Juhi Chawla

Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, voice actress, film producer, television presenter and former Miss India (1984). 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 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, to Dr. S. Chawla and Mona Chawla. 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 (3) 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 6 years. Career 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. 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's hit 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. Personal life Juhi Chawla is married to industrialist Jay Mehta. The couple have two children; a daughter Jahnvi born in 2001, and a son Arjun born in 2003. 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.