AR Rahman, Vijay leads Kollywood in Forbes Top 100 Celebrities
Forbes India Celebrity 100 is an annual list compiled and published by Forbes Magazine, in which 100 most powerful celebrities of the year are listed out taking into account their income, Google hits, fan base, press clips and magazine covers.
The Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for 2012 has been released yesterday, with Vijay topping the list at number 28, among Kollywood actors. Surya follows at number 43, Ajith at number 61 and Vikram at number 67.
Shahrukh Khan tops at number 1, followed by Salman Khan, MS Dhoni, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar and so on. Actresses Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are at number 7 and 10 respectively. AR Rahman holds the 20th position.
The Top 100 Celebrities of India
In 2012, Salman Khan had a year like no other. He set the box office on fire with Ek Tha Tiger, raking in Rs 198 crore in gross collections across the country. It was the largest box office hit last year by a wide margin. Salman Khan also ratcheted up his popularity with the Being Human Foundation that won him the goodwill of millions of fans. Yet, that didn’t stop the Dabangg hero from being overtaken by his rival, Shahrukh Khan. SRK jumped to the No. 1 spot on our most powerful celebrity rankings, on the strength of his endorsement income. He raked in Rs 202 crore from entertainment-related earnings. Of that, nearly Rs 150 crore came from his endorsement of 23 brands.
This Battle of the Khans is one of the highlights of the first Forbes India Celebrity 100 list. Unlike the wealth lists we publish, where the focus is on earnings or net worth, the Celebrity 100 is different. The list – which includes movie actors, television stars, authors, film directors, musicians, singers, sportspersons, comedians and models – is compiled on the basis of both money and fame. Fame is defined as visibility in print, television, and online, plus social media power, which we measured by looking at each celebrity’s presence on Facebook and Twitter. The celebrity’s gross pre-tax earnings were combined with their fame scores to arrive at the final rankings.
This time, a line-up of Bollywood celebrities and cricket stars have grabbed the top 10 positions. While that’s no surprise, the winners truly take all: The top 10 earn almost as much as 90 others put together.
Most celebrities are between 30 and 50 years old. However, that hasn’t prevented a clutch of 12 celebrities under 30, like Saina Nehwal, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Mary Kom and Shreya Ghoshal, from breaking into the top 50. At 23, world’s No. 2 shuttler Saina is the youngest on the list, earning Rs 13 crore. There’s only one musician who has managed to break into the top 20: AR Rahman’s soaring popularity isn’t just an affirmation of his skills as a world-class musician, but also a function of his growing presence on social media.
AR Rahman has more than 10 million Facebook fans. This means that every post of his holds the potential to go viral almost instantly. The lesson for other celebrities: Ignore social media at your own peril.
But greater presence on social media needn’t always set the cash registers on fire. Amish Tripathi, who penned mythology-based fiction novels (The Immortals of Meluha and The Secret of the Nagas) earned almost three times more (Rs 10 crore) than Chetan Bhagat (Rs 3.2 crore) during the period. This, despite Bhagat’s fame rankings being nearly 30 points higher than Tripathi’s. In the literary world, you may have fame, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into higher earnings. (Yet when you combine fame and money, Bhagat edges well ahead of Tripathi.)
Finally, keep an eye on an evolving genre: Stand-up comics. Two of the most popular names in the trade – Vir Das and Cyrus Broacha – have broken into the top 100. It perhaps is a signal, ever so subtle, that niche urban audiences are now ready to look beyond the staple fare of Bollywood and cricket.
2012 Celebrity 100 List – Forbes India Magazine
| Rank | Name | Earnings(Rs. in crore) | Money Rank | Fame Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Shah Rukh Khan |
202.83 | 1 | 3 |
It has been a fabulous year for SRK. The world’s biggest movie star (according to the Los Angeles Times in 2011) had two movies in our time period: Don 2 and Ra.One; both did good business at the box office. With a long list of 23 endorsements, brand SRK had a successful year. His beleaguered Indian Premier League cricket team, Kolkata Knight Riders, won the competition. |
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| 2 |
Salman Khan |
144.2 | 3 | 1 |
His 2012 release, Ek Tha Tiger, became the second highest Bollywood grosser ever, second only to Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots (2009). His second release Dabangg 2 has already become the fastest to the Rs 100 crore club, behind Ek Tha Tiger. His philanthropic initiative, Being Human, offered to free 400 prisoners by paying off their dues. However, that did not hold back the Rajasthan High Court to fix charges against him for killing the endangered black buck. |
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| 3 |
MS Dhoni |
135.16 | 4 | 2 |
It was a mixed year for Captain Cool. In the Test arena, the home win against a poor Kiwi side was little consolation, sandwiched between the whitewash Down Under and the home defeat by England. His technique in the longer format was called into question, along with his captaincy. His limited-overs form remained strong, averaging 68 in ODIs and 53 in T20Is. |
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| 4 |
Akshay Kumar |
179.85 | 2 | 14 |
Bollywood’s Khiladi broke into the big league with two movies, Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore, in the period under consideration. Both crossed the Rs 100 crore mark in revenues. Oh My God and Khiladi 786 were also successful, but Joker bombed at the box office. In all, 2012 has established Kumar as a dependable star and expectations are high from his three releases in 2013. |
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| 5 |
Amitabh Bachchan |
116.3 | 5 | 8 |
Barring a guest appearance in English Vinglish, and a forgettable role in Department, 2012 was a quiet year for the legendary actor. But his voice enthralled audiences when he sang Rabindranath Tagore’s song Ekla Chalo Re for Kahaani. On TV, he was back to anchoring another season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Bachchan was also in news when he was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in London. The year 2013 will see him share screen space with Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. He received the Apsara Awards (Guild honour for excellence on TV for Kaun Banega Crorepati) and ‘FICCI Frames 2012′ Excellence Awards for maximum impact made by a personality. |
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| 6 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
97.46 | 6 | 7 |
The year saw Tendulkar break a milestone: His 114 against Bangladesh was not his best hundred but it meant he had scored 100 international centuries. He had been “stranded” at 99 for over a year and when he hit the crucial runs, even the opposition players came over to shake his hand. On December 23, India’s greatest cricketer retired from ODI cricket. The numbers speak for themselves: 18,426 ODI runs with 49 hundreds at an average of nearly 45 over 23 years. The year 2013 may well be his last year as an international cricketer. |
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| 7 |
Kareena Kapoor |
73.47 | 7 | 13 |
Kareena Kapoor received mixed results from her films in 2012: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Heroine and Agent Vinod faired average; Talaash turned out to be an unexpected success. Her hectic year ended with a much-awaited marriage with Saif Ali Khan (Rank 15). She is expected to feature in two movies in 2013. |
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| 8 |
Virender Sehwag |
27.73 | 21 | 4 |
Viru’s laidback attitude is a rarity in today’s results-based sporting world but it’s his attack-come-what-may style that sets him apart. He was Delhi Daredevil’s top scorer in IPL 5 with a strike rate of 164. The year, however, wasn’t his best at the international level-he averaged just 22 in ODIs-and ended with being dropped from the one-day side. |
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| 9 |
Virat Kohli |
47.27 | 13 | 6 |
Kohli possesses a maturity at the crease far beyond his years and cricket fans tend to forget just how young he is (24). The year 2012 saw his batting reach a new level: In the calendar year he averaged 39 in T20Is, 49 in Tests and a staggering 68 in ODIs. The year culminated with him winning the ICC ODI Player of the year. His fighting century in the Adelaide Test showed the Delhi boy’s grit in the face of a rampaging Australian side. |
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| 10 |
Katrina Kaif |
65.25 | 10 | 16 |
Katrina, a successful star for many years, reached the peak with the outstanding success of Ek Tha Tiger. The success of Jab Tak Hai Jaan confirmed her status as the reigning queen of Bollywood. In 2013, she is expected to consolidate her accomplishments with Dhoom 3 and Dostana 2. |
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| 11 |
Ranbir Kapoor |
71.17 | 8 | 19 |
The youngest actor from the first family of Indian cinema achieved his best commercial result when his portrayal of a deaf and mute man in Barfi! made it the sixth highest grosser in 2012. Though it failed to make it to the Academy’s final list, Barfi! was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film nomination for the Oscar. His career is on the upswing with three releases planned in 2013. |
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| 12 |
Aamir Khan |
42.5 | 14 | 10 |
He became the first Bollywood actor to cross the Rs 100-crore mark with his 2008 film Ghajini, which was the highest grossing film of all time until his next release 3 Idiots. In our time period, Khan didn’t have a single film. His hugely successful TV show Satyamev Jayate more than made up for this. The show made him the highest paid TV star: He was paid Rs 3 crore for each episode. Khan was featured on the cover of Time magazine for taking up social issues. He was signed up by Unicef in 2012 to promote action on child nutrition. |
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| 13 |
Gautam Gambhir |
26.94 | 22 | 5 |
The most expensive player in IPL history’ is a heavy tag for any player to bear, but Gambhir’s performances in IPL 5 were worth their weight in gold. He won three man of the match awards and captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to the final, which they won. The $2.4 million spent on bringing him to Eden Gardens turned out to be a great investment as he finished as the tournament’s second-highest run scorer. Internationally, he had a solid year scoring just over 1,000 runs in ODIs to make up for below-par Test match performances. |
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| 14 |
Priyanka Chopra |
39.67 | 16 | 11 |
Two of her three movies in 2012 (Agneepath and Barfi!) crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, with the former making a Bollywood record of highest opening day collections. She also debuted as a singer with ‘In My City’. |
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| 15 |
Saif Ali Khan |
64.17 | 11 | 26 |
Khan turned producer in 2009 and launched Illuminati films along with Dinesh Vijan. His first film as producer was Love Aaj Kal. His last home production Agent Vinod did average at the box office. At the moment, Abbas Mustan’s Race 2 is all set to release and he is shooting for Bullet Raja. The 2010 Padma Shri awardee became the 10th Nawab of Pataudi after the death of his father in 2011, although the title carries no official or legal significance. In 2012, he married his partner actor Kareena Kapoor (Rank 7). This is his second marriage. |
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| 16 |
Hrithik Roshan |
68.67 | 9 | 31 |
Hrithik Roshan followed up the success of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011 with the superhit Agneepath, successfully reprising Amitabh Bachchan’s role. This was Roshan’s biggest commercial success. The year 2013 will be crucial for him as he comes out with the second sequel in his role as superhero Krrish. Also, he starts work on Shekhar Kapur’s ambitious Paani, a film that deals with a future where water wars have broken out. He debuted on TV as a judge on “Just Dance”. |
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| 17 |
Yuvraj Singh |
16.14 | 35 | 12 |
One of the finest limited overs batsmen of his generation spent most of last year away from the game, fighting cancer. The cricketing world was united in its celebration when he made a full recovery and we saw that high back lift send balls sailing over the mid-wicket boundary once more. Though he didn’t play in the IPL, his contract with the Pune Warriors and ongoing endorsement deals meant he was able bring in solid income. The year 2012 wasn’t about cricket or money though. Cancer transformed Yuvraj Singh as a person. His image has changed from a dashing young chap to a strong, empathic man doing his bit to raise awareness for a noble cause. |
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| 18 |
Rahul Dravid |
8.31 | 62 | 9 |
Dravid bowed out of service after a career spanning 16 years. Though he will be remembered for his stone-solid defence, he will hope that he can make as big a name for himself as a commentator and ambassador for the game. His acceptance speech at the 2011 Sir Donald Bradman Oration in Canberra highlighted how far Indian cricket had come. The Bangalore boy who made a sparkling 95 on debut at Lord’s in 1996 is now gracing the iconic English commentary service Test Match Special-if ever there was recognition of a pundit’s quality, that was it. His analysis on pre- and post-match TV coverage is refreshing in its honesty and clarity. The great hope in cricket is that Dravid gets into administration and channels all the money and enthusiasm around the sport towards a healthy future. |
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| 19 |
Ajay Devgn |
54.65 | 12 | 38 |
Devgn won Stardust’s best actor award for his role in Singham. In 2012, he produced and acted in Bol Bachchan and Son of Sardar, both grossing about Rs 150 crore individually. He also did a voiceover for Makkhi, the Hindi version of Telugu blockbuster Eega. In another role, Devgn was invited to anchor the Google+ Hangout session with Narendra Modi. On TV, he is also slated to take over from Akshay Kumar to anchor the fifth season of Khatron ke Khiladi. |
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| 20 |
AR Rahman |
32.92 | 20 | 24 |
For someone who joined legendary music composer Illayaraja’s troupe at the age of 11 and then went on to conquer the world with his music, the title of ‘Mozart of Madras’ speaks very little. Rahman, whom Time magazine listed among the ‘World’s 100 Most Influential People’ in 2009, has revolutionised Indian film music over the last two decades. He is one of the highest-selling record artists of all time. His next project is Kadal, a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, the man who gave him his first break in 1992. |
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| 21 |
John Abraham |
34.6 | 19 | 27 |
Abraham debuted as a producer in 2012 and got off to a great start with blockbuster movie Vicky Donor. He is currently working on his second production, Hamara Bajaj. Abraham works with Peta and Habitat for Humanity. His fashion line, JA Clothes, features his favourite article of clothing, jeans. |
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| 22 |
Deepika Padukone |
25.65 | 26 | 22 |
In 2012, Padukone featured in Homi Adajania’s drama-comedy, Cocktail, and earned critical appreciation forher performance. The film was a commercial success in India and overseas. Her other film, Desi Boyz, flopped. The year 2013 is likely to be a busy year with five movies in the pipeline. She makes her debut in Tamil film Kochadaiyaan opposite Rajinikanth. Padukone’s other films include Race 2, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, Ram Leela and Chennai Express. |
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| 23 |
Harbhajan Singh |
8.19 | 66 | 15 |
With over 400 Test and 250 ODI wickets, we sometimes forget what a modern great the Turbanator actually is. India’s third-highest Test wicket-taker is fighting to get back in the side, having lost his place to youngsters Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha. Bhajji captained the Mumbai Indians to Champions League T20 glory in 2011; Singh himself was the man of the match in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. |
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| 24 |
Rohit Sharma |
12.23 | 48 | 18 |
On the international front, it was a year to forget-the tour of Sri Lanka in particular was an opportunity Sharma failed to seize. The IPL was a different ball game altogether. Bought by the Mumbai Indians for mega bucks, the 25-year-old was the team’s highest scoring batsman in IPL 5. The highlight of 2012 was his sensational 109* (off just 60 balls) that he carved against eventual champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Some will say-having played 86 ODIs for India already with a disappointing average of 30-that he has had his chance. But because he burst onto the scene so young, age is on his side. |
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| 25 |
Bipasha Basu |
26.83 | 23 | 25 |
Her films received a mixed response at the box office. Players bombed, Jodi Breakers had an average run, but Raaz 3 did much better, netting Rs 93 crore worldwide. Basu is slated to make her international film debut in 2013 with the Australian film Singularity, where she shares the screen with Hollywood stars like Josh Hartnett and Neve Cambell. She also released two fitness DVDs Love Yourself and Break Free. |
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| 26 |
Zaheer Khan |
7.06 | 67 | 17 |
Zaheer Khan has spearheaded the Indian pace attack for over a decade. While he’s lost some of his pace, his high jump and seam control mean he is a threat in all conditions. He has taken almost 300 wickets in both Tests and One-Day Internationals. However, the year gone by was not his best: He took just 24 wickets in 17 Test and ODIs and India’s over-reliance on him was cruelly exposed by Australia and England. A $900,000 move to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011 augmented his earnings and he finished IPL 5 as the team’s second highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps. |
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| 27 |
Vidya Balan |
12.32 | 47 | 20 |
In 2012, Balan sparkled in her performance in Kahaani, which got her the Screen Award for best actress. She has signed up for Ghanchakkar, opposite Emraan Hashmi and Shaadi Ke Side Effects opposite Farhan Akhtar. Balan will be the brand ambassador for the Melbourne International Film Festival this year. |
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| 28 |
Vijay |
38.46 | 17 | 52 |
After a string of flops a few years ago, Vijay made a comeback starting 2011 with hit films such as Kaavalan, a remake of Malayalam film Bodyguard; Velayutham, a remake of Telugu film Azad; and Nanban, a remake of 3 Idiots. The number of remakes explains why Vijay, despite being a phenomenon in the Tamil market, has found it difficult to expand to neighbouring states. |
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| 29 |
Saina Nehwal |
13.17 | 43 | 23 |
India’s golden girl is the highest earning non-cricketing athlete. The year 2012 was a standout year for her: She won India’s first Olympic medal in badminton, the Indonesia Super Series, the Denmark Open, the Swiss Open and the Thailand Open, finishing the year ranked third in the world. The question is, can she be the catalyst that propels badminton towards being India’s next commercial sport? If she can spearhead the Indian Badminton League, the sport can grow around her. |
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| 30 |
Suresh Raina |
8.94 | 61 | 21 |
The stats don’t lie: They show that Raina is one of the best T20 batsmen in the game’s short history. His fielding alone is enough to endear him to fans but his ability to hit sixes at number 5 makes him a key member of Team India. Though his IPL team Chennai Super Kings couldn’t win the tournament for the third consecutive time in 2012, he remains the highest run-scorer in the history of the league. His career average for the Indian T20 side is an impressive 33.60. His Test career has not taken off and given his rip-roaring style, perhaps it was never destined to. |
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| 31 |
Mahesh Babu |
42.25 | 15 | 79 |
His film Dookudu broke many firsts for the Telugu film industry. It earned Rs 50 crore in its first week and Rs 100 crore in the first 50 days. He won the CNN-IBN Actor of the Year Award for his performance. If you look into Babu’s background, there is no guessing why he is outperforming his peers. His father, Krishna, has acted in 350 films in his lifetime and announced his retirement at the age of 70 last year. Babu himself started acting at the age of four. |
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| 32 |
Sanjay Dutt |
15.7 | 36 | 28 |
In 2012, Dutt appeared in four films: Agneepath (one of the highest grossing Bollywood films of all times), Department (mixed reception), Son of Sardaar and the superhit Dabangg 2. He has five releases slated in 2013. Last year, he also teamed up with Raj Kundra to launch Super Fight League, India’s first professionally organised mixed martial arts league. |
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| 33 |
Abhishek Bachchan |
19.4 | 30 | 34 |
His run-of-the-mill career got a boost last year with Bol Bachchan. The film was very successful, but much of the credit is shared by the commercially bankable team that includes Rohit Shetty (director) and Ajay Devgn (leading actor). Bachchan’s other film as leading man, Players, a remake of The Italian Job, bombed at the box office just as many of his movies in the past five years. The success of Dhoom 3-the movie series that has richly rewarded Bachchan in his role of a dogged cop-is of great importance to Junior B’s career. |
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| 34 |
Shahid Kapoor |
18.35 | 33 | 39 |
The year 2012 was a disappointing one for Kapoor. His only movie, Teri Meri Kahani, failed to even break even. His last hit was Kaminey (2009). He would be anxiously looking to strike gold with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Phata Poster Nikla Hero, to be released in 2013. |
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| 35 |
Emraan Hashmi |
26.12 | 25 | 48 |
Four of his films released in 2012: Jannat 2, Raaz (3D), Shanghai and Rush. Barring the last, all were hugely successful, considering the budgets on which they were made. Hashmi established his commercial value in 2012. He has his hands full with Ghanchakkar, Ek Thi Daayan and Unglee, all scheduled to release in 2013. He is set to feature in Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic’s next film, a collaboration of multiple production houses. |
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| 36 |
Anushka Sharma |
21 | 28 | 44 |
“Sharma had just one film, Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, in the time period we’ve mapped for this report. The film did just about average business at the box office. She has since zoomed ahead with two more films-Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Vishal Bharadwaj’s Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola. She won Zee Cinema’s International Icon award. Sharma started the year with an eyeball-grabbing cover shoot with Vogue magazine. The endorsements have spiralled too; she ranks among A-list endorsers like Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. But sceptics await her 2013 releases (Peekay and Bombay Velvet) before they pronounce the lady a success. She is reported to have said, “Thanks to the endorsements, I don’t need to do crap films.” |
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| 37 |
Karan Johar |
10 | 56 | 29 |
He runs Dharma Productions, one of India’s biggest film studios. His latest film Student of the Year was received well at the box office. |
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| 38 |
Madhuri Dixit |
23 | 27 | 47 |
Bollywood’s dancing diva Madhuri Dixit is a goodwill ambassador for ‘Emeralds for Elephants’, a project for the conservation of Asian elephants and other endangered species. Always one to connect with her fans, she launched an app that would link with her content. She is now working on Gulaab Gang, a film based on the life of social activist Sampat Pal and her group. In February 2013, she starts shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Dedh Ishqiya, a sequel to the critically acclaimed Ishqiya. |
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| 39 |
Farhan Akhtar |
16.6 | 34 | 42 |
As a 17-year-old, Akhtar worked as Yash Chopra’s apprentice in Lamhe. He spent three years in ad production before directing his first film Dil Chahta Hai, which catapulted him to the big league. Over the years, he’s evolved into a versatile artiste, dabbling in direction, production, writing, acting and singing. Currently, he’s shooting for sports biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in which he plays the protagonist Milkha Singh. |
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| 40 |
Imran Khan |
14.85 | 39 | 41 |
Imran Khan’s only release in 2012 was the moderate box-office success Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu opposite Kareena Kapoor. Both actors received critical acclaim for the film. In 2011, he filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government’s move to increase the legal age for consuming alcohol to 25. Khan is also a dedicated supporter of Peta India. Khan’s 2013 releases include Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again, expected in August. |
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| 41 |
Sonakshi Sinha |
10.7 | 52 | 35 |
Sinha has been a hot-off-the-fire entrant into the industry with her 2010 debut in Dabangg, the year’s highest grossing film. In 2012, she featured in five films: Rowdy Rathore, Joker, OMG: Oh My God!, Son of Sardaar and Dabangg 2. Her expected films in 2013 are Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again, Namak and Lootera. She is also going to begin work for Bullet Raja, Rambo Rajkumar and the remake of Tamil action film Thuppakki. |
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| 42 |
Shreya Ghoshal |
10.5 | 53 | 36 |
One of the most prolific singers today, music writers have hailed her as the ‘Queen Bee of Playback’ and the legendary Lata Mangeshkar has found Ghoshal the closest to her own voice. Her work in Bengali and Marathi cinema and that down South has received nationwide recognition and fetched her national awards. |
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| 43 |
Surya |
35.75 | 18 | 98 |
In Tamil cinema, Surya is not as popular as his college mate Vijay (Rank 28), but his earnings are bigger because of his popularity in Telugu. So much so, that the better part of his earnings come from the rights to distribute his films in the Andhra Pradesh market. He is often compared to Kamal Hassan, the versatile actor who took on challenging roles and acted in masala flicks with equal panache. |
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| 44 |
Leander Paes |
4.41 | 75 | 30 |
Ranked the No 3 doubles player in the world, Paes kicked off 2012 by winning the Chennai Open with Serbian partner Janko Tipsarevic and followed it up by bagging the Australian Open crown and Masters 1000 titles in Shanghai and Miami with Radek Stepanek. Paes also had a successful year in mixed doubles as he reached the final of the Australian Open as well as Wimbledon with Russian Elena Vesnina. |
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| 45 |
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan |
13.8 | 42 | 45 |
Her last film was Guzaarish, released in 2010. Buzz is, in 2013, she will feature in the science fiction Happy Birthday opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Saamna with Nana Patekar and Akshay Kumar, and Biscuit. In 2009, she received the Padma Shri and is the goodwill ambassador for UNAIDS and the UN Microcredit Spokesperson. In 2012, she accepted the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France. |
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| 46 |
Mary Kom |
3.32 | 82 | 32 |
The diminutive Manipuri boxer’s journey to London 2012 faced hurdles from poverty, gender bias and motherhood. Her Olympics bronze gave her nationwide recognition. The five-time world champion is now the brand ambassador for Super Fight League, India’s first mixed martial arts event and spearheads P&G’s Proud Sponsor of Mums campaign. |
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| 47 |
Sonu Nigam |
15.56 | 37 | 53 |
Classically trained by Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, his singing has also shown influences of King of Pop Michael Jackson. Nigam has sung in nearly 15 languages, but of late, he’s cut down on playback and shifted focus to live concerts across the world. Last year, his track ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’ from Agneepath topped the music charts. |
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| 48 |
Sonam Kapoor |
4.5 | 73 | 33 |
Kapoor had a tough 2012. Her only film between October 2011 and September 2012-Players-was a flop. She has not had a hit for more than two years now. Her expectations from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (with Farhan Akhtar) in 2013 would, predictably, be high. |
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| 49 |
Pritam |
10.35 | 54 | 43 |
In his initial years in Mumbai, he made ad jingles and collaborated with small-time musicians. He made it big in 2004 with Dhoom and since then, has become Bollywood’s musical ‘hit machine’, though he’s often been criticised for copying tunes. Last year, his music for Barfi! was hugely appreciated as it saw him break out of his comfort zone and create a charming old world melody that elevated the film to a different level. |
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| 50 |
Ravi Teja |
15.5 | 38 | 56 |
“Teja is one of the most low profile South Indian actors. His three films in 2012-Nippu, Daruvu and Devudu Chesina Manushulu-failed at the box office. But given Teja’s usual success, this was more like an aberration. His earnings, however, did not suffer much. Producers call his films “”minimum guarantee”", where the budgets are low but returns are high. His 2013 projects include Romeo, Balupu, and Jintatha Jita Jita. |
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| 51 |
Mahesh Bhupathi |
4.06 | 78 | 37 |
Winning the 2012 French Open mixed doubles with Sania Mirza (Rank 59) was a fantastic achievement for the Indian pair. While the London Olympics were a low point for Indian tennis on and off court, Bhupathi-ranked world No. 11 in doubles-and his men’s doubles partner Rohan Bopanna put in a series of strong performances, winning the ATP 100 event in Paris and reaching the final of the World Tour in London. Off court, he’s the head of sports media consultancy Globosport, which also runs a tennis academy, and sports365.com (an online sporting goods portal). |
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| 52 |
Arjun Rampal |
14.75 | 40 | 58 |
After his acting debut in 2001, he had to wait for five years for Don – The Chase Begins to taste success. However, it was only after Om Shanti Om (2007) and Rock On!! (2008), that Rampal broke into the big league. In 2012, his releases tanked at the box office: Heroine, Chakravyuh and Ajab Gazabb Love. This year, however, seems packed for him, with seven slated releases. In 2012, he launched Lost Festival, a music festival. |
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| 53 |
Pawan Kalyan |
26.33 | 24 | 85 |
He worked in Gabbar Singh, the Telugu remake of Dabangg. It is the highest grossing film in Kalyan’s career. He is the younger brother of Chiranjeevi, another popular actor and current MP in the Rajya Sabha. |
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| 54 |
Kajol |
18.9 | 32 | 70 |
After 19 years in the industry and a range of versatile roles to her credit, she was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2011. In 2010 she and Shah Rukh Khan became the first Indian actors to be invited by NASDAQ to open the US stock exchange. In 2012, Kajol lent her voice to an animated character in Makkhi and featured in a cameo in Student of the Year. In 2013, she will appear in a cameo in Chennai Express, and will do a voice-over in the animation Koochie Koochie Hota Hai. |
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| 55 |
Anurag Kashyap |
1.75 | 94 | 40 |
Fast Fact : Kashyap had set out to become a scientist, but 10 days at a Vittorio de Sica retrospective at a film festival in Goa in 1993 changed his life. Bicycle Thieves impacted him deeply and inspired him to make films. |
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| 56 |
Nagarjuna |
11.79 | 50 | 55 |
Nagarjuna made his acting debut as a child in the 1967 film Sudigundalu. It was almost 20 years later that he debuted, this time as the lead actor, in Vikram (1986). In 2012, he appeared in two films, Shirdi Sai and Dhamarukam, the latter seeing the biggest box-office opening of his career. He has one film-Bhai-lined up for 2013. |
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| 57 |
Viswanathan Anand |
12.1 | 49 | 61 |
Anand claimed his fifth Chess World Championship by defeating Israel’s Boris Gelfand in Moscow in May 2012. He won the eighth game of the final in just 17 moves-the shortest ever in World Championship history. The title was his fourth in a row and cemented his position as the world’s undisputed chess master. |
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| 58 |
Shilpa Shetty |
12.6 | 44 | 64 |
Shetty has had a relatively low-profile year after she gave birth to her son Viaan in May 2012. Her last two major releases-Life in a? Metro and Apne-were in 2007. Shetty’s latest venture has been as a judge on dance show Nach Baliye 5. She has donated Rs 1.2 million to NDTV’s Greenathon, has modelled for PETA’s advertising campaigns, and is a fitness and yoga enthusiast. She and husband Raj Kundra are stake holders in IPL team Rajasthan Royals. |
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| 59 |
Sania Mirza |
5.3 | 70 | 46 |
She’s won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Mahesh Bhupathi and is ranked No. 12 on the WTA doubles list. Coming back from injury, 2012 was a successful year for her: She won the Pattaya Open doubles crown in February, the Brussels Open in May and reached the final in Beijing, Indian Wells and Dubai. |
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| 60 |
Riteish Deshmukh |
5.1 | 71 | 51 |
The past year was not a sterling one where Deshmukh’s acting career was concerned: Housefull 2, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum did moderately well. On the personal front too it was a mixed bag: He married long-term girlfriend Genelia D’Souza, but lost his father, former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The actor has a long list of films lined up in 2013. |
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| 61 |
Ajith Kumar |
14 | 41 | 77 |
It’s telling that Ajith played the same cameo role in the Tamil version of English Vinglish that Amitabh Bachchan did for the Hindi version. And not Rajinikanth. For his passionate fan following Ajith is the next Rajinikanth. But, he is also getting old. He makes no bones about it. In his latest hit film Mankatha, he plays a character who is as old as he is. |
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| 62 |
Genelia D’Souza Deshmukh |
9.55 | 59 | 66 |
Although she married Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh (Rank 60) in 2012 and acquired national recognition through her Hindi films, most of her revenue in the past year comes from her work in South Indian films. Between October 2011 and September 2012, she appeared in three films: Valayudham (Tamil), Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (Hindi) and Naa Ishtam (Telugu). In 2013, she has two films lined up: It’s My Life and Rock the Shaadi. |
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| 63 |
Imtiaz Ali |
8.25 | 63 | 63 |
Ali began his career in television directing shows for Zee TV and Star Plus. He made his first feature film Socha Na Tha in 2005. It was critically acclaimed despite being a box office failure. His next film Jab We Met made him a household name. His following two films Love Aaj Kal and Rockstar became huge critical and commercial success. Ali also pens the scripts and dialogues for films. |
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| 64 |
Gagan Narang |
2.7 | 86 | 50 |
While the bronze medal he won for the 10-meter air-rifle at the London Olympics was a fantastic achievement, fans who’ve followed him would have been expecting it, given his record of winning gold in air-rifle events at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. After his Olympic performances, he was showered with cash prizes from state governments. |
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| 65 |
Rohan Bopanna |
2.29 | 90 | 49 |
The men’s doubles tennis player has put in a string of strong performances in the last one year. In 2012 he teamed up with Mahesh Bhupathi (Rank 51) and won the Dubai Tennis Championships and reached his career high doubles ranking of 8th in the world. The pair finished runners up in Cincinnati, Shanghai and the year-end ATP World Tour in London. Currently ranked 12th in the world, Bopanna ended 2012 on a high, getting married in November. |
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| 66 |
NT Rama Rao Jr |
19 | 31 | 91 |
Popularly known as Junior NTR or Tarak, he comes from a strong lineage in both politics as well as well as film. His grandfather was the late NT Rama Rao, a leading actor and ex-chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. His film, Oosaravelli, received mixed reviews, yet earned well at the box office, making him one of the top earning actors in the South. |
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| 67 |
Vikram |
20.45 | 29 | 99 |
He made his debut in 1990, but was a struggling actor with secondary roles; he dubbed for films for nine years. A movie called Sethu by a debutant director changed it all. The movie became a big hit, and was followed by a string of hits such as Dhil, Dhool and Saamy. While he has received praise for his performance in his more recent movies, they haven’t done well at the box-office. |
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| 68 |
Madhur Bhandarkar |
4.5 | 74 | 57 |
From Tabu in Chandni Bar, to Konkona Sen Sharma in Page 3, Bipasha Basu in Corporate and Priyanka Chopra in Fashion, Bhandarkar has consistently delivered strong women-centric films. He started out as Ram Gopal Verma’s assistant in Rangeela and Satya, and is a winner of multiple National Film Awards. But his latest film Heroine, starring Kareena Kapoor, was dismissed by some critics as a rehash of his earlier work on the film and fashion world. |
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| 69 |
Rohit Shetty |
12.4 | 46 | 78 |
He started his career at age 17 as the assistant director in Phool Aur Kante (Ajay Devgn’s debut film). Over the years, Shetty has churned out one blockbuster after the other: The Golmaal trilogy, Singham, Bol Bachchan, all starring Devgn. His next film Chennai Express starring Shah Rukh Khan is slated for release this year. |
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| 70 |
Jeev Milkha Singh |
12.45 | 45 | 80 |
It was a great year for the golfer. He won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, his fourth career European Tour event win. He was also awarded the Asia-Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award alongside Jack Nicklaus and Colin Montgomerie. |
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| 71 |
Sunny Leone |
2.6 | 88 | 54 |
The former Canadian adult entertainment star, made her entry into Bollywood with the movie Jism 2. According to Yahoo India’s Year in Review 2012, she attracted the most number of online searches among celebrities in 2012 in India. In 2013, she will be seen in Ekta Kapoor’s Ragini MMS 2. |
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| 72 |
Sunidhi Chauhan |
9.81 | 58 | 74 |
A live performer par excellence, she’s often touted as the ‘Queen of Item Numbers’, with mass favourites like ‘Beedi Jalai Le’ and ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ to her credit. Along with Shreya Ghoshal (Rank 42), she’s one of the highest paid female singers today. She has collaborated with Enrique Iglesias, on a track called ‘Heartbeat’ (India Mix) which was featured in his album Euphoria. |
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| 73 |
Preity Zinta |
4.4 | 76 | 62 |
Zinta has not had a single release since 2008. She, however, remains a co-owner of Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab and has sizeable brand endorsements to her name. Zinta has been working on Ishkq in Paris, expected to be released in 2013. She is acting in the movie and is its producer too. Her other expected film is Bhaiyyaji Superhit. |
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| 74 |
Boman Irani |
8.98 | 60 | 72 |
The past year has been a busy one for Irani, with four releases: Ferrari Ki Sawaari, Cocktail, Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi and Joker. |
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| 75 |
Chetan Bhagat |
3.29 | 83 | 59 |
February 2013 will be a special month for Bhagat, who will see his third book converted into a Bollywood film, Kai Po Che! He has his fair share of critics, but is clearly the best selling Indian author in the country today. |
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| 76 |
Karisma Kapoor |
11.55 | 51 | 81 |
Kapoor returned to acting in films in 2012 after a gap of nine years, with Dangerous Ishhq. It turned out to be a dud. In 2013, she has a remake of the 1982 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Satte Pe Satta slated for release. Kapoor has also turned radio jockey for an FM station. |
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| 77 |
Kangana Ranaut |
8.2 | 64 | 71 |
Her only release in 2012 was a flop at the box-office despite an impressive star cast. In 2013, she is set to appear in I Love New Year, Shootout at Wadala, Queen, Ungli and Krrish 3. The year 2012 also saw her directorial debut, in which she made a short film based on human-animal relationship co-written with an Australian writer. |
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| 78 |
Vijender Singh |
3.2 | 84 | 60 |
The strapping boxer from Haryana has managed to successfully ride the wave of fame that followed his bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. While his recent achievements in the ring may not have been up to his own standards, he has been able to successfully monetise his image. His good looks and personality lend themselves to television and he’s more and more looking to become a reality TV star. It won’t be long before you see him on the big screen too. |
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| 79 |
Sukhwinder Singh |
5.65 | 69 | 67 |
For someone whose voice was deemed unfit for playback in his initial years, Singh has come a long way singing for almost all leading actors and working with top music directors. His association with AR Rahman has produced some of his career’s most popular tracks. Their collaboration ‘Jai Ho’ from the film Slumdog Millionaire went on to win the Oscar for the Best Original Song. Singh had a very successful 2012 with more than 10 hits to his credit, most notably ‘Tore Bina’ from Kahaani. |
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| 80 |
Malaika Arora Khan |
5.75 | 68 | 69 |
Seen in 2012′s hit song ‘Anarkali Disco Chali’ (Housefull 2), she is the original item girl. She turned film producer in 2010, producing the super hit Dabangg with her husband Arbaaz Khan, which also saw her dance her most popular number till date, ‘Munni Badnam Hui’. A popular figure on TV, she has been associated with shows like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Nach Baliye and Zara Nachke Dikha. Her career plans include working on a fashion line with sister Amrita Arora, and launching a fitness DVD. |
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| 81 |
Mohit Chauhan |
4.93 | 72 | 68 |
Chauhan has come a long way from his Silk Route (band which he formed in 1996) days to become one of the leading voices of the film industry. Though he sang for AR Rahman in Rang De Basanti (the track ‘Khoon Chala’), the hugely popular ‘Tum Se Hi’ from Jab We Met catapulted him to the mainstream in 2007. He won the Filmfare Award for his song ‘Masakkali’. Chauhan was the voice of Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar, receiving particular praise for ‘Jo Bhi Main’ and ‘Sadda Haq’. |
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| 82 |
Vir Das |
1.6 | 95 | 65 |
Das’ rise to fame after his performance in Delhi Belly has been exciting because of how far he’s come and how many different things he’s doing. He writes scripts for movies and award shows, hosts TV shows and acts in theatrical plays. |
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| 83 |
Vishal-Shekhar |
8.2 | 65 | 82 |
The music composer duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani first came together in 2003 for Jhankar Beats, which fetched them the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent that year. In 2011, they collaborated with Grammy Award-winning British singer Imogen Heap for a television show The Dewarists and also worked with R&B star Akon for Ra.One. Last year has been great for them with their music for Kahaani, Shanghai and Student of the Year topping the charts. |
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| 84 |
Mithun Chakraborty |
10.13 | 55 | 88 |
A great dancer, known best for his 1982 cult film Disco Dancer, Chakraborty helped conceptualise the reality dance show Dance India Dance (DID) on Zee TV after the huge success of his Dance Bangla Dance for Bengali TV. Today he is the creative head judge of DID, which is now in its third season. He owns several hotels in Ooty, Madurai and Siliguri, and was once the second highest paid star after Amitabh Bachchan. He is still a sought after actor and was seen in Housefull 2 and OMG: Oh My God in 2012, and has four releases in 2013. |
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| 85 |
Amish Tripathi |
10 | 57 | 93 |
Earlier this year, he sold the movie rights for his first book, The Immortals of Meluha, to Dharma Productions. His earnings just by book sales have crossed more than Rs 16 crore in the last two years. His second book was screened as a movie trailer before Shah Rukh Khan’s film Ra.One. He also released trailer on YouTube to catch readers. |
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| 86 |
Kailash Kher |
2.23 | 93 | 73 |
The man who stormed into public consciousness in 2004 with ‘Allah Ke Bande’ performed extensively across the world over the last year, along with his folk/Sufi band Kailasa whose popularity has grown by the day, to the extent of drawing comparisons with bands like Coldplay and The Beatles. Besides Hindi films, Kher also sang for Telugu films Nuvva Nena and Rajanna. |
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| 87 |
Shaan |
3.08 | 85 | 76 |
He journeyed from being a highly successful pop artiste (with albums Naujawan, Q Funk, Tanha Dil and Aksar becoming a rage) to a very popular playback singer. Some of his acclaimed tracks include ‘Chand Sifaarish’, ‘Jab Se Tere Naina’ and ‘Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh’, all of which fetched him Filmfare Awards. In 2011, he lent his voice to the Hindi version of the animated Hollywood film Rio. |
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| 88 |
Ravinder Singh |
0.42 | 100 | 75 |
A personal tragedy became his story shared with many through his first book ‘I Too Had a Love Story’ (2008), that has turned out to be the oldest of novels in today’s top 10 Indian fiction. However, in 2011, he wanted to give back to his readers and wrote a fictional sequel called ‘Can Love Happen Twice?’ that turned out to be Penguin India’s fastest selling book ever in 25 years. Ravinder’s first novel was first reviewed by NRN Narayana Murthy, Singh’s former employer. Ravinder has a huge fan following on Facebook. |
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| 89 |
Ram Kapoor |
3.5 | 79 | 84 |
Kapoor challenges every stereotype of a male sex symbol, and yet there he is every night romancing one of the most desirable woman on Indian television, Sakshi Tanwar, in Sony’s hugely popular daily show Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. He essays the role of an overweight businessman in a modern day adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. His career in Bollywood is still in a nascent stage, although he has found cameo roles in movies like Udaan, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu and Student of the Year. He will soon be seen on a new cooking-based celebrity show, Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki. |
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| 90 |
Terrence Lewis |
4.25 | 77 | 90 |
A much sought-after choreographer, Lewis is the anchor and judge of reality show Dance India Dance, aired on Zee TV, which is now in its third season. A thousand people reportedly queued up outside his dance academy every day when Zee TV opened up nominations for the show’s latest season. He is personal trainer to Bollywood stars like Madhuri Dixit, Antara Mali and Malaika Arora. He recently signed on as a judge for Nach Baliye on Star TV. |
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| 91 |
Remo D’Souza |
3.5 | 80 | 87 |
Choreographer-director D’Souza has been a judge on many of TV’s popular dance shows: Season 4 and 5 of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, and Dance India Dance earlier. He has decided to copyright some moves for the song ‘Bezubaan’ from Any Body Can Dance, a movie he is directing. D’Souza has also directed F.A.L.T.U, a movie that he says was inspired by his own life. A mediocre student, D’Souza says it took him many years to convince his parents that all he wanted to do was dance and become a choreographer. |
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| 92 |
Esha Gupta |
0.94 | 98 | 83 |
In 2012, Gupta was seen in Jannat 2, and Raaz 3, which was produced by Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt and directed by Vikram Bhatt. Her transition from conventional modelling assignments to films was catalysed by the commercial success of both these films. She also appeared in Chakravyuh alongside Arjun Rampal and Abhay Deol. The year 2013 will see her do more international modelling assignments. |
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| 93 |
Sakshi Tanwar |
3.45 | 81 | 95 |
Tanwar was preparing for the Indian Civil Services exams when a chance audition at Doordarshan led her to anchor a show Albela Sur Mela. Her television career zoomed from there and she is today one of TV’s biggest female stars. These days she can be seen as Priya Kapoor in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. But it was Ekta Kapoor’s Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, a serial that ran for almost eight years, which made Tanwar a household name as Parvati bhabhi. |
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| 94 |
Ronit Roy |
2.63 | 87 | 89 |
Roy ruled the TV screens for a decade before ceding the No. 1 spot to Ram Kapoor (Rank 89). He gave several hits such as Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. His success as a TV star has landed him many acting roles in films. His portrayal of a disturbed and abusive father in Udaan, loosely based on the real life of producer Anurag Kashyap, earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 56th Filmfare Awards. Roy will be seen this year in Midnight’s Children, Shootout at Wadala and Naam Hai Boss. |
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| 95 |
Kirron Kher |
1.55 | 96 | 86 |
Kher is the face of India’s Got Talent, a reality TV show on Colors. She has been part of every one of the show’s four seasons. The National Film Award-winning actor has worked in over three-dozen films. Although she complains about being typecast as a Punjabi mother, it is a role she is asked to repeat often. This year Kher will be seen in the same role in Dostana 2, a sequel to the immensely popular Dostana (2008). |
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| 96 |
Kapil Sharma |
2.25 | 91 | 92 |
A stand up comedian, Sharma was the winner of the stand up comedy reality show, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (Season 3) on Star One. He has been a regular on many comedy shows on TV, such as Comedy Circus and Comedy Circus ka Naya Daur. He is now trying to take his feat to the big screen and has worked with Aneez Bazmee in It’s My Life. He will also be seen in Sohail Khan’s upcoming film Sher Khan and Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express. |
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| 97 |
Mona Singh |
2.25 | 92 | 94 |
A TV star, model and film actress, Singh is today seen as the protagonist in Kya Huaa Tera Vaada on a TV. She is also a regular on several reality shows, both as an anchor and as a participant. |
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| 98 |
Ashwin Sanghi |
0.98 | 97 | 96 |
Sanghi’s latest novel, The Krishna Key, which explores the travails of a historian who has been accused of murder, makes you visit the Vrindavan temples while connecting you to the Mahabharata and solves the crime. His book Chanakya’s Chant has given him earnings from movie rights as well. This puts him in the league of top earning authors in India. |
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| 99 |
Cyrus Broacha |
89 | 100 | |
The host of The Week that Wasn’t has moved on from being a youth icon to appealing to a broader audience. |
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| 100 |
Robin Sharma |
ss | 99 | 97 |
His first book, whose title remains elusive, was self-published and had a print run of 2,000 copies. When he published his second book, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, former editor of Harper Collins, Ed Carson discovered his work. It soon turned into a bestseller and has seen Sharma’s fame reach global levels. |
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