Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 979
- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
If a film were made of the life of Vivien Leigh, it would open in India just before World War I, where a successful British businessman could live like a prince. In the mountains above Calcutta, a little princess is born. Because of the outbreak of World War I, she is six years old the first time her parents take her to England. Her mother thinks she should have a proper English upbringing and insists on leaving her in a convent school - even though Vivien is two years younger than any of the other girls at the school. The only comfort for the lonely child is a cat that was in the courtyard of the school that the nuns let her take up to her dormitory. Her first and best friend at the school is an eight-year-old girl, Maureen O'Sullivan who has been transplanted from Ireland. In the bleakness of a convent school, the two girls can recreate in their imaginations the places they have left and places where they would some day like to travel. After Vivien has been at the school for 18 months, her mother comes again from India and takes her to a play in London. In the next six months Vivien will insist on seeing the same play 16 times. In India the British community entertained themselves at amateur theatricals and Vivien's father was a leading man. Pupils at the English convent school are eager to perform in school plays. It's an all-girls school, so some of the girls have to play the male roles. The male roles are so much more adventurous. Vivien's favorite actor is Leslie Howard, and at 19 she marries an English barrister who looks very much like him. The year is 1932. Vivien's best friend from that convent school has gone to California, where she's making movies. Vivien has an opportunity to play a small role in an English film, Things Are Looking Up (1935). She has only one line but the camera keeps returning to her face. The London stage is more exciting than the movies being filmed in England, and the most thrilling actor on that stage is Laurence Olivier. At a party Vivien finds out about a stage role, "The Green Sash", where the only requirement is that the leading lady be beautiful. The play has a very brief run, but now she is a real actress. An English film is going to be made about Elizabeth I. Laurence gets the role of a young favorite of the queen who is sent to Spain. Vivien gets a much smaller role as a lady-in-waiting of the queen who is in love with Laurence's character. In real life, both fall in love while making this film, Fire Over England (1937). In 1938, Hollywood wants Laurence to play Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights (1939). Vivien, who has just recently read Gone with the Wind (1939), thinks that the role of Scarlett O'Hara is the first role for an actress that would be really exciting to bring to the screen. She sails to America for a brief vacation. In New York she gets on a plane for the first time to rush to California to see Laurence. They have dinner with Myron Selznick the night that his brother, David O. Selznick, is burning Atlanta on a backlot of MGM (actually they are burning old sets that go back to the early days of silent films to make room to recreate an Atlanta of the 1860s). Vivien is 26 when Gone with the Wind (1939) makes a sweep of the Oscars in 1939. So let's show 26-year-old Vivien walking up to the stage to accept her Oscar and then as the Oscar is presented the camera focuses on Vivien's face and through the magic of digitally altering images, the 26-year-old face merges into the face of Vivien at age 38 getting her second Best Actress Oscar for portraying Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). She wouldn't have returned to America to make that film had not Laurence been going over there to do a film, Carrie (1952) based on Theodore Dreiser's novel "Sister Carrie". Laurence tells their friends that his motive for going to Hollywood to make films is to get enough money to produce his own plays for the London stage. He even has his own theater there, the St. James. Now Sir Laurence, with a seat in the British House of Lords, is accompanied by Vivien the day the Lords are debating about whether the St James should be torn down. Breaking protocol, Vivien speaks up and is escorted from the House of Lords. The publicity helps raise the funds to save the St. James. Throughout their two-decade marriage Laurence and Vivien were acting together on the stage in London and New York. Vivien was no longer Lady Olivier when she performed her last major film role, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Erick Avari was born on April 13, 1952 in Darjeeling, India. His credits include leading roles in films from Kevin Reynolds' cult classic The Beast of War (1988) to commercial megahits such as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Mummy (1999) and Planet of the Apes (2001). His comedic skills have landed him starring roles in the Adam Sandler remake Mr. Deeds (2002), For Love or Money (1993) and Woody Allen's only television film Don't Drink the Water (1994). He is also featured in Revelation (2002), The Glass House (2001) and has a starring role in Michael Meredith's Three Days of Rain (2002) and Dancing in Twilight (2007). His long theatrical background has garnered him critical acclaim for several roles at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City, including his portrayal of Vasquez in "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" and the Broadway hit, "The King and I".
Avari has had the pleasure of performing in some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the country, including The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Chicago's Goodman Theater and The Cleveland Playhouse, playing roles such as the King in "King Lear" and Joseph Smith in the Mabou Mines production of "The Morman Project". On television, in addition to his recurring role as Kasuf on Stargate SG-1 (1997), he has played notable roles on Heroes (2006), Cybill (1995), Cheers (1982), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Murder, She Wrote (1984), NYPD Blue (1993) and several made-for-television films.- Writer
- Composer
- Director
Satyajit Ray was born in Calcutta on May 2, 1921. His father, Late Sukumar Ray was an eminent poet and writer in the history of Bengali literature. In 1940, after receiving his degree in science and economics from Calcutta University, he attended Tagore's Viswa-Bharati University. His first movie Pather Panchali (1955) won several International Awards and set Ray as a world-class director. He died on April twenty-third, 1992.- Actress
Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including seven Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.
Mukerji make her debut in her father directorial Bengali film Biyer Pool (1996). Her first Hindi film was the drama film Raja Ki Aayegi Bharat (1997). Mukerji first commercial success film was Ghulam (1998) which paired her with actor Aamir Khan, and followed by the worldwide blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) make her first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan.
Mukerjis is known for her versatility. Her performances often sited as the most iconic and remarkable role in Hindi cinema. She established her career in the early 2000s with successful films including Saathiya (2002), Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum (2004), Veer Zaara (2004), Bunty Aur Babli (2005), and Black (2005) later to be her best performance of her life time career.
Following the birth of her child, Mukerji took a four-year hiatus to focus on her daughter and was persuaded by her husband, Aditya Chopra, to return to acting. Mukerji makes her comeback with the all-time blockbuster film Hichki in 2018, which emerged as her highest-grossing release film of all time. She is continued her acting career with successful thriller Mardaani 2 (2019) and the drama Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).- Anangsha Biswas,The name in itself is unique. Born and brought up in the artistically fertile land of kolkata this lass always knew her calling. The amalgamation of theater and an acting training from sydney Australia made this erudite girl confident about her craft and acting chops. We first saw her glimpse in sudhir mishra's khoya khoya chand which she chanced upon while she was on a school break.Then her next release was Luv shuv tey chicken khuran directed by Sameer Sharma and produced by Anurag Kashyap
When most of the girls her age were busy trying to 'make it in the industry' she chose to read, train, study and sharpen her skills and not be a part of the so called rat race. A strong mind of her own anangsha is a part of the 'change makers' as in the people who are not armchair critiques rather are ready to put in the hard work and contribute in the changes that they want to see. with smita patil and meryl streep as her idols anangsha has her mind set in the right direction.
Adulation and beautiful epithets all over for her, with the Much awaited Excell Entertainments Mirzapur just releasing on Amazon prime, Samit Kakkads film releasing on Netflix and Sudhir Mishras web show Hostages again on Netflix, Pratibimb a short directed by vikram davar,this girl is definitely on the crest of her career. Anangsha a brave unconventional artist who hates confirming to someone elses ideas and stereotypical boxes of beauty, success or art. - Actor
- Director
- Music Department
Victor Banerjee Early life Banerjee was born to a Zamindari Bangali Hindu family and is a descendant of The Raja Bahadur of Chanchal and the Raja of Uttarpara. He received his schooling at St. Edmund's School, Shillong, and graduated in English Literature from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta and did Post Graduate studies in Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University. He turned down a scholarship to the Trinity College in Dublin who had offered,through the Irish Christian Brothers, to admit him as an Operatic Tenor. He was the lead tenor in the the "Calcutta Light Opera Group" production of the "Desert Song" and even played "Jesus" in Bombay Theatre's first ever musical production, "Godspell". Career Victor Banerjee (born 15 October 1946) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi, Bengali and English language films. He has worked for prominent directors such as Roman Polanski, James Ivory, Sir David Lean, Jerry London, Ronald Neame, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray and Ram Gopal Varma. In 1984, he acted as Dr. Aziz Ahmed in David Lean's film A Passage to India, bringing him to the attention of Western audiences. Victor was nominated for BAFTA award for this role in 1986. He won two other awards for this role: Evening Standard British Film Award and NBR Award (National Board of Review, USA). In April 1985, at a special event in Louisiana, where John Travolta and Loretta Swit were also honoured, Banerjee was given the "SHOWARAMA AWARD" by the Motion Pictures Association of America as "New International Star". He acted in Merchant Ivory Productions Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures, Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari and Ghare Baire and in Mrinal Sen's Mahaprithivi. Though in recent years he has been involved with Bollywood, he is affiliated with the Bengali film industry. He also plays 'character actor' roles from time to time in the British cinema. He was also cast in the critically acclaimed role of "Jesus" in the 1988 production of the York Mystery Plays, by director Steven Pimlott. He is the only person in India who has won the "National Award" in three separate categories. As a Cinematographer for his documentary called "Where No Journeys End" which, in competition with 3100 entries from 27 countries, also won the "Gold Award" at the Houston International Film Festival. He won an award for Direction with the best documentary on Tourism called "The Splendour of Garhwal and Roopkund" and he won the "Best Supporting Actor" award for his work in Satyajit Ray's "Ghare Bairey".
Life When not in Calcutta, he is to be found in the hill station of Landour in the Lower Western Himalaya in northern India. He has written short stories and is a regular contributor of articles to magazines, periodicals and newspapers in India, on diverse and eclectic topics. His nonchalance to be politically incorrect and write with a bold and satirical pen, has been respected and admired widely. He has involved himself from time to time in human rights and labor issues. He helped form the Screen Extras Union of India and campaigned for the rights of Garhwali farmers. He also campaigned for the creation of Uttarakhand in a speech entitled "Uttarakhand: A People Denied" and has been credited with starting the movement that eventually led to the creation of the Uttarakhand Solidarity Network. For almost forty years, he has run a Blind School in Upper Assam, called the "Moran Blind School", where over seventy boys and girls from the families of tea garden workers and the poorest of villagers,receive free board and lodging and an education till they leave for junior college. He is the "Brand Ambassador" for the Srimanto Shankardev Movement, that is reviving the culture of neo-Vaishnavites that was first introduced in the 15th Century, in Assam. He is the "Brand Ambassador" for the "Dimasa Tribe" of the Cachar Hills of Northeast India, one of the most cultured peoples of the northeast tracts, one the earliest Sino-Tibetan tribes to inhabit the eastern Himalaya. He is the Brand Ambassador of the "Bird Watchers Association of Uttarakhand". He has for several years been the "Goodwill Ambassador" for "MENTAID" an organization that cares for the mentally challenged in Calcutta.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Born on 21st May 1966 in Kolkata, Sujoy Ghosh is an Indian film writer, director, actor and producer who is well known for his critically acclaimed movies like Jhankar Beats, Kahaani, Ahalya and Badla.
The film maker started the trend of multiplex movies in Bollywood with his directorial debut Jhankaar Beats in 2003 which went on to become a superhit. Ghosh's mystery thriller film Kahaani which released in the year 2012 was his path-breaking female lead movie for which he bagged many awards including a National Film Award for Best Screenplay and a Filmfare Award for Best Director. In 2016, his film Kahaani 2 was released which is a sequel to Kahaani. With his 15 minuter short film - Ahalya (2015), he started the trend of mainstream directors making digital short films.
His latest crime-thriller Badla, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu received a widespread acclaim and emerged as the content film of the year for its nail-biting plot that left the audiences at the edge of their seats till the very last moment. This is his second film with Amitabh Bachchan, first being Aladin and second being the 2016 thriller film Te3n which was produced by Sujoy. Alongside writing and directing films, Sujoy also acts with the Bengali mystery-thriller Satyanweshi (2013) being his debut film as an actor where he played the role of Byomkesh Bakshi.
Not many know but the popular phrase of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders - "Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo Re" was penned by Sujoy himself. With the quality driven content in his films, Sujoy Ghosh is one of the leading filmmakers in the country.- Actress
- Music Department
Paoli Dam is an Indian television and film actress who started her career in Bengali tv serials. Dam completed her early education at Loreto school, after which she attended Vidyasagar College, affiliated with the University of Calcutta and pursued a degree in chemistry. She then pursued her master's in Chemistry at Rajabazaar Science College.
Dam started her acting journey in 2003 with Jibon Niye Khela, a Bengali tv serial for Zee Bangla. She continued working with the Bengali tv serial industry- her ETV Bangla serial Tithir Atithi ran for almost six years.
Subsequently, Dam was first seen in the film industry in Rabi Kinagi's Agnipariksha, released in 2006, in a supporting role. The actress was again seen in a supporting role in Tulkalam (2007), directed by Haranath Chakraborty, and I Love You (2007), directed by Rabi Kinagi. Her fourth Bengali film Hochheta Ki? (2008), was a comedy of errors by Basu Chatterjee. She played the role of a Bengali housewife in this film.
Dam first came into focus after the success of Kaalbela (2009), directed by Goutam Ghose. The film was based on the novel written by Samresh Majumdar, which revolved around the Naxalite movement in the 1980s. Dam was seen in the role of Madhabilata -the lover of the young Naxalite leader. She was praised by many critics for her integral role in the film. After this, she had several other releases that same year - Jamai Raja (2009) by Swapan Saha, Box No 1313 (2009), Shob Charitro Kalponik (2009) directed by Rituparno Ghosh and Teen Murti (2009) by Raja Sen.
In 2010, Dam appeared in several films, including Tara (2010) by Bratya Basu, Moner Manush (2010) by Goutam Ghose, When He Was 23 When He Was 23 (2011) by Atanu Ghosh, Banshiwala (2010) by Anjan Das, and Kagojer Bou (2011) by Bappaditya Bandopadhyay. Moner Manush (2010) was Dam's second film that Goutam Ghose directed- she played the role of Komli in the movie.
In 2011, Dam received global recognition for her role in the Bengali film Mushrooms (2011). This film was featured at Cannes Film Festival and was also screened at the Toronto film Festival.
She went on to appear in Teen Yaari Katha (2012), a Bengali film directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha in 2012. She also made her Bollywood debut in the same year with Vivek Agnihotri's film Hate Story (2012). After this, she was seen as a lawyer fighting for justice in Sohail Tatari's Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013). The film was based on a true story of a young boy who lost his life due to medical negligence. In 2020 She was seen in a supporting role in Netflix's Bulbbul (2020), where she played the role of Binodini.
In 2022, she was seen in the Bengali film Byomkesh Hatyamancha (2022), in which she played the role of Sulochona. Later that year, she appeared in Karm Yuddh (2022), a Disney Plus Hotstar web series revolving around the life of a wealthy family in Kolkata.
Dam won the Viewers' choice award for best actress at the Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival for her role in Natoker Moto: Like a Play (2015) in 2016.- Mouni Roy was born in West Bengal, to Mukti, who was a theatre artist, and Anil Roy, a Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad office superintendent. She studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Baburhat, Cooch Behar, and then studied mass communication at Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi.
Her acting career took off in 2006 with the serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2000), a family drama by Ekta Kapoor, in which she played the role of Krishna Tulsi opposite Pulkit Samrat.
She participated in and won the first season of Zara Nachke Dikha. She did another TV series called Kasturi (2007) and played the role of Shivani. She was also part of Pati Patni Aur Woh (2009) and Do Saheliyaan... Kismat Ki Kathputaliyaan (2010). In 2011, she appeared in the Punjabi movie Hero Hitler in Love (2011). Same year Roy played the role of Sati in highly acclaimed mythological show Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev (2011).
In 2014 she was a contestant in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2006), Season 7, the dance reality show on Colors. The following year, she got another break from Ekta Kapoor's Naagin (2015), a supernatural series, in which she got the much-applauded role of Shivanya. She became a household name and also did a double role in Season 2 of Naagin. She also did cameo role as Mahanaagrani Shivangi in the final episodes of Naagin season 3.
Roy made her debut in the Hindi movie industry with the movie Gold (2018) oppositeAkshay Kumar in the lead role. The movie was a huge commercial success and earned Rs.1.5 billion, and it was also the first bollywood movie released in South Arabia.
In 2019, she appeared inRomeo Akbar Walter (2019), with John Abraham and Jackie Shroff. In the following year, she appeared in her first OTT feature film London Confidential (2020), in which she played the role of a pregnant spy named Uma Kulkarni- her performance was appreciated by the critics.
One of her best performances came in 2022 when she appeared as Junoon in Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022), along with Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Amitabh Bachchan. Roy got rave reviews from her fans and critics for her performance in the blockbuster movie.
In 2016, she was awarded Best Actress at the Indian Television Academy Awards and Gold Award for Naagin. She also bagged the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Best Smile of the Year. In 2017; she won the Gold Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role (Critics) for Naagin 2. She also won the ''ace of the Year (Female)'' award in the same year. And in 2018, she won the Star Screen Awards for Best Ethnic Style (Female) and Rising Film Star From Television from Gold Awards. In 2023 she won IIFA Awards for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022) - Anna Kashfi has appeared in a number of films including The Mountain (1956) (with Spencer Tracy) and Battle Hymn (1957) (with Rock Hudson) but is best known for being Marlon Brando's first wife. Kashfi is often thought of as being Indian but several newspapers have said that she is, in fact, the daughter of a Welsh factory worker, William Callaghan, and simply reinvented herself to increase her screen appeal. In her 1979 memoir, Kashfi still held onto the claim that she is Indian by insisting that she is the product of an "unregistered alliance" between Selma Ghose and an Indian architect named Devi Kashfi, and that William Callaghan is her stepfather. She met Brando in 1955 in the Paramount commissary and after an on-off relationship (mainly due to Brando's relentless womanizing) married him in 1957. (Brando claimed that he married her only because she had become pregnant.) She gave birth in May 1958 to their son, Christian, who became notorious in 1990 for shooting dead Dag Drollet, a crime that earned him a ten-year jail sentence. Kashfi divorced Brando in 1959. She remarried a Los Angeles businessman named James Hannaford in 1974, but he died in 1987. She also outlived her first husband Marlon Brando (who died in 2004) and their son Christian (who died in 2008). She died on August 16, 2015 of natural causes at the age of 80 in Washington State, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Neeraj Pandey (born 17 December 1973) is an acclaimed Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. In his first movie A Wednesday, his work was largely praised by audiences as well as the critics. A Wednesday also won many awards in different categories. His second film Special 26 (2013) was equally appreciated by the public and the critics. Not just a filmmaker but a writer too, Neeraj has written a novel named 'Ghalib Danger' in 2013. He also directed the movie Baby (2015) starring Akshay Kumar which received critical acclaim from the audience and was a huge success.The movie Rustom which was produced by Neeraj, was released on 12 August 2016 and received mixed reviews by critics but was a runaway commercial success. His last movie was a biopic on cricketer M.S.Dhoni titled M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story which was loved by the audience.. He aims at making more commercial content in the sports genre. Neeraj has carved a niche for himself in the film industry with his adept handling of different topics and is one of the most sought after Directors of his generation.
In 2016, his Production House Friday Filmworks and Reliance Entertainment entered into a joint venture and formed Plan C Studios.
He has also directed a Web Short 'Ouch' with Manoj Bajpayee and Pooja Chopra which is nominated for Filmfare Short Film Award 2017. As the co-producer, his recent blockbuster Toilet- Ek Prem Katha is getting critical appreciation from the film industry and the audience. His upcoming movie is Aiyaary which is set to release on 2018 starring Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Sudipto Sen was born in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India. Sudipto is known for The Kerala Story (2023), Bastar: The Naxal Story (2024) and The Last Monk (2006).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Sen is one of his nation's most politically active filmakers. After having studied physics at university in Calcutta, Sen worked as a freelance journalist, a salesman of patent medicines and a sound technician in a film studio. In the mid-1940s he joined the Indian People's Theatre Association and at that time began to read about and study film. The association had links to the Communist Party of India and this heralded the beginning of Sen's involvement with Marxist politics. In 1956 Sen made his debut with Raat Bhore (1956), the first of his 30 (as of 2002) films. Although his first film was openly political, he achieved national status as the director of a comedy, Bhuvan Shome (1969). Influenced by Italian neorealism and the work of fellow countryman Satyajit Ray, Sen used location shooting and non-professional casts in his early films. By the 1970s he was making wider use of symbolism and allegory. Although he remains politically committed, Sen feels that the "difference between party Marxists and a private Marxist like me is that others think they pocketed truth, whereas I am always in search of truth... " Sen's films have won numerous international awards. The Case Is Closed (1982), a scathing look at the hypocritical reaction of a bourgeois Calcutta family to the death of a servant boy, took home the Jury Prize from the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.- Born the son of an Opium Agent in Bengal, Eric Blair was educated in England (Eton 1921). The joined the British Imperial Police in Burma, serving until 1927. He then travelled around England and Europe, doing various odd jobs to support his writing. By 1935 he had adopted the 'pen-name' of 'George Orwell' and had written his first novels. He married in 1936. In 1937, he and his wife fought against the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War. He produced some 3000 pages of essays and newspaper articles as well as several books and programs for the BBC.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Mithun Chakraborty, whose birth name was Gouranga Chakraborty, is an actor, producer, and politician. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and has worked in several Hindi and Bengali films.
He studied at Oriental Seminary and then cleared his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Scottish Church College in Kolkata. Chakraborty graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.
Chakraborty has appeared in over 350 films, including Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Odia, Kannada, Telugu, and Punjabi movies. He made his acting debut with Mrigayaa (1977). This debut earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor.
During his early career as an actor, he had minor roles in movies like Do Anjaane (1976) and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan (1978). However, it was the low-budget espionage film Surakksha (1979) that propelled Chakraborty to fame. Additionally, Basu Chatterjee's film Prem Vivah (1979) was also a significant movie for Chakraborty in the late 1970s.
His collaboration with Deepak Bahry in 1979 with Tarana (1979) got him many hit films together in the 1980s, such as Humse Badhkar Kaun: The Entertainer (1998), Hum Se Hai Zamana (1983), and Woh Jo Hasina (1983).
Chakraborty debuted in Bengali cinema with Nadi Theke Sagare (1978), directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay. He impacted Hindi cinema in the 1980s with over 110 releases. He played Jimmy in the iconic 1982 film Disco Dancer (1982), which was the first film in India to gross Rs. 100 crores. He played dual roles for the first time in Taxi Chor (1980) and later played dual roles in 19 films.
Between 1990 and 1999, he appeared in over 100 movies and delivered several outstanding and unforgettable performances. Some of his notable works during this period include Agneepath (1990), which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as hits like Shandar (1990) and Trinetra (1991).
He also won two National Film Awards for his role in Tahader Katha (1992) and Vivekananda (1998).
Chakraborty appeared on screen in several blockbusters in the mainstream Hindi film industry from 2000-2019. His film Elaan (2005) received massive appreciation from the audience and his critics. His movie Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya! (2009) won multiple International awards, and critics appreciated Chal Chalein (2009) for its bold theme.
His next film Phir Kabhi (2008), was critically acclaimed and saw a direct-to-home (DTH) premiere in September 2009. The movie won as many as six awards in as many categories at the Los Angeles Reel Awards of 2009.
The Bhojpuri film, Bhole Shankar (2008) was Chakraborty's debut in the industry and is believed to be the biggest Bhojpuri film. He has played a role in films like Veer (2010) with Salman Khan and Golmaal 3 (2010) with Ajay Devgn. In 2012, he did three films with Akshay Kumar, OMG: Oh My God! (2012), Housefull 2 (2012), and Khiladi 786 (2012).
Chakraborty also made his Kannada debut with The Villain (2018), starring Shivarajkumar and Sudeep. He was also seen in The Kashmir Files (2022). Chakaraborty's web series, Bestseller (2022), was his debut in digital cinema through the OTT platform Amazon Prime.
Chakraborty is the recipient of three National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards, one Screen Award, three BFJA Awards, two Anandalok Awards, one award from Stardust, one Annual Central European Bollywood Award, one Star Jahlsa Award, and one Star Jahlsa Award for his acting performance.
Chakraborty was the brand ambassador of Panasonic electronics in the late 1980s. He is the face of GoDaddy and the Manappuram Gold Loan for West Bengal state.
In 1979, he tied the knot with actress Helena Luke but their marriage lasted only for four months, and they separated, eventually getting a divorce. He then married another actress Yogeeta Bali in the same year. Together, they have four children - Mimoh, Ushmey Chakraborty, Namashi Chakraborty, and an adopted daughter named Dishani Chakraborty.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Sayani Gupta, (pronounced as Shayoni) born and brought up in Kolkata, is a diverse individual who fine tuned skills in the segment of performing arts. Post her primary education and schooling, she moved cities for her college education to graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi. Sayani is the daughter of Maitreyi & (late) Kamal Gupta. Her father was a gifted musician and played numerous instruments. He was with the All India Radio alongside being a singer, composer and lyricist. He was one of the pioneers in bringing FM Radio to India. Raised in a musically inclined family, Sayani trained in Bharatanatyam for 17 years from various Gurus including Thankamani Kutti in Kalamandalam. She was also a part of the theatre group Nandikar and regularly took part in theatre and further moved on to do multiple projects with renowned theatre veterans such as MK Raina in Delhi.
An ECA student in college, Sayani was part of the Dance, Drama, Debating and Music societies. She is trained in Modern Dance, Ballet, Kallaripayatu (Indian martial arts). Post her graduation, Sayani wanted to stay in Delhi and continue with theatre and dance however knowing survival was key, she shifted careers to take up a job with an infrastructure research firm called Indian Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd where she dabbled in Marketing and Sales, which was far removed from arts. With sheer ambition and intelligence to match, Sayani evolved within the firm with 6 promotions in the span of a year. Feeling overworked and finding no time to indulge in the real profession she had always dreamed of doing, which was theatre, she decided to chase her passion instead. Her growing interest in cinema inspired her to fill up the admission form for The Film and Television Institute of India, Pune where she completed 3 years and specialised in acting. This was life changing. Thereafter, she moved to Mumbai in September 2011
Career Breakthrough:
Sayani's last release was "Margarita with a straw", which has been globally acclaimed and creating huge buzz in numerous film festivals. Here she plays the lead opposite Kalki Koechlin, etching the character of a feisty young activist from New York who also happens to be blind. MWAS is directed by Shonali Bose and produced by Viacom 18.
Her latest release is FAN with YRF directed by Maneesh Sharma this month. She is currently shooting for JAGGA JASOOS with UTV directed by Anurag Basu and has just wrapped BAAR BAAR DEKHO directed by Nitya Mehra for Excel entertainment. The other two releases are PARCHED directed by Leena Yadav and Tathagat directed by Manav Kaul.
Sayani's debut film in 2012, was Second Marriage Dot Com where she played the female lead, received a lot of critical acclaim. The film was directed by Gaurav Punjwani. In 2013, she featured in the Bengali film Tasher Desh, which was directed by Q (of Gandu fame) and produced by Anurag Kashyap.
Recently, Sayani was seen in the plays like 'Trivial Disasters' & 'Noises Off' which were both directed by Atul Kumar. Trivial Disasters featured Bollywood names like Purab Kohli, Kalki Koechlin, Richa Chadda and Cyrus Sahukar and was showcased in various cities across India and Singapore. The other play she is part of is called Cock which was directed by Manish Gandhi and written by Mike Bartlett.
Sayani has done many short films like Call Waiting directed by Anubhuti Kashyap, Bubbles and Stars as part of the Shuruyat Ka Interval, a collection of 8 shorts produced by Humara Movies, Bunny directed by Vasan Bala as part of the launch of Terribly Tiny Talkies, Leeches directed by Payal Sethi and Just Friends directed by Arun Sukukar. Leeches just premiered at the Tempura film festival in France, Friss Hus Budapest, Hungary and playing at IFFLA this month.
Further Success:
Margarita with a straw has won several awards across the globe and has received unprecedented acclaim in the country and abroad. MWAS had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. And her upcoming film Parched is also about to see it's world premiere at TIFF.
Personal Interests:
Sayani has a passion for Photography, Travel, Dance and Folk Music. She is trained in Bharatnatyam, Contemporary and Modern dance. Always a student of cinema, she finds deep interest in assisting and volunteers in various departments of film making from art direction, camera, costumes, casting etc.- Khushi Mukherjee was born on 24 November 1996 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for Heart Attack (2014).
- Kamalika Chanda was born on 6 October 1992 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for Damad Ji (2023), Ranjish (2023) and Miss Teacher (2016).
- Producer
- Actor
- Music Department
Jisshu Sengupta was born on 15 March 1977 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a producer and actor, known for Ek Je Chhilo Raja (2018), Zulfiqar (2016) and Sita Ramam (2022). He has been married to Nilanjana Sharma since 2004. They have two children.- Actress
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
Rakhee was born in a Bengali-speaking family in West Bengal, on India's Independence Day - 15th August, 1947. She has no connections with anyone in the film industry in India.
She achieved phenomenal success at her very first movie in Bengali 'Bandhu Baran' during the year 1967. She was then noticed by noted Bollywood actor, Sunil Dutt, who recommended her for a lead role in 'Reshma Aur Shera'. But before the release of this movie, Rakhee had already appeared in 'Jeevan Mritya' and 'Sharmeelee' opposite Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor respectively.The on-screen pair of Rakhee Gulzar-Shashi Kapoor was very popular with audience and they did 9 films together. Four were critically acclaimed but box office flops and five were box office super-hits.
She has acted in a total of approximately 91 movies, in a career that spanned from 1967 through to 2003. A total of four awards have been bestowed for her performances in 'Daag', 'Tapasya', 'Ram Lakhan', and 'Shubhu Muhurat'. She is perhaps the only actress who has acted both as a lead heroine and mother with Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan.
During her teen years, Rakhee was married to Ajoy Biswas, but the marriage was short-lived, and the couple divorced.
Rakhee then got married to Music Director/Lyricist/Film Director, Sampoorna Singh Gulzar. They have a daughter named Megha alias Bosky. Rakhee quit acting in movies during the year 2003, and her last appearance was in 'Shubhu Muhurat'.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Madhumita Sarcar was born on 26 October 1992 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. She is an actress and writer, known for Search (2022), Tangra Blues (2021) and Care Kori Na (2012). She is married to Sourav Chakraborty. She was previously married to Sourav Chakraborty.- Actress
- Music Department
Saayoni Ghosh was born on 27 January 1993 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for Byomkesh O Chiriakhana (2016), Rajkahini (2015) and Astey Ladies (2019).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Ayan Mukerji was born on 15 August 1983 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a director and writer, known for Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (2022), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and Wake Up Sid (2009).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Ritwik Ghatak was born on 4 November 1925 in Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Dhaka, Bangladesh]. He was a director and writer, known for Reason, Debate and a Story (1974), Musafir (1957) and The Cloud-Capped Star (1960). He was married to Surama Ghatak. He died on 6 February 1976 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.- Writer
- Director
- Music Department
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 12 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad. He began directing in advertising. In 1992, he made a low-key film debut with a children's feature titled Hirer Angti (The Diamond Ring). His second movie Unishe April (19 April), won the 1995 National Film Award Since then, Ghosh has directed Dahan, Utsab, Chokher Bali, Asukh, Bariwali, Antarmahal and Raincoat (in Hindi). He won the National Award for best direction for his bengali film "Abohoman" starring Jishu Sengupta, Ananya Chatterjee, Dipankar Dey and Mamata Shankar in India in 2010.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Amesha G is an Indian actress and producer. Who primarily works in the Indian film industry. She made her debut with the Big Master Reality Show Produced by 11up Movies. Also, she worked in many Hindi OTT web series, short films and music videos. She produced in many Hindi web series, short films and music videos. She produced for Jarurat (2022), Ahh Madam Ji (2022), Bistar Garam Unrated (2022), Gandee Ladki (2022), Mama Ki Buri Nazar (2022), Figure Wali (2022), Mujh Mein Tu Rehna (2022), Sajnaa Tu Bata (2022) and Pradhan Ki Chaal (2023). She was born in West Bengal, India.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Aparna Sen is a renowned name in Bengali as well as Indian cinema. She has excelled both as an actor in film and theatre and as a director of parallel cinema.
Aparna was born in 1945 in Kolkata. Her father is film critic and film maker Late Chidananda Das Gupta. She studied at Modern High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Presidency College, Kolkata. Her first film appearance happened in Satyajit Ray's Three Daughters (1961) when she was sixteen. Since then, Aparna has acted in many films in lead roles.
In 1981, Aparna made her debut as a film director with 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) which won national and international awards. Since then, Aparna has directed series of films on a wide variety of subjects. Most of her films have been well acclaimed nationally and internationally. Aparna moved to Mumbai and continues to make films in Hindi and English.
Aparna acted in little theatre groups and commercial theatres for a period of time. She was also editor of a popular Bengali magazine (Sananda) for long time.- Screen actress Tillotama Shome is best known for her acclaimed portrayal of Alice in Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. She played a pivotal role as Deepa in director Florian Gallenberger's epic Shadows of Time (Schatten der Zeit) and appeared as Lara in Meneka Das's Little Box of Sweets; Jaya in Afia Nathaniel's short film Long After; and Miraal in Tanuj Chopra's Butterfly.
When previously based in New York, in addition to her on-screen acting accomplishments, Tillotama Shome worked as a teaching artist at Creative Arts Team/City University of New York. CUNY/CAT uses theatre as a medium to promote social, emotional and intellectual growth in communities throughout New York City to explore a wide range of issues including peer pressure, violence, sexuality, substance abuse, parenting, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Her work in particular also involved working with prison inmates at Rikers Island and women in domestic shelters. Tillotama Shome has bachelors and masters degrees in English literature from India and a second masters from New York University in Educational Theatre. - Actress
- Writer
Puja Banerjee is an Indian TV and film actress who has appeared in several TV serials and Hindi and Bengali films. She is also known as Pooja Bose.
She studied at St. Paul's Mission School Kolkata and graduated from Scottish Church College, Kolkata. When she was 15 years old, Banerjee appeared in a small role in Escape from Taliban (2003).
She made her debut as an actress in the TV serial Kahaani Hamaaray Mahaabhaarat Ki (2008) and was also a part of Tujh Sang Preet Lagai Sajna (2008).
Banerjee was next seen in Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev (2011) and has appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil (2013). She has also been a part of Razia Sultan (2015) and Comedy Nights Bachao (2015) as a contestant.
Banerjee next appeared in Bigg Boss Bangla (2013), Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi (2008) and Dev (2017). She has also appeared as a contestant in The Khatra Show (2019), Vish (2019) and Jag Jaanani Maa Vaishnodevi - Kahani Mata Rani Ki (2019).
Banerjee's acting debut in films was in Veedu Theda (2011). In 2012, she also appeared in the Bengali movie Macho Mustanaa (2012) and in Rocky (2013).
Banerjee has appeared in several Bengali movies like Loveria (2013), Oh! Henry (2013), 3 Patti (2014), and Hoichoi Unlimited (2018).
She has also been a part of Hindi movies like Rajdhani Express (2013), Ramaiya Vastavaiya (2013), Great Grand Masti (2016), and made a special appearance in a song, 'Ban Dance mei Kutta' in the movie 3 Dev (2019).
In 2017, she was awarded the best actress at the 10th Boroplus Gold Awards. Banerjee has appeared in the web series Anupama: Namaste America (2022).
Banerjee married Kunal Verma in 2020. The couple has a son named Krishiv.- Actor
- Music Department
Saswata started his career with a Hindi serial directed by Saibal Mitra, based on Samaresh Majumdar's Kaalpurush. He gained popularity by portraying the character of Topshe in a television series directed by Sandip Ray. His breakthrough role came in Sujoy Ghosh's 2012 blockbuster Hindi film, Kahaani (2012), where he played a simple looking scary contract killer Bob Biswas. The nation went berserk with his portrayal of the villain and comparisons with the iconic Bolly-baddies 'Mogambo' and 'Gabbar Singh' were also drawn. His most notable work includes the role of TV show creator Abhijit Ganguly in the breakout hit thriller Network (2019) directed by Saptaswa Basu- Actress
Sneha Paul is an Indian actress, model, and social media influencer. She completed her education at a private school in Kolkata and later graduated from Calcutta University.
Paul began her career as a model in 2016, working on her first major project, The City and A Girl (2021), for Disney+ Hotstar. Her popularity grew with her song in the Kannada movie Dream Girl (2017) and her appearance in Altaf Raja's music video for Phool Ke Badle Patthar.
Paul's breakthrough came with her role as "Renu Bhabhi" in the web series Charmsukh (2019), which attracted a large fan following. Since then, she has appeared in other web series such as Laal Lihaaf (2021) and Chawl House 3: Part 2 (2022) on various platforms like Ullu and Hotstar, garnering appreciation for her performances. Prior to her career in the film industry, she was active in Marathi theater productions and has also starred in short films such as Lag Gaye (2020).
Paul is an enthusiastic fitness enthusiast, serving as a brand ambassador for various fitness-related brands. Apart from her acting and modeling career, she is also an influential social media personality with a considerable following. Her contributions to the film industry and other domains have established her as a versatile personality and a source of inspiration to many of her fans.- Moushumi Chatterjee was considered one of the most beautiful faces to hit the Hindi screen in the 1970s. She is an actress originally from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), West Bengal. She made her film debut in the Bengali hit, Balika Badhu (1967) directed by Tarun Majumdar when she was in her early teens. Her debut as heroine in the Hindi film Anuraag (1972) came courtesy of another famous Bengali director Shakti Samanta. She played a blind girl who falls in love, and her performance earned her a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. The film, itself, won the Filmfare Award as Best Picture. That led to another huge hit film, where she played a rape survivor in Manoj Kumar 's Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974). Her rape sequence in the film is still considered to be one of the most disturbing scenes in Hindi cinema. Her performance earned her a Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress. That led to more starring roles opposite superstar Rajesh Khanna in Humshakal, Bhola Bhala, Prem Bandhan, Ghar Parivaar,Aa Ab Laut Chalen. She acted with Amitabh Bachchan in the thriller Benaam (1974) and Basu Chatterjee's film Manzil (1979). She played heroine opposite all the other top leading men, such as Sanjeev Kumar in films like Angoor, Itni Si Baat and with Jeetendra like Swarg Narak, Jyoti Bane Jwala, Justice Chowdhry, Dil Aur Deewar, Pyasa Sawan and with Vinod Mehra like Anuraag, Do Jhoot, Zindagi, Us Paar, Naina, Mazaaq, Umar Qaid and with Shashi Kapoor in Swayamvar, Ghar Ek Mandir. She did more Hindi and Bengali hit films, and by the 1986, she made the transition to character roles of mother and bhabhi (sister-in-law).
Moushumi's personal life has kept her in the gossip columns since the beginning of her career. She married early to producer Jayanta Mukherjee, son of legendary music composer and singer Hemanta Mukherjee. They have two daughters, Payal and Megha. She acted in Hindi films after marriage, which was unusual at that time, as it was customary to act in films before marriage and leave films after marriage. At one point, she was said to leave her husband for film distributor Ramesh Sippy (not to be confused with the director of Sholay (1975)) but then changed her mind and stayed with her husband and their two daughters.
In 2005, she was thrilled when director Tarun Majumdar', who had introduced her to films in Balika Badhu (1967) decided to introduce her younger daughter Megha in his next Bengali film "Bhalobasar Anek Naam". (Moushumi played a supporting role as cousin sister to Megha in the film.) Her older daughter Payal has made a name for herself behind the camera as the creative head at the Prime Channel, which oversees television shows.
In middle age, Moushumi has accepted new challenges as playing a dual role in Tanuja Chandra's Zindaggi Rocks (2006) and crossed over to Canada to act in Bollywood/Hollywood (2002) for which she received a Genie Best Supporting Actress nomination. She also has entered politics in 2004, even though she has had no experience, but she tried to compensate with enthusiasm and hard work. - Sohini Sarkar was born on 1 October 1992 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for Bibaho Diaries (2017), Har Har Byomkesh (2015) and Byomkesh Pawrbo (2016).
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Prasenjit Chatterjee was born on 30 September 1962 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a producer and actor, known for 22 Shey Shraban (2011), Mishawr Rawhoshyo (2013) and Shanghai (2012). He has been married to Arpita Chatterjee since 2002. They have one child. He was previously married to Aparna Guha Thakurta and Debashree Roy.- Paromita started her career as a junior Radio Jockey when she was 10 as an intern competitor, Paromita started learning the art of theatre at the age of 11. Since then she has worked in different plays in Kolkata and overseas.
In 2008, She landed her first acting role for a Bengali daily soap . Eventually she started hosting stage shows all over India. She has also worked as a fashion producer for different fashion houses who has experience in styling the background, art direction and stylist for the artist.
In 2018, she was first seen playing a supportive character role in the web series "Tumse Na Ho Payega". Her character over here is of a self confident woman named Rachel and she is the receptionist of the office. "Tumse Na Ho Payega" was released and streaming on Eros Now app.
In 2019, Paromita featured in "Hostel Daze" on Amazon prime , where she is playing a character called Kavita Aunty.
In 2020, she had back to back releases like "Missing Condoms" and "The Bonkers" "Lips Don't Lie" and also "Crackdown" . Paromita is also into creative content creation and also into content development, as a writer, including this she has done her graduation under Calcutta university with journalism major.
In her personal life she is an amazing dance performer and also she has an amazing musical sense so she love to connect her lyrics which touches your soul.
Paromita is from Kolkata, Single child of Mrs Mamata Dey and Mr Ashoke Dey. From 2014 onward, she resides in Mumbai . - Dibyendu Bhattacharya is an Indian actor who works in Hindi, and Bengali cinema and has also been seen in famous web series. After finishing his studies at Behala Arya Vidya Mandir High School, he went on to attend Vivekananda College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Dibyendu is also a proud holder of a certificate from the prestigious National School of Drama.
In 2001, Bhattacharya entered the film industry with the comedy-drama Monsoon Wedding (2001), in which he co-starred with Naseeruddin Shah and Lillete Dubey. In 2005, Bhattacharya was cast alongside Aamir Khan and Rani Mukerji in the historical drama Mangal Pandey (2005) (2005), directed by Ketan Mehta.
Since then, he has acted in several Bengali and Hindi films and television shows. He is recognised for his role as Chunni in the movie Dev.D (2009) and the Hotstar web series Criminal Justice (2019) (2019), in which he plays Layak Talukdar. He has also appeared in cameos for popular mainstream movies like Black Friday (2004) (2004), Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) (2007), and Chittagong (2012) (2012).
In the following years, he made appearances in films, including Ab Tak Chhappan (2004) (2004), Maqbool (2003) (2003), Robber (2013) (2013), B.A. Pass (2012) (2012), and Guddu Rangeela (2015) (2015). Bhattacharya also starred in the Emmy-nominated Netflix thriller Sacred Games (2018) (2018) alongside Saif Ali Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
He also appeared in the Netflix anthology drama Ray (2021) (2021), starring Manoj Bajpayee, Ali Fazal, and Kay Kay Menon. The same year, Bhattacharya accepted the role of inspector Biswa in the TV drama Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega (2020) (2021), directed by Soumendra Padhi. Bhattacharya was nominated for Most Popular Supporting Actor in a Web Series in the IWM Digital Awards for this role.
He has also appeared in the following web series: Selection Day (2018) (2018), Criminal Justice (2019) (2019), The Gone Game (2020) (2020), Mirzapur (2018) (2020), Rocket Boys (2022) (2022), and 24: India (2013) (2013).
Bhattacharya has also worked in movies like Incomplete (2017) (2017), Do Writers ki Maut (2018) (2018), Section 375 (2019) (2019), and Doll's House (Based on a play by Henrik Ibsen) (2018) (2019), and TV shows including Aar Ya Paar (2022) (2022), Thinkistan (2019) (2019), Maharani (2021) (2021) and Code Name: Tiranga (2022). - Koyel Mallick was born on 28 April 1982 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for M.L.A. Fatakesto (2006), Hemlock Society (2012) and Minister Fatakesto (2007). She has been married to Nishpal Singh since 1 February 2013. They have one child.
- Actress
Riya Sen, born Riya Dev Varma, is an Indian actress and model. She has appeared in Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films and several music videos.
Sen completed her studies at Loreto House in Kolkata, an INCSE school, and later studied Philosophy at Uccha Madhyamik School Rani Birla Girls' College. She did a course at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai.
After completing her education, Sen took an acting course in London from Pinewood Actors Studio and voice and dubbing classes. She has also completed a course on branding from the University of Arts in London, a course in Fashion and Image Styling from Paris, and a course in cooking from the blue elephant culinary school in Thailand.
Sen first appeared as a child artiste in one of her mother's movies Vishkanya (1991) (1991), when she was five years old. She played the role of young Pooja Bedi.
Sen got her first share of recognition in Chudi (Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi) (1998) Falguni Pathak's music video, after which she appeared in several advertisements, fashion shows, music videos, and film magazines.
In the year 2000, Sen made her debut in Tamil Films with Taj Mahal (1999), which was written by Mani Ratnam and R Selvaraj, and the music of the movie was composed by A.R. Rahman.
Sen got her commercial success with her movie Style (2001), which was a Hindi low-budget movie. The movie was directed by N. Chandra and starred Sharman Joshi and Sahil Khan. This movie saw Sen play the role of a college girl.
Sen's next performance was Jhankaar Beats (2003), produced by Pritish Nandy and directed and written by Sujoy Ghosh. The movie also starred Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawla, and Rinke Khanna.
Sen has also been part of a few more movies like Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003), directed by Harry Baweja and starring Ajay Devgn, Suniel Shetty and Sanjay Kapoor, and Apna Sapna Money Money (2006) (2006), directed by Sangeeth Sivan and starring Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Suniel Shetty and Koena Mitra.
Sen has been a part of an item song in James (2005) directed by Rohit Jugraj and produced by Ram Gopal Varma. She also appeared in Sajid Khan's Heyy Babyy (2007).
Besides Hindi movies, Sen has acted in several Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, and English films. Sen's English movie It Was Raining That Night (2005) also featured her mother, Moon Moon Sen. She also appeared along with her sister, Raima Sen, in Noukadubi (2011), a Bengali film.
One of the most successful movies that Sen appeared in was her Malayalam film, Anandabhadram (2005), where she plays the role of Bhama. The movie was awarded five Kerala State Film Awards and was one of the biggest successes in 2005.
Sen also featured in several music videos and songs like Jhumka Gira Re by Asha Bhosle, Jeena Hai Tere Liye (2001) by Sonu Nigam, Jab Samne Tum and Kahin Kahin Se by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhosle, Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin by the late Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhosle, and many more.
In 2006, Sen became the brand ambassador of Limca, replacing Deepika Padukone. She has been selected as the brand ambassador for several big names like Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, Colgate, Reliance Industries, Dabur Vatika, and Nirma.
In 2012 Sen was awarded the Best Actress Star Guide Award for her performance in Noukadubi (2011).
She has appeared on the cover pages of several magazines and even walked the ramp for big fashion shows like Lakmé Fashion Week (2005-07) and Wills Fashion Week (2006-2007).- Priyanka was born in the Bengali-speaking Kothari family in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Her dad is a chemical businessman, mom is a home-maker, and she has an elder sister who is married. As a child she grew up in Calcutta, but most of her teen years were spent in Delhi where the family re-located subsequently. She is a Science Graduate from Dayal Singh College, which is an affiliate of Delhi University. She comes from a very conservative background but had always wanted to become an actress. She speaks English, Bengali, Hindi, and even a little bit of Rajasthani.
She modeled initially in Mumbai, and when actor Madhavan came there for a Pepsi commercial shoot, she met with him, showed him her photographs, he arranged an audition for her in Chennai, and she was signed for a Tamil movie titled 'Jay Jay' during the year 2003. She then also appeared in a Telugu movie 'Madhyanam Hatya' during 2004. In both the Tamil and Telugu movies she had a screen name of Amoha. She has also modeled with Indian Cricketer Kapil Dev.
This exposure got Bollywood movie-maker Ram Gopal Varma to approach her and sign her up in 'James' 'Sarkar' and subsequently in the Sholay re-make 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' in which she plays Ghunghroo, which was originally played by Hema Malini with a character name of Basanti. Her screen name is Nisha Kothari for all of the Bollywood movies. - Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Soumitra Chatterjee is an Indian actor, playwright and poet. World-renowned film director Satyajit Ray has acted in multiple shadow films. He has made Bengali film a place in the court of the world. In his long acting career, he has received many awards from home and abroad. His films have also won numerous awards. He died on 15th November, 2020 at the age of 85. Even after his death, his performance has been and will always be remembered in the hearts of all the audience.- Sayantani Ghosh, born in the vibrant city of Kolkata, is a seasoned Indian television actress with an extensive career in the entertainment industry. Her journey in acting has been marked by versatility and a commendable body of work that has earned her recognition and admiration.
Having made her debut in the Bengali movie 'Raju Uncle' in 2005, Sayantani embarked on a promising film career. However, it was in the realm of Indian television that she truly made her mark. Over the years, she has become a familiar face in households across the country.
Sayantani's notable television credits include significant roles in popular serials such as 'Naamkaran' (2016), 'Karn Sangini' (2018), and 'Naagin 4: Bhagya Ka Zehreela Khel' (2019). Her performances have consistently garnered praise for their depth and authenticity.
Beyond her acting prowess, Sayantani Ghosh has also graced the glamour world as the winner of the prestigious 'Miss Calcutta Beauty Pageant,' showcasing her beauty and grace. In a bold move, she entered the reality TV arena by participating in Bigg Boss Season 6, hosted by the charismatic Salman Khan. Her stint in the show showcased not only her resilience but also her affable personality. Despite her eviction in the 2nd week, Sayantani left a lasting impression on the audience.
Sayantani Ghosh continues to be a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, captivating audiences with her talent, charm, and the ability to seamlessly transition between different mediums of entertainment. - Actor
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Shashi Kapoor is one of the leading actors of Indian cinema having appeared in 160 movies - 12 in English and 148 in Hindi. He has appeared in 148 Hindi films - of them played the solo lead hero in 61 films, was lead hero in 53 released multi star cast Hindi films, 2 unreleased multi star film and 21 Hindi films had him in supporting role, worked in 4 films as a child artist and made 7 guest appearances.
Indian actor of Bollywood, Parallel Cinema, and International productions; Shashi Kapoor is the youngest son of theater and film actor Prithviraj Kapoor and his wife Ramsarni "Rama" Mehra Kapoor. Shashi grew up traveling around the country with his father's acting trope "Prithvi Theatres." from 1940-59. He began appearing on stage from the age of four. He also began working in films in the early 1940s. As a child, he appeared in 4 films from 1948-53 which includes 2 films of his eldest brother Raj Kapoor as the hero and Sangram, where Shashi played Ashok Kumar.
By 1956, an 18-year old Shashi was both actor and assistant stage manager for "Prithvi Theatre." That year, "Shakespeareana" --a traveling theater group under English actor Geoffrey Kendal, and "Prithvi Theatre" were both booked to play in Calcutta. While checking the audience reaction from backstage, Shashi's glance fell on Jennifer Kendal. Shashi soon learned she was playing Miranda in "The Tempest," and secured an introduction. The two began courting, and expressed a desire to wed. Geoffrey Kendal was uncertain about loosing not only his daughter, but his leading lady and theater manager. He insisted that the couple wait at least two years. Shashi began touring with "Shakespeareana" and in 1958 he again asked for Jennifer's hand in marriage and was again refused. However, Jennifer decided to go against her father's wishes, and in July of 1958, the couple were married in the traditional Indian style in Bombay.
Shashi debuted as a leading man in Yash Chopra's Dharmputra (1961). From 1961-64 his Hindi films with him as the solo heroes were box office flops. But Nanda believed that Shashi does have the potential to be popular leading man and signed happily 8 films opposite him over the period 1962-1968. Except for their first 2 films together and Juaari, other 5 films of the pair Nanda-Shashi turned out to be super-hits from 1965-70.A versatile actor, Shashi worked in both mainstream popular Hindi cinema, art films and in Indian-set English-language films, such as those made by the film-making team Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. He was one of the first Indian stars to go international, as he worked in both British and American films, and directed the Soviet Union co-production _Ajooba (1991) which was a disaster.He tried his hand at English films when his Hindi films were flops from 1961-64 and achieved success in 1963 with 2 commercially successful English movies.He did 6 English films as lead hero till 1983 and then played villain in Deceivers and another lead role in 1993 and rest 4 English films had him in supporting role as narrator/guest appearance from 1987-1998. Shashi started having solo hits opposite Rakhee, Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat Aman from 1968-1975 but had a weak period as a solo lead hero from 1974-1978 where he had 13 flops off 24 films as solo lead and this made him accept multi star cast films from 1976-85. He achieved success in multi star films from 1976-84.In the multi star films he did , he was paid more than co-stars Vinod Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Rishi and Randhir Kapoor. But Sanjeev Kumar,Pran and Dharmendra were paid at same rate as Shashi in the films where they were his co-stars. Only Rajesh Khanna was paid more than Shashi in the 2 films they did together. He played supporting role to Rajesh Khanna at peak of his career in Prem Kahani and then in Alag Alag.
He won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Deewaar (1975). He won two Filmfare Best Movie Awards for his work as producer and star of Junoon (1979) and Kalyug (1981).He costarred in 11 films with Amitabh Bachchan of which 4 (Deewar,Trishul, Suhaag,Namak Halal) were successful,1 (Kala Pathar)was average hit and rest 6 were flops. Shashi Kapoor did 61 solo lead hero films in Hindi and, of them, 35 were super-hits. Shashi did 55 multi-star cast movies where Shashi was one of the lead heroes and, of them, 33 were super-hits, 20 were flops, 2 remain unreleased.
Shashi and Jennifer had three children; Kunal Kapoor, an actor and ad director, Karan Kapoor a photographer and sometimes actor, and Sanjana Kapoor, an actress who has run Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai since 1993. After his wife Jennifer died of cancer in 1984, Shashi started becoming obese and began taking on fewer roles in films, and shifted his focus to character roles.His first break as supporting actor after he became obese was given by Rajesh Khanna in film Alag Alag where his role along-with the lead pair of the film was appreciated.
In 2010, Shashi was presented with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.- Actor
- Music Department
Dino Shafeek was born on 21 March 1930 in Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India [now in Dhaka, Bangladesh]. He was an actor, known for Mind Your Language (1977), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974) and High Road to China (1983). He died on 10 March 1984 in London, England, UK.- Actress
Kyra Dutt is an Indian actress and model primarily known for her work in the Indian film industry. However, please note that information about celebrities can change over time, and there may have been developments in Kyra Dutt's career or personal life since then.
Kyra Dutt gained attention for her appearance in the Bollywood film "Calendar Girls," directed by Madhur Bhandarkar and released in 2015. The film explored the lives of models featured in glamour calendars. Kyra portrayed the character of Kyra, one of the five leading ladies in the film.
Before entering the world of acting, Kyra Dutt was a successful model, known for her striking looks and graceful presence. She ventured into the entertainment industry, showcasing her talent not only in films but also in the modeling and fashion spheres.- Director
- Editor
- Writer
By no means is he any glamorous director, yet Hrishikesh Mukherjee is one of the most popular and beloved filmmakers in Indian cinema. His magic lay not in the glamor or largeness so often associated with cinema, but in its simplicity and warmth.
He began his career in Bombay, 1951, as an editor and assistant director to Bimal Roy, another great director himself. His first directorial venture, Musafir (1957), centering on an old house where three unrelated stories dealing with birth, marriage and death occur in a series, was a disaster. But director Raj Kapoor was impressed and strongly recommended Hrishida as director for Anari (1959). Starring Kapoor himself and Nutan, the film was a critical and commercial success.
His next film, Anuradha (1960), about an idealistic doctor who neglects his wife to focus on his work, got him the President's Medal Award. But from then on throughout the 1960s decade, none of Hrishida films were particularly distinguishable, barring Asli-Naqli (1962), a Muslim melodrama; Anupama (1966), which was based on a true incident; Aashirwad (1968), a family drama; and Satyakam (1969), about an idealist seeing his dreams crumble after Indian independence.
Then Hrishida made what is considered his masterpiece - Anand (1971). This classic film gave a complex but compassionate look at the balance between hope, fear, life and death and saw Rajesh Khanna's greatest performance as a terminally ill man who wishes to live life to the full before he dies. It was an auspicious beginning to the 1970s, for that time proved to be an exceptionally good time for Hrishida as he gave the public excellent films like Guddi (1971), a semi-satiric look at the film industry and generally considered as Jaya Bhaduri's debut film; Abhimaan (1973), the Bachchans' greatest ever performance together; and Chupke Chupke (1975), a comedy about a newlywed professor's joke on his pompous brother-in-law. These films gave an extremely skilled and detailed look at the middle-class mentality.
Few people understood human nature as well as Hrishida - in all his films he examined their aspects, particularly their failings and foibles and the outworn values people always seem to hold on to. However in the 1980s, the advent of the superstar Amitabh Bachchan and of larger-than-life films saw Hrishida's brand of filmmaking die out. Recently he attempted a comeback with _Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate (1999)_, but sadly it was a futile effort as the film was a commercial and critical failure. However, the magic of his films still lingers after three decades, and he will be best remembered for his film Anand (1971), which told that people who die but remain in heart and mind do not die, but become immortal. No one justifies this truth more than Hrishida.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Trained at RADA. Stage actor in rep and West End (six productions). Many TV plays and episodes of series. Moved in 1980 from acting to directing and writing. Wrote 37 TV scripts, including BBC play "The Interview". Directed over fifty productions in London, Sydney, Frankfurt, Sheffield, Florida and major UK provincial theatres.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
The Grandfather & Great Custodian of Indian Motion Pictures!
Ashok Kumar was one of India's most famous actors for over half a century, from before independence to the cusp of the new millennia!
As a young assistant to Bengali film-maker Himanshu Rai, he got his start in acting by accident when he volunteered to substitute for the lead actor, Jeevan Naya (1936), who fell ill before production on the film Achhut Kanya (1936) was to start. Kumar was terrified of acting in the first place, especially opposite lead actress Devika Rani, known as 'the dragon lady' for her smoking, drinking, cursing and legendary hot temper. After finishing shooting, Kumar continued with overseeing the process of the film with editing, mixing and processing. His unexpected acclaim to his role had him in demand for more acting roles, which he pursued in a few more 'Bombay Talkies' with Devika Rani.
His breakthrough performance was in Kismet (1943) which ran for three years in Bombay and Calcutta and was one of the first Hindi language mega-hits of India and gained him national fame through his charismatic performances and his talented singing. From then onwards, Kumar became a sought-after actor who appeared in over 200 Hindi and a few other Indian language films, playing romantic leads or threatening villains and making Rs.300-400 a month during the 1940s and 1950s.
Although his roles gradually decreased to supporting and minor parts as he got older and suffered more ill health, his popularity in India never diminished and he was often in demand for cameos and live convention appearances. From the 1990s to his death, he lived in a comfortable retirement in Bombay with a slew of Indian films to show for his work.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Cinema entered the ordinary life of a young, sports and soccer enthusiast Shoojit Sircar, studying in Delhi, India, quite by chance when during the XIIth grade a friend suggested accompanying him for the viewing of a film. Unbeknownst to Sircar, this film would mark for him the beginning of a whole new way of looking at life. The film was Satyajit Ray's 'Pather Panchali' ('Song of the Little Road'). Curious and much impacted by this 'art form', Shoojit went on to watch the entire 'Apu trilogy' including 'Aparijito' (The Unvanquished) and 'The World of Apu'; and all other films by Ray, besides films by film-makers Ritwik Ghatak and Mrinal Sen. There are three films however besides Ray's 'Pather Panchali' that Shoojit specifically credits for giving 'birth to the cinema within him'; and for encouraging him to look at everything in life, differently; these are - Truffaut's '400 Blows', Vittorio De Sica's 'Bicycle Thieves' and Oliver Stone's "Platoon". Another important turning point in his journey was when he joined 'ACT ONE', a theatre group in Delhi, led by director, Mr.N.K. Sharma. There Shoojit handled backstage, across all departments - giving him the experience of creating theatre with minimalist resources, along with being rooted in the rigor and discipline that comes with living the life of theatre. His first big break as independent director ironically was a commercial on football, which he followed with a music video, 'MANN KE MANJEERE'. While most music videos of the time catered to the 'pop' form of storytelling - this one explored a more realistic journey, that of a woman, played by Mita Vashisht; a single mother who breaks away from an abusive married life and chooses to become a 'truck driver', then quite the traditional bastion of the male. Composed by Shantanu Moitra, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shubha Mudgal, the video was viewed by over 20 million people at the time, its impact described as '"Mann ke Manjeeré has made a breakthrough by claiming public space for women's aspirations." Shoojit's first major directorial feature 'YAHAAN' (2005), on the turmoil faced by the Kashmiri people - won him the best director award in the Osian Film Festival 2005. He followed that with "VICKY DONOR" (2012), a film that dealt with the issue of infertility and brought the taboo topic of sperm donation onto a dining table conversation, 'Vicky Donor' went on to win three national awards including 'Best Entertainer of the year'. He followed that up with the hard - hitting political thriller 'MADRAS CAFE' (2013), throwing light on one of the most tumultuous periods in the sub-continent history - the Sri Lankan civil war. A year later, he brought us the much loved slice of life, 'PIKU' (2015) - a father-daughter comic drama, centered around an ageing, possessive father and his constant 'bowel problem'; aptly played out by Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone; winning over 18 awards from across the nation. And then came, 'PINK' (2016) - a film that gave voice to millions of Indian women; that proclaimed a 'No means No'; a film that proved to be not just a movie but a 'movement'; With 'OCTOBER' (2018), Shoojit Sircar shared a most poetic, soulful, personal take on love... And with the absurdist satire, 'GULABO SITABO' (2020), an unapologetic take on human greed! And most recently, the powerful and cinematically rich period biographical drama, 'SARDAR UDHAM' (2021), a film about India's pre independence movement with a compelling take on the 'revolutionary vs. terrorist' debate. With such a diverse and distinct repertoire of films, Shoojit Sircar today stands out as one of the most important and original voices of Indian Cinema. Besides bringing forth such quality cinema, Shoojit Sircar has also taken up the mantle of backing projects as a producer, producing the much appreciated and well received (Bengali) features, "Aparajita Tumi" and "Open Tee Bioscope"
As an ad film maker, Shoojit has been recognized internationally through works like the Cannes award winning, 'Lead India campaign' by The Times of India group, which brought together most respected Indian icons. His last (digital) campaign, an authentic reflection on modern parenting, has become a major talking point, going on to garner millions of hits on social media.- Dolon Majumder was born on 1 November 1986 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. She is an actress, known for Nancy Bhabhi (2019), Nuru Massage Fliz movies (2020) and Mucky (2020).
- Moon Moon Sen, born Srimati Sen, is an Indian politician and actress predominantly working in the Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil film industries. She has also worked in an English film called My Karma (2004) as Mrs Malik. She has appeared in more than 60 movies and 40 television shows.
Sen belongs to an affluent family. Her father belongs to one of the wealthiest families in Kolkata, and her mother was one of the most popular actresses of her time. She did her schooling in Loreto Convent, Shillong. Furthermore, she pursued her graduation from Somerville College, Oxford, and her master's degree in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She went on to teach English at Ballygunge Govt High School before joining films.
She debuted in the Bengali Film Industry with the film Chorus (1975). She went on to appear in several Bengali movies like Rajbadhu (1982), Rajeshwari (1983), Ajantay (1985), Baidurya Rahasya (1985), Byabadhan (1990), Hirer Angti (1992), Nil Nirjane (2003), Buno Haansh (2014) and Bhobishyoter Bhoot (2018).
She ventured into the Hindi film industry with the film Andar Baahar (1984). After that, she went on to appear in numerous films like Musafir (1986), Pyar Ki Jeet (1987), Woh Phir Aayegi (1988), Jeevan Ek Sanghursh (1990), 100 Days (1991), Kucch To Hai (2003), It Was Raining That Night (2005) and Bow Barracks Forever (2004).
Sen worked in the Malayalam films Chiriyo Chiri (1982), Aval Kathirunnu Avanum (1986) and Gentle Man Security (1994). She also worked in Telugu films like Yuga Purusha (1989) and Vaishakada Dinagalu (1993).
In March 2014, she joined the All India Trinamool Congress and won in the 2014 Lok Sabha Polls. However, she lost the Asansol Lok Sabha Constituency election to Babul Supriyo of the BJP in 2019.