10 Greatest Actors of India
The Selection of Actors based on
1.Acting in different Languages of India is the First Criteria to Make it Pan India and not restrict to one Region like Bollywood. More than 3 Indian Languages is a must.
2.Success in Art and Commercial Films.
3.National Award Nomination and Won including Padma and Dada Saheb Phalke Awards. A Minimum of 3 films are a Must.
4.Films achieving International recognition in International Film Festival or achieving Box office success Internationally.
5.Exhibiting different shades of Acting and working in different genre of films.
6. Number of films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.A Minimum of 4 films are a Must.
7. Number of films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.A Minimum of 15 films are a Must.
8. Commercial Record made in their career.
1.Acting in different Languages of India is the First Criteria to Make it Pan India and not restrict to one Region like Bollywood. More than 3 Indian Languages is a must.
2.Success in Art and Commercial Films.
3.National Award Nomination and Won including Padma and Dada Saheb Phalke Awards. A Minimum of 3 films are a Must.
4.Films achieving International recognition in International Film Festival or achieving Box office success Internationally.
5.Exhibiting different shades of Acting and working in different genre of films.
6. Number of films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.A Minimum of 4 films are a Must.
7. Number of films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.A Minimum of 15 films are a Must.
8. Commercial Record made in their career.
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Kamal Haasan was born November 7, 1954 in Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu. He debuted as a child artiste in the film "Kalathoor Kannamma" (1960). Since then, he has starred in nearly 220 films in the major Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He has been a part of the film industry for 60 years, as of 2020. His journey in cinema has seen him do various roles - from child artiste, to romantic lead to one of the most respected and revered heroes of the film industry today.
He has famously said that he is a reluctant actor. He has an avid interest in every aspect of film making and is known for his work as a choreographer, director, and writer, as well.
He wrote his first script at age 18 for the film "Unarchigal" (1976), which was then followed by films that have gone on to become cult classics - Rajapaarvai (1981), Sathya (1988), Apoorva Sahotharargal (1989), Thevar Magan (1992), Mahanadi (1994), Kurudhippunal (1995), Avvai Shanmugi (1996), Hey Ram (2000), Pammal K Sambandam (2002), Panchathanthiram (2002), Anbe Sivam (2003), are a few of the films etched in popular memory for having set the bar for craftsmanship in the fields of screenplay, script, and dialogue.
He is also a prolific writer of fiction and non-fiction in Tamil and his published work is testament to his constant exploration of structure and form.
Kamal Haasan's strong convictions in his art have led to some of Indian cinema's most path-breaking films like Pushpak / Pushpaka Vimaanam / Pesum Padam (1987). Kamal Haasan also worked as a choreographer while transitioning as a well-known child artiste to the lead actor in a feature length film. Some of his best-known work as a dancer can be seen in Saagara Sangamam (1983) and the popular hit Punnagai Mannan (1986).
Kamal Haasan is also a student of Carnatic music, studying under musical maestro Dr. Balamuralikrishna. One of his biggest hits as a playback singer was the song "Inji Iduppazhagi" for the film Thevar Magan.
His career as a director began with the film Chachi 420 (1997), the Hindi remake of Avvai Shanmugi. Since then he has called the shots for critically acclaimed films like "Hey Ram" and "Virumaandi".
He has never hesitated to state his opinions and encourage debate about topics that are socially relevant. He is a rationalist in thought and moderate in opinion and a humanist in philosophy. The need to be socially conscious is seen in the way his fan clubs have revamped themselves into entities that carry out charity and volunteer work.3 National Award as Actor, 1 for Best Regional Film – Tamil (Producer) for Thevar Magan (1992).
National Film Awards Won
1982 – Best Actor for Moondram Pirai
1987 – Best Actor for Nayakan
1996 – Best Actor for Indian
7 films featuring Kamal have been submitted by India to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, the most for any actor in India and Superstardom in Commercial Films.
S.No Year Film submitted
1.1985 (58th) Saagar
2.1986 (59th) Swati Mutyam
3.1987 (60th) Nayakan
4.1992 (65th) Thevar Magan
5.1995 (68th) Kuruthipunal
6.1996 (69th) Indian
7.2000 (73rd) Hey Ram
Hey Ram and Virumaandi, both directed by him were screened at several film festivals. Hey Ram was showcased under the category "Director in Focus" at the Rotterdam Film Festival and Virumaandi was awarded the Best Film at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival.
In 2009, he became one of the few actors in India to have completed 50 years in Indian cinema.
He was awarded the Kalaimamani award in 1984 the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) in 2016.
He was voted the 2nd greatest actor of Indian cinema of all-time in a poll conducted by Rediff.com.
He has worked in 6 Indian Languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Hindi.
Artistic Record
24 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
26 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1) Vikram - 442.45
2) Viswaroopam - 210 crore
3) Dhasavatharam - 200 crore- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Mithun Chakraborty, whose birth name was Gouranga Chakraborty, is an actor, producer, and politician. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament and has worked in several Hindi and Bengali films.
He studied at Oriental Seminary and then cleared his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Scottish Church College in Kolkata. Chakraborty graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.
Chakraborty has appeared in over 350 films, including Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Odia, Kannada, Telugu, and Punjabi movies. He made his acting debut with Mrigayaa (1977). This debut earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor.
During his early career as an actor, he had minor roles in movies like Do Anjaane (1976) and Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan (1978). However, it was the low-budget espionage film Surakksha (1979) that propelled Chakraborty to fame. Additionally, Basu Chatterjee's film Prem Vivah (1979) was also a significant movie for Chakraborty in the late 1970s.
His collaboration with Deepak Bahry in 1979 with Tarana (1979) got him many hit films together in the 1980s, such as Humse Badhkar Kaun: The Entertainer (1998), Hum Se Hai Zamana (1983), and Woh Jo Hasina (1983).
Chakraborty debuted in Bengali cinema with Nadi Theke Sagare (1978), directed by Arabinda Mukhopadhyay. He impacted Hindi cinema in the 1980s with over 110 releases. He played Jimmy in the iconic 1982 film Disco Dancer (1982), which was the first film in India to gross Rs. 100 crores. He played dual roles for the first time in Taxi Chor (1980) and later played dual roles in 19 films.
Between 1990 and 1999, he appeared in over 100 movies and delivered several outstanding and unforgettable performances. Some of his notable works during this period include Agneepath (1990), which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as hits like Shandar (1990) and Trinetra (1991).
He also won two National Film Awards for his role in Tahader Katha (1992) and Vivekananda (1998).
Chakraborty appeared on screen in several blockbusters in the mainstream Hindi film industry from 2000-2019. His film Elaan (2005) received massive appreciation from the audience and his critics. His movie Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya! (2009) won multiple International awards, and critics appreciated Chal Chalein (2009) for its bold theme.
His next film Phir Kabhi (2008), was critically acclaimed and saw a direct-to-home (DTH) premiere in September 2009. The movie won as many as six awards in as many categories at the Los Angeles Reel Awards of 2009.
The Bhojpuri film, Bhole Shankar (2008) was Chakraborty's debut in the industry and is believed to be the biggest Bhojpuri film. He has played a role in films like Veer (2010) with Salman Khan and Golmaal 3 (2010) with Ajay Devgn. In 2012, he did three films with Akshay Kumar, OMG: Oh My God! (2012), Housefull 2 (2012), and Khiladi 786 (2012).
Chakraborty also made his Kannada debut with The Villain (2018), starring Shivarajkumar and Sudeep. He was also seen in The Kashmir Files (2022). Chakaraborty's web series, Bestseller (2022), was his debut in digital cinema through the OTT platform Amazon Prime.
Chakraborty is the recipient of three National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards, one Screen Award, three BFJA Awards, two Anandalok Awards, one award from Stardust, one Annual Central European Bollywood Award, one Star Jahlsa Award, and one Star Jahlsa Award for his acting performance.
Chakraborty was the brand ambassador of Panasonic electronics in the late 1980s. He is the face of GoDaddy and the Manappuram Gold Loan for West Bengal state.
In 1979, he tied the knot with actress Helena Luke but their marriage lasted only for four months, and they separated, eventually getting a divorce. He then married another actress Yogeeta Bali in the same year. Together, they have four children - Mimoh, Ushmey Chakraborty, Namashi Chakraborty, and an adopted daughter named Dishani Chakraborty.3 National Award in 2 different languages and 2 different categories and 5 times National Award Nomination.
He holds the record of First 100 Cr film Disco Dancer and Superstardom in Commercial Films with highest Fan Following in Russia and other Soviet Union Countries.
National Film Awards Won
1976 – Best Actor for Mrigayaa
1992 – Best Actor for Tahader Katha
1995 – Best Supporting Actor for Swami
Vivekananda
He earned his 4th and 5th National Award Nomination for Titli (2002) and Kaalpurush (2008).
After watching his performance as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Swami Vivekananda Jury Head Hrishikesh Mukherjee said only God can get such performance delivered not any Director.
The Legend Dr.Rajkumar after watching his performance as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa in Swami Vivekananda laid down in front of him to salute him.
The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 2024.
Only Actor with 16 Films Screened in International Film Festival and 4 Films Screened in Cannes Film Festival.
S.No Year Film Screened in Int'l Film Festival
1 1976 Mrigayaa
2 1980 The Naxalites
3 1981 Sameera
4 1997 Gudia
5 2002 Titli
6 2005 Kaalpurush
7 2007 Guru
8 2007 Lal Pahare'r Katha
9 2009 Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya!
10 2009 Chal Chalein
11 2009 Phir Kabhi
12 2010 Shukno Lanka
13 2012 Nobel Chor
14 2015 Ek Nadir Galpo: Tale of a River
15 2023 The Kashmir Files
16 2024 Kabuliwala
6 International Award
2002: Titli Won the FIBRESCI Award for Best Film.
2008: Phir Kabhi Won 6 Awards -Best Narrative Feature,Best Director,Best Feature Screenplay,Best Original Score,Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the Los Angeles Reel Awards.
2009:Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya! Won the Silver Remi Award at Houston and Silver Palm Award at Mexico International Film Fetival
2012:Nobel Chor won the Best film Award at the Bengaluru International Film Festival.
2024:Kabuliwala won the Best Feature Film at Telangana Bengali Film Festival.
2024:Kabuliwala won the Best Feature Film at Indian Film Festival of Houston.
His Ek Nadir Galpo: Tale of a River was India's entry for the Asian, African and Latin American competition segment of the 38th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Mithun Chakraaborty is the Only Actor to get National Award for Best Actor for his debut Film.
Two actors have achieved the honour for performing in two languages—Mithun Chakraborty (Hindi and Bengali) and Mammootty (Malayalam and English).
Mithun Chakraborty along with Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah are 3 Actors to win National Award in 2 Category - Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor.
He received the Raj Kapoor Award in 2021 from the Government of Maharashtra, India.
In 2010, Guinea-Bissau issued postal stamp in Mithun Chakraborty's honour.
He has worked in 8 Indian Languages - Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Oddia, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.
Artistic Record
6 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
31 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1.Kick 402
2.The Kashmir Files 340.16
3.Housefull 2 186.15
4.Golmaal 3 169.09- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Mohanlal was born to Viswanathan Nair (father) and Santhakumari (mother) in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, which is located in the southern part of India on the 21st May 1960. Starting his career with a classic villain role, he has now become an outstanding actor in Malayalam Cinema. Without a doubt, Mohanlal is today's one of the best actors India has ever produced. He is also rated as one of the most talented actors in India. His ranges of movies are enviable, his comedy roles are incomparable and his unique style of dialogue delivery is effortless. Not many actors can portray both comedy and serious roles with the same ease. And with all these rare talents he has received "Padma Shri" and "Padma Bhushan", the nation's highest civilian honors. He has also won 5 National Film Awards, including Best Actor twice for Bharatham (1991) and the highly acclaimed Vaanaprastham (1999), as well as numerous other awards and honors.
He has reached this position with his hard work and devotion to the movie industry. As far as his acting is concerned, it's been acknowledged many times that he's the most gifted actor in the Indian movie field.2 National Award and most nomination in National Award, a Special Jury Mention and a Special Jury Award for acting, and an award for Best Feature Film (as producer) and Superstardom in Commercial Films
National Film Awards Won
1991 – Best Actor for Bharatham
1999 – Best Actor for Vanaprastham
His Iruvar was screened in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. Iruvar went on to become a critical success winning the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival
The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001,and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema.
In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army.
He has worked in 5 Indian Languages - Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.
Artistic Record
27 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
23 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1) Lucifer - 165 crore
2) Pulimurugan - 150 crore- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Malayalam film actor Mammootty was born to Ismail (an agriculturist) and Fatima (a homemaker). He has two younger brothers Ibrahim and Zakariah; and three sisters, Ameena, Sauda and Shafina. He did his schooling in St.Joseph's Thevara, Maharaja's College and then studied law at Ernakulam Government Law College. It was during his days at Maharajah's that he got his first role as an extra (junior artist) in Anubhavangal Paalichakal in 1971. Along with Mohanlal, he is a top star in the Malayalam film industry of South India.3 National Award in 2 different languages and Superstardom in Commercial Films.
National Film Awards Won
1989 – Best Actor for Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
and Mathilukal
1994 – Best Actor for Vidheyan and Ponthan
Mada
1999 – Best Actor for Dr. Babasaheb
Ambedkar
Two actors have achieved the honour for performing in two languages—Mithun Chakraborty (Hindi and Bengali) and Mammootty (Malayalam and English).
Mathilukal screened at Venice Film Festival and Amiens International Film Festival and Vidheyan screened at Rotterdam International Film Festival and Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival.
In 1998, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri for his contributions to the arts
He has worked in 6 Indian & Foreign Languages - Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English.
Artistic Record
19 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
26 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1) Mamangam - 102.45 crore
2) MadhuraRaja. - 85.3 crore- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Amitabh Bachchan was born on October 11, 1942 in Allahabad, British India (present-day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) to legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan & Teji Bachchan. He also has a brother named Ajitabh. He completed his education from Uttar Pradesh and moved to Bombay to find work as a film star, in vain though, as film-makers preferred someone with a fairer skin, and he was not quite fair enough. But they did use one of his other assets, his deep baritone voice, which was used for narration and background commentary. He was successful in being cast in Saat Hindustani. He got his break in Bollywood after a letter of introduction from the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as he was a friend of her son, Rajiv Gandhi. This is how Bachchan made an entry in Bollywood, starting with Zanjeer, co-starred with his future wife Jaya Bhaduri, and since then there has been no looking back.
He married Jaya Bhaduri, an accomplished actress in her own right, and they had two children, Shweta and Abhishek. Shweta is married, lives a non-filmy life and has two children.
Being friends with Rajiv Gandhi, got him to decide to run for seat in the Indian National Congress (political party) from his home town but had to leave mid-term because of controversies, particularly after Rajiv and he were implicated in the now infamous "Bofors" case along with the U. K. based Hinduja Brothers.
After a four year break, he was back in the unsuccessful Mrityudaata (1997), a comeback which the actor wanted to forget. Critics written him off but his career was saved with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998). But four flops in 1999 and incurring debt of over 90 crore rupees of his sinking company ABCL saw him at an all-time low. To make matters worse, after the defeat of the Congress party, Bachchan lost considerable political support, the opposition made him a target, and his credit rating deteriorated to such an extent that a leading nationalized bank, Canara Bank, sued him for outstanding loans. He did bounce back, presenting the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire called Kaun Banega Crorepati? (2000). After a series of hits with Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Baghban (2003) and Khakee (2004), Bachchan is showing no signs of slowing down and proving the critics wrong once again.
Amitabh and Jaya were interested in getting their son Abhishek married to Karisma Kapoor, the daughter of Babita and Randhir Kapoor, they went through a formal engagement, but later broke it off.
The former Miss World and Bollywood actress, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek, were formally engaged on Sunday January 14, 2007, at the Bachchan residence in Juhu, Bombay, with the marriage taking place at the Bachchan residence on April 20, 2007.
On November 16, 2011, he became a Dada (paternal grandfather) when Aishwarya gave birth to a daughter in a Mumbai Hospital. He is already a Nana (maternal grandfather) to Navya and Agastye - Shweta's children.
He continues to be one of the busiest actors and singers in Bollywood as well as on TV, as can be seen from the commercials that he appears on, especially on Sahara One. Looks like there are no limits for this super-star and once the "Angry Young Man" of Bollywood.4 National Award but 3 of them post 2004 when National Award lost credibility due to Hum Tum and his Super Stardom in Commercial films.
National Film Awards Won
1990 – Best Actor for Agneepath
2005 – Best Actor for Black
2009 – Best Actor for Paa
2015 – Best Actor for Piku
Three of his films Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Saudagar (1973) and Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) were selected as the Indian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, but none of them received a nomination.
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.
At the 66th National Film Awards, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
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.
He was voted the 3rd greatest actor of Indian cinema of all-time in a poll conducted by Rediff.com.
He has worked in 9 Indian & Foreign Languages - Hindi, Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and English.
Artistic Record
6 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
35 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1.Thugs Of Hindustan 322.07
International Films
1.The Great Gatsby (2013)- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Rajinikanth has been a superstar in the Tamil movie industry since the 70s. He is one of the highest earning actors in Asia. Primarily starring in Tamil movies, he has also worked in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Hollywood movies. He was born in Bangalore (India), and was employed as a bus conductor before he joined the Madras Film Institute. He made his debut in Katha Sangama (1976) and became a star with Apoorva Raagangal (1975) . His unique acting style is characterized by trademark gestures such as flipping a cigarette in the air and catching it with his mouth. He played varied roles successfully and is considered as an actor who can easily perform action, drama, and comedy. He is not very popular for his dancing, which is considered a crucial art for actors in Indian Movies. His performances in movies such as Mullum Malarum (1978), Aarilirunthu Arubathuvarai (1979), Johny Ustad (1980) in the 70's and 80's to movies such as Kabali (2016) recently, are considered to be examples of his acting abilities. His performances as an action-superstar overshadow his critically acclaimed performances in these movies. The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for his contributions to the arts. At the 45th International Film Festival of India (2014), he was conferred with the "Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year".Only Actor to work as Leading Actor at 70 with highest number of Blockbuster films starting with Black & White to Color to 3D to Animation films.
The Government of India has honored him with the Padma Bhushan (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2016).
At the 67th National Film Awards, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
At the 45th International Film Festival of India (2014), he was conferred with the "Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year".
At the 50th edition of the International Film Festival of India (2019), he was honoured with the Icon of Global Jubilee award.
He received the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema at the 4th Vijay Awards.
Rajinikanth is the only Indian actor to be featured in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) syllabus, in a lesson titled From Bus Conductor to Superstar.
Chilakamma Cheppindi was premiered at the 1978 International Film Festival of India
He received the Raj Kapoor Award in 2006 from the Government of Maharashtra, India.
In 2015, a film about his fandom, For the Love of a Man, premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.
He was voted the 10th greatest actor of Indian cinema of all-time in a poll conducted by Rediff.com.
He has worked in 7 Indian & Foreign Languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Hindi, and English.
Artistic Record
10 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
34 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
Commercial Record
1) 2.0 - 750 crore
2) Kabali - 290 crore
3) Enthiran - 285 crore
4) Petta - 265 crore
5) Darbar - 230 crore
6) Kaala - 170 crore
7) Lingaa - 154 crore
8) Sivaji - 150 crore
International Films
1.Bloodstone (1988)- Actor
- Music Department
- Director
Vishwanath Patekar (born on January 1, 1951 in Murud-Janjira, Maharashtra, India) is an actor, writer and filmmaker. He is known for his work on Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), Raajneeti (2010) and Parinda (1989). He made his acting debut in the early 70's and since then has been nominated for multiple awards. He won a National Film Award and a Filmfare award for his supporting role in Parinda (1989). He then won the Best Villain award for his role on Angaar (1992). He is a very controversial actor, know for his different acting style, dialogues and dialogue delivery. He is sometimes regarded as the Morgan Freeman of Bollywood. In 1995, he won the National Film Award as well as the Filmfare and the Screen awards for Best Actor for his role in Krantiveer (1994). He is also the only actor ever to win Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Villain categories. He was bestowed the highest privilege in acting in 2013 when he was awarded the Padma Shri award for his dedication in the field of Films and Arts.
Patekar is an alumnus of the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai and in September 2015, He established an organization, Naam Foundation with fellow Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure, which works to provide aid to farmers to overcome by drought conditions in Maharashtra, India. When he was awarded the Raj Kapoor award which carries a cash prize of Rs 10,00,000, he donated the entire amount towards drought relief activities in Maharashtra. Patekar was married to Neelkantee Patekar and they have a son Malhar Patekar but their marriage life did not go well and it resulted in a divorce.3 National Award in 2 different categories and good success in Commercial films as well.
National Film Awards Won
1990 – Best Supporting Actor for Parinda
1995 – Best Actor for Krantiveer
1997 – Best Supporting Actor for Agni Sakshi
Mithun Chakraborty along with Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah are 3 Actors to win National Award in 2 Category - Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor.
His Salaam Bombay was Nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 61st Academy Awards, the film was India's second film submission to be so nominated.
He played Nathuram Godse in Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy - A British television series which first aired on ITV in 1986
Patekar was bestowed with the fourth highest civilian honour of India, the Padma Shri award for his dedication in the field of Films and Arts.
He received the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award in 2013 from the Government of Maharashtra, India.
He has worked in 4 Indian Languages - Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.
Artistic Record
4 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
24 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.- Actor
- Music Department
- Director
Naseeruddin Shah was born on July 20 1950, in Barabanki, a small village in Uttar Pradesh. He is a seasoned Bollywood actor and has received several awards for his notable performance in several movies. The actor has also been awarded the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his enormous contributions to Indian cinema.
Shah was born into a Nawab family. He studied at St. Anselm's Ajmer School in Rajasthan and St. Joseph's College in Nainital. He completed his graduation from the Aligarh Muslim University in 1971. He also attended the National School of Drama, New Delhi.
At the age of 19, Shah married Manara Sikri, who was 36 years old and a divorcee. Post one year of their marriage, their daughter Heeba Shah was born. However, the relationship didn't work out, and they decided to part ways after 12 years of marriage.
Shah met Ratna Pathak Shah, daughter of Dina Pathak and a Bollywood actor in the 1970s. They fell in love and went on to co-star in several films. They tied the knot in 1982. They have two sons together - Imaaduddin Shah and Vivaan Shah. The couple currently resides with their children in Mumbai.
At the age of 18, Shah acted in Sapnon Ka Saudagar (1968), starring Hema Malini and Raj Kapoor. However, his scene was removed before the release of the movie.
He made his Bollywood debut with an uncredited role in Aman in 1967, a film starring Rajendra Kumar Tuli and Saira Banu. From then onwards, he went on to feature in various movies like Nishant (1975), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), Katha (1983) and Junoon (1979).
In 1974, Shah founded a theatre company called Motley Productions, and their inaugural production was Waiting for Godot. He is also part of a theatre troupe and has performed across different cities like New Delhi, Lahore, and Mumbai. He has directed a few plays written by Lavender Kumar, Ismat Chughtai and Saadat Hasan Manto.
He started gaining popularity with his films Hum Paanch (1980) and Masoom (1983), which was shot at St Joseph's College, Nainital, where Shah had studied during his childhood. Another movie called Karma (1986), where he starred beside Dilip Kumar gained much acclaim.
Shah has been a part of several multi-star Bollywood movies like Ghulami (1985), Tridev (1989), and Tridev (1989). In 1994, he completed his 100th movie as an actor with Mohra (1994), where he played the role of a villain.
Shah has also been a part of international projects like the Hollywood adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). He played the role of Captain Nemo in the film, which gained him a lot of praise.
In 2003, he acted in Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool (2003), an Indian adaptation of Macbeth, and in 2004, he appeared in Rajiv Rai's Asambhav (2004) with Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra.
Shah has won several awards, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare awards, one IIFA award and two Bengal Film Journalists' Association awards. He also received the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival in 1984.3 National Award in 2 different categories and an award at the Venice Film Festival and good success in Commercial films as well.
National Film Awards Won
1979 – Best Actor for Sparsh
1984 – Best Actor for Paar
2006 – Best Supporting Actor for Iqbal
Mithun Chakraborty along with Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah are 3 Actors to win National Award in 2 Category - Best Actor & Best Supporting Actor.
He won The Volpi Cup (Award for Best Actor) at Venice Film Festival for Paar.
The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his contributions to Indian cinema.
He was voted the 8th greatest actor of Indian cinema of all-time in a poll conducted by Rediff.com.
He has worked in 10 Indian & Foreign Languages - Hindi Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, English, French, German and Indo-American.
Artistic Record
9 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
16 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.
International Films
1.The Perfect Murder (1988)
2.Such A Long Journey (1998)
3.The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
4.The Great New Wonderful ?(2005)
5.Valley of Flowers (2006)
6.Today's Special (2009)
7.The Coffin Maker (2013)
8.Finding Fanny (2014)
9.The Blueberry Hunt (2016)- Harihar Jariwala a.k.a. Sanjeev Kumar was born in a Gujrati family in 1938. He portrayed many roles irrespective of the age or the type of chararcter. The actor ballooned in size in later years of his life due to the gastronomical pleasures he had inherited by sleeping in a kitchen while he was a child (which became the cause of his death in 1985 when he died of a heart ailment). Interestingly the actor was one of the very few who didn't have any competition within the industry. Sanjeev's notable performances were in films like Sholay, Parichay, Aandhi, Angoor and the Satyajit Ray masterpiece Shatranj Kay Khiladi.2 National Award and known for doing films in all genres successfully.
National Film Awards Won
1971 – Best Actor for Dastak
1973 – Best Actor for Koshish
He was the 3rd Bollywood Actor to get National Award after Ashok Kumar and Utpal Dutta.
He was the only Actor of Bollywood with 2 National Award till 1983.
He was directed by Satyajit Ray in Shatranj Ke Khilari that was screened in Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for Golden Bear. It was India's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 51st Academy Awards, but did not receive a nomination.
He was voted the 7th greatest actor of Indian cinema of all-time in a poll conducted by Rediff.com.
He has worked in 6 Indian Languages - Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi , Sindhi and Tamil.
Artistic Record
6 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
46 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings. - Actor
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Om Puri was an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Indian films and art films. His credits also include appearances in British and American films. He has received an honorary OBE.
Puri was born in Ambala, Haryana. His father worked on the railways and served in the Indian Army. Puri graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India. He is also an alumnus of the 1973 class of National School of Drama where Naseeruddin Shah was a co-student.
Puri had worked in numerous Indian films and in many films produced in the United Kingdom and the United States. He made his film debut in the 1976 film Ghashiram Kotwal, based on a Marathi play of the same name. He has claimed that he was paid "peanuts" for his best work. He had collaborated with Amrish Puri as well as Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil in art films such as Bhavni Bhavai (1980), Sadgati (1981), Ardh Satya (1982), Mirch Masala (1986) and Dharavi (1992). He had been active in cinema. He was critically acclaimed for his performances in many unconventional roles such as a victimized tribal in Aakrosh (1980) (a film in which he spoke only during flash-back sequences); Jimmy's manager in Disco Dancer (1982); a police inspector in Ardh Satya (1982), where he revolts against life-long social, cultural and political persecution and for which he got the National Film Award for Best Actor; the leader of a cell of Sikh militants in Maachis (1996); as a tough cop again in the commercial film Gupt in 1997; and as the courageous father of a martyred soldier in Dhoop (2003). In 1999, Puri acted in a Kannada movie A.K. 47 as a strict police officer who tries to keep the city safe from the underworld - it became a huge commercial hit. Puri's acting in the movie is very memorable. He has rendered his own voice for the Kannada dialogues. In the same year, he starred in the successful British comedy film East is East, where he played a first-generation Pakistani immigrant in the north of England, struggling to come to terms with his far more westernized children. Om Puri had a cameo in the highly acclaimed film Gandhi (1982, directed by Richard Attenborough). In the mid-1990s, he diversified to play character roles in mainstream Hindi cinema, where his roles are more tuned to mass audiences than film critics. He became known internationally by starring in many British films such as My Son the Fanatic (1997), East Is East (1999) and The Parole Officer (2001). He appeared in Hollywood films including City of Joy (1992), opposite Patrick Swayze; Wolf (1994) alongside Jack Nicholson; and The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer. In 2007, he appeared as General Zia-ul-Haq in Charlie Wilson's War, which stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. He has worked in Hindi television serials like Kakkaji Kaheen (1988) (roughly meaning "Uncle says") as a paan-chewing 'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians, and Mr. Yogi (1989) as a suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg. These two serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He received critical acclaim for him performance in Govind Nihalani's television film Tamas (1987) based on a Hindi novel of the same name. He essayed comic roles in Hindi films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro which reached a cult status, followed by Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Chor Machaye Shor (2002) and Malamaal Weekly (2006). His more recent Hindi film roles include Singh Is Kinng, Mere Baap Pehle Aap and Billu. Puri was seen in the role of Mohammad Ali Kasuri in Road to Sangam (2009). In 2010, he appeared in The Hangman. In 2011 he was in the Indian action movie Don 2. He had also worked in Aahat TV Series in some episodes during second season which was aired between 2004-2005 on Sony channel.2 National Award and only Actor to star in Hollywood production with substantial roles.
National Film Awards Won
1981 – Best Actor for Arohan
1983 – Best Actor for Ardh Satya
International Award
1984: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Best Actor for Ardh Satya
1998: Brussels International Film Festival Best Actor for My Son the Fanatic
1998: Grand Prix Special des Amériques Montréal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the cinematographic art
2017: International Pakistan Prestige Awards Best Supporting Actor for Actor in Law
Puri also appeared in non-Indian productions in the United States and Britain.
International Films
1. Sam & Me (1991)
2. City of Joy (1992)
3. Wolf (1994)
4. Brothers in Trouble (1995)
5. The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)
6. My Son the Fanatic (1997)
7. Such a Long Journey (1998)
8. East Is East (1999)
9. The Parole Officer (2001)
10. Happy Now (2001)
11. The Zookeeper (2001)
12. Bollywood Calling (2001)
13. Code 46 (2003)
14. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
15. West Is West (2010)
16. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
17. Trafficker (2015)
18. A Million Rivers (2016)
19. Actor in Law (2016)
20. Viceroy's House (2017)
Puri was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 1990.
In 2004, he was made an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
He has worked in 9 Indian & Foreign Languages - Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, English and Pakistani.
Artistic Record
16 Films rated 8 and above in IMDb ratings.
68 Films rated 7 and above in IMDb ratings.