ANIL KAPOOR
Global glory
Age: 50, Profile: Actor - producer, Laurels: National Award for Best Actor in Pukar. Screen Award for Best Actor in Virasat and Best Supporting Actor in Taal
As he beamed along with his Slumdog Millionaire team from the Oscars podium, Anil Kapoor proved that he had spread his wings and he was set to soar higher. This year has been exceptional for Kapoor in many ways - as his home production Gandhi - My Father lifted three National Awards and he also landed a pivotal role in 24, a popular American action drama TV series that depicts a 24-hour period in the life of Jack Bauer, who works with the US government as it fights domestic threats.
The second son of veteran film producer Surinder Kapoor, Anil always aspired to dazzle the celluloid with his acting. He made a dashing breakthrough under his father’s banner in Woh 7 Din. He shot to dizzy heights of stardom with blockbuster hits like Karma, Mr India, Tezaab and Ram Lakhan and was the superstar of the late ‘80s. He made a hit on-screen pair with Madhuri Dixit in films like Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Kishen Kanhaiya and Beta. He kept reinventing himself and starred in a variety of roles that established his histrionic versatility in Eeshwar, Taal, Nayak and Viraasat.
He won his first National Award for Best Actor in Pukar and then diversified into film production with Badhai Ho Badhai and My Wife’s Murder. He continued spinning out winning performances in comic bonanzas like No Entry and Welcome and also essayed a light role in Race and a mature role in Subhash Ghai’s Black And White. Tashan and Yuvraaj were some of the recent commercial films he was seen in.
He is now sunk himself deep in two home productions - No Problem and Aiesha, the latter starring his daughter Sonam in the title-role. As his daughter rightly summed up, “Dad is too young to play my father on screen!”

DAVID DHAWAN
Big-ticket director
Age: 58, Profile: Editor-director, Laurels: Box-office wizard
After Partner, the winning jodi of Govinda and David Dhawan is back with Do Knot Disturb. The laugh- riot is likely to lure legions of their fans back to the marquee. Dhawan has also been simultaneously directing Hook Ya Crook, a jail escape drama with cricket as the backdrop. His box- office credentials make him the B-Town’s big-ticket director. Ironically, he was trained at the Film and Television Institute of India which is synonymous with more meaningful cinema!
David aka Rajinder Dhawan is a trained film editor and edited several films before turning a director himself with action thrillers Taaqatwar, Jurrat, Aag Ka Gola and Aandhiyan, all of which failed to stir up the box-office. Only after he teamed up with Govinda in a family drama Swarg, did he come into his own.
With Aankhen, a mad -cap comedy starring Govinda, Chunky Pandey and a monkey, Dhawan realised his true calling. He had a natural flair for comedy and together with Govinda he kept the audience in splits for years with a series of comedies like Coolie No 1, Hero No 1 and Jodi No 1. The two have made over a dozen films so far. And their box-office magic continues.
Comedy specialist Dhawan has also a great tuning with Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan. While his elder brother Anil Dhawan is a yesteryear hero, his sons Rohit and Varun are all set to enter Bollywood. While the elder son Rohit is directing Come On Pappu, the younger Varun evinces interest in acting. Considered a legend unto himself, the maker of the flashiest and most glam films is a simple man togged invariably in track pants and tees flashing a smile that always reaches his eyes.

DIMPLE KAPADIA
Still a sizzler
Age: 52, Profile:Actor - entrepreneur, Laurels: National Award for Best Actress in Rudaali
Her fans look forward to her rare appearances. Whether she’s lending her voice to an animated feature Jumbo or playing the star mama in Luck By Chance, Dimple Kapadia likes to tread the path less-trodden. She continues to be the fantasy woman for heroes and fashion designers alike. Still a sizzler, she likes to underplay her glam quotient as she declares that the most enjoyable role of life now is that of being a real-life granny. She’s diversified to manufacturing handmade candles; her Faraway Tree remains a brand to reckon with. She also helps out daughter Twinkle with her interior designer shop The White Window.
She was just 16 when Raj Kapoor spotted her and launched her in the teen romance Bobby opposite his young son Rishi. Dimple’s nubile charm and bikini scene shot her to fame but even before she could taste her newfound stardom, she was married to the reigning superstar Rajesh Khanna. Her career was nipped in the bud and she settled for domesticity and maternity.
Following her divorce at 28, she returned with her original hero Rishi Kapoor with Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar. Her fleeting topless scene in the film became a talking point then. She caused ripples with a lovemaking scene with Anil Kapoor in Janbaaz.
Through the ‘80s and ‘90s she kept appearing in films but it was in ‘93 that she got her due when she was awarded the National Award for Best Actress for her realistic role in Rudaali. The turn of the century saw the emergence of Dimple in a mature avatar as she played Akshaye Khanna’s elderly muse in Dil Chahta Hai. She paired up with Rishi in Pyaar Mein Twist and her embittered haus frau part in Being Cyrus won accolades.

NASEERUDDIN SHAH
The rebel
Age: 59, Profile: Actor, director, Laurels: Padma Bhushan and three National Awards for Best Actor in Sparsh, Paar and Best Supporting Actor in Iqbal. Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in Iqbal.
He will play the bride’s father in the Broadway adaptation of Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding. He will also be seen lusting after Vidya Balan and even waltzing with her in a ‘dream sequence’ as a petty thief in his forthcoming Ishqiya. Naseeruddin Shah never fails to spring a surprise. So much for the actor, who openly and unabashedly claims, “Movie acting is the most boring job in the world. No one would do it if it weren’t for the money.” And goes on to heave a sigh of relief saying,” Nature has saved me from major stardom and not condemned me to play the same role film after film.” Even Amitabh Bachchan praises him for his “courage to support films with a cause”.
However Padma Bhushan Naseeruddin Shah is contented with essaying multifarious roles on stage for his Motley Group which recently turned 30. An Aligarh Muslim University graduate and National School of Drama and Film and Television Institute of India alumnus - his film debut with Shyam Benegal’s Nishant marked the arrival of a rebel. Hailed as the hero of parallel cinema, his films Manthan, Saaransh, Bhavni Bhavai, Chakra, Katha and Bazaar enjoyed a niche following. He dabbled in mainstream films beginning with Hum Paanch followed by Karma, Tridev and Mohra. He essayed his dream role of Mahatma Gandhi in Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram!
Later, he starred in international projects such as Monsoon Wedding and in The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen co-starring Sean Connery, he played the evil Captain Nemo. He was seen in the Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye as a secular moulvi. Although he had directed plays for his theatre group earlier, he ventured into film direction with Yun Hota To Kya Hota...What If?, a film based on the 9/11 Twin Tower blasts in the US that failed to work at the box-office.
The success of A Wednesday, in which he portrayed the part of a disgruntled common man who holds the Government to ransom to teach them a lesson brought him back in the limelight. Yet he shuns attention and prefers to play out different roles on stage.

MIRA NAIR
Flying high
Age: 52, Profile: Producer- director, Laurels: Oscar nomination and National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for Salaam Bombay! and Golden Camera Award at Cannes Festival for the same
Even as her shaadi flick Monsoon Wedding is being adapted as a Broadway musical, heavy betting is on for her forthcoming Hilary Swank - Richard Gere starrer Amelia for an Oscar nomination! This biopic of the mysterious disappearance of aviation pioneer, feminist and author Amelia Earhart opens in late October. Only thrice in history has a woman been nominated for Best Director, so is Mira Nair now poised to join the distinguished club?
The commercial success of her last release The Namesake enhances her chances further. This Delhi girl sure is flying high. Educated at Delhi and Harvard Universities, she directed four documentaries at the outset of her career - of which India Cabaret, a film about the lives of strippers in a Bombay nightclub, won an award at the American Film Festival in1986.
She made a dazzling feature film debut with Salaam Bombay! in 1988 - it won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also got nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Using the proceeds of the film, she established Salaam Baalak Trust, an organisation for street children.
Her Mississippi Masala starring Denzil Washington and Sarita Choudhury showcased the plight of a displaced Ugandan -Indians living and working in Mississippi. Then followed The Perez Family by Christine Bell and it starred Marisa Tomei.
Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love, a film set in 16th-century India, which celebrated Vatsyayana’s treatise on love-making. And then came her big bonanza - Monsoon Wedding in 2001, about a colourful Punjabi Indian wedding - a film that cut across all barriers and turned out to be a huge global hit.
She made it to Hollywood big-league with her Reese Witherspoon film Vanity Fair, never mind if the film didn’t work - it established Nair’s brand. Her adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake also won her great accolades. Recently, she made a 12-minute movie on AIDS awareness funded by The Gates Foundation called Migration. Maisha, a film lab to help East Africans and South Asians learn to make films, is her pet project and it is conducted in Kampala, Uganda.
She may not have succeeded in snagging Johnny Depp for Shantaram but she’s flying high with Amelia.

NANA PATEKAR
Firebrand
Age: 58, Profile: Actor-director, Laurels: Three National Awards - for Best Actor in Krantiveer, Best Supporting Actor in Parinda and Agni Sakshi. Screen Award for Best Actor in Krantiveer and Apaharan
He plays the modern Krishna while Ajay Devgan the new age Arjun in Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti, which is supposed to be inspired by the basic storyline of Mahabharat. Firebrand artiste Nana Patekar also plans to return to direction 20-years after Prahaar his army-based film which starred Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit and him. His new directorial venture aims to launch his son, Malhar.
He lives in his farmhouse near Pune and grows his own vegetables and even joins the local farmers’ market with his produce. Willful and eccentric, the rough- hewn Marathi theatre actor has always called his shots. Commanding a hefty multi-crore fee for his acting assignments, Patekar lives life by his own rules.
Known for his unique and earthy style of acting and dialogue delivery, he’s basically a commercial artiste from Mumbai’s prestigious J. J. School of Art. He began his acting stint on Marathi stage and films and graduated to Bollywood with Mohre, but it was with B.R.Chopra’s Aaj Ki Awaz (as villain) and N.Chandra’s Ankush (as hero) that the Hindi filmdom took notice of him. His fiery act in Krantiveer turned him into a cult hero of the masses.
With Agnisakshi, Khamoshi: The Musical and Taxi No. 9-2-1-1 he proved his well-rounded histrionic capacity. He’s been a worthy recipient of the National Award thrice over - once the Best Actor in Krantiveer twice as Best Supporting Actor in Parinda and Agni Sakshi . His comic don role in Welcome added to his popularity. The winner of Screen Award for Krantiveer and Apaharan, Nana Patekar continues to deliver fresh punches with his acting.

RISHI KAPOOR
True-blue Kapoor
Age: 57, Profile: Actor, Laurels: National Award for Best Child Artiste in Mera Naam Joker
Playing himself in the recently- released Chintuji, Rishi Kapoor showed that he’s still got what it takes to engage the audience. This novel storyline about how a brattish star gets reformed in the company of kind-hearted villagers won critical acclaim for the actor who’s spent 40 years in filmdom.
Rishi stole the show in Luck By Chance in the lovable role of a film producer Romy Rolly, he was the friendly neighbour Ali in Delhi 6, an evil scientist in Kal Kissne Dekha and the avuncular Sikh in Love Aaj Kal. He’s kept up with the changing times and plays the off-screen role of star-papa for Ranbir Kapoor now.
Rishi, known fondly as Chintu, won the National Film Award for Best Child Artiste for his coming-of-age role in Mera Naam Joker. Three years later, he was seen in the lead in Bobby which made him a star instantly. Youthful capers like Rafoo Chakkar and Khel Khel Mein made him a youth icon.
He teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan in Kabhi Kabhie, Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb and Coolie which were major hits. Musical bonanzas like Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, Sargam and Karz made him a rock star of those times. He was back with Dimple Kapadia in Saagar.
He emerged as the eternal lover boy as he romanced Sridevi in Chandni, Juhi Chawla in Bol Raadha Bol and Divya Bharati in Deewana.
He was the hero of his father Raj Kapoor’s last production Henna was directed by his brother Randhir Kapoor. It was also a musical hit.
With the turn of the century, Rishi Kapoor started playing character roles in Raju Chacha, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, Hum Tum and Fanaa. He re-united onscreen with Dimple Kapadia in Pyaar Mein Twist and continues to hold his own everytime he hits the screen.

REKHA
Eternal diva
Age: 54, Profile: Actor, Laurels: National Award for Best Actress in Umrao Jaan. Screen Award for Best Villain in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi
She continues to be the fantasy woman for men, the eternal diva and Bollywood’s legendary sex symbol. She plays Hrithik Roshan’s daadi in Krrish with the same ease as she plays the sensuous club singer in Parineeta. Rekha continues to reign the hearts of Indian cinegoers.
Bhanurekha Ganesan aka Rekha, the daughter of renowned Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan and Telugu actress Pushpavalli followed in her father’s footsteps. She made her debut in films as a teenager in Sawan Bhadon - the dark and unpleasantly plump debutante reshaped herself and her career to become one of our most glamorous heroinex.
She has acted in about 180 films. Her most successful pairings have been with Amitabh Bachchan and Jeetendra. Beginning with Do Anjaane, her partnership with Bachchan continued with other hits like Khoon Pasina, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Suhaag and Mr. Natwarlal while the Jeetendra-Rekha pair had hits like Anokhi Ada, Judaai, Ek Hi Bhool and many more.
Through a disciplined diet and yoga, she transformed herself into a diva she is with Khubsoorat. She also evolved into a meaningful actress with Do Anjaane, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Khubsoorat and Umrao Jaan.
The ‘80s marked a phase of great transition for her when as Umrao Jaan she polished her Urdu accent, played the courtesan to the hilt and won the National Award for her efforts.
In the post-Bachchan phase of her career, she worked in both mainstream and parallel cinema playing meaningful, woman-centric roles in Utsav, Baseraa, Ijaazat and Khoon Bhari Maang.
She played a pivotal role in Mira Nair’s Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love. Her role in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lajja won her great acclaim. Zubeidaa, Dil Hai Tumhaara, Koi... Mil Gaya and Krrish seemed to push her in the slot of motherly roles. Ever-changing and evolving - that’s Rekha.

SHABANA AZMI
Formula breaker
Age: 59, Profile: Actor, Social activist, Laurels: Five National Awards as Best Actress in Ankur, Arth, Khandhar, Paar and Godmother. Two Screen Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Mrityudand and Best Performance in an Indian Film in English for Morning Raga
She’s put on weight for her roly-poly mama role in Gurinder Chadha’s It’s A Wonderful Afterlife, she had earlier tonsured her head for the part of a Varanasi widow in Deepa Mehta’s Water, which eventually ran into trouble while shooting in India. Is she ready to go nude for a role, you enquired. Frowningly she replied, “Beyond a point it’s not the role, it’s me.” Assertively individualistic - that’s Shabana Azmi for you.
The acclaimed actor (she disapproves of gender classification!) is remembered for her powerhouse performances in Nishant, Arth, Mandi, and Godmother and most recently in Loins Of Punjab and Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.
A Film and Television Institute of India graduate, she debuted in Shyam Benegal’s Ankur, which was the pioneering film of the parallel cinema movement. Even then, she balanced out art with mart cinema as she also pitched appearances in formula flicks like Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish and Avtaar.
She was one of the first Indian actors to work in international projects like Madame Sousatzka, Bengali Night, Roland Joffe’s City Of Joy, Channel 4’s Immaculate Conception, Son Of The Pink Panther and Ismail Merchant’s In Custody. She has been a trendsetter in many ways.
Shabana has been a part of popular plays as Safed Kundali and Tumhari Amrita (which ran for five years) and has acted in an adaptation of Ibsen’s Doll House. Even in her social life, she’s chosen the path less trodden - instead of using her celebrity status to garner votes - she turned a social activist and championed the causes of communal harmony, displaced slumdwellers and victims of Latur earthquake. She also campaigned against ostracism of victims of AIDS.
True to her father, noted litterateur Kaifi Azmi’s legacy of liberal thought which echoed Ab tumhare hawale watan sathio - she carries forward the flame of his rebellious thought.

SANJAY DUTT
Phoenix rises
Age: 50, Profile: Actor, Producer, Laurels: Four Screen Awards for Best Actor in Vaastav: The Reality, Kurukshetra and Munnabhai M.B.B.S and Best Supporting Actor in Mission Kashmir
This Diwali will see him hitting the screens in three different films - Blue, an underwater adventure, All The Best - Fun Begins, a comic caper and Aladin, a live-animation fantasy. Sanjay Dutt sure is in his element. This year also saw him in the action flick Luck. The box-office appeal of the actor is growing as age advances. He connects with the youth as he himself is still so macho - he vrooms on powerful bikes, gets himself inked and still aims for eight-pack abs! He’s a true-blue survivor.
The elder son of two superstars - Nargis and Sunil Dutt - he was launched by his father in Rocky in 1981. Sanjay went into drug abuse but emerged out of it to return to acting with Mahesh Bhatt’s Naam and Sadak. His musical romance Saajan was a big hit. However, his big-bang role came in Subhash Ghai’s Khalnayak. He was jailed for illegal possession of arms and sentenced to six years’ rigorous imprisonment for illegally possessing three AK-56 rifles, a pistol and ammunition obtained from the Mumbai underworld. He has since been cleared of terrorism and conspiracy charges in the blasts related to the 1993 bombings.
Later, Vaastav and Haseena Maan Jayegi proved his versatility. Stylised films like Dus, Kaante and Shootout At Lokhandwala furthered his mass appeal. But it was the socio-comic capers Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munna Bhai in which he plays the goon with a heart that proved to be the biggest turning-points of his career. As partner in White Feather Films he produced films like Kaante, Musafir, Shootout At Lokhandwala, Dus Kahaniyaan and others . In the meanwhile, he even dabbled in politics, becoming a member of the Samajwadi Party.
Changing according to times, one thing that hasn’t changed about him is his mass appealing screen presence. He towers above as a supernova and is touted to be the worthy successor of Amitabh Bachchan’s legacy of screen durability and versatility.