Saroj Khan

Saroj Khan (Hindi सरोज ख़ाँ) born Nirmala Sadhu Khan is one of the most prominent dance choreographers in Hindi-language films in India. She was born on November 22, 1949[citation needed], and has choreographed more than 200 films[citation needed]. She was mostly trained in dance by B. Sohanlal. She shot to fame after her hit dance choreograph for Nagina "Main Tere Dushman". She rose and choreographed some hit dance numbers for the queens of Bollywood like Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi for Mr India, Tezaab, Beta during the late 80s and early 90s.

Selected Filmography
Guru (2007)
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007)
Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006)
Fanaa (2006)
Sringaram (2005) (Tamil) (Won the National Film Award for Best Choreography)
Veer-Zaara (2004)
Kuch Naa Kaho (2004)
Saathiya (2002)
Devdas (2002)
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
Fiza (2000)
Taal (1999)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Soldier (1998)
Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997)
Pardes (1997)
Iruvar (1997)(Tamil)
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)
Mohra (1994)
Baazigar (1993)
Darr (1993)
Chandni (1989)
Beta (1992)
Mr India (1987)
Nagina (1986)

Television appearances
Saroj Khan has also appeared in a reality dance show as a member of the jury in 2005 Nach Baliye which aired on STAR One along with two other judges. She also appeared in the 2nd season of the same show. She has also recently been a judge for the show "ustaadon ka ustaad" which is aired on Sony entertainment television asia. She appeared in the 2008 show Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan, which was aired on NDTV Imagine. She choreographed for this show.

Awards and recognitions
National Film Award for Best Choreography
2006 - Sringaram
2003 - Devdas
Filmfare Best Choreography Award
2008 - Guru
2003 - Devdas
2000 - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
1994 - Khalnayak
1993 - Beta
1991 - Sailaab
1990 - Chaalbaaz
1989 - Tezaab

Shashikala
Born
1933Solāpur, Mahārāshtra, India
Years active
1944- present
Awards won
Filmfare Awards
Best Supporting Actress: Aarti (1962)Best Supporting Actress: Gumrah (1963)
Shashikalā Jāwalkar-Saigal (born 1933), much better known as Shashikalā, is an Indian actress.
Early years
Shashikala was born as one among six siblings in Solāpur, Mahārāshtra in a well-to-do Marāthi-speaking Jāwalkar family. By age 5, she had aleady been dancing, singing, and acting on stage in many towns in Solapur district.
When Shashikala was in her preteens, through ill luck, her father became bankrupt, and he brought his family to Bombay (Mumbai) with the thought that Shashikala, the best looking and talented among his children, could find work in movies. For some time, the family lived with friends, and barely survived, while Shashikala wandered from studio to studio looking for work. She earned in bits and pieces till she met Noor Jehān, the reigning screen queen of the era.
Noor Jehan's husband, Shaukat, was making a movie Zeenat then, and included Shashikala in a qawwāli scene. The film was to be in Urdu, so Shashikala quickly learned to speak that language. She received 25 rupees for her role. She struggled on, and got small roles in movies made by P. N. Arorā, Amiya Chakravarti, and a few other producers. She got a role in V. Shāntārām’s Teen Batti Chār Rāstā, and a few other movies.
While in her early twenties, Shashikala met and married Om Prakāsh Saigal, who belonged to the Kundan Lāl Saigal family, and had two daughters.

Acclaimed Supporting Roles
In Tārāchand Barjatya’s highly successful movie, Ārati, starring Meenā Kumāri, Ashok Kumār, and Pradeep Kumār, Shashikala performed superbly as a vamp, and offers began to pour in to her for similar roles. She performed in Jangalee, Anupamā, Sujātā, Phool Aur Patthar, Āyi Milan Ki Belā, Gumrāh, Waqt, and Khubsoorat.
Meenā Kumāri, Nutan, Sharmilā Tagore, Malā Sinhā, and Waheedā Rehmān have been among the leading actresses with whom Shashikala performed in supporting roles. While the female lead costars in the involved movies usually played roles of good-natured or pious women, Shashikala usually played flighty women who pouted and plotted the downfall of others. Later in her acting career, she would typically play the role of a cruel sister or mother-in-law. She performed in supporting roles in well over 100 movies.
Āshā Bhosle was often the playback singer for Shashikala in her earlier career. Sheeshe Se Pee and Bheegi Bheegi Faza are two popular songs which Asha had sung for Shashikala.

Personal life
In an interview in 1999, Shashikala said:
"At about this time, I had serious differences with my husband, and was misguided by a friend to leave him. This was a mistake I made, and I suffered agonies of guilt because my children were badly hurt. I tortured myself when my family was hurt and therefore turned against me. I had no one to look to and became a wreck — emotionally and physically. I wandered around looking for a way to regain my lost peace, but my self-torture only got worse. I lived in Pune, did social work, I went to Calcuttā, worked in Āshrams, but to little avail. For 16 years, I went religiously to the Vipashana Centre near Nāsik and here, through total devotion and dedication, I cured myself to a certain extent.
"'My true release came when I met Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and worked for nine years in her various homes, cleaning latrines, sweeping floors and wards, loving leprosy patients, cuddling orphans and staying by the deathbed of many. Throughout these years, I received incomparable love from the Mother, whose blessings and hand of mercy was always over my head. Her love was infinite and slowly, through her healing, I became peaceful and confident again. I washed out the sorrow of my deprived childhood, my untimely and heavy responsibilities, the loss of my parents and the guilt of my mistake — all in one blissful touch from the Mother.
"I still work for her institutions. But to rebuild my career, I had to come to Mumbai and start the third phase of my career in the film industry. I have helped many industry people including Dilip Kumār and Sāira Bānu, to meet the Mother, and they too have overcome their agitation and trauma through her touch and mercy.
"I have earned lifelong peace and lost all my fear. I could bear the sorrow of my daughter’s death when she died of cancer because of the courage Mother gave me. Today, I live like an American, doing all my work myself with total self reliance. My husband is ill and confined to our farm in Nainital. I visit him often. My other daughter lives in Calcutta and we often have good times together. I manage my career, my money and my life by myself. Meditation, prayer and Mother’s love which envelopes me fully, keep me young and fit."

Recent Acting Roles
In the past ten years, Shashikala has performed in a few television serials, including Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hau for Sony, Apnaapan for Zee TV, and Dil Deke Dekho for Star Plus. She has also had successful roles in Mother ‘98, Pardesi Babu, Agniputra (with Mithun Chakraborty), Baadshah, Mujhase Shaadi Karogi and Chori Chori.

Awards
Shashikala has received eight nominations for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, and won the award twice:
1962: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, for a role in Aarti
1963: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, for a role in Gumrah

Asha Parekh-The Dancing Queen of Sixties

She reigned amidst glory and fame. She is Asha Parekh, the dancing queen of the sixties. Today she also enjoys the same but this time on small screen. She entered filmdom at that time when the great talented actresses like Sadhna, Nutan and Waheeda Rehman were ruling over the screen. Asha took the challenge and made her presence felt amongst them.
A chiry girl from a middle class family, Asha enjoyed her childhood days. Her father was a Gujarati and her mother, a Muslim. Being the only child of her parents, Asha Parekh led her early days of life in much comfort. Her father ran a hardware store at C P Tank. Asha got educated at the J B Petit School.
Asha Parekh had been a tomboy. The obvious reason behind the curtain was of-course her male friends, as she liked the company of the opposite sex. Since all of her friends were boys, she used to play marbles and fly kites all day with them. Her love for dance took birth at in childhood itself. Asha made her stage debut at a local hall in Santa Cruz. Balraj Sahni, the good-headed actor of yesteryear, and her mother did Asha's make-up. Balraj too performed on the same stage at that show.
Dancing has been her first love and she continued this love journey till very late in life. The year 1990 brought her some bad health and she had to quit performing.
Way back in her childhood days, once Asha was giving a dance performance on stage. The veteran director, Bimol Roy (who was very much famous for introducing new faces in entertainment industry. Bimol also happened to be a mentor in direction of today's renowned poet-writer-director Gulzar, who is famous for making sensitive films.) was also present among the audience. Bimol was impressed by Asha's performance. He then went backstage and offered Asha a part to play in his next film as a child artist. Asha gave an affirmative response for his offer and she appeared in Bimol Roy's film, BAAP BETI (1954). After BAAP BETI, she continued this travel as a child star along with her stage performances and studies.
Asha was an average student in her studies but her mother wanted her to be a doctor by profession. Whereas Asha's thoughts were riding on continuing dance as a profession in life.
The renowned director of yesteryears, Vijay Bhatt offered Asha a leading role in his film, GUNJ UTHI SHEHNAI. Asha was barely sixteen years of age at that time. But later she was thrown out of the cast because the producer was of the view that she wasn't a star material. Asha was disappointed by the producers remark. But later she forgot it and went ahead with her first love dance and soon started touring the world along with her dance troupe.
The year 1959 brought her real success in terms of film offers. She was offered a film, DIL DEKE DEKHO as a heroine opposite romantic hero Shammi Kapoor. Sasadhar Mukherji's DIL DEKE DEKHO was a huge success of that time, giving a birth to the star of tomorrow (Asha Parekh). The film went on breaking all previous records and proved a marvelous success at the box office. After DIL DEKE DEKHO, there was no looking back for Asha and the offers started flowing in. And then the charming beauty, Asha did a number of musical flicks including JAB PYAR KISSIE SE HOTA HAI (1961), PHIR WOHI DIL LAYA HON (1963), ZIDDI (1964), MERE SANAM (1965) and TESRI MANZIL (1965) respectively. These films turned out to be blockbusters. But since they were comedies, Asha got an image of a glamorous star not of a serious actress. As far as Ash was concerned, she wanted to do sensitive and author-backed roles, which she bagged later in her career.
DO BADAN (1966) opposite Manoj Kumar dragged serious and sensitive roles for the actress and then there started a journey of meaningful movies with KANYADAN, CHIRAAG, PAGLA KAHIN KA, KATI PATANG and MAIN TULSI TERE AANGAN KI. Almost all of these films did a remarkable job at the box office and got critics' appreciation as well, excepting Raj Khosla's CHIRAAG opposite Sunil Dutt. The film did not raise the spirits of the audience and led her to disappointment. But later other hits cheered her up.
During the era of 60's, there emerged good lucks and successes for Asha and she became a huge star of high caliber. But Asha not only focussed on her acting career but also on doing other things simultaneously. Asha's success story was truly based on her determination and struggle. She was adamant to make her career strong and was focussed which was why, success knocked at her door.
Asha got involved in films distribution business along with acting and unfolded this career with the movie, BAHARON KE SAPNAY (A film by legendary writer-producer-director late Nasir Hussain) in 1967. She continued this journey of distribution business for almost 21 long years along with her long time friend and mentor late Nasir Hussain till she switched over to production line. Asha Parekh went ahead and also got herself involved with social works like charity, beginning with the Santa Cruz hospital, which was later renamed after her.
The year 1971 brought her bundles of happiness and proved a year of success for her because a number of films, which she acted in, hit the jackpot. KATI PATAG, AAN MILO SAJNA, MERA GAON MERA DESH and CARVAN did remarkably well at the box office. Filmfare Best Actress Award of the year for the film, KATI PATANG came her way. But it did not stop her going towards another direction, which was obviously called her first love, dance. She again opted dance at that time when she was enjoying the heights of her acting career and left for abroad to do a number of shows in 1972-1973. She just started focussing only on dance. In 1973, when Asha made her way back home, had only a few films left. She was supposed to do a big banner film of late Nasir Hussain titled YADOON KI BARAT as Nasir wanted her to do it but her long absence made Nasir sign a new sex symbol, Zeenat Aman (Dev Anand's discovery) for the project.
When Raj Khosla offered her MAIN TULSI TERE AANGAN KI, Asha's film career was almost over as a leading actress. Nevertheless she agreed to do it along with the renowned late actress Nutan. And as a result of it, the film burst as a huge success at the box office, bringing the Filmfare Best Actress Award for the year for Nutan. MAIN TULSE TERE AANGAN KI fetched a pause in acting for Asha and consequently she decided to spend time with her parents. Later she again embraced with acting and did many assignments.
Asha's love for acting still exists. Whenever she is offered a good character to play, she does it with utmost brilliance of her. Till date, Asha has given appearances in more than 100 movies. Asha also set up a dance academy, Kara Bhavan, where the students learn various dance forms and this academy has also produced a number of dancers of good brain to date. Asha also channels her energy into social works. She has also been the chairperson of the Film Censor Board and the president of the Cine Artistes' Association.
Asha Parekh has devoted herself fully to the world of entertainment. Her contributions deserve a salute. The fact still remains the same that she is the lady of remarkable brain.
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Padmini
Born
PadminiJune 12, 1932(1932-06-12)Thiruvananthapuram, Travancore, British India
Died
September 24, 2006 (aged 74)Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Other name(s)
Natiya Peroli, Pappima
Spouse(s)
Ramachandran
Padmini (June 12, 1932 - September 24, 2006) was an Indian actress and trained Bharathanatyam dancer who acted in over 250 Indian movies.
Apart from Hindi she also acted in films in other Indian regional languages viz. Tamil and Malayalam. She was fluent in all of the four mentioned languages, and was able to use her own voice to dub the films between these languages. She became the most popular actress and dancer of the Tamil film industry and most of her movies are shot in Tamil.

Biography
Born and raised in Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum) in what was then the princely state of Travancore (now the Indian state of Kerala), Padmini was the second daughter of Thankappan Pillai and Sarawathi Amma. Her sisters, Lalitha and Ragini, were also renowned film actresses. Together, the threesome were known as the Travancore sisters. Actress Sukumari is a first cousin of the Lalitha, Padmini and Ragini (their mothers are sisters).
Padmini and her sisters were disciples of the noted Indian dancer Guru Gopinath . They learnt Keral natanam style of dancing from him. A Film director, Subrahmaniam, noticed her talents while she was presenting 'Parijatha Pushpapaharanam 'in Trivandrum
At the age of 17, Padmini was cast as the heroine in Kalpana (1950), launching her film career. She acted in films for nearly 30 years.
Padmini was renowned for her linguistic ability, and dubbed her own voice onto versions of her movies destined for the Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam markets. This cross-cultural linguistic ability made her a very significant figure in the history of 20th-century moviemaking in India.
Padmini co-starred with several of the most well-known actors in Indian film, including Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran, Raj Kapoor, Prem Nazir, Rajkumar and Gemini Ganesan.She acted with Sivaji Ganesan in almost 60 films.
Some of her popular Malayalam films include Prasanna, Snehaseema, Vivaahitha, Adhyaapika, Kumaarasambhavam, Nokkethadoorath Kannumnatt, Vasthuhara, Dolar, and many others.
She also starred in almost 400 Tamil films. Ezhai padum paadu was her first film in Tamil. Her association with Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan starts ith the film Panam in 1952. Some of her noted Tamil films include Anbu, Thankapadumai, Thillana Mohanambal, Viyatnam veedu, Ethir Parathadhu, Mankayar thilakam , Poove Poo chooda vaa.
In two of her popular Bollywood films - Mera Naam Joker and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai - she was paired against the legendary Bollywood star, Raj Kapoor. Her other Bollywood films included Payal (1957), Babubhai Mistry's Mahabharat (1965), etc.
Her most famous film was Thillana Mohanambal, a Tamil film where she plays a dancer competing against a musician to see whose skills are better. She dances and he plays the trumpet.
After her marriage in 1961 Padmini semi-retired from films and focused on married life and refining her classical dance. She settled in the United States and in 1977 opened her classical dance school in New Jersey, The 'Padmini School of Fine Arts'. Her school is today one of the largest Indian Classical Dance institutions in America.
Padmini died of a heart attack in a hospital in the city of Chennai on September 24, 2006.

Awards
Best actress award from Film Fans Association in 1954, 1959,1961 and 1966The Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu Government in 1958The Best Classical Dancer Award from Moscow Youth Festival in 1957.Filmfare Best Actress for her performance in Fazil's Poove Poochudava in 1985

Filmography
Vanjikottai valiban
Panam
Raja rani
Chithi
Vietnam Veedu
Iru malargal
Pardesi (1957)
Poove Poochudava
Gurudakshinai
Punar janmam
Amara deepam
Thaikku oru thaalattu
Mannadhi mannan
Thillana Mohanambal
Saraswathi sabatham
Paaladai
Pesum deivam
Kuzhandaikkaga
Rickshawkaran
Kan kanda deivam
Deiva piravi
Kulama gunama
Thiruvarut Chelvar

The 'truth' about Vyjayantimala
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 10:06
Saira Bano speaks...
Let me confess that it was with great enthusiasm that I turned the pages of a tabloid a week back, which carried edited excerpts from Vyjayantimala’s recollections ‘Bonding…A Memoir’.
I became Vyjayantiji’s fan when I was a little school-going kid in London. My big dreams then were to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a movie star and then, of course, to marry Dilip Kumar.
I admired Vyjayantimala, Padmini and Kamla Laxman as classical dancers of immense grace and stature. During one of my holidays in Bombay I accompanied my mother to Mehboob Studios where Vyjayantimalaji was shooting a dance number for the film ‘Asha’ on one of the floors.
I was swept off my feet when I watched her dance. She was in the midst of a Radha-Krishna dance and I was enraptured as she twirled to the rhythm of the song. Her grandmother noticed my awe and she told my mother Naseem Banuji, “Your daughter loves dance. You must show ‘New Delhi’ to her, it has lovely dances.”
Later, when I became a movie star I never missed an opportunity to watch the Dilip Kumar-Vyjayantimala starrers. They made such a good pair on screen. By Vyjayantiji’s own admission it was a huge challenge for her to match the caliber of Dilip-sahab when she worked with him for the first time in ‘Devdas’.
In one of her interviews she has described her nervousness on the first day of shooting for ‘Devdas’. She was apparently shivering. But she went on to say how Dilip-sahab put her completely at ease with his characteristic humility and friendliness. Until ‘Devdas’ fell into her lap, Vyjayantimala was admired only for her talent as a dancer.
I know I am not alone when I make this observation - Vyjayantimala, the actress, blossomed only after she began working with Dilip-sahab.
‘Devdas’ was followed by ‘Naya Daur’. This was followed by a series of memorable movies including ‘Madhumati’ and ‘Ganga Jamuna’. It was ‘Ganga Jamuna’ that gave her the histrionic fame unattained by any actress of the period.
I am taking the pains to narrate all this because I was taken aback by the allegations Vyjayantiji has made in her memoirs about my husband, Dilip Kumar.
She has wantonly stated that she was “caught in the crossfire” of professional rivalry between my husband and Raj Kapoor when she worked simultaneously in ‘Sangam’ and ‘Leader’, thereby casting aspersions on the two legends.
The greatest showman Raj Kapoor’s ‘Sangam’ gave Vyjayantimala yet another high in her histrionic graph. I am amazed that she has disregarded this to say that Raj Kapoor instructed his publicity department to create rumours of a romantic link-up as a publicity stunt.
I am glad that Rishi Kapoor has cleared the facts because no one has the right to misconstrue and malign the name and aura of one of our greatest legends who is no more.
It needs to be clarified that there were no misunderstandings ever between Rajji and Dilipsahab. Their friendship originated in Peshawar and continued through their student years at Khalsa College in Matunga, Bombay and as destiny would have it, they met as upcoming actors at Bombay Talkies.
They were more brothers than friends. One phone call from Rajji and my husband would rush to him regardless of distance and commitments. And vice versa.
On numerous occasions they have stood together and led charity drives organised by the film industry whenever the country faced a calamity.
As families we are still there for one another on happy and sad occasions. As his wife I have proudly observed how Dilipsahab consciously maintains a gentlemanly quiet about his co-stars.
He’d rather speak about his favourite sports, cricket and soccer, his favourite English and Urdu authors or about the music legends he has admired. But his silence and his refusal to be dragged into controversies does not mean that anybody can say anything unjust and get away with it.
Vyjayantiji, writes about Dilipsahab’s “unprofessional attitude” and “lack of ethics.” I would like to tell her a plain fact. The film industry is really small.
Try as you might you cannot draw a veil over facts. It is not a secret that Vyjayantimala had become notorious for her tantrums and moods during the two years or more that ‘Sangam’ was under production. Character artistes, dress men, make-up artists, hairdressers and choreographers, who were witness to her temper and erratic behaviour, would exchange notes in the studios and the stories would circulate to our ears when we would shoot in the studios, especially R.K. Studios.
There was also much talk Rajji’s family being under stress because of her. I am not one to cast aspersions or speak ill of anyone I know.
I am compelled to bring up her not-so-pleasant past because of the nature of her allegations and the disparaging remarks about Dilipsahab and Rajji. It is no wondered that Rishi Kapoor too was compelled to react strongly to her allegations about Rajji.
Dilipsahab was and is a perfectionist. He expected his co-stars to work as hard and faultlessly as he did. The world knows him as a wonderful human being and one of the kindest actors in the profession.
His innate goodness and humility have touched all those who have worked with him and known him closely. He never gave his producers trouble or made unreasonable demands. He respected the wishes of his producers and directors.
It is common knowledge that the producer is the boss and he decides who will work and who will not work in his film for his own legitimate reasons.
We renewed contact with Vyjayantimalaji couple of years ago in Delhi when we frequently ran into her at a common friend’s house. She mentioned to us that her apartment in Bombay was locked up due to a legal issue.
My mother invited her to our home in Bombay and I got our lawyers and solicitors to step in and solve the problem for her. She was so overwhelmed that she called me an angel!
Since then we have been in touch and she met us ever so warmly at the recent preview of ‘Naya Daur’. But surprises in life never cease, I know.
Whatever has made her write the way she has, I would like to say that it is simply not in good taste and certainly not what one expects from a respected senior in the profession.

Helen

Helen Jairag Richardson Khan (born October 21, 1939) is a Hindi dancer and actress of Anglo-Burmese extraction, best known for playing vamps and vixens in Bollywood movies of the 1960s and 70s. She was famous for her performances in flamboyant dance sequences and cabaret numbers. The Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle frequently sang for Helen.
Career
Helen Jairag Richardson was born in England to an Anglo-Indian father and Burmese mother. The family migrated to Mumbai in 1943 during World War II, but her mother's salary as a nurse was not enough, and Helen had to quit her schooling to support the family. Helen had a brother Roger and sister Jennifer. A family friend, an actress known as Cukoo, helped her find jobs as a chorus dancer in the films Shabistan and Awaara (1951). Helen was soon working regularly, and was featured as a solo dancer in films like Alif Laila (1952) and Hoor-e-Arab (1953). Helen is mainly known for her western appearance in Indian movies. She was known to have natural auburn hair and brown eyes.
In 1958, she had her first major hit with her performance in the song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" in Shakti Samanta's hit film, Howrah Bridge. She was in great demand after this, performing as a cabaret dancer and vamp in film after film. She was known as the Cabaret Queen of India. She won nomination for the best supporting actress in 1965 for the movie 'Gumnaam'. She was never a great success in the few films in which she played the heroine or when she played dramatic roles such as the rape victim in Shakti Samanta's Pagla Kahin Ka (1970), but vamp roles and "item numbers" kept her busy through the 1960s. Her luck took a turn for the worse in the 1970s. Younger actresses were taking the vamp roles. Also, changing rules for Bollywood heroines made it possible for sexy young things in go-go boots to do the cabaret numbers and play the heroine. Helen fell into financial difficulties.
In 1973, "Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls" was released. A 30-minute documentary film from Merchant Ivory films, the idea for the documentary came from Anthony Korner, an associate of Merchant Ivory's in the period, and now the publisher of Art Forum. It was directed and narrated by him, but the scenario was devised by Ivory. The subject of the film, which cost a modest $17,000 to make, is the most popular dancer in Bombay musical films -- and which presented Helen to the west as the undisputed star of Bollywood film, including her famous typewriter dance scene from "Bombay Talkie" the acclaimed Merchant Ivory film.
Writer Salim Khan came to her rescue. He helped her get good roles in some of the movies he was co-scripting with Javed Akhtar: Imaam Dharam, Don, Dostana, and the all-time hit Sholay. This led to a demanding role in Mahesh Bhatt's film Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979), for which she won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. Soon afterwards, she married Salim Khan, as his second wife. The arrangement was said to have been tense at first, but Salim's children by his first wife (including current Bollywood actors Salman, Arbaaz, and Sohail Khan) are now said to be on good terms with their stepmother.
Helen and Salim Khan have an adopted daughter named Arpita.
Helen's brother Roger passed away in the 1980's and her sister Jennifer is settled in New Delhi and is married to an Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force.
Helen retired from the screen for a number of years, but made a few "guest star" appearances in 1999 and 2000. In Mohabbatein, she plays the prim and proper head of a girls' school, who is pulled out onto a dance floor and surprises everyone with her lively dancing. She also made a special appearance as Salman Khan's mother in the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Selected filmography
Awaara (1951)
Howrah Bridge (1958)
Hum Hindustani (1960)
China Town (1962)
Aaya Toofan (1964)
Cha Cha Cha (1964)
Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Gumnaam (1965)
Teesri Manzil (1966)
Jaal (1967)
Pagla Kahin Ka (1970)
The Train (1970)
Bombay Talkie (1970)
Caravan (1971)
Mere Jeevan Saathi (1972)
Anamika (1973)
Geeta Mera Naam (1974)
Madhosh (1974)
Sholay (1975)
Bairaag (1976)
Imaan Dharam (1977)
Khoon Pasina (1977)
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
Don (1978)
Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979)
The Great Gambler (1979)
Ram Balram (1980)
Akayla (1991)
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Mohabbatein (2000)
Shararat (2002)
Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004)
Anjaane: The Unknown (2006)
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006)
Marigold (2007 film) (2007)
Complete Filmography

Awards and nominations
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Gumnaam (1965)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Shikar (1968)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Elan (1971)
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1998)

Hema Malini
Born
Hema Malini R. ChakravartyOctober 16, 1948 (1948-10-16) (age 60)Ammankudi, Tamil Nadu, India
Other name(s)
Dream GirlHema Dharmendra DeolHema Malini Deol
Occupation
Actress, Director, Producer, Politician
Years active
1961- Present
Spouse(s)
Dharmendra (1980-present)
Awards won
Filmfare Awards
Best Actress1973 Seeta Aur GeetaLifetime Achievement (1999)
Hema Malini (Tamil: ஹேமமாலினி, Hindi:हेमा मालिनी) (born October 16, 1948) is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer, who starred in numerous successful Bollywood films in the 1970s, most notably the extremely successful Sholay.
Malini is one of the most successful female filmstars in the history of Bollywood.[1] She has starred in a large number of hit films and in both commercial and arthouse cinema. She is a member of India's Bharatiya Janata Party and represents the party in Rajya Sabha, the upper House of parliament [2]. She now spends most of her time involved in charitable and social ventures, though she still makes special appearances in films.


Early life
Hema Malini R. Chakravarty was born October 16, 1948 in Ammankudi, Tiruchirapalli district, Tamil Nadu to, V.S.R. Chakravarty and Jaya Chakravarthy who was a film producer. Her mother, Shrimati Jaya Chakravarty, died on June 11, 2004 due to gangrene on her leg.

Career
Hema Malini was educated at Andhra Mahila Sabha, Chennai. She acted in a short episode as dancer in Pandava Vanavasam, a 1961 Telugu film. Hema first tried to enter films in 1964, but was rejected; Tamil director Sridhar said she had no star appeal. She persisted and found her niche in Bollywood. She debuted in a 1968 film Sapnon Ka Saudagar ("The Dreamseller"), playing a young teen opposite the ageing superstar Raj Kapoor. With Dev Anand in Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Hema became a top star. She worked with him again in Tere Mere Sapne (1971), among other films, with the latest being Aman Ke Farishtey (2003). Hema double-roled with Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar in 1972's Seeta Aur Geeta as the top female star in Bollywood. She became one of the reigning divas of the Bollywood film industry, and her fans called her The Dream Girl of Bollywood (an allusion to the movie of the same name where she starred opposite Dharamendra).

Hema Malini with Dharmendra in film, Charas 1976
Hema starred in many movies throughout the 1970s and 1980s and is perhaps best remembered for her glamour, style, and accomplished classical dancing. She formed a hit pair with Dharmendra, and the duo performed a number of hit movies like Sholay, Charas, Aas Paas, Jugnu, Seeta Aur Geeta, The Burning Train. She also achieved some strong dramatic or comic moments in films like Trishul, Joshila, Lal Patthar, Meera and Satte Pe Satta.
After taking a back seat from films for a number of years in the 1990s and early 2000s, Hema has recently made a comeback of sorts. She co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in the successful film Baghban (2003), and played a cameo role (also opposite Bachchan) in the 2004 blockbuster Veer-Zaara. In both films, she played a beautiful, self-possessed, old married woman rather than the ingenuinee roles of her earlier career.
She tried her hand at directing and made the 1992 film Dil Aashna Hai which featured an all-star cast including Shahrukh Khan and the late Divya Bharti.
She also directed and starred in the TV serial Noopur, in which she was depicted as a Bharatanatyam dancer going to America.

Personal life
She is a dedicated Bharatanatyam artiste, a classical dance of India. Her two daughters have trained in the related Odissi school of dance, and the three have performed together at several charity dance concerts.
Top Bollywood stars like Sanjeev Kumar and Jeetendra proposed to her, but she married Dharmendra on 2 May 1980 [2], who was already married with four children; two sons: Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol and two daughters. Later Dharmendra and Hema Malini had two daughters: Esha Deol (born 1982) and Ahana Deol.
In 2005, on the TV show Koffee with Karan, she said that she taught her daughters Tamil language very well, but had to hire a tutor to help her daughter Esha Deol learn Punjabi for a film. Apparently, Esha's father Dharmendra, whose mother tongue is Punjabi, converses with Hema and his daughters only in Hindi and English.
Hema Malini and her husband have been involved in politics, as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, with the support of the BJP. In February 2004, she joined the party officially. With her film career less hectic, she has been an active member of the party, attending party meetings and rallies and campaigning for the party through various elections.
Hema Malini's niece is actress Madhoo who had starred in two big hits Phool Aur Kaante (1991) and Roja.[3]
She has said in interviews that she would never wear revealing outfits in movies, and has been true to her words till date. It is said that after she had shot for a swimsuit scene in a movie early in her career, her mother was so upset that she promised never to repeat it.

Awards, honours and recognitions

Filmfare Awards
Won
1973 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Seeta Aur Geeta
1999 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominated
1974 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Amir Garib
1974 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Prem Nagar
1975 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khushboo
1975 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Sanyasi
1976 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Mehbooba
1977 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kinara
1979 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Meera
1981 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Naseeb
1990 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Rihaee
2003 - Filmfare Best Actress Award for Baghban

Other Awards
1998 - Guest of Honour Award at the 18th Ujala Cinema Express Awards [4]
2003 - Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievement
2003 - Star Screen Award Jodi No. 1, Baghban (with Amitabh Bachchan)
2003 - Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bollywood Movie Awards.[5]
2004 - Bollywood Movie Award - Most Sensational Actress for Baghban.
2004 - Sports World's "Jodi of the Year" along with Amitabh Bachchan for Baghban [6]
2004 - Icon of the year [7]

Honours
2000 - Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India.
2004 - "Living Legend Award" by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in recognition of her contribution to the Indian entertainment industry.

2007 - The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival screened several films starring Hema Malini in a special tribute programme.

2008 - Honoured for her contribution to classical dance.
Selected filmography
See Hema Malini filmography
Pandava Vanavasam (1961)
Sapno Ka Saudagar (1968)
Johny Mera Naam (1970)
Tere Mere Sapne (1971)
Andaz (1971)
Seeta Aur Geeta (1972)
Raja Jani (1972)
Gora Aur Kala (1972)
Jugnu (1973)
Dost (1974)
Sholay (1975)
Sanyasi (1975)
Khushboo (1975)
Trishul (1978)
Do Aur Do Paanch (1980)
The Burning Train (1980)
Naseeb (1981)
Kranti (1981)
Satte Pe Satta (1982)
Desh Premee (1982)
Nastik (1983)
Vijay (1988)
Hey Ram (2000)
Baghban (2003)
Veer-Zaara (2004) Special Appearance
Baabul (2006)
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007) Special Appearance