Mahesh Bhatt – 20th September

Mahesh Bhatt is one of greatest Director in Indian film industry. He has proved his mettle in direction, production and screen writing. He has given several Box office hits for Bollywood film industry. He can be called the Ridley Scott of Indian Film Industry.

Mahesh was born on September 20 1949, in the busy city of Mumbai. His father was a Hindu Brahmin and mother was a Muslim. From his early age he was so engrossed in making movies, he dropped out from college to enter the tinsel town. His early movies where art based creations like Arth, Saaransh, Janam and Naam. He has also proved the audience that he is able to make comedy movies by directing movies like Duplicate, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke etc. His serious family movies are, Daddy (1989), Swayam (1991). He launched his daughter Pooja Bhatt as an actress in his blockbuster movie ‘Daddy’. Today Pooja Bhatt is a well known film director. It was said that, his movie Zakham was based on his true life experience which was critically acclaimed. Though he has tried all kinds of stories, he is known in the film industry for making nail biting suspense thrillers. His most famous thrillers are, Inteha, Jism, Murder, Gangster, Woh Lamhe etc.

Mahesh Bhatt has also ventured into TV series, giving some of the biggest hit series like ‘Swabhimaan’ scripted by Shobha De and an English series ‘A Mouthful of Sky’. He has bagged several prestigious awards in his long career.

Shabana Azmi – 18th September

She is gorgeous, famous, talented and controversial. She carries the flair be it in her movies or in social activities she is concerned with. The five times National Film Award winner Shabana Azmi is one of India’s most promising and talented actresses in parallel cinema. She was born in a Muslim family in New Delhi in 18^th September 1950. She is married to the famous poet Javed Aktar.

In 1971 she graduated from FTII, the first movies she signed was Shyam Benegal’s directorial debut movie ‘Ankur’ in 1974. The challenging role in her first movie itself was critically acclaimed and she was awarded National Film Award for Best Actress. She is one of the few actresses who have accomplished in winning three National Film Awards in consecutive years. She won best actress award for Arth (1983), Khandhar (1984) Paar (19850 and the another National Film award for the movie Godmother (1999).

There are very few actresses in India with her calibre and accomplished the success she has achieved. She is also noted for her social activism. She is a committed activist working among HIV infected peoples and a voice against injustice in all streams of life.

Career
First Movie: Ankur

Hit Films
Nishant (1976)
Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977)
Sparsh (1980)
Arth (1982)
Masoom (1983)
Mandi (1983)
The Bengali Night (1988)
Madame Sousatzka (1988)
City of Joy (1992)
In Custody (1993)
Son of the Pink Panther (1993) – Queen
Fire (1996)
Saaz (1997)
Side Streets (1998)
Earth (1998)
Godmother (1999)
Makdee (2002)
Tehzeeb (2003)
Morning Raga (2004)
15 Park Avenue (2005)
Waterborne (2005)
Umrao Jaan (2006)
Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007)
Loins of Punjab Presents (2007)
Sorry Bhai! (2008)