Om Puri

54 Year old actor Om Puri was born on 18 Oct, 1950 in Ambala, Haryana state of India. He is o ne of the finest actors Indian film industry ever produced. Talk about diversity and unforgettable performances no one comes even close. He is equally at home playing a typical Bollywood blockbuster role or in art films. Few actors in Indian cinema have attained such an international recognition.
Om Puri with a gorgeous voice and powerful screen presence is a NSD and FTII graduate. In the beginning of his career in the 1970s his name was more recognised with India's art cinema. He worked in Ghasiram Kotwal, Bhumika, Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan, Sparsh and Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin in the 1970s. In 1980 he worked in Govind Nihalani’s Aakrosh and 1983 Ardh Satya brought him instant fame. Aside from working with accredited directors such as Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani and Ketan Mehta, he worked with the best in Bengal like Satyajit Ray's Sadgati, Mrinal Sen's Genesis and Utpalendu Chakraborty's Chokh and Debshishu.
In 1992 Om Puri got to play a role in Roland Joffé's City of Joy. His performance in this movie was a turning point in his career. India's art cinema went into slumps so it was a good break for Om Puri to get into international cinema. Starring in films like Gandhi, East is East, My Son the Fanatic has earned him increasing recognition among western audience and it also shows his versatility as an actor.
He has also done commendable roles in Television series. In 1984 he played the role of Mr. De Souza in TV series, Jewel in the Crown. In 1986 he worked in Govind Nihalani's famous TV series, Tamas based upon Bhisham Sahni's novel. In 1988 he worked in Shyam Benegal's TV Serial Bharat Ek Khoj, based on Jawahar Lal Nehru's book Discover India.
Om Puri handles the comic character roles with great ease. Hera Pheri, Dulhan Hum Le jayenge are some of the worth mentioning movies.
Forthcoming Films
Untitled movie - Directed by Priyadarshan. Cast: Om Puri, Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Neha Dhupia, Sunil Shetty and Paresh Rawal.
Is Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon - Directed by Rahul Rawail. Cast: Om Puri, John Abraham and Akanksha Malhotra.
Malamaal Weekly - Directed by Priyadarshan. Cast: Om Puri, Ritesh Deshmukh, Shakti Kapoor and Paresh Rawal.
Deewane Huye Pagal - Directed by Vikram Bhatt. Cast: Om Puri, Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Shahid Kapoor, Rimi Sen, Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever.
Baabul - Directed by Ravi Chopra. Cast: Om Puri, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Rani Mukherjee, Salman Khan, John Abraham and Rajpal Yadav.
Kyon Ki - Directed by Priyadarshan. Cast: Om Puri, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rimi Sen and Jackie Shroff.
AK-47 Directed by Raam Shetty. Cast: Om Puri, Audhitya Singh, Sheetal Bhavishi, Ashish Vidyarthi, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Shivaji Satam and Reema Lagoo.
Rang De Basanti of Rakesh Mehra will be made by Aamir Khan. Cast: Om Puri, Aamir Khan, Arjun Rampal, Atul Kulkarni and Kunal Kapoor. To be made in Eglish and Hindi and scheduled to be released in 2005.
Recent Events
Om Puri was given Officer of the Order of the British Empire, OBE (Honorary) in 2004 for services to The British Film Industry.
Recent Films
2005 The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey
2005 Mumbai Express
2005 Kisna: The Warrior Poet
2005 Amar Joshi Shahid Ho Gaya
2004 King of Bollywood
2004 Kyun! Ho Gaya Na
2004 Lakshya
2004 Dev
2004 Aan
2004 Yuva
2003 Kagaar
2003 Dhoop
2003 Chupke Se
2003 Maqbool
2003 Kash... Aap Hamare Hote
2002 Pitaah
2001 Farz
2000 Hera Pheri
Memorable Performances
Aakrosh (1980) - Directed by Govind Nihalani. A tribal, Lahanya Bhiku is implicated for the murder of his wife after she is raped and killed by men of power.
Aarohan (1982) - Directed by Shyam Benegal. A poor West Bengal sharecropper Hari Mondal in a legal battle with an absentee landlord
Ardh Satya (1983) - Directed by Govind Nihalani. A Mumbai policeman, Anant Welankar, frustrated by a corrupt and hopelessly compromised system.
Susman (1986) - Directed by Shyam Benegal. Ramulu, an Andhra silk weaver struggling for survival whose craftsmanship is threatened by mass production.
Narasimha (1991) – Directed by N. Chandra. Plays a sinister gang lord.
City of Joy (1992) Director Roland Joffe. A Kolkata rickshaw puller, Hasari Pal, forms a bonding with a US doctor who left his practice and came to India.
My Son the Fanatic (1998) Directed by Udayan Prasad. Pervez, an expatriate Pakistani cabbie in a grimy English city grappling with his son’s active participation in the functioning of a fundamentalist Islamic sect.
East is East (1999) - Directed by Damien O’Donnell. George Khan, a Pakistani fish-and-chips shop owner in the UK married to a native Briton.

sachin tendulkar biography

Naseeruddin Shah

Personal Profile (Personal Biography)Original Name: Nasiruddin ShahCommonly Known Name: Art Actor Date of Birth (Birthday): 20 July, 1950Zodiac Sign: CancerHeight: 5'10"Hair Color: BlackBirth Place: DelhiReligion: MuslimEducation: Graduation (1973) From National School of Drama, Later Joined Film & Television Institute of IndiaMarital Status: MarriedLanguages: Hindi, English, Urdu
Family BackgroundSpouse: Ratna PathakDaughter: Heeba Manara Shah
Film Background (Filmography)Debut Film: NishaantFamous Movies: Home Delivery, Iqbal, Paheli, The Great New Wonderful, Valley of Flowers, Asambhav, Main Hoon Na, Maqbool, The League of Extraordinary, Gentlemen, 3 Deewarein, Encounter, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Moksha, Kasam, Monsoon Wedding, Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao, Guru Mahaaguru, Gaja Gamini, Hey Ram, Tune Mera Dil Le Liya, Bhopal Express, Sarfarosh, Sar Utha Ke Jiyo, Bombay Boys, Such a Long Journey, China Gate, Dand Nayak, Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge, Daava, Lahu Ke Do Rang, Agni Chakra, Private Detective, Rajkumar, Himmat, Chaahat, Takkar, Naajayaz, Mr. Ahmed, Mohra, Ponthan Mada, Droh Kaal, Triyacharitra, Sir, Bedardi, Game, Hasti, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Lootere, Chamatkar, Vishwatma, Daku Aur Police, Electric Moon, Tehelka, Time Machine, Lakshmanrekha, Ek Ghar, Mane, Shikari, Chor Pe Mor, Police Public, Khoj, Tridev, Hero Hiralal, Rihaee, The Perfect Murder, Zulm Ko Jala Doonga, Libaas, Maalamaal, Mirza Ghalib, Pestonje, Ijaazat, Jalwa, Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin, Karma, Genesis, Shart, Ek Pal, Musafir, Trikal, Aghaat, Ghulami, Khamosh, Mirch Masala, Khandhar, Lorie, Holi, Maan Maryaada, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho, Paar, Party, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Woh 7 Din, Ardh Satya, Haadsa, Katha, Mandi, Masoom, Dil... Akhir Dil Hai, Aadharshila, Bazaar, Sitam, Swami Dada, Tahalka, Tajurba, Chakra, Bezubaan, Sazaye Maut, Umrao Jaan, um Paanch, Sparsh, Aakrosh, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai, Bhavni Bhavai, Shaayad, Sunayana, Junoon, Bhumika: The Role, ManthanLatest Movies: Mixed Doubles, IqbalUpcoming Movies: Omkara, Krrish, Valley of Flowers, Parzania & Ek Dhun Banaras KeeFilm Awards: Padma Bhushan 2003, IIFA Award 2000 for Negative Role In Sarfarosh, Padma Shri 1987, National Award 1984 for Best Actor - Paar, Filmfare Best Actor Award 1983 - Masoom, Filmfare Best Actor Award 1981 - Chakra, Filmfare Best Actor Award 1980 - Aakrosh, National Award 1979 For Best Actor - SparshOther Facts: He is also a Director (Yun Hota to Kya Hota), Co Producer (Raghu Romeo)

Ruskin bond

Find a short biography and profile of Indo-British writer, Ruskin Bond. Read more on Ruskin Bond and his books.
Indian Literature : Indian English Literature : Authors : Ruskin Bond Biography
Ruskin Bond Biography
Better perceived as the Indian 'William Wordsworth', Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli in the then Punjab Province in the year 1934. Born to a first generation British migrant, Bond spent most of his childhood in amidst Himalayas. He was brought up at different places that included Jamnagar, Dehradun and Shimla. As customary in that period he went to England for his primary studies. Although Bond was studying in England, his mind rested in India. He had forged an intimate relationship with the Himalayas and longed for it. Bond started displaying his literary talent in England. He wrote his first novel named 'Room On The Roof' when he was all of 17 years. The book made him win prestigious 'John Llewellyn Rhys' Prize that is awarded to British Commonwealth Writers who are under the age of 30. The book was primarily based in and around Himalayas and was successful in capturing its beauty and ethos in a manner that was never tried before. Its sequel named 'Vagrants in the Valley' followed it. Riding on the success of these two novels, Ruskin took the journey back home. Ruskin Bond has now been writing for more than 5 decades. He has stressed more on the local elements of Himalayas in his writings. His writing style is distinct in a way that it tries to make reader understand the landscape and ethos through carefully mastered words. His writings have won him both tremendous critical acclaim as well as a long list of fans through out the literary world. Replete with unassuming humor and quiet wisdom, his stories manifest a deep love for nature and people. His mesmerizing descriptions about the flora and fauna of Himalayas can not be missed in his 100 something short stories, essays, novels, and more than thirty books of children that he has written. His works has inspired several generations of writers, authors and scriptwriters. His novel named 'The Flight of Pigeons' has been adapted into the acclaimed Merchant Ivory film Junoon. Another less known novel named 'The Room on the Roof' has been adapted in to a BBC produced TV series. Nevertheless his greatest achievement comes from the fact that several of his short stories from his collections have been incorporated in the school curriculum all over India. It includes jewels such as The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. In spite of all these successes, Bond can be concluded today as a media-shy and reclusive literary genius. He spends his days with his adopted family at a place close to Dehradun. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for English writing in India for 'Our Trees Still grows in Dehra' in 1992. He has also been conferred with Padma Shri, one of the most prestigious civil awards in India.

Gajanan madhav muktibodh

Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh was one of the most prominent Hindi poets of the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the pioneers of modern poetry in India, and is best known for his three long poems--Brahma-rakshasa, Chaand Ka Munh Tedha Hai and Andhere Mein.
Although Muktibodh could not manage to get his works published as a book in his lifetime, he was one of the contributing poets to the first three volumes of Taar Saptak, a series of path-breaking poetry anthologies edited by Ajneya. His brilliance was recognized by the literary world after the posthumous publication of Chaand Ka Munh Tedha Hai, the first collection of his poems, in the early 1960s. Ever since, the book has run into several editions, and is recognized as a modern classic.

Noam Chomsky

1928 - Present
Noam Avram Chomsky was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, 1928. He received his early education at Oak Lane Country Day School and Central High School, Philadelphia. He continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania where he studied linguistics, mathematics, and philosophy. In 1955, he received his Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania, however, most of the research leading to this degree was done at Harvard University between 1951 and 1955. Since receiving his Ph. D., Chomsky has taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he now holds the Ferrari P. Ward Chair of Modern Language and Linguistics. Noam was married to Carol Schatz on December 24, 1949 and has two children.
Between 1945 and 1950 Chomsky was a student at the University of Pennsylvania and began his study of linguistics. During this time, he proofread Zellig Harris’s Methods in Structural Linguistics and developed a sympathy for Harris’s ideas on politics. He was also a student of Nelson Goodman, the radical-empiricist philosopher. In 1951, he accepted nomination by Goodman as a Junior Fellow to Harvard University. In 1953, Chomsky traveled to Europe. En route, he resolved that his attempt to formalize structural linguistics would not work because language was a highly abstract generative phenomenon. Determined that his further work should concern models of this phenomenon.
Chomsky has made his reputation in linguistics. He learned some of the historical principles of linguistics from his father, William, who was a Hebrew scholar. In fact, some of his early research, which he did for his Masters, was on the modern spoken Hebrew language. Among his many accomplishments, he is most famous for his work on generative grammar, which developed from his interest in modern logic and mathematical foundations. As a result, he applied it to the description of natural languages. As a student, Noam was heavily influenced by Zellig Harris, who was Professor of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania. It was Chomsky’s sympathy to Harris’s political views that steered him toward work as a graduate student in linguistics.
Noam has always been interested in politics, and it is said that politics has brought him into the linguistics field. His political tendencies toward socialism and anarchism are a result of what he calls "the radical Jewish community in New York." Since 1965 he has become one of the leading critics of U.S. foreign policy. He published a book of essays called American Power and the New Mandarins which is considered to be one of the most substantial arguments ever against American involvement in Vietnam.
Chomsky is very respected and has been honored numerous times in the academic arena. He has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of London and the University of Chicago, as well as having been invited to lecture all over the world. In 1967, he delivered the Beckman Lectures at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1969, he presented the John Locke Lectures at the University of Oxford and Sherman Memorial Lectures at the University of London.