1982) is an Indian film actress and former Miss World, who acts in Bollywood films.

After winning the title of Miss India World and later becoming Miss World 2000, Chopra made her acting debut with the Tamil film Thamizhan (2002). The following year, she made her Bollywood debut with Anil Sharma’s The Hero: Love Story of a Spy and had her first commercial success with her second release, Andaaz from the same year, for which she won a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. Becoming the second woman to win the Filmfare Best Villain Award for her critically acclaimed performance in Abbas-Mustan’s Aitraaz (2004), Chopra later went on to deliver commercial success with films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Krrish (2006), her biggest commercial success so far, and Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006). In 2008, Chopra earned the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Fashion, thus establishing herself as a popular actress.
She was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkand to Ashok Chopra and Madhu Akhauri, both doctors by profession. Chopra spent her childhood in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh; Newton, Massachusetts; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her father was in the army and thus her family moved quite frequently. Her father hailed from a family of Punjabi Khatri origin, settled in Bareilly and her mother comes from a Bihari Kayastha family settled in Jamshedpur. She also has a brother, Siddharth, who is seven years younger than she.

Chopra studied at St. Maria Goretti in Bareilly and La Martiniere Girls’ School in Lucknow as a young girl. These frequent re-locations took place as Ashok was a doctor in the Indian Army. She subsequently re-located to the U.S. where she studied in Newton’s Newton South High School in Newton, Massachusetts and then in John F. Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She returned to India and did her high school at Army School in Bareilly. She began college at Jai Hind College in Mumbai but left after winning the Miss World pageant.

Chopra was crowned Miss India World and later Miss World in 2000. In the same year, Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza, both also from India, won the Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific crowns, in a rare triple victory for one country.

When Chopra won the Miss World crown, she became the fifth Indian woman to win the title, and the fourth Indian woman to win in a span of seven years.After winning the Miss World title, Chopra became an actress. She made her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Thamizhan alongside Vijay, in which she also sung playback, before moving on to Bollywood. In 2003, her first Bollywood film, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy released and won her good reviews. Despite being given a below average status, the film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of that year.

Her next film, Andaaz opposite Akshay Kumar was a success, earning her a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award and a nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.
In 2004, her film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi was released, and became the third highest grossing film of that year. Her next release, Aitraaz, was a Hindi remake of the Demi Moore vehicle Disclosure. It was her first "negative" role, where she played the villain. Her performance won critical acclaim and earned a Filmfare Best Villain Award. She also received a second nomination for Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. In the same year, she participated in a world tour titled Temptations 2004 with several of Bollywood’s leading stars, including Shahrukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta and Arjun Rampal.

In 2005, several of her films were released, though most did not do well at the box office.

In 2006, Chopra starred in two of the most successful films of the year - Krrish and Don - The Chase Begins Again.

Nikhil Advani’s ensemble piece, Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute To Love was Chopra’s first release in 2007. The movie failed to do well at the box office. Chopra’s next release, Big Brother also underperformed. Her other releases in 2008 included Love Story 2050, God Tussi Great Ho, Chamku and Drona, all of which were considered flops. However, her most recent releases, Fashion and Dostana, have succeeded at the box office, and her performance in the former garnered her critical acclaim, winning her the Filmfare Best Actress Award as well as numerous other awards.

In 2009 she will be appearing in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Kaminey, Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Raashee? and Jugal Hansraj’s Pyaar Impossible.

Rani Mukherjee

Member of the same illustrious film family from which Kajol draws her lineage Rani Mukherjee may still be at a distance from the citadel that houses her cousin. But there is no doubt about the light-eyed Bengali girl's mass appeal. Moreover, she is putting all her efforts and working hard to reach there.

Precocious yet innocently oblivious of it, it is the actress's unassuming self which draw friends and well-wishers to her.

Producers made a beeline for Rani's door (she was riding high on the success of Ghulam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) and just as she was gradually shifting positions towards the top in the popularity charts, she started getting the jolts. Good nature did not really help Rani in gaining stronghold and consolidating her position in Mumbai.

Films like Baadal cast a shadow on her prospects. The film left theatres in India without a whimper. Hope was alive in the form of Hadh Kar Di Aapne, which was in the pipeline. Rani had faith in Govinda and David Dhawan's saleability at the box office. Unfortunately, the film failed to raise a laugh and the cash boxes did not ring.

Rani tried to remain unfazed. She was looking towards the future and Hey Ram. As an actress, Rani was proud to be associated with an actor-director of Kamal Haasan's caliber and was thrilled to have Hey Ram in her lap. Even Hey Ram did not propel her career to the extent she had expected. There wasn't any critical appreciation of her performance in the film. Infact, Rani's fans became aloof when they saw their favorite actress locked in a passionate kiss in the film.

The actress does not regret though. ''I wanted to work with Mr. Kamal Haasan. The rest did not matter'' she said in an interview some time ago.

Rani still is excited about the projects that are lined up as her next films. A series of unsuccessful runs have not dampened the giggly self. She continues to be sprightly.

Katrina Kaif

KATRINA KAIF was born in Hong Kong on Jul 16, 1984. Her father is Kashmiri and her mother is British. Katrina has 7 siblings. She was raised in Hawaii and later moved to England. Her nickname is Kat. Her height is 5 feet and 8 and half inch.

At 14, she started modeling. She continued modeling in London.

Katrina grew up in Hawaii, but was brought up in London, UK. She started modeling accidentally when she was in Hawaii at the tender age of 14, when she was approached for a jewelery campaign. Thereafter she continued modeling in London.

Continuing to model was the reason she got her break in a Bollywood movie "Boom" offered by none other than film-maker Kaizad Gustad.

She was flooded with modeling assignments the minute she set her foot on Indian soil, especially with her innocent expressive face, hour-glass figure, and drop-dead gorgeous looks.

Professionally she started off as a model with photographer Atul Kasbekar, and upon being accepted, she received offers from LG, Cola, Fevicol, Lakme, & Veet. It was the Lakme commercial that got her noticed. She retained Matrix as her Manager to accept work on her behalf and at the price she deserved.

Moving to different culture and country was not much of a culture shock for her, as she states that no matter where you come from, the bottom line is that everyone wants to be loved, respected, and cared for.

Unlike other artistes from foreign lands, Katrina did not experience any difficulties in getting a visa nor of getting it extended in India.

Although linguistically challenged, Katrina puts on a bold face and states that other Bollywood artistes like Sridevi, who did not know Hindi, did get offers from Bollywood film-makers, and she is no different. She is taking Hindi and dancing lessons to fit in with the Bollywood culture. She likes to display a picture of her learning Kathak dancing where she used to dance 7 hours a day non-stop.

Despite of her soft gorgeous looks, she is not easily intimidated, but admits that she is very emotional, almost an incurable romantic, wears comfortable non-revealing clothes when at home, hates to do her hair, and above all dislikes make-up. Admitting to being lonely in the beginning, but now has several nice friends who she can hang out with.

Although her first movie "Boom" was panned by the critics and shunned by the audiences, two other Telegu movies "Malliswari" and "Pidugu" did get her noticed. She grossed Rs.70 lakhs for Malliswari - making her top the list of the highest paid actresses during a South Indian movie debut.

Not done with South Indian movies, she has been signed in a Tamil movie "Bheema" opposite National Award Winner Vikram.

She has received decent reviews for her part in "Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya", as well as a brief appearance in "Sarrkar".

Katrina has now made Bombay her base, and doesn't mind singing and dancing around trees while she's at it, and is determined to make it big in Bollywood.