1.
Rajesh Khanna
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Rajesh Khanna was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He was referred to as the first superstar and the superstar of Indian cinema. He starred in 18 consecutive solo hit films in the period 1969 to 1972 and he made his debut in 1966 with Aakhri Khat. Through his career he appeared in more than 160 feature films and 17 short films and he received the Filmfare Best Actor Award three times and the BFJA Awards for Best Actor four times. In 1991, he was awarded the Filmfare Special Award and in 2005 and he was the highest paid Indian actor from 1970 to 1987 where Amitabh Bachchan shared the same tag with Khanna from 1980 to 1987. He was also a Lok Sabha member of the Indian National Congress from New Delhi constituency from 1992 to 1996 and he married Dimple Kapadia in March 1973, eight months before her debut film Bobby was released and had two daughters from the marriage. Their elder daughter Twinkle Khanna is married to actor Akshay Kumar, after being critically ill, Khanna died on 18 July 2012. Khanna has been posthumously awarded Indias third highest civilian honour Padma Bhushan and his father had migrated from pre-partitioned Pakistan to Gali Tiwarian in Amritsar. His biological parents were Lala Hiranand and Chandrani Khanna, Lala worked as headmaster of the MC High School in Burewala, Vehari District, Punjab, Pakistan. His adoptive parents belonged to a family of railway contractors who had moved from Lahore to Bombay in 1935, Khanna lived in Saraswati Niwas in Thakurdwar near Girgaon, Mumbai. He attended St. Sebastian’s Goan High School with his friend Ravi Kapoor, Khanna gradually started taking interest in theatre, did a lot of stage and theatre plays in his school and college day, and won many prizes in inter-college drama competitions. In 1962 Khanna played a wounded soldier in the play Andha Yug and impressed with his performance. Khanna became a rare newcomer who struggled in his own MG sports car to get work in theatre, Khanna did his first two years of Bachelor of Arts in Nowrosjee Wadia College in Pune from 1959 to 1961. Khanna later studied in K. C, College, Mumbai and Jeetendra studied from Siddharth Jain College. Khanna tutored Jeetendra for his first film audition, Khannas uncle KK Talwar changed Khannas first name to Rajesh when he decided to join films. His friends and his wife called him Kaka, Rajesh Khanna was one of eight finalists in the 1965 All India Talent Contest organised by United Producers and Filmfare from more than 10,000 contestants. Sippy and Nasir Hussain were the first to sign Rajesh Khanna after he won the contest, Aakhri Khat was India’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 40th Oscar Academy Awards in 1967. Khanna in an interview to Hindu newspaper said, Though Aakhri Khat is my first film, I received my first break as an actor in Ravindra Daves
2.
Dilip Kumar
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He debuted as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata in 1944 produced by Bombay Talkies. His career has spanned six decades and with over 60 films. Kumar is known for his roles in such as the romantic Andaz, the swashbuckling Aan, the dramatic Devdas, the comical Azaad, the historical Mughal-e-Azam. He is the winner of nine Filmfare Awards and is the first recipient of Filmfare Best Actor Award and he still holds the record for the most number of Filmfare awards won for that category with eight wins. Critics acclaimed him among one of the greatest actors in the history of Hindi cinema, the Government of Pakistan honoured him with its highest civilian honour, the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in 1997. His father, Lala Ghulam Sarwar, was a landlord and fruit merchant who owned orchards in Peshawar, Dilip Kumar was schooled at Barnes School, Deolali. In the late 1930s, his family relocated to Bombay, around 1940, while still in his teens and after an altercation with his father, Dilip Kumar left home for Pune. With the help of an Iranian cafe owner, and an elderly Anglo-Indian couple, without letting on his family antecedents, he got the job on the merit of his knowledge of good written and spoken English. He managed to set up a stall at the army club. In 1942, anxious to start some venture to help out his father with finances, he met Dr. Masani at Churchgate Station. Here he met actress Devika Rani, owner of Bombay Talkies, here he met actor Ashok Kumar who was to influence his acting style telling him to act natural. He also met Sashadhar Mukherjee, and both these people very close to Kumar over the years. Initially, Kumar helped out in the story-writing and scripting department because of his proficiency in Urdu language. Devika Rani requested to change his name from Yousuf to Dilip Kumar, and later cast him in a role for the film Jwar Bhata. Dilip Kumars first film was Jwar Bhata in 1944 which went unnoticed, after a few more unsuccessful films, it was Jugnu in which he starred alongside Noor Jehan that became his first major hit at the box office. His next major hits were the 1948 films Shaheed and Mela and he got his breakthrough role in 1949 with Mehboob Khans Andaz in which he starred alongside Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Shabnam also released that year was another box office hit, Kumar went on to have success in the 1950s with playing leading roles in romantic films like Jogan, Babul, Tarana Hulchul Deedar, Daag, Uran Khatola, Devdas, Yahudi and Madhumati. These films established his image as the Tragedy King
3.
Shankar Jaikishan
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Shankar Jaikishan, were an Indian duo who composed music for the Hindi film industry, working together from 1949 to 1971. Later, Shankar continued to function as a Music Director alone, still giving music under the banner Shankar-Jaikishan, Shankar-Jaikishan, along with other artists, composed everlasting and immortal melodies in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Their best work was noted for being raga-based and having both lilt and sonority, Shankar Singh s/o ram singh was from Hyderabad. During his formative years, Shankar played the tabla and learned the art formally from Baba Nasir Khansahib, for many years, Shankar studied as a disciple of the legendary composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, in whose orchestra he performed. In fact, Shankar had studied at Hyderabad and had passed 10th class, a 10th class pass of pre-independence era, cannot be considered to be illiterate by any means. Shankar started his career with a group run by Satyanarayan and Hemawati, before shifting to Prithvi Theatre where he played tabla. Shankar worked as assistant to the composer duo of Husnlal Bhagatram. Jaikishan Dayabhai Panchal belonged to Bansda, Gujarat, Jaikishan was adept at playing the harmonium. Subsequently, he obtained his musical lessons from Sangeet Visharad Wadilalji, after moving to Mumbai, he became a disciple of Vinayak Tambe. It was outside the office of Bhatt that Shankar saw Jaikishan a number of times, one day, he started a conversation and discovered that Jaikishan was a harmonium player, and that he too was visiting the same producer in search of work. Shankar later recollected that they developed a liking for each other and it was he who then, papaji honoured Shankars selection and gladly accepted Jaikishan as a Harmonium player at Prithvi. Soon, the two of them developed very close friendship to the extent that the people started referring to them as Ram-Lakshman ki jodi, apart from following their musical pursuits, they also used to play significant roles in various plays including the famous play Pathan. Thus, the three had met at Prithvi Theater, Raj Kapoor made his debut as a director with the film Aag in 1948. Its music director Ram Ganguly was assisted by Shankar and Jaikishan, thus came into existence the new pair of music directors named Shankar-Jaikishan who composed the music for the film. Himself being a singer, Raj Kapoor thus took on board a new team of composers Shankar and Jaikishan and lyricists Shailendra. On the insistence of Shankar, he and SJ co-opted the upcoming singing talent Lata Mangeshkar, the film also had the distinction of featuring two firsts in Hindi cinema — a title song and a cabaret. The two became known by the acronym S-J, S-J formed a core team with lyricists Shailendra and Hasrat Jaipuri and with singers Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. SJ also patronized the immensely talented singer Manna Dey, who sang his best songs with them, among the directors, they worked most closely with Raj Kapoor and were considered the kingpins of his legendary banner RK Films
4.
Sharmila Tagore
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Sharmila Tagore is an Indian film actress known for her works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She has received two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards for her performances and she led the Indian Film Censor Board from October 2004 till March 2011. In December 2005 she was chosen as an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and she was one of the International Competitions Jury Members at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. In 2013, she was awarded Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, sharmila Tagore was born in Hyderabad, India, the daughter of Gitindranath Tagore, a general manager in the British India Corporation, by his wife Ira Tagore. While Tagores father belonged to a Bengali family, her mother came from an Assamese family, Gitindranath was the grandson of the noted painter Gaganendranath Tagore, whose own grandfather Girindranath had been a first cousin of the laureate. Tagores maternal grandfather was Jnanadabhiram Barua, the first Principal of Earl Law College in Guwahati, oindrila was the first in the family to act in a film, and the only role she ever played was that of Mini, the child character in Tapan Sinhas film Kabuliwala. In adulthood, she became a bridge player. The other sister, Romila Sen, is the wife of Nikhil Sen, Tagore attended St. Johns Diocesan Girls Higher Secondary School and Loreto Convent, Asansol. She made her debut when she was a 13-year-old schoolgirl, after which her studies lost priority. At that point, her father advised her to move ahead in life, commit herself to a film career and she did as her father advised, and credits her parents for having supported her at every point in her life. Tagore began her career as an actress in Satyajit Rays 1959 Bengali film Apur Sansar and she later appeared in Shakti Samantas Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964. She also posed in a bikini for the glossy Filmfare magazine in 1968, but, when Tagore was the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, she expressed concerns about the increased use of bikinis in Indian films. Samanta later teamed up Tagore with Rajesh Khanna for movies such as Aradhana, other directors paired them together in Safar, Daag, and Maalik. The pair of Khanna-Sharmila gave 7 box office hits – Aradhana, Safar, Amar Prem, Chhoti Bahu, Daag, Raja Rani and she starred in Gulzars 1975 film, Mausam and won the National Film Award for Best Actress. She also played a role in Mira Nairs 1991 film Mississippi Masala. She was the highest paid Bollywood actress from 1970 to 1976 along with Mumtaz and she married Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the Nawab of Pataudi and former captain of the Indian cricket team, in a Nikah ceremony held on 27 December 1969. She converted to Islam and took on the name Ayesha Sultana and they had three children, Saif Ali Khan, a Bollywood actor, Saba Ali Khan, a jewellery designer, and Soha Ali Khan, a Bollywood actress and TV personality. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi died, at age 70, on 22 September 2011, the Indian board responded saying that Englands Test series in India are contested for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, in honour of the cricket administrator and co-founder of the BCCI
5.
Gopi
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Gopi is a word of Sanskrit originating from the word Gopala referring to a person in charge of a herd of cows. Of this group, one known as Radha holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in a number of religious traditions. In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, there are 108 gopikas of Vrindavan, the gopis of Vrindavan total 108 in number, Krishna charit describes the number as 16,000. They are generally divided into three groups, Gopi friends of the age as Krishna, maidservants, and gopi messengers. The first group are the most exalted, Krishnas contemporary gopi friends, the group are the maidservants and are the next most exalted. The varistha gopis are more famous than all the others and they are eternally the intimate friends of Radha and Krishna. No one can equal or exceed the love they bear for the divine couple, the primary eight gopis are considered the foremost of Krishnas devotees after Srimati Radharani. Their spontaneous and unwavering devotion is described in depth in the chapters of the Bhagavata Purana, within Krishnas Vrindavan pastimes
6.
Mumtaz (actress)
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Mumtaz Madhvani is an Indian Hindi Films actress. Mumtaz appeared as an actress in Sone Ki Chidiya. As a teenager she acted as an extra in Vallah Kya Baat Hai, Stree, as an adult, her first role in A-grade films was that of the role of sister of the hero in O. P. Ralhans Gehra Daag. She got small roles in films such as Mujhe Jeene Do. In the films that the pair Dara Singh-Mumtaz did together, Daras remuneration was INR450,000 per film and it took Raj Khoslas blockbuster Do Raaste, starring Rajesh Khanna, to finally make Mumtaz a full-fledged star. Although Mumtaz had a role, director Khosla filmed four songs with her. The film made her popular, and she acknowledged that though she had a small role. In 1969, her films Do Raaste and Bandhan, with Rajesh Khanna, became top grossers of the year and she played Rajendra Kumars leading lady in Tangewala. Shashi Kapoor, who had refused to work with her in Saccha Jootha because she was a stunt-film heroine. She acted opposite Dharmendra as the heroine in films like Loafer. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for one of her favourite films Khilona in 1970, Mumtaz frequently acted with Feroz Khan in hits like Mela, Apradh and Nagin. Her pairing with Rajesh Khanna was the most successful in a total of 10 films and she quit films after her 1977 film Aaina to concentrate on her family. She made a comeback 13 years later with her final film Aandhiyan in 1990, Mumtaz married businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974. They have two daughters one of whom, Natasha, married actor Feroz Khans son Fardeen Khan in 2006, Mumtaz won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khilona in 1970. Actually no one was interested to accept the role of CHAAND for Khilona, but with that role Mumtaz bagged her one and only Filmfare Best Actress Award. During her career, she was awarded with one Filmfare Award for Best Actress, out of three nominations, and one BFJA Award for Best Supporting Actress
7.
Waheeda Rehman
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She is noted for her contributions to different genres of films from the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. She has been cited as the Bollywoods most beautiful actress by media outlets. Rehman was born in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India and she was in her teens when her father died. Her dream was to become a doctor but, due to her circumstances and her mother illness. In order, to help her family, she hit the screen with Telugu films, Jayasimha, followed by Rojulu Marayi. Her first initial appearance in a Hindi film was in CID, later, she was seen in a series of successful films including Pyaasa,12 OClock, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Chaudhvin Ka Chand. Her other notable works include Solva Saal, Baat Ek Raat Ki, Kohra, Bees Sal Baad, Guide, Teesri Kasam, Mujhe Jeene Do, Neel Kamal, Waheeda Rehman was born into a Dakhini Muslim family in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India. She and her sister learnt Bharatnatyam in Chennai, where Guru Trichunder Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and in Bombay Guru Jayalaxmi Alva, doyen among nattuvanars taught and her father, who was a district commissioner, died while she was in her teens. It is a misconception that Rehman was born in Andra Pradesh. I was born in Chengalpattu, she reveals, I used to have a house in Chennai. So, why the belief that she was born in Hyderabad. Its a long story, she says, When I was in Chennai, in the first one, Rojulu Maraayi, I did only a folk dance number. However, it went on to become a hit, I was in Hyderabad celebrating its success and Guru Dutt happened to be there. He was on a lookout for new faces and heard that I could speak in Urdu and it is because he spotted me in Hyderabad that people assume I was born there. Her dream was to become a doctor but, due to circumstances of illness, Waheeda Rehman, started her career in films in 1954 and her first successful films were the Telugu films Jayasimha, Rojulu Marayi and Tamil film Kaalam Maari Pochu. In the success party of Rojulu Maaraayi, Guru Dutt noticed her, Waheeda considered Guru Dutt as her mentor. Dutt brought her to Bombay and cast as a vamp in his production CID, a few years after joining the Hindi film industry, she lost her mother. Dutt gave her a role in Pyaasa. Their next venture together, Kaagaz Ke Phool, depicted the story of a successful directors decline after he falls for his leading lady
8.
S. D. Burman
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Sachin Dev Burman was an Indian music composer. A member of the Tripura royal family, he started his career with Bengali films in 1937, later he began composing for Hindi movies, and became one of the most successful Bollywood film music composers. S D Burman composed music for over 100 movies, including Hindi, apart from being a versatile composer, he also sang songs in light semi classical and folk style of Bengal. His Son Rahul Dev Burman was also a music composer for Bollywood films. Burmans compositions have been sung by leading singers of the period including Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar, Asha Bhosle, mukesh and Talat Mahmood have also sung songs composed by him. He sang about 14 Hindi and 13 Bengali film songs, Sachin was the youngest of the five sons of his parents, who had nine children in all. His mother died when he was just two years of age, SD Burmans first school was at Kumar Boarding in Agartala, Tripura. It was a school in the likes of Harrow and Eton for sons of the royalty. SD Burmans father, Raja Nabadweepchandra Deb Burman noticed the teachers were more busy with pampering the sons of the nobility than educating them. SD Burmans father took him from Kumar Boarding and admitted him at Yusuf School in Comilla before he was admitted in Class V in Comilla Zilla School, from Comilla Zilla School he completed his Matriculation in 1920 at the age of 14. He then got admitted at Victoria College, Comilla, presently which is Comilla Victoria Government College from where he passed his IA in 1922 and then BA in 1924. SD Burman left for Kolkata to start an MA in Calcutta University and he started his formal music education by training under the musician K. C. Dey from 1925 to 1930, thereafter in 1932 he came under the tutelage of Bhismadev Chattopadhaya and this was followed by training from Kahifa Badal Khan, Sarangi player, and Ustad Allauddin Khan. He got K. C. Dey, Ustad Badal Khan, noted Bengal poet laureate, Kazi Nazrul Islam also spent time in their family home in Comilla in the early 20s. SD Burman started working as a singer on Calcutta Radio Station in the late 20s. Consequently, his compositions were influenced by his huge repertoire of folk-tunes from present Bangladesh and later other parts of India. His first record was released in 1932, with Khamaj semi classical, E Pathey Aaj Eso Priyo on one side. He also sang for Madhavlal Master and son RD Burman, later in the year, he was invited to Bengal Music Conference, Kolkata, which was inaugurated by Rabindranath Tagore, here again he sang his thumri, and was awarded a Gold Medal
9.
Mohammed Rafi
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Mohammed Rafi was an Indian playback singer and one of the most popular singers of the Hindi film industry. Rafi was notable for his voice and versatility, his songs ranged from numbers to patriotic songs, sad lamentations to highly romantic numbers, qawwalis to ghazals. He was known for his ability to mould his voice to the persona of the actor, between 1950 and 1970, Rafi was the most sought after singer in the Hindi film industry. He received six Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award, in 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India. Rafi is primarily noted for his songs in Hindi, over which he had a strong command and it is believed that he sang about 7,400 songs in many languages. He sang in other Indian languages including Konkani, Bhojpuri, Odia, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Sindhi, Kannada, Gujarati, Telugu, Magahi, Maithili and Urdu. Apart from Indian languages, he sang songs in English, Farsi, Arabic, Sinhalese, Creole. Mohammed Rafi was the second eldest of six born to Hajji Ali Mohammad. The family originally belonged to Kotla Sultan Singh, a village near present-day Amritsar in Punjab, Rafi, whose nickname was Pheeko, began singing by imitating the chants of a fakir in the streets of his native village Kotla Sultan Singh where his family lived. Rafis father moved to Lahore in 1935, where he ran a salon in Noor Mohalla in Bhatti Gate. His elder brother, Mohammad Deen, had a friend, Abdul Hameed, Abdul Hameed later convinced the family elders to let Rafi move to Mumbai, he accompanied him in 1944. Rafi learnt classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwan Lal Mattoo and his first public performance came at the age of 13, when he sang in Lahore featuring K. L. Saigal. In that same year, Rafi was invited by All India Radio Lahore station to sing for them and he made his Hindi film debut in Gaon Ki Gori in 1945. In 1944, Rafi moved to Mumbai and he and Hameed Sahab rented a ten-by-ten-feet room in the crowded downtown Bhendi Bazar area. Poet Tanvir Naqvi introduced him to film producers including Abdur Rashid Kardar, Mehboob Khan, Rafis first song with Naushad was Hindustan Ke Hum Hain with Shyam Kumar, Alauddin and others, from A. R. Kardars Pehle Aap. Around the same time, Rafi recorded another song for the 1945 film Gaon Ki Gori and he considered this song his first Hindi language song. In 1945, he appeared on the screen for the song Tera Jalwa Jis Ne Dekha in the film Laila Majnu. He sang a number of songs for Naushad as part of the chorus, including Mere Sapnon Ki Rani, Rafi sang Tera Khilona Toota Balak from Mehboob Khans Anmol Ghadi and a duet with Noor Jehan in the 1947 film Jugnu, Yahan Badla Wafa Ka
10.
Khilona (1970 film)
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Khilona is a 1970 Indian drama film, produced by L. V. Banner and directed by Chander Vohra, starring Sanjeev Kumar, Mumtaz, Jeetendra in lead roles. Other actors in supporting roles are Shatrughan Sinha, Durga Khote, Ramesh Deo, Jagdeep, the film recorded as Super Hit at the box office. The film was a remake of Telugu film Punarjanma, the film was not remade in Tamil instead both Hindi and Tamil version were simultaneously made. Tamil version had Engirundho Vandhaal with Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa, the film was also remade in Malayalam as Amrithavaahini. The film received six nominations at the 18th Filmfare Awards in 1971 of which it won the Filmfare Best Movie Award, Other nominations were for Best Actor, Best Comic, Best Story, and Best Male Playback Singer. Vijaykamal is a son of a rich Thakur Suraj Singh but has lost his mind and he sees his lover Sapna marry his neighbour Bihari and then commit suicide on the night of the Diwali party hosted by Bihari. This incident puts Vijay in shock, Thakur believes that if Vijay gets married, his mental health would improve. He hence approaches a tawaif Chand to pretend to be Vijays wife, but Chand receives cold treatment by Vijays mother and his elder brother Kishore. Once, in a fit of madness, Vijay sexually assaults Chand, but later Chand becomes very friendly with Vijay and that starts improving his condition. Bihari who wishes to have Chand for himself also tries to persuade Vijays young sister Radha and he promises Radha to make her an actress in Bollywood and asks her to elope with him with the familys money and gold. But Chand does not let Biharis plan work, Vijays younger brother Mohan also falls in love with noble Chand and is heartbroken when he finds out that she is pregnant and is carrying Vijays child. Dejected, he leaves home without notice, in a fight between Vijay and Bihari, Bihari falls off the terrace and this shocks Vijay curing him of his mental ailment. But then Vijay is unable to recall Chand and she is then humiliated by the family and is thrown out of the house. Mohan steps in and accuses everyone for treating her like a toy and he reveals how she saved Radha from Biharis evil pursuits. It is also revealed that Chand was actually born in a family and was only raised as a tawaif as she was found alone after a train accident. The family thus accepts Chand and all ends well, Sanjeev Kumar as Vijaykamal Mumtaz as Chand Jeetendra as Mohan Shatrughan Sinha as Bihari Bipin Gupta as Thakur Suraj Singh Durga Khote as Thakurain Jayshree T. The film won two Filmfare Awards out of the six nominations it received, Best Movie Best Actress - Mumtaz Other four nominations that it received were, Best Actor - Sanjeev Kumar Best Comedian - Jagdeep Best Story - Gulshan Nanda Best Male Playback Singer - Mohd
11.
Pehchan (1970 film)
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Pehchan is a 1970 Filmfare Award winning Bollywood romance film produced & directed by Sohanlal Kanwar, & the story is by Sachin Bhowmick. The film stars Manoj Kumar, Babita, and Balraj Sahni, rakeshs employee Lyricist Prof. Gopaldas Neeraj. Paise Ki Pehchan Yahan Picturised On Neeraj. Music for the film is composed by Shankar Jaikishan
12.
Filmfare Awards
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The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest film events in India, the awards were first introduced in 1954, the same year as the National Film Awards. They were initially referred to as the Clare Awards or The Clares after Clare Mendonca, a dual voting system was developed in 1956. The ceremony had been sponsored by private organisations in the past as well as in present provisions. During several years in 1990s, a ceremony was broadcast to television audiences but was later discontinued due to unknown reasons. Presently, a recorded and a version of the awards ceremony is televised on SET a week or two after the ceremony has been held. There is no data statistics recorded in reference to T, the Filmfare Awards have been often referred to as the Hindi film industrys equivalent to The Oscars. Filmfare Marathi Awards are also started few years back which gives awards to Marathi films, the Filmfare awards were first introduced in 1954. The Clares was the name of the award ceremony, named after The Times of India critic Clare Mendonca. Readers of Filmfare were polled to decide the winners, and over 20,000 readers spread throughout India participated in the polls, trophies were given to winners of the popular vote. In the first awards function, held on 21 March 1954 at the Metro Theatre of Mumbai, only five awards were presented, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Music Director. Do Bigha Zameen was the first movie to win the award for Best Film. Filmfare Awards also introduced the Short Film Category in 2017, with Vidya Balan, the People’s Choice Award For Best Short Film was presented to Khamakha. Short films like Chutney, Matitali Kusti and Taandav won awards as well, however, Peck did attend the banquet that followed the award night at Wellington Club, Mumbai. The winners for the year 1985 were announced in 1986 and the event was scheduled to be held at the Brabourne Stadium in December 1986, unfortunately the Bombay film Industry, as was known then went on strike in 86 because of its many contentious issues with the Maharashtra Government. So the ceremony was pushed to the next year, the winners of 1985 were awarded on 28 January 1987. Due to Security reasons, filmfare was not awarded for 1986 and 1987, due to the many award ceremonies in the Indian Film Industry, it is often questioned which ones are real and based on fair decisions made by the jury. The Filmfare went through a phase of controversy in which they were accused of a biased selection when nominating and presenting awards and it was believed that they were not awarded based on merit. The importance of these awards is that it recognizes an industry in which almost a thousand movies per year are produced making it one of the biggest in cinema
