Shashi Kapoor

 Shashi Kapoor – the ever smiling, scintillating son of doyen Prithviraj Kapoor, has left indelible impressions on the celluloid with his distinctive performances through scores of flicks in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Though belonging to the illustrious Kapoor clan, Shashi a.k.a Shashi Raj carved a great career for himself by the dint of his dashing personality and hard work. Shashi learnt the lesson of hard work from his eldest brother Raj- whom he not only idolizes but also calls him a 'tough task master'.

Shashi was born as Balbir Raj on 18th March 1938 as the younger brother of Raj and Shammi in Calcutta. Under the gigantic shadow of his father, Shashi imbibed the 'orthodox skills of theatre', which are manifested in his personality till date. He was a reluctant entrant into the 'masala movies' as his first love was always theatre. But once aboard the 'Bollywood Bandwagon' Shashi became the versatile entertainer, who could churn out virtually every kind of performance under the sun.

His rendezvous with Jennifer Kendall, the daughter of famous theatre actors, George and Laura Kendall of Shakespeare repertory at Calcutta, proved to be a turning point in his life. It was love at first sight and after a brief of courtship they got married. Jennifer was to etch the 'European influences' into his acting style. Probably this east-west union made Shashi one of the most familiar faces in western movie world.

Shashi had made his debut in Hindi films as a child artist. He had played the young Raj Kapoor in Aawara (1951). Through his teens he was often seen on the stage with his father's troupe. By the 60s, Shashi had fallen into prolific filmmaking. Shashi got big break with Yash Chopra's 'Dharamputra' (1961) and Bimal Roy's 'Prempatra'. But these 'Putra' and 'Patra' affair could hardly launch him into the galaxy of stars to which, now he earnestly yearned to belong.

A family drama titled 'Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath' (1962) with co-stars Nanda and Ashok Kumar, PL Santoshi's 'Holiday in Bombay' (1963), Benazir (1965) with tragedy queen Meena Kumari followed but failed to click. But none could provide him with name, fame and finances he was looking for. James Ivory's English film 'Shakespearewallah' cast with Shashi and Kendalls made a landmark in the history of filmmaking.

But it were finally 'Jab Jab Phool Khile' (1965) with brother Shammi and Nanda and Waqt (1965) with Nanda and Sunil Dutt that brought the much wanted acclaim to Shashi Kapoor -- he was to enjoy through out his life. Once this legend was in orbit, he didn't let his fortunes to dip.

 Like a true "Kapoor" he rubbed shoulders with all great contemporary stars – Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh, Sanjiv Kumar, Jeetendra and Rajinder Kumar and Raj Kumar. Shashi immortalised himself with all time favourite song: “Ley Jayenge…Dilwale … Dulhani Lye Jay Jayenge" in 'Chor Machaye Shor (1974) done with petite Mumtaz.

Shashi Kapoor won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Deewar (1975). His dialogue “Mere Paas Ma Hain" became firmly ensconced in every cinegoer's memory for eternity. Shayam Benegal's Junoon with Nafisa Ali saw him portraying a 'Nawab' with emotiveness that can be expected only of a stage actor. From 'Faqira' onwards Shashi Kapoor acted in large number of films with success, which took his overall film tally to over two hundred. He did noteworthy roles in Hira Aur Pathar, Chor Sipahi, Ahuti, Shaan, Suhaag, Silsila, Namak Halaal (1983), Bhawani Junction (1985) and those were the times when Shashi rode like a colossal in the industry. He would always be loved for his roles in buddy Ismail Merchant's Householder (1969), Heat and Dust (1982) and In Custody (1994). Mid way he also tried his hand at some inconsequential directorial and production ventures.

But as we said earlier, there is more to Shashi than the casual entertainer. In 1978, he with his wife Jennifer resurrected the Prithvi Theatres in Bombay in the fond of memory of his father. Shashi showed his love for the theatre art, which was fast losing out to the shine of the tinsel. But unfortunately, Jennifer caught with cancer left the world forever in 1984. Shashi was crestfallen. Nevertheless, he didn't let the tragedy overtake his gusto for life. He started taking keen interest in charities for Cancer Research (It is a great irony that he lost his father, mother and wife to this malady).

His three children are well settled in life. While Karan is an established photographer in London, Kunal runs an advertising agency and Sanjana has taken over the responsibility of running the Prithvi Theatres.

Nargis Dutt

Nargis Dutt (Hindi: नर्गिस; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981), born Fatima Rashid but known by her screen name, Nargis, was an Indian film actress. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema. She made her screen debut as a child in Talash-E-Haq in 1935, but her acting carer began in 1942 with Tamanna. During a career that spanned from the 1940s to the 60s, Nargis appeared in numerous commercially successful as well as critically appreciated films, many of which featured her alongside actor and filmmaker Raj

 Kapoor. One of her best-known roles was that of Radha in the Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957), a performance that won her Best Actress trophies at the Filmfare Awards and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In 1958, Nargis married her Mother India co-star, actor Sunil Dutt, and left the film industry. She would appear infrequently in films during the 60s. Some of her films of this period include the drama Raat Aur Din (1967), for which she got the inaugural National Film Award for Best Actress.
Along with her husband, Nargis formed the Ajanta Arts Cultural Troupe, which roped in several leading actors and singers of the time and held stage shows at border areas. In early 1970s, she became the first

patron of Spastics Society of India, and her subsequent work with the organisation brought her recognition as a social worker, and later a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1980.
Nargis died in 1981 of pancreatic cancer, a few days before her son Sanjay Dutt made his film debut in Bollywood. In 1982, the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation was established in her memory. The award for best feature film on national integration in the annual National Film Awards ceremony is called the Nargis Dutt Award in her honour.

Johny Walker (Best Commedian)

I think I knew Johnny Walker. Why else do I feel as if I have lost someone I know?
I never met him or saw him in person and don't even remember when I saw him on screen for the first time. The earliest memory I have of him was when my father spoke so fondly of the cinema of the 1950s and 1960s. I marveled how effortlessly Papa could move from verse to verse, singing Johnny Walker's songs in full.
Those melodious songs picturised on Johnny Walker reminded me of Papa while watching Chitrahaar in boarding school. Sitting in front of the school's black and white television, I could imagine my dad's face lighting up as the bars of the opening sequence began.
Boarding school kids have their own ways of connecting with home -- Johnny Walker was mine.
I did not know he shared his name with a brand of Scotch. Papa didn't drink Scotch. In fact, I never saw him drink at home and as little girls we were more interested in exchanging Enid Blytons than discussing booze.
Four years ago, when looking for a house to rent, the estate agent took me to a building at the end of a nondescript lane. A lane like so many other lanes and bylanes in suburban Mumbai [ Images ]. The rain that Sunday morning had left the street a slushy mess and I wasn't too impressed. The building had all the trappings that newly constructed residential complexes in Mumbai have -- smart elevators, tastefully done apartments -- and as the agent told us very good people living in the building and around it.

He did not identify these people. I don't think he knew any, barring Johnny Walker.
He pointed to the bungalow across the lane and said that was where the legend lived. I don't remember what it looked like. I think it was covered by a thicket of trees, I am not sure.
Anxious to check other prospective apartments so that I could extract the maximum from my only day off in the week, I did not give the information much thought. I don't think I even turned back to glance at the bungalow a second time. Once I left that lane, that house meant nothing at all.
I did not even think it important to mention it to Papa.
I soon moved to an apartment in a lane not too far from where Johnny Walker lived. But it was only on the day he died that I thought of that bungalow again. I haven't been to that lane since that rainy Sunday morning, but I want to go there now.
I just want to walk that street and make up for not giving him his due the last time I was there.
Last afternoon when Mumbai went silent during the bandh I did not rent a DVD. Instead, I plugged a VCD of Guru Dutt's Pyasaa just to see Johnny Walker as Sattar Bhai, the mystical masseur and loyal friend.
Somehow I feel Johnny Walker was just like that -- a loyal friend and a good human being. He touched people's hearts with his comedy. He made them laugh and became a part of so many lives.
I will return to that lane this weekend to place some flowers at his door. I owe it to Johnnysaab.
Papa would like it if I did so too.

Kishore Kumar (Kishore Da)

 Kishore Kumar (Bengali: কিশোর কুমার, Hindi: किशोर कुमार,  pronunciation (help·info); born Abhas Kumar Ganguly 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter. Kishore Kumar sang in many Indian languages including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Oriya. He was the winner of 8 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer and holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awards won for that category

Date of Death

13 October 1987, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (heart attack)

 Manoj Kumar (born Harikrishna Giri Goswami on 24 July 1937) is an award-winning Indian actor and director in the Bollywood film industry. He is known for acting in and directing films with patriotic themes, and has been given the nickname "Mr Bharat" (Bhaarat is the Sanskrit and Hindi term for India). In 1992, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Early life

Manoj Kumar was born in Abbottabad, a town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, then part of India. Abbottabad is now located within the borders of Pakistan. His original name was Harikishan Giri Goswami. When he was 10, his Gosain Hindu family had to move to Delhi owing to partition. His family lived as refugees in Vijay Nagar, Kingsway Camp and later moved to Patel Nagar area of New Delhi. After graduating from Hindu College, University of Delhi, he decided to enter the film industry.

Career

As a youth, he admired Bollywood superstar Dilip Kumar, and decided to name himself Manoj Kumar after Dilip's character in Shabnam (1949).
After making a little-noticed début in Fashion in 1957, Manoj landed his first leading role in Kaanch Ki Gudia (1960) opposite Sayeeda Khan. Piya Milan Ki Aas and Reshmi Roomal followed, setting the stage for the Vijay Bhatt-directed Hariyali Aur Raasta (1962) opposite Mala Sinha. Kumar then appeared with Sadhana in Raj Khosla's Woh Kaun Thi (1964), and reunited with Vijay Bhatt and Mala Sinha in Himalaya Ki God Mein (1965).

Personal life

Kumar is married to Shashi Goswami (originally from Jodhkan, Sirsa district, Haryana). He has two sons, Vishal and Kunal, Vishal tried his skills as a singer and Kunal as an actor. His brother, Rajiv Goswami, also entered the film industry, but none were able to gain any footing in Bollywood.

Ashok Kumar (Muni Da)

 Ashok Kumar (Bengali: অশোক কুমার; 13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001) was an Indian film actor. Born Kumudlal Ganguly (Bengali: কুমুদলাল গাঙ্গুলী) in Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency he attained iconic status in Indian cinema. He broke from the theatrical style then common in Indian film towards a more naturalistic method. Given his versatility and proven brilliance over five decades, he is considered by many to be one of the finest ever Indian actors.^] The Government of India honoured him with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1988 and the Padma Bhushan in 1998 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Family

His father Kunjalal Ganguly was a lawyer and his mother Gouri Devi came from a wealthy Bengali family. His family was based in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. His brothers Anoop Kumar and Kishore Kumar also acted in films. Three brothers worked together in the comedies Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi and Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi. Ashok, though the eldest of the three by quite a margin, survived them both. In fact, he stopped celebrating his birthday after the youngest brother, Kishore, died on that day in 1987. His sister, Sati Devi, was married to Sashadhar Mukherjee of the Mukherjee-Samarth family.
Ashok Kumar married Shobha. They had a troubled marriage due to his wife being an alcoholic. 

Later career and death

He acted in fewer films in the 1980s and 1990s and occasionally appeared on television, most famously anchoring the first Indian soap opera Hum Log and appearing as the title character in the unforgettable Bahadur Shah Zafar. His last film role was in Aankhon Mein Tum Ho in 1997. Besides acting, he was an avid painter and a practitioner of homeopathy.Altogether, he starred in over 275 films. He has done more than 30 Bengali dramas in Dhakuria.
Ashok Kumar died at the age of 90 in Mumbai on 10 December 2001 of heart failure at his residence in central Mumbai suburbs of Chembur. The then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee described him as "an inspiration... for many generations of aspiring actors.

Jeevan (Great Villain)

Remembered today as the sinister villain with a face only a mother could love, Jeevan was one of the top bad guys of 60s, 70s, and 80s Bollywood cinema. However Jeevan has been an actor in Hindi cinema since the mid 1930s and his parts were not just confined to villains but mythological and comedy characters as well. In an film career that spanned over 50 years Jeevan worked in well over 300 movies and he acted with every actor and actress mentioned on this web site.
The list of classic films Jeevan acted in goes on and on. Some of his memorable villain roles were in, "Amar Akbar Anthony", "Deewaar", "Jony Mere Naam", "Kohinoor", and "Dharmatma". I am currently searching for information on the life of Jeevan.

Om Parkash (A GOOD ACTOR, A GREAT MAN)

Om Prakash (19 December 1919 – 21 February 1998) was an Indian character actor. He was born in Jammu as Om Prakash Chibber. He used to play the role of Kamla in the stage play by the famous Dewan Mandir Natak Samaj Koliwada. Starting his career in 1942, he was a popular supporting actor from the 1950s until the 1980s. He was one of the elite of the film industry. Some of his performances were so memorable thatthe lead actor in the film attributed the success of the film to him.
Om Prakash played the leading man in films like Dus Lakh, Annadata and Charandas. His pivotal roles in the films Dil Daulat Duniya, Chupke Chupke, Julie, Joroo Ka Ghulam, Aa Gale Lag Jaa, Pyar Kiye Jaa and Buddha Mil Gaya are considered to be among his best along with Daddu in Namak Halaal and De Silva in Zanjeer.
He is known for his roles in comedy films. One of his best performances in his later years were Naukar Biwi Ka, Sharaabi (1984) and Chameli Ki Shaadi, where he played a role that was pivotal for the movie.

Early life and education

Om Prakash Chibber was born in Jammu on 19 December 1919. He was fascinated by theatre, music and films. He started taking lessons in classical music when he was just twelve and was recognised as a master in no time.

Illness and death

He attended this office regularly till his health started failing him. He was confined to his bungalow (next to Ashok Kumar’s bungalow). He suffered his first heart attack in his own bedroom. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he suffered a second heart attack and went into a coma from which he never came out. He was declared dead at 1.30 pm on February 21. He died at age 78 in Mumbai, India of a heart attack. The news spread fast and the industry was shocked and stunned because he was the kind of man who could not be easily associated with something so somber and solemn like death.

Sanjeev Kumar (Thakur of Film Sholay)

Personal life

Original Name:  Harihar Zariwala
Nick Name:  Haribhai
Date of Birth (Birthday):  9 July, 1938
Date of Death:  6-11-85
Height:  5'8"
Eye Color:  Black
Hair Color:  Black
Birth Place:  Bombay
Religion:  Hindu
Education:  Filmalaya Acting School
Languages:  Hindi, English

• Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Won
  1976 Aandhi – J.K.
  1977 Arjun Pandit – Arjun Pandit

• Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Won
  1969 Shikar – Inspector Rai

Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Nominated
1971 Khilona – Vijaykamal S. Singh
1974 Koshish – Hari Charan Mathur
1976 Sholay – Thakur Baldev Singh
1977 Mausam – Dr. Amarnath Gill
1978 Yehi Hai Zindagi – Anand Narayan
1978 Zindagi – Raghu Shukla
1979 Devata – Tony/Tarun Kumar Gupta
1979 Pati Patni Aur Woh – Ranjeet Chhadha
1983 Angoor – Ashok R. Tilak

Sanjeev was now flooded with films opposite established actors. The film that gave Sanjeev's career a tremendous fillip was Khilona (1970). Sanjeev showed special taste for roles off the beaten track. His portrayals of two differently troubled husbands in "Dastak" (winning him first National Award as Best Actor) and "Anubhav" won him rave reviews. At the same time, he played hero in commercial films like Seeta Aur Geeta and Manchali with panache. His association with film maker Gulzar also proved very fruitful as they combined to produce films like "Andhi", "Mausam", "Angoor" and "Namkeen". Sanjeev Kumar put a delightful performance in Satyajit Ray's "Shatranj Ke Khiladi". Sanjeev's Kumar, in his private life, had drenched himself in alcohol. A bachelor, Sanjeev Kumar died of an acute heart ailment in 1985.

Dharamendra (HeMan of Indian Cinema)

 Dharmendra Biography

Dharamendra was voted as one of the top five handsome men in the world in the sixties. He was also known as the ‘he-man’ of Hindi cinema. He was the action hero, he was the romantic hero and one of the top actors of his time until politics came knocking.

Basics on Dharamendra
Dharamendra Kewal Krishen Deol was born on the 8th December 1935 in Punjab, India. He was born into an Arya Samaj Jatt family. His father was Kewal Krishen Deol, a school headmaster and his mother Satwant Kaur Deol, was a Sikh.

He married Prakash Kaur in 1954 and has two sons Sunny and Bobby, both of whom are actors and two daughters Ajeeta and Vijeta. At the time of his marriage he was working with an American Drilling Company.

In 1980 he converted to Islam to marry actress Hema Malini as his first wife refused to grant him divorce. His legal name after changing religion is Delawar Khan. He has two daughters with Hema Malini, Esha and Ahana. His daughter Esha Deol is an actress.

He was also involved with Meena Kumari with whom he worked in Phool Aur Pathar and many other movies.

The Filmfare spot the talent contest proved to be lucky for him as he was discovered and signed up by Arjun Hingorani in the sixties and there was no looking back as he became one of the most prominent faces in Bollywood for five decades, a fact that was recognized in 1997 when he was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life

Dharmendra maintained two relationships at same time . His first marriage was to Prakash Kaur at the age of 19 in 1954. His second marriage took place with actress Hema Malini. They are said to have fallen in love on the set of Sholay (1975) although they had made films together before. He married Hema while he was still married to his first wife Prakash Kaur. According to some reports, he converted to Islam before marrying her
From his first marriage, he has two sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol who are also successful actors, and two daughters named Vijeeta and Ajeeta. From his second marriage to Hema Malini, Dharmendra has two daughters Esha Deol, who is an actress and Ahana Deol. Dharmendra was also romantically involved with his Phool Aur Patthar co-star Meena Kumari.
Dharmendra has gone on record saying he does not believe that the Mumbai film industry is a place suitable for girls. He was unperturbed by his sons Sunny and Bobby joining the industry, but was vocal about his displeasure regarding his daughter Esha's choice of profession

Filmfare Awards

Winner

• 1991 – Filmfare Award For Best Film/Producer for Ghayal
• 1997 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Indian Cinema.

Dev Anand (Evergreen Star)

 Dharam Dev Anand (Hindi: धर्मदेव आनन्द) (born 26 September, 1923), better known as Dev Anand (Hindi: देव आनन्द), is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and English film director Shekhar Kapur. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Early life

Dev was born Dharam Dev Anand on 26 September, 1923 in Shakargarh Tehsil of Gurdaspur district (now in Narowal District, Pakistan) in undivided Punjab, British India to well-to-do advocate Kishorimal Anand. Dev is the second of three brothers born to Kishorimal Anand. Dev's younger sister is Sheela Kanta Kapur, who is mother of Shekhar Kapur. His older brother was Chetan Anand and younger one was Vijay Anand. Dev graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore, (now in Pakistan).

Filmfare Awards

• 1955 - Nominated Best Actor for Munimji
• 1958 - Winner Best Actor for Kalapani
• 1959 - Nominated Best Actor for Love Marriage
• 1960 - Nominated Best Actor for Kala Bazar
• 1961 - Nominated Best Actor for Hum Dono
• 1966 - Winner Best Film for Guide
• 1991 - Winner Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
•  
•  

International honors and recognitions

• In July 2000, in New York City, he was honoured by an Award at the hands of the then First Lady of the United States of America - Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton - for his 'Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema'. 
• In 2000, he was awarded the Indo-American Association "Star of the Millennium" Award in the Silicon Valley, California. 
• Donna Ferrar, Member New York State Assembly, honoured him with a "New York State Assembly Citation" for his 'Outstanding Contribution to the Cinematic Arts Worthy of the Esteem and Gratitude of the Great State of New York' on 1 May 2001. 
• In 2005, he was honoured with a "Special National Film Award" by the Government of Nepal at Nepal’s first NationIndian film festival in Stockholm.
• In 2008 he was guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Provost of Highland Council in Inverness, Scotland to celebrate 10 years since he first worked in the Scottish Highlands. He spent several days in the area, en route to Cannes, as a guest of the Highlands and Islands Film Commission

Guru Dutt

Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone (Konkani: वसंत कुमार शिवशंकर पडुकोण}) (9 July 1925 – 10 October 1964), popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema. He made quintessential 1950s and 1960s classics such as Pyaasa (Thirsty), Kaagaz Ke Phool (Paper Flowers), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (The King, the Queen and the Jack) and Chaudhvin Ka Chand (The Fourteenth Day Moon). In particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are now included among the greatest films of all time, both by Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies and by the Sight & Sound critics' and directors' poll, where Dutt himself is included among the greatest film directors of all time. He is sometimes referred to as "India's Orson Welles". In 2010, he was included among CNN's "top 25 Asian actors of all time".
He is most famous for making lyrical and artistic films within the context of popular Hindi cinema of the 1950s, and expanding its commercial conventions, starting with his 1957 film, Pyaasa. Several of his later works have a cult following. His movies go full house when re-released; especially in Germany, France and Japan. The latest book on him is Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey by Sathya Saran based on the recollections of his chief scriptwriter and friend.

Death

On 10 October 1964, Guru Dutt was found dead in his bed in his rented apartment at Pedder Road in Mumbai. He is said to have been mixing alcohol and sleeping pills. His death may have been suicide, or just an accidental overdose. It would have been his third suicide attempt .
Guru Dutt's son, Arun Dutt views this as an accident in an interview with India Abroad in October 2004 on the 40th anniversary of his father's death. Guru Dutt had scheduled appointments the next day with actress, Mala Sinha for his movie, Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi, and Raj Kapoor to discuss making colour films. According to him, "my father had sleeping disorders and popped sleeping pills like any other person. That day he was drunk and had taken an overdose of pills, which culminated in his death. It was a lethal combination of excessive liquor and sleeping pills."
At the time of his death, Guru Dutt was involved in two other projects, Picnic starring actress, Sadhana and Director K. Asif's epic, Love and God. Picnic remained incomplete and Love and God was released two decades later with Sanjeev Kumar replacing Dutt in the leading role.
The extra-feature on DVD of Kaagaz Ke Phool, has a 3 part Channel 4 produced documentary on life and works of Guru Dutt titled, In Search of Guru Dutt.
Everyone, especially Abrar Alvi seem to suggest that it was a suicide. Abrar and Guru Dutt sat late that night discussing a movie and during conversation according to Alvi, Guru Dutt was very morbid in his thinking and conversation.
He was, according to many, distressed by his then personal situation - his wife, Geeta Dutt; Waheeda Rehman had distanced herself from him. He had a sleeping disorder that made him take sleeping pills, and he had been drinking since 5:00 pm that evening.

 

 

Raj Kapoor (Indian Charlee Chaplin)"The Show Man"

 Ranbir Raj Kapoor (Hindi: राज कपूर) Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954) were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. His performance in Awaara, was ranked one of the "Top-Ten Performances of all time", by the Time Magazine. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1987 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

Early life and Background

Raj Kapoor was born in Peshawar, British India (present day Pakistan), to actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsarni (Rama) Devi Kapoor (née Mehra). He was the eldest of six children in a Punjabi family. He was the grandson of Dewan Basheshwarnath Kapoor and great-grandson of Dewan Keshavmal Kapoor, part of the famous Kapoor family. Two of Raj's brothers are actors Shashi Kapoor (a.k.a. Balbir Raj Kapoor) and the late Shammi Kapoor (aka Shamsher Raj Kapoor); the other two died in infancy. He also had a sister named Urmila Sial.
Raj Kapoor attended Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun in the 1930s

Death

Raj Kapoor suffered from asthma in his later years; he died of complications related to asthma in 1988 at the age of 63. At the time of his death, he was working on the movie Heena (an Indo-Pakistan based love story). The film was later completed by his sons Randhir and Rishi Kapoor, and narrated by his brother Shammi Kapoor. The movie was released in 1991 and became a huge success at the Box Office. When he was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, where his brothers Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor were also present, the crowd was clapping around when President Venkataraman, who saw Kapoor's discomfort, came down the stage to give the award to the legend in the middle of thundering claps where he was breathing his last breath. And suddenly Kapoor collapsed, and was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for treatment. The country's top cardiologists tried their best, but could not save him.

Shammi Kapoor (First Actor in Coloured Film)

Shammi Kapoor (Hindi: शम्मी कपूर; born Shamsher Raj Kapoor; 21 October 1931 – 14 August 2011) was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s.
Shammi Kapoor is hailed as one of the finest actors that Hindi cinema has ever produced. Extremely versatile as an actor, he was one of the leading stars of Hindi cinema during the late 1950s, the 1960s and early '70s. He made his Bollywood debut in 1953 with the film Jeevan Jyoti, and went on to deliver hits like Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Junglee, Dil Tera Diwana, Professor, China Town, Rajkumar, Kashmir Ki Kali, Janwar, Teesri Manzil, An Evening in Paris, Bramhachari, Andaz and Vidhaata. He received the Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1968 for his performance in Brahmachari and Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Vidhaata in 1982.

He was given the name Shamsher Raj Kapoor at his birth in Mumbai to film and theatre actor Prithviraj Kapoor and Ramsharni Kapoor née Mehra. Shammi was the second of the three sons born to Prithviraj (the other two being Raj Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor), both successful Bollywood actors. Though born in Mumbai, he spent a major portion of his childhood in Kolkata, where his father was involved with New Theatres Studios, acting in films. It was in Kolkata that he did his Montessory and Kindergarten. After coming back to Mumbai, he first went to St. Joseph's Convent (Wadala) and then, to Don Bosco School. He finished his matric schooling from New Era School at Hughes Road.
Kapoor had a short stint at Ruia College, in Matunga, Mumbai, after which he joined his father’s theatrical company Prithvi Theatres. He entered the cinema world in 1948, as a junior artiste, at a salary of Rs. 50 per month, stayed with Prithvi Theatres for the next four years and collected his last pay check of Rs. 300, in 1952. He made his debut in Bollywood in the year 1953, when the film Jeevan Jyoti was released. It was directed by Mahesh Kaul and Chand Usmani was Kapoor’s first heroine.

Death

Kapoor was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai on 7 August 2011 suffering from chronic renal failure. His condition remained serious for next few days and he was kept on ventilator support. He died on 14 August 2011, 05:15 am IST, of chronic renal failure, aged 79. Funeral was held on Monday, 15 August at Banganga cremation ground, Malabar Hill, Mumbai. Aditya Raj Kapoor, the actor's son, performed the last rites at the cremation. The entire Kapoor family were present to pay their last respects, including his younger brother Shashi Kapoor, sister in law Krishna Kapoor, grand nephew Ranbir Kapoor, nephews Rishi, Randhir and Rajiv, Randhir's wife Babita and grand nieces Karishma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Bollywood personalities Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Subhash Ghai, Amitabh Bachchan, Ramesh Sippy, Danny Denzongpa, Prem Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Aamir Khan, Sharukh Khan, Kabir Bedi and Priyanka Chopra were among those who attended the funeral.

Dilip KUmar (Tregedy King)

Dilip Kumar was born Muhammad Yusuf Khan at Mohallah Khudadad, in Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar, British India (now Pakistan). He was born to a Pathan/Pakhtun Peshawari family with twelve children. His father, Lala Ghulam Sarwar, was a fruit merchant who owned large orchards in Peshawar and Deolali in Maharashtra near Nashik. The family relocated to Bombay (now Mumbai) in the 1930s and in the early 1940s Yusuf Khan moved to Pune and started a canteen business and supplying dried fruits.

In 1943, actress Devika Rani, who was also the wife of the founder of the Bombay Talkies film studio, Himanshu Rai, helped Khan's entry into the Bollywood film industry. Hindi Author Bhagwati Charan Varma gave him the screen name Dilip Kumar and gave him the leading role in his film Jwar Bhata (1944). Devika Rani and her husband Svetoslav Roerich spotted Khan in one of Pune's Aundh military canteens.

Kumar married actress and beauty queen Saira Banu in year 1966 when he was aged 44 and she was 22. His brothers are Nasir Khan, Ehsan Khan and Aslam Khan. Kumar's younger brother Nasir Khan was also an actor and appeared opposite him in Ganga Jamuna (1961) and Bairaag (1976).

Mohammed Yusuf Khan (Urdu: يوسف خان) (Hindi: यूसुफ़ ख़ान) (born 11 December 1922), popularly known with nickname Dilip Kumar (Hindi: दिलीप कुमार), is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament. He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King", and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray.

Starting his career in 1944, Kumar's career has spanned five decades and over 60 films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest actors in the history of Hindi Cinema Kumar was the first actor to receive a Filmfare Best Actor Award and holds the record for the most number of Filmfare Awards won for that category along with Shahrukh Khan; 8 wins. He starred in a wide variety of roles such as the romantic Andaz (1949), the swashbuckling Aan (1952), the dramatic Devdas (1955), the comical Azaad (1955), the historical Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and the social Ganga Jamuna (1961). In 1976, Kumar had a five-year break from film performances. In 1981, he returned with a character role in the film Kranti and continued his career playing central character roles in films such as Shakti (1982), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991). His last film was Qila in 1998. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 for his contributions towards Indian cinema.

At the time of marriage, he was 44 and Saira Banu was 22.

Meena Kumari (Tragedy Queen)

Meena Kumari (1 August 1932 – 31 March 1972), born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema. During a career spanning 30 years from her childhood to her death, she starred in more than ninety films, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today.
Kumari gained a reputation for playing grief-stricken and tragic roles, and her performances have been praised and reminisced throughout the years. Like one of her best-known roles, Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Kumari became addicted to alcohol. Her life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972.
Kumari is often cited by media and literary sources as "The Tragedy Queen", both for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and dramatic roles in her films and her real-life story.

Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill, and died on 31 March 1972 of liver cirrhosis. At her death, she was in more or less the same financial circumstance as her parents at the time of her birth: It is said that when she died in a nursing home, there was no money to pay her hospital bills. She was buried at Rahematabad Qabristan located at Narialwadi, Mazgaon, Mumbai.