The 10th month of the year is about festivities. Navaratri, Dusshera and Diwali arrive this month. Let us look at the most important names from Hindi Cinema who took birth in this 31-day period.
Kay Kay Menon / October 2
This chameleon turned 60 this month. Actor extraordinaire, he moved from theater and television to movies and web series, excelling in each medium in an array of roles across genres. Chhal and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi were his earliest triumphs, but later, he made repeated marks in Sarkar, Shaurya, Life In A…Metro, ABCD, Baby, The Ghazi Attack and web series like Special Ops franchise and Murshid among many more.
Sanjay Mishra / October 6
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A true-blue chameleon, Sanjay Mishra is a master at comedy, excels in drama and has even tried his hand at villainy and being a leading man (the Vadh franchise). A National award winner for Bhakshak, he has had outstanding turns in All The Best, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, the TV serial Office Office and many others.
Rekha / October 10
Some reckon that Rekha is the Ultimate Diva—her exclusivity and aura still loom though it has been 12 years since she essayed a featured role—in the 2014 Super Nani. She has been an occasional singer, a dubbing artiste and has done a series of exercise audios—Rekha’s Mind and Body Temple. Controversies and romantic linkups have adorned her life through decades, but no one can take the sheen out of her powerful portrayals like Do Anjaane, Khubsoorat, Umrao Jaan, Khoon Bhari Maang and even in potboilers like Insaaf Ki Awaaz and Phool Bane Angaarey.
Rakul Preet Singh / October 10
The world waits for her negative turn as Surpanakha, Raavan’s sister in Ramayana Part 1. Singh, who debuted in Hindi in the low-profile 2013 film, Yaariyan, after 5 movies in four South languages, still kept going between these languages and Hindi for a long while. Aiyaary, the De De Pyaar De franchise, Runway 34 and Pati Patni Aur Woh Do are among her better-known Hindi performances.
Amitabh Bachchan / October 11
Need one say anything at all about this man? National and international awards and accolades have flooded his career from the very first film, Saat Hindustani¸ which released over 55 years ago. A singer and corporate producer as well, Bachchan even took credit for composing a song in 102—Not Out. His success level is every actor’s dream. A voiceover artiste as well, he has also been a spectacular success as a game show host on Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Hema Malini / October 16
This Dream Girl is now a very successful politician. The 78-year-old actress, singer (including in private albums), producer, director and an iconic danseuse too, Hema Malini easily ranks among the foremost success stories among heroines in Hindi cinema. Her mega-hits spanned from Johny Mera Naam in 1970 to Baghban in 2002, with a triumphant innings as producer-director and actor also in TV serials.
Sunny Deol / October 19
Dharmendra’s elder son, Sunny Deol, is 69 today and still in demand commercially. Gadar 2 and Border 2have been his latest triumphs, and he has Jatt 2, Ramayana (as Lord Hanuman), Gabru and Suryaa on the way. Sunny has also been a producer-director and maintains an incredible fan following in Punjab, USA, Canada and UK even today, 43 years after his debut. His work sparkles with periodic mega-blockbusters like Betaab (his first film), Tridev, Ghayal, Darr, Border, Gadar—Ek Prem Katha, Yamla Pagla Deewana and more.
Parineeti Chopra / October 22
She holds a Triple Honors degree in Business, Finance and Economics. But Parineeti Chopra started her acting career with Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl as one of the three heroines of Ranveer Singh.
Her first solo lead, Ishaqzaade, got her a Special Mention at the National awards. A trained singer who rarely exercised her vocals in cinema (Maana ke hum yaar nahin in Meri Pyaari Bindu), Chopra has dazzled time and again in films like Hasee Toh Phasee, Daawat-e-Ishq, Saina, Amar Singh Chamkila and Uunchai. In the last few weeks, she has acted in her debut web series, Shaque and the film, Reporting Live.
Raveena Tandon Thadani / October 26
Raveena Tandon, daughter to the late hit director Ravi Tandon, made her debut in 1991, but was considered a jinx until Mohra and Dilwale released in 1994. The Padma Shri-winning actress’ subsequent triumphs also included Daman (which won her the National Best Actress award), Aks, the web series Aranyak and others. The Chairperson of the Children’s Films Society of India from 2003 to 2005, Raveena has also been active in various ways on television.
Anuradha Paudwal / October 27
She was considered the first disruptor of the monopoly that Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle had been uninterruptedly enjoying for over two decades.
Making a mark first with five films under Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri and Rajesh Roshan in 1976, she became a huge name with Hero and then will Dil and Aashiqui. In the mid-1990s, she switched to being a near-exclusive film and non-film artiste with T-Series, especially in their devotional albums. Even today, she is a big name in live concerts of devotional music.
