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Film Critic, journalist, author. Founder and editor of the 'Film Companion'. Anupama Chopra made her name in Bollywood but in a totally different niche. As a budding actor, it is her approval you need to get to make a mark in Bollywood.
Born on 23rd Feb 1967
Having been born as Anupama Chandra in Kolkata, India on the 23rd of February 1967, to the Chandra Parshad family. Having a scriptwriter for a mother, it was normal if not expected of Chopra to enter the stage of cinematic literature. It comes with no surprise that alongside her two siblings, Chopra entered the world of arts and slowly rose to ranks. Being a film journalist was no easy task with the unreasonable shame it carried. But Anupama Chopra shone liked she was born to be there, in the hustle and bustle of Bollywood.
In an interview, mentioning how Film journalism was unthinkable during her days, Anupama Chopra threw light on how the general public considered the field as shameful.
Having the experience of living in Hong Kong for several years as a teenager, Chopra received her English Literature degree from the esteemed St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Moving on to do her masters in journalism from the Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism; Anupama Chopra was quite the traveller.
Excelling since her days in college, she was presented with the Harrington Award for ‘academic excellence and promise for success in the field of magazine journalism’ all the while studying at Medill. Her first stint in the spotlight came when she suddenly rose to fame with her detailed story on Bollywood's Mafia-culture.
Not stopping there, Chopra became an overnight hit with the release of her first book, Sholay: The Making of a Classic (2000) which would go on to received awards at film festivals, winning the 2001 National Film Award for the Best Book on Cinema (India). The British Film Institute recognised her work and showcased Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (The Bravehearted Will Take The Bride) (2002) in their assortment.
And this was only at the launch of her career. Anupama Chopra is renown for her position of a film critic in numerous famous TV platforms: NDTV, India Today and the Hindustan Times being a few.
Her book on the legendary Shah Rukh Khan, which took Chopra five months to convince the actor to write the book; had a place on the New York Times Book review, Editor’s Choice list.
Currently aged 53 years old, Anupama Chopra shows no signs of stopping. Creating a niche of the Bollywood’s Insider and also owning it, Chopra still has a long way to go.
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