“After doing all the research, we decided that we would do it. Not because it is our project, but because we can tell people what happened 30 years ago. We decided to show the world the reality of Kashmir.”

Pallavi Joshi is an accomplished and versatile actor, model, anchor, film producer, and screenplay writer as well as a recipient of two National awards. Born in 1969 in a Marathi Brahmin family to stage actors, she has had an illustrious career across various regional films. However, she recently shot to fame with the success of the movie The Kashmir Files, which was written and directed by her spouse Vivek Agnihotri, in which she played the role of a professor as well as coproudced the movie. Although the movie is a topic of debate currently, it has received widespread response, becoming a blockbuster hit after the pandemic.

“I was always more attracted to the kind of subjects which Shyam Benegal, Amol Palekar, Govind Nihalani were making.”

Joshi started her career as a child artist in tele-series and films across various industries and has had received worldwide acclaim. She anchored the television series Sa re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs, which was featured on Zee Marathi. Her work was received positively by a lot of critics. Furthermore, she has also acted in short films and television series.

Her net worth is estimated to be around USD 1 million. She is involved in philanthropic activities by being involved in counseling sessions that help young children who have been affected due to loss of parents due to the pandemic. Along with her spouse Vivek, she runs the I am Buddha Foundation, which raises funds for various social issues such as Covid relief, environmental issues, child relief, etc. We wish she takes up such ambitious endeavors in the future, too.

“Art means giving something back to the society. You can even go and watch circus and be entertained. If there is no takeaway then what’s the point of being an actor and filmmaker.”

Birth Score – 3/5
Pride Score – 4/5
An impressive 7/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

“Practice makes an actor excel. It is like cycling and motor driving. It is an art, which can be learnt and practised.”

Anupam Kher is an accomplished and award-winning actor, motivational speaker, producer, director, and teacher, who has had quite an illustrious career in Indian cinema. Born in a Kashmiri Pandit family in Shimla, Kher has achieved a remarkable place in the movie industry.

An alumnus of Nation School of Drama, he performed in numerous plays at the Himachal Pradesh University. Although his acting debut was in 1982 in Aagman, it was his role in Saaransh that made him an overnight success. Despite being 28 years, he portrayed the role of an elderly retired man who has lost his only son. He even won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for this role. This was just the beginning of one of his stalwart performances. He has acted in various movies, plays, and theater plays. His megahit movies include Darr, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Veer Zara, Khosla ka Ghosla, Special 26, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and The Accidental Prime Minister. Besides, he has also appeared in international movies such as Bend It Like Beckham, The Mistress of Spices, and Bride and Prejudice. He has a whopping 500 films to his credit.

“There is enough for the world’s needs, but not enough for the world’s greed.”

He is also a motivational speaker and penned down books that are inspired by his experiences in life. He has also founded the Anupam Kher Foundation in 2008, which looks for future opportunities of children from less privileged families. When he was at the lowest point of his life, he unveiled the autobiographical play Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, which tells an account of the actors life. Kher’s story from humble beginnings to a national and international star is truly inspiring. Married to Kirron Kher, who is also an accomplished actress, Anupam Kher’s contribution to Indian cinema is unparalleled. He continues his work with equal fervor as before. Currently, he is shooting for the movie Unnchai.

This veteran actor does not shy away from acknowledging his failures in public. His life coaching program AntarAkt focuses on imparting life skills to become a better version of yourself. While donning so many hats, Kher is indeed a gift to the entertainment industry.

“I still feel I belong to the theatre. There is nothing more challenging and exciting for an actor than performing before a live audience. The stage is the real testing ground for an actor.”

Birth Score – 4/5
Pride Score – 4/5
An impressive 8/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

“Even though I played national level badminton, I told my parents when I was in 10th that I was not interested in continuing. Being a model or actor fascinated me from a young age, and I even did a couple of ads when I was just eight years old.”

Deepika Padukone is a known celebrity and an accomplished actress, who has many commercial hits in the Bollywood industry to her credit. She was born in Denmark in 1986, and is the daughter of legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone. She spent most of her childhood in Bangalore and was a professional badminton player too, until the age of 16, when she decided to pursue acting as her true calling.

“The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest.”

She is an alumni of Mount Caramel and Sophia College in Bangalore. She pursued modeling, while participating in a ramp competition in Bangalore. She further pursued her modeling career, by being the face of various brands including Liril, Limca, Close-Up, Maybelline, and Dabur. She was selected for Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar in 2006 as one of the swimsuit models. Later, she made her debut in the film industry through the Kannada film, Aishwarya. It was only after the huge success of Bollywood movie Om Shanti Om in 2007, that she became a star overnight and soon bagged roles for commercial movies in mainstream cinema. She even won the Filmfare award for Best Female Debut for this movie. Padukone was praised for her stellar performances in movies such as Piku, Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, and Goliyon ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.

Today, she is one of the topmost icons in the industry and has worked across more than 30 movies. She has won around 5 Filmfare awards and nominations, and is one of the 100 topmost influential people in the world. She has been outspoken about her mental health issues and is the founder of The Live Love Laugh Foundation, an organization that offers support for those suffering from clinical depression.

Padukone married actor Ranveer Singh in 2018, after a brief courtship in a traditional Konkani and Sindhi ceremony. This duo will be seen sharing the screen space together again in the recently released movie 83, based on India’s World Cup winning in 1983. Padukone’s net worth is expected to be around USD 40 million.

“Being sad and being depressed are two different things. Also, people going through depression don’t look so, while someone sad will look sad. The most common reaction is, ‘How can you be depressed? You have everything going for you. You are the supposed number one heroine and have a plush home, car, movies… What else do you want?”

Birth Score – 4/5

Pride Score – 4/5

An impressive 8/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

“When we give so much to a character, even a character leaves something inside us. We grow with every role and learn from their graph and problems. And when you learn from your character’s problems, you do get a better understanding of things.”

Pankaj Tripathi is a name known to all today. An accomplished actor with an unique style of being able to naturally fit into versatile roles, he is seen across various commercial as well as artistic movies and series. Not many know about his humble beginnings and his struggle into stardom. Born in a Brahmin family in Bihar, Tripathi worked in the farm along with his family and earned a modest income. However, he had a passion for acting, which was exhibited through plays during village festivals.

He was schooled in Patna for hotel management, yet, he kept his passion alive by acting in theaters. He shifted to Delhi to graduate from National School of Drama and used to participate in street shows, although that did not provide lucrative returns. That is when he decided to move to the golden city Mumbai, to strike his luck in Bollywood. He participated in multiple auditions had worked for small roles across television series, commercials, and movies.

His first debut in Bollywood was an unaccredited role in the movie Run in 2004. After almost 7 years of struggle, lady luck shined on him when he bagged the role in the web series Gangs of Wasseypur in 2012. He was noticed and applauded for his acting in this web series for his exemplary performance as Sultan Qureshi. Since then, there was no looking back and he was a part of many hit movies including ABCD: Any Body Can Dance, Fukrey, Masaan, Bareily Ki Barfi, Stree, Drive, Angrezi Medium, Mimi, and so on. Besides, his roles in web series Sacred Games and Mirzapur were most loved by audience.

Recently, he was awarded the Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). True, he has the ability to transition into multiple roles smoothly and pay characters of different ages. Additionally, he believes, OTT has brought more work to actors by introducing quality content which the audience can enjoy. From having no work to being one of the topmost actors sought, Tripathi’s journey to stardom is nothing less than inspirational. Although, he says, at heart he is still that simpleton villager who loves to act. Married to Mridula Tripathi, he has mentioned that it is his wife who took care of the household expenses during his struggling days.

Tripathi’s determination and hard work has fetched the success that he today has, and his story will continue to inspire generations in future.

“To be honest, I did not earn anything between 2004 and 2010. She (his wife, Mridula) bore the burden of all expenses involved in the upkeep of our household. I used to roam around in Andheri and urge people ‘koi acting karwa lo, koi acting karwa lo (someone, please give me an acting job)’. But no one listened to me at the time. Now, when I go home, I find movies being offered in my parking lot.”

Birth Score – 3/5

Pride Score – 4/5

An impressive 7/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

“When I was in first year of my college, one of my fan came to me and suddenly went down his knees. He touched my feet and started crying. It was an awkward moment for me. Few minutes later, he told me that he was a chain-smoker. He quit smoking because he is God-fearing man. Every time he smoked cigarette, my image as Lord Krishna would appear in front of him. That awkward moment soon turned into an overwhelming moment for me.”

Remember the child actor with a mischievous smile portraying the role of young Krishna in the epic TV series Shri Krishna? No prizes for guessing, since Swapnil Joshi is a known name in almost all Indian households. Born on 18 October 1977 in a middle class Maharashtrian Brahmin family, today he is an accomplished actor and comedian, both in Marathi and Hindi television and film industries.

अलगद पावलांनी
नको तोलूस आभाळ
नको कालच्या चुकांची
आज वर्दी रानोमाळ

A notable artist, actress, anchor, and poet, Spruha Joshi is a rising star, especially in the Marathi television and film industry. Born on 13 October, 1989 in a Maharashtrian Brahmin household, she was brought up in Mumbai and learnt acting at a young age.

She debuted as child actor in 2004 in the Marathi movie Maybaap, after which she took a break to focus on her studies.

She harbored the dream of being an actor at quite an early age. While studying in Ruia college, she participated in many Marathi plays and was a part of their play group. She came back in 2008 with a role in the daily soap Agnihotra. She became a household name after her successful roles in Eka Lagnachi Dusri Goshta, Eka Lagnachi Teesri Goshta, and Unch Maza Zoka. She also hosted the TV show Sur Nava Dhyas Nava.

However, she is a poet too and also has penned down lyrics of various Marathi famous songs including “Saad Hi Preetichi” from Mumbai Pune Mumbai 2 and Kiti Sangaychay Mala from Double Seat. She has also published two poetry books Lopmudra and Chandanchura, which feature her thought-provoking poetries that draw inspiration from daily lives and nature. Besides, she has been featured in many commercials.

Recently, she was cast in a Hindi web series Rangbaaz Phirse, wherein she shared the screen space with lead actors such as Jimmy Shergill. She is married to Varad Laghate, a digital marketing specialist.

According to secondary sources, her net worth is estimated to be between 2 and 5 million. As far as her charity work is concerned, she recently participated in the mission of Pani Foundation that works towards making Maharashtra drought-free.

With girl-next-door looks and a natural charm, she has won the hearts of Marathi audience with her outstanding performances in theater too. While still young, Spruha definitely has the capacity to join the names of stalwarts in the Marathi film industry.

पावसाचा जोर कसा वाढतच जाई
अशातच निघायाची नको सख्या घाई
दूरदूर रानातून काहूर वाढते
तशी आग उभ्या तनामनात पेटते..

Birth Score – 3/5

Pride Score – 3/5

A noteworthy 6/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

“Women are blessed with energy – a power which is unique. I have been very fortunate to have played strong women and explored their strengths through my films.”

Born in a Tamil Brahmin family, Vidya Balan grew up in Chembur, Mumbai. She became a household name after the popular television series Hum Paanch. However, it was years later that she made her entry as a debutant in Bollywood movies via Parineeta, which received a lot of accolades. She is well known for portraying lead female roles that are strong characters.

Backed with a degree in Sociology from Xavier’s college in Mumbai, she started acting in a Malyalam film first. However, due to production issues just before its release, rumor started doing rounds that Balan was jinxed, which resulted in hurdles in releasing the movie. Struggling with this, she could not land up in any role in a movie and starred mostly in advertisements and musical videos. This jinx was finally broken when she received a Filmfare Award for Parineeta in 2003. Her powerful roles in Paa, No One Killed Jessica, Kahaani, and Tumhari Sulu displayed her ability to give justice to her characters with conviction.

“I have never thought of winning an Oscar. Rather, I never thought I would get the Padma Shri. I think God has been kind to me. I think getting Oscar award is not too far away.”