DNA newspaper recently came up with a list of Mumbai's 50 most infuential people - and heres the pick of the Bollywood beautiful who graced the list of people-
This is what DNA says -
No -4
Amitabh Bachchan
Actor
As he completes 40 eventful years in the movie industry, Amitabh Bachchan shows the signs of reverse ageing. Larger than life as ever, his appetite for cinema remains insatiable and his stardom undiminished even when all his contemporaries have either hung up their boots or just faded away.
His newfound penchant for blogging shows how fluidly he’s moved with the times. His son Abhishek is probably finding it hard to keep pace with him. Isn’t it only fitting then, that in their upcoming film Pa, Amitabh plays a 16-year-old boy suffering from progeria while Abhishek does the father’s role?
As the patriarch of the Bachchan family, the doyen of the Indian film industry and torchbearer of all things Indian, it will take more than myasthenia gravis to slow down Amitabh. With the films Alladin, Johny Mastana, Talismaan and Teen Patti on their way, he’s shown that the prime of an actor is not always a point in the past, but can sometimes span an entire career.
No -5
Aamir Khan
Actor
Aamir Khan’s footprint over Indian cinema is unique. His dedication to the entire process of filmmaking, as an actor, producer and even director, is now industry lore. He’s been on a terrific winning streak in 2008 — Taare Zameen Par, Ghajini and Jaane Tu Ya Jane Na — and there’s no reason to doubt that his forthcoming Three Idiots will raise the bar even further.
But there’s another side of him that’s gaining sharper definition with time: Aamir the activist. His association with children and education is not restricted to celluloid alone. His meeting with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton in July 2009 was an offshoot of that involvement and is another sign of his engagement with society, something he had shunned for years, to the extent of having a cold war with the media.
It doesn’t take a crystal-ball gazer to see that bit by bit, step by step, Aamir is building up into a future legend of Indian cinema. His competition, at this point in time, is only with himself.
No- 6
Shah Rukh Khan
Actor
They say there’s no one quite like Shah Rukh Khan. This amazingly charismatic actor hailing from Delhi has captured the hearts of millions and the craze isn’t abating in a hurry. The uncrowned king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh has been through a bit of rough patch recently.
His home production Billu Barber fared average and his Kolkata Knight Riders failed him at the Indian Premier League for the second year in a row. Then, a niggling shoulder injury required surgery. But after that false start to the year, he has been recovering well.
He teamed up with Aamir Khan and other producers in the face-off with multiplex owners and went out of his way to extend an olive branch to the Bachchans. With a dedicated following, especially among the youth, it shouldn’t take Shah Rukh longer than his next film to bounce back to where he belongs. His My Name is Khan, which has him play an autistic person, is being eagerly awaited.
No 11 to 20 has only two Bollywood people
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Actor
Her beauty is breathtaking, even 18 years after she first wowed the world. Even her marriage hasn’t dented Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s popularity a bit.
Truly a global face, Aishwarya’s recent stint with Hollywood — Pink Panther and The Last Legend — may not have been a big success, but she remains one of the most prominent faces of India internationally.
She’s said to have recently cut down on work and even insisted on mostly working with husband Abhishek Bachchan (they are currently filming Mani Ratnam’s Raavan) with rumours floating that starting a family may be on their minds. Her portrayal of the Rajput princess who married emperor Akbar in Jodhaa Akbar won her many awards last year. But she also attracted some controversy this year when she reportedly refused to walk the red carpet at Cannes with newcomer Sonam Kapoor.
She was recently awarded the Padma Shri and also won the actor of the decade award at IIFA. So while Kareena, Priyanka and Katrina, too, are in the top league now, Aishwarya continues to rule the roost.
Katrina Kaif
Actor
It seems like yesterday when she was just the pretty half-Brit-half-Kashmiri girl dating Salman Khan, seldom venturing beyond his shadow and influence. But Katrina Kaif’s lucky breaks, which started in 2007, snowballed into bigger, surer successes in 2008, starting with Race.
However, most of the credit went to hit machine Akshay Kumar who first paired with her in Namastey London and then went on to give the blockbuster Singh Is Kinng. But recently, when the multiplexes opened after a two-month-long face-off with producers, it wasn’t Akshay’s Kambakht Ishq but Katrina’s film New York, in which she overshadowed both her co-stars John Abraham and Neil Nitin Mukesh, that did well.
By changing the rules, right from the way she left behind beau, Bollywood and Bambai to spend her birthday with family, Katrina is finally coming into her own. With brand endorsement deals pouring in and a string of big banner releases lined up, she seems to be saying she’s paid her dues and is now ready to aim right for the top slot – solo if need be.
N0 -24
Salman Khan
Actor
He’s the guy who changed Bollywood’s history and hierarchy when he burst on the scene with Maine Pyaar Kiya. He’s also the enfant terrible of the industry with natural flamboyance peppered with bouts of temperamental behaviour that over time we’ve come to accept as a homogenous entity.
Frankly, Sallubhai is incorrigible. The muscular 43-year-old bachelor from Bandra gave an insight about why he’s so adored by fans and friends, whatever his occasional indiscretions, when he dazzled the nation with his unique brand of charm and charisma in Dus Ka Dum.
Now you know why he commands such a devoted following, one which has kept him afloat despite many storms in his personal and professional life through the years. If Yuvraaj didn’t do well, you can save your sympathies for Subhash Ghai.
Salman is truly beyond hits and flops; not that he’s had to face much of the latter. Right now, he’s busy finishing eight big banner films. Charming, or just charmed?
No -25
Akshay Kumar
Actor
The Khiladi title sits well on Akshay Kumar, not because of his macho image, but because he has played his cards right. His much-touted stuntmanship, married with a natural flair for comedy, helped him carve a niche that also won him national recognition – a Padma Shri.
He drew in the TRPs when he hosted the Indian version of Fear Factor on the small screen. After four back-to-back hits in 2007 — Namaste London, Heyy Baby, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Welcome — he made the industry finally snap out of its Khan-dominated reverie.
Ironically, his saleability as a star was further underlined after his failures — 8x10 Tasveer and Chandni Chowk to China; even the mega-budget Kambakkht Ishq floundered. But the box office downturn did not leave a scratch on his popularity or remuneration (Rs20 crore per film).
He has two big banner releases — Blue and De Dana Dan — lined up for this year. Another risky situation? Yes. Is he game? He wouldn’t play it any other way.
N0 -34
Kareena Kapoor
Actor
She was just a chubby little girl when she accompanied sister Karisma on the sets, meeting her famous co-stars. They’d have probably wagered to tattoo their noses rather than believe she’d become a size-zero stunner one day soon, with many of them hankering to star opposite her.
Today Kareena is definitely the most bankable star from the Kapoor stable — cousin Ranbir, despite his early successes, has a lot of catching up to do. With outstanding performances in films like Chameli, Omkara and Jab We Met, the blockbuster which spanned across the end of her affair with Shahid Kapoor and finding love with Saif Ali Khan, she has cemented her place right at the top of the Bollywood pecking order.
With several big releases lined up, including Three Idiots with Aamir Khan, Main Aur Mrs Khanna with Salman Khan and Agent Vinod with beau Saif, it seems there won’t be any full stops in her career for now.
No -39
Karan Johar
Filmmaker
He appropriated the label of candyfloss filmmaker as if it was invented for him. His brand of movies is in a mould he’s created himself, a formula with three key ingredients — good pal Shah Rukh Khan, youthful Indian love at international locales and beautiful song and dance routines.
It was working like clockwork but the 35-year-old moved ahead with Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, which dealt with the serious topic of extramarital relationships, something most observers thought was anathema to his brand of cinema.
He went on to produce Dostana, which flirted with the topic of homosexuality. His next, My Name is Khan, deals with autism and racism. Suddenly you can no longer slot Karan Johar. Nor contain him.
Whether he’s making films, writing columns or having televised coffee sessions with industry pals, Karan’s quest for expression is anything but monolithic. Brand ambassador, part-time ramp model, and a very coveted guest at both high society parties and film functions, he’s a man on fire.
No - 42
Hrithik Roshan
Actor
Hrithik Roshan isn’t the conventional Bollywood star. His appearance is international, his choice of script eclectic and his career path distinctly less frenzied than most.
All of this has only aided his evolution from ‘astounding dancer’ to ‘actor of note’. Hrithik had a dream debut, getting catapulted into superstardom with his maiden film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai made by his father, Rakesh Roshan.
The odd hiccup followed but that was negated by the steady sequence of big-ticket successes, be it Dhoom 2 or last year’s blockbuster Jodhaa Akbar, where his mature role was toasted by critics and fans alike.
Not surprisingly, he now carries a weight of expectations into his next film, Kites, a bilingual venture aimed at the international market. Naturally then, chatter about an alleged linkup with his Kites co-star Barbara Mori would have ruffled his composure, so much so that it is believed he has since tattooed wife Sussanne’s name on his wrist.
But in an age when romantic dalliances are often encouraged as pre-release strategies, the film itself — and consequently Hrithik — may stand to gain.
