Welcome    Stars    News    Reviews    Commentary    About

Actors:

Known as King Khan, the Badshah of Bollywood, or simply, SRK, Shahrukh is one of the “big three Khans”—along with Aamir Khan and Salman Khan—who have dominated Bollywood for two decades, although Shahrukh has arguably surpassed the other two in terms of commercial power and global recognition, and unlike the other two, Shahrukh does not come from an established film family. He made his debut in 1992 in Deewana and catapulted to superstardom in 1995 with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, or DDLJ as it’s know, which is still showing in theaters in Mumbai, making it the longest running movie in history. His character in DDLJ, Raj, became the archetype for the modern romantic Bollywood hero—brash, hip, and Westernized, but Indian at heart. His top hits include Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). Despite his age (he was born in 1965), he revealed a surprisingly ripped physique in Om Shanti Om (2007), which became the highest-grossing Hindi film of all-time, proving that he was far from being eclipsed by younger aspirants to his throne (while poking fun at Bollywood’s standards of male beauty). In 2008, Newsweek magazine named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. He’s married to his childhood sweetheart, Gauri, with whom he has a son and a daughter.

If Shahrukh Khan is king, then Amitabh is god. His 1975 film, Sholay, the first “Curry Western” (the Indian version of the Spaghetti Western), is one of the most beloved Bollywood films ever. That same year, he appeared in Deewaar, a groundbreaking film that established him as the “angry young man,” a character type that reflected the frustration and disillusionment of the times. Amitabh went on to excel in drama, action, romance, and comedy, making him the quintessential “masala” actor. For many years, he was practically a one-man industry. After he was nearly killed in 1982 from an injury sustained during a fight scene, he made unsuccessful forays into politics and business and then struggled for years to make a comeback in film—but comeback he did. In 2000, he became the host of India’s version of the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and film success followed, including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Sarkar (2005), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), and Paa (2009). He’s married to actress Jaya Bhaduri and their son is actor Abhishek Bachchan, who’s married to actress Aishwarya Rai.

Aamir is considered the “serious” actor of the big Khans and widely regarded as the most talented Indian star in terms of sheer acting ability. While he’s been in plenty of commercial hits, he’s always had an artistic bent, and his projects are usually of the highest quality. He started his career as a child actor in 1973, made his first film as an adult in 1984, and after several nominations, won his first Filmfare Best Actor Award in 1996 for his turn in Raja Hindustani—in which he famously kissed his co-star Karisma Kapoor (kissing was a rare enough occurrence then to cause quite a stir). He received international attention for his role in Lagaan (2001), which was the first film he produced. The movie was critically praised around the world and received an Academy Award nod for Best Foreign Film. (It was only the third time in history that an Indian film has been nominated, and no Indian film has ever won the award.) He debuted as a director in 2007 with Taare Zameen Par. His 2009 film 3 Idiots became the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, breaking the record he set with his 2008 film Ghajini. In 2002, he divorced his wife of 15 years, with whom he has two children, and in 2005, he married an assistant director. He does not attend film award ceremonies.

With bedroom eyes, bulging biceps, and a velvety voice that would make any woman swoon, Salman is the ultimate heartthrob—and his bad-boy reputation only adds to his sex appeal. He’s been in trouble with the law, several fatwas have been issued against him, and his romantic relationships—with ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai and current girlfriend Katrina Kaif (who’s 20 years his junior)—have been filled with tumult. His combativeness with the press doesn’t help his image and neither do the well-publicized blow-ups he’s had with colleagues. But he’s also known for his generous philanthropic work. He got started in film in 1988 and appeared in his first smash-hit, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, a year later—and he’s been churning them out ever since, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), No Entry (2005), and Partner (2007). He’s had plenty of flops, too—including an English-language Hollywood production, Marigold (2007), opposite American actress Ali Larter (who currently stars in the U.S. TV show Heroes).

Part action hero with martial-arts skills, part comedian with a knack for farce, part handsome leading man who can dance—like a cross between Jackie Chan, Jerry Lewis, and John Travolta—Akshay is simultaneously a tough guy and a goofball—and he always gets the girl. While he’s enormously popular in India for his everyman qualities, he’s an acquired taste for most Americans. His first film came out in 1991 and he hit it big a year later in Khiladi. He’s appeared in nearly 80 movies since then, with a decent track record, but only recently has he been challenging the three Khans for supremacy at the box office. The year 2007 belonged to Akshay with four hits—Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Welcome. In 2008, his film Tashan failed to do well, but Singh is Kinng (which included a cameo by American rapper Snoop Dogg on the title track) had a record opening. In 2009, his film Chandni Chowk to China became the first Bollywood movie released in the U.S. by a major American studio (Warner Brothers), but it flopped in both India and North America. Later that year, he starred in the successful Kambakkht Ishq, playing an Indian stuntman in Hollywood, and the film featured cameos by Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards. He has a son with his wife, Twinkle, a former actress.

Hrithik’s 2000 film debut as the romantic lead in Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai made him an instant star—and his dreamy green eyes and buff bod have made him an enduring sex symbol. He’s the son of director Rakesh Roshan, who’s directed Hrithik in some of his most important projects. (Rakesh was famously shot at close range outside his office in 2000 after being threatened by the mob, which has a long history of extorting Bollywood actors and filmmakers, and he survived the murder attempt.) Hrithik received accolades for his turns in Mission Kashmir later that year and in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham the following year. After three flops in 2002, he made a comback in 2003 with the sci-fi film Koi…Mil Gaya. He took a break from acting and returned in 2006 as a super hero in Krrish, the sequel to Koi…Mil Gaya. His next two big films were the hit action flick Dhoom 2 (2006) and the award-winning historical drama Jodhaa Akbar (2008), both opposite Aishwarya Rai (with whom he shared a passionate and controversial kissing scene in Dhoom 2). He and his wife Suzanne have two sons.

While he’s the son of screen icon Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek struggled to prove himself as an actor. And even though he’s tall, dark, and oh-so handsome, he nonetheless catches flak for not being as muscle-bound as his peers. He appeared as the lead in his first film, Refugee, in 2000, opposite Kareena Kapoor in her debut, and then spent the next four years making a dozen abysmal movies. Finally, in 2004, he was critically praised for his performance as a thug in Yuva and he also starred in his first commercial hit, Dhoom. In 2005, he had four hits with Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Dus, and Bluffmaster and two more in 2006 with Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Dhoom 2. The following year, he received accolades for his performance in Guru, opposite his then-fiance Aishwarya Rai. He’s had a spotty record since with winners such as Dostana (2008) and losers such as Drona (2008). Abhishek’s mother is actress Jaya Bhaduri and his grandfather is famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Abhishek became engaged to actress Karisma Kapoor in 2002, but they broke it off in 2003. He married superstar Aishwarya Rai in 2007.

Sanjay, or Sanju Baba as he’s known, is a man’s man, a John Wayne-type who oozes testosterone—but there’s also an endearing vulnerability in his eyes. Primarily an action hero, he has more than 120 films to his name, going back to his debut in 1981. But his troubled personal life has garnered as much attention as his acting career. He’s struggled with drug addiction, his mother and his first wife died of cancer, his second marriage ended in divorce, and worst of all, he spent nearly 15 years in and out of jail, fighting criminal charges that he illegally possessed weapons purchased from gangsters who were involved in the 1993 terrorist bombings of Mumbai. He was cleared of the worst of the charges, sentenced for lesser ones, and is now free. He continues to crank out films, including action flicks that place great physical demands on his 50-something body. He’s currently married to his third wife. His adult daughter lives in the U.S.

Shahid started out as a bubble-gum heartthrob, but his brooding characters have turned him into Bollywood’s Heathcliff. From Chup Chup Ke (2006) to Jab We Met (2007) to Kaminey (2009), he’s perfected the melancholic romantic hero. He made his debut in 2003 in Ishq Vishk, which earned him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. But several so-so films later, including Shikhar (2005) and 36 China Town (2006), Shahid still hadn’t lived up to his full potential. He started to come into his own in Vivah—his first hit—in 2006, and he finally blossomed in the blockbuster Jab We Met in 2007. Then he took his acting to a whole new level in 2009 in the edgy drama Kaminey, playing a double role in which he shed his trademark boyishness and transformed into two world-weary men. Following the end of his three-year relationship with Kareena Kapoor in 2007, he has been earning a reputation as a man about town and has been linked to actresses Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra and tennis star Sania Mirza.

The son of a nawab (an Indian prince), Saif is the heir apparent to the royal houses of Bhopal and Pataudi (princely states in India). His father and grandfather were captains of India’s national cricket team. And with his devastating looks and solid acting chops, Saif has become prominent in his own right. However, his career was slow to take off. He debuted in 1992 and had some early successes, but he mostly floundered throughout the 90s. He started to gain traction in supporting roles in Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). His 2005 film Salaam Namaste with Preity Zinta was a huge hit, and he won accolades for his work in Parineeta (2005), Omkara (2006), and Eklavya (2007). He started his own production company in 2009 and its first film, Love Aaj Kal, in which Saif starred opposite Deepika Padukone, was a major hit. At the age of 21, he married a woman 12 years his senior. The couple had two children and divorced in 2004 after 13 years of marriage. He is currently involved with actress Kareena Kapoor, with whom he co-starred in Kurbaan in 2009. Saif’s mother, a former actress, is head of the Indian film censorship board. His two sisters, Saba Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan, are also actors.

A model-turned-actor who’s equal parts sexy and sweet, John has long been regarded as Bollywood’s favorite eye candy—a position he seemed to cement in Dostana (2008), in which he famously emerged from the ocean Ursula Andress-style—a shimmering Adonis in tight swim trunks. But John surprised everyone a few months later with his astonishingly strong performance in the terrorist-thriller New York (2009), which proved he could take on serious roles and look good doing it. He made his debut in 2003 in Jism (which means “Body” in Hindi), opposite screen siren Bipasha Basu, and the two became a couple off-screen. They’ve been together ever since (despite rumors that they both have strayed), making them the hottest couple in Bollywood—or anywhere for that matter.

Ranbir is the grandson of the granddaddy of Indian film, actor Raj Kapoor, and he’s also the son of actor Rishi Kapoor and the cousin of actress Kareena Kapoor. He made his debut in 2007 in Saawariya, opposite newcomer Sonam Kapoor (no relation). The film featured a racy scene in which he danced in nothing but a towel. His next film was the romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), which means “Beware, O beautiful ones.” Beware, indeed, because this babe with a mischievous smile is already setting hearts on fire as he scorches his way to the top. In only his third film, Wake Up Sid (2009), he proved that he’s on track to becoming one of the best in Bollywood. He was once involved with his Bachna Ae Hasseno co-star, Deepika Padukone.

The son of actor Suresh Oberoi, Vivek made a promising debut in 2002 in the edgy gangster film Company, established himself as a matinee idol that same year in the romantic drama Saathiya, started dating one of the biggest stars in the business, Aishwarya Rai, and then proceeded to blow his momentum with a string of poorly chosen projects and a growing reputation for being difficult. But perhaps the move most detrimental to his career was his decision in 2003 to call a press conference and announce on live television that he was being harassed and threatened by Aishwarya’s ex, Salman Khan. The stunt received enormous media attention and many industry insiders were angry that Vivek had aired dirty laundry about one of their own in public. He and Aishwarya broke up in 2005. He was praised for his performances in the multistarrers Yuva (2004) and Omkara (2006), but it wasn’t until 2007 that he had a modest comeback as the lead in Shootout at Lokhandwala, in which he delivered an explosive performance playing real-life gangster Maya Dolas. His next big film, Mission Istaanbul (2008), was a critical and commercial failure. But don’t count Vivek out yet—he’s an immensely talented actor with offbeat appeal and he has some interesting projects on deck.

The son of a stunt and action choreographer, Ajay naturally focused on the action genre after he got into acting in 1991. But he branched out into comedy and romance, and later, serious dramatic roles. In 1998, he starred opposite his future wife, Kajol, in Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the Hollywood hit, French Kiss. One of his notable critical and commercial successes was Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) with Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. He gave astounding performances as the smoldering lead characters in the gangster drama Company (2002) and in Omkara (2006), an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello. He married Kajol in 1999 and they had a daughter in 2003. He starred opposite his wife in his directorial debut, U Me Aur Hum, in 2008. An intensely private man, he’s known to stay out of the limelight.

Most Americans first got to know him as the sleezy game-show host in Slumdog Millionaire (and now as a new character on the U.S. TV show 24), but Anil has been in show business for decades (he debuted in 1979). He was arguably the biggest star in Bollywood in the late 80s and early 90s, and he has a long list of hits and awards to his name. Of late, he’s been appearing mostly in multistarrers (with mixed success), including No Entry (2005) with Salman Khan and Lara Dutta, Welcome (2007) with Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, Tashan (2008) with Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor, and Race (2008) with Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, and Katrina Kaif. Anil’s oldest daughter is actress Sonam Kapoor. His two younger children study in the U.S.

Actresses:

Often called the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya, also known as “Ash,” is a former Miss World. She appeared in Tamil-language films before making her Bollywood debut in 1997 in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya. In 1999, she won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In 2002, she appeared in Devdas, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and she became the first Indian actress to serve as a Cannes jury member. She went on to appear in such hits as Dhoom 2 (2006) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008). She is the first Indian actor to significantly crossover in the West, appearing in The Mistress of Spices (2005) with Dylan McDermott, The Last Legion (2007) with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley, and Pink Panther 2 (2009) with Steve Martin. She has also garnered more high-profile publicity in the West than any other Bollywood actor, having appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Show with David Letterman, and 60 Minutes. Following turbulent relationships with actors Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi, Aishwarya married into Bollywood royalty in 2007 when she wed India’s most eligible bachelor, Abhishek Bachchan, son of screen legend Amitabh Bachchan.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol—the most beloved onscreen couples of all time. And Kajol is a one-of-a-kind who needs no last name. She starred in her first film, Bekhudi, in 1992, and first appeared with Shahrukh in Baazigar in 1993. Two years later, the pair made history together in the landmark film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. She later co-starred with actors Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, and Ajay Devgan, whom she married in 1999. Kajol appeared with Shahrukh again in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998 and in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in 2001. She then took a five-year break from acting and had a daughter in 2003. She made a successful comeback in 2006 in Fanaa, opposite Aamir Khan, and won her fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance. In 2008, she appeared in U Me Aur Hum, her husband’s directorial debut. She reunited with Shahrukh for the first time in nearly a decade in the 2010 film My Name is Khan. From the feisty tomboy of her early career to the radiant woman she is today, Kajol keeps getting better with time.

Shahrukh Khan has said that he owes much of his success to two of his famous co-stars—Kajol and Rani (who is Kajol’s second cousin). Therefore, it’s only fitting that one of King Khan’s favorites has a first name that means “queen.” However, while Rani is a leading Bollywood actress, she’s always had a shaky claim to the top. She started in film in 1996 and had her first big hit in 1998 with Shahrukh and Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Her other successes include Saathiya (2002), Chalte Chalte (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Bunty Aur Babli (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). She’s been critically praised for her exceptional performances in such films as Yuva (2004) and Black (2005), and she’s won many awards throughout her career. However, she’s had her fair share of bombs as well. The spirited, adorable actress has been romantically linked with many, but she refuses to discuss her private life.

Kareena, or Bebo as she’s known, comes from a storied film family. She’s the granddaughter of legendary actor Raj Kapoor and the niece of actor Rishi Kapoor. Both of her parents were actors as well, but her father didn’t believe acting was a seemly profession for women and he disapproved of Kareena and her older sister Karisma carrying on the family tradition, so her mother left him and the two girls became stars (Karisma is now retired). Kareena made her acting debut in 2000 in Refugee, alongside then-newcomer Abhishek Bachchan (who was once engaged to Karisma), which she followed up with roles in Asoka, with Shahrukh Khan, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, opposite Hrithik Roshan—both in 2001. After a string of unremarkable films, she delivered acclaimed performances in Dev (2004) and Omkara (2006). She won a Filmfare Best Actress Award in 2007 for her role in the blockbuster Jab We Met (2007), in which she was paired with her then-boyfriend Shahid Kapoor. She’s currently dating Saif Ali Khan, her co-star in Tashan (2008) and Kurbaan (2009).

One of India’s top stars doesn’t even hail from India. Katrina, who has a Kashmiri father and a British mother, was born in Hong Kong and raised in Hawaii and London, where her family currently lives (she is one of eight children). She was modeling in London when she was discovered by a Bollywood filmmaker who cast her in Boom in 2003. She moved to Mumbai to pursue a film career, even though she couldn’t speak Hindi (she learned it on the fly). She had a small role in the Godfather-remake Sarkar (2005) and then appeared as the lead in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya (2005), opposite Salman Khan, with whom she has a rocky romantic relationship. She has since appeared with Salman Khan in Partner (2007) and Yuvvraaj (2008), Akshay Kumar in Namastey London (2007) and Singh is Kinng (2008), Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna in Race (2008), and John Abraham in New York (2009). She is the model for Mattel’s Bollywood Barbie.

The year 2000 was a big one for Indian beauty pageant contestants—Lara Dutta and Dia Mirza won Miss Universe and Miss Asia Pacific respectively (and both went on to become Bollywood actresses) and Priyanka won Miss World, becoming the fifth Indian ever to win the title, and it’s easy to see why—she’s the picture of perfection. She debuted in 2003, and for her performance in Aitraaz the following year, she won the Filmfare Best Villain Award (don’t you wish the Oscars had categories like that?)—and she’s only the second woman ever to win that award. She appeared with Shahrukh Khan in the hit remake of the Hindi classic Don (2006), played the ambitious starlet in the wonderful Salaam-E-Ishq (2007) opposite Salman Khan, and won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her turn as a troubled model in Fashion (2008). She will undoubtedly win more awards for her performance as an unglamorous spitfire in her 2009 film, the edgy drama Kaminey. She has been romantically linked with her Kaminey co-star Shahid Kapoor.

Deepika exploded on the scene in 2007 with her debut in Om Shanti Om, playing opposite Shahrukh Khan. She has since appeared in Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) with Ranbir Kapoor (with whom she was once romantically involved) and Love Aaj Kal (2009), alongside Saif Ali Khan. She is one of Bollywood’s top “it” girls at the moment. Her father is a famous badminton player, and in her teens, Deepika was a tough competitor in the sport, which she abandoned for a career in modeling that then led to acting.

One of the sexiest women in the world and unafraid to take on racy roles, Bipasha, or Bips as she’s known, has been burning up the screen since her debut in Ajnabee in 2001, playing a married woman on an adulterous mission. From Jism in 2003 (in which she appeared with her boyfriend John Abraham) to Race in 2008 (opposite Saif Ali Khan), Bipasha doesn’t flinch from getting hot and heavy with her co-stars (by Bollywood standards, that is). She’s tried her hand at sweet and innocent characters and troubled damsels in distress, but those are hard to pull off when you’re as strong and smoking as she is. She was born for roles like the one she played in Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), that of a driven superstar who might be hurt by heartache but can’t be stopped by anything.

Preity is much like many of the characters she plays: a proud, independent woman of great warmth and depth. She made her acting debut in Dil Se (1998) and won a Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), both opposite Shahrukh Khan. Her hits include Koi...Mil Gaya (2003), Salaam Namaste (2005), and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). In 2003, she testified against the mob after receiving extortion threats—she was the only one of 13 prosecution witnesses, including other celebrities, who did not retract earlier statements, and she was commended by the public for her courage. Recently, she has ventured into art film, appearing with Amitabh Bachchan in The Last Lear, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007. She won the Best Actress award at the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival for her role in the Canadian film, Heaven on Earth, which was based on the true story of a battered wife in Canada’s Punjabi community. When, in 2008, she purchased an ownership stake in the professional Indian cricket team, the Kings XI Punjab, she was the youngest owner (she was born in 1975) and the only female owner in the league. In 2009, she ended a four-year relationship with businessman Ness Wadia.

Vidya’s girl-next-door looks and vulnerable sweetness have made her a well-loved actress. She started out doing TV commercials and soap operas, got into film with a Bengali-language movie in 2003, and then had a strong Bollywood debut in the award-winning drama Parineeta (2005), in which she played the female lead opposite Saif Ali Khan. She followed it up with the hit comedy, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, with Sanjay Dutt, in 2006. The year 2007 was a busy one for her: she was critically praised for her performances in Guru, Salaam-E-Ishq, and Eklavya, and she appeared in two hits, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Her 2008 film, Kismat Konnection, with Shahid Kapoor (with whom she was romantically linked at the time), failed to do well, despite high expectations.

In an industry filled with talented dancers, Madhuri is a cut-above the rest—and she can act to boot. She debuted in 1984 and became a star as the lead in Tezaab in 1988. She won her first Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance opposite Aamir Khan in the smash-hit romantic drama Dil in 1990—and many more hits and awards followed. She has danced to many of the most famous Bollywood songs ever, including “Maar Daala” from the lush drama Devdas (2002), in which she appeared with Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. She married an Indian-American doctor in 1999 and moved to Denver, where she currently lives with her husband and two sons. After a long hiatus, the 40-something actress made a comeback in 2007 in Aaja Nachle—a mediocre film, but in it, she proved she’s still got the moves.

Controversy seems to follow this Bollywood beauty, often overshadowing her film career. In 2003, her parents were allegedly linked to members of organized crime. In 2007, American actor Richard Gere caused an international uproar when he kissed Shilpa at an AIDS awareness event, prompting protests and legal action because such public displays are considered obscene by many. Later in 2007, she appeared on the British reality TV show, Celebrity Big Brother, and her fellow contestant Jade Goody was accused of racism toward Shilpa and evicted from the show. (Shilpa was voted the winner.) Through it all, she’s maintained a respectable track record in film. Some of her notable pictures include her debut Baazigar (1993), with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, Phir Milenge (2004), and Life in a...Metro (2007). In 2009, Shilpa became a part-owner of the professional Indian cricket team, the Rajasthan Royals. She once dated Akshay Kumar and is now engaged to British-Indian businessman Raj Kundra. Her younger sister Shamita Shetty is also an actress.

Sonam is the daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor. The fledgling actress has only appeared in two films so far—Saawariya (2007) and Delhi-6 (2009)—but her promising potential is already apparent. She was recently chosen as the face of cosmetic giant L’Oreal in India, replacing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She is currently working on Aisha, a Hindi film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, set in modern-day Delhi. Sonam will play the lead role.

Despite the fact that Bollywood exceeds Hollywood in film output, Bollywood has a much smaller star system, which means Indian actors appear in far more films than their American counterparts—some doing as many as five movies a year. Luckily, that makes it easier for new fans to figure out who’s who. Nepotism is common in Bollywood and many actors and filmmakers come from family dynasties that have been in the movie business for generations—however, there are many celebrities with the same common surnames, particularly Khan and Kapoor, who are not related. The following, while by no means comprehensive, is a rundown of the biggest and brightest in the Bollywood universe.

Welcome - Stars - News - Reviews - Commentary - About