Beautiful Indian Ladies!
This list includes ladies who are of complete Indian heritage as well as females who are of Indian descent. I hope that clears any misunderstanding the viewers might have in the future. I hope everyone has fun reading this list. Thanks in advance for comments, feedback, and questions. Have a good well.
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- Actress
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Dilshad Vadsaria was born in Karachi, Pakistan, of Portuguese and Indian descent. She moved with her family to the US at the age of six and spent her childhood in various parts of the country, including Chicago, Richmond (Virginia) and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She eventually moved to New York to study acting. Although she has appeared in a few films, much of her work has been in television, with a regular role on the series Greek (2007) and guest appearances on such series as NCIS (2003) and Bones (2005).- Reshma Shetty was born on November 2, 1977 in Manchester, England, UK to Hindu parents. She was raised in England and Richmond, Virginia in the United States. She is a graduate of the famed Opera department at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. On stage, Reshma received rave reviews in 2006 for her performance as Priya in A.R. Rahman's and Andrew Lloyd Webber's First National tour of "Bombay Dreams", as well as critical praise in 2008 for her Off-Broadway debut in Ayub Khan-Din's "Rafta Rafta" at the New Group in New York.
Her work on stage immediately parlayed into her next success as she burst on to the small screen in USA's flagship series Royal Pains (2009) as one of television's first female South Asian series leads. Additional television credits include Showtime's Happyish (2015), Bravo's Odd Mom Out (2015), 30 Rock (2006), and CSI: Miami (2002). Her feature film credits include Steam (2007), Delivering the Goods (2012), Allegiance (2012), and Hated (2012). Since "Royal Pains" ended its eight and final season, she has been starring in CBS's Pure Genius (2016) as Dr. Talaikha Channarayapatra.
She is one of the beautiful faces of Cindy Crawford's "Meaningful Beauty" line and and is a dedicated member of the USA Network's "Characters Unite" program: an award winning public service campaign meant to raise awareness and combat prejudice and discrimination. - Syma Chowdhry is known for Preserving the Past (2023) and E-Asylum (2007).Pretty Indian American news anchor. I wish there had a picture to show people who beautiful this lady truly is. There was a photo of her, she might be even higher on this list.
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Born into a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modeling at a young age. This green-blue-eyed beauty appeared in advertisements for many prestigious firms; the ones that brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the Pepsi ad. Crowned Miss India 1994 runner-up, she was a hot favorite in the run for miss world title, which she won, her beauty and charm made her India's darling. Ash stormed into the Indian movie industry, where she has proven herself a brilliant & genuine actress. Her performance in Iruvar (1997) was critically acclaimed, and she won the Screen best female debutant award for her role in ...Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997). She was adored in movies like Taal (1999), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), her item number in 'Bunty & Bubbly' had sent waves of rhythm across the nation. With her successful Bollywood movies and prestigious Hollywood projects lined up for release it is impossible to ignore this Indian diva in international scenes.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Freida Selena Pinto was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India, to Sylvia, a school principal, and Frederick Pinto, a senior bank branch manager. She is from a Mangalorean family.
Pinto traversed the modeling circuit in Mumbai (represented by Elite Model Management India) for two years before gaining her big break when director Danny Boyle picked her out in the audition process to play the female lead, Latika, for his project Slumdog Millionaire (2008). In a promo interview, Boyle likened spotting her to his discovery of Kelly Macdonald for Trainspotting.
Surprisingly, Freida, who studied at Mumbai's St. Xaviers College, began taking acting classes (she has done amateur theater before) only after completing her debut film -- when she attended a three-month workshop by Barry John, the veteran theater guru.
Between 2006 and 2007, she anchored Full Circle, a travel show that was telecast on Zee International Asia Pacific. She went on assignments to Afghanistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Fiji, among other countries.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj on December 8, 1982 in St. James, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, New York. She grew up in a troubled family with a father that was a drug addict who later changed after he checked into rehab and started going to church. Minaj went to LaGaurdia High School and studied singing and acting.
She was first spotted by the CEO of Young Money, and was later recruited for The Carter Edition of Young Money's own "The Come Up" DVD series. Her rapping skills caught the eyes of Lil Wayne who later worked with her for many collaborations with his mixtapes.
In April 2007, Minaj released her first mixtape "Playtime Is Over". One year later she made another mixtape "Sucka Free" which made her Female Artist of the Year at the Underground Music Awards. In 2009 she made her third mixtape "Beam Me Up Scotty" which got positive reviews from BET and MTV.
To date, Nicki has released 3 platinum selling studio albums, Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, and the most recent The Pinkprintis of Indian descent- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Cassie is a singer, actress, model, songwriter, and dancer. Albums: Me&U, Long Way 2 Go Official Girl ft. Lil'Wayne Is it you
Cassandra is a 5 time National Grand Champion Twirler, because of twirling is how her modeling career started. Cassandra models for Abercrombie, Target, Jcpennys, Walmart, Dalias, Seventeen Magazine, Victorias Secret. She is part of OP Team, has a record deal with Bad Boys Entertainment And producer Ryan Leslie. Cassandra has a Baccalaureate of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from UIW.
Cassandra loves to sing, dance, shop and spend quality time with Family. She has a daughter named Cali who is 11yrs old. Her modeling manager is Trevor Donovan. Movie: Step Up 2, Perfect Matchis of Indian descent- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.is of Indian descent- Music Department
- Actress
- Producer
Rozonda Ocelean Thomas was born February 27, 1971 in Columbus, Georgia, to Ava Thomas and Abdul Ali. She has one son with producer Dallas Austin - they named him Tron. She is a very close friend of fellow member Tionne 'T-boz' Watkins' of TLC. The death of fellow band member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was a heavy loss. She has released three albums with T-Boz after Left Eye's death.is of Indian descent- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Norah Jones (born Geetali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is a daughter of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar and Sue Jones. She is Anoushka Shankar's half-sister.
In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away with Me, a fusion of country music and pop with elements of jazz which was certified diamond album, selling over 26 million copies. The record earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Her subsequent studio albums Feels Like Home, released in 2004; Not Too Late, released in 2007, the same year she made her film debut in My Blueberry Nights; and 2009's The Fall all gained Platinum status, selling over a million copies each and were generally well received by critics. Jones' fifth studio album, Little Broken Hearts, was released on April 27, 2012.
Jones has won nine Grammy Awards and was 60th on Billboard magazine's artists of the 2000-2009 decade chart. Throughout her career, Jones has won numerous awards and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade.
After her parents' separation in 1986, Jones spent her childhood with her mother in Grapevine, Texas. She attended Colleyville Middle School and Grapevine High School before transferring to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. While in high school, Jones sang in the school choir, participated in band and played the alto saxophone. At the age of sixteen, with her parents' consent, she officially changed her name to Norah Jones.
Jones began singing in church and also took piano and voice lessons as a child. She still attends church. She considers herself spiritual and appreciates the rituals of her church but does not consider herself deeply religious.
She attended Interlochen Center for the Arts during the summers. While at high school, she won the DownBeat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist (twice, in 1996 and 1997) and Best Original Composition (1996).
Jones attended the University of North Texas (UNT), where she majored in jazz piano and sang with the UNT Jazz Singers. During this time, she had a chance meeting with future collaborator Jesse Harris. She gave a ride to a band playing at the university whose members happened to be friends of Harris. He was on a cross-country road-trip with friend and future Little Willies member, Richard Julian, and stopped to see the band play. After meeting Jones, Harris started sending her lead sheets of his songs. In 1999, she left for New York City. Less than a year later, she founded a band with Harris which would prove to be the starting gun to her career.
With a successful solo career in full swing, Jones formed The Little Willies in 2003 alongside Richard Julian on vocals, Jim Campilongo on guitar, Lee Alexander on bass, and Dan Rieser on drums. The alternative country band released its eponymous first album in 2006 and For the Good Times in 2012.
In 2008 Jones formed another alternative country band with fellow friends and Brooklynites, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. Their debut full-length album, No Fools, No Fun, was released on July 15, 2014, by Blue Note Records.
Jones' solo albums include Come Away with Me (2002), Stay With Me (2003), Feels Like Home (2004), NotToo Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), and Foreverly with Billie Joe Armstrong (2013).
As of 2015, Norah Jones remains well-grounded in spite of her extraordinary success, and her humble, down-to-earth nature, combined with her brilliant musicianship continue to endear her to millions of fans around the world.is of Indian descent- Actress
Amrita was born in the Rao family on June 7, 1986 in Mumbai, She speaks Konkani. She comes from a well to do Hindu family. Her dad owns an Advertising Agency.
Amrita did not want to purse any career with Bollywood as she wanted to graduate in psychology, which she eventually did.
No stranger to cameras and bright lights, she has modeled for approximately 35 advertisements. Her first assignment was for Fairever Face Cream. Amongst other assignments that got her noticed were Hindustan Lever's 'Close-up' Cadbury's Perk, & Nestle Bru Coffee. Ken Ghosh approached Amrita for his debut movie Ishq Vishq after seeing her in the perk commercial, where she plays a hungry bride eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband on the religious occasion of 'Karva Chauth'. Ishq Vishq was a world-wide hit and made her famous virtually overnight. Amrita Rao is also a Brand Ambassador for D'Damas Gold Jewellery, Parachute Hair Oil, and Miss Players Apparels.
Her other hit movies Masti (2004), Main Hoon Na (2004) and Vivah (2006) added to her popularity and stardom. While 'Pyare Mohan', 'Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi', 'Shikhar' 'Deewar' were average at the box office. So far she has won 6 awards, mostly related to her performances in 'Ishq Vishk' and 'Vivah'.
Barely 12 movies' old, she is already quite well-known for her skilled performances and her dancing talent. Madhuri Dixit went gaga over her performance at the Filmfare Awards 2007. Renowned artist M.F Hussain chose her as his Muse and theme of paintings after Madhuri Dixit.
She also has a Telegu movie to her credit which turned out a huge box office hit. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi. She is passionate about reading short stories. Allergic to spicy Indian food, she prefers bland continental, and loves dessert such as Gulab Jamun
She has co-starred with Shahid Kapur, Zayed Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Akshay Khanna, and Mahesh Babu.
A winner of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award at the young age of 25, Amrita Rao is all set for her successful innings at Bollywood.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Asin was born in Cochin, Kerala, India in the Malayalam-speaking Thottumkal family which consists of her businessman dad, Joseph, and mom, Dr. Seline, who practices in Ernakulam. She attended Naval Public School in Cochin, and after obtaining her Matriculation, was enrolled in St. Theresa's Higher Secondary School. After successfully obtaining her Higher Secondary School Certificate, she enrolled in St. Theresa's College to continue studying in the Arts Faculty. After obtaining a Degree in B.A. English Literature, she assisted her dad in his business (which includes software, export of furniture and antiques) and also took up modeling on the side. Her modeling assignments included Colgate Toothpaste, and Fairever Cream.
This exposure got her noticed and she made her debut on the tinsel screen through director Sathyan Anthikad's "Narendaran Makan" with Malayalyee actor Kunjachacko Boban.
After her initial success, she was offered Telugu movies, and warmly welcomed in the Telugu film industry. It was a smooth transition from Telugu to Tamil with the film "M Kumaran s/o Mahalakshmi". Asin starred in the original Telugu version, so she was the obvious choice for the Tamil remake, opposite Jeyam Ravi. The movie was a super hit. What makes Asin hot in the Tamil film industry, apart from her looks, is that she has teamed up with all the top heroes -- Vijay, Ajith, Surya and now Vikram, in "Maja".
She speaks a wide range of languages such as Malyalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, French, and may well be the only Indian actress with a Blogspot in French. She is very active in various functions throughout Southern India, and credits her good upbringing to her parents, who she considers her role models. She was the winner of an entrepreneurial award as a teenager. She is fond of reading and has a huge collection of books.
Asin, along with her mom and dad, have left their Harrington Road apartment at Chetpet, Chennai, and have re-located to an apartment in Lokhandwala Complex, in Andheri (West), Mumbai, in order to enable her to debut in Bollywood movies.
She has had a taste of success at a very young age in Indian regional movies, it remains to be seen if her success will continue in Bollywood also.- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Dia Mirza was born on 9 December 1981 in Hyderabad in an interracial, German and Bengali family.
Her father Frank Handrich was a German graphic and industrial fair designer, architect, artist and interior designer and her mother Deepa excelled in interior and landscape design. She now volunteers as a counsellor at addiction centres.
As a student of J. Krishnamurti School, Dia learnt early to never conform to the limitations of the conditioned mind. Her education and family values made her world-view naturally inclusive and composite.
The hunger to chase every dream was encouraged at her school and at home.
That is why at the age of 16, while she was still a student, Dia began working towards financial independence. Modelling offers poured in and after endorsing brands like Lipton and Walls Ice Cream, she decided to dive deeper and participate in a beauty pageant that would transform her fate.
The Miss India Contest in 2000 made her a household name and then she won the Miss Asia-Pacific Pageant for India, after a span of nearly 29 long years.
Films were the next natural step. And Dia was ready to study the craft rather than take the opportunities coming her way for granted. Dia began her training as an actor in theatre workshops conducted by acclaimed director Feroz Abbas Khan and made her debut with Vashu Bhagnani's Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (2001), with Madhavan.
She then went on to appear in several memorable films, including the blockbuster Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006), Parineeta (2005), Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), Shootout at Lokhandwala (2007), Kurbaan (2009), Dus Kahaniyaan (2007), Tehzeeb (2003), Sanju (2018), Thappad (2020) and many more.
In 2012, Dia forayed into regional cinema with Bengali Filmmaker Pratim Dasgupta's festival favourite Paanch Adhyay. In the same year, she also added a new dimension to her cinematic career, by turning producer to form Born Free Entertainment. A production house mirroring her desire to seek the new constantly. 'Love Breakups Zindagi (2011)' and 'Bobby Jasoos (2014)' were produced under this banner.
In 2016, Dia made her debut on Indian television with the much loved show Ganga: The Soul of India where she took viewers on a breath-taking journey to rediscover the holy river and the many stories connected with it.
Her debut on a streaming platform as an actor was in Kaafir, a highly acclaimed 2019 web-series about the Indo-Pak cross border dispute. Critics and audiences were moved and stirred by Dia's award winning portrayal of a young woman's journey from innocence to devastation and then resilience and courage. The series and Dia's work in it continue to win accolades.
On her 38th birthday in 2019, Dia Mirza launched a new production house, One India Stories LLP, which aims to bring out meaningful content across different formats and mediums.
Dia and her hand-picked team plan to collaborate with gifted individuals from different film industries and also have women-led stories as part of the roster.
As an actor and individual, Dia has always believed in the power of one and in the thread of oneness and humanity that connects us all. One India Stories is a culmination of this thought and aims to create stories that remind us of our connection to each other and the planet.
In her career as a performer, and her subsequent work as a producer and a climate change-maker, Dia has made unconventional choices.
Today, she is not just an actor and a producer but a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador and United Nations Secretary-General Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals.
The search for the unknown, the less familiar continues.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Sridevi was born on August 13, 1963 in her father's hometown of Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, India. Her mother was from Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. So Sridevi grew up speaking Telugu and Tamil. She has a sister named Srilatha and a stepbrother named Satish. Her dad passed away during the year 1991, while her mom died during 1997.
She started her career at a very early age in 1967 as a child artiste in a Tamil movie 'Kandhan Karunai'. She also starred as a child actress in a Telugu movie 'Bangarakka' in 1977, and in a Malyalam movie 'Kumara Sambhavan' in 1969.
She made her foray on the Bollywood tinsel screen in 1975 as a child actor with the smash-hit 'Julie' in which she played the younger sister of the lead actress. Thereafter she started to act in adult roles in Hindi only from 1979. She appeared in 63 movies in Hindi; 62 in Telugu; 58 in Tamil; and 21 in Malyalam - in a career that has spanned from 1967 through to 2007.
Sridevi established strong onscreen pair with Kamal Hasan in Tamil films from 1977-1983 and then with Jeetendra in Hindi Films from 1983-1988 which helped her get foothold in Hindi films. Her initial claim to fame was appearing as romantic interest to established stars NTR, ANR, Krishna Ghattamaneni,Vishnuvardhan in Telugu and Kannada films from 1978-1985.She has four hits with Rajesh Khanna and then from late 80's till 1996 her pair with Anil Kapoor was popular. But she became popular all over India, thanks to Tamil films' remakes in Hindi in 1983-1990 which were produced and directed by the same team which had made the southern version first and in these films she was cast opposite Rajesh Khanna or Jeetendra.
She has also appeared in the TV series 'Malini Iyer', judged a TV show 'Kaboom' as well as appeared in numerous print and TV ads. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Asian Academy of Film & Television.
Sridevi went on to get married to her co-star, Anil Kapoor's older brother, Boney, on June 2, 1996. They are now parents of two daughters: Jhanvi and Khushi.
She made a comeback to films with "English Vinglish" in 2012.
She passed away on 24 February 2018 by accidental drowning in bathtub during her stay at the hotel Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai UAE, when she was attending the wedding of Bollywood actor Mohit Marwah in Dubai, UAE. She was 54 years old.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Anushka Sharma was born on 1 May 1988 in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Colonel Ajay Kumar Sharma, is an army officer, and her mother, Ashima Sharma, is a homemaker. Her father is a native of Uttar Pradesh, while her mother is a Garhwali. Her elder brother is film producer Karnesh Sharma, who earlier served in the Merchant Navy. Prior to joining the navy, Karnesh played for the under-19 Bangalore Ranji cricket team. Sharma has stated that being a military brat played an important role in shaping her as a person and contributing to her life. In an interview with The Times of India in 2012, she said, "I take pride in saying that I am an army officer's daughter even more than being an actor. She studied in Army School and graduated with specialization in arts from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She then moved to Mumbai to further her modeling career. Sharma says she originally wished to make it big in the modeling world but had no strong aspirations for films. She began her modeling career at the Lakme Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks's Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks's finale model at the Spring Summer '07 Collection. Since then she has done campaigns for Silk & Shine, Whisper, Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio.
Her first acting role was in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was a huge success and her performance was appreciated. Film critic Taran Adarsh said, "Anushka looks the character and surprises you with a confident performance. It's no small achievement to share screen space with an actor of the caliber of SRK and Anushka manages it very well from start to end." Her second film, Badmaash Company, also under Yash Raj Films, was released on May 7, 2010. She was praised for breaking out of the shell of the conservative and homely Taani to play the feisty and independent Bulbul, and her performance was applauded.
She has two other projects on hand. She began shooting for her first venture outside of Yash Raj with Nikhil Advani and Akshay Kumar in Patiala House in December 2009. Patiala House is scheduled to be released on February 11, 2011. She has also started filming for her third Yash Raj Film, Band Baaja Baaraat, directed by Maneesh Sharma and co-starring debutant Ranveer Singh.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Fate intervened when Bipasha recoiled and passed out when dissecting a rat. Thus ended her dream of being a medical professional. She was enrolled in the science faculty until 12th standard, but switched to commerce thereafter. After acquiring a degree in commerce she planned to be a chartered accountant but ended up being the Ford Supermodel of the World when she was just 17 years old.
Bipasha was born on January 7th 1979 in New Delhi. subsequently the Basu family re-located to Calcutta. Bipasha is the second of three sisters, born and brought up in a Hindu Bengali family, she is fluent in Hindi, English, and Bengali. The names of her sisters are Bidisha and Bijoyeta. Unbelievable as it may sound, sexy Bipasha was considered 'ugly' in her younger years due to her dark complexion. Her name means 'Dark Deep Desire', and is also the name of a river.
After her triumph as the Ford Supermodel, she went on to be crowned Miss Vivacious sponsored by Tulips.
Bipasha made her foray into Bollywood with Ajnabee (2001) in 2001, and subsequently acquired a place for herself in the tinsel world. She went to star in Raaz (2002), Jism (2003), No Entry (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Corporate (2006) & Dhoom 2 (2006). All of these movies did fairly well at the box office, and escalated her position as not only a leading lady, but one who can dare to bare. Dhoom 2 (2006) also credits her as a playback singer.
She has also appeared in two music videos, and was one of the judges in the 2004 Femina Miss India beauty pageant.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
"You have outdone Smita Patil," said Shekhar Kapur, when he saw Chitrangda Singh's performance in her debut movie Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003). And he is not the only one. Time and again Chitrangda has been compared to the legendary Smita Patil.
Chitrangda began her career as a model prior to making the transition to the silver screen. Chitrangda also acted in the 2005 film Kal: Yesterday and Tomorrow (2005). She took a break from acting from 2005 to 2008 after her marriage to Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa. She made her film acting comeback with the leading role opposite Sanjay Suri in the film Sorry Bhai! (2008) Her recent release was Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011).
Chitrangda is the face of popular brands like Aliva, Parachute Advansed and Garnier Age Lift. Chitrangda Singh is back and here to stay!- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Deepika Padukone, born 5 January 1986 in Copenhagen, Denmark, is an Indian model and actress. She is the daughter of former badminton champion Prakash Padukone. Her mother tongue is Konkani. Deepika has a younger sister named Anisha.
She has been modeling appearances in print and television advertising campaigns for Liril, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, receiving many prestigious modeling offers, including brand ambassadorship of the Jewels of India, an annual jewelry exhibition. She hit the international scene when Maybelline made her their new international cover-girl face.
At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards, for Indian models and designers, she was awarded the title of Model of the Year. Shortly after wards, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006, thus cementing her reputation as a supermodel. She also bagged two trophies at the Idea Zee F Awards in 2006 - female Model of the year (Commercial Assignments) and Fresh Face of the year.- Actress
- Producer
Genelia D'Souza is an Indian actress, model, and host. She has appeared in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam language films. After gaining wide attention in a Parker Pen commercial with Amitabh Bachchan, D'Souza began her acting career with Tujhe Meri Kasam in 2003. She was recognized for her role in Boys the same year, and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films during 2003-2005. D'Souza received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, Bommarillu, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in Santosh Subramaniam, a Tamil remake of Bommarillu, and the Bollywood movie Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. Having acted in several commercially successful movies in Telugu and Tamil, D'Souza has established herself as one of the leading actresses of the South Indian film industry.In addition to movie acting, D'Souza has hosted the television show Big Switch, and is the brand ambassador of Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, and Perk in India- Actress
- Music Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kareena was born to Sindhi-speaking Babita (nee Shivdasani) and Punjabi-speaking Randhir Kapoor in Bombay, India. She has an elder sister, Karisma.
She is born in a family that have been actors for generations, including her paternal great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor; her grandfather, Raj Kapoor; her paternal uncles, Shammi, Shashi, Rishi, and Rajiv; as well as aunt, Neetu Singh, & Jennifer Kendall, the wives of Rishi and Shashi respectively. On her maternal side, her grandfather, Hari Shivdasani, and aunt, Sadhana, have been actors in their own rights.
As a child she studied in Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu, Bombay, and thereafter was enrolled in Dehra Dun's prestigious Welham Girls' Boarding School. Then she re-located to Harvard for approximately 3 months to take a course in information technology and microcomputers. Upon her return to India, she joined the Government Law College in Churchgate, Bombay, but left it after one year, to enroll in the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting School.
Her film debut was in the year 2000 with Refugee (2000) along with the debut of Amitabh Bachchan's son, Abhishek. She went on to appear in 31 other Hindi movies, and has thus far won four awards for her performances in Refugee (2000), Chameli (2003), Dev (2004), and Omkara (2006).
She is one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood, considered bankable, with an enviable A-listing and as of June 2007 is to appear in 'Tashan', 'Lajjo', 'Kismat Talkies' amongst others.
In 2012, she married actor Saif Ali Khan, son of actress Sharmila Tagore.- Producer
- Actress
- Casting Department
Niharika Singh is an Indian film actress and producer.
After playing 'Bharat Mata' in a school play as a child, Niharika went on to participate in children theatre workshops conducted by 'Sahitya Kala Parishad' (the cultural wing of Govt. of NCT of Delhi), performing in plays in her summer vacations. Her interest in co-curricular activities were encouraged when she was sent to a boarding school as a teenager. Singh began working as a model to earn a little income when she was in college and after a short stint in Delhi, moved to Mumbai to expand her career in the entertainment business.
Niharika participated in the Miss India beauty pageant in 2005 and won the title of Femina Miss India Earth along with subtitles for Miss Photogenic and Miss Beautiful hair. She appeared in several television commercials, print ads, music videos, fashion magazines, hosted a reality series and signed a ten-film contract with Bollywood director Raj Kanwar in 2006 that never saw the light of the day. After a series of unreleased and shelved films, Niharika made her feature film debut with the critically acclaimed 'Miss Lovely' which competed in Un Certain Regard at the 2012 Cannes film Festival. Singh won a nomination for the Most promising newcomer at the 21st Screen Awards for her portrayal of a struggling actress in the film.
After her tryst with Cannes and other international festivals, Niharika joined a course at the Film and Television Institute of India to expand her interest in the medium & stepped away from public life. She occasionally made brief appearances in a few independent films over the next decade and actively chose not to participate in any promotional activities during this period.
In 2016, Niharika was selected for Berlinale Talents.
She joined Future East, a Mumbai based film production company in 2019 and co-founded Future East Digital with filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia and creative director Amit Basak in 2020. Singh turned producer with the TV series - CLA$$ (Season 1) for Netflix in 2023.- Actress
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Juhi was born in the Chawla family on November 13, 1967 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, and is the daughter of Punjabi-speaking dad, Dr. S. Chawla and Gujarati-speaking mom, Mona. She has a brother named Sanjeev. Her mother passed away in an accident during the year 1998 while Juhi was filming 'Duplicate'.
After completing her school in Ludhiana, the Chawla family moved to Bombay, Maharashtra, India, where Juhi attended at Sydenham College. After graduating, she entered in the Miss India competition and was crowned 'Miss India 1984', taking over from Miss India 1983, Rekha Hande.
Her first appearance on the tinsel screen was as Zarina in the 1986 release 'Sultanat'. She shot to fame after the release of 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' opposite Aamir Khan. As of August 2007, she has been bestowed with three awards for her performance in 'Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke', 'Duplicate', and '3 Deewarein'.
Juhi got married to multi-millionaire industrialist, Jai Mehta during the year 1998. Since then the couple have a daughter, Jhanvi, and son, Arjun.
Juhi continues to act in movies, and also makes appearances in many off-beat movies, rather than the mainstream cinema with which she started her career. She also appears in a number of TV ad commercials.- Actress
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Vidya was born in Palghat, Kerala, India. Her family consists of her dad, P.R. Balan, who is the Vice-President of ETC Channel; mom - a home-maker, and an elder sister, Priya, who is married to Kedar. She also has an aunt by the name of Raji Raju.
The Balan family re-located to live at Road No. 11, near Ambedkar Garden, Chembur, Bombay, when Vidya was very young. She studied in St. Anthony's Convent School, and thereafter in St. Xavier's College from where she obtained a degree in Sociology. She then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Sociology from Bombay University.
She also studied and performed in Prithvi Theaters' workshops. Due to tradition of most Tamil-Iyer families, Vidya and her Priya learned Carnatic dance form during their early childhood days, but Vidya opted out as the dance classes took place early on Sunday mornings and as she is not an early riser.
Considerably overweight, rather tomboyish, during her school-days, and an ardent fan of Shahrukh Khan, she decided to shed those extra pounds when she elected to opt for modeling and movies.
Facing disappointment after being rejected by a Tamil producer, she nevertheless persisted until she got her first break with a Malyalam movie 'Chakram' opposite Mohanlal, however, the project was shelved, and she had to wait until 1998 to debut in a Surf Excel commercial. She then went on to appear in several commercials directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She completed nearly 90 such ads.
She appeared in three music videos for Pankaj Udhas, Euphoria, and Shubha Mudgal in supporting roles. She then also appeared in two TV serials Ekta Kapoor's 'Hum Paanch', and Ashok Pandit's 'Hanste Khelte'.
During 2003 she was signed-up to play a role in a Bengali movie 'Bhaalo Theko' opposite Joy Sengupta. This project was completed during the year 2006, and was a considerable hit.
Then during 2006 Vidya was approached by Vidhu Vinod Chopra during a pop-concert in Mumbai to play a lead role in 'Parineeta'. She then had to undergo 17 make-up shoots and 40 screen tests before being chosen for this role. All this hard work did result in success as 'Parineeta' was very well received so much so that the Tamil producer, who had previously rejected her, invited her to appear in a 'Dasavatharam' opposite Kamal Hassan, and now it was Vidya's turn to reject this offer which eventually went to 'Asin'.
Apart from acting, Vidya occupies herself for supporting education for young Indians by promoting children's' books; is associated with Americans for Aids Research; with Hale House - that provides support and housing for children born with HIV and drug abuse; as well as hosting forums and attending events for Harvard Aids Institute.
When she was single, she was never involved in any scandal and claimed to get along well with both female and male friends. In 2012, she married producer Siddharth Roy Kapur
An ardent devotee of Bhagwan Shri Sai Baba, she makes it a point to attend Mandirs every Thursday. She is proficient in Tamil, Malyalam, Hindi, English, Bengali, and can also read Urdu.- Actress
Rani Mukerji is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including seven Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the highest-paid actresses of the 2000s.
Mukerji make her debut in her father directorial Bengali film Biyer Pool (1996). Her first Hindi film was the drama film Raja Ki Aayegi Bharat (1997). Mukerji first commercial success film was Ghulam (1998) which paired her with actor Aamir Khan, and followed by the worldwide blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) make her first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan.
Mukerjis is known for her versatility. Her performances often sited as the most iconic and remarkable role in Hindi cinema. She established her career in the early 2000s with successful films including Saathiya (2002), Chalte Chalte (2003), Hum Tum (2004), Veer Zaara (2004), Bunty Aur Babli (2005), and Black (2005) later to be her best performance of her life time career.
Following the birth of her child, Mukerji took a four-year hiatus to focus on her daughter and was persuaded by her husband, Aditya Chopra, to return to acting. Mukerji makes her comeback with the all-time blockbuster film Hichki in 2018, which emerged as her highest-grossing release film of all time. She is continued her acting career with successful thriller Mardaani 2 (2019) and the drama Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway (2023).- Actress
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Priyanka Chopra Jonas (née Chopra) was born on July 18, 1982 in Jamshedpur, India, to the family of Capt. Dr. Ashok Chopra and Dr. Madhu Chopra, both Indian Army physicians. She had a very varied upbringing. She started her education at La Martinière Girls College in Lucknow as a resident student; a short stay at Maria Goretti College in Bareilly prepared her for further studies in the U.S. Having completed tenth grade in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., she decided to become a software engineer or a criminal psychologist. She enjoys Indian music and dance; flair for writing poetry and short stories; reading, especially biographies; and has worked for a lot of social welfare programs.- Actress
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Tabu is an Indian actress. She has mainly acted in Hindi films, though she has also starred in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali-language films, as well as one American film. She has won the National Film Award for Best Actress twice, and holds the record for the most wins of Filmfare's Critics Award for Best Female Performer, with four. With few exceptions, she is best known for acting in artistic, low-budget films that go on to garner more critical appreciation than substantial box-office figures. Her appearances in commercially successful films were few, and her parts in these films were small, such as Border (1997), Saajan Chale Sasural (1996), Biwi No. 1 (1999) and Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). Her most notable performances include Maachis (1996), Virasat (1997), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Astitva (2000), Chandni Bar (2001), Maqbool (2003) and Cheeni Kum (2007). Her leading role in Mira Nair's American film The Namesake (2006) also drew major praise.
Regarded as one of the most talented Indian actresses of her generation, Tabu is known to be selective about her film roles. She was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2011 by the Government of India for her contributions towards the arts.- Actress
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Bhanurekha was born in the Tamil-speaking Ganesan household on October 10, 1954. Her dad was the popular Tamil actor, Gemini, while her mom was a popular Telugu actress, Pushpavalli. She has seven sisters and one brother. One of her sisters is Dr. Kamala Selvaraj, while another one, Radha, lives in San Francisco with a son named Naveed, who is being readied to act in Bollywood movies.
No stranger to the tinsel screen, Bhanurekha acted in a Telugu movie 'Rangula Ratnam' as Baby Bhanurekha along with her mom during 1966, which was subsequently re-made and released in Hindi during 1976 as Rangila Ratan (1976). She acted in one more Telugu as well as one Kannada movie (Amma Kosam and Goadalli CID 999 respectively) before re-locating to Bombay.
Due to her background, she ended up being very gloomy and pessimistic during her early years. She get a chance to debut in Bollywood movies during 1970 with Sawan Bhadon (1970) opposite Navin Nischol with a screen name of Rekha. Inability to speak Hindi, a dusky complexion as well as her weight did not exactly add to her assets in a predominantly fair-skinned, Hindi-speaking North-Indian film industry.
She decided to take matters seriously, took Yoga, shed those extra pounds, learned Hindi and dancing, and thus was born a new and much improved Rekha - who went on to deliver one box office hit after another for example Nagin (1976), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Khubsoorat (1980), Umrao Jaan (1981), Khoon Bhari Maang (1988) amongst others. In her later years she has taken up character roles and appeared as a mother, even a grandmother in Krrish (2006).
Her slim, slender looks got her many admirers, including well established Bollywood actors such as Kiran Kumar , Jeetendra, Vinod Mehra, and Amitabh Bachchan'. In 2004, in a television interview with Simi Garewal, she rejected a long-standing rumor that she was once married to Vinod Mehra. She referred to him as a well-wisher and stated that her only marriage was to a businessman, Mukesh Aggarwal. This marriage ended when Mukesh killing himself shortly thereafter, leaving her a widow. She has never remarried.
She likes to surf the Internet, has written biographies of actresses like Zeenat Aman, and Salma Agha on IMDb, likes to collect old photographs and postcards, mimic people, watch movies, and practices Yoga regularly, read comics like Archie and Dennie the Menace, and is a vegetarian. She now lives with her Secretary, Farzana, and pets in a self-owned bungalow in Bandra (West)in Mumbai.- Actress
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Mahie Gill was born in Chandigarh, Punjab. She has completed her Masters in theater from Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1998. Mahi got her first break with the Punjabi based Bollywood film Hawayein and has done a couple of Punjabi films along with theatre. Anurag saw her first in a party and instantly finalized her to play the character of Paro in movie Dev D. Gill, and is set to appear in UTV's Aage se right opposite Shreyas Talpade and Paan Singh Tomar with Irrfan Khan.- Actress
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AGAM DARSHI is an award winning actress, writer and director working internationally in TV, Film and Theater.
She worked with Ava DuVernay's series DMZ for HBOMAX, as Mia Franklin working opposite Rosario Dawson. She also starred in Oscar nominated director Deepa Mehta's newest film FUNNY BOY based on Shyam Selvadurai's best selling novel, for which Agam was nominated for a CANADIAN SCREEN AWARD IN 2021, and won a Leo Award for her performance.
Agam wrote, produced and directed DONKEYHEAD. The film, starring Agam as Mona Ghuman, also stars Kim Coates (Son's of Anarchy), Sandy Sidhu (Nurses), Stephen Lobo (Nancy Drew, Snow Piercer) and Husein Mandhavji (Shitt's Creek), was Executive Produced by Deepa Mehta. DONKEYHEAD was acquired by Array Distribution and premiered on Netflix USA/UK/AUS/NZ on January 21 2022. It was the opening film for the Mosaic Film Festival where it screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, and won Best Feature Film Award, Best Support Actor and Best editing. Agam won best direction in a feature film at the Vancouver Women's International Film Festival and was the opening film at 75th Yorkton International Film Festival in May. Donkeyhead won 3 Leo Awards in 2022 for best screenplay, best lead actress and best lead actor. Agam was also awarded best director at the 43rd Durban International Film Festival in 2022. Agam was been nominated for outstanding achievement in directing for the 2022 Director's Guild of Canada Awards and wonBest Lead Performance by a Female at the 2022 ACTRA/UBCP awards.
Agam recently co created and directed the pilot episode of the TV Series Our Big Punjabi Family, set to premiere in 2023.
Agam is a recipient of the illustrious Film Independent Project Involve 2020 Fellowship as a writer, and is the co-founded the VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL (VISAFF). Currently in its tenth year, the festival focuses on 'bridging the gap' between South Asian talent and mainstream audiences, by breaking stereotypes and expanding North American views on South Asian culture.- Actress
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The intriguing thing about Tehmina Sunny is that she seamlessly fits into a plethora of ethnicities from around the world. Her ethnically ambiguous looks and super sharp skills with accents gives her an international appeal. Born in London, Sunny has played characters from the Middle East, South America, North America, Native American, Spain, Italy, North Africa and the Indian sub continent.- Actress
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Nishi Munshi has been an Actress, Singer, Musician and Choreographer/Dancer in the entertainment industry for 15 years. Her family traveled and performed in a music band throughout her childhood around the USA and in other countries. Growing up on stage, she has performed in over 1,000 live-stage shows singing, drumming, and dancing. She practiced Mixed Martial Arts and Tae Kwon Do which helped her land her first gig on an Indian feature film 'My Name is Khan'. Over the years, her credits in acting and music include working with: NBC, CBS, USA Network, FOX, Warner Bros., and Lifetime. Some of her fan favorite roles have been on 'Jane the Virgin', Gia on 'The Originals', 'Pretty Little Liars', and Erica Malick on FOX's 'Lethal Weapon'. She's enjoying working on her fourth video game with previous fan favorites as Devi in 'The Order 1886' and Rikki Patil in 'Days Gone' under Sony Playstation. In her independent film experience, her production team was able to sell their first feature film at AFI and obtain private funding and successful filming for which she served as an Executive Producer and took her first stab at directing scenes for the film.
Being a skilled Classical (Kathak, Bharatnatiyam) and 'Bollywood' dancer, she had the opportunity to choreograph and dance with prominent artists: Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo and the acclaimed Michael Jackson's Cirque ONE show.
As an advocate for human rights, she served as a board member for Valley Family Center (victims of domestic violence) for one year and her volunteer work has ranged from tutoring/mentoring at-risk youth all over Los Angeles to India at Shanti Bhavan Non-Profit School. Her Webisodes, Youtube videos, book of poetry and novel that she is working on are aimed to raise funds for human rights activism and educating at-risk youth.- Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Nora Downey and Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon. She has an older and a younger brother. Her father is of Bengali Indian and English descent, and her mother is Irish. In 1984, when Mitra was eight, her parents divorced, and she was sent to boarding school. She spent several years at two different schools, including Roedean, but Mitra claims she was eventually expelled from both of them.
Mitra's first main role came as Scott Wolf's illicit love interest on Party of Five (1994). In 2000, Mitra had a small, key role in the film Hollow Man (2000), as the rape victim of Kevin Bacon, an incident that drives his character insane. She had a main role in the medical drama Gideon's Crossing (2000), as "Dr. Alejandra Ollie Klein". Mitra then had roles in Ali G Indahouse (2002); Sweet Home Alabama (2002); Stuck on You (2003), and leading roles in Highwaymen (2004) and Spartacus (2004). Mitra appeared in the final season of The Practice (1997) as "Tara Wilson", and continued that role into its spin-off Boston Legal (2004), but left not long into the second season. In 2005, Mitra played the role of "Kit McGraw" during Season 3 of Nip/Tuck (2003). Mitra then went on to appear in Skinwalkers (2006), The Number 23 (2007) and Shooter (2007). In 2008, Mitra starred in the lead role of the science fiction/action film Doomsday (2008) as "Major Eden Sinclair", and, in 2009, went on to star in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009) as "Sonja", the daughter of the powerful vampire elder, "Viktor" (played by Bill Nighy).
Mitra appeared as the live action model for "Lara Croft", the lead character in Eidos Interactive's Tomb Raider video game series. She was ranked #46 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001. - Actress
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Hannah Simone stars on FOX's hit series, New Girl (2011), opposite Zooey Deschanel. Simone hosted HGTV Canada's popular design show, "Space for Living", before moving onto Canada's largest music channel, "MuchMusic". After MuchMusic, Simone moved to Los Angeles, where she hosted two seasons of WCG Ultimate Gamer (2009), for the SyFy channel. Simone recently completed production on H+ (2011), the second Warner Premiere Digital Web series, made in conjunction with Dolphin Entertainment and produced by Bryan Singer. Born in London, Simone grew up living abroad and participating in local theater productions in Saudi Arabia, India, Greece and Canada. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, she majored in International Relations and Political Science, before going on to work as a human rights and refugee officer with the United Nations in London.- Actress
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Sheetal Sheth is an acclaimed actress, author, and producer, known for her provocative performances in a wide range of memorable roles on film and television. Sheetal burst onto the scene with raves in the groundbreaking films, 'ABCD' and Slamdance winner, 'American Chai.' She broke out and won hearts in 'Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World' opposite Albert Brooks, as the female lead, Maya, winning the role after an extensive international casting search.
Raised in a small New Jersey city, she discovered her passion for acting in high school and subsequently enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. After supplementing her education with a summer in Amsterdam as part of the intensive, International Theatre Workshop studying under renowned acting teachers like Kristin Linklater, she graduated with honors.
Sheetal has become a favorite in the independent film world. She won 3 Best Actress nods on the festival circuit for 'The World Unseen,' 1 for her role in 'Wings of Hope,' and most recently for 'Grin,' which she also produced. In 2012, fans voted her 'Favorite Movie Actress' in AfterEllen's Visibility Awards. To date, she has starred in over 20 feature films and has earned a loyal, international following.
Sheth began her career at a time when few South Asians were making their living as actors. Despite being told she'd have to change her name to work, her successful career has trail-blazed paths for other women of color across media. Sheth supports marginalized communities not only through her own pioneering work as an actor, but by also appearing at workshops and panels and speaking directly to issues facing those communities. Sheetal has represented brands such as Reebok and CHI hair care and has appeared on the cover of magazines including Anokhi, Audrey, Woman International, and Seema. She is known as an outspoken advocate and has delivered talks and keynotes at festivals and charity galas. She's had op-eds published on CNN and Thrive Global. She served in President Clinton's AmeriCorps and is currently on the advisory board of Equality Now and an ambassador for CA First Partner, Jennifer Newsom's The Representation Project. Her extensive background in working with kids led her into the world of children's literature and her first children's book, Always Anjali was published in 2018 to wide acclaim. It won the 2019 Purple Dragonfly Storybook Grand Prize (voted on by teachers and librarians) and is set to be a series.- Actress
Lisa Ray was finishing high school in Canada with aspirations of majoring in Journalism at University when a celebrated fashion magazine approached her to model for them, and she ended up on the cover. This catapulted her into a state of instant celebrity. Her high-profile career got her noticed by Indian filmmakers, but she refused many offers until the offbeat _Kasoor (2000)_, which received a considerable amount of attention. Indian-Canadian director Deepa Mehta then cast her as the lead in the lighthearted romantic comedy Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), which went on to be a huge success in Canada. She subsequently moved to London to study acting and concentrate on a serious career in the performing arts. After graduating from drama school she was reunited with Deepa Mehta in the critically lauded Water (2005). She has since carved out a challenging variety of characterizations- everything from a farm girl to a femme fatale- which is a testament to her adaptability and desire for challenge.- Producer
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Padma Lakshmi was born on 1 September 1970 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India. She is a producer and actress, known for Glitter (2001), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) and Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020). She was previously married to Salman Rushdie.- Laila Rouass was born in London to Moroccan/Indian parents. Laila studied in Britain but decided to drop her studies and travel in India for a few months. A few months turned into six years. Whilst living in Bombay, she worked for MTV, BBC, and TNT. Her step into movies came when she was spotted by Italian director Aditya Bhattacharya and whisked off to Messina to shoot Senso unico (1999).
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Saira Mohan is known for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Teen Patti (2010) and David Blaine: Street Magic (1997).- Actress
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Janina Zione Gavankar (born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician. Gavankar is also trained as a pianist, vocalist, and orchestral percussionist. She majored in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Gavankar's roles include Papi, a lesbian lothario in The L Word; Leigh Turner, a police officer on The Gates; Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft branded search engine who commented on the user's searches; Shiva, the namesake of the sought-after trophy on The League; shapeshifter Luna Garza on HBO's True Blood; McKenna Hall on The CW's Arrow; and Meredith Bose on NBC's The Mysteries of Laura. She also played Diana Thomas on FOX's supernatural drama Sleepy Hollow.
Gavankar was born in Joliet, Illinois, to Peter Ganesh Gavankar, an engineer from Mumbai, who first traveled to the U.S. to pursue a master's degree, and Mohra Gavankar, from Pune, Maharashtra, who also emigrated to the U.S. from India. Her mother is half-Indian and half-Dutch.
Gavankar has acted in theatre, film, television, and online. Her most notable roles include Iden Versio, canon Star Wars character, and protagonist of Star Wars: Battlefront II, shapeshifter Luna Garza in True Blood, lesbian lothario Papi in The L Word; Ms. Dewey, the personification of a Microsoft live search engine; and Shiva, the namesake of the sought after trophy on The League. She regularly appears in Funny or Die shorts.
In 2006 she joined the cast of The L Word as a series regular, and shot all of the clips used for Ms. Dewey. In 2007, she landed a lead in CW pilot Dash 4 Cash. In 2008, Gavankar appeared in TV series Stargate Atlantis, Grey's Anatomy and NCIS, My Boys, and Factory. In 2009, she appeared in the TV shows The Cleaner, Dollhouse, Three Rivers, and The League, as well as indie movies Men, Interrupted, Indian Gangster, and Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. Gavankar played the voice of Nikki in Quantum Quest. She landed a lead role in The Gates, since cancelled, on ABC. She appears on CW's Arrow as a vice squad police officer and brief girlfriend to Oliver Queen.
Gavankar is an admitted gamer and has appeared on, as well as co-hosted, G4 TV's Attack of the Show!, Epileptic Gaming's Up All Night, where she helped review Rock Band, Burnout Paradise, and Army of Two.
In 2011 Gavankar became a series regular in HBO's True Blood as a public school teacher and shapeshifter, Luna Garza, who gets romantically involved with one of the main characters of the series.
Her indie movie, Satellite of Love, premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival in 2012, and her 2012 indie I'm Afraid of Virginia Wolf is in post-production. On December 20, 2012, Gavankar was the last person interviewed for the now cancelled Attack of the Show! which aired on G4 TV.
On August 3, 2013, Gavankar landed a role as a witch named Qetsiyah in the fifth season of The Vampire Diaries. She guest starred in the third season of Husbands.
In 2014, she starred as Amita in the video game, Far Cry 4. She also played Detective Meredith Bose on The Mysteries of Laura from 2014 to 2016.
She starred as Iden Versio, the main character in the campaign mode of the 2017 Electronic Arts video game Star Wars Battlefront II.
In 2018, she has two films releasing. Blindspotting is premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is being distributed by A24.
Gavankar returned to music with a cover of Kanye West's "Love Lockdown". Gavankar's former all female singing group, Endera, was signed to Cash Money Records Universal Records.
She collaborated on a project for a song called "Tell Me What" in India with Pratichee Mohapatra of Viva, Deep, and Navraaz. She has had songs licensed to movies and television, and has sung and played marimba on film scores. Gavankar was featured in Russian artist Ella Leya's music video for "Wish I Could", in the music video by San Francisco-based band Recliner for their single "Float Away", as well as the music video for Manu Narayan's band Darunam.
In August 2012, she released the single for her upcoming EP, entitled Waiting for Godot, and in November, Billboard premiered the official music video. It went on to win numerous film festival awards.
While in high school, Gavankar auditioned for the front ensemble of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Rockford, Illinois. Before hearing whether she had made the corps, she was accepted for the Yale School of Drama's summer camp, and went there. "I fell in love with drum corps when I was 13 years old", Gavankar has stated, and remains a strong fan of the activity. When she heard the Martin Garrix/Usher collaboration, "Don't Look Down", she had the idea of performing it as marching music. With assistance from Drum Corps International, she contacted the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps and arranger Colin Bell. She went into the studios in New York with fifty members of Jersey Surf and recorded the music video "Don't Look Down- #JustAddDrumCorps Edition" that was released in April 2015.
On May 20, 2015, Gavankar performed a percussion duet at Carnegie Hall with Questlove for the Best Buddies charity benefit.- Actress Noureen DeWulf was born in New York and raised in Georgia. Her parents are from Pune, India. She was educated at Boston University's School of the Arts. One of DeWulf's first roles was in the Oscar winning short West Bank Story (2005). Acting success continued with roles in TV hits such as CSI: NY (2004), Numb3rs (2005), Outsourced (2010) and Hawthorne (2009). Feature film projects include Ocean's Thirteen (2007) and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). In 2012, DeWulf was cast alongside Charlie Sheen in the TV series Anger Management (2012).
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Aarti Mann was born in Connecticut, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Recruit (2022), Never Have I Ever (2020) and The Big Bang Theory (2007). She is married to Purvesh Mankad. They have one child.- Actress
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Zuleikha Robinson was born in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Hidalgo (2004), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Homeland (2011). She was previously married to Sean Doyle.- Actress
Navi Rawat was born on 5 June 1977 in Malibu, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Feast (2005), The O.C. (2003) and Numb3rs (2005). She has been married to Brawley Nolte since 2012. They have one child.- Actress
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Indira Anne Varma (born 27 September 1973) is a British actress. Her film debut and first major role was in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. She has gone on to appear in the television series The Canterbury Tales, Rome, Luther, Human Target, and Game of Thrones (as Ellaria Sand). In September 2016, she began starring in the ITV/Netflix series Paranoid, as DS Nina Suresh.
Varma was born in Bath, Somerset, the only child of an Indian father and a Swiss mother who was of part Genoese Italian descent; her parents were relatively elderly and were often mistaken for her grandparents. She was a member of Musical Youth Theatre Company and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, in 1995.
Varma has had a number of television and film roles, including Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love in 1997 and Bride and Prejudice in 2004, and the young Roman wife Niobe during the first season of BBC/HBO's historical drama series Rome. Her character appeared briefly in the second season of the award-winning series when it aired on 14 January 2007.
In 2006, she played Suzie Costello in the first and eighth episodes, "Everything Changes" and "They Keep Killing Suzie", of BBC Three's science-fiction drama series Torchwood. She appeared as Dr Adrienne Holland in the CBS medical drama 3 lbs which premiered on 14 November 2006 and was cancelled on 30 November 2006 due to poor ratings. Varma guest starred in the fourth-season premiere of hit US detective drama Bones as Scotland Yard Inspector Cate Pritchard. She also played the role of Zoe Luther in the first series of the BBC drama Luther.
Varma played the role of Ilsa Pucci in the second season of the Fox series Human Target until the show was cancelled on 10 May 2011.
Varma played the role of Ellaria Sand, the paramour of Oberyn Martell in season 4 of the HBO show Game of Thrones, and reprised the role in seasons 5, 6 and 7.
She lent her voice to the Circle mage Vivienne, in the 2014 role-playing video game Dragon Age: Inquisition.
In 2016, she played the lead role of DC Nina Suresh in the eight-episode British television drama Paranoid, streamed worldwide on Netflix.
In 1997, Varma played Bianca in Shakespeare's Othello at the National Theatre, London. In 2000 to 2001, she appeared in Harold Pinter and Di Trevis's NT stage adaptation of Pinter's The Proust Screenplay, Remembrance of Things Past, based on À la recherche du temps perdu, by Marcel Proust. In the summer of 2001, she played Gila in One for the Road, by Harold Pinter, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
In 2002, she played Sasha Lebedieff in Ivanov by Anton Chekhov at the National Theatre and Bunty Mainwaring in The Vortex by Noël Coward at the Donmar Theatre, London. In 2004, she played Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder at the Young Vic Theatre Theatre, London. In 2008, she played Nadia Baliye in The Vertical Hour by David Hare at the Royal Court Theatre London. In 2009, she played Olivia in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night with Donmar West End at Wyndham's Theatre, London. In 2012, she played Jessica in Terry Johnson's Hysteria at the Theatre Royal, Bath. In 2013 she played Miss Cutts in The Hothouse by Harold Pinter in the Trafalgar Transformed season at Trafalgar Studios.
In 2014, Varma played Tamora, Queen of the Goths, in Lucy Bailey's "gore-fest" production of Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare's Globe. In 2015, she appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman at the National Theatre.- Actress
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Parminder Nagra was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), ER (1994) and The Blacklist (2013). She was previously married to James Stenson.- Mallika Sherawat is an Indian actress who mainly works in the Hindi film industry. She was named Reema Lamba at birth but later took up Mallika Sherawat as her screen name.
Sherawat did her schooling at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. She earned her degree in philosophy from Miranda House at Delhi University. She worked as an air hostess and acted in commercials before joining the film industry.
Sherawat's film career began with Talat Jani's romance film Jeena Sirf Merre Liye (2002), in which she plays a small role. She debuted in a lead role in Khwahish (2003), directed by Govind Menon, starring Himanshu Malik. While the film failed to impact the box office, Sherawat gained popularity due to her 17 kissing scenes in the movie.
A year later, she appeared in Murder (2004), a romantic thriller co-starring Emraan Hashmi and Ashmit Patel, directed by Anurag Basu. She went on to act in films like Kis Kis Ki Kismat (2004) and Bachke Rehna Re Baba (2005).
In 2005, Sherawat appeared in her first international film, The Myth (2005), a Chinese fantasy-adventure and martial arts film directed by Stanley Tong that had Jackie Chan in the lead role. Her next film was Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), a romantic comedy written and directed by Saket Chaudhary with Rahul Bose playing the lead opposite her.
Sherawat was next seen on Aap Ka Suroor - The Real Love Story (Joy: The Real Love Story (2007)), a romantic thriller directed by Prashant Chadha, starring Himesh Reshammiya and Hansika Motwani. She essayed the role of an advocate in the movie. Her next film was Welcome (2007), directed by Anees Bazmee, starring Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Nana Patekar. The film became a huge commercial success and earned more than Rs. 117 crores worldwide.
The following year, Sherawat appeared in Ugly Aur Pagli (2008) and Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam (2008). She debuted in Tamil cinema with the film Dasavatharam (2008), with Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
Sherawat played the lead role in Hisss (2010), an English-Hindi crossover from the adventure-horror genre directed by Jennifer Lynch. She promoted the film at the Cannes Film Festival 2010. She won the Best Actress Award at the Gotham Screen Film Festival & Screenplay Contest 2011 for her performance in the film.
She went on to work on Politics of Love (2011), directed by William Dear. Sherawat plays the lead role in this romantic comedy set during the campaign for the U.S. Presidential Election in 2008.
Sherawat appeared in films like Double Dhamaal (2011), Kismet Love Paisa Dilli (2012), and Dirty Politics (2015), among others. She acted in Time Raiders (2016), a Chinese fantasy-action-adventure movie directed by Daniel Lee.
Sherawat has also appeared in item numbers in several films, such as Thank You (2011), Bin Bulaye Baraati (2011), and Tezz (2012). She appeared in TV shows like Sarabhai V/S Sarabhai (2004) and Hawaii Five-0 (2010). In 2013, she took part in Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon ki Mallika (2013), a reality dating show meant to find the ideal bachelor for herself.
Sherawat received the 2008 Renaissance Artist Award. She also received the International Youth Icon Award at the Kalakar Awards in 2015 - Actress
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Persis Khambatta was born on October 2, 1948 in Bombay, India. When aged 16, as Femina Miss India, she entered Miss Universe 1965, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon. Her biggest acting break was getting the role of Lieutenant Ilia, the bald Deltan alien in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). This led to roles in Nighthawks (1981), Megaforce (1982) and Warrior of the Lost World (1983). She was considered for the title role in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), but was passed over in favor of Maud Adams. Khambatta became the first citizen of India to present an Academy Award in 1980. She was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her Star Trek role. Khambatta also made guest appearances in many popular American television series. In the early 1980s, she was seriously injured in a car crash in Germany and had to have heart bypass surgery.
A year before her death, she wrote and published a coffee table book titled "Pride of India" which featured former Miss Indias; it was dedicated to Mother Teresa, and part of the royalties went to the Missionaries of Charity. On August 17, 1998, Persis Khambatta was taken to the Marine Hospital in South Mumbai, complaining of chest pains. She died of a heart attack on August 18, 1998 at the age of 49; her funeral was held in Mumbai.- Actress
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After her debut film Mississippi Masala (1991) became an art house hit, Sarita Choudhury was determined not to "go Hollywood," focusing her acting energies on independent film instead.
Raised in Jamaica, Mexico, and Italy, the half-Indian, half-English Choudhury studied economics at Queens University in Ontario before switching to acting. She casually auditioned for Mississippi Masala (1991) and wound up cast as the lead opposite Denzel Washington in the singular interracial romance between a Southern African American man and a transplanted Indian woman. Despite the film's surprise success, Choudhury stuck to her non-Hollywood roots, putting her exotic looks and talent to versatile use as a Pakistani country-western singer in Wild West (1992), a Chilean maid who is raped in Bille August's adaptation of The House of the Spirits (1993), and a lesbian mother in Fresh Kill (1994).
Choudhury worked with Mississippi Masala (1991) director Mira Nair again in The Perez Family (1995) and played the cuckolded queen Tara in Nair's frankly-sensual feminist parable Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996).
By the late 1990s, Choudhury added a touch of Hollywood to her repertoire with supporting roles in the glossy Alfred Hitchcock remake, A Perfect Murder (1998) and the John Cassavetes retread Gloria (1999).- Actress
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Nandana Sen was born on 19 August 1967 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. She is an actress and producer, known for Black (2005), Prince (2010) and Sharpe (1993). She has been married to John Makinson since 22 June 2013.- Actress
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Fagun is a critically acclaimed British Film and Theater Actress who has appeared in a number of Hollywood and international films and has starred alongside Academy Award winners. Her films have been released in cinemas internationally, have been selected in festivals and have won awards. As an artist, Fagun is particularly drawn to cinematic roles with strong intellectual content that communicate a broader social message. As a writer-director Fagun similarly engages in projects which educate people's perspectives on the world. At an early age, Fagun began acting in her local theatres and then she entered and won 'Bolly Idol', the BBC's nationwide search for new acting talent, beating thousands of other British hopefuls. A straight 'A' student, Fagun also studied several particularly challenging disciplines at the same time - so much so that Fagun's exceptional educational experience was featured in an ITV News segment in the UK and she was spotted by a director for the film 'Brick Lane'. After these preliminary successes, Fagun then put her acting career on hold to study at the prestigious Medical School in London. Fagun has acted on the West End stage in London, performing in several Shakespearean plays including "Antony and Cleopatra," and "Romeo and Juliet," as well as roles in "After Miss Julie" by Patrick Marber and "The Seagull," by Anton Chekhov. Fagun has also appeared in numerous commercials across the world including in Europe, America, Canada and India for well-known international brands. Fagun has studied a range of disciplines to Master's level. Fagun's education includes studying at the University of Cambridge, University of London Medical School (UCL), London College of Fashion. She went on and trained in Classical and Contemporary Acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and studied Film Directing in the US. Fagun has been featured in high-profile publications, and has been listed by Forbes. Fagun lives and works between the UK and the US. With her precious talent, Fagun has firmly established herself as one of the breakout stars to watch out for and is lighting up the big screen internationally to increasing critical acclaim- Actress, Host, Model and Beauty Queen, Pratima Anae grew up in a small Amish town in the heart of the Midwest.
In this unlikely setting, her parents, Indian immigrants, began their families' quest for the American dream. Pratima, the middle of three children, rose above convention and expectation when she was crowned Miss Indiana USA. She went on to make Miss Universe history as the first woman of East Indian descent to place in the top six at Miss USA. Her accomplishments were featured in newspapers and publications such as India Today which recognized her as a forthcoming East Indian presence in the entertainment industry.
Pratima signed with internationally renowned Ford Models after moving to New York City. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications including Vogue Italia, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Town and Country and Glamour. She has had the honor of working with photographers such as Victor Skrebneski and modeled for Calvin Klein, Betsey Johnson, Giuseppe Zanotti, Hanes, Stefan Hafner, Arbonne and Artistry Cosmetics among others. Her formal theatrical education began in NY where she studied the Meisner technique. Pratima's work eventually took her to Los Angeles where she currently resides. Her Film, TV, and Theatre credits include: performing as Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare's classic and appearances in "How To Seduce Difficult Women", "Outsourced", "All My Children" and "Beautiful". Additionally, Pratima hosts a series of lifestyle events. She has conducted interviews with Salman Rushdie, Kal Penn, and Mira Nair in connection with this endeavor.
Growing up in a family that strongly believes in philanthropy, Pratima is part of a charitable project created to construct a hospital for the poor. Menno-Clinic India, built in the donated remains of her mother's childhood home, is a free hospital that was opened in 2002. It currently serves a population of 20,000 that previously had no access to healthcare. Additionally, Pratima was the founder and creator of WIN, Working to Instill New Attitudes, a summer day camp for at-risk children.
Pratima graduated magna cum laude from St. Mary's-Notre Dame where she was a Harry S. Truman nominee. She had the honor of becoming a CLEO Scholar and holds a Juris Doctorate Degree from the Brandeis School of Law where she also received the Book Award for Conflicts of Law. - Director
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Namrata Singh Gujral is a film producer, director and motivational speaker.
Gujral also serves as President of Uniglobe Entertainment, a Hollywood based studio which focuses on socially relevant, international projects for the North American market.
Gujral is a breast cancer survivor and blood cancer survivor. She attributes her medical journey to the dramatic shift in her life - a shift that has led her to choose entertainment projects that carry strong humanitarian angles.
Gujral is currently shooting 'Finding Match', a docu-drama on blood cancer, that traces the journey of humans from pre-historic times and the genetic changes that occurred, which make various ethnic groups more likely to find stem cell matches within their own communities.
Gujral's recent venture '5 Weddings', a Hollywood-Bollywood rom-com, starring Bollywood stars Nargis Fakhri (Bollywood Blockbuster 'Rockstar'), Rajkummar Rao (Bollywood Blockbuster 'Stree'), Oscar nominee Candy Clark ('American Graffiti') and Golden Globe nominee Bo Derek ('10') opened theatrically in 54 countries this past October. Film delves into the lives of Hijras, a group of transgender dancers at Indian weddings, who are socially ostracized.
Lifetime TV honored Gujral as one of their "Remarkable Women" making her the first Indian-American to join the ranks of other notables such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. The honor was awarded for Warner Bros "1 a Minute" starring Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Etheridge, Deepak Chopra, Lisa Ray, Mumtaz, Jaclyn Smith, Barbara Mori and Billy Baldwin.
Gujral's first production 'Americanizing Shelley' starring Beau Bridges and Wil Wheaton was released theatrically in 24 countries with partners like WB in the USA. Film posted higher box office averages than Angelina Jolie's 'Changeling' and Brad Pitt's 'The Curious Life of Benjamin Button' in various territories including Dubai and South Africa.
Gujral also recently directed 'American Dream', a film starring Satya Bhabha (Deepa Mehta's 'Midnight's Children'), Alex Veadov ('Act Of Valor') and Omi Vaidya (Bollywood Blockbuster '3 Idiots'). The film covered the challenges faced by new immigrants from the third world who migrate to developed countries.
Gujral's upcoming projects include 'STILL' (a sci-fi feature), currently in casting and 'Tie That Binds' (a war based drama), currently in scripting which focuses on an international NATO mission in the Middle East.
Gujral has been recognized widely for her creative and commercial expertise on co-productions between Hollywood and Bollywood. She often lends her opinions at major networks like CNN, Fox and Times of India. Gujral has spoken on Hollywood-Bollywood co-productions at Stanford University, Nashville Film Fest, Melbourne Film Festival, Connecticut Film Fest and more.
Gujral was the first Indian-American invited by the late Bollywood stalwart Yash Chopra (Founder, Yash Raj Films) to speak on the dynamics of global co-productions at FICCI, India's highly prestigious entertainment conference, held annually in Mumbai. Gujral has also served as Juror at film festivals and several Miss India-America pageants.
As part of a give back to the world cancer community, Gujral launched The Thrive Channel in June 2017. TTC is a media brand devoted to cancer survivors. Gujral developed the shows Destination Survival, Ultimate Survivor and Thrive with Namrata as a guidebook for cancer survivors to promote a good quality life after cancer treatments. Shows feature experts Dr. Dennis Slamon (Inventor, Herceptin), Dr. Debu Tripathy (MD Anderson) and Dr. Deanna Attai (President, American Society of Surgeons).
Gujral started in the industry as an actress - a career choice she gave up in 2008 after her first cancer diagnosis. As an actress, Gujral's highlights include 'Dancin' In The Clouds, a first time "Country Rock" meets "Bollywood" duet with country music star Steve Azar ("Waitin' on Joe" w/ Morgan Freeman), recurring role of "Fari Bin Ghori" on CBS's "The Agency" produced by Wolfgang Peterson ("The Perfect Storm") and a five-year stint, on NBC's "Passions" (2001-2005). Gujral also essayed the role of Pakistani-American "Saira Ahmed" in CBS's Family Law (for which Gujral, along with co-stars Tony Danza and Kathleen Quinlan, were Columbia Tristar's official nomination for Emmy Awards 2002).- British actress Aruna Shields performed in UK theatre and film before she was headhunted by Tips Industries (one of the largest studios in India) to play the female Bond in action thriller Prince (2010). When the film released worldwide she became the fastest rising star on Google and the first female action hero in Indian cinema. A trained Kung-Fu martial artist and former gymnast she performed all her own stunts including motorbike bungee jumps. Her hit song for the movie "Tere Liye" has over 200 million views.
Aruna then broke boundaries and crossed over into French cinema. After worldwide auditions UK Casting Director Des Hamilton chose Aruna for the gritty lead in the epic adventure Ao, le dernier Néandertal (2010). The film was produced by French studio and cinema chain UGC after their Oscar-nominated A Prophet (2009). Aruna learned a prehistoric language and body movement for the role. Other critically acclaimed lead roles include 'Nera', an artist's muse, in the avant-garde feature Mr. Singh/Mrs. Mehta (2010).
A descendant of Sage Mandavya, Aruna then took a sabbatical to follow her family lineage and became a meditation expert and modern spiritual teacher. She is returning to the film industry in 2023 and now based in Los Angeles. Aruna is the first female Sidha (highly advanced meditator) who is a film star. Other Sidha's include director David Lynch and Bill Duke.
Aruna has a Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, a degree from Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London and has studied psychotherapy at masters level.
Earlier Aruna was ahead of her time. She was one of the first Anglo/Indian models to cross over into mainstream fashion, was asked to shoot for Vogue, won Miss India Talent for dancing, appeared on the cover of The Times of India and several magazines. She was also one of the first actresses of Indian origin to perform a sex scene in a feature film. - Actress
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Naomi Scott is a multi-talented actor, singer, and songwriter. She stars as "Jasmine" in Disney's blockbuster live-action remake Aladdin (2019), alongside Mena Massoud and Will Smith, directed by Guy Ritchie. Disney released the film in May 2019, and it became one of the biggest films of the year.
Naomi was born in London, England to Usha (Joshi) and Christopher Scott, who are pastors of the Bridge Church, Woodford in Redbridge. Her father is British and her mother, who is from Uganda, is from a Gujarati Indian family.
Naomi appeared in "The 33," directed by Patricia Riggen. Starring Juliette Binoche, Gabriel Byrne, and Antonio Banderas, the film is based on the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners after being trapped for 69 days in a gold and copper mine. Naomi plays "Escarlette", the daughter of Banderas' character who is the leader of the miners. Additional credits include a series regular role in Steven Spielberg's television series "Terra Nova" for DreamWorks and FOX, a lead role in the hit Disney Channel movie "Lemonade Mouth", and a lead role in Lee Toland Krieger's short film "Modern/Love" produced by Roman Coppola.
In 2017, Scott was seen in Lionsgate's Power Rangers (2017), directed by Dean Israelite, which tells the story of a group of teenagers who transform into a uniformed team of superheroes ready to protect the world from evil. Naomi plays "Kimberly" aka 'The Pink Ranger', a girl unconventionally cool in a way all the popular girls wish they were.
Naomi is in production on "Charlie's Angels," which Elizabeth Banks is helming for Sony; she won the highly-coveted leading role of "Elena" opposite Kristen Stewart. Sony is set to release the film in November 2019.
Naomi resides in London.- Actress
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Winning the title of Miss India USA was the start to a global acting career for American actress Pooja Kumar. Today Pooja has acted in major Hollywood films, including Man on a Ledge (2012), and the IFC film, Bollywood Hero (2009) where she starred opposite SNL star, Chris Kattan. She had in a starring role in iconic Indian actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan's blockbuster film Vishwaroopam (2013). The most famous actor in India, Amitabh Bachchan selected Pooja as the most budding new star in a contest where he looked at over 60,000 contestants who were fighting for that recognition. Amitabh Bachchan knew that Pooja would eventually get the major Bollywood role that she has now received in Kamal Haasan's film. Pooja's popularity has grown over time. She has been invited to hundreds of highly prominent events as a celebrity guest, and was featured on many magazine covers. She served as a host for India's famous music channel, Channel V, but decided to leave to continue honing her acting skills.
As a student of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Pooja learned to be a highly profound actress who has received appreciation for her diverse talents and love for acting. For her role in the indie film, Flavors (2003), Pooja received the Screen Actor Guild Award for Best Emerging Artist. Kumar has been in several American films and has also worked in Bollywood giving her insight and expertise on the different film industries. Her repertoire of work whether it be theater, film or ad campaigns all continue to grow.- Actress
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Meera Simhan was born in London, England and raised in India and Southern California. Her family immigrated to the United States in the early 1970's and settled in San Diego, California where her parents ran a business importing jewelry and handicrafts from India. Growing up she studied Indian Classical Dancing with the Shakti School of Bharatanatyam and at age eight Meera went to Kodai Kanal International Boarding School in India. She returned to California to attend High School and College in Orange County.
She then moved to London where she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). After graduating from LAMDA Meera began her professional career in England playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and she then went on to play numerous roles in British theater and television.
After moving back to Los Angeles, Meera continued her work as an actress playing various roles guest starring and recurring roles in television and film. As a writer she wrote and performed her solo theater piece Miss India America in various theaters across the United States. Along with her actor/writer/director husband Ravi Kapoor, she co-wrote the feature film, Miss India America (2015).
Meera lives in Los Angeles with husband, two children and her dog, Elvis. Meera also has a Masters degree in Psychology.- Actress
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Purva Bedi was born in India. Purva is an actor and producer, known for One Of Us Is Lying (2021), Sully (2016) and Gossip Girl (2007). Purva has been married to David Andrew Stoler since 3 October 2010.- Actress
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Archie is an Emmy Award winning British actress best known for her role as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife, for which she was nominated for an Emmy three times in a row and went on to to be honored with a Golden Globe Nomination. She made her film debut in the critically acclaimed East Is East which won a Bafta for Best Film. She then went onto star in the Bafta and Golden Globe nominated international hit Bend It Like Beckham. She appeared in John Le Carre's The Constant Gardener, which was nominated for 10 Bafta's and won an Oscar and went on to work alongside Angelina Jolie in the gut wrenching A Mighty Heart. Archie then went on to star in 2 Bafta winning Netflix/BBC series; The Fall, opposite Gillian Anderson as well as Shetland. She recently starred on the American TV hit Blindspot and in the International blockbuster earthquake movie San Andreas opposite Dwayne Johnson. The New Year will see Archie lead the highly anticipated 6 part drama Next Of Kin on ITV.- Amara was born to Sri Lankan parents who had moved to England from Zambia to further her father's work opportunities. She went to the Wimbledon High School and, although she enjoyed drama, she regarded acting as a risky profession and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, graduating with a 2:1 degree. She then spent two years working in the City of London dealing in mergers and acquisitions. Whilst at Oxford she had directed and appeared in plays and finally decided to go to drama school. Within a month of graduation she was auditioning for Wes Anderson's film 'The Darjeeling Limited'.
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Sofia Hayat is an award winning actress, who has worked both in Hollywood and on Bollywood projects. She began her career in 2003, where she starred in "Absolute Power", with Stephen Fry. She went on to have roles in Footballers Wives Extra Time, Waterloo Road for the BBC, and starred in films, Cash and Curry, The Unforgettable and Naachle London. We also performed in the live film "Bollywood Carmen" for BBC3, where she played opposite Abhay Deol.
Sofia is a keen polo player, and writes music. She plays the piano to grade 7, and can play Mozart on her recorder.
Sofia is a spiritual person, she was born a Muslim, but became a Catholic in 2010, after studying the 2 religions together.
Sofia has published her book, "Dishonoured", with Blake publishing, and released her music album of the same name in 2009.
Sofia has been featured in India's sexiest women in the world, and has appeared in many magazines, like FHM, GQ, and Vogue.- Actress
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Pooja Shah was born on 8th August 1979 in North London in a Kenyan-Asian family. Grandparents migrated to Kenya from Gujarat in Western India and so the ancestral roots are there.
After studying at local Nursery, Infants and Junior school, she did GCSE at a Girls Grammar School. Took a year out from studies and worked part-time at the Finchley Youth Theatre. She had been a regular member of the Theatre from the age of 12. Did A levels in Performing Arts and Film Studies at a North London College. Straight after the college Pooja Shah went to The University Of Brighton for three years. She graduated in 2001 with a BA Hons Degree in Theatre With Visual Practice.
Pooja Shah trained as an Indian Classical Dancer from very young age and continued till she went to the University. During the second year at secondary school, with two friends decided to learn a Chekhov play, The Proposal, for fun, and were asked to perform at the University of London's Arts Festival. After six nights of performing made up her mind that this was what she wanted to do for a living.- Actress
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The former Principal Dancer of Cirque du Soleil in over 750 shows, Amrapali is an American actress with recurring roles on 18 episodes in ABC's Scandal seasons 4,5, 6 and 7 and she previously recurred in 19 episodes of ABC's Grey's Anatomy with Guest starring roles on NBC's Heroes and roles on The Mindy Project, Shameless, Mistresses, The Exes, Hart of Dixie, Key & Peele, Chasing Life, Desperate Housewives, Alias, Boston Legal, ER in TV.
Amrapali's film credits include a Lifetime film as well as films Gone Hollywood, Naach by Ram Gopal Varma, Extra Ordinary Barry and American Blend (as an actor, choreographer, dancer, vocalist), Amrapali has definitely expanded herself as an artist as she continues to achieve her dreams.
Amrapali left her position as Principal Dancer in Cirque Du Soleil for over 2 years so that she could pursue her 'secret' childhood dream of acting with the purpose of expanding her artistic career from the stage to the additional medium of Film and TV.
Amrapali is an International Master of Kathak (North Indian Classical Dance known for its rich acting training as well as its fast pure dance technique) and is
"by far one of the best Kathak dancers around." Victoria Looseleaf - Los Angeles Times
"a joyous monument to multiculturalism." - Lewis Segal - Los Angeles Times
"The strongest technical skills and performance personalities ...with the always remarkable Kathak performer, Amrapali Ambegaokar"
"Amrapali's acting is subtle and nuanced"- Los Angeles Times.
Amrapali performed as a guest on season 5 of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and also won the coveted Solo Silver Medal in the International hit show NBC's Superstars of Dance produced by Mastermind Producer and Director Nigel Lithgoe (American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance) with a solo appearance on NBC's Today Show.
Having won numerous awards and accolades since childhood, Amrapali was famously the Principal Dancer of Cirque Du Soleil's Dralion in over 730 shows in 14 US cities. With performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and several major television appearances, Amrapali has been the Principal dancer of Anjani Dance Theater with highlights including The Hollywood Bowl, Ravinia Festival Chicago, World Music Institute NY, United Nations D.C., National Geographic Society and hundreds more since age 13 and is the disciple of Master and NEA Lifetime Achievement awardee Anjani Ambegaokar since age 3.
With a BA Honors from UCLA's World Arts and Cultures/Dance department, Amrapali's special honors also include The Music Center Spotlight Award, Celebrity Queen Azalea of the 62nd Azalea Festival as well as the U.S. National judge for Sony TV's Boogie Woogie Dance competition, Celebrity judge for the Miss Asian America Pageant and more. Amrapali is a pageant title holder as Miss Asian America Talent, Miss Asian California, Miss India North America Princess, Miss India North America Talent, and Miss India USA Talent. Since her early teens, Amrapali has graced the covers of The Los Angeles Times, Dance Magazine, Show Magazine, Parade Magazine, 002 Magazine, Celebrity Magazine, India Currents Magazine and so many others.
Amrapali was also invited to perform as a soloist for Dance Moves II held by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (The Emmys) Annual concert celebrating dance and choreography in film and TV. Amrapali also performed as a duet with Grammy award winning composer and Master Trumpeter Mark Isham in a Kathak/Jazz collaborative duet for the Celebrity Centre International's 40th Anniversary Gala ending off in a finale' with Legendaries Chakka Khan, Chick Corea, and Stanley Clarke.
Amrapali's choreography credits include live stage, pageants, film and television, music videos and commercials. Amrapali is recognized for her traditional work as well breaking boundaries by infusing Kathak with Flamenco, Hip Hop, Bollywood, Folk and modern styles. Amrapali feels blessed to be one of the leading artists today of Indo-American heritage flourishing in numerous artistic mediums Internationally and continues to serve as a true torchbearer of the arts.- Actress
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Anjali Jay is an actor and writer. She was also a dancer and choreographer, having trained in Indian classical dance and modern, contemporary styles. She is Indian, British and Canadian.
Anjali has had an extensive theatre career, having performed amongst others, with The Royal Shakespeare Company, where she was cast as Jamila in Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children", and with The Birmingham Rep, where she played Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet".
She started her film career playing opposite Chris Pine in "Blind Dating", after which she played "Djaq" in BBC's "Robin Hood" series. She then went on to play a series of roles in TV and film. She lives in the Vancouver area where she continues to act and write.- Actress
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Naureen Zaim was born on 19 February 1978 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for Wedding Crashers (2005), Fast & Furious (2009) and The Line (2009).- Actress
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Rebecca is best known for her appearance on NBC's flagship comedy 'The Good Place' as Kamilah Al-Jamil, the enigmatic sister and nemesis of Tahani Al-Jamil. Previous work includes roles on iconic shows 'Lost', 'ER' and Grey's Anatomy'. But her first major recognition in the US was for the role of 'Asha', one of the lead ensemble cast for NBC's primetime cult comedy 'Outsourced', for which Variety listed her as a "breakout performer", describing her presence on the show as "superb". Rebecca got her first TV break after being scouted to model on the BBC's iconic fashion show, 'The Clothes Show', whilst truanting from school. She studied Theatre and English at the exclusive King Edwards VI College in Stourbridge, whose alumni include Robert Plant and J.R.R. Tolkien. She graduated with a high class honours degree in English Literature from Bretton Hall, where she formed a theatre company and took a play to The Edinburgh Festival. Rebecca's film career began when she was cast as Mina in the Film4 feature 'Dog Eat Dog' alongside David Oyelowo and Ricky Gervais. She gained recognition and a cult following in the UK for her role as Arun Parmar in psycho drama 'Bad Girls', one of the first transsexual characters to ever feature on a primetime UK television series. Other early roles include appearances in crime series 'Second Sight' and 'Liverpool One', alongside Clive Owen and Stephen Graham. She worked with legendary cinematographer Christopher Doyle on 'Meeting Helen.' Rebecca trained for 6 years with Scott Williams, under direct lineage from Sanford Meisner, combining TV and film work with weekend theatre classes. On moving to LA she trained with Philip Seymour Hoffman's coach Tony Greco. Recent credits include feature 'Lost Transmissions' alongside Simon Pegg and HBO's 'Room 104'.- Actress
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Mahaley Patel was born on 30 September 1987 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Easy A (2010), The DUFF (2015) and Carrie Pilby (2016). She has been married to Ravi Patel since 8 November 2015. They have one child.- Born in Sri Lanka. Grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Started her studies in Piano, Speech & Drama and Singing at the age of 6. Invited to study Opera at McGill University, she left Calgary and moved to Montreal and finished her degree in Music and Voice Performance there. However, Imali opted to continue pursuing her love for theatre and moved to Toronto where she resides now and has many accolades for her theatrical roles.
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Natasha is an Indian-Canadian-American actress, writer, producer, comedian, voice over artist, and popular dating podcaster.
Staffed on the Peacock animated series, "PRESS START!", she has also written on Netflix's "Mr. Iglesias" starring Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias and Sherri Shepherd. She voices characters in video games like "Call of Duty: Vanguard" to multiple Netflix animated series.
As a comedian, Natasha graduated from UCB, and has performed at NYCF, Comedy Store, Laugh Factory, and more. The versatile actress has been in Comedy Central's "Man Up," CBS' "SEAL TEAM," Hulu's "The Mindy Project," HBO's "How to Make it in America", CBC's "11 Cameras" and "MVP," to name a few. She starred in the film festival darling "PRIA" which screened at over 15 film festivals worldwide, aired on the Sundance Channel and in-flight on Air Canada. It won the Platinum Remy at Houston Worldfest, Audience Choice winner at TIFFg's Sprockets and NBC's Short Cuts Film Festival. She also starred in the viral video "Women Try Balls, " viewed 41 million times.
Natasha has studied under reputed teachers like the late Wynn Handman, Margie Haber, and Anthony Meindl's studios, to UCB's Will Hines and Shannon O'Neill.
Among her many lives, Natasha was a former Bollywood and hip hop dancer, is considered a dating expert. She hosts her dating/sex podcast, "Kinda Dating" (hit Top 25 in Apple's Relationships chart), where she and influential guests break down one dating topic per episode and try to figure out why the fuck we all have commitment issues!
Born in Dubai, Natasha has lived in Mumbai, Toronto, New York, and now resides in LA.- Actress
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Tannishtha Chatterjee is an Indian actress, best known for her performance in Sarah Gavron's Brick Lane (2007), the film adaptation of Monica Ali's best selling novel of the same name. She was nominated for the British Independent Film Awards as the best actress for Brick Lane along with actresses like Judi Dench and Anne Hathaway. Her notable roles include Masha in Academy Award-winning German director Florian Gallenberger's film, Shadows of Time which is also known as Schatten der Zeit in German, the film Bibar for which she won the best actress in 2006 Osian Film Festival and the 2007 BFJA awards. Tannishtha is also a successful recording artist, trained in Indian classical vocals. She is working both with Indian and international directors and lives between her homes in London and Mumbai.- Sunita Param was born on 14 November 1970 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Blades of Glory (2007), Leo (2023) and American Desi (2001). She has been married to Jason Manuel Olazábal since 6 February 2004.
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Richa Shukla Moorjani, actor, producer and activist, was born and raised in the Bay Area, California. She made her series lead debut in the internationally beloved Netflix dramedy, "Never Have I Ever" (created by Mindy Kaling). After its premiere in 2020, the show immediately hit #1 around the world in the Netflix Top 10 and has been nominated for numerous awards including a TCA Award, People's Choice Awards, Hollywood Critics Associate Award and NAACP Image Award. Being cast out of a pool of somewhere between 15,000 actors from a global casting call for the 3 South Asian female leads of the series, Richa won the hearts of a global and cross-generational audience with her portrayal of the brilliant, bold, and stereotype-subverting 'Kamala'.
Raised in a family of academics and artists, Richa broke away from the expected career trajectory of an Indian-American girl growing up in the Silicon Valley and developed a passion for storytelling as a child (performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in high school) before studying Dramatic Arts at university. Richa is a professionally trained dancer (Indian Classical, Kathak, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Bollywood) who focuses on meaningful projects in film and television that platform underrepresented voices and push culture forward. Shining a light on the South Asian diaspora and fighting for inclusion, authentic representation and sustainable storytelling are Richa's mission as an artist. Named by Goldhouse as one of the top 100 Asian Americans who have had the most impact on culture and society, Richa has also been recognized for her fierce advocacy for human rights, animal welfare, environmental protection and mental health.- Actress
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Rayna Tharani is an actress, writer and director known for films such as For Colored Girls. She has appeared in many television shows including Rosewood (FOX) NCIS (CBS) Criminal Minds (CBS) Days of Our Lives (NBC) among others. She moved to Los Angeles as a dancer upon graduating from San Diego State with a bachelors in Fine Arts, Journalism and English Lit. She became a member of the LA Poets Society after releasing her first book: Pages of Me, a lovesick journey in 2015. Rayna will make her directorial debut in 2016 with her documentary Aphrodite Rising. She is of East Indian, and Indonesian heritage.- Actress
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Rekha Sharma is known for The Core (2003), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) and Love Happens (2009).- Actress
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Farrah was born overseas in Hyderabad, India. She grew up in Northern California. Her passions were to follow in her grandpa's footsteps as a doctor of medicine, pursuing Pre-med studies at N.C. State University. Her soul yearning for the Arts and Theater lead her back to California to fill her life-long dream of becoming an actress and a writer. She was also offered a singing contract that fell through due to company finances. She did some modeling to make ends meet. Her love of the film industry took her to other ventures in writing and production. She is writing a film partly based on her experiences in her worldly travels. (2018) Upon finishing Medical School from a prestigious Caribbean Medical School, she's in her final steps to becoming a successful physician.- Actress
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Tiya Sircar starred as "Roonie Schuman" in the ABC comedy series "Alex, Inc." which premiered in 2018. Based on the podcast StartUp, Sircar played the wife to Zach Braff's character, "Alex Schuman". Sircar is also on the NBC hit comedy "The Good Place," for which Entertainment Weekly dubbed her the series 'Scene Stealer." She appeared on the comedy opposite Kristen Bell and Ted Danson in multiple shifting roles, from an altruistic human rights lawyer to a power-hungry demon. She also starred opposite Kate Beckinsale in the Paramount+ series, Guilty Party. In the wake of recent guest starring roles on such series as Netflix's "Master of None" and Fox's "The Mindy Project," Sircar has also exercised her comedic and dramatic acting chops on "The Witches of East End," "The Vampire Diaries," "The Crazy Ones," "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life on Deck."
Having also established herself as a capable voiceover actress, Sircar lends her pipes as Sabine Wren, a graffiti artist and explosives expert, on the Disney/Lucas Film animated series "Star Wars Rebels" on the Disney Channel and the short-form interstitial series "Star Wars: Forces of Destiny," opposite Daisy Ridley, Felicity Jones and Lupita Nyong'o. Among other voiceover credits is The Simpsons, American Dad, Robot Chicken, and the Netflix/Dreamworks series "Spirit Riding Free."
Film audiences have come to know Sircar equally well, most recently in Netflix's Good Sam and in the independent feature comedy, Miss India America. Along with voiceover work on the animated studio film Walking with Dinosaurs 3D, she starred in the 20th Century Fox comedy feature The Internship opposite Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, in a starring role in the foreign drama The Domino Effect, with Zac Efron in New Line's 17 Again, and in the Paramount family comedy Hotel for Dogs.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Sircar was raised in a family of academics. Her parents, originally from Calcutta (Kolkata), India, are both college professors who instilled a love of the arts in her at a very early age. Sircar began dancing at age three, first Indian classical and folk dance, then ballet, jazz, lyrical and modern. After taking her first acting class at age seven, she realized her true calling. Sircar attended the University of Texas at Austin, receiving two bachelor's degrees: the first in Business/Marketing, and another in Theater & Dance. Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her professional career.- Actress
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Her father is Tariq Anwar and her mother is Shireen Anwar. Anwar attended Laleham Church of England Primary and Middle School from 1975 to 1982. Trinian's sketch in the school concert of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. She studied at the London drama and dance school, "Italia Conti". She appeared in many British television productions before making her film debut in Manifesto (1988).
Her first American movie was If Looks Could Kill (1991), in which she played the daughter of a murdered British Agent (played by Roger Daltrey). In 1992, she made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) as "Tricia Kinney". She followed that with the films, Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991) (inspired by "A Girl and Five Brave Horses"), Scent of a Woman (1992), Body Snatchers (1993), For Love or Money (1993) and The Three Musketeers (1993). In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. One of her most memorable moments on screen came in 1992's Scent of a Woman (1992), when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose character was blind.What? I did not know she was of partial Indian roots! I love being surprised!- Anita Majumdar is known for Murder Unveiled (2005), Midnight's Children (2012) and Republic of Doyle (2010).
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Veena Sood is an award-winning actress - of Indian descent, recognized for her versatility in both comedy and drama. During her time at University Veena co-founded Canada's Loose Moose Theatre Company with Improv master Keith Johnstone. Over the years Veena has appeared in numerous plays, films, television series, and continues to perform her improvisation shows. Veena grew up in the Canadian Rockies where she developed a passion for outdoor pursuits & nature expeditions. She was even a competitive rodeo participant when she was younger. She continues to live in the mountains in western Canada - and continues her passion for nature by traveling the world on adventurous expeditions.- Actress
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Nagarajan's parents are immigrants from India. Her mother, Geetha Nagarajan, is a former developmental specialist at Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic. Her father, Nandu Nagarajan, is a professor and academic at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. She has one brother, Arjun.
Anisha Nagarajan was raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving with her family to the suburb of Fox Chapel.She spent a year at a boarding school in India when she was 15 years old before graduating from Fox Chapel Area High School in 2002. She enrolled at New York University (NYU) after high school. She was cast in the Broadway musical Bombay Dreams as Priya during her sophomore year at NYU. She married her husband, actor Aalok Mehta, who co-starred in the musical.
Nagarajan appeared in a number of regional theater productions following Bombay Dreams, including the Hangar Theater production of Rent in Ithaca, New York and the The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California. She is currently finishing her bachelor's degree at New York University.
In 2010, Nagarajan was cast as Madhuri, a shy call center employee in the NBC series, Outsourced. The role is her largest television credit to date. She had previously appeared in a guest role on the ABC television series, Ugly Betty.- Actress
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Vera Mindy Chokalingam is an Indian-American actress, comedienne, producer, writer and director from Cambridge, Massachusetts known for playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office, Disgust in Inside Out, and creating The Mindy Project. She also appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, Despicable Me, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Ocean's 8, and Monsters at Work. She has two children.She is a very popular comedian actress right now.- Actress
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Preeya Kalidas is an Actor and Singer.
Preeya originated the leading role of Priya in AR Rahman's/Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams in London's West End. She has played leading roles in a number of musicals in London's West End including The Narrator in the revival of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Adelphi Theatre, The Original London production of School of Rock, Everybody's Talking about Jamie, originated the role of Pinky in Bend it like Beckham the Musical of which she was nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award.
Also leading roles in plays, Margo in Jeremy Sam's ,The Good Life based on the iconic TV series, Chiaroscuro at Bush Theatre, Levi Addai 's Oxford Street, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's Khandan at London's prestigious Birmingham Rep/Royal Court Theatre and most recently opposite Juliette Stevenson in Robert Icke's The Doctor at Duke of York Theatre London & New York.
Preeya has starred in Award winning feature films including Four Lions alongside Riz Ahmed , International hit film Bend it like Beckham , Milady in The Three Musketeers and short films C4 Jump Boy, Tanika Gupta's The Fiancee, Sari and Trainers , Paso Doble alongside Aiden Turner and most recently One Punch written and directed by Emmy nominated director Huse Monfaradi.
Television credits include BBC's Eastenders as a series regular, Carmen in BAFTA nominated BBC Three Bollywood Carmen, Peter Kosminsky's BAFTA award winning C4 drama Britz , series regular in BBC's Mistresses and Jed Mercurio's BBC Series - Bodies. Preeya has also starred in single BBC drama Banglatown Banquet alongside Shabana Azmi and England Expects with Steven Mackintosh, BBC Pilot Hounslow Diaries and BBC Bedtime, BBC New Blood , And ITV Mr Eleven- Veerta Motiani was born on 8 August 1984 in Mumbai, India. She is an actress, known for Easy A (2010), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) and Being Bin Laden (2011).
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Karen David is a multi-hyphenate talent - actress and singer/songwriter - who has found equal diversity in her film, television, stage, and recording career. Born in Shillong, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas; raised in Toronto; and the daughter of a half-Chinese, half- Khasi mother and an Indian father, David discovered her love of performing at a young age. At 17 she won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied jazz and gospel. It was there she discovered a flair for songwriting and the desire to pursue her love for drama, which led her to study at the Guildford School of Acting in London. Her first professional acting role came shortly after graduation in the original stage cast of the London West End musical Mamma Mia! David can currently be seen as a series regular in the AMC Network show, "Fear The Walking Dead" as Grace, where her recent, poignant, storylines have garnered critical appraise and a beloved international fandom. She is also recurring on HBO's "Barry" alongside creator, Bill Hader, and in the CW series "Legacies" from executive producers, Julie Plec and Brett Matthews. She has also had recurring roles on on the ABC series, "The Rookie" CBS' long-running drama"Criminal Minds", as well as major arcs on YouTube's "Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television" and ITV's "Cold Feet", and as Princess Jasmine on ABC's "Once Upon a Time." Best known to US audiences for her breakout role as Princess Isabella Maria Lucia Elizabetta of Valencia in ABC's "Galavant", David showcased both of her passions - acting and singing - in the musical fantasy series. Created by Dan Fogelman (This Is Us), the cult hit featured music by the award-winning composer, Alan Menken. She got her start in television in the UK on BBC's BAFTA nominated, "Waterloo Road" and the BBC's comedy series "Pixelface", produced by comedian, Graham Norton's company, So Television. From there she landed roles on MTV's "Top Buzzer" playing opposite the likes of Stephen Graham and Daniel Mays, and on Cinemax's action thriller, "Strike Back", and guest-starring roles on ABC's "Castle", FOX's "Touch" alongside Kiefer Sutherland, and NBC's "Timeless." Karen has also been very busy in the animation world, lending her vocal and musical talents in heavily recurring roles on Disney's hit series, "Mira: Royal Detective". She can also be seen guest starring on the new, HBO Max animation, "The Prince", created by Gary Janetti, Netflix's "Captain Fall" and AMC's upcoming animated series, "Pantheon." David's film career began with a supporting role in the UK cult hit, "Bollywood Queen", opposite James McAvoy. This led to co-starring roles in Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins", the Vince Vaughan comedy, "Couples Retreat", and Millennium Film's drama, "Red Lights", starring Sigourney Weaver and Robert De Niro. David has had starring roles in the heartwarming independent comedy, "The Tiger Hunter" opposite Danny Pudi, Universal Pictures' "The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior", and the acclaimed Netflix British comedy romance, "Amar Akbar & Tony." More recently she portrayed a tough FBI agent in the blockbuster, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit". On the musical front, David is continually refining her passion for writing and recording "feel- good indie-girl pop with a twist" in between filming. In the wake of her hit 2003 single, It's Me (You're Talking To), which became a Top Ten hit in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as BMG's fourth highest airplay hit for a debut artist, she released her first two EPs, The Live Sessions EP (2008) and Magic Carpet Ride (2009), followed by the 2010 single Hypnotize and three mixes. David worked with A.R. Rahman, (Slumdog Millionaire), to help develop the soundtrack for the Bollywood-themed musical, "Bombay Dreams" alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black. They subsequently created the theme tune for the British drama, "Provoked", in which David had a supporting role. In addition, David is an avid supporter of charity who devotes much of her time to campaigning for various issues, including the Alzheimer's Association, and is also an ambassador for the Prince's Trust. She is also
an active supporter of SOS Children's Villages Foundation and Designers Against AIDS.- Actress
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Shelley Conn is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Dean Indira Shetty in Amazon's No.1 show, Gen V (2023), as Beelzebub in Good Omens 2 (2023), and as Lady Mary Sharma in the hugely successful Netflix series, Bridgerton (2022). Other notable appearances include Isabella in the film Love Sarah (2020), and as Dr Elizabeth Shannon in the Steven Spielberg series Terra Nova (2011). Shelley Conn was born in Barnet in north London to Anglo-Indian parents. As the daughter of a British Army Officer, she moved home and countries many times as a child, living in Germany and Gibraltar before settling in Hampshire. She is of mixed heritage, which includes Indian, Portuguese, Burmese and English. After being a student at Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke, she trained at Bretton Hall College of Performing Arts and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She began her career on London stages and in small roles on British television. After appearing in independent films and two seasons at the RSC including All's Well That Ends Well (2003/2004) with Judi Dench she landed a breakthrough role as Ashika Chandirimani in the BBC political drama Party Animals (2007) which has led to a long and varied career in theatre film and television, both in the UK and the US. She lives in London.- Suleka Mathew was born in India, raised in Vancouver and currently resides in Los Angeles working as a professional actress in film, television, radio and theatre.
Having been a lifelong dream of hers, Suleka started to pursue acting early in her college years. She was signed by an agent shortly after enrolling in classes and 6 months later she was hired for her first paid acting job as a lead in an episode of a Canadian anthology series. She has been working extensively in her field ever since.
Suleka's most recent work is on the film That's Amor (2021), the television show, Another Life (2020), and her portrayal of Detective Arlene Branch on TNT's hit show, Claws, for 3 seasons. Other notable roles include working as a series regular on the ABC drama, Red Widow, with Radha Mitchell, TNT's Hawthorne starring Jada Pinkett Smith, and ABC's, Men in Trees, opposite Anne Heche. Other credits include Midnight Sun, Ten Days in the Valley, How to Get Away with Murder, Castle, and The West Wing.
One of Suleka's first major roles was that of Dr. Sunny Raman on the acclaimed and award-winning Canadian dramatic series, Da Vinci's Inquest. An international hit, the series eventually made its syndicated debut in the United States.
Other feature film credits include a starring role in the Sundance Festival hit, Touch of Pink, directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid. She appeared in the independent film, The Score, which was screened at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival. - Actress
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Summer Bishil was born in Pasadena, California. She and her family moved overseas when she was three. Summer attended British and American schools while her family lived overseas, She returned to her home town of Pasadena just shy of her 14th birthday. In love with the idea of becoming an actress since the age of five, Summer took her first acting class at 14. Nine months later she signed with an agent and manager and began to pursue her career full time. She attends college on her spare time, working towards her degree.- Actress
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The Canadian-born Arizonan actress Tinsel Korey is best known for her role as "Emily" in The Twilight Saga.
Korey's career started after her passion for performing skits as a young child led her to pursue her dream to become a professional actress. As a teen she appeared in many commercials, and landed her first television role on the FOX series "Tru Calling" starring Eliza Dushku. While shooting Spielberg's TNT mini-series "Into the West", she composed a song of the same title that became an underground hit. Tinsel's films range from "The Lookout" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Bullet" an action/thriller feature starring Danny Trejo, to a multitude of SYFY hits such as "Hybrid" "Wyvern" & "Black Forest". Her television credits include shows such as "Longmire", "Z Nation", "The Detour", "Young and the Restless" and Paramounts hit show "Yellowstone"
In between acting roles, Tinsel is an accomplished singer-songwriter who plays piano and guitar mainly creating melodic folk music but also has been featured in rap and EDM tracks. Recently she has been focusing blending the genres of country, blues and Americana.
Korey also enjoys watching hockey, baseball, UFC and has a love affair with all things outdoors.
Tinsel now spends her time in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Arizona with her Border Collie "Lucky".- Actress
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Sarayu Blue is a stage, film, and television actress. While perhaps more well-known for her sharp comedic timing, she has also shown her great range in dramas, as seen in the Amazon limited series, "Expats," starring opposite Nicole Kidman, and directed by Lulu Wang. Blue began her career stealing scenes in David E. Kelley's medical drama, "Monday Mornings." She continued to work as a series regular, playing Kareema on The CW's, "No Tomorrow," and co-starred in the "Children's Hospital" spin-off, "Medical Police." Her breakout moment came when she starred as Emet in the female-driven NBC comedy, "I Feel Bad," produced by Amy Poehler. Since then, she has been seen in Hulu's Happiest Season, the second and third installments of the hit Netflix franchise, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," the Apple+ TV series, "The Shrink Next Door," the Universal feature, "Blockers," and the Amazon feature, "A Million Miles Away."
Blue has also accumulated numerous guest roles on shows such as, "Grey's Anatomy (ABC)," "The Real O'Neals" (ABC), "Station 19" (ABC), "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS), "The Unicorn" (CBS), and "Veep" (HBO).
A classically trained theater actor, some of Blue's stage credits include Varya in, "The Cherry Orchard" (Yale Repertory Theatre), Belle in, "A Christmas Carol" (American Conservatory Theater), and Livia in, "The Tamer Tamed" (Shakespeare Santa Cruz).
Blue received her B.A. in Theater Arts from The University of Iowa, and her M.F.A. from The American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco.- Actress
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Kosha Patel was born on 9 September 1989 in Pueblo, Colorado, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Grey's Anatomy (2005), Shit White Girls Say ... To Brown Girls (2012) and House of Lies (2012).- Actress
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Shivani Thakkar, Associate Artistic Director of Manu Kala Mandir Dance Productions and Founder and Choreographer of the "MKM BollyStars" has garnered international recognition for her performances and choreography.
Shivani, Winner of the 2008 Verizon Wireless and Saavn Bollypop US National Dance Competition, has notable credits as a performer. She has performed with Shahid Kapoor and Akshay Kumar; worked with choreographers Marty Kudelka, Jamal Sims, Mary Ann Kellogg, and Ganesh Acharya; and been in numerous television and film productions. She has appeared on The CW's Valentine and CBS's BBQ Bill. She is also a featured soloist and opening shot of the Disney Feature Film Step Up 3-D scheduled to be released in August 2010.
She has performed bollywood dance at International Fashion Designer Christian Audigier's (Ed Hardy line) International Distributors' Event and 50th Birthday Party live with the Gypsy Kings and performed with Bellytwins International, Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Bollywood Step Dance.
As a Bollywood choreographer, her recent credits include: the Bollywood themed National Intel Print Ad "Our Superstars" currently running in India, and instructional Bollywood DVD entitled Let's Dance Bollywood. Shivani has choreographed bollywood numbers for several dance companies including Karmagraphy, Dakshina Dance Company, and Alberta Dance Alliance.
Besides Bollywood, Shivani is an established Bharata Natyam (Indian Classical) dancer and well-trained western dancer. She has performed and toured internationally including shows at the Smithsonian Museum, New York's Downtown Dance Days, and Alberta Dance Alliance Feats Festival of Dance. Shivani was the lead in the Canadian National tour of Dvaya: A Confluence of Male Female Spirits and is scheduled to reprise her role during the India tour in 2010.
She is the recipient of an Arts Study Fellowship from Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and grants from Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, USA.- Shivaani Ghai was born in 1975 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Batwoman (2019), The Catch (2016) and Dominion (2014). She has been married to Tyrone Keogh since November 2016. She was previously married to Parv Bancil.
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Roopashree (Roopa) Jeevaji is an actress and writer who has recently appeared in NCIS (2003) and 9-1-1 (2018). Jeevaji's screenplay "In the Face of Courage" was a Semi- finalist at "The Writers Lab - 2019" which is supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. She is also a Quarter- finalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowship 2021.
Born in India, Jeevaji became involved with acting early on. At a young age, she started her training in Bharatanatyam (classical south Indian dance), giving her first performance on stage at the age of six and finished her 'Arangetram' (graduation concert / performance ) soon after. Her acting career took off after her debut in a national commercial for Bru Coffee (India's largest instant coffee brand) which led to other national TV spots.
Growing up in Bangalore, South India in a family that revered education, Jeevaji excelled in school and is also fluent in six Indian languages. She was the youngest participant in the country to be selected to compete in the international quiz competition "Exploration to Mars" held by renowned astrophysicist Carl Sagan.
After moving to the US, Jeevaji enrolled in Theatre Arts at Temple University, PA and continued her studies at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Los Angeles where she was awarded a scholarship. In 2012, she performed at the CBS Diversity Showcase after being selected as one of the top twenty two actors from the thousands that auditioned. She has also been a part of the Producers Mentoring Program at 'Women in Film'.
In 2015, Jeevaji won the "Best Actress Award" at the 'California Women's Film Festival' and received "Best Actress/ Honorable Mention Award" at 'Asians on Film Festival' for her lead role in the film In Search of America, Inshallah (2014) which she also produced.
Philanthropically, Ms. Jeevaji is on the Board of Advisors for "Women's Voices Now" (WVN) and "Girls' Voices Now". WVN is a non profit organization which advocates women's rights by using the power of films to influence and impact society. "Girls' Voices Now" is the youth development program of WVN and it features films that amplify voices of young women from underrepresented communities.
Girls' Voices Now (2019) won Daytime Emmy Award 2021 in "Outstanding Short Form Children's Program" category.- Actress
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Sharmila Devar is known for Scandal (2012) and Star Wars: Rebels (2014).- Actress
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Anisha Adusumilli is a first-generation Indian-American born and raised in the Midwest. An artist from a young age, Anisha began studying Classical Piano at the age of 5 - having graduated from the Trinity College of London Program. Continuing her creative expression through Dancing and Singing, Anisha inevitably discovered her love of Acting at UCLA where she studied both Business Economics and Theater. Recent credits include Fox's New Girl, CBS' How I Met Your Mother and NCIS: Los Angeles among others. Anisha continues to tell stories with passion, conviction, and a mission to be an example that people can overcome the greatest of obstacles through action and self-belief.- Actress
- Producer
Hayden Shinger is known for Outsourced (2010), Lapsed (2017) and Forgotten Kingdom: The Divide (2020).- Anitha Gandhi is known for The Bourne Legacy (2012), Outsourced (2010) and Starting Out in the Evening (2007).
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Melanie is an actress and producer passionate about bringing more empathy to this world through her work. In line with that mission, she uses her platforms both on-screen and behind the camera to share powerful and diverse stories about women and minorities. She is best known for her work as Malaya Pineda on CBS's Code Black.
Born in Illinois, Melanie graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering while studying improvisational comedy on the side.
Post-graduation, she landed a high-profile corporate job, which she eventually quit to pursue her childhood dream of acting. She quickly landed a series of television roles including guest appearances on Rules of Engagement, Parenthood, and Nashville and large recurring roles on Netflix's Brown Nation and HBO's The Brink.
From 2015 to 2017, she played the series regular role of Dr. Malaya Pineda on the CBS medical drama Code Black.
In 2018, Melanie also became a producer for several different projects and shows. One of her projects, with South Asian women in the forefront, is in development with HBO.
Melanie is the co-founder of the not-for-profit Hospital for Hope India, which provides health care services to under-served villagers in rural India. She also holds a 2nd-degree black belt in Karate and is a trained pianist.