• Preity Zinta Besides her acting, Preity Zinta has also written a series of columns for BBC News Online of South Asia.
     

    Preity Zinta
  • The longest film in the world is also a Bollywood film. ‘LOC: Kargil’ is 4 hours and 25 minutes long and if you plan to catch this war saga, we recommend you’re sitting comfortably.

    Bollywood
  • Anurag Basu wanted Katrina Kaif originally to narrate the story in ‘Barfi!’ instead of Ileana D’Cruz. But the director had to go with the latter when Katrina refused due to unknown reasons.

    Bollywood Ileana D Cruz
  • Kareena Kapoor : Kareena's name was derived from the book Anna Karenina, which her mother read while she was pregnant with her. But her family and close friends call her Bebo. 

    Kareena Kapoor
  • Fans of Amitabh Bachchan built him a temple in Calcutta. The temple has his movies and a lot of info about him.

    Amitabh Bachchan Bollywood
  • In Don 2, Shah Rukh Khan (Don) is seen riding on a long motorway aboard a bridge, a motorbike, with a license plate reading “Don 3″. Hence, there may be a possibility of a sequel.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • The 'Khalnayak' song 'Choli Ke Peeche' was protested by as many as 42 political parties.

    Bollywood Madhuri Dixit
  • Salman Khan uses a mulmul cloth to wipe his nose. You will never find him with a handkerchief or tissue! 

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Hrithik Roshan fought hard to overcome a stammering problem.

    Bollywood Hrithik Roshan
  • Anupam Kher awarded the "Special National Jury Award" and the "Actor of the Decade Award" (Millennium Honours) among others, but he also holds the record as the only actor in the industry to have won eight consecutive Filmfare awards.

    Bollywood
  • Imran Khan is not an Indian citizen, but he is actually a US citizen.
     

    Imran Khan
  • Anil Kapoor was a child artiste in the shelved film Tu Paayal Main Geet starring Shashi Kapoor. He was playing the role of the young childhood Shashi Kapoor.

    Anil Kapoor Bollywood
  • The 1957 film Musafir had one Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar where sings in Dilips own voice....Lagi nahin chhote rama kahe jiya jai. The film was critically acclaimed.

    Bollywood
  • Farhan Akhtar directed the music video for the 1998 hit song "Breathless" from the debut album ofShankar Mahadevan, which made him famous. Later on Farhan Akhtar and Shankar Mahadevan went on to collaborate in every movie Farhan directed, with Shankar composing the music for his films as the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (Shankar Mahadevan,Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa).

    Bollywood Farhan Akhtar
  • Amitabh is a great fan of Brazilian soccer players. His favorite however is Rudd Gullit. He also has a fondness for golf.

    Amitabh Bachchan Bollywood
  • Dilip Kumar was offered a lead role in the international project ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962) by director David Lean. However for reasons unknown, the actor declined the offer. The role subsequently went to Egyptian actor Omar Sharif.

    Bollywood
  • On August 21, 1979 Dharmendra converted to Islam, changed his name to Dilawar Khan, got married to actress Hema Malini, as his first wife, Prakash Kaur, could not be divorced either as she was mother his 4 children and he had fallen in love with Hema Malini only from 1975 whereas had married Prakash Kaur in 1954. In accordance with the Hindu Marriage Act it is illegal for a Hindu to get re-married when his first wife is still alive. Two Congress party-members have launched law-suits against him under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code in this connection as he failed to make a declaration of his religion when he joined the Janata Party.

    Bollywood Dharmendra
  • Salman Khan did his first playback singing for the film 'Hello Brother'.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Salman Khan in his early days as a struggling actor he never used his father's name and influence like many other heroes with relatives in the industry. He used to visit producers on his own and audition for roles.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Shekhar Kapur's 'Mr. India' was originally written for Amitabh Bachchan but Big B refused to do the 'invisible' role

    Bollywood
  • In the film ‘Heroine’ Kareena Kapoor wore over 130 different dresses provided from top designers from all over the world. It has been reported that Kareena’s wardrobe for the film was one of the most expensive out of all the Bollywood movies ever created.

    Hrithik Roshan Kareena Kapoor
  • Shahrukh Khan debut film was Dil Aashna Hai but due to the delay in the release of the film Deewana was considered as his debut film.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Dev Anand held the record for the most solo hero Hindi films starting from 1957 - when Dev already had 40 solo hero films and by 1985 he had 90 solo hero films, which was the maximum by a Hindi hero.

    Bollywood
  • Amitabh Bachchan holds an art degree from Sherwood College, Nainital.

    Amitabh Bachchan Bollywood
  • Actor Annu Kapoor used his real name " Anil Kapoor" for his first film Adharshila. He later changed it to Annu Kapoor to avoid confusion with Anil Kapoor.

    Bollywood
  • Anil Kapoor shaved-off his mustache, for the first time, while filming Lamhe (1991). He has also done so for Jhooth Bole Kauwa Kaate (1998) and Salaam-E-Ishq (2007).

    Anil Kapoor Bollywood
  • Ranbir Kapoor still takes Rs 1,500 pocket Money from his mom every week.

    Ranbir Kapoor
  • Shah Rukh Khan always agreed to star in Aditya Chopra's films without looking at the script first.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Devika Rani was the first actress with a degree in film-making.

    Bollywood
  • In Ishqiya, Preity Zinta was the makers original choice. However, Vidya Balan took over the female lead.

    Bollywood Preity Zinta Vidya Balan
  • Diana Penty's role in the film Cocktail was first offered to Deepika Padukone.

    Diana Penty
  • Raj Kapoor was superstitious and went off drinking as well as eating non-vegetarian food before the release of ‘Satyam Shivan Sundaram’ (1978).

    Bollywood
  • Emraan Hashmi's grandmother actress Poornima (Zanjeer) was Mahesh Bhatt's mother (Shirin Mohammed Ali) biological sister.

    Bollywood Emraan Hashmi
  • Shahid Kapoor starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal. Later, he made his debut as a lead in Ishq Vishk and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance.

    Bollywood Shahid Kapoor
  • Dharm Hema were paired romantically in lead role in 31 of the 35 films they did together and 20 were hits and 15 were flops.

    Bollywood Dharmendra Hema Malini
  • Salman Khan was offered Saif Ali Khan's role in 'Kal Ho Na Ho'

    Bollywood Saif Ali Khan Salman Khan
  • ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ (1960) was a trilingual – with all scenes shot thrice in Hindi, Tamil and English. When the Tamil one flopped miserably, the English language one was aborted.

    Bollywood
  • Shahrukh Khan wears his wedding ring on his right hand.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Jeetendra got his first major break when film-maker Shantaram cast him as the hero in Geet Gaaya Pattharonne (1964).

    Bollywood Jeetendra
  • Anil Kapoor's father Surinder Kapoor was Nargis and Geeta Bali's secretary.

    Anil Kapoor Bollywood
  • Aamir Khan was supposed to play the role of Max in Josh but later it was played by Shahrukh.

    Aamir Khan Bollywood
  • Hrithik Roshan had got 30000 (!) marriage proposals on Valentine's day 2000.

    Bollywood Hrithik Roshan
  • Shahrukh Khan son, Aryan Khan, voice of Tez Lajawaab (Dash), character for Hindi dubbed version of Disney's animated film, The Incredibles (Hum Hain Lajawaab).

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Katrina Kaif visits  Sidhivinayak Temple, Mount Mary Church and Ajmer Sharif Dargah before the release of her every film.
     

    Katrina Kaif
  • Sunil Dutt initially used to be an RJ for Radio Ceylon and wanted to interview his favorite actress Nargis, but it had to be cancelled when he could not say a single word to her. Later, when he worked with her in ‘Mother India’ (1957), they fell in love and got married.

    Bollywood Dharmendra
  • Anil Kapoor is the director of Asian Academy of film and television film city noida which conducts film degree programs and is rated as top 10 in the world

    Anil Kapoor Bollywood
  • Nana Patekar actually stayed in military camp for several months to prepare for his movie Prahaar.

    Bollywood Nana Patekar
  • During escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Dilip Kumar had agreed to accept an award from Pakistan, and was threatened by workers of an extreme right-wing political party in Bombay, India. He actually wrote to the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for protection. The threat has now subsided with improved relations between India and Pakistan.

    Bollywood
  • Akshay Kumar Though nominated seven times at the Filmfare awards, he's won just twice - Best actor in a comic and negative role for Garam Masala and Ajnabee, respectively. 

    Akshay Kumar
  • Parineeti Chopra was a nerd in her school days & stood first all over India in her 12th standard exams. For this, she was rewarded by the then President of India.
     

    Bollywood Parineeti Chopra
  • Shahrukh Khan's first salary was Rs 50 which he earned by working as an usher at a Pankaj Udhas' concert in Delhi. He used the money to take the train to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. 

    Shah Rukh Khan
  • Lata Mangeshkar's song ‘Ae Malik Tere Bande Hum’ from ‘Do Aankhen Barah Haath’ (1957) which was an original composition by Vasant Desai, was adapted by a Pakistani school as the school anthem.

    Bollywood
  • Salman studied acting at actress Daisy Irani's acting institute along with his friends Sajid Khan and Chunky Pandey.

    Bollywood Chunky Pandey Salman Khan
  • Deepika Padukone made her first runway appearance in 2003, at just Seventeen Magazine.

    Deepika Padukone
  • Akshay Kumar is son of producer Aruna Bhatia.

    Akshay Kumar Bollywood
  • Farhan did something very unconventional in Bollywood by singing all his songs himself for the movie Rock On!! (2008) as the movie featured him as a rockstar.

    Bollywood Farhan Akhtar
  • Hrithik Roshan loves collecting photographs. He would never travel anywhere without his personal camera even as a child. He has a vast collection photographs and special scrapbooks marking each occasion.

    Bollywood Hrithik Roshan
  • Dharmendra did 13 B grade Action films with Hemant Birje in 1991-2003.

    Bollywood Dharmendra
  • Shahrukh Father ran a transport company and his mother was a magistrate.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • The producers of Ghajini were not keen on casting Asin opposite Aamir Khan as she is a South Indian actress. However, Aamir was so much impressed with Asin’s performance in the original Tamil version that he insisted on her playing the lead. It is said that he personally requested Asin to play the lead in the Hindi version. Priyanka Chopra was the original choice.

    Aamir Khan Bollywood
  • Jeetendra’s first film was ‘Navrang’ (1959), where he played Sandhya’s body double.

    Bollywood Jeetendra
  • Akshay Kumar is superstitious. He will never write anything on a page unless he first heads it with an ‘Om’.

    Akshay Kumar
  • Dilwale Dulhaniya Lejayenge has won the most number of filmfare awards till date.

    Bollywood
  • Raj Kapoor’s ‘Mera Naam Joker’ was the first Hindi movie to have two intervals.

    Bollywood
  • Salman was offered Baazigar (1993) by Abbas-Mustan, but turned down the film after the makers refused to accommodate changes suggested by his father Salim Khan. The role went to Shah Rukh Khan.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Mahima Chaudhary has a shoe fetish. She spends most of her free time shopping for shoes. During one such shopping stint, she actually picked up a dozen pairs of the same variety in every colour available

    Bollywood
  • Raj Thackeray wanted to make a film with Amitabh Bachchan in 2005.

    Amitabh Bachchan
  • Style diva Rekha wears only crimson or chocolate colored lipstick when making public appearances.

    Bollywood
  • Madhuri's Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, which is one the biggest Blockbuster films to be have ever made in Bollywood not only broke records in India, but also in abroad. In UK the movie grossed 1 million pounds and created a record which hasn't been broken.

    Bollywood Madhuri Dixit
  • Raj kapoor worked as assistant director on Dilip Saab's first film- Jwar Bhata' before making his debut in 'Aag'.

    Bollywood
  • Salman was voted 7th best-looking man in the world by People Magazine.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Akshay Kumar is the son-in-law of India and Hindi Film Industry's first ever Superstar, Rajesh Khanna and actress, Dimple Kapadia, as well as the brother-in-law of actress Rinke Khanna.

    Akshay Kumar Bollywood
  • Katrina Kaif's father was a Kashmiri Indian.

    Bollywood Katrina Kaif
  • Raj Kapor used to work as a sweeper boy and clapper boy.

    Bollywood
  • Sunil Dutt initially used to be an RJ for Radio Ceylon and wanted to interview his favorite actress Nargis, but it had to be cancelled when he could not say a single word to her. Later, when he worked with her in ‘Mother India’ (1957), they fell in love and got married.

    Bollywood
  • Dev Anand was highest paid Hindi actor from 1957-1964 and and the 2nd highest paid Hindi actor from 1965-1975.

    Bollywood
  • Rockstar’ was shot in reverse order, with the climax being shot first. Reason: The makers did not want to disturb the continuity of Ranbir Kapoor’s hairstyle.

    Bollywood Ranbir Kapoor
  • Jaya Bachchan hates to carry handbags, so all her salwar-kameez, formal or informal, all of them, have two pockets on the sides to hold her essentials like keys, combs etc.

    Bollywood
  • Sholay won only one award even after its mega success at the box office.

    Bollywood Sholay 3D
  • Shilpa Shetty Did you know Shilpa is scared to drive her car? Yes, the actress doesn't know how to drive a car and always has a driver along with her where ever she goes. 

    Bollywood
  • Being a Muslim man Shahrukh Khan married to a Hindu woman, he and his wife combine both religious backgrounds into their children's education.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Feroz never attended college. Once he cleared his Senior Cambridge exams, he headed for Bombay, where he rented accommodation for Rs 300 a month. His job as an assistant at movie production house Wadia & Bros paid him exactly Rs 300 a month. To earn more money, he became a hustler at a club and placed bets on snooker matches.

    Bollywood
  • Shahrukh was turned down the Quiz Master's (Prem Kapoor) role in Slumdog Millionaire and the role went to Anil Kapoor.

    Anil Kapoor Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Shah Rukh Khan debut film was Dil Aashna Hai but due to the delay in the release of the film Deewana was considered as his debut film.

    Bollywood Shahrukh Khan
  • Salman Khan arrested by police under the charge of having connection with underworld mafia. He was also questioned about Bharat S. Shah, a producer of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) since Shah has also been linked with underworld mafia.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Dharmendra’s fee when he debuted in 1960 in the movie ‘Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere’ was a meager 51 rupees.

    Bollywood Dharmendra
  • For a country that is obsessed with films, there are still very few cinema screens. India has fewer than 13,000 screens compared with nearly 40,000 screens in the US.

    Bollywood
  • Raveena Tandon had adopted two girls from an orphanage somewhere around 1997-98. They live with her and go to school.

    Bollywood
  • In most of Salman's films his character name has been Prem and more recently Radhe and Chulbul Pandey has now been synonymous with him.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • Raj Kapoor's nickname for Shashi Kapoor was "Taxi".

    Bollywood
  • Salman Khan wrote films like 'Veer' and 'Chandramukhi'. Unfortunately all three films failed at the Box Office.

    Bollywood Salman Khan
  • ‘Silsila’ (1981) is the only movie in which Shashi played an elder brother to Amitabh. In all the other movies starring the duo, Amitabh has essayed the role of the elder sibling. The films include hits like ‘Deewar’, ‘Suhaag’, ‘Do Aur Do Paanch’ and ‘Namak Halaal’.

    Amitabh Bachchan
  • The song ‘Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon’ in the film by the same name is the longest Hindi film song. The length of this iconic song is 20 minutes and the song is featured in three installments in the film.

    Amitabh Bachchan Jeetendra
  • Salman Khan was initially offered the role of Devdas, which was later on enacted by his rival Shahrukh Khan.

    Bollywood Salman Khan Shahrukh Khan
  • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was once rejected for a TV serial dubbing job before she became famous. 

    Bollywood
  • Govinda had got 2007 - Most Stylish Comeback Award at the MTV Lycra Style Awards.

    Bollywood Govinda
  • Hrithik Roshan had a stammering problem since childhood. In order to combat the problem, he took speech lessons and, today, he is one of the most eloquent Bollywood stars.
     

    Hrithik Roshan
  • 'Barsaat' was given an 'A' certificate by the censors because actress Nargis was not wearing a dupatta in the film.

    Bollywood
  • Amitabh Bachchan loves snacking on Bourbon biscuits and cashew nuts.

    Amitabh Bachchan Bollywood
  • Dharmendra starred in Alok Chitra's shelved film " Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil " in 1965. The film co starred Shashi Kapoor. This would have been the first film they both worked in.

    Bollywood Dharmendra