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Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla is an Indian actress, voice actress,
film producer, television presenter and former Miss India . After being crowned as the winner
of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career.
She went on to become one of the top leading actresses of Bollywood and starred in films
ranging from the romances Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and Darr (1993) to Hum Hain Rahi
Pyar Ke (1993), which earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, to comedies Yes Boss (1997)
and Ishq (1997). Chawla has been mostly recognised for her comic timing in films, vivacious screen
persona and is often cited by film media as one of the best actresses of Hindi cinema
in the 1990s. Alongside with Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit, Chawla formed the leading trio of actresses
of the late 80's and early 90s. She has also been listed as one of the best actresses who
ruled in Bollywood. During the 2000s, after having starred in
over 70 mainstream Hindi films, Chawla started acting in art and independent films. She appeared
in films in her native tongue Punjabi, and has been mostly working in parallel cinema.
She gained critical recognition for her performances in films like Jhankaar Beats (2003), 3 Deewarein
(2003), My Brother Nikhil (2005), Bas Ek Pal (2006) and I Am (2011). Since 2000, Chawla
branched out into film production and television presenting as well.
Early life and background Juhi Chawla was born in Ambala, Haryana, India.
She completed her schooling from Fort Convent School, Mumbai. She graduated from Sydenham
College, Mumbai with a specialisation in HR. She was the winner of Miss India title in
1984. Later she won Best Costume Award for the Miss Universe contest in 1984. She is
also an accomplished dancer. In a Baaje Payal (a film based on a collection of interviews
for dancers/actresses) interview, she mentioned having learned Kathak for three years and
regretted giving it up as it could have helped her in her career as an actress. She is also
an accomplished classical singer and has been training for the last six years.
Career Film
1980s Chawla ventured into films with the 1986 Sultanat.
She also acted in Kannada classic Premaloka directed by Ravichandran in 1987. Her first
major role in Bollywood was in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988, in which she starred
with Aamir Khan. The film, a modern-day adaption of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, became
both a major critical and commercial success. It won the Filmfare Best Movie Award, and
Chawla won the Filmfare Lux New Face Award and received her first nomination for Filmfare
Best Actress Award. The film subsequently received classic status.
1990s In 1990, she starred in such films as Pratibandh,
which was a box office success and for which she was nominated the Filmfare Best Actress
Award, and Swarg. In 1992, she was nominated for a Filmfare for Bol Radha Bol which performed
well commercially. In 1993, she starred in the moderately successful
project Aaina, and Lootere opposite Sunny Deol and Mahesh Bhatt'*** Hum Hain Rahi
Pyaar Ke. She followed it with a leading role in Yash Chopra's thriller Darr, which went
on to become the third top-grossing film of the year in India. She won the Filmfare Best
Actress Award for her performance in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke. Most of Chawla's films of 1994–6
were unsuccessful, though she received a Filmfare nomination for her performance as a battered
wife in Daraar. She had a revival in 1997 with such romantic comedies as Yes Boss, Deewana
Mastana and Ishq. Ishq became one of the top-earners of the year, and Chawla received her sixth
Filmfare nomination for her portrayal of a model in Yes Boss.
Chawla's pairing with Aamir Khan and their on-screen chemistry was often cited by the
media as successful. She has also teamed up with Shahrukh Khan in several movies, including
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Darr, Duplicate and Yes Boss.
2000s Through the 2000s, Chawla started appearing
in independent and art films, and her work in the genre included the critically acclaimed
films 3 Deewarein, 7½ Phere and My Brother Nikhil, which Taran Adarsh termed as "amongst
the finest in her career" and Khalid Mohamed praised as "perfect," stating that "her effortless
blend of conflicting emotions is what A-class acting is all about. Ms Chawla is a diamond
in this little gem of a movie." She won a Star Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress
for 3 Deewarein. She was seen in Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq:
A Tribute To Love for which she received good reviews. She starred with Urmila Matondkar
in Bas Ek Pal (2006) and with Manoj Bajpai in Swami. Juhi's latest releases include Ravi
Chopra's Bhoothnath with Amitabh Bachchan, in which she made her singing debut with the
song "Chalo Jaane Do". Another film called Krazzy 4 with Irfan Khan and Arshad Warsi
was released in 2008. In 2009, she appeared in a guest appearance in Luck By Chance to
play a comic part for which she dyed her hair blonde. The film got extremely positive reviews
and has got a good opening at the box office. Chawla has appeared in several non-Hindi language
films. She has appeared in various Punjabi films: Shaheed Uddham Singh (2000), Des Hoyaa
Pardes (2004), Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris (2006) and "Sukhmani – Hope for Life" (2010).
Her first Malayalam film was Harikrishnans, which also starred actors Mohanlal and Mammootty.
In the beginning of her career she acted in Kannada films, which include the successful
Premaloka and unsuccessful films like Shanthi Kranthi and Kindara Jogi. She acted with popular
Kannada actor Ravichandran in all these three films.
2010s Her most recent release was Onir's critically
acclaimed feature I Am (2011). Unfolded in several chapters, the film starred Chawla
alongside Manisha Koirala in an episode named I Am Megha. She played the title role of which
film critic Taran Adarsh commented, "It's a delight to watch Juhi and Manisha, after
a hiatus. Both deliver striking performances – even getting the language right." For
her performance, Chawla was awarded the Best Actress award at the 13th London Asian Film
Festival and Award for Excellence in Hindi Cinema at the Asiavision Movie Awards. Juhi
is the only top actress in the 90's who have never worked with Salman Khan in a full fledged
role opposite him. Although Salman Khan did a friendly appearance as her husband in the
1997 release Deewana Mastana. She is currently filming with Helen Mirren
and Om Puri for the Steven Spielberg-produced Hollywood film The Hundred Foot Journey.
Television During the 2000s, Chawla has also been presenter
and host of numerous television shows, particularly award ceremonies, including the Filmfare Awards
and the Zee Cine Awards. Chawla has been a judge for the entertainment show Jhalak Dikhhla
Jaa alongside Saroj Khan and Vaibhavi Merchant during the show's third season.
Producer Juhi later turned producer and became the
co-owner of a production company called Dreamz Unlimited with Shahrukh Khan and director
Aziz Mirza. The first two films produced by the production company were Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Hindustani and Asoka. Their third film, Chalte Chalte was the first success for the company.
Personal life Juhi Chawla is married to industrialist Jay
Mehta. The couple have two children; a daughter Jhanvi born in 2001, and a son Arjun born
in 2003. In an Interview Juhi revealed that Jhanvi wants to be a writer, instead of joining
Films. Jay Mehta and Juhi Chawla are the co-owners of the Indian Premier League team Kolkata
Knight Riders in partnership with Shahrukh Khan under their company Red Chillies Entertainment.
Her brother Bobby Chawla who was the CEO of Red Chillies Entertainment suffered a massive
stroke in 2010 after a dinner party and has been in coma ever since.
Filmography As producer
2000 – Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani 2001 – Asoka
2003 – Chalte Chalte