Bollywood stars: 2012

Monday, July 9, 2012

Kalpana (Kannada)

Kalpana (Kannada: ಕಲ್ಪನಾ; 8 July 1943 - 3 May 1979), born Sharat Lata was a Kannada film actress. She was affectionately referred to as Minugu Taare ("A Shining Star") among the film fraternity. She is widely recognized as one of the greatest actresses of Kannada cinema who enjoyed both fan following and critical acclaimations showering upon her film after films. She made her screen debut as a lead actress in the 1963 released Saaku Magalu directed by veteran B.R. Pantulu. During a career that spanned from the early 1960's to the late 1970's, Kalpana appeared in numerous commercially successful as well as critically appreciated films, many of which featured her alongside actor Rajkumar. She worked in few Tamil, Tulu and Telugu films as well. Majority of her successful films were incidentally female centric that gave ample scope for her performances.

One of her best-known roles was that of 'Kaveri' in the Multi-awarded film Sharapanjara released in 1971, a performance that won her Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress for that year. Her portrayal of the highly spirited and complex role who fights her mental trauma won her the largest fan following ever for a Kannada actress. Her association with the veteran film maker Puttanna Kanagal both professionally and personally became the talk of the town back in 1970's. They both went on to work successfully in many commercially and critically successful films until they fell apart with each other.

Kalpana committed suicide and met with her death on 3rd May 1979 after her alleged failed romance . She was at her peak in her career during the time she died.

Kalpana (Kannada)

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Madhubala (Hindi, Telugu)

Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by her stage name Madhubala (Devanagari: मधुबाला) (born 14 February 1933 – died 23 February 1969) was a Hindi movie actress. She starred in several successful movies in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have attained a classic status. With her contemporaries Nargis and Meena Kumari, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential and talented Hindi movie actresses.[1]

Madhubala (Hindi, Telugu)

Lisa Ray (Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu)

Lisa Ray, born 4 April 1972, is a Canadian actress, model, host, philanthropist and social activist.

Lisa Ray (Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu)

Monday, June 25, 2012

Konkona Sen Sharma (Bengali, Hindi)

Konkona Sen Sharma (Kôngkôna Shen Shôrma; born 3 December 1979) is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.

Making her debut as a child artist in the film Indira (1983), Sharma debuted as an adult in the Bengali thriller Ek Je Aachhe Kanya (2000). She first gained attention with the English-language film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), which was directed by her mother, and received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. Her appearance in the drama Page 3 (2005) got her wider recognition from audiences, and she has since starred in a number of films, most of which have garnered her critical praise rather than commercial success. She won two consecutive Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards for her performances in Omkara (2006) and Life in a... Metro (2007), respectively. Her performance in the former won her a second National Award under the Best Supporting Actress category.[1][2]

Konkona Sen Sharma (Bengali, Hindi)

Kalpana Kartik

Kalpana Kartik (original name Mona Singh) is a former Hindi film actress. She starred in six films in the 1950s. She is the wife of Hindi film actor and film maker Late Dev Anand.

Mona Singh was a beauty queen while studying at St. Bede's College, Simla. She was introduced to films by Chetan Anand of Navketan Films with the film Baazi in 1951. She co-starred with Dev Anand, whom she worked with in all her subsequent films. Her screen name - Kalpana Kartik - was given to her by Chetan Anand during this period.[1]

Her other films were Aandhiyan (1952), Taxi Driver (1954), Humsafar (1953), House no 44 (1954) and Nau Do Gyaraah (1957).

Kalpana Kartik