Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967)[1] is an Indian actress, voice actress, film producer and television presenter.
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).
[2][3]
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.
[4][5] 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.
[6]
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.
[5] 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).
[7] Since 2000, Chawla branched out into film production and television presenting as well.
Juhi Chawla was born in Ambala, Haryana, India. She is the first child born to Dr. S. Chawla and Mona Chawla.
She completed her schooling from Ludhiana before the family moved over to Mumbai. She graduated from Sydenham College, Mumbai with a specialisation in HR.[8] She was the winner of Miss India title in 1984.[1] Later she won Best Costume Award for the Miss Universe contest in 1984.[9]
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.
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.
[10] The film subsequently received classic status.
[11][12]
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.
[13] In 1992, she was nominated for a Filmfare for
Bol Radha Bol which performed well commercially.
[14][15]
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.
[16] 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.
[16] She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her performance in
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.
[17]
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.
[18] 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.
[15][19]
Chawla's pairing with Aamir Khan and their on-screen chemistry was often cited by the media as successful.
[20] 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."
[21][22][23] 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.
[24] 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.
[25]
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."
[26] 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.
[27]
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.[28]
Producer
Juhi later turned producer and became the co-owner of a production company called
Dreamz Unlimited with Shahrukh Khan and director Aziz Mirza.
[29] 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.
[30]
Filmography
As actress
Birthday: 29 August 1994, Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington, USA
Birthday:
12 November 1979, Santiago, Chile
