Ghatotkacha is a prominent character in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. His name comes from the fact that his head was hairless (utkacha) and shaped like a ghatam, or a pot. Ghatotkacha was the son of the Pandava Bhima and the demoness Hidimbi, and thus a half-human, half-demon hybrid.
Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the leading and highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.
Manisha Koirala is a Nepalese actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil. Born to the politically prominent Koirala family, she is the daughter of Prakash Koirala and the granddaughter of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, and a recipient of several accolades, including three Filmfare Awards, one Filmfare Awards South and one Filmfare OTT Awards. In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.
Preity G Zinta is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se.. in 1998, followed by a role in Soldier in the same year. These performances earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, and she was later recognised for her role as a teenage single mother in Kya Kehna (2000). She established a career as a leading Hindi film actress of the decade with a variety of character types. Her roles, often deemed culturally defiant, along with her unconventional screen persona won her recognition and several accolades.
Bill Plympton is an American animator, graphic designer, cartoonist, and filmmaker best known for his 1987 Academy Award–nominated animated short Your Face and his series of shorts featuring a dog character starting with 2004's Guard Dog.
Monsoon Wedding is a 2001 comedy-drama film directed by Mira Nair, written by Sabrina Dhawan, and starring Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das. The story depicts romantic entanglements during a traditional Punjabi Hindu wedding in Delhi. Dhawan wrote the first draft of the screenplay in a week while in Columbia University's MFA film program. Although set entirely in New Delhi, it was internationally co-produced between companies in India, the United States, Italy, France and Germany.
Penmetsa Ram Gopal Varma, often referred to by his initials RGV, is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer, primarily known for his work in Hindi and Telugu films. Varma has directed films across multiple genres, including parallel cinema and docudrama noted for their gritty realism, technical finesse, and craft. Regarded as one of the pioneers of new age Indian cinema, he was featured in the BBC World series Bollywood Bosses in 2004. In 2006, Grady Hendrix of Film Comment, published by the Film at Lincoln Center cited Varma as "Bombay's Most Successful Maverick" for his works on experimental films. He is known for introducing new talents, who eventually become successful in the Indian film industry.
Urmila Matondkar is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare Award and the Nandi Award. Having established a distinctive on-screen persona, she is known for her acting skills, style statements and dancing skills.
Manoj Bajpayee, also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of numerous accolades including four National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, and two Asia Pacific Screen Awards. In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Shri.
Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer. Known for her vocal range and versatility, she has recorded songs for films in several Indian languages and received accolades including three Filmfare Awards and a Filmfare Award South.
Sanjay Suri is an Indian actor and film producer. He comes from an affluent business family of Kashmiri Pandits. He had a supporting role in Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi (1999), acted in Jhankaar Beats, and co-produced and acted in I Am.
Anurag Kashyap is an Indian film director and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France made him a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2013.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 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 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 the world" by segments of the media.
Return of Hanuman is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language animated action-adventure film directed by Anurag Kashyap. It was seemingly a sequel to Hanuman, it was produced by Shailendra Singh at Percept Picture Company and Toonz Animation, and the music was composed by Tapas Relia. It was released in India on 28 December 2007.
My Friend Ganesha is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language film written and directed by Rajiv S Ruia and produced by Deepak Bhanushali, Manish Ruparel, Raman Trikha, Mitesh Mehta, and Ronak Bhagat. It stars Ahsaas Channa, Kiran Janjani, Shital Shah and Upasana Singh.
Toonpur Ka Superrhero is a 2010 Indian live-action animated action comedy film written by Raagii Bhatnagar and directed by Kireet Khurana. The film features Ajay Devgn and Kajol in lead roles. The film was India's first live action - 3D animation combination feature film. It was released on 24 December 2010 and emerged as a commercial failure.
Udaan is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age drama film directed by Vikramaditya Motwane in his directorial debut. It was produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap, and Ronnie Screwvala under their production companies Anurag Kashyap Films and UTV Spotboy, respectively. Written by Motwane and Kashyap, the film stars debutante Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Aayan Boradia, Ram Kapoor, Manjot Singh, and Anand Tiwari. It follows the story of a teen who is forced to live with his oppressive father back home after he is expelled from boarding school.
Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian filmmaker, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of nine National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.
Sukanya Verma is an Indian journalist and film critic. She has been the principal movie reviewer with web portal Rediff.com. She has written a number of columns as a freelance writer for The Hindu. She is a member of the Film Critics Guild, founded in 2018, as well as Film Critics Circle of India.
