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Best of Bharat People: The greatest Hindi actors of all-time

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New Delhi, Aug 09: Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is based in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood, used to refer to mainstream Hindi cinema, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" and "Hollywood". The industry is part of the larger Indian cinema-the world's largest by number of feature films produced, along with the Cinema of South India and other Indian film industries.

As the country is set to celebrate its Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav to commemorate the 75 years of independence, it is time for us to remember some of the greatest Hindi actors of all time.

Best of Bharat People: The greatest Hindi actors of all-time

Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer, actor, choreographer, and writer. He was included among CNN's "Top 25 Asian Actors" in 2012.

Dutt was lauded for his artistry, notably his usage of close-up shots, lighting, and depictions of melancholia. He directed a total of 8 Hindi films, several of which have gained a cult following internationally. This includes Pyaasa (1957), which made its way onto Time magazine's 100 Greatest Movies list, as well as Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), all of which are frequently listed among the greatest films in Hindi cinema.

Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor was an actor, film producer and film director who worked in Hindi cinema. He received multiple accolades, including three National Film Awards and 11 Filmfare Awards in India. The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award is named after Kapoor. He produced two films, Awaara (1951) and Boot Polish (1954), that competed for the Palme d'Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival. His performance in Awaara was ranked as one of the "Top-Ten Greatest Performances of All Time in World Cinema" by Time magazine.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 1971 for his contributions to the arts. India's highest award in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was bestowed on him in 1987 by the Government of India.

He was inspired by Charlie Chaplin and played characters based on The Tramp in films such as Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955). Kapoor was known as the Charlie Chaplin of Indian cinema.

Nargis Dutt
Nargis Dutt, regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, made her screen debut in a minor role at the age of five with Talash-E-Haq (1935), but her acting career actually began with the film Tamanna (1942).

Her best-known role was that of Radha in the Academy Award-nominated Mother India (1957), a performance that won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

Dev Anand
Dev Anand worked in Bollywood movies in a career that spanned over six decades. He was one of the most successful actors in the Indian film industry.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 for his contribution to Indian cinema. His career spanned more than 65 years, acting in 114 Hindi films, of which 92 had him play the main solo lead hero, and he did two English films. He was the recipient of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performances in Kala Pani and Guide, the latter being India's official entry to the Oscars.

Rishi Kapoor
Rishi Kapoor made his debut, as an adolescent, in his father Raj Kapoor's film Mera Naam Joker (1970), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. As an adult, his first lead role was opposite Dimple Kapadia in the teen romance Bobby (1973), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Between 1973 and 2000, Kapoor starred as the romantic lead in 92 films. Some of his notable films during this period include Khel Khel Mein (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Sargam (1979), Karz (1980), Prem Rog (1982), Chandni (1989), and Deewana (1992).

Dharmendra
Dharam Singh Deol, known as the "He-Man" of Bollywood, worked in over 301 films in a career spanning six decades. In 2012, he was awarded India's third-highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.

Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. During the 1970s-1980s, he was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene; the French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry."

Son of Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and his wife, the social activist Teji Bachchan, his film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film Bhuvan Shome.

He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and was dubbed India's "angry young man" for his on-screen roles in Hindi films. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood (in reference to his 1988 film Shahenshah), Sadi ka Mahanayak (Hindi for, "Greatest actor of the century"), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades, and has won numerous accolades in his career, including four National Film Awards as Best Actor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award as lifetime achievement award and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Knight of the Legion of honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character, Meyer Wolfsheim.

Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna, dubbed the "First Superstar of Indian cinema", consecutively starred in a record 15 successful films between 1969 and 1971. He was the highest-paid actor in Hindi cinema throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His accolades include four BFJA Awards and five Filmfare Awards, and in 2013, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour.

Khanna made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat which was India's first official Oscar Entry in 1967. He has been honoured with a stamp and statue in his likeness, and a road renamed after him by the Prime Minister of India.

Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar won several major awards including two National Film Awards for Best Actor for his performances in the movies Dastak (1970) and Koshish (1972). He acted in genres ranging from romantic dramas to thrillers.

Kumar did not mind playing roles that were non-glamorous, such as characters well beyond his age. Movies such as Arjun Pandit, Sholay and Trishul, along with the remakes of Tamil films into Hindi such as Khilona, Yehi Hai Zindagi, Naya Din Nai Raat, Devata, Itni Si Baat and Ram Tere Kitne Naam exemplify his talents.

He also did suspense-thriller films such as Qatl, Shikar, Uljhan and Trishna. Kumar also proved his ability to do comedy in films such as Manchali, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Angoor, Biwi-O-Biwi and Hero. He is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. His double role in the film Angoor was listed among the 25 best acting performances of Indian cinema by Forbes India on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema.

Madhubala
Madhubala ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, that coincided with the rise of Indian cinema on global levels. In a career spanning more than 20 years, Madhubala was predominantly active for a decade only but had appeared in over 60 films by the time of her death in 1969.

Born and raised in Delhi, Madhubala relocated to Bombay with her family when she was 8 years old and shortly after appeared in minor roles in a number of films. She soon progressed to leading roles in the late 1940s, and earned success with the dramas Neel Kamal (1947) and Amar (1954), the horror film Mahal (1949), and the romantic films Badal (1951) and Tarana (1951). Following a brief setback, Madhubala rose to international prominence with her roles in the comedies Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Half Ticket (1962), the crime films Howrah Bridge and Kala Pani (both 1958), and the musical Barsaat Ki Raat (1960).

Madhubala's portrayal of Anarkali in the historical epic drama Mughal-e-Azam (1960)-the highest-grossing film in India at that point of time-earned her widespread acclaim and a nomination for a Filmfare award in Best Actress category; her performance has since been described by critics as one of the finest in Indian cinematic history.[4] She worked sporadically in film in the 1960s, making her final appearance in the drama Sharabi (1964). Additionally, she produced three films under her production house Madhubala Private Ltd., which was co-founded by her in 1953.

Sridevi
Sridevi worked in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada language films. Cited as the "First Female Superstar" of Indian cinema, she was the recipient of various accolades, including a National Film Award, a Nandi Award, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award, the Kerala State Film Award, four Filmfare Awards, including a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and three Filmfare Awards South. Sridevi's career in Indian cinema spanned over 50 years in a range of genres from slapstick comedy to epic dramas.

She was known for her reticent and introverted personality, but headstrong and outspoken screen persona, regularly playing strong-willed, sophisticated women. In 2013, Sridevi was honoured with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour, for her contribution to the Indian culture through performing arts. She was also voted 'India's Greatest Actress in 100 Years' in a CNN-IBN national poll conducted in 2013 on the occasion of the centenary of Indian cinema.

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