Firoza Begum was a Jewish Indian actress. Firoza starred in several Bollywood and Mollywood films. [1] She was very popular in the 1920s and 1930s. [2] Although there were other Jewish actresses at the time, she stands out along with other notables like Ruby Myers and Esther Victoria Abraham (Pramila). [3] [4] [5]
Born Susan Solomon, she is of Bene Israel heritage. She used the Muslim name Firoza Begum to hide her Jewish ancestry [6] (see History of the Jews in India). She was one of five famous Jewish Indian actresses featured in the documentary Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Jews and Bollywood by Danny Ben-Moshe released in 2017. [7]
Madhuri Dixit Nene is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters, Dixit was credited for singularly paralleling her male contemporaries and leading star vehicles in a male-dominated industry. She was among the country's highest-paid celebrities throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since its inception in 2012. Her accolades include six Filmfare Awards from a record 17 nominations. In 2008, the Government of India awarded her with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour of the country.
Manisha Koirala is a Nepalese actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi films and has also worked in Nepali and English films. Known for her work in both commercial and independent cinema, she is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.
Kareena Kapoor Khan is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a variety of characters in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas—Kapoor is the recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, and is one of Bollywood's highest-paid actresses.
The Bene Israel, also referred to as the "Shanivar Teli" or "Native Jew" caste, are a community of Jews in India. It has been suggested that they are the descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes via their ancestors who had settled there centuries ago. In the 19th century, after they were taught about normative Judaism, they migrated from villages in the Konkan region to nearby cities throughout British India—primarily to Mumbai, but also to Pune, Ahmedabad, and Karachi, where they gained prominent positions within the British colonial government and the Indian Army.
Madhubala was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, that coincided with the rise of Indian cinema on global levels. In a career spanning more than 20 years, Madhubala was predominantly active for only a decade but had appeared in over 60 films by the time of her death in 1969.
Sharmila Tagore is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali films. Known for her acting range and beauty, Tagore is a recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Hindi cinema. In 2013, the Government of India, honoured her with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour for her contributions to the Indian culture through performing arts.
The history of the Jews in India dates back to antiquity. Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in India in recorded history. Indian Jews are a small religious minority who have lived in India since ancient times. The 2,000-year history of Indian Jews was marked by a total absence of antisemitism from the Hindu majority and a visible assimilation in the local languages and cultures.
Irtiza Rubab, better known by her stage name Meera, is a Pakistani film actress and television presenter. She has appeared in Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi movies.
Waheeda Rehman is an Indian actress. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's most accomplished actresses, she has worked in more than 90 feature films, in a career spanning over five decades. Her accolades include a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She was honoured with India's civilian awards; the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011. In 2021, she was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema.
Amrita Singh is an Indian actress who mainly works in Hindi films. Singh made her acting debut with Betaab (1983). Singh established herself as a popular and leading actress of the 1980s and early 1990s. She has received several accloades including a Filmfare Award and an Indian Telly Award.
Meena Kumari was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Popularly known as The Tragedy Queen, she was active between 1939 and 1972. Kumari is widely considered one of the greatest actresses of Indian cinema. In a career spanning 33 years, from child actress to adult, she starred in over 90 films. She died at the age of 38 years, from cirrhosis of the liver, which has been associated with her alcoholism.
Danny Ben-Moshe is a documentary film maker and an associate professor at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. He has produced and directed several critically praised documentaries.
Esther David is an Indian Jewish author, an artist and a sculptor. She is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Gauahar Khan is an Indian model and actress who appears in Hindi films and television. She started her career as a model. She won the title of Femina Miss India International 2002 and then represented India at Miss International 2002 in Tokyo, Japan.
Pallavi Sharda is an Australian actress and Bharathanatyam dancer of Indian descent. Her film credits include the Oscar nominated Lion (2016), Hindi language films Besharam (2013), Hawaizaada (2015) and Begum Jaan (2017). She starred in the Australian film Save Your Legs! (2012) and the Australian teleseries Les Norton (2019). Since 2021, Sharda has starred in Tom & Jerry and the rom-com Wedding Season.
Rakul Preet Singh is an Indian actress who predominantly works in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil films. Singh has won several awards including a South Indian International Movie Award, in addition to four nominations at the Filmfare Awards South.
Anjali Patil is an Indian actress who works in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu and Tamil film productions. She has received several awards including a National Film Award and a Filmfare Marathi Award. She received the IFFI Best Actor Award (Female) Silver Peacock Award at the 43rd International Film Festival of India her role in the Sri Lankan film With You, Without You
Queen is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Vikas Bahl and produced by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Madhu Mantena. The film stars Kangana Ranaut in the lead role, with Lisa Haydon and Rajkummar Rao playing supporting roles. The film follows the story of Rani Mehra, a diffident Punjabi girl from New Delhi who embarks on her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam by herself after her fiancé calls off their wedding.
Rekha: The Untold Story is a 2016 Indian biographical book by Yasser Usman, detailing the life of Indian film actress Rekha. The book chronicles her birth to South Indian actors Gemini Ganesan and Pushpavalli, which generated rumors in the media at the time, her well-publicised marriage to Delhi-based industrialist Mukesh Agarwal, who died by suicide in seventh months of marriage, and her fifty-year-long acting career.
Yasser Usman is an Indian television journalist, news presenter, and biographer. Born in Delhi, Yasser Usman began his career by working as a television presenter and was awarded the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for his contribution. Usman has been recognised by the media as one of India's most successful film biographers.