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