The Most Famous
ACTORS from India
This page contains a list of the greatest Indian Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 481 of which were born in India. This makes India the birth place of the 3rd most number of Actors behind United States, and United Kingdom.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Indian Actors of all time. This list of famous Indian Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Indian Actors.
1. Amitabh Bachchan (b. 1942)
With an HPI of 79.15, Amitabh Bachchan is the most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 110 different languages on wikipedia.
Amitabh Bachchan (pronounced [əmɪˈt̪ɑːbʱ ˈbətːʃən] ; born Amitabh Srivastava; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. With a cinematic career spanning over five decades, he has played pivotal roles in over 200 films. Widely recognised as one of the greatest actors of all time, he is considered to be among the most accomplished and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. Bachchan is often hailed as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, Sadi Ke Mahanayak (translated as "Greatest actor of the century" in Hindi), Star of the Millennium, or simply Big B. His dominance in the Indian film industry during the 1970s–80s led the French director François Truffaut to describe it as a "one-man industry". He is a recipient of several accolades including six National Film Awards and sixteen Filmfare Awards. Bachchan was born in 1942 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to the Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and his wife, the social activist Teji Bachchan. He was educated at Sherwood College, Nainital, and Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. His film career started in 1969 as a voice narrator in Mrinal Sen's film Bhuvan Shome. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films, such as Anand, Zanjeer, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, and achieved greater stardom in later years, dubbed India's "angry young man" for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top grossing Indian films with critical acclaim since the mid 1970s to 1980s, such as Deewaar, Sholay, Kabhi Kabhie, Hera Pheri, Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Kasme Vaade, Trishul, Don, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Suhaag, Dostana, Naseeb, Laawaris, Namak Halaal, Coolie, Sharaabi and Mard, as well as some of his most acclaimed performances, include Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Majboor, Mili, Chupke Chupke, Kaala Patthar, Shaan, Yaarana, Kaalia, Shakti, Aakhree Raasta, Shahenshah and Agneepath. After taking a break from acting in the 1990s, his resurgence was marked in 2000 with Mohabbatein. Since then he starred in several successful and acclaimed films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Aankhen, Baghban, Khakee, Black, Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Cheeni Kum, Shootout At Lokhandwala, Paa, Piku, Pink, Badla, Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva and Kalki 2898 AD. For Piku, he won his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor, making him the only actor to do so. Bachchan also made an appearance in a Hollywood film, The Great Gatsby (2013), in which he played a non-Indian Jewish character. He has won numerous accolades in his career, including record four National Film Awards in Best Actor category and many awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies. He has won sixteen Filmfare Awards and is the most nominated performer in any major acting category at Filmfare with 34 nominations in Best Actor and 42 nominations overall. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 2001, the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, and India's highest award in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 for his contributions to the arts. The Government of France honoured him with its highest civilian honour, Officer of the Legion of Honour, in 2007 for his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond. In addition to acting, Bachchan has worked as a playback singer, film producer, and television presenter. He has hosted several seasons of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's version of the game show franchise, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He also entered politics for a time in the 1980s. Bachchan has also been involved in several humanitarian works and he is a leading brand endorser in India. Beyond the Indian subcontinent, he acquired a large overseas following of the South Asian diaspora, as well as others, in markets including Africa (South Africa, Eastern Africa, and Mauritius), the Middle East (especially UAE and Egypt), the United Kingdom, Russia, Central Asia, the Caribbean (Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), Oceania (Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand), Canada and the United States. Bachchan was voted the "greatest star of stage or screen" by BBC Your Millennium online poll in 1999. In October 2003, TIME magazine dubbed Bachchan the "Star of the Millennium".
2. Vivien Leigh (1913 - 1967)
With an HPI of 75.74, Vivien Leigh is the 2nd most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 95 different languages.
Vivien Leigh ( LEE; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she had also played on stage in London's West End in 1949. She also won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical version of Tovarich (1963). Although her career had periods of inactivity, in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Leigh as the 16th-greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progressed to the role of heroine in Fire Over England (1937). Lauded for her beauty, Leigh felt that her physical attributes sometimes prevented her from being taken seriously as an actress. Despite her fame as a screen actress, Leigh was primarily a stage performer. During her 30-year career, she played roles ranging from the heroines of Noël Coward and George Bernard Shaw comedies to classic Shakespearean characters such as Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet and Lady Macbeth. Later in life, she performed as a character actress in a few films. At the time, the public strongly identified Leigh with her second husband, Laurence Olivier, who was her spouse from 1940 to 1960. Leigh and Olivier starred together in many stage productions, with Olivier often directing, and in three films. She earned a reputation for being difficult to work with, and for much of her life she had bipolar disorder, as well as recurrent bouts of chronic tuberculosis, which was first diagnosed in the mid-1940s and ultimately led to her death at age 53.
3. Shah Rukh Khan (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 75.29, Shah Rukh Khan is the 3rd most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 110 different languages.
Shah Rukh Khan (pronounced [ˈʃɑːɦɾʊx xɑːn] ; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has appeared in more than 100 films, and earned numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare Awards. He has been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, as well as the Order of Arts and Letters and Legion of Honour by the Government of France. Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of audience size and income, several media outlets have described him as one of the most successful film stars in the world. Many of his films thematise Indian national identity and connections with diaspora communities, or gender, racial, social and religious differences and grievances. Khan began his career with appearances in several television series in the late 1980s and made his Bollywood debut in 1992 with the musical romance Deewana. He was initially recognised for playing villainous roles in the films Baazigar (1993) and Darr (1993). Khan established himself by starring in a series of top-grossing romantic films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of an alcoholic in the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), a NASA scientist in the social drama Swades (2004), a hockey coach in the sports drama Chak De! India (2007), and a man with Asperger syndrome in the drama My Name Is Khan (2010). Further commercial successes came with the romances Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), and with his expansion to comedies in Chennai Express (2013) and Happy New Year (2014). Following a brief setback and hiatus, Khan made a career comeback with the 2023 action thrillers Pathaan and Jawan, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. As of 2015, Khan is co-chairman of the motion picture production company Red Chillies Entertainment and its subsidiaries and is the co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders and the Caribbean Premier League team Trinbago Knight Riders. The media often label him as "Brand SRK" because of his many endorsements and entrepreneurship ventures. He is a frequent television presenter and stage show performer. Khan's philanthropic endeavours have provided health care and disaster relief, and he was honoured with UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award in 2011 for his support of children's education and the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award in 2018 for advocating for women's and children's rights in India. He regularly features in listings of the most influential people in Indian culture, and in 2008, Newsweek named him one of their fifty most powerful people in the world. In 2022, Khan was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time in a readers' poll by Empire, and in 2023, Time named him as one of the most influential people in the world.
4. Aishwarya Rai (b. 1973)
With an HPI of 70.73, Aishwarya Rai is the 4th most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 108 different languages.
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 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. In the 2000s and 2010s, media often called her "the most beautiful woman in the world". 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 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 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 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.
5. Salman Khan (b. 1965)
With an HPI of 70.36, Salman Khan is the 5th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 89 different languages.
Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (pronounced [səlˈmɑːn xɑːn]; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works predominantly in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, Khan has received numerous awards, including two National Film Awards as a film producer, and two Filmfare Awards as an actor. He is cited in the media as one of the most commercially successful actors of Indian cinema. Forbes has included Khan in listings of the highest-paid celebrities in the world, in 2015 and 2018, with him being the highest-ranked Indian in the latter year. Khan has starred in the annual highest-grossing Hindi film of 10 individual years, the highest for any actor. Khan began his acting career with a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), followed by his breakthrough with a leading role in Sooraj Barjatya's romantic drama Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), for which he was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He established himself in the 1990s, with several commercially successful films, including Barjatya's family dramas Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), the action film Karan Arjun (1995) and the comedy Biwi No.1 (1999). After a period of fluctuations in the 2000s, Khan achieved greater stardom in the 2010s by starring in the top-grossing action films Dabangg (2010), Ready (2011), Bodyguard (2011), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Dabangg 2 (2012), Kick (2014), and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), and dramas such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Sultan (2016). This was followed by a series of poorly-received films, with the exception of the sequel Tiger 3 (2023). In addition to his acting career, Khan is a television presenter and promotes humanitarian causes through his charity, Being Human Foundation. He has been hosting the reality show Bigg Boss since 2010. Khan's off-screen life is marred by controversy and legal troubles. In 2015, he was convicted of culpable homicide for a negligent driving case in which he ran over five people with his car, killing one, but his conviction was set aside on appeal. On 5 April 2018, Khan was convicted in a blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years imprisonment. He is currently out on bail while an appeal is being heard. Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Sushila Charak, who adopted the name Salma. Born to a Muslim father and Hindu mother on 27 December 1965, Khan was brought up in both faiths. In 1981, when Salim married the actress Helen, the children's relationship with their father grew hostile and only recovered years later. Salman Khan's paternal great-grandparents are believed to be Alakozai Pashtuns from Afghanistan who immigrated to Indore State, Indore Residency (now in Madhya Pradesh), British India in the mid-1800s; however, Jasim Khan in his biography of the actor states that his ancestors belonged to the Akuzai sub-tribe of the Yusufzai Pashtuns from Malakand in the Swat valley of North-West Frontier Province, British India (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). His grandfather Abdul Rashid Khan was a Deputy Inspector General of the Indore state who was awarded the Diler Jung award of the Holkar times. Khan's mother is a homemaker, whose father Baldev Singh Charak, a Dogra Rajput, comes from Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir and whose Marathi mother comes from Maharashtra. Khan can also speak Marathi, in addition to Hindi and English. He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan; and two sisters, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, who is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri, and an adopted sister Arpita. Salman finished his schooling at St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, Mumbai, as did his younger brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Previously, he studied at The Scindia School in Gwalior for a few years along with his younger brother Arbaaz. He attended St. Xavier's College in Mumbai but dropped out. Khan made his acting debut with the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi, which saw him play a supporting role. He played the lead role in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), which became one of the highest-grossing Indian films at the time. It earned him his first nomination for the Best Actor at Filmfare. Maine Pyar Kiya was dubbed in English as When Love Calls, in Spanish as Te Amo, and in Telugu as Prema Paavuraalu. In 1990 one film released starring Khan Baaghi, a box office success, followed by three box office failures in 1991, Patthar Ke Phool, Love and Kurbaan. The same year, Khan went on to co-star with Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit for the romantic drama Saajan. In 1992, he appeared in Suryavanshi, Jaagruti, Nishchaiy and Ek Ladka Ek Ladki. The year was not a successful year for him as all four films failed at the box office. In 1994, Khan appeared in Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Aamir Khan. At the time of its release, the film failed at the box office but has gained a cult status over the years. Later in the year he collaborated with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! co-starring Madhuri Dixit. During the 1995 awards season, the film won 3 Filmfare Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress. It also won the National Award for being the most popular film of the year. Earning more than ₹2 billion ($63.8 million) worldwide, the film became the biggest Bollywood hit of the year and the highest-grossing Indian film up until then. It is one of the films on Box Office India's list of "Biggest Blockbusters Ever in Hindi Cinema". In 2006, it was still the fourth-highest grossing Bollywood film ever, according to Box Office India. In 1995 he starred in Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun alongside Shah Rukh Khan. The two played brothers who are reincarnated after being killed by family enemies. His role as Karan earned him a nomination for the 1995 Filmfare Best Actor Award. In 1996, Khan performed in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical. He also appeared in and Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet. He had two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth. Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the romantic comedy film Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai where Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned favourable critical review. He also had an extended cameo in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which earned him critical acclaim and a second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category. In 1999, Khan starred in three films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain, Biwi No.1, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam alongside Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan, which earned him another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare awards. His performance in the film was reviewed favourably, with Sharmila Telikum of Rediff noting, "Salman is endearing. He does tend to ham in the dramatic scenes, but looks very comfortable doing comedy and those romantic scenes." In 2001, Khan appeared in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, which addressed the issue of surrogate childbirth. In it, Khan played the role of a rich industrialist who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Sukanya Verma of Reddit wrote that the film had an absurd storyline, but also spontaneous performances from the cast, helping to minimise its other flaws. In 2002, he starred in Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam. For Tere Naam (2003), Taran Adarsh said of him, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..." Director Satish Kaushik considered Khan's work in the film to be strong, saying of it, "Salman has given a great performance in the film. He's given an intense, unconventional performance. I believe this is the best performance of Salman''s career so far." His career progressed with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005). Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam-e-Ishq. He appeared in the Hollywood movie, Marigold opposite American actress Ali Larter. The film told the love story of an Indian man and an American woman. Khan hosted the second season of the game show 10 Ka Dum during 2009. According to a 2008 report from BizAsia UK, the show earned enough target rating points (TRPs) for Sony Entertainment Television to regain its third position in the Indian television ratings. He appeared in Wanted (a remake of 2006 Telugu super hit film Pokiri), directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva. The film received mixed reviews. Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama rated it 4 of 5 stars noting, "WANTED rides on Salman Khan's star power. He may not be the best actor in town, but in a film like WANTED, in a role that seems like an extension of his personality, you can't think of anyone else enacting this role with flourish." Raja Sen from Rediff gave a rating of 2/5 and said, "The writing is both amateurish and crass, while the songs are plain hideous...Khan might be having fun, but the fact a film like Wanted underscores is how badly Bollywood needs a breed of younger leading men. And how the existing lot need roles that fit." He appeared in two other films that year, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna and London Dreams. Khan's first release of 2010 was Anil Sharma's film Veer. In his second release of 2010, Dabangg, Khan played the role of a fearless cop with comic effect in the film. The film was noted by the Economic Times as being remarkable for its commercial success, despite having an "accent on inanity..." and "...complete incoherence in terms of plot and credibility." The Times also noted industry experts attributed the popularity of the film to Khan's presence, stating that they "ascribe its allure to the star charisma of Salman Khan, who has managed to carry off the over-the-top articulation of Chulbul Pandey with unbridled enthusiasm and zeal." Dabangg won several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. It was later remade in Tamil and Telugu. The film was produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan. It was reported by the Hindustan Times that the film opened to full houses across the country. Khan received a Star Screen Award for Best Actor and a Stardust Award for Star of the Year – Male for his performance. He was also nominated for his sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote about his performance: "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself." Khan's first release of 2011 was Ready (a remake of the 2008 Telugu film of the same name). Ready held a record for being the second highest grossing Bollywood film of 2011. He next appeared in Bodyguard, a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, though it became India's highest-earning film of the year. Khan's first release of 2012 was Ek Tha Tiger where he starred opposite Katrina Kaif and acted as an Indian spy. The film garnered positive reactions from critics while opening to extremely strong box office collections. The film marks his first association with Yash Raj Films. Khan starred in Dabangg 2, the sequel of Dabangg, in 2012 under the production of Arbaaz Khan. Dabangg 2 eventually emerged as a huge financial success with revenues of ₹2.5 billion (US$46.78 million) globally. After a one-year gap, Khan's first release of 2014 was Jai Ho (an official remake of the 2006 Telugu film Stalin), which he starred in opposite Daisy Shah. His second release, Kick, a remake of a Telugu film has entered the Rs. 2 billion club in India on Eid. He also sang the "Hangover" song from the movie. Khan's first film of 2015, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which was released on Eid, received acclaim from critics and the public and broke several box office records upon release. The film, grossing ₹1.84 billion (US$28.68 million) on its first week beat the previous record of PK. This was Khan's first and the second Bollywood film after PK to enter the 300 club. The film became the second highest-grossing Bollywood film in India and worldwide at that time, with a collection of over 6 billion. Bajrangi Bhaijaan crossed 300 crore within 20 days of its release and became the second highest grosser to date in India, while his second film, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, a Diwali release received mixed reviews from critics and the public and broke several box office records upon release. The film became the ninth consecutive film of Salman Khan to gross over 1 billion. The film grossed ₹1.73 billion (US$27 million) on its first week. By 25 November, the film collected ₹2.01 billion. With this, Khan become the only actor to give three back-to-back movies which collected more than ₹2 billion (US$31.18 million) net domestically. He became the only actor to collect over ₹5 billion (US$77.94 million) domestic net in a single year in India. Khan's first film of 2016, yet again another Eid release, Sultan, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar for Yash Raj Films received positive reviews from both critics and the public breaking several box office records. The film opened on an average of 70% audience occupancy and grossed approximately ₹365 million (US$5.43 million) on its opening day. The film also collected another ₹74.86 (US$1.11) on its first weekend, bringing its total first week collections to an approximate of ₹2.08 billion (US$30.95 million). By the end of its second week, the film had grossed an estimated ₹2.78 billion (US$41.37 million) and later became the second film of Khan to net over 300 crores. As of 9 August, the film grossed ₹5.83 billion (US$86.76 million) worldwide. In June 2017, Khan appeared in Tubelight, his third collaboration with Kabir Khan after Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. This film also starred Khan's real-life brother Sohail Khan. Despite its high expectations, the film failed to do well at the box office. Khan's second release of 2017 Tiger Zinda Hai, a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger grossed ₹190 crore worldwide in its opening weekend. As of 23 January 2018, the film has grossed ₹5.52 billion (US$84.76 million) worldwide, including ₹4.28 billion (US$65.72 million) in India and ₹1.23 billion (US$18.89 million) overseas. In 2018, Khan played the leading role in his only release of the year, Race 3, an action film. The film had an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez and others. The film was critically panned for its storyline, weak performances and climax. Box Office India declared it an "average" grosser. Khan starred in Bharat that was released on 5 June 2019 and Dabangg 3 that was released on 20 December 2019. Bharat was a moderate hit whereas Dabangg 3 flopped commercially. Meanwhile, Kick 2 which was scheduled to release around Christmas 2019 had been delayed. He starred in Radhe which released on 13 May 2021 to negative reviews. His next film, Antim: The Final Truth where he played the second lead, received mixed reviews from critics, but the performance of Khan was well appreciated. The film turned out to be a box office flop. He next did a cameo in Pathaan, reprising his eponymous role as Tiger. The same year, he starred in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, the remake of Veeram, directed by Farhad Samji. The film received mixed reviews and turned out to be another box office flop for the actor. Khan next reprised his role as Tiger in Tiger 3 (2023), as part of the YRF Spy Universe. Made on a budget of ₹300 crore (US$36 million), the movie went on to gross over ₹466.63 crore (US$56 million) worldwide, but emerged as a box office disappointment. In 2011, he launched his own production company called SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions). Money generated from film productions will be donated to the Being Human organisation. The first film made under the banner was the kids' entertainer Chillar Party, which went on to win 3 National Awards for Best Children's film, Best Original Screenplay and Child Artist's Award. SKBH Productions next film will be Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho, a remake directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. In 2014, he launched another production house called SKF (Salman Khan Films). The first film released under this banner was the Canadian film Dr. Cabbie. The film earned $350,452 on its opening day at the box office. The next films under this banner were Hero, in which he also sang the title song "Hero" by Nikhil Advani, which starred Aditya Pancholi's son Suraj Pancholi and Sunil Shetty's daughter Athiya Shetty; and Bajrangi Bhaijaan by Kabir Khan starring Khan himself with Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. In 2008 Khan hosted 10 Ka Dum. The show was extremely popular and was at the number one spot in ratings in India. It garnered an average TVR of 2.81 and a peak rating of 4.5, leaving behind Shahrukh Khan's Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tej hai? with an average rating of 1.37 TVR and a peak rating of 2.3 and Hrithik Roshan's Junoon – Kuch Kar Dikhane Ka on NDTV Imagine with an average TVR of 0.76 and a peak rating of 1.1. According to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings. He again hosted the show in 2009 and thus won the Best Anchor Award for 10 Ka Dum in 2008 and 2009. In 2010 Khan hosted Bigg Boss 4. The show was widely accepted and appreciated due to Khan's hosting and surpassed the famous hosting of Amitabh Bachchan. The Grand Finale episode on 8 January 2011, received a TRP of 6.7, which was the highest among the finales of other Indian reality shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati, Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega, MasterChef and DID –Li'l Masters. Due to high TRP Khan again hosted Bigg Boss 5 along with Sanjay Dutt in 2011 and because of huge acceptance he also hosted Bigg Boss 6 and Bigg Boss 7 in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 Khan hosted the Star Guild Award for the first time. Khan also hosted Bigg Boss 8, Bigg Boss 9, Bigg Boss 10, Bigg Boss 11, Bigg Boss 12, Bigg Boss 13, Bigg Boss 14, Bigg Boss 15, Bigg Boss 16 and Bigg Boss 17. Khan was associated as a brand when he had advertised for Campa Cola, Limca Soft drink, Hero Honda bikes and Double Bull shirts well before he entered the film Industry. Even after he became a superstar, he never showed interest in promoting himself as a brand, but he was signed for Thums Up in 2002 and continued until its contract was over. Later Akshay Kumar replaced Khan. Later he was the brand ambassador of the soft drink Mountain Dew with whom he ended the contract in December 2010, and he has once again promoted Thums Up but ended contract soon after. He is now brand ambassador for Pepsi. He has also become the brand ambassador for the travel website, Yatra, which also made him a shareholder. He is also the face of the History Channel and the new brand ambassador for Suzuki motorcycles, Previously he endorsed Red Tape Shoes, and now he is endorsing Relaxo Hawaii. Khan is also the brand ambassador of the detergent brand Wheel. He has also appeared for Chlormint, a brand of gum, with his brother Sohail Khan. The actor has also done a jewellery brand, Sangini with Kareena Kapoor. Apart from innerwear brand Dixcy Scott and tablet BlackBerry Playbook, Britannia' s Tiger biscuits is the latest endorsement of Salman. He is also the face of Ranbaxy' s Revital, replacing Yuvraj Singh. Apart from these brands, he also has Rotomac Pen and SF Sonic Batteries endorsements. Now Khan has been roped in as the brand ambassador of Dubai-based fashion label Splash, and has been also signed as the brand ambassador for Astral Limited the leading manufacturers of plumbing and drainage systems in the country. Khan is also the brand ambassador of civic body Bombay Municipal Corporation's (BMC) drive against open defecation in Mumbai, and has been also signed by the Security and Surveillance brand, CP PLUS as their CCTV ambassador. Khan is now the second Ambassador along with Amitabh Bachchan for 'Emami Healthy & Tasty', 'Himani Best Choice' and 'Rasoi', apart from 'Bake Magic'. The renowned Bollywood actor, made a significant investment in the property sector in 2012 when he purchased a commercial property on Linking Road for approximately 120 Crore Indian Rupee. In 2017, the property gained prominence as it became the location for Future Retail's Food Hall, which was owned by Kishore Biyani's Future Group. An agreement was struck for a monthly rental of 80 Lakh Indian Rupees over a five-year period. However, due to non-payment of dues, a legal dispute arose, ultimately resulting in a ruling by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in favour of Salman Khan. Fast forward to 2023, and the property has found new occupants in the form of Food Square, a luxury gourmet retail brand owned by LandCraft Retail Private Limited. The co-founders of Food Square, Lalit Jhawar and Mayank Gupta, successfully secured $3.6 million in funding from notable investors, including Masaba Gupta, Mukul Agrawal, Purple Style Labs, Sanket Parekh (from the Pidilite Family), Rahul Kayan (SMIFS), and Harminder Sahni. Food Square now rents out the Salman Khan-owned property for a monthly fee of 1 Crore Indian Rupees, marking a new chapter in the property's history. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career. He has started an NGO called Being Human which sells T-shirts and other products online and in stores. A portion of the revenues go to a worthy cause supporting the underprivileged. Being Human Foundation is a registered charitable trust set up by Khan to help the underprivileged. In its early days, Khan set up and funded the Foundation using his own money. The Foundation has two focus areas: education and healthcare. To increase the reach and corpus of the Foundation, Salman Khan has undertaken initiatives such as Being Human Art, Being Human merchandise and Being Human Gitanjali Gold Coins. In 2011, he launched his own production company called SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions). Money which will be generated from film productions will be donated to Being Human. The first film made under the banner was the kids' entertainer Chillar Party, which went on to win 3 National Awards for Best Children's film, Best Original Screenplay and Child Artist's Award. In January 2012, Khan offered to pay ₹4 million (US$74,853.66) to release about 400 prisoners from about 63 prisons in the state of Uttar Pradesh via his NGO. The prisoners had completed their terms, but due to economic reasons, they were unable to pay legal fines for their charges. In July 2015, Khan offered to donate the profits of his most successful film Bajrangi Bhaijaan to poor farmers all over India. The film's producers Khan and Rockline Venkatesh both have mutually decided to donate the profits of their film to them. The film's director Kabir Khan and Salman's sister Alvira Agnihotri met Maharashtra's Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse to discuss the same. Khan met with his 11-year-old fan from Pakistan, Abdul Basit who had severe jaundice at the time of his birth; he was diagnosed to have Crigler Najjar Syndrome and was admitted to the Apollo Hospital, Delhi. The youngster wished to meet the "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" star Khan. Khan was one of the nine personalities invited by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote the message of cleanliness and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan when it was launched on 2 October 2014. In 2016, he agreed to campaign for cleanliness and eradicating open defecation for the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation. His efforts to clean the streets of Karjat, a small town near Mumbai were appreciated by the Prime Minister in a tweet. Khan resides in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra, Mumbai. He also has a 150-acre plot in Panvel which has 3 bungalows, a swimming pool and a gym. He is a fitness enthusiast and maintains a strict regimen. Khan has never married. In 1999, he began dating Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Khan started dating actress Katrina Kaif. After years of speculations, Kaif admitted in an interview in 2011 that she had been in a serious relationship with Khan for several years, but it ended in 2010. Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali were also in serious relationships with Khan. Since 2012, Khan is in a relationship with Romanian actress Iulia Vântur. In August 2011, Khan admitted that he suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a facial nerve disorder commonly known as the "suicide disease". The disorder occurs due to the inflammation of trigeminal nerve in the face. In an interview, he said that he has been quietly suffering from it for the past seven years, but now the pain has become unbearable. He said that it has even affected his voice, making it much harsher. Khan identifies as both Muslim and Hindu, commenting that, "I'm Hindu and Muslim both. I'm Bharatiya (an Indian)". He explained, "My father is Muslim and my mother is Hindu". Salman Khan's name is often shortened to SK in the media, also reflected in the name of his gym brand "SK-27 Gym" and his film company SKF (Salman Khan Films). He is also known by his nickname "Bhai" or "Bhaijaan" (meaning brother), referenced in the title of his films Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023). In 2004 Khan was ranked as the 7th Best looking man in the world by People Magazine of the USA. In 2008 his lifelike wax statue was installed in London's Madame Tussauds Museum; likewise, in 2012 another wax statue of him was installed in Madame Tussauds New York Museum. In 2010 People Magazine, India declared him the Sexiest Man Alive. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 he was declared the Times of India's Most Desirable Man in 2nd, 1st and 3rd place respectively. In August 2013 he was declared India's Most Searched Celebrity Online. Khan topped the Forbes India charts for 2014, in terms of both fame and revenues. According to the Forbes 2015 list 'Celebrity 100 : The World's Top-Paid Entertainers 2015', Khan was the highest ranked Indian in the 71st rank with earnings of $33.5 million. Khan was ranked seventh in Forbes's first global list of highest-paid actors in the world, with earnings of US$33.5 million, which placed him higher than such Hollywood actors as Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. In 2015, he was ranked ahead of US President Barack Obama in the list of The Most Admired Personalities of India. In September 2015, the International Business Times declared him "The Most Attractive Personality" in India. He also became the only actor to collect over ₹5 billion (US$77.94 million) domestic net in a single year in India. Khan was ranked the second "Most Googled Indian of 2015" and first among Bollywood actors. On 24 April 2016 the Indian Olympic Association appointed the actor as the Indian Olympic contingent's goodwill ambassador for the 2016 Summer Olympics. In August 2017, he was identified as the ninth highest-paid actor in the world, and the first place highest-paid in India according to Forbes India. On 28 September 2002, Khan was arrested for rash and negligent driving after his car ran into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the accident. Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped. On 24 July 2013, he was formally charged with culpable homicide in the case, to which he pleaded not guilty. On 6 May 2015, Khan was found guilty of all charges in the case. The Bombay Sessions Court concluded that Khan was driving the car under the influence of alcohol, causing the death of one and serious injury to four homeless persons. An RTO officer confirmed that Khan did not have a driving licence until 2004. Sessions Judge DW Deshpande convicted the actor for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to five years in prison. Later in the same day, Khan, being represented by Senior Counsel Amit Desai was granted bail by the Bombay High Court till 8 May 2015, on which the court suspended his prison sentence until the final appeal hearing in July. His driver Ashok Singh, who had given the testimony that it was himself who was driving the car at the time of accident, was charged with perjury for misguiding the Court with false testimony and was arrested. The prime witness, police constable Ravindra Patil went missing multiple times and eventually died in a hospital due to tuberculosis. In December 2015, Khan was acquitted of all charges from this case due to lack of evidence. The Supreme Court on Tuesday 5 July 2016 admitted a plea by the Maharashtra government that challenged the acquittal of Salman Khan in this hit-and-run case by the Bombay High Court. The court refused to fast-track the case. His relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media. After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him. In 2003, Vivek Oberoi, Rai's then boyfriend, claimed that Khan had threatened him. In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organised crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake. The case involves the alleged killing of a deer when Khan and his co-stars – Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam and Tabu – were filming the movie Hum Saath-Saath Hain in the forests near Jodhpur in 1998. In 2007, Salman spent a week in Jodhpur jail before the court granted him bail. In addition to the accusations of poaching of endangered antelopes under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, a case under sections 3/25 and 3/27 of the Arms Act was filed against Khan for allegedly keeping and using firearms with an expired licence. On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting Chinkara, an endangered species. The sentence was stayed by a higher court on appeal. On 10 April 2006, Khan was handed a five-year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail until 13 April when he was granted bail. On 24 July 2012, Rajasthan High Court finalised charges against Khan and his other colleagues in the endangered blackbuck killing case, paving way for the start of the trial. On 9 July 2014, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Khan on Rajasthan government's plea challenging the High Court order suspending his conviction. Khan was acquitted in the blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases by the Rajasthan High Court on 24 July 2016. On 18 October 2016 the Rajasthan Government decided to approach the Supreme Court to challenge Khan's acquittal in two related cases. On 18 January 2017 Khan was acquitted by a Jodhpur court in an Arms Act case linked to the killing of a blackbuck in Rajasthan. Khan pleaded "not guilty" to charges of violating the law by keeping unlicensed weapons and using them. Acquitting the actor, the court said that the prosecution failed to submit enough evidence against him. On 5 April 2018, Jodhpur court convicted Khan in the blackbuck poaching case and sentenced him to five years imprisonment while acquitting Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Neelam, and Tabu. Khan was released on bail on 7 April 2018, pending appeal. On 14 April 2024, two members of the Bishnoi Gang, who belong a religious sect that considers the blackbuck sacred, opened fire on Khan's apartment in Bandra, Mumbai before fleeing on a motorcycle. Khan, who was inside along with several relatives, was unharmed. The gunmen were later arrested in Gujarat. The gang had previously threatened Khan over the hunting incident. Police said that the attack was masterminded by Amnol Bishnoi, the younger brother of the gang's leader Lawrence Bishnoi. In September 2010, Khan was reported to have claimed during an interview on a Pakistani channel that the 26/11 attacks got a lot of attention because the "elite" were targeted. During the interview the actor had said: "It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and stuff. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is "why not before?" Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much." Khan also said that Pakistan was not to be blamed for it, and that the Indian security had failed. Khan's comments had drawn strong reactions from Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chagan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena, BJP and other political parties. The comments were also condemned by Ujwal Nikam, Special Prosecutor in the 26/11 trial. Khan later apologised for his comments. On 25 July 2015, Khan made a number of tweets from his Twitter account in support of the 1993 Bombay bombings, accused Yakub Memon. Memon was scheduled to be executed, before which Khan made his tweets. Khan said that Yakub's brother, Tiger Memon should be hanged instead. He also asked the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif to confirm "whether the mob boss is in his country." The tweets sparked protests outside his house where police had to be deployed and were criticised in the social media and by his father, Salim Khan. Following these incidents, Khan withdrew his tweets and apologised. Following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput by hanging, the late actress Jiah Khan's mother, Rabia Amin, revealed that Salman Khan had attempted to influence the case, where accusations for abetment of suicide were charged against actor Sooraj Pancholi. A CBI officer who was investigating the case had told Rabia Amin that Salman Khan called him every day, asking him not to harass or touch Sooraj Pancholi, as a lot of money was invested in him. Khan has sung the following Hindi songs for Bollywood films: Khan won numerous awards including two National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Khans of Bollywood Salman Khan at IMDb Salman Khan on Facebook Salman Khan at Bollywood Hungama Salman Khan at Rotten Tomatoes
6. Julie Christie (b. 1940)
With an HPI of 65.64, Julie Christie is the 6th most famous Indian Actor. Her biography has been translated into 65 different languages.
Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. Christie's accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has appeared in six films ranked in the British Film Institute's BFI Top 100 British films of the 20th century, and in 1997, she received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement. Christie's breakthrough film role was in Billy Liar (1963). She came to international attention for her performances in Darling (1965), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress, and Doctor Zhivago (also 1965), the eighth highest-grossing film of all time after adjustment for inflation. She continued to receive Academy Award nominations, for McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Afterglow (1997) and Away from Her (2007). In addition, Christie starred in Fahrenheit 451 (1966), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Petulia (1968), The Go-Between (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), Shampoo (1975), and Heaven Can Wait (1978). She is also known for her performances in Hamlet (1996) as well as Finding Neverland, Troy and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (all 2004).
7. Mithun Chakraborty (b. 1950)
With an HPI of 65.13, Mithun Chakraborty is the 7th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 47 different languages.
Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, producer and politician who predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali language language films. He is a former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament. He is the recipient of three National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In January 2024, Chakraborty was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, by the Government of India. He is the record holder in the Limca Book of Records for 19 movie releases as lead actor in the year 1989, and the record is still unbroken in Bollywood. Chakraborty made his acting debut with the art house drama Mrigayaa (1976) directed by Mrinal Sen, for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor. Chakraborty gained greater fame with the 1982 film Disco Dancer, which was a major box office success in India and the Soviet Union. Besides Disco Dancer, Chakraborty also gained recognition for many other performances as both a lead and character artist. Chakraborty's performance in Agneepath won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1990. Chakraborty owns the Monarch Group, which has interests in the hospitality and educational sectors. He also started the production house Paparatzy Productions. In 1992, he, along with Dilip Kumar and Sunil Dutt, set up a trust to help needy actors called Cine & T.V Artistes Association (CINTAA). He was also the Chairperson of Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union, which protects the welfare of cinema workers and resolves their demands and problems. The television show Dance India Dance where Chakraborty was the Grand Master has already been entered in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness World Records. Chakraborty played a crucial mediating role between Pranab Mukherjee of the Indian National Congress and Mamata Banerjee, winning Mukherjee the support of Banerjee's party, the All India Trinamool Congress, in the 2012 Indian presidential election. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 7 March 2021, ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.
8. Akshay Kumar (b. 1967)
With an HPI of 61.96, Akshay Kumar is the 8th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 69 different languages.
Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (pronounced [əkˈʂəj kʊˈmɑːɾ]), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career spanning over 30 years, Kumar has appeared in over 100 films and has won several awards, including one National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards. He received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, from the Government of India in 2009. Kumar is one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema. Forbes included Kumar in their lists of both highest-paid celebrities and highest-paid actors in the world from 2015 to 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, he was the only Indian on both lists. Kumar began his career in 1991 with Saugandh and had his first commercial success a year later with the action thriller Khiladi. The film established him as an action star in the 1990s and led to several films in the Khiladi film series, in addition to other action films such as Mohra (1994) and Jaanwar (1999). Although his early tryst with romance in Yeh Dillagi (1994) was positively received, it was in the next decade that Kumar expanded his range of roles. He gained recognition for the romantic films Dhadkan (2000), Andaaz (2003), Namastey London (2007), and for his slapstick comic performances in several films including Hera Pheri (2000), Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), and Singh Is Kinng (2008). Kumar won Filmfare Awards for his negative role in Ajnabee (2001) and his comic performance in Garam Masala (2005). While his career had fluctuated commercially, his mainstream success soared in 2007 with four consecutive box-office hits; it was consistent until a short period of decline between 2009 and 2011, after which he reinforced his status with several films, including Rowdy Rathore (2012) and Holiday (2014). Moreover, around this time critical response to several of his films improved; his work in Special 26 (2013), Baby (2015), Airlift (2016), and Jolly LLB 2 (2017) was acclaimed, and he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the crime thriller Rustom (2016). He earned further notice for his self-produced social films Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Pad Man (2018), as well as the war film Kesari (2019), and set box-office records in 2019 with Mission Mangal, Housefull 4, Good Newwz, and the 2021 action film Sooryavanshi. This success was followed by another setback. In addition to acting, Kumar has worked as a stunt actor. In 2008, he started hosting Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi, which he did for four seasons. He also launched the TV reality show Dare 2 Dance in 2014 and his off-screen work includes ownership of the team Khalsa Warriors in the World Kabaddi League. The actor had also set up martial arts training schools for women safety in the country. Kumar is one of the India's most philanthropic actor and supports various charities. He is a leading brand endorser celebrity in India. From 2011 to 2023, he was a citizen of Canada. Kumar was born in Old Delhi in Delhi, India, to Hari Om Bhatia (later Brijmohan Bhatia) and Aruna Bhatia in a Punjabi Hindu family. His father was an army officer. From a young age, Kumar was very interested in sports. His father too enjoyed wrestling. He lived and grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and later he moved to Bombay (present-day Mumbai) when his father left Army to become an accountant with UNICEF. Soon, his sister was born and the family lived in Koliwada, a Punjabi dominated area of Central Bombay. He received his school education from Don Bosco High School, Matunga, simultaneously learning Karate. He enrolled in Guru Nanak Khalsa College for higher education, but dropped out as he was not much interested in studies. He requested his father that he wanted to learn martial arts further, and his father somehow saved money to send him to Thailand. Kumar went to Bangkok to learn martial arts and lived in Thailand for five years learning Thai Boxing. Kumar also has a sister, Alka Bhatia. When Kumar was a teenager, his father asked him what he aspired to be. Kumar expressed his desire to become an actor. After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India, he studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand, where he learned Muay Thai and worked as a chef and waiter. After Thailand, Kumar went to work in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata) in a travel agency, in Dhaka in a hotel as a chef and Delhi where he sold Kundan jewellery. Upon his return to Bombay, he commenced the teaching of martial arts. During this time, the father of one of his students, himself a model co-ordinator, recommended Kumar into modelling which ultimately led to a modelling assignment for a furniture showroom. Kumar effectively made more money within the first two days of shooting than in his entire month's salary, and therefore chose a modelling career path. He worked as an assistant for photographer Jayesh Sheth for 18 months without payment to shoot his first portfolio. He also worked as a background dancer in various films. Kumar made his first screen appearance with film Aaj under his birth name 'Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia', in a bit role as a Karate instructor. Kumar further stated that he changed his name to Akshay Hari Om Bhatia and chose his stage name as Akshay Kumar, after Kumar Gaurav's character Akshay in the film. One morning, he missed his flight for an ad-shoot in Bangalore. Disappointed with himself, he visited a film studio along with his portfolio. That evening, Kumar was signed for a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar. Kumar made his first appearance as the lead actor opposite Raakhee and Shantipriya in Saugandh (1991). In the same year, he acted in Kishore Vyas-directed Dancer, which received poor reviews. The following year he starred in Abbas Mustan-directed suspense thriller, Khiladi, widely considered his breakthrough role. A review in The Indian Express called the film "an engrossing thriller" and described Kumar as impressive in the lead part, noting his physical appearance, strong screen presence, and commending him for being "perfectly at ease". His next release was the Raj Sippy-directed detective film Mr. Bond, based on James Bond. His last release of 1992 was Deedar. It failed to perform well at the box office. In 1993, he acted in the Keshu Ramsay-directed bilingual film Ashaant alongside Dr. Vishnuvardhan and Ashwini Bhave. Almost all of his films released during 1993, including Dil Ki Baazi, Kayda Kanoon and Sainik did not perform well commercially. In 1994, he appeared in 11 feature films. He played a police inspector in two films: Sameer Malkan's Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Rajiv Rai's Mohra, both among the highest-grossing films of the year. Further success came later that year when he starred in Yash Chopra-produced romance Yeh Dillagi, opposite Kajol. One of the year's biggest mainstream successes, both the film and his performance were received well by critics, with The Indian Express describing him as "always dependable" and singling out his performance. His work in the film earned him his first nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards and Star Screen award. During the same year, Kumar also had success with films like Suhaag and the low-budget action film Elaan. All these achievements established Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year, according to Box Office India. Kumar proved to have success with what later became known as the Khiladi series. He starred in the fourth and fifth action thriller films with Khiladi in the title: Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995) and Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), both directed by Umesh Mehra and released to commercial success. He played a dual role in the former. Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi co-starred Rekha and Raveena Tandon. During the film's shooting Kumar was injured, and went on to receive treatment in United States. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote in a year-end review, "It was Akshay Kumar in Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi who packed the aisles, no doubt about it... He shoved his hair back in a slick little ponytail, much like Steven Seagal, wore ankle-length great coats, wrestled with the fearsome Undertaker, and walked away with the film." Kumar played a supporting role in Yash Chopra-directed musical romantic drama, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, for which he received his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In the same year, he starred opposite Juhi Chawla in David Dhawan-directed comedy Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, fifth instalment of the Khiladi series. Unlike his previous films of the series, it failed commercially. Considerable success, however, came with another dual role in the romantic action film Aflatoon. Khalid Mohamed of Filmfare, while critical of the film, approved of Kumar's effort: "Akshay Kumar comes to life. Given something even slightly different to do, he does rise to the occasion." His following releases failed in commercial terms and this caused a setback to his film career. In 1999, Kumar played opposite Twinkle Khanna in International Khiladi. The film did not do well at the box office. He received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and Jaanwar. While the former did not make a profit at the box office, the latter turned out to be a commercial success and marked his comeback. In 2000, Kumar starred in the Priyadarshan-directed comedy Hera Pheri alongside Paresh Rawal and Suneil Shetty. The film which was a remake of Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking, became a commercial success and proved to be a turning point in Kumar's career. Hindustan Times noted the film's "intense portrayal of the surreality of the human condition". He also starred in the Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Dhadkan later that same year. The film performed moderately at the box office but Kumar was praised for his acting. Rediff.com's review stated that he had proved that he is "director's actor" and that "he has worked hard on his role is apparent." That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Neeraj Vora-directed action thriller Khiladi 420, where he climbed a running plane, stood on top of the plane flying a thousand feet in the air, and jumped from the plane onto a hot air balloon. In a later scene, he is also seen being chased by a car, dodging bullets, jumping off buildings, and climbing walls. His character in the film had two names and his role received mixed reviews. Sukanya Verma wrote "Negative roles and Akshay Kumar don't go hand-in-hand. [...] Akshay is ridiculously over the top and irritating to the core. However, he manages a decent performance as the sober and suave Anand." Padmaraj Nair of Screen, however, believed it was "the best performance of his career". His first release in 2001 was Suneel Darshan-directed drama Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love. Kumar was praised for his performance in the film. Next, he played a negative role in the Abbas Mustan-directed film Ajnabee. While reviewing the film for Rediff.com, Sarita Tanwar termed Kumar the "surprise package" of the film. She added that he was "in total control as the bad guy." The film won him his first Filmfare Award for Best Villain and IIFA award 2002 for Performance in a Negative Role. His first release in 2002 was Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya. He played the role as a blind man in Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Shaarang Dev Pandit-directed heist film Aankhen, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Aditya Pancholi, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed. Next, he starred in the Vikram Bhatt-directed comedy Awara Paagal Deewana. Rediff.com's review of the film mentioned that his sincerity and intensity seen in Hera Pheri, Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love and Aankhen "seems missing". His last film of the year was Rajkumar Kohli-directed supernatural horror film Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani alongside Manisha Koirala, Sunil Shetty, Sunny Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Arshad Warsi, Aditya Pancholi and Armaan Kohli. The film was a remake of Kohli's former film Naagin and received mostly negative reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh wrote "only Munish[Armaan] Kohli and Akshay Kumar leave an impact." In 2003, he starred in Suneel Darshan's action film Talaash: The Hunt Begins... opposite Kareena Kapoor. While reviewing the film, Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar is plain mediocre. The role hardly offers him scope to try out anything different." Next, he starred in Raj Kanwar-directed romantic drama Andaaz alongside Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but turned out to be a commercial success at the box office and the first universal hit of 2003. In 2004 Kumar starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's action drama thriller Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. Kumar played the role of Inspector Shekhar Verma, a corrupt, morally bankrupt cop who changes himself during a mission to transfer an accused Pakistani spy Dr. Iqbal Ansari (played by Atul Kulkarni) from a remote town in Maharashtra to Mumbai. The film and Kumar's acting were positively reviewed by critics. He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the film. His other releases included Dileep Shukla's crime film Police Force: An Inside Story. He starred alongside Raveena Tandon, Amrish Puri and Raj Babbar. The film's production was delayed following the break-up of the lead actors Tandon and Kumar. Upon release it received negative reviews from critics. Next, Kumar played Hari Om Patnaik, an IPS officer in Madhur Bhandarkar-directed Aan: Men at Work. He starred in David Dhawan-directed romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi alongside Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. He played the role of Sunny, Sameer (played by Khan)'s roommate who pursuits Rani (played by Chopra)-Sameer's love interest. The film received positive reviews. Taran Adarsh praised Kumar and wrote "Akshay Kumar is a revelation [...] he surpasses his previous work. His timing is fantastic and the conviction with which he carries off the evil streak in his personality is bound to be talked-about in days to come." His performance in the film earned him his third nomination for supporting actor at the Filmfare Awards as well as a nomination for best comic role. His other films included Abbas-Mustan directed Aitraaz and S M Iqbal's Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin. In the former, Kumar played against type as a worker wrongly accused of sexual harassment by his female boss played by Chopra. According to the directors, Aitraaz was inspired by National Basketball Association player Kobe Bryant (who was accused of rape by a fan); and the film's development began when they read about his sexual-assault case in the newspapers. Talking about the character Kumar said that it is realistic and could be described as a "new-age metrosexual" man. He added that Aitraaz was the boldest film he had done. In the latter, he starred opposite Sridevi. The film was shot in 1994 but was released in 2004 after a delay of 10 years. The next year Kumar starred in Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama musical film Bewafaa (2005) opposite Kareena Kapoor. He played the role of Raja, an aspiring musician who pursues his love interest Anjali (played by Kareena Kapoor) even after she is married to Aditya Sahai (played by Anil Kapoor). The film received mixed reviews from film critic but Kumar was praised for his acting. Anupama Chopra of India Today wrote that "Kareena Kapoor and Kumar stand out." Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar does well in a role that fits him like a glove." Later that year he acted in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's family drama Waqt: The Race Against Time alongside Amitabh Bachchan, another Priyadarshan-directed comedy Garam Masala alongside John Abraham. Waqt: The Race Against Time was a family drama film. The film and Kumar's acting received mixed reviews. Vishal D'Souza wrote "Akshay shoulders an author-backed role, carrying more of the film's emotional baggage though he is distinctly uncomfortable in the soppy-weepy scenes." The films succeeded at the box office and his performance in the latter earned him his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian. His other films included Vikram Bhatt-directed action comedy romance film Deewane Huye Paagal and Suneel Darshan directed romantic drama Dosti: Friends Forever. In the former he starred alongside Shahid Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Rimi Sen while in the latter he starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Bobby Deol. Both of these films received positive reviews. Kumar's first release of 2006 was Rajkumar Santoshi-directed drama Family – Ties of Blood followed by Suneel Darshan's Mere Jeevan Saathi and Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Next, he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box office. Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan and Preity Zinta in the Shirish Kunder-directed romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, did not do as well as expected at the box office. The film received mostly negatively reviews. Vidya Pradhan of Rediff.com called it a "bizarre movie." Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised. He ended the year with Priyadarshan's comedy murder mystery film Bhagam Bhag. He starred alongside Lara Dutta, Govinda and Paresh Rawal and played the character of a theatre actor. The film received mixed reviews and Rediff.com called Kumar the real hero of the film. The film was commercially successful. The same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley. 2007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops." His first release, Vipul Amrutlal Shah-directed Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film." Kumar's chemistry with lead actress Katrina Kaif also generated immense appreciation, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India describing their pairing as "refreshing." His next two releases, Sajid Khan-directed Heyy Babyy and Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well. In both of these films he starred opposite Vidya Balan. Kumar's last release of the year, the Anees Bazmee-directed Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit. All of Kumar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well. Kumar appeared in a cameo role in Farah Khan directed Om Shanti Om. His role was listed as no. 3 on the Top 10 Cameos in Bollywood list of MensXP.com. Kumar's first film of 2008, Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed action thriller Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner after 11 years. Although a poll (conducted by Bollywood Hungama) named it the most anticipated release of the year, the film under-performed at the box office grossing ₹279 million (US$5.76 million) in India. His second film, Bazmee-directed Singh Is Kinng in which he starred opposite Kaif was a huge success at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om, the previous highest figure. His next film was the animated film Jumbo, directed by Kompin Kemgumnird. The year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successful show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's second season in 2009. In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros. and Rohan Sippy production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a critical and commercial failure at the box office. Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer, an action-thriller directed by Nagesh Kukunoor that failed commercially. His next release was Sabbir Khan's battle-of-the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors. The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over ₹840 million (US$17.35 million) worldwide. Kumar's film Blue was released on 16 October 2009. Blue received negative reviews and collected about ₹ 420 million at the box office. His last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan. He starred alongside Katrina Kaif, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. Kumar played a servant who plans to kidnap his owner's dog. The film received mixed reviews. He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which garnered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time. Kumar's next release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average grosser. The film received negative reviews. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN called it a schizophrenic film. He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office failure. The film received mostly negative reviews. His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. Directed by Farah Khan, the film received poor critical reviews but became moderately successful. In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You. His last film of 2011 was Rohit Dhawan-directed Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh and Deepika Padukone. He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hindi as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House. Breakaway became the highest-grossing cross-cultural movie of 2011 in Canada. Kumar dubbed for the role of Optimus Prime in the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free. His first release of 2012 was Housefull 2, a sequel of his earlier comedy film Housefull, which became a huge hit. Kumar's next film was the Prabhudeva-directed action drama Rowdy Rathore in which he played a double role opposite Sonakshi Sinha. The film earned more than ₹1.3 billion (US$24.33 million) in India. Both of these films grossed over ₹1 billion (US$18.71 million) at the box office. In 2012, he founded another production company called Grazing Goat Pictures Pvt Ltd. Joker was reportedly promoted as Kumar's 100th film, but later Akshay Kumar clarified that the 100th film landmark had been crossed long before he even signed up for Joker. "It was a miscalculation on Shirish's part. OMG is my 116th film," he said. Kumar kept himself away from the film's promotion due to differences with Kunder. Reacting to Kumar's backing out from the film's promotion Kunder tweeted "A true leader takes responsibility for his team and leads them through thick and thin. Never abandons them and runs away." He later deleted the tweet. His later release Oh My God which he produced and starred along with Paresh Rawal. It had a slow opening, but because of positive word of mouth it picked up and emerged a superhit at the box office. His last release in 2012 was Khiladi 786, the eighth instalment in his famous Khiladi series as well as the comeback of the series after 12 years. Although film was panned by critics, it grossed 970 million worldwide. His first release in 2013 was Special 26 which earned a positive critical reception and was semi-hit at the box office. Although the movie earned him positive reviews and commercial success, trade analysts noted that the movie could have done much better business due to its good content and Kumar's high-profile. Milan Luthria chose Kumar to play the character of Shoaib Khan (based on Dawood Ibrahim) in the gangster film Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!, sequel to Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. It proved to be a below average at the box office. The film was declared a "flop" by Box Office India. It received mixed reviews however Kumar's acting was praised by a majority of critics. In a review for Hindustan Times, Anupama Chopra wrote that Kumar "makes a stellar killer". Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India praised Kumar's performance and said that "Bhai act with flamboyance and mojo ... He gets a chance to do what he does best – herogiri (albeit less menacing, more entertaining), with charisma and clap-trap dialoguebaazi." Al Pacino saw the film's trailer and promos and admired Kumar's portrayal of Shoaib Khan, a gangster. He said that the promos and posters reminded him of his own The Godfather. Kumar said of Pacino's response: "A touch of appreciation is always held dearly in an actor's arms, even if it's from the simplest of people like our beloved spot boys. But to have your work spoken of so kindly by the world's most admired gangster Al Pacino himself – I had goose-bumps thinking about him watching the promo! I was so humbled, not only as an actor but as a fan of his legendary work." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN criticised Kumar for his "in-your-face flamboyance". After the film's mainly negative reviews, Kumar lashed out at critics, accusing them of lacking an understanding of the audience and the basic ideas of filmmaking. Built on an approximate budget of ₹1 billion (US$18.71 million), it was the first major Hindi language film to be shot in Oman. Kumar received a nomination for Best Actor in a Negative Role at Zee Cine Awards. His next release was Anthony D Souza's Boss alongside Shiv Panditt and Aditi Rao Hydari. The movie received mixed reviews; it performed poorly at the box office netting ₹540 million (equivalent to ₹860 million or US$10 million in 2023) domestically. Kumar came back strongly with Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, the Hindi remake of the 2012 Tamil film Thuppakki. This action thriller earned both critical and commercial success entering the ₹1 billion (US$16.39 million) elite club and emerging one of the highest grossers of 2014. He then starred in Entertainment and has sung a song for the film. Making of the song has been uploaded on YouTube. His last film of 2014 was The Shaukeens. He appeared as himself in it and produced it. He then played the lead role in the thrillers Baby and Gabbar is Back. Kumar's first collaboration with Karan Johar, Brothers was released on 14 August 2015. His next release was Singh is Bling, a quasi sequel to 2008's Singh is Kinng was released on 2 October 2015 and is produced by Grazing Goats Pictures. His first release was Airlift released on 22 January 2016 was critically and commercially successful, and second was Housefull 3 which released on 3 June 2016. Rustom which was produced by Neeraj Pandey and marked his third release of 2016. Akshay was praised for his performance in Rustom which garnered him numerous award nominations. Rustom grossed more than 2 billion at the box office. Both Airlift and Rustom earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. His second film release in 2017 was Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. This film depicted the serious social issue of toilets in certain regions of the country. Akshay's performance was praised. Akshay Kumar dug a toilet in Madhya Pradesh to promote the film. The movie trailer was released on 11 June 2017. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a good effort to further the message of cleanliness, as per Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. In 2018, Akshay starred in another social drama film Pad Man alongside Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte. He later made his Tamil cinema debut in the science fiction thriller 2.0, a standalone sequel to the 2010 film Enthiran, co-starring Rajinikanth, in which he played an evil ornithologist named Pakshirajan. In 2019, Kumar appeared in Karan Johar's film Kesari opposite Parineeti Chopra, based on the story of the Battle of Saragarhi. The film grossed over ₹2 billion (US$28.4 million) worldwide. He next featured in Mission Mangal with an ensemble cast of Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi and Sonakshi Sinha. The film is about the story of scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation who contributed to the Mars Orbiter Mission, which marked India's first interplanetary expedition. Housefull 4, directed by Farhad Samji, was released in October 2019. His next release in December 2019 was Karan Johar's and his own production Good Newwz, a romantic comedy about surrogacy, opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan. All of his four films were commercially successful this year with three consecutive domestic 200 Crore Club net films alongside Mission Mangal, Housefull 4 and Good Newwz. His only release in 2020 was the horror comedy Laxmii, directed by Raghava Lawrence, an official remake of the Tamil film Kanchana opposite Kiara Advani. It was released on 9 November on Disney+ Hotstar, and was not released theatrically in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film revolves around a man who gets possessed by the ghost of a transgender. Despite receiving mixed to negative reviews from critics, it got huge response on both OTT as well as television, eventually emerging the only genuine hit to be premiered on digital. Kumar's first release of 2021, Bell Bottom didnt do well, but his second release, Rohit Shetty's actioner Sooryavanshi proved to be a box office hit and was credited with reviving the exhibition sector for Hindi cinema post COVID-19 pandemic in India. Towards the end of year, he co-starred alongside Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan in Aanand L. Rai's direct-to-digital romantic comedy film Atrangi Re. At release, Atrangi Re garnered the highest opening day viewership in their streaming service, thereby breaking the viewership records of Laxmii (2020), Hungama 2 (2021) and Shiddat (2021). In 2022, Kumar's first release was Bachchhan Paandey, a remake of Jigarthanda, where he played the titular role of a gangster, a name derived from Kumar's character in the 2008 film Tashan. The film paired him with Kriti Sanon, and also features Jacqueline Fernandez and Arshad Warsi. Despite an ensemble cast and hype among fans, Bachchhan Paandey gathered negative critical reception and bombed at the box office. His next release was the historical film Samrat Prithviraj (2022), which was based on life of the Hindu warrior Prithviraj Chauhan. It also starred Sonu Sood, Sanjay Dutt and debutant Manushi Chhillar. Released theatrically on 3 June 2022, the film opened to mixed reviews. Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote 'In order to tone down his body language and accent, Kumar has lost much of his trademark energy and could not develop the gravitas required to play the celebrated ruler. He growls like a lion who has lost his bite and despite all the air-brushing, doesn't look like the boy who became a Samrat in his 20s'. Made on a budget of ₹200 crore, the film failed to recoup the massive investment and proved to be a disaster at the box office. His another movie Rakshabandhan which was released on the extended weekend of 5 days on 11 August received mixed reviews. The Hindu wrote ''The film's engaging powerful anti-dowry sentiments, along with Akshay's brilliant comic timing, ensures that there is enough to keep the audience tied for two hours''. The Indian Express rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Do the filmmakers truly believe that such low-rent family dramas, with their uneasy mix of humour and crassness". The film couldn't manage to impress the audience and scored poorly at the Indian ticket windows. The film managed to earn mere $4.2 million over the extended weekend. The Hindustan Times wrote "Akshay Kumar got a golden opportunity in the film Ram Setu by Abhishek Sharma released on 25 October 2022, as his character is unlike anything he has done in the recent past. Ram Setu embraces the best of the Indiana Jones and National Treasure schools of storytelling with desi action". With the poor performance of Ram Setu, 2022 proved to be one of the worst years for Kumar in recent times. His first release of 2023 was Selfiee, an official remake of Driving Licence, which also starred Emraan Hashmi, Diana Penty and Nushrratt Bharuccha. This film too bombed at the box office. Kumar next appeared in OMG 2 – Oh my God 2, a spiritual successor to OMG – Oh My God!, where he played a messenger of Lord Shiva. Ganesh Aaglave of Firstpost stated, "Akshay's character as the messenger of Lord Shiva seems to be an extended cameo. However, the actor impresses with his expressions and dialogues and delivers one of his best performances in recent times." The film became a box office hit. Kumar next appeared opposite Parineeti Chopra as Jaswant Singh Gill, a brave and diligent mining engineer in the disaster thriller Mission Raniganj. It received mixed to positive response from critics, but flopped miserably at the box office. His first release of 2024 was Ali Abbas Zafar's actioner Bade Miyan Chote Miyan co-starring Tiger Shroff. Made at a budget of ₹350 crore, the film opened to largely negative reviews from critics and did a lifetime business of ₹102.16 crore at the worldwide box-office, thus proving to be a disaster and continuing the string of flops for Kumar. He was next seen in Sarfira alongside Radhika Madan. The movie was a remake of the Tamil hit Soorarai Pottru, which itself was an adaptation of Air Deccan founder G. R. Gopinath's memoir Simply Fly: A Deccan Odyssey. The remake performed poorly at the box-office, collecting just ₹20 crores against a budget of ₹80 crores. His upcoming film is expected to be Vedat Marathe Veer Daudle Saat, his Marathi debut. In 2004, Kumar presented seven-part miniseries Seven Deadly Arts with Akshay Kumar for free, played master and learner as he introduces viewers to each of the seven part of martial arts-kalaripayattu, Shaolin Kung Fu, karate, taekwondo, aikido, Muay Thai, capoeira, the show aired on every following Sunday. The following year Kumar was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree black belt in Kuyukai Gōjū-ryū karate. Since 2008, Kumar started India's stunt/action reality game show – "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi". He hosted Season 1, Season 2 and Season 4. The show was widely accepted and appreciated, became hugely successful in popular culture. It is still being run by Rohit Shetty. In 2011, Kumar hosted India's first MasterChef television show on Star Plus, was viewed by 18.2 million viewers and went to prove that Indian audiences are open to experimenting and look forward to innovations in television entertainment. In 2014, He hosted another reality show Dare 2 Dance as a mentor, which aired on Life OK from 6 September. It broke the norms of a regular dance format with a commitment of a 'first of its kind. A dance show where trained and famed dancers wasn't judged only on the basis of their dance performances, but they had to perform stunts.survive on the dance floor. In 2014, Kumar also produced a successful television serial Jamai Raja (2014), starring Ravi Dubey and Nia Sharma, which established them leading actors in Indian television industry. In 2017, he judged The Great Indian Laughter Challenge with Mallika Dua, Hussain Dalal and Zakir Khan, later they were replaced by Sajid Khan and Shreyas Talpade. The show made many popular names including Vishwash Chauhan and Shyam Rangeela. Kumar joined Bear Grylls for an episode in "Into The Wild", which aired on Discovery channel on 14 September 2020. The episode was second highest-rated show in the infotainment genre (Discovery Channel) in terms of TRP. 1.1 crore people watched the premiere on Discovery Network channels. Kumar promotes health fitness and exercising, stays in shape with a combination of kickboxing, basketball, swimming and Parkour as well as working out. While in standard eighth he had started practising Karate. He intended to open a martial arts school and the state government of Maharashtra allotted land for the school in Bhayandar. He helped Khanna with editing the drafts of her debut book Mrs Funnybones. He is a teetotaller but has endorsed for a liquor brand in the past. Half of the sum was given for daan (charity work), of which he has been doing more of in recent times. In 2013, one of his fan travelled from Haryana to Mumbai, to meet him. The journey took him 42 days. When he reached Kumar's building, he was informed that Kumar was in Casablanca. The fan stayed outside the building for one week before Kumar met him. Kumar has come out in support and lauded the Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore for his stand against corruption. The minister said that the government entrusted CBI in the investigation against the corrupt officials in sports department. On 9 August 2014, Kumar performed at his 500th live show. The show was held in O2 Arena in London as part of the inaugural function of the World Kabaddi League. His first live show was held in 1991 in Delhi. Kumar owns Bengal Warriors a team in the Indian Kabbadi League. Akshay Kumar sets himself on fire at his upcoming The End series launch with Prime Video, says he's a stuntman first and actor later. During late 90s, Kumar was dating actress Raveena Tandon. Although they were engaged, they later parted ways. Kumar married Twinkle Khanna, the daughter of actors Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, on 17 January 2001. Together they have a son, and a daughter. He is known as a protective father and keeps his children away from the media. He stated that he wants to "give them a normal childhood." In 2009, while performing at a show for Levis at Lakme Fashion Week, Kumar asked Twinkle to unbutton his jeans. This incident sparked a controversy which led to a police case being filed against them. Kumar was initially a religious, practising Shaiva Hindu who regularly visited shrines and temples across the country, including the famed Vaishno Devi Mandir, but in March 2020 he stated, "I don't believe in any religion. I only believe in being Indian". Sometime during or after the 2011 Canadian federal election, the Conservative government there granted Canadian citizenship to Kumar by invoking a little-known law which allowed circumventing the usual residency requirement for Canadian immigrants. According to a former Conservative Party minister, Tony Clement, the citizenship was awarded in return for Kumar's offer of putting his "star power to use to advance Canada-Indian relations," and Canada's "trade relations, commercial relations, in the movie sector, in the tourism sector." Although Kumar had earlier appeared in a campaign event for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Brampton, Ontario, a city with a large Indo-Canadian population, and praised Harper, Clement denied that the citizenship was a reward for partisan support. Kumar had received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Windsor, and in a 2010 interview with the Economist claimed he had "dual citizenship." He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada. In December 2019, Kumar stated that he has applied for an Indian passport and plans to give up his Canadian citizenship. On 15 August 2023, on the occasion of Independence Day, Kumar confirmed he got Indian citizenship back and Canadian citizenship was withdrawn as part of Indian law. In Indian media, Kumar is referred as Khiladi or Khiladi Kumar for doing so many dangerous stunts by himself and also because of his Khiladi film series. In 2009, Madame Tussauds wanted to make his wax figure next because he has an international fan following. But he declined and said,"he don't want to be waxed because he does not think it is of that great importance". From 2015, he was continuously featured in Forbes's highest paid actors top 10 list. In 2019, he was fourth highest paid actor in the world behind Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr.. On the Forbes US list of World's 33rd Highest Earner with $65M. In 2020, He ranked sixth and only Indian actor in top 10 of highest paid actors list with $48.5M. Kumar is the first Indian film actor, whose films' domestic net lifetime collections crossed ₹20 billion (US$341.31 million) by 2013, and ₹30 billion (US$446.46 million) by 2016. Kumar was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine in 2008. Kumar was awarded with NDTV Imagine Best Entertainer of the Year 2007 by the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards (FTPGI). In 2009, he was awarded the highest Japanese honour of "Katana" and a sixth degree Black Belt in Kuyukai Gojuryu Karate. He was one of the 15 international celebrities invited for the Olympics torch-bearer rally to Canada in 2009. Kumar bagged the Ultimate Man of the Year at the prestigious GQ Awards in 2015. He won the HT Hottest Trendsetter (Male) award at the HT India's Most Stylish in 2019. Kumar has great brand value and holds strong credibility in the advertising world. In 2020, Kumar has topped the list with brand value of $118M he has seen a jump of 13% by previous years. According to Duff and Phelps, Kumar was third most valued celebrity with $139M in 2021. Kumar has endorsed brands including Thums Up, Honda, Tata Motors, Dollar, Harpic, Sparx, Livguard Battery, and Kajarai Tiles. He was also brand ambassador of Canada Tourism. Kumar ranked number 1 on TAM's list of most visible stars in TV ads with an average visibility of 37 hours per day across all channels since 2019 to 2022. Kumar has significant fan following in Indian diaspora as well as in European and African countries. As of September 2022, He is most followed Indian actor on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Memes from his comedy movies, especially his face expressions are hugely popular on social media. In 2019, interviewed Modi on TV, which concluded as controversies in social media, later he clarified that it was a personal interview as a common man, not political. Since 2013, Kumar has been the Hindi film industry's highest advance taxpayer for six consecutive years. He paid ₹190 million (US$3.24 million) as advance tax payment in that year. In August 2022, he got a certificate from Income Tax department for being highest tax payer. Kumar has criticised award functions and doesn't believe in it saying, "Organizers have asked me to perform at award nights. They said that they would pay me half the price and they would also give me an award. I replied saying, 'You pay me the whole amount and keep your award.'" He called National Film Award, most prestigious award of the country. Kumar holds the Guinness World Records for the most 184 Selfies taken in three minutes at a promotional event of his film Selfiee in Mumbai. He talked to the media and termed it as a 'way of paying tribute' to his fans. In March 2023, Kumar performed in various cities in the United States for "The Entertainers" tour, alongside Disha Patani, Mouni Roy, Nora Fatehi, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, Stebin Ben and Zahrah S Khan. Kumar is one of India's most philanthropic celebrities, does a lot of helps and donations, continues the good work offscreen with his philanthropy and services. He and his co-star Tamannaah Bhatia donated all the clothes from their film 2014 Entertainment to an animal welfare charity. Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals (YODA) is an organisation which works for the welfare of street animals. He has also donated ₹5 million (US$93,567.08) to Salman Khan's Being Human Foundation. Kumar also had donated a sum of ₹9 million to drought hit farmers in Maharashtra in 2015, Khan himself tweeted on Twitter. Kumar also helped a contestant of TV reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi by giving him Rs. 25 lakh after knowing that the contestant needed the prize money of the show for his father's cancer treatment. He has also donated ₹5 million to aid drought affected people through the Maharashtra government's Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan. In March 2013, he started a 30-bed cancer shelter for policemen in Naigaon. In December 2013, Vishwas Nangre Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police, West Mumbai visited his gym along with several trainee officers. Acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal, on whose life Deepika Padukone's Chapaak was based is also an activist. Some years ago, she was struggling to make ends meet. Kumar came to her rescue and transferred Rs. 5 Lakh into her account so that she could fend for herself until she found a job, because medals, awards and certificates don't pay the bills. He launched an insurance scheme for the registered stunt directors in 2017. The family of deceased stunt director Abdul Sattar Munna has received a compensation of Rs. 20 lakh under the same scheme. Now, the actor has been asked to help those stunt choreographers who are above 55 years of age and therefore, aren't eligible to have insurance in their name. During the promotions of Rustom, Kumar expressed his wish of serving the nation but destiny held something else in store for him. He has played a soldier in Holiday and Kesari, a special agent in Baby and a naval officer in Rustom. The actor was applauded by many for showing his concern towards the families of 12 slain jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who were killed in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, 11 March 2017. He donated Rs. 1.08 crore to the families of the martyred jawans. In August 2016, Kumar had donated Rs. 80 lakh to the families of army men. He gave Rs 5 lakh to each family and said our soldiers need money along with "samman". In October 2016, Akshay donated Rs. 9 lakh to the family of a martyred BSF jawan. He also donated Rs. 1.5 crore to build the shelter for transgender persons in Chennai. He is supporting the construction of the home. Laxmii's director Raghava Lawrence shared the "good news" of the actor's new initiative with friends and fans along with some pictures on Facebook. Kumar endorses Swachh Bharat Mission, Builds Toilets in Madhya Pradesh, he had previously posted a video on social media, talking about the importance of having individual toilets at home, His movie Toilet was also based on Toilet's importance. He was named Uttarakhand's brand ambassador for 'Swachhta Abhiyaan'. In 2017, Kumar launched the Bharat Ke Veer app, with the help of the home ministry. The platform lets people send money directly to the bank accounts of family members of soldiers martyred in the line of duty. On The Kapil Sharma Show, Akshay said that he was only carrying out his responsibility as a citizen with the app. "Hum yeh kahenge, ki hum apna kartvaya nibhate hai… Jo shaheed hote hai, unka nuksaan hum kabhi bhar nahi paayenge. That is for sure. Sarkar unko jo deti hai, woh deti hai. Lekin, as a civilian, humara bhi toh kuch kartavya banta hai. Yeh aisa app hai… Na iske beech mein koi NGO hai, na koi sarkar hai," he said. In the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF jawans, Kumar came forward to help the families of those sacrificed their lives in the attack. He donated Rs. 15 Lakh to a martyred jawan's family and even urged his fans to do the same. He further pledged to donate Rs. 5 crore through 'Bharat Ke Veer' app. He additionally donated Rs. 9 Lakh each to the families of 12 CRPF jawans who were killed in Chhattisgarh. In Mid-2020 when Kerala, Assam and Chennai were left devastated as they were hit by floods that severely affected several families as they lost their houses, land, crops, many people died. Kumar donated a sum of Rs. 1 crore each to not just Kerala but also Assam and Chennai. CM Sonowal thanks Kumar. Kumar was one of the first personalities from Bollywood to contribute to the PM CARES Fund right at the start of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, He donated Rs. 25 crores to the Prime Minister's Fund and another crore to ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir's charity for the same cause. The former cricketer revealed on Twitter that Akshay Kumar had donated Rs. 1 crore to his foundation during the deadly second wave to help people affected by the novel coronavirus. Gambhir wrote, "Every help in this gloom comes as a ray of hope. Thanks a lot Akshay Kumar for committing Rs 1 crore to #GGF for food, meds and oxygen for the needy! God bless." In 2021, Kumar donated ₹1 crore for construction of a school building in Neeru Village of Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir. Kumar has been recipient of two Filmfare Awards from 13 nominations: Best Villain for Ajnabee (2002) and Best Comedian for Garam Masala (2006), and a National Film Award for Best Actor for the films Rustom and Airlift (both 2016). In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an honorary Doctorate of Law on Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. The following year, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011, The Asian Awards honoured Kumar for his outstanding achievement in Cinema. Akshay Kumar at IMDb Akshay Kumar at Bollywood Hungama Akshay Kumar at DNA India Collected news and commentary at The Times of India
9. Ajay Devgn (b. 1969)
With an HPI of 60.69, Ajay Devgn is the 9th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 58 different languages.
Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema. A leading actor of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour. Devgn emerged a star with his first film, the 1991 action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He played further action roles in the films Jigar (1992), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Jaan (1996) and Diljale (1996), and romantic roles in Ishq (1997), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). For playing a riot victim in Zakhm (1998) and Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), he twice won the National Film Award for Best Actor. He also gained praise for the crime dramas Company (2002) and Omkara (2006). After expanding to comedies with Rohit Shetty's Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Devgn collaborated with Shetty on a number of action and comedy films, including Golmaal Returns (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010), Singham (2011), Singham Returns (2014), and Golmaal Again (2017). His highest-grossing releases came with Total Dhamaal (2019), Tanhaji (2020) and Drishyam 2 (2022). For portraying the title role in Tanhaji, he won this third National Film Award for Best Actor. Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which was established in 2000. He has also starred in and directed the films U Me Aur Hum (2008), Runway 34 (2022), and Bholaa (2023). He is married to actress Kajol, with whom he has two children. Devgn was born to a Punjabi Hindu family originally from Amritsar, Punjab. The family has connections to the Hindi film industry in Mumbai. Devgn's father, Veeru Devgan, was a stunt choreographer and action-film director and his mother, Veena, is a film producer. His cousin, Anil Devgan, is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Devgn graduated from the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College. Devgn began a relationship with the actress Karisma Kapoor while filming Jigar (1992), however, the couple ended their relationship in 1995. That same year, Devgn's relationship with the actress, Kajol, began whilst they were co-starring in Gundaraj (1995). The media called them "an unlikely pair" due to their contrasting personalities. On 24 February 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu ceremony at the Devgan home. The couple has two children. Their daughter, Nysa, was born in 2003 and their son, Yug, was born in 2010. Devgn and Kajol stored their newborn son's umbilical cord blood and tissues to act as a source of stem cells in case of serious ailment. In August 2009, Devgn changed the spelling of his surname Devgan to Devgn, at the request of his family. He is a practicing Shaiva Hindu who prominently wears a Rudraksha which, along with other religious themes, features in his films. Devgn was the first Bollywood personality to own a private jet for transport to shooting locations, to promotions and for personal trips. As Devgn entered the film industry in 1991, he changed his stage name from his birth name, Vishal, to "Ajay" due to several other actors named Vishal being launched at the same time, including Manoj Kumar's son. He began his professional career alongside Madhoo in the action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. In his opening scene, Devgn performed a split while balancing between two motorcycles. His next film was Jigar (1992), a Bollywood martial arts film co-starring Karisma Kapoor. It was released on Diwali weekend and became the seventh-highest-grossing film of that year, taking ₹7 crore (US$840,000) at the box office. In 1993, Devgn starred in Dil Hai Betaab, a film about a revengeful love triangle. He next featured in Divya Shakti and then Sangram, a story of enmity between two fathers. Devgn then worked with Deepak Bahry, who directed the action film Ek Hi Raasta, and with Deepak Pawar, who directed Platform. Other releases that year were Shaktiman, Dhanwan and Bedardi. In 1994, Devgn starred in Harry Baweja's romantic action film Dilwale. He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment. The movie was the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next release was Kanoon and then Kuku Kohli's Suhaag with Akshay Kumar. The film was about two friends. Devgn played Ajay Sharma/Malhotra. Suhaag was the seventh-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next film was Vijaypath. Shooting dates for Vijaypath clashed with those of Karan Arjun which Devgn declined. Vijaypath was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1995, Devgn appeared alongside Juhi Chawla in Mahesh Bhatt's Naajayaz, which earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, followed by Hulchul directed by Milan Luthria, alongside Kajol. Devgn and Kajol then appeared in Gundaraj which did not perform well at the box office. His next release was Haqeeqat co-starring with Tabu. This film was the eleventh-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1996, Devgn starred in the action movie Jung with Mithun Chakraborty, Rambha and Aditya Pancholi. His next release was an action movie called Jaan, with Twinkle Khanna. He then starred in Harry Baweja's film Diljale, where he played a terrorist character called Shaka. In 1997, Devgn starred in a poorly -eceived movie, Itihaas, with Twinkle Khanna. His next release was Indra Kumar's romantic comedy Ishq with Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and Kajol. In this successful film, Devgn played Ajay, a rich boy in love with a poor girl, played by Kajol. The film grossed ₹30 crore (US$3.6 million) and emerged as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year. In 1998, Devgn starred in Major Saab with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre where he played the character of an army officer. The movie was successful and was the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. He next starred with Kajol in Anees Bazmee's second film, the romantic comedy Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the 1995 American film French Kiss. It grossed ₹30.25 crore (US$3.6 million). Devgn's next release was Mahesh Bhatt's drama Zakhm, which examines communal tension in Mumbai during riots. Devgn played a man who is fed up with religious conflict. Devgn won several awards for his critically acclaimed performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Screen Award for Best Actor, in addition to his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. In 1999, Devgn starred in the musical romance Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to help his wife (Aishwarya Rai) reunite with her lover (Salman Khan). Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam marked a significant turning point in Devgn's career. The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel Na Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Devgn's performance received positive reviews from critics. Rediff said: "Ajay's role reminds you of one he did in another film, Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha. There he is searching for the boyfriend of the girl he secretly loves. But intense scenes are his forte and he does well here. He's particularly good in the scene where he gets exasperated with his wife's stubbornness and strives to keep his cool." The film proved to be a commercial success and earned Devgn his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. After that, he appeared in Hindustan Ki Kasam with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre. He then worked with the director Milan Luthria in Kachche Dhaage, with Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The movie was a box-office hit. He then performed in the successful movie Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, a romantic comedy, and then in his home production movie with Kajol, and director, Prakash Jha. The film was titled Dil Kya Kare. His other movies in 1999 were Gair and Thakshak in which he played a strong, silent man. In 2000, Devgn performed in Harry Baweja's Deewane. The film did not do well at the box office. In the same year, Devgn starred in his first home production; Raju Chacha, with Kajol. The film was moderately successful. In 2001, Devgn starred in another moderately successful film; Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. His next release was Lajja, with Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. His performance was positively received and earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, the film was commercially unsuccessful. Mahesh Manjrekar's Tera Mera Saath Rahen followed. 2002 proved to be a key year for Devgn as he starred in three films of contrasting genres. He first starred in Ram Gopal Varma's Company which was a fictional examination of the Mumbai underworld. Devgn played a gangster named Malik. Both the film and Devgn's performance received critical acclaim. As Taran Adarsh reviewed: "Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease." Devgn's next release was David Dhawan's comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai. The same year, he played the role of Bhagat Singh, in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh. His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from cinegoers, besides fetching awards." The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two National Film Awards, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and three Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics). Despite these awards, and Devgn winning his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was not popular with the public. Devgn went on to perform in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's novel, Primal Fear. The film was a success at the box office. He jointly won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) for his performance in Company and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, in addition to receiving his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the former. For his performance in Deewangee, he received several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Villain, the Screen Award for Best Villain and the Zee Cine Award for Best Villain. In 2003, Devgn starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film Bhoot, opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically and performed well at the box office. He then starred in the action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat with the actress debutante, Neha Dhupia. The film was a commercial success. Devgn next performed in Milan Luthria's romantic film Chori Chori, opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office. Devgn's next release of the year was Prakash Jha's Gangaajal. The film was set in the time of the blinding incident in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To a great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half." Devgn received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut Zameen and J. P. Dutta's war film LOC Kargil. In 2004, Devgn was cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's action thriller Khakee. The film was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004. In Khakee, Devgn once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary." He received his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain for his performance in the film. Later in 2004, Devgn appeared in Indra Kumar's Masti and Mani Ratnam's Yuva. Devgn next collaborated with Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama Raincoat, with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Devgn was praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else." In 2004, Devgn was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car. 2005 was a less successful year for Devgn, with all of his films not proving to be successful at the box office. His movies were not financially successful. They included Insan, Blackmail, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Tango Charlie and Shikhar. However, the films Kaal and Apaharan did well. His performance as a villain in Kaal also earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain. In 2006, Devgn played Othello in Omkara, a Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. It was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. It premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was well received by critics. Rediff said: "Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by the villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been." Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay makes a stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays." In 2006, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty's Golmaal. It had two sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3. In the same year, Devgn was featured in a short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 titled The Awakening. In 2007, Devgn starred in two films, director Anubhav Sinha's action thriller Cash and Aag. Both films proved to be critically and commercially unsuccessful. In 2008, Devgn starred in the social film Halla Bol, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, alongside Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan. The film is based on the life of activist Safdar Hashmi, who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play Halla Bol. The film received negative reviews and was a flop at the box office. The same year, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty's third film Sunday. He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film U Me Aur Hum. The film performed moderately well at the box office and earned positive critical reviews for his performance as well as for his direction. Rediff said: "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around a dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion." Devgn also made a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film Haal-e-Dil. He then starred in Afzal Khan's Mehbooba. Again in 2008, Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful. The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it." Golmaal Returns was a financial hit with global revenues of ₹80 crore (US$9.6 million). In 2009, Devgn produced his third film, All the Best, directed by Rohit Shetty. It was a moderate commercial success. Next, Devgn starred in Vipul Shah's London Dreams, with Salman Khan and the Tamil film star Asin. The film was not popular with the public. In the following decade, Devgn starred in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Golmaal 3 (2010), Raajneeti (2010), Singham (2011), Bol Bachchan (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Singham Returns (2014) and Drishyam (2015). In 2010, Devgn featured in the financially successful comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? with Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma. He then featured in Prakash Jha's political thriller Raajneeti. Raajneeti was released internationally on 4 June 2010, after some controversies regarding similarities between actual people and the characters in the film. There were also issues about the use of the national anthem in the film. The film was made with a budget of ₹60 crore (US$7.2 million) When the film was released, it had positive reviews and was financially successful. Again, in 2010, Devgn starred in Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, which was among the top-grossing films of that year. Both the film and Devgn's performance were well received by the critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgn is splendid as Sultan. The actor had enacted a similar role in Company, but it must be said that his interpretation is so different in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai. He adds so much depth to the character, which only goes to prove his range and versatility. This is, without a trace of doubt, Ajay's finest work so far." Komal Nahta said: "Ajay Devgn is simply fantastic in the role of Sultan Mirza. So real is his performance that it looks like he was born to play this role. Right from his look to his acting including dialogue-delivery, everything is fabulous. Indeed, an award-winning performance!" The film earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Devgn then starred in Priyadarshan's action-thriller film Aakrosh. The movie explores the subject of honour killings. Aakrosh received some positive reviews, but was financially unsuccessful. At the end of 2010, Devgn worked again with Rohit Shetty in Golmaal 3, a sequel to Golmaal Returns (2008). Although, like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews, it was the most successful of the Golmaal series, earning more than ₹169 crore (US$20 million) and emerging a blockbuster. Devgn also worked as a voice artist in Toonpur Ka Superrhero, an animated film. In 2011, Devgn performed with Emraan Hashmi in Madhur Bhandarkar's comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. He was a narrator in Yamla Pagla Deewana and also made a cameo appearance in Ready. Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's Singham. Taran Adarsh said: "The title means 'Lion' and Ajay is in the centre of the battle between good and evil. Ajay is well known for the lines, "aataa maajhi satakli". The embodiment of screen masculinity, Ajay enacts the central character of a righteous, hardhearted cop with flourish. He brings alive on screen a larger-than-life hero character with determined conviction, which renders you thunderstruck. One of the few actors who underplays his part admirably, he returns to the over-the-top-action genre of films with this one. In a nutshell, his performance plays a pivotal role in carrying the film to the winning post." Singham earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then starred David Dhawan's action comedy film Rascals. The following year, Devgn starred in Tezz, directed by Priyadarshan. His co-stars were Anil Kapoor, Boman Irani, Kangana Ranaut, Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan. Devgn then starred in Rohit Shetty's film Bol Bachchan. He then starred in Son of Sardaar. In 2013, Devgn featured in the critically and commercially unsuccessful remake of Himmatwala. Devgn next featured in Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha. In 2014, Devgn featured in Rohit Shetty's Singham Returns, a sequel to Singham. Singham Returns received mixed reviews from Indian critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars and said: "The film is a complete mass entertainer with power-packed drama, hi-intensity dialogue and towering performances as its aces. The brand value attached to it coupled with a long weekend will help the film reap a harvest and rule the box office in days to come.". Collection of over ₹32.09 crore (US$3.8 million) on the first day of its release in India. Domestic net of Singham Returns are ₹140.62 crore (US$17 million). Devgn next featured in Prabhu Deva's Action Jackson which did not perform well at box office. In 2015, Devgn starred in Drishyam, directed by Nishikant Kamat. The film received positive reviews, Meena Iyer of The Times of India gave the film four out of five stars, describing it as "A suspense drama with a nail-biting finish." She praised Devgn's performances: "Ajay, who is the prey here, shines in his role of the protective father.". The film was successful at the box office, by the end of its sixth week, the film had grossed about ₹76.48 crore (US$9.2 million) at the domestic box office. In 2016, Devgn was seen in his own production, Shivaay, which released around Diwali 2016. Shivaay is an action drama movie. Shivaay opened to mixed reviews and grossed more than ₹146 crore (US$17 million). In 2017, Devgn featured in director Milan Luthria's Baadshaho and Rohit Shetty's Golmaal Again. While Baadshaho was a flop, the latter emerged a blockbuster collecting 100 crores in 4 days of its release and a lifetime collection of 205 crores at the Indian box office while making a hefty 310 crores at worldwide box office. In 2018, Devgn starred in Raj Kumar Gupta's Raid where he plays the role of an honest Indian Revenue Service officer, which released to positive critical feedback on 16 March, and was a commercial success. Devgn has long been working on producing Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi, a sequel to Son of Sardaar. In August 2017, Devgn stated: "We are working on the script but it won't happen for another two years because of the scale of the project." He starred in De De Pyaar De alongside Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh. In early 2020, Devgn portrayed the role of 17th-century military leader Tanaji Malusare in an eponymously titled film, Tanhaji; directed by Om Raut. The film was released on 10 January 2020 and went on to win three National Film Awards, including the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Actor, both for Devgn, in addition to his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor Tanhaji earned Rs 3.67 billion ($49 million) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2020. Moreover, it marks Ajay Devgn's 100th film as an actor. In 2021, he starred alongside Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar, Nora Fatehi and Sonakshi Sinha in the historical film, Bhuj: The Pride of India, a critical failure, and had a cameo in Sooryavanshi, reprising as DCP Bajirao Singham. In 2022, Devgn made his OTT debut with the web series, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, on Disney+ Hotstar. The same year, he released his third directorial, Runway 34. It received positive reviews from both the critics and audience, but failed on the box office. He was also seen in extended cameo appearances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi and S. S. Rajamouli's RRR, for which he received high praise. Later that year, Devgn was seen as Chitragupt in Indra Kumar's Thank God, which also starred Sidharth Malhotra, which turned out to be a commercial failure. Later he starred in the sequel to Drishyam, Drishyam 2, directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became a major critical and commercial success, along with becoming his second highest-grossing film of his career, after Tanhaji. In 2023, Devgn starred and directed the remake of Kaithi (2019), Bholaa, his third directorial. The film was a critical and commercial disappointment. He then starred in Shaitaan (2024), a horror film, which received favorable response from critics and emerged a huge hit at the box office. He will next be seen in Neeraj Pandey's romcom, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, which is currently filiming. He has also announced the fifth entry of the Cop Universe and the much awaited sequel to Singham Returns (2014), Singham Again, which is set to release in 2024. Ajay Devgn FFilms (ADF) is an Indian film production and distribution company established by actor Ajay Devgn in 2000. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. In 2000, ADF released its first film, Raju Chacha. The film starred Devgn himself as the lead actor and his wife Kajol as the lead actress. Raju Chacha received mixed reviews but grossed Rs 209.2 millions at the box office. In 2008, Devgn co-produced the drama U Me Aur Hum, which marked his directorial debut. Devgn also played the lead role in the film, sharing the screen again with Kajol. The film was written by Devgn himself and three other writers. Critical reception was generally positive, with Taran Adarsh giving the film 4 out of 5 stars and describing it as "A well-made, absorbing love story that's high on emotional quotient". In 2009, Devgn released and acted in his home production All the Best: Fun Begins, which was directed by Rohit Shetty and also starring, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu and Mugdha Godse. The film was released on 16 October 2009 and received positive response from critics. It was rated a hit in India, and is the twelfth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2009. In 2014, ADF produced Singham Returns starring Devgn and Kareena Kapoor. In 2016 Devgn produced and starred in Shivaay which is to be the most expensive film of his production. In late December 2017, ADF collaborated with Fox Star Studios to produce Total Dhamaal starring Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Madhuri Dixit, and Anil Kapoor. In 2018, Ajay Devgn released his first Marathi production Aapla Manus. The movie was in Marathi language. It was directed by Satish Rajwade and starred Nana Patekar, Iravati Harshe, and Sumeet Raghavan. The film was produced by Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Abhinav Shuklaa, Manish Mishra, & Rohit Choudhary and released on 9 February 2018. The story was a dramatic thriller and written by Vivek Bele. The film was distributed by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures. In October 2015, Devgn established a visual effects company, NY VFXWAALA, after his children. It has been involved with many major films, such as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Tamasha, Bajirao Mastani, Mersal, Dilwale, Force 2, and Simmba. The company won the Best Special Effects award at the 64th National Film Awards for the film Shivaay (2016). Ashwini Deshmukh of Filmfare termed Devgn a "private person" who is self-confessedly uncomfortable around people and said, "Three decades in the industry and Ajay Devgn continues to enjoy the trust of filmmakers and the loyalty of his fans." Ankur Pathak of GQ noted, "Devgn has shown remarkable resilience as a bankable star who has never had to rely on a "comeback" film since he never really goes off-screen." Sandeep Unnithan of India Today termed him a "versatile actor" and said, "Devgn is a darling of his directors." Rediff.com noted the actor's change from "lanky star son" to "back-to-back hits churner". It further credited him for popularising the "intense, brooding hero" looks. Devgn is among the most popular and highest paid celebrities in India. He has frequently featured in the Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012. He peaked at the 10th position in 2018 with an estimated annual income of ₹745 million (US$8.9 million). In 2019, he was placed 12th, with an estimated annual income of ₹940 million (US$11 million). Devgn was placed 7th in Rediff.com's list of Top 10 Actors of 2000–2010. In Rediff.com "Top Bollywood Actors" list, Devgn ranked 1st in 2002. He subsequently ranked 4th in 2004, 10th in 2006 and 2nd in 2019. In Eastern Eye's Sexiest Asian Men list of 2011, Devgn was placed 29th. List of Indian actors Dawar, Ramesh (2006). Bollywood: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Star Publications. ISBN 978-1-905863-01-3. Archived from the original on 31 December 2016. Bajaj, J.K. (2014). On & Behind the Indian Cinema. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 978-93-5083-621-7. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Official Site Ajay Devgn at IMDb Ajay Devgn at Bollywood Hungama
10. Dharmendra (b. 1935)
With an HPI of 59.12, Dharmendra is the 10th most famous Indian Actor. His biography has been translated into 48 different languages.
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Nicknamed the "He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra is widely regarded to be amongst the most handsome Indian actors of his time. In 2012, he received the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, from the Government of India. Dharmendra has worked in more than 200 films in a career spanning over six decades. He is considered one of the most successful actors in the history of Hindi cinema. After making his debut in a small film, Dharmendra first gained popularity in the mid-1960s for films, such as Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Phool Aur Patthar, Aaye Din Bahar Ke, and achieved greater stardom in later years, dubbed India's Garam Dharam for several of his on-screen roles in Hindi films. He consistently starred in top grossing Hindi films since the late 1960s to 1980s, including Ankhen, Shikar, Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Jeevan Mrityu, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Seeta Aur Geeta, Raja Jani, Jugnu, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Dost, Sholay, Pratiggya, Charas, Dharam Veer, Chacha Bhatija, Azaad, Ram Balram, Kaatilon Ke Kaatil, Hukumat, Aag Hi Aag, Elaan-E-Jung and Tahalka, as well as some of his most acclaimed performances, include Anpadh, Bandini, Haqeeqat, Kaajal, Anupama, Mamta, Majhli Didi, Satyakam, Samadhi, Resham Ki Dori, Chupke Chupke, The Burning Train, Ghazab, Ghulami and Hathyar. Beginning in the late 1990s, he appeared in character roles in several successful and acclaimed films, such as Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Life in a... Metro, Apne, Johnny Gaddaar, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya. In 1997, he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Bollywood. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India, representing the Bikaner constituency in Rajasthan from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
People
Pantheon has 619 people classified as Indian actors born between 1877 and 2008. Of these 619, 530 (85.62%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Indian actors include Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aishwarya Rai. The most famous deceased Indian actors include Vivien Leigh, Amrish Puri, and Rajesh Khanna. As of April 2024, 139 new Indian actors have been added to Pantheon including Anna Kashfi, Sharat Saxena, and Manorama.
Living Indian Actors
Go to all Rankings
Amitabh Bachchan
1942 - Present
HPI: 79.15
Shah Rukh Khan
1965 - Present
HPI: 75.29
Aishwarya Rai
1973 - Present
HPI: 70.73
Salman Khan
1965 - Present
HPI: 70.36
Julie Christie
1940 - Present
HPI: 65.64
Mithun Chakraborty
1950 - Present
HPI: 65.13
Akshay Kumar
1967 - Present
HPI: 61.96
Ajay Devgn
1969 - Present
HPI: 60.69
Dharmendra
1935 - Present
HPI: 59.12
Shilpa Shetty
1975 - Present
HPI: 58.47
Hema Malini
1948 - Present
HPI: 58.37
Aamir Khan
1965 - Present
HPI: 56.66
Deceased Indian Actors
Go to all RankingsVivien Leigh
1913 - 1967
HPI: 75.74
Amrish Puri
1932 - 2005
HPI: 58.39
Rajesh Khanna
1942 - 2012
HPI: 57.67
Sridevi
1963 - 2018
HPI: 55.74
Bhupen Hazarika
1926 - 2011
HPI: 55.60
Savitri
1936 - 1981
HPI: 54.82
Nargis
1929 - 1981
HPI: 54.49
Puneeth Rajkumar
1975 - 2021
HPI: 54.36
Girish Karnad
1938 - 2019
HPI: 54.33
Shashi Kapoor
1938 - 2017
HPI: 54.21
Rishi Kapoor
1952 - 2020
HPI: 53.53
Meena Kumari
1933 - 1972
HPI: 53.24
Newly Added Indian Actors (2024)
Go to all Rankings
Anna Kashfi
1934 - 2015
HPI: 49.41
Sharat Saxena
1950 - Present
HPI: 43.86
Manorama
1937 - 2015
HPI: 43.41
Sitara Devi
1920 - 2014
HPI: 43.01
P. Bhanumathi
1925 - 2005
HPI: 42.41
B. Saroja Devi
1938 - Present
HPI: 41.20
Jamuna
1936 - 2023
HPI: 41.05
Johnny Walker
1926 - 2003
HPI: 39.77
Juliet Prowse
1936 - 1996
HPI: 39.73
Vishnuvardhan
1950 - 2009
HPI: 39.07
Tinnu Anand
1945 - Present
HPI: 38.35
Sheela
1945 - Present
HPI: 37.77
Overlapping Lives
Which Actors were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 25 most globally memorable Actors since 1700.
