179-550: Sanjay Leela Bhansali ( Gujarati: [ˈsəndʒeː ˈlilɑː ˈbʱəɳsɑliː] ; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker and music composer, who works in Hindi cinema . He is the recipient of several awards , including seven National Film Awards and 12 Filmfare Awards , in addition to a nomination for a BAFTA Award . In 2015, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri ,
358-418: A Pepsi commercial with actors Aamir Khan and Mahima Chaudhry . Her single line of dialogue "Hi, I'm Sanjana" became popular. In the 1994 Miss India pageant, Rai won second place behind Sushmita Sen and was crowned Miss India World, also winning the titles Miss Catwalk, Miss Miraculous, Miss Photogenic, Miss Perfect Ten and Miss Popular. As first runner-up, Rai's duties included representing India in
537-499: A Screen Award for Best Female Debut . In the 1998 big-budget Tamil romantic drama Jeans , which S. Shankar directed, Rai appeared alongside Prashanth as Madhumita, a young woman who accompanies her ailing grandmother to the United States to seek medical attention. The film was a commercial success, and earned her praise for her acting and dancing skills. In this film, her dialogue was dubbed by Savitha Reddy . Jeans , which
716-618: A Tulu -speaking Hindu family in Mangalore , Karnataka . Her father Krishnaraj Rai, who died on 18 March 2017, was a marine biologist and her mother Vrinda is a housewife. She has one elder brother Aditya Rai, who is an engineer in the merchant navy . Rai's movie Dil Ka Rishta (2003) was co-produced by her brother and co-written by her mother. She has been fluent in Tulu, Hindi and English since childhood. Rai's family later moved to Mumbai due to her father's job transfer. There, she attended
895-565: A parallel cinema movement. Although the movement (emphasising social realism ) was led by Bengali cinema , it also began gaining prominence in Hindi cinema. Early examples of parallel cinema include Dharti Ke Lal (1946), directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and based on the Bengal famine of 1943 , Neecha Nagar (1946) directed by Chetan Anand and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, and Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953). Their critical acclaim and
1074-534: A vigilante or anti-hero whose suppressed rage voiced the anguish of the urban poor. Hindi films have been a significant form of soft power for India, increasing its influence and changing overseas perceptions of India. In Germany , Indian stereotypes included bullock carts , beggars, sacred cows, corrupt politicians, and catastrophes before Bollywood and the IT industry transformed global perceptions of India. According to author Roopa Swaminathan, "Bollywood cinema
1253-561: A Best Actress nomination at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. She then co-starred with her husband Abhishek Bachchan and her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, in Ram Gopal Verma 's political drama Sarkar Raj , a sequel to the 2005 box-office hit Sarkar . Rai Bachchan was cast as Anita Rajan, the CEO of an international power firm who proposes to set up a plant in rural Maharashtra . The film
1432-523: A Hong Kong remake, The Brothers (1979), which inspired John Woo 's internationally acclaimed breakthrough A Better Tomorrow (1986); the latter was a template for Hong Kong action cinema 's heroic bloodshed genre. "Angry young man" 1970s epics such as Deewaar and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) also resemble the heroic-bloodshed genre of 1980s Hong Kong action cinema. The influence of filmi may be seen in popular music worldwide. Technopop pioneers Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto of
1611-521: A career in modelling. Rai had appeared as a child model for Camlin pencils and later, photographs of her taken by her English professor for a project went viral, and photographers Gautam Rajadhyaksha and Farrokh Chothia contacted her to appear in advertisements. In 1991, Rai won an international supermodel contest, which led to her being featured in the American edition of Vogue magazine. In 1993, she gained wide public recognition for her appearance in
1790-442: A colour version of Mother India . However, colour did not become a popular feature until the late 1950s. At this time, lavish romantic musicals and melodramas were cinematic staples. The decade of the 1940s saw an expansion of Bombay cinema's commercial market and its presence in the national consciousness. The year 1943 saw the arrival of Indian cinema's first 'blockbuster' offering, the movie Kismet , which grossed in excess of
1969-497: A contemporary urban context and anguished urban poor. By the mid-1970s, romantic confections had given way to gritty, violent crime films and action films about gangsters (the Bombay underworld ) and bandits ( dacoits ). Salim-Javed's writing and Amitabh Bachchan's acting popularised the trend with films such as Zanjeer and (particularly) Deewaar , a crime film inspired by Gunga Jumna which pitted "a policeman against his brother,
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#17328580692272148-460: A decade, Rai Bachchan still appealed to the younger generation because her impact was not limited to her on-screen roles or fashion choices but there was also an element of "divaness" that made her popular. Hrithik Roshan, who co-starred with Rai Bachchan in three movies, commended her for her work ethic, saying: "Her level of patience is inspiring. If she has to sit like Jodhaa all day, she will. If she has to stand all day dressed like Sophiya, so that
2327-551: A doomed courtesan from 19th-century Lucknow . Rai played the titular role, which was played by Rekha in the first film adaptation of the novel (1981). Reviewers, while comparing the film to the 1981 adaptation, were critical of the film and of her performance. According to Joshi Poonam of the BBC : "While only Rai could emulate the grace and poise of Rekha, she doesn't quite capture the intensity of Umrao's abiding melancholy", and "Rai's incandescent beauty and artistry [..] does indeed keep
2506-742: A falling-out when Bhansali refused to direct Kareeb . In 1996, he made his directorial debut with Khamoshi: The Musical , the commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed film about a daughter's struggle to communicate with her deaf-mute parents. The film earned 5 Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics) . He rose to prominence in Indian cinema with the musical love triangle Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), starring Aishwarya Rai , Salman Khan , and Ajay Devgn , which established his individualistic stamp for visual splendour and creating auras of celebration and festivity. The film
2685-526: A film of scenes from that show, The Flower of Persia (1898). The Wrestlers (1899) by H. S. Bhatavdekar showed a wrestling match at the Hanging Gardens in Bombay . Dadasaheb Phalke 's silent film Raja Harishchandra (1913) is the first feature-length film made in India. The film, being silent, had English , Marathi , and Hindi -language intertitles . By the 1930s, the Indian film industry as
2864-497: A gang leader based on real-life smuggler Haji Mastan " (Bachchan); according to Danny Boyle , Deewaar was "absolutely key to Indian cinema". In addition to Bachchan, several other actors followed by riding the crest of the trend (which lasted into the early 1990s). Actresses from the era include Hema Malini , Jaya Bachchan , Raakhee , Shabana Azmi , Zeenat Aman , Parveen Babi , Rekha , Dimple Kapadia , Smita Patil , Jaya Prada and Padmini Kolhapure . The name "Bollywood"
3043-546: A genre of dacoit films , in turn defined by Gunga Jumna (1961). Written and produced by Dilip Kumar, Gunga Jumna was a dacoit crime drama about two brothers on opposite sides of the law (a theme which became common in Indian films during the 1970s). Some of the best-known epic films of Hindi cinema were also produced at this time, such as K. Asif 's Mughal-e-Azam (1960). Other acclaimed mainstream Hindi filmmakers during this period included Kamal Amrohi and Vijay Bhatt . The three most popular male Indian actors of
3222-419: A global brand ambassador for L'Oréal alongside Andie MacDowell , Eva Longoria and Penélope Cruz . She has modelled for Longines, L'Oréal, Titan Watches , Coca-Cola, Lakmé Cosmetics , Casio pager, Philips , Palmolive , Lux , Fuji films , Nakshatra Diamond Jewellery and Kalyan Jewellers . She was named the official brand ambassador for De Beers diamonds in India. In 2012, Rai Bachchan
3401-519: A global presence". Scholar Brigitte Schulze has written that Indian films, most notably Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), played a key role in shaping the Republic of India 's national identity in the early years after independence from the British Raj ; the film conveyed a sense of Indian nationalism to urban and rural citizens alike. Bollywood has long influenced Indian society and culture as
3580-783: A good film is generally referred to as paisa vasool , (literally "money's worth"). Songs, dances, love triangles, comedy and dare-devil thrills are combined in a three-hour show (with an intermission). These are called masala films , after the Hindi word for a spice mixture. Like masalas , they are a mixture of action, comedy and romance; most have heroes who can fight off villains single-handedly. Bollywood plots have tended to be melodramatic , frequently using formulaic ingredients such as star-crossed lovers, angry parents, love triangles, family ties, sacrifice, political corruption, kidnapping, villains, kind-hearted courtesans , long-lost relatives and siblings, reversals of fortune and serendipity . Parallel cinema films tended to be less popular at
3759-540: A group of unidentified vandals again attacked and set fire to the sets of this movie in Kolhapur which led to the production set, costumes and jewelleries being burnt. The film earned Rs. 1.43 billion rupees in the first six days after its release. Padmaavat emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year, and received widespread critical acclaim, and earned Bhansali the National Film Award for Best Music Direction and
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#17328580692273938-467: A judge on reality TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa alongside Farah Khan and Shilpa Shetty . Bhansali's next film, the musical romance Saawariya (2007) was met with mixed reviews and poor collections at the box office. In 2008, Bhansali staged the opera Padmavati , an adaptation of the 1923 ballet written by Albert Roussel . The show premiered in Paris at the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet and next at
4117-433: A major funding round. Rai Bachchan made her first commercial for Camlin exam pencils when she was in the ninth grade. She became popular after appearing in a commercial for Pepsi with actor Aamir Khan . She is the only actress who has endorsed both Pepsi and Coca-Cola . Rai Bachchan is one of the top brand ambassadors in India. In 1999, she was appointed as Longines Ambassador of Elegance. In 2003, she became
4296-464: A major influence. During the early 20th century, Urdu was the lingua franca of popular cultural performance across northern India and established in popular performance art traditions such as nautch dancing, Urdu poetry , and Parsi theater. Urdu and related Hindi dialects were the most widely understood across northern India, and Hindustani became the standard language of early Indian talkies. Films based on " Persianate adventure-romances" led to
4475-402: A new generation of popular actors, including the three Khans : Aamir Khan , Shah Rukh Khan , and Salman Khan , who have starred in most of the top ten highest-grossing Bollywood films . The Khans and have had successful careers since the late 1980s and early 1990s, and have dominated the Indian box office for three decades. Shah Rukh Khan was the most successful Indian actor for most of
4654-715: A nurse in Bhansali's Guzaarish (2010). Her greatest commercial successes have been the romantic dramas Mohabbatein (2000) and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), the adventure film Dhoom 2 (2006), the biographical drama Guru (2007), the science-fiction film Enthiran (2010), and the period films Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023). Rai's off-screen roles include being an ambassador for several charity organisations and supporting philanthropic causes through her namesake foundation. She
4833-597: A partly fictionalised account of a marriage of convenience between the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (played by Hrithik Roshan) and the Rajput princess Jodha Bai (played by Rai Bachchan). Rajeev Masand noted: "Rai is wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much, making this one of her finest outings on screen". The film grossed ₹ 1.12 billion (US$ 13 million) and earned Rai Bachchan
5012-742: A popular genre of " Arabian Nights cinema". Scholars Chaudhuri Diptakirti and Rachel Dwyer and screenwriter Javed Akhtar identify Urdu literature as a major influence on Hindi cinema. Most of the screenwriters and scriptwriters of classic Hindi cinema came from Urdu literary backgrounds, from Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Akhtar ul Iman to Salim–Javed and Rahi Masoom Raza ; a handful came from other Indian literary traditions, such as Bengali and Hindi literature . Most of Hindi cinema's classic scriptwriters wrote primarily in Urdu, including Salim-Javed, Gulzar , Rajinder Singh Bedi , Inder Raj Anand , Rahi Masoom Raza and Wajahat Mirza . Urdu poetry and
5191-455: A production budget of ₹ 150 million (US$ 1.8 million). Rai Bachchan's final film role of 2016 was in Karan Johar 's musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , alongside Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor , in which she plays a poet named Saba. Rai Bachchan received positive reviews for her performance despite having limited screen time. Joe Leydon of Variety considered her to be
5370-404: A rape victim. The film co-stars Anil Kapoor and Sonali Bendre , and was well-received by critics and did well at the box office. Sukanya Verma praised Rai's decision to star in the film and said she "conveys the turmoil and pain of a rape victim well. But it is her transition from an emotional wreck trying to gather the broken pieces of her life back together that is amazing." Her performance in
5549-626: A renaissance of Western musical films such as Chicago , Rent , and Dreamgirls . Indian film composer A. R. Rahman wrote the music for Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Bombay Dreams , and a musical version of Hum Aapke Hain Koun was staged in London's West End. The sports film Lagaan (2001) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film , and two other Hindi films (2002's Devdas and 2006's Rang De Basanti ) were nominated for
Sanjay Leela Bhansali - Misplaced Pages Continue
5728-566: A science-fiction comedy co-starring Akshay Kumar, Aditya Roy Kapur and Neha Dhupia . Rai Bachchan's final film of 2010 was the drama Guzaarish , which was her third collaboration with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Hrithik Roshan. The film tells the story of Ethan Mascarenas, a quadriplegic former magician (Roshan) who after years of struggle, files an appeal for euthanasia . Rai Bachchan plays Sophia D'Souza, Mascarenas' nurse, whose alcohol-addicted husband abuses her. Due to her past associations with Bhansali, Rai Bachchan agreed to
5907-504: A similar influence on Amitabh Bachchan , Naseeruddin Shah , Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui . Veteran actresses such as Suraiya , Nargis , Sumitra Devi , Madhubala , Meena Kumari , Waheeda Rehman , Nutan , Sadhana , Mala Sinha and Vyjayanthimala have had their share of influence on Hindi cinema. While commercial Hindi cinema was thriving, the 1950s also saw the emergence of
6086-550: A singer who is kidnapped by a troubled father in the comedy-drama Fanney Khan (2018), which is an adaptation of the Belgian film Everybody's Famous! (2000). Fanney Khan co-stars Anil Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao . Uday Bhatia of Mint disliked the film and called Rai Bachchan "too unruffled a screen presence to convincingly sell the kind of silliness this film requires". Rai Bachchan again worked with Mani Ratnam on Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023),
6265-510: A terrorist attack; Rai played Mahalakshmi, a gun moll . While filming for Khakee , she was accidentally hit by a running car that caused a fracture in her left foot. Upon release, the film was a moderate critical and commercial success. In her next release, the romantic comedy Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... , Rai played Diya Malhotra, a university student who develops a one-sided attraction toward her friend Arjun Khanna (played by Vivek Oberoi ). The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics but
6444-477: A traffic-stopper". Taal was a commercial success and is notable for being the first Indian film to appear in the top-20 listing at the American box office. Rai received a second Best Actress nomination that year at the Filmfare Awards ceremony. In 2000, Rai starred in Kandukondain Kandukondain , a Tamil-language adaptation of Jane Austen 's novel Sense and Sensibility . Rajiv Menon directed
6623-419: A two-part Tamil ensemble period film that is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy 's eponymous epic novel . Both parts were filmed concurrently. Rai Bachchan plays Nandini , a scheming Chola queen. Haricharan Pudipeddi of Hindustan Times called her performance in the first part the best among the ensemble cast and in the second part to be the best of her career while Sonil Dedhia of News 18 said Rai Bachchan
6802-453: A whole was producing over 200 films per year. The first Indian sound film, Ardeshir Irani 's Alam Ara (1931), made in Hindustani language, was commercially successful. With a great demand for talkies and musicals, Hindustani cinema (as Hindi cinema was then known as) and the other language film industries quickly switched to sound films. The 1930s and 1940s were tumultuous times; India
6981-465: A whole, only refers to Hindi-language films, with Indian cinema being an umbrella term that includes all the film industries in the country, each offering films in diverse languages and styles. In 2017, Indian cinema produced 1,986 feature films, of which the largest number, 364 have been in Hindi. In 2022, Hindi cinema represented 33% of box office revenue, followed by Telugu and Tamil representing representing 20% and 16% respectively. Hindi cinema
7160-565: A world tour called the Magnificent Five . In 2001, she appeared in her first North American concert tour Craze 2001 alongside Anil Kapoor , Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta and Gracy Singh . The show faced early cancellation due to the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US and the team prepared to quickly return to India but the tour continued in Canada. Rai Bachchan appeared with other Bollywood actors at
7339-443: Is Hindu and deeply religious. Rai Bachchan gave birth to a girl on 16 November 2011. Rai Bachchan was accompanied by her husband to Cannes Film festival shortly after their marriage, and later to The Oprah Winfrey Show , on which they appeared on 28 September 2009. Rai Bachchan is the first Indian celebrity to appear twice on The Oprah Winfrey Show . She attended the 83rd Academy Awards with her husband. Rai Bachchan
Sanjay Leela Bhansali - Misplaced Pages Continue
7518-799: Is "like water, I just naturally, easily fit and adjust to any situation. That's always been my mind space and my temperament." In 2001, Forbes named Rai Bachchan among the top-five Indian movie stars. She was placed in Rediff.com 's annual listing of "Best Bollywood Actresses" for six consecutive years (2003–2008). She was also placed in Rediff.com's other listings; "Powerlist: Top Bollywood Actresses", "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time", "Top 10 Actresses of 2000–2010", and "Women of Many Faces". Filmfare also placed Rai Bachchan in its lists of "Top Ten Actresses" in 2003 and 2004, and she ranked eighth in its Power List in 2007. In 2004, Time chose her as one of
7697-417: Is "wonderfully restrained and uses her eyes expertly to communicate so much". Ponniyin Selvan: I earned ₹ 5 billion (US$ 60 million) worldwide to become one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time while Ponniyin Selvan: II grossed over ₹ 3 billion (US$ 36 million) worldwide. In 1999, Rai, along with Aamir Khan , Rani Mukerji , Akshaye Khanna and Twinkle Khanna , participated in
7876-539: Is a letter. It's very beautiful to look at, but is of no use because it says nothing." In the same year, Rai took on the lead role of Tilo in Paul Mayeda Berges 's romantic fantasy film The Mistress of Spices , an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni . Critics gave the film negative reviews and it was a commercial failure. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called Rai's performance "annoying" and wrote she "wafts and simpers" through
8055-457: Is a world-class hottie with talent to match, as she proves in her first English-speaking role". With a worldwide gross of $ 24 million against a production budget of $ 7 million, Bride and Prejudice was a commercial success. Rai next collaborated with director Rituparno Ghosh for the second time on the 2004 relationship drama Raincoat , an adaptation of O. Henry 's The Gift of the Magi , which won
8234-505: Is among India's most-popular and highest-paid actors. Fans and media frequently refer to her by the nicknames "Ash" and "Aish" but Rai Bachchan has stated she dislikes being called these names, and has discouraged people from referring to her using names other than "Aishwarya" because she does not want to "spoil [her] good name". At the beginning of her career, some Indian media described her as "a cold fish" and "a non-actress", and criticised her when some of her movies did not perform well at
8413-409: Is based on the income and popularity of Indian celebrities, peaking at number 34 in 2015 with an annual income of ₹ 480 million (US$ 5.8 million). The market research firm YouGov named Rai Bachchan the world's eleventh-most-admired person of 2018. Her wealth has been estimated at ₹ 7.76 billion (US$ 93 million). As of 2024, she is estimated to be the second richest actress in India. In
8592-548: Is based on the life of Indian farmer Sarabjit Singh , who was convicted of terrorism by a Pakistani court and whose sister Dalbir Kaur campaigned for his release. Rai Bachchan plays Dalbir Kaur and Randeep Hooda plays Sarabjit Singh. The film premiered at the 69th Cannes Film Festival . A few reviewers said Rai Bachchan was "miscast" because she neither looked nor sounded like a Sikh woman. Her Punjabi accent and her over-the-top performance in few scenes were largely criticised, though several critics noted how much she stands out in
8771-491: Is forced to defend a rapist in exchange for her daughter's safety. Shubha Shetty-Saha of Mid-Day criticised the film's unnecessary and intrusive melodrama, and said Rai Bachchan "looks the part and even does a fairly decent job, barring certain emotional scenes where she clearly goes over the top". The film underperformed at the box office. In 2016, Rai Bachchan starred in Omung Kumar 's biographical drama Sarbjit , which
8950-478: Is linked to economic liberalization in India during the early 1990s. Early in the decade, the pendulum swung back toward family-centered romantic musicals. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) was followed by blockbusters such as Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Raja Hindustani (1996), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), introducing
9129-414: Is one of the largest centres for film production in the world. Hindi films sold an estimated 341 million tickets in India in 2019. Earlier Hindi films tended to use vernacular Hindustani , mutually intelligible by speakers of either Hindi or Urdu , while modern Hindi productions increasingly incorporate elements of Hinglish . The most popular commercial genre in Hindi cinema since the 1970s has been
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#17328580692279308-462: Is one of the strongest global cultural ambassadors of a new India." Its role in expanding India's global influence is comparable to Hollywood's similar role with American influence. Monroe Township , Middlesex County , New Jersey , in the New York metropolitan area , has been profoundly impacted by Bollywood; this U.S. township has displayed one of the fastest growth rates of its Indian population in
9487-609: Is scheduled for release in 2026. Hindi cinema Hindi cinema , popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema , refers to the film industry based in Mumbai , engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and " Hollywood ". The industry is a part of the larger Indian cinema , which also includes South Indian cinema and other smaller film industries . The term 'Bollywood', often mistakenly used to refer to Indian cinema as
9666-560: The 100 most influential people in the world and she appeared on the cover of its 2003 Asia edition. Rai Bachchan has appeared on television chat shows such as Late Show with David Letterman , and was the first Bollywood personality to appear on Oprah ' s segment "Women Across the Globe". For two consecutive years, she was listed among India Today 's list of 50 most-powerful people in India (2004 and 2005). In 2008 and 2011, Verve magazine placed Rai Bachchan in its list of
9845-471: The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival , becoming the first Hindi film to be screened on the opening night of the festival. The film became both a critical and commercial success and received various accolades including a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Film. At the 62nd National Film Awards , Bhansali received another National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for
10024-645: The 63rd National Film Awards , Bajirao Mastani won 7 awards and Bhansali won the National Award for Best Director, in addition to winning Best Film and Best Director at Filmfare. The film was featured at the 2016 Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India . Bajirao Mastani was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 74th Golden Globe Awards . The following year, he produced
10203-545: The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language . Danny Boyle 's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won four Golden Globes and eight Academy Awards , was inspired by mainstream Hindi films and is considered an "homage to Hindi commercial cinema". It was also inspired by Mumbai-underworld crime films, such as Deewaar (1975), Satya (1998), Company (2002) and Black Friday (2007). Deewaar had
10382-600: The British Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTA) . It was India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . The film was also screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival . It stood eighth in Time magazine's "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)". His next film, Black , starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji , broke his own all-time record of Devdas by garnering 11 awards,
10561-503: The COVID-19 pandemic . The film eventually released in February 2022 to earned widespread critical acclaim, and won a leading 11 Filmfare Awards , including Best Film and Best Director wins for Bhansali, and five National Film Awards including Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay wins for Bhansali. In March 2023, Bhansali launched his music label, Bhansali Music, alongside the release of
10740-533: The Enforcement Directorate questioned Rai Bachchan, who denied any knowledge of the company and stated her father was in charge of her financial matters. In 2019, Rai Bachchan and her mother invested ₹ 10 million (US$ 120,000) in the environmental startup form Ambee, which measures air quality and other parameters using data. In 2021, Kalaari Capital -backed nutrition-based healthcare company Possible secured ₹ 50 million (US$ 600,000) from Rai Bachchan in
10919-464: The Festival dei Due Mondi , where it received "fifteen minutes of standing ovation and seven curtain calls at the end of the first show." Bhansali received highly positive reviews from international critics for his work. In 2010, Bhansali released Guzaarish , starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, in which he also made his debut in music direction. The film received positive reviews from critics, and
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#173285806922711098-456: The Filmfare Award for Best Music Director , in addition to Best Film and Best Director nominations at Filmfare. In 2022, Bhansali directed Gangubai Kathiawadi , a biographical crime drama based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi 's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai . The film about Gangubai Kothewali , stars Alia Bhatt as Gangubai, and was scheduled for release on 30 July 2021, but was postponed due to
11277-604: The HELP! Telethon Concert , an event to raise money for the victims of the 2004 tsunami earthquake . Along with other members of the Bachchan family , she laid the foundation brick of a school in her name for underprivileged girls in Daulatpur , a village in Uttar Pradesh , in 2008. The Bachchan family announced it would fund the school's construction. The land allocated for the construction
11456-504: The Indian epic Ramayana —the Tamil version titled Raavanan and the Hindi version Raavan —which were filmed simultaneously. In both versions, Rai Bachchan plays Ragini, the wife of a superintendent of police who is kidnapped by a bandit. Her role was modeled on Sita , the female protagonist of Ramayana . Rai Bachchan returned to Tamil cinema after a 10-year gap with Raavanan . Raavanan
11635-683: The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi . Critics praised the film and noted the lack of glamour in Rai's role, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. Derek Elley of Variety called Raincoat a "chamber-sized gem" and said Rai had shunned "her usual immaculate makeup and duds, and looking more like a broken, malfunctioning doll". Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindu said Rai "looks quite plain [and] seems to have made an earnest effort to emote, using less of her body and limbs and more of her face, and eyes in particular". Rai next co-starred alongside Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan in
11814-524: The Telugu film Vikramarkudu , starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha and directed by Prabhu Deva . The film received mixed reviews from critics and became a major commercial success, with Box Office India labelling it as a blockbuster. The following year, he produced the romantic comedy Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi , which also received positive reviews, but could not perform well at
11993-493: The Western Hemisphere , increasing from 256 (0.9%) as of the 2000 Census to an estimated 5,943 (13.6%) as of 2017, representing a 2,221.5% (a multiple of 23) numerical increase over that period, including many affluent professionals and senior citizens as well as charitable benefactors to the COVID-19 relief efforts in India in official coordination with Monroe Township, as well as actors with second homes. During
12172-576: The Yellow Magic Orchestra produced a 1978 electronic album, Cochin Moon , based on an experimental fusion of electronic music and Bollywood-inspired Indian music. Truth Hurts ' 2002 song " Addictive ", produced by DJ Quik and Dr. Dre , was lifted from Lata Mangeshkar 's "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" in Jyoti (1981). The Black Eyed Peas ' Grammy Award winning 2005 song " Don't Phunk with My Heart "
12351-722: The ghazal tradition strongly influenced filmi ( Bollywood lyrics ). Javed Akhtar was also greatly influenced by Urdu novels by Pakistani author Ibn-e-Safi , such as the Jasoosi Dunya and Imran series of detective novels; they inspired, for example, famous Bollywood characters such as Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975) and Mogambo in Mr. India (1987). Todd Stadtman identifies several foreign influences on 1970s commercial Bollywood masala films , including New Hollywood , Italian exploitation films , and Hong Kong martial arts cinema . After
12530-789: The highest-grossing film of the year and earned Rai a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress . The following year, she starred alongside Govinda and Jackie Shroff in the romantic comedy Albela , which together with her performance, received mostly negative reviews; Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticised the film and said Rai is "plastic in some scenes". After featuring in David Dhawan 's slapstick comedy film Hum Kisise Kum Nahin , Rai appeared alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romantic drama Devdas , an adaptation of Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay 's novel of
12709-484: The masala film , which freely mixes different genres including action , comedy , romance , drama and melodrama along with musical numbers . Masala films generally fall under the musical film genre, of which Indian cinema has been the largest producer since the 1960s when it exceeded the American film industry's total musical output after musical films declined in the West. The first Indian talkie , Alam Ara (1931),
12888-461: The overseas Indian diaspora , have also been inspired by Bollywood music. Hindi films are primarily musicals, and are expected to have catchy song-and-dance numbers woven into the script. A film's success often depends on the quality of such musical numbers. A film's music and song and dance portions are usually produced first and these are often released before the film itself, increasing its audience. Indian audiences expect value for money, and
13067-531: The socio-economic and socio-political realities of contemporary India. They channeled growing popular discontent and disillusionment and state failure to ensure welfare and well-being at a time of inflation, shortages, loss of confidence in public institutions, increasing crime and the unprecedented growth of slums . Salim-Javed and Bachchan's films dealt with urban poverty, corruption and organised crime; they were perceived by audiences as anti-establishment , often with an "angry young man" protagonist presented as
13246-576: The 10th grade, my seniors, my juniors, everybody thought I'd top the ICSE board exams. But I came seventh or eighth in class and that was a huge ego blow." Rai trained in classical dance and music for five years during her teens and showed interest in traditional dance forms, including Bharatanatyam . Her favourite subject was zoology and she initially considered a career in medicine. Planning to become an architect, she enrolled at Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture, but later gave up her education to pursue
13425-547: The 1950s and 1960s were Dilip Kumar , Raj Kapoor , and Dev Anand , each with a unique acting style. Kapoor adopted Charlie Chaplin 's tramp persona; Anand modeled himself on suave Hollywood stars like Gregory Peck and Cary Grant , and Kumar pioneered a form of method acting which predated Hollywood method actors such as Marlon Brando . Kumar, who was described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray , inspired future generations of Indian actors. Much like Brando's influence on Robert De Niro and Al Pacino , Kumar had
13604-465: The 1950s and early 1960s and some won major prizes at the festival. Guru Dutt , overlooked during his lifetime, received belated international recognition during the 1980s. Film critics polled by the British magazine Sight & Sound included several of Dutt's films in a 2002 list of greatest films , and Time's All-Time 100 Movies lists Pyaasa as one of the greatest films of all time. During
13783-483: The 1970s. Although the art film bent of the Film Finance Corporation was criticised during a 1976 Committee on Public Undertakings investigation which accused the corporation of not doing enough to encourage commercial cinema, the decade saw the rise of commercial cinema with films such as Sholay (1975) which consolidated Amitabh Bachchan 's position as a star. The devotional classic Jai Santoshi Ma
13962-453: The 1980s was Mira Nair 's Salaam Bombay! (1988), which won the Camera d'Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . Hindi cinema experienced another period of box-office decline during the late 1980s with due to concerns by audiences over increasing violence and a decline in musical quality, and a rise in video piracy. One of
14141-467: The 1990s and 2000s, and Aamir Khan has been the most successful Indian actor since the mid 2000s. Action and comedy films, starring such actors as Akshay Kumar and Govinda . The decade marked the entrance of new performers in art and independent films, some of which were commercially successful. The most influential example was Satya (1998), directed by Ram Gopal Varma and written by Anurag Kashyap . Its critical and commercial success led to
14320-617: The 2000s and 2010s, media often described Rai as "the most beautiful woman in the world". Her physical appearance and performances have made her a style icon for women. Media have cited her most-distinctive physical features; her green-blue eyes, luscious lips, curves and feminine mannerisms; as her trademark. Sanjay Leela Bhansali , who directed Rai Bachchan in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002) and Guzaarish (2010), commented on her ability to express emotions through her eyes, saying: "There's something in her eyes. That's
14499-501: The 2000s, Hindi cinema began influencing musical films in the Western world and was instrumental role in reviving the American musical film. Baz Luhrmann said that his musical film, Moulin Rouge! (2001), was inspired by Bollywood musicals; the film incorporated a Bollywood-style dance scene with a song from the film China Gate . The critical and financial success of Moulin Rouge! began
14678-435: The 2005 adult drama Shabd , which tells the story of an author who as research for his next book, persuades his wife to pursue a relationship with a younger man. The film received predominantly negative reviews and was a commercial failure. The Times of India said: "For the umpteenth time, Ms. Rai looks drop-dead gorgeous. And that's about it. She is like that picture postcard you get when what you were actually waiting for
14857-411: The 2010s, the industry saw established stars such as making big-budget masala films like Dabangg (2010), Singham (2011) , Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Rowdy Rathore (2012), Chennai Express (2013), Kick (2014) and Happy New Year (2014) with much-younger actresses. Although the films were often not praised by critics, they were commercially successful. Some of
15036-637: The Aishwarya Rai Foundation to help needy people in India. In 2005, she became a brand ambassador for Pulse Polio , a campaign the Government of India established in 1994 to eradicate poliomyelitis from the country. In the same year, Rai was appointed spokesperson for the International Year of Microcredit , raising awareness of the United Nations' poverty alleviation efforts. In February 2005. Rai performed with other Bollywood stars at
15215-461: The American box office. Roger Ebert wrote: "Rai is breathtaking in Bollywood films, where they devote a great deal of expertise to admiring beauty, but here she's underutilized and too much in the background". USA Today called her expressions "wooden" and added: "She looks gorgeous, but her expression rarely changes". In 2010, Mani Ratnam cast Rai Bachchan in his twin, modern-day adaptations of
15394-598: The Arya Vidya Mandir High School. She had her intermediate schooling at Jai Hind College for a year and then enrolled at D. G. Ruparel College in Matunga , securing 90 percent in the Higher Secondary (School) Certificate (HSC) exams. Describing her desire to maintain a good academic standing, she said: "I've always got a first rank except for my seventh grade mid-term when I stood second. When I came to
15573-728: The Bombay film industry was closely linked to the Lahore film industry (known as "Lollywood"; now part of the Pakistani film industry ); both produced films in Hindustani (also known as Hindi-Urdu), the lingua franca of northern and central India. Another centre of Hindustani-language film production was the Bengal film industry in Calcutta , Bengal Presidency (now Kolkata, West Bengal ), which produced Hindustani-language films and local Bengali language films. Many actors, filmmakers and musicians from
15752-804: The Bombay film industry's position as the preeminent center for film production in India. The period from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, after India's independence , is regarded by film historians as the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed Hindi films of all time were produced during this time. Examples include Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), directed by Guru Dutt and written by Abrar Alvi ; Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955), directed by Raj Kapoor and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas , and Aan (1952), directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Dilip Kumar . The films explored social themes, primarily dealing with working-class life in India (particularly urban life) in
15931-405: The Indian economy and a demand for quality entertainment in this era led the country's film industry to new heights in production values, cinematography and screenwriting as well as technical advances in areas such as special effects and animation. Some of the largest production houses, among them Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions were the producers of new modern films. Some popular films of
16110-552: The Lahore industry migrated to the Bombay industry during the 1940s, including actors K. L. Saigal , Prithviraj Kapoor , Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand as well as playback singers Mohammed Rafi , Noorjahan and Shamshad Begum . Around the same time, filmmakers and actors from the Calcutta film industry began migrating to Bombay; as a result, Bombay became the center of Hindustani-language film production. The 1947 partition of India divided
16289-628: The Marathi film Laal Ishq . Bhansali directed the period drama film Padmaavat (2018), jointly produced by him and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures , and also written by him. The film stars Deepika Padukone in the title role as Rani Padmini , alongside Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh in the title roles of Rawal Ratan Singh and Alauddin Khalji respectively. During the shooting of the film in January 2017 in Jaipur ,
16468-535: The UK television show From India with Love along with Amitabh Bachchan , Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. The show took place at Manchester 's Old Trafford and London's Hyde Park , with over 100,000 spectators. In 2003, Rai starred in two romantic dramas—her brother's production début Dil Ka Rishta alongside Arjun Rampal and Rohan Sippy 's Kuch Naa Kaho alongside Abhishek Bachchan . Neither of these films fared well critically or commercially. She
16647-771: The US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and Trinidad and Tobago. Rai Bachchan was involved in administrative operations of her father-in-law's entertainment company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation . In 2016, Rai Bachchan was named in the Panama Papers , a dataset that was leaked from a former Panamanian offshore law firm and was published on the Internet. She, her parents and her brother were listed as directors of an offshore entity named Amic Partners Limited in British Virgin Islands between 2005 and 2008. In December 2021,
16826-735: The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas at a ceremony in New York City to commemorate the International Day of Peace . Later that week, she was appointed as the new international Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS , the joint United Nations program on AIDS and HIV . She was tasked with raising awareness about protection of children from HIV infection and increasing access to antiretroviral treatment . In 1999, Rai began dating Bollywood actor Salman Khan ; their relationship
17005-412: The United States, met with negative reviews; Rediff.com said: "Rai sports a plastic smile and never gets a scene where she can portray any depth. All she does is cry and smile and look pretty." Also in 1999, Rai starred in the romantic musical Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam , which became a significant turning point in her career. The film is an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi 's Bengali novel Na Hanyate ; it
17184-442: The action drama Josh . She portrayed Shirley Dias, the twin sister of Khan's character who falls in love with his arch enemy's brother (played by Singh). The casting of Rai as Khan's sister was considered an unusual pairing at the time but director Mansoor Khan described it as "perfect". Critics gave Josh mixed reviews and it was a commercial success. In Satish Kaushik 's social drama Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai , Rai played
17363-503: The audience watching, though not necessarily emotionally engaged". In the Sanjay Gadhvi -directed adventure film Dhoom 2 , Rai portrayed Sunehri, a petty thief who helps police catch an illusive criminal; the film has an ensemble cast including Hrithik Roshan , Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra . Critics gave Dhoom 2 mixed-to-positive reviews and the film was Rai's first major commercial success since Devdas . The film
17542-670: The biggest entertainment industry; many of the country's musical, dancing, wedding and fashion trends are Bollywood-inspired. Bollywood fashion trendsetters have included Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994). Hindi films have also had a socio-political impact on Indian society, reflecting Indian politics . In classic 1970s Bollywood films, Bombay underworld crime films written by Salim–Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975) reflected
17721-545: The blockbuster Sholay (1975), written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan. It combined the dacoit film conventions of Mother India and Gunga Jumna with spaghetti Westerns , spawning the Dacoit Western (also known as the curry Western ) which was popular during the 1970s. Some Hindi filmmakers, such as Shyam Benegal , Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani and Vijaya Mehta , continued to produce realistic parallel cinema throughout
17900-493: The box office. In 2013, Bhansali directed the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela , an adaptation of Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet , starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh . Some religious groups opposed the film claiming that the former title Ramleela was misleading, because the movie had nothing to do with Ramlila , the traditional enactment of the life and story of Hindu deity, Lord Rama . The film's release had been stayed by Delhi High Court due to
18079-405: The box office. Despite receiving multiple offers to star in movies, she was hesitant to accept roles without further evaluation, saying: "I'd rather look before I leap". In an attempt to balance motherhood and her work, Rai Bachchan limited the number of her projects in the years after giving birth. In 2023, Anjali Belgaumkar of The Indian Express noted despite appearing in around 10 films in
18258-578: The box office. A large Indian diaspora in English-speaking countries and increased Western influence in India have nudged Bollywood films closer to Hollywood. Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ( pronounced [ɛːʃʋəɾjᵊ ɾɑːj ˈbətːʃən] ; née Rai ; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of
18437-484: The closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. The performance showcased Indian culture as a lead-up to India's hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games . Between July and August 2008, Rai Bachchan, her husband Abhishek Bachchan, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, and actors Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh and Madhuri Dixit starred in the "Unforgettable World Tour" stage production, which visited
18616-525: The controversy over its title, claiming that the movie hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Later the film's title was changed to Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela , and eventually released in India as scheduled. However, after a week of release, Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court banned the movie's release in Uttar Pradesh . Despite the controversy and limited release, the film opened to critical acclaim and strong box office collections worldwide, ultimately earning ₹2.02 billion (US$ 31 million) and emerging as
18795-647: The conventions which were once strictly associated with parallel cinema. "Bollywood" is a portmanteau derived from Bombay (the former name of Mumbai ) and "Hollywood", a shorthand reference for the American film industry which is based in Hollywood , California . The term "Tollywood", for the Tollygunge -based cinema of West Bengal , predated "Bollywood". It was used in a 1932 American Cinematographer article by Wilford E. Deming, an American engineer who helped produce
18974-523: The country into the Republic of India and Pakistan , which precipitated the migration of filmmaking talent from film production centres like Lahore and Calcutta , which bore the brunt of the partition violence. This included actors, filmmakers and musicians from Bengal , Punjab (particularly the present-day Pakistani Punjab ), and the North-West Frontier Province (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ). These events further consolidated
19153-486: The country's most-powerful women. In 2009, Forbes listed her 387th of 1,411 actors on its list of the most-bankable stars in Hollywood. She was the highest-ranked Indian actor on the list. In a poll conducted by the newspaper Daily News and Analysis in 2009, Rai Bachchan was voted one of India's most-popular icons. In the same year, she made appearances on the television shows Martha and The Tyra Banks Show . She
19332-528: The creation of a national movement against colonial rule in India, while simultaneously leveraging the popular political movement to increase their own visibility and popularity. Themes from the Independence Movement deeply influenced Bombay film directors, screen-play writers, and lyricists, who saw their films in the context of social reform and the problems of the common people. Before the Partition,
19511-405: The decade were Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Lagaan (2001), Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004), Rang De Basanti (2006), Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Dhoom 2 (2006), Krrish (2006), and Jab We Met (2007), among others, showing the rise of new movie stars. During
19690-672: The decade with films such as Zanjeer (1973) and Deewaar (1975). Salim-Javed reinterpreted the rural themes of Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957) and Dilip Kumar 's Gunga Jumna (1961) in a contemporary urban context, reflecting the socio-economic and socio-political climate of 1970s India and channeling mass discontent, disillusionment and the unprecedented growth of slums with anti-establishment themes and those involving urban poverty, corruption and crime. Their "angry young man", personified by Amitabh Bachchan , reinterpreted Dilip Kumar's performance in Gunga Jumna in
19869-465: The dress doesn't crease, she will." Filmmaker Omung Kumar believed her to be a "director's actor" who could mould herself into any character under the right guidance. Despite constant media speculation, Rai Bachchan keeps her personal life well-guarded and limits her activities on social media. Off-screen and in the press, she is known for her sensitive, caring nature and she is reportedly driven by her instincts. In an interview, Rai Bachchan stated she
20048-409: The emergence of a genre known as Mumbai noir: urban films reflecting the city's social problems. This led to a resurgence of parallel cinema by the end of the decade. The films featured actors whose performances were often praised by critics. The 2000s saw increased Bollywood recognition worldwide due to growing (and prospering) NRI and South Asian diaspora communities overseas. The growth of
20227-458: The entire film. Her only successful venture of 2005 was a special appearance in Shaad Ali 's crime comedy Bunty Aur Babli , in which she featured in the popular item number " Kajra Re ". In 2006, Rai starred in J. P. Dutta 's Umrao Jaan and Yash Raj Films ' Dhoom 2 . Umrao Jaan is an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa 's Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada (1905), which tells the story of
20406-451: The fifth highest-grossing film of 2013. The film garnered several award nominations for Bhansali including Best Film and Best Director nominations at Filmfare. The same year, Bhansali debuted in television with the show Saraswatichandra , starring Gautam Rode and Jennifer Winget , which he later left after few episodes. The following year, he produced the biographical sports film Mary Kom starring Priyanka Chopra , which premiered at
20585-551: The film earned her a third Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. Following a leading role in the box-office failure Dhai Akshar Prem Ke , Rai played a supporting role in Aditya Chopra 's musical romantic drama Mohabbatein . She played Megha Shankar, the daughter of Amitabh Bachchan 's character who commits suicide after realizing her father will not accept her romance with one of his students (played by Shah Rukh Khan). Mohabbatein received positive reviews from critics, became
20764-651: The film industry for a bit. If I hadn't taken part in Miss India, Raja Hindustani would have been my first film." Rai made her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam 's Tamil film Iruvar , a semi-biographical political drama co-starring Mohanlal , Prakash Raj , Tabu and Revathi . The film was a critical success, and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival among other awards. Rai starred as Pushpavalli and Kalpana,
20943-467: The film with her delicately sensual presence and physical grace". Commercially, the film was a sleeper hit . After the success of Chokher Bali , Rai returned to mainstream Hindi film in Rajkumar Santoshi 's Khakee (2004), an action thriller featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar , Ajay Devgn and Tusshar Kapoor . The film tells the story of five constables involved in a mystery surrounding
21122-400: The film's prime asset and wrote she "seems to have wandered in from another movie, one where emotions are conveyed in subtler and more affecting fashion. When she takes her leave from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil , you may wish you could go with her." The film became one of Rai Bachchan's biggest commercial successes with revenues of over ₹ 2 billion (US$ 24 million). Two years later, she played
21301-433: The film's quiet scenes. Rajeev Masand said Rai Bachchan is "required to scream and shout and weep copiously to express her anguish; the shrillness does her no favors. In quieter moments – like one in which Dalbir can't bear to part with her stillborn baby – the actress shines." Her role earned her tenth Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination. The film earned over ₹ 440 million (US$ 5.3 million) worldwide against
21480-522: The film, which also stars Mammooty , Tabu and Ajith Kumar . She was cast as Meenakshi, who is based on Marianne Dashwood , the younger sister of Tabu's character. The film was a critical and commercial success, and earned Rai positive comments from critics; a review carried by The Indian Express said: "Attacking her role with just the perfect dollop of innocence, Rai does full justice to her part, and matches up perfectly to Tabu". Rai next starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Chandrachur Singh in
21659-418: The film. In 2015, he produced the action drama Gabbar Is Back starring Akshay Kumar, which also emerged as a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics. Bhansali's next directorial venture was his dream project, the period romantic drama Bajirao Mastani (2015), based on the love story between Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani . Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone played
21838-829: The films starring Aamir Khan, from Taare Zameen Par (2007) and 3 Idiots (2009) to Dangal (2016) and Secret Superstar (2018), have been credited with redefining and modernising the masala film with a distinct brand of socially conscious cinema. Most stars from the 2000s continued successful careers into the next decade, and the 2010s saw a new generation of popular actors in different films. Among new conventions, female-centred films such as The Dirty Picture (2011), Kahaani (2012), and Queen (2014), Pink (2016), Raazi (2018), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) started gaining wide financial success. Moti Gokulsing and Wimal Dissanayake identify six major influences which have shaped Indian popular cinema: Sharmistha Gooptu identifies Indo-Persian - Islamic culture as
22017-571: The film—she spoils the image." Nonetheless, her performance earned her a sixth Filmfare Award nomination in the Best Actress category. In 2007, Rai played the wife of Abhishek Bachchan's character in Mani Ratnam's social drama Guru , which is fictionalised biography of businessman Dhirubhai Ambani . Guru tells the rag to riches story of an uneducated man who builds a multinational corporation. The film met with international critical acclaim and
22196-602: The first Indian sound picture. "Bollywood" was probably invented in Bombay-based film trade journals in the 1960s or 1970s, though the exact inventor varies by account. Film journalist Bevinda Collaco claims she coined the term for the title of her column in Screen magazine. Her column entitled "On the Bollywood Beat" covered studio news and celebrity gossip. Other sources state that lyricist, filmmaker and scholar Amit Khanna
22375-455: The first masala film and the first quintessentially "Bollywood" film. Salim-Javed wrote more successful masala films during the 1970s and 1980s. Masala films made Amitabh Bachchan the biggest star of the period. A landmark of the genre was Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), directed by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan , and Desai continued successfully exploiting the genre. Both genres (masala and violent-crime films) are represented by
22554-414: The first two examples. Awaara presented the city as both nightmare and dream, and Pyaasa critiqued the unreality of urban life. Mehboob Khan 's Mother India (1957), a remake of his earlier Aurat (1940), was the first Indian film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ; it lost by a single vote. Mother India defined conventional Hindi cinema for decades. It spawned
22733-466: The fourth-highest civilian award. Bhansali is best known for his use of aesthetics and musical vision, particularly in period dramas . Bhansali's directorial debut was the romantic musical Khamoshi: The Musical (1996). He gained both mainstream and critical success with the romantic dramas Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002), the latter of which won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment , and
22912-587: The highest number of awards ever given to a single film at Filmfare. It stood fifth in Time (Europe)'s "10 Best Movies of the Year 2005" among films from across the world. At the 53rd National Film Awards , he received his second National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi . Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam , Devdas and Black earned him multiple Best Film and Best Director awards at Filmfare, the latter also received additional Best Film (Critics) award. In 2006, Bhansali participated as
23091-512: The highest-grossing film of the year. The film also earned widespread critical acclaim and won 10 awards at Filmfare, emerging as the most-awarded film in Filmfare at the time (tying with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)). At the 50th National Film Awards , it won 5 awards including Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment . It received a nomination for the Best Foreign Film at
23270-464: The important barrier of one crore (10 million) rupees, made on a budget of only two lakh (200,000) rupees. The film tackled contemporary issues, especially those arising from the Indian Independence movement, and went on to become "the longest running hit of Indian cinema", a title it held till the 1970s. Film personalities like Bimal Roy, Sahir Ludhianvi and Prithviraj Kapoor participated in
23449-419: The late 1960s and early 1970s, the industry was dominated by musical romance films with romantic-hero leads. By 1970, Hindi cinema was thematically stagnant and dominated by musical romance films . The arrival of screenwriting duo Salim–Javed ( Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar ) was a paradigm shift, revitalising the industry. They began the genre of gritty, violent, Bombay underworld crime films early in
23628-461: The latter of which is a fictionalised portrayal of politician and former actress Jayalalithaa . Her dialogue in the film was dubbed by Tamil actress Rohini . In the same year, Rai was cast as a young woman in an arranged marriage set-up, Ashi, opposite Bobby Deol in her first Bollywood film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya , a romantic comedy. Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya was a commercial failure and reviewers were critical of her acting ability. For her role, she won
23807-608: The latter's commercial success paved the way for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave (synonymous with parallel cinema). Internationally acclaimed Hindi filmmakers involved in the movement included Mani Kaul , Kumar Shahani , Ketan Mehta , Govind Nihalani , Shyam Benegal , and Vijaya Mehta . After the social-realist film Neecha Nagar received the Palme d'Or at the inaugural 1946 Cannes Film Festival , Hindi films were frequently in competition for Cannes' top prize during
23986-483: The members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena protested at the sets at Jaigarh Fort , physically attacked Bhansali and his crew members, alleging that he misrepresented historical facts and depicted them erroneously in the film, and also tried to vandalise the sets. On 6 March 2017, members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the Chittor Fort again and broke the mirrors installed in the palace of Rani Padmini. On 15 March 2017,
24165-495: The most-popular and influential celebrities in India. She has received numerous accolades for her acting, including two Filmfare Awards . In 2004, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world . In 2009, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri and in 2012, the Government of France awarded her with the Order of Arts and Letters . She has often been called "the most beautiful woman in
24344-493: The performances of the three leads and wrote: "Rai proves she has the acting talent to back up her flawless looks". Devdas was chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination at the BAFTA Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. In India, the film won 10 Filmfare Awards, including a second Best Actress award for Rai. Also in 2002, she participated in
24523-474: The period drama series Heeramandi . Sanjay Leela Bhansali was born on 24 February 1963 in Bhuleshwar , South Bombay into a Gujarati Jain family. His mother, Leela, used to sew clothes to make ends meet. He speaks Gujarati at home and loves Gujarati food , music , literature and architecture. His sister, Bela Bhansali Segal, has directed Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012), for which he wrote
24702-455: The project before reading its script. Despite failing at the box office, Guzaarish met with positive critical reviews. The Telegraph described it as "one of Rai's best performances" and The Times of India said: "Rai is a stunning picture of fire and grace, walking away with certain scenes by her sheer vitality". In 2011, Rai Bachchan was cast as the protagonist of Madhur Bhandarkar 's social drama Heroine but due to her pregnancy, she
24881-469: The real-life character Kiranjit Ahluwalia , a non-resident Indian who murders her husband after suffering years of domestic abuse. Rai earned mostly positive comments for her performance. Critic Indu Mirani from Daily News and Analysis wrote: "Aishwarya Rai plays the battered wife in what is undoubtedly one of her best performances to date. Rai convincingly goes through the various stages of shock, bewilderment, remorse and finally vindication". The film
25060-404: The rest of Indian cinema) it has become part of the "Indian story". In India, Bollywood is often associated with India's national identity. According to economist and Bollywood biographer Meghnad Desai , "Cinema actually has been the most vibrant medium for telling India its own story, the story of its struggle for independence, its constant struggle to achieve national integration and to emerge as
25239-654: The rival Miss World pageant in Sun City, South Africa . She went on to win the pageant, and the Miss Photogenic award and Miss World Continental Queen of Beauty − Asia and Oceania . After winning Miss World, Rai said she dreamt of world peace and that she wanted to be an ambassador of peace during her one-year reign in London. She continued to model until she became an actress. Prior to participating in beauty pageants, she had received four offers to star in movies but she "decided to participate in Miss India to step back from
25418-401: The same name . Rai played the role of Paro (Parvati), the love interest of the protagonist (Khan). The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and it was featured by Time in its listing of the "10 Best Films of the Millennium". Devdas was a major international success with a revenue of over ₹ 840 million (US$ 10 million). Alan Morrison, writing for Empire , praised
25597-482: The script, while Bela's daughter, Sharmin Segal , made her debut as an actress under his production Malaal (2019), for which he also served as fellow writer and composer. Bhansali began his career as an assistant to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and was involved in the making of Parinda (1989) as an assistant director, 1942: A Love Story as a writer and assistant choreographer (1994) and Kareeb (1998). However, they had
25776-451: The soundtrack of the Netflix series Heeramandi , on which he served as creator, director, and music composer. The series had an ensemble cast led by Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha. It had strong viewership on the platform, and has been renewed for a second season. Bhansali will next direct Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal in the romantic drama film Love & War , which
25955-570: The success of Bruce Lee films (such as Enter the Dragon ) in India, Deewaar (1975) and other Bollywood films incorporated fight scenes inspired by 1970s martial arts films from Hong Kong cinema until the 1990s. Bollywood action scenes emulated Hong Kong rather than Hollywood, emphasising acrobatics and stunts and combining kung fu (as perceived by Indians) with Indian martial arts such as pehlwani . Perhaps Hindi cinema's greatest influence has been on India's national identity, where (with
26134-716: The time was the most expensive Indian film . She achieved wider success and won two Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for her performances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali 's romantic dramas Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002). Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying a passionate artist in Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), a seductive widow in Chokher Bali (2003), an unhappily married woman in Raincoat (2004), Kiranjit Ahluwalia in Provoked (2006), and
26313-471: The title roles, while Priyanka Chopra played Bajirao's first wife, Kashibai . The film was announced in 2003 and was constantly in the news regarding the cast, including actors such as Salman Khan , Shah Rukh Khan , Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji . The descendants of Bajirao I and Mastani expressed their disapproval of this film, claiming excessive creative liberty by Bhansali causing wrongful portrayal of their ancestors. A petition
26492-509: The tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), and the top-grossing period dramas Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018). He won the National Film Award for Best Direction for Bajirao Mastani and the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Padmaavat . He has since directed the biopic Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), winning further National and Filmfare Awards. In 2024, Bhansali launched his own music label, named Bhansali Music, as well as created and directed
26671-414: The turning points came with such films as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), presenting a blend of youthfulness, family entertainment, emotional intelligence and strong melodies, all of which lured audiences back to the big screen. It brought back the template for Bollywood musical romance films which went on to define 1990s Hindi cinema. Known since the 1990s as "New Bollywood", contemporary Bollywood
26850-606: The world" by segments of the media. While in college, Rai modelled and appeared in several television commercials, and entered the Miss India pageant, in which she was placed second. She was then crowned Miss World 1994, made her acting debut in Mani Ratnam 's 1997 Tamil film Iruvar and had her Hindi film debut in Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya that year. Her first commercial success was the Tamil romantic drama Jeans (1998), which at
27029-516: Was a box-office success. Richard Corliss of Time called Rai's character as an "ornament" but Raja Sen from Rediff.com said she had given "arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax." Rai received her seventh Best Actress nomination at Filmfare for her performance in the film. She next starred alongside Naveen Andrews and Miranda Richardson in Jag Mundhra 's independent British drama Provoked as
27208-495: Was a commercial success and won Rai a Filmfare Award for Best Actress . Rai next took up the leading role of Mansi, a naive young woman with an exceptional singing talent, in Subhash Ghai 's musical Taal alongside Akshay Khanna and Anil Kapoor . A reviewer for Rediff.com praised her acting and dancing in the film, and wrote: " Taal will again enhance her reputation as an actress while in no way detracting from her image as
27387-514: Was a commercial success whereas the Hindi version was a commercial failure. The films received mixed reviews from film critics, as did Rai Bachchan's performances. Kaveree Bamzai of India Today wrote: "Rai's Sita is one of the best things in the film ... her performance is heartfelt—this is a performer who is at ease playing women, rather than girls". Critics Aniruddha Guha and Rajeev Masand criticised her character and said: "She's left to scream and shriek and hiss". Rai Bachchan's next role
27566-468: Was a critical and commercial success, and praise was directed towards the three leads' performances. Rai Bachchan's next role was in the 2009 Harald Zwart -directed spy comedy The Pink Panther 2 , in which she stars alongside Steve Martin , Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer . Rai Bachchan portrayed Sonia Solandres, a seductive criminology expert. Like its predecessor , The Pink Panther 2 received negative reviews from critics but grossed $ 34 million at
27745-465: Was also released that year. By 1983, the Bombay film industry was generating an estimated annual revenue of ₹700 crore ( ₹ 7 billion, $ 693.14 million ), equivalent to $ 2.12 billion ( ₹12,667 crore , ₹ 111.33 billion) when adjusted for inflation. By 1986, India's annual film output had increased from 741 films produced annually to 833 films annually, making India the world's largest film producer. The most internationally acclaimed Hindi film of
27924-407: Was an above average performer at the box office. Guzaarish earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. In 2011, he became a judge on the Indian music talent show X Factor India Season 1. The same year, he also produced the musical comedy My Friend Pinto , which received negative reviews and tanked at the box office. In 2012, Bhansali produced Rowdy Rathore , a remake of
28103-550: Was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2012. She has also participated in stage shows and is an investor and prominent brand endorser. In 2003, she was the first Indian actress to be a juror at the Cannes Film Festival . She married the actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007, with whom she has a daughter. Aishwarya Rai was born on 1 November 1973 into
28282-523: Was buffeted by the Great Depression , World War II , the Indian independence movement , and the violence of the Partition . Although most early Bombay films were unabashedly escapist , a number of filmmakers tackled tough social issues or used the struggle for Indian independence as a backdrop for their films. Irani made the first Hindi colour film, Kisan Kanya , in 1937. The following year, he made
28461-606: Was coined during the 1970s, when the conventions of commercial Hindi films were defined. Key to this was the masala film , which combines a number of genres ( action , comedy , romance , drama , melodrama , and musical ). The masala film was pioneered early in the decade by filmmaker Nasir Hussain , and the Salim-Javed screenwriting duo, pioneering the Bollywood- blockbuster format. Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973), directed by Hussain and written by Salim-Javed, has been identified as
28640-667: Was commercially unsuccessful. In 2004, Rai garnered international recognition for her starring role opposite Martin Henderson in Gurinder Chadha 's British film Bride and Prejudice , a Bollywood-style adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice . International film critics expressed mixed views on Rai's performance as the Punjabi version of Elizabeth Bennet ; a review carried by The New York Times called her "radiantly beautiful but inert" while Rolling Stone noted "she
28819-475: Was declared a blockbuster , and became the highest-grossing Indian film of 2006 with gross revenues of over ₹ 1.11 billion (US$ 13 million). Rediff.com commented: "[Rai] is all gloss and no depth. You seldom feel any tension in her behaviour and expressions. ...Sunehri enters the film nearly 50 minutes after its opening in a disguise. In no time, she is wearing the flimsiest of clothes. Once she opens her mouth—and she does it two minutes after appearing in
28998-521: Was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali , and co-starred Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn . Rai played Nandini, a Gujarati woman who is forced into wedlock with Devgn's character, despite being in love with another man (played by Khan). Bhansali cast Rai after meeting her at a film screening and was impressed with her eyes. Khalid Mohamed of Bombay Talkies wrote that she has "an unquestionable felicity for acting", and has "that impossible combination of breathtaking beauty and brains". Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
29177-524: Was filed in Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the film, but the High Court refused to interfere with its release. It received widespread critical acclaim worldwide and was listed among the best films of 2015 by several sources. Despite the controversy, the film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time . The film received numerous accolades at various award ceremonies in India. At
29356-433: Was inspired by two 1970s Bollywood songs : "Ye Mera Dil Yaar Ka Diwana" from Don (1978) and "Ae Nujawan Hai Sub" from Apradh (1972). Both songs were composed by Kalyanji Anandji , sung by Asha Bhosle , and featured the dancer Helen . The Kronos Quartet re-recorded several R. D. Burman compositions sung by Asha Bhosle for their 2005 album, You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R.D. Burman's Bollywood , which
29535-604: Was internationally well-received and was a moderate commercial success in the UK. That same year, Rai Bachchan starred alongside Ben Kingsley , Colin Firth and Thomas Sangster as the Indian warrior Mira in Doug Lefler 's epic film The Last Legion . After a appearing in series of films that under-performed either critically or commercially, Rai Bachchan garnered critical and box-office success with Ashutosh Gowariker 's period romantic drama Jodhaa Akbar (2008). The film narrates
29714-464: Was its creator. It is unknown if it was derived from "Hollywood" through "Tollywood", or was inspired directly by "Hollywood". The term has been criticised by some film journalists and critics, who believe it implies that the industry is a poor cousin of Hollywood. In 1897, a film presentation by Professor Stevenson featured a stage show at Calcutta 's Star Theatre. With Stevenson's encouragement and camera, Hiralal Sen , an Indian photographer, made
29893-591: Was later confirmed by his father Amitabh Bachchan . The couple married on 20 April 2007 according to traditional Hindu rites. North Indian and Bengali ceremonies were also performed. The wedding took place in a private ceremony at the Bachchan residence in Juhu , Mumbai. Indian media have described them as a supercouple . Rai Bachchan is very close to her family and lived with them in Bandra , Mumbai, until her marriage. She
30072-427: Was later noted for her starring role in Rituparno Ghosh 's independent Bengali film Chokher Bali , an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore 's eponymous novel . Rai portrayed Binodini, an emotionally manipulative widow who is struggling with her sexual desires in early-20th century Bengal. The film was a major critical success and Rai earned praise for her performance; Derek Elley of Variety noted: "Rai dominates
30251-421: Was nominated for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Filmi music composed by A. R. Rahman (who received two Academy Awards for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack ) has frequently been sampled by other musicians, including the Singaporean artist Kelly Poon , the French rap group La Caution and the American artist Ciara . Many Asian Underground artists, particularly those among
30430-432: Was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language . He won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi for directing the drama Black (2005). His subsequent releases Saawariya (2007) and Guzaarish (2010) were box-office flops. The latter film marked his debut as a music composer. He also began producing under his banner Bhansali Productions. Bhansali reinforced his status with
30609-417: Was often reported in media until the couple separated in 2002. She cited "abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity" on the part of Khan as reasons for ending the relationship. She then had a romantic relationship with actor Vivek Oberoi that ended in 2005. Actor Abhishek Bachchan fell in love with Rai whilst filming Dhoom 2 . Their engagement was announced on 14 January 2007 and
30788-433: Was opposite Rajinikanth in the science-fiction Tamil film Enthiran (2010), which S. Shankar directed. She was cast as Sana, a college student and the girlfriend of Rajinikanth's character. At the time of its release, Enthiran was the most-expensive Indian film production and became one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. She then appeared as Mala, an impetuous brat, in Vipul Shah 's Action Replayy ;
30967-413: Was premiered in the Indian Panorama section at the 1999 International Film Festival of India . It was a critical and commercial success, and won numerous awards including 4 National Film Awards and 8 Filmfare Awards . His next film, the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), starring Shah Rukh Khan , Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit , was Bhansali's ode to the novel of the same name , which became
31146-412: Was present on Box Office India 's lists of "Top Bollywood Actresses" for ten years, and was ranked first on its top actresses lists from 2000 to 2009, and was ranked second on its list of "All Time Top Actress". She was placed in Outlook India ' s list of "75 Best Bollywood Actresses". From 2012 to 2015, and in 2018, Rai Bachchan was placed on Forbes India 's Celebrity 100 list, which
31325-465: Was produced in the Hindustani language, four years after Hollywood's first sound film, The Jazz Singer (1927). Alongside commercial masala films, a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed, presenting realistic content and avoidance of musical numbers. In more recent years, the distinction between commercial masala and parallel cinema has been gradually blurring, with an increasing number of mainstream films adopting
31504-481: Was ranked the world's second-most-popular watch-brand ambassador in a survey World Watch Report conducted. In 2013, TTK Group engaged Rai Bachchan and her husband as brand ambassadors. In 2023, CNBC TV18 reported that she earned between ₹ 60 million (US$ 720,000) and ₹ 70 million (US$ 840,000) per day for brand endorsements. Rai is the brand ambassador for Eye Bank Association of India's nationwide campaign to promote eye donation . In November 2004, she created
31683-404: Was replaced with Kareena Kapoor , the original choice for the role. After a five-year sabbatical from film acting, Rai Bachchan made a comeback with Sanjay Gupta 's drama-thriller Jazbaa , co-starring with Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan . She also served as producer. The film is a remake of the Korean thriller Seven Days (2007); Rai Bachchan plays Anuradha Verma, a criminal lawyer who
31862-404: Was the most expensive Indian film at the time, was submitted as India's official entry to the Academy Awards for 1998 but was not nominated. Rai's first role of 1999 was in the melodrama Aa Ab Laut Chalen , which Rishi Kapoor directed. The film was a critical failure and had a below-average performance at the box office. Her portrayal of Pooja Walia, a traditional Indian woman living in
32041-556: Was the subject of dispute between Rai Bachchan's father-in-law and fellow actor and politician Jaya Prada . The issue was reported to be resolved by 2012, however, as of 2018 construction on the site had yet to begin. Rai Bachchan supports PETA India . In 2009, she was appointed as the first Goodwill Ambassador of Smile Train , an international charity that provides free Cleft lip and palate surgery to children in need. Her work with Smile Train focused on India and 76 other developing countries. In September 2012, Rai Bachchan joined
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