أكشاي كومار

أكشاي كومار (بالهندية: अक्षय कुमार)؛ (9 سبتمبر 1967) هو ممثل في الأفلام الهندية. وقد ظهر في أكثر من100 فيلم هندي.، كان يوصف كومار خلال التسعينات في المقام الأول بأنه بطل الأكشن من بوليوود،  يقوم بالتمثيل في أفلام الأكشن الناجحة مثل خيلادي (1992)، مهرة (1994)، وسابسي بادا خيلادي (1995)، وبصفة خاصة فانه اشتهر "لسلسلة خيلادي". ومع ذلك، وقال فانه كان معروف أيضا لأدائه في الأفلام الرومانسية مثل يه ديلاجي (1994)، ونبض القلب (2000) وأيضا الأفلام المثيرة مثل إيك ريشتا (2001).

وحصل في عام 2002 على أول جائزة فيلم فير في فئة أفضل وغد، لأدائه في أجنبي (2001). انه كان على استعداد لتغيير صورته المتصلبة، ففي وقت لاحق غامر كومار أكثر في الأفلام الكوميدية. أدائه في الأفلام الكوميدية مثل هيرا فيري (2000)، موجهسي شادي (2004)، جارام ماسالا (2005)، وجان اي مان (2006) مع اشادة من النقاد. وارتفع نجاحه إلى المزيد في عام 2007، عندما قام ببطولة أربعة عروض تجارية متتالية. بعد أن فعل ذلك فانه قد أنشأ لنفسه مرتبة على أنه واحد من الممثلين البارزين في صناعة السينما الهندية بعدما ابدى اداءا في سلسة خيلادي التي مهدت له طريق الشهرة من التسعينات إلى اخر جزء سنة 2012. في عام 2008، ان جامعة وندسور في اونتاريو، كندا قد منحته درجة الدكتوراه الفخرية في القانون لكومار كتقدير لمساهمته في السينما الهندية. حصل على بادما شري في عام 2009 من قبل حكومة الهند.
بداية حياته
أكشاي كومار ولد في امريتسار بالبنجاب  لعائلة بنجابية. والده كان يعمل في الحكومة. وقد لوحظ كمؤد من سن مبكرة جداً وخاصة كراقص. ونشأ كومار في دلهي في حي تشاندنى تشوك قبل أن ينتقل إلى مومباي. وفي مومباي انه عاش في كوليوادا، التي كانت منطقة آخرى يسيطر عليها البنجابية. اوكان يدرس في مدرسة دون بوسكو ثم كلية خالسا، حيث تولى اهتماما في الألعاب الرياضية.

بعد أن حصل على الحزام الأسود في التايكواندو في الهند، ذهب ليدرس فنون الدفاع عن النفس في بانكوك ودرس المواي تاي وكان يعمل كطاهيا . ثم انه عاد إلى مومباي، حيث بدأ تدريس فنون الدفاع عن النفس. وصادف أن واحد من طلابه كان مصور فأوصاه للعمل كعارض أزياء. وقام الطالب بمنحه مهمة عارض أزياء لشركة صغيرة. وحصل على 5،000 روبي لمدة ساعتين أمام الكاميرا بالمقارنة مع راتبه السابق 4،000 روبي في شهر واحد. كان ذلك أحد الأسباب الرئيسية لاختياره ان يكون عارض أزياء. بعد بضعة أشهر كعارض أزياء، فقد تم العرض على كوما أخيرا أن يقوم بدور قيادي من قبل المنتج برامود شاكرافارثي لفيلم ديدار.

حياته المهنية
كومار قام ببداية البوليوود للتمثيل بفيلم سوجاندا لعام 1991، الذي لم يلاحظه أحد. أول نجاح كبير له كان في عام 1992 لفيلم الرعب خيلادي. وفي عام 1993 قد شهد انخفاضا لأن العديد من أفلامه لم تحقق نجاحاً. ومع ذلك فان عام 1994 أثبت أن يكون عاما جيدا بالنسبة لكومار وهو يتابع نجاحه مع خيلادي مع أفلام الأكشن خيلادي الرئيسية تو أناري ومهرة التي كانت من بين الأفلام التي حققت أعلى الأرباح لهذا العام. في وقت لاحق من ذلك العام، فان ياش شوبرا جعله يوقع لفيلم رومانسي يه ديلاجي الذي حقق أيضاً نجاح. وحصل على تقدير لأدائه في هذا الفيلم، حيث لعب دور رومانسي الذي كان مختلفا بالمقارنة مع أدواره في أفلام الأكشن. وانه بالتالي سوف يحصل على ترشيحاته الأولى لجائزة أفضل ممثل في فيلم فير واحتفالات نجم الشاشة. وحقق كومار نجاح في خلال نفس العام لأفلامه مثل سوهاج وفيلم الأكشن ايلان الذي كانت ميزانيته منخفضة. كل هذه الإنجازات ساعدت في تعزيز كومار باعتباره واحد من أكثر الممثلين الذين حققوا نجاحا لتلك السنة.

وبجانب من نصيبه في الأفلام الغير ناجحة في عام 1995، فقام بتمثيل دور البطولة في فيلمه الثالث في سلسلة خيلادي، سابسي بادا خيلادي، الذي حقق نجاح كبير. وانه ثبت نجاحه بسلسلة خيلادي، وكما في العام التالي قام ببطولة فيلمه الرابع الذي حقق نجاح والذي كان يحمل في عنوانه على خيلادي، خيلاديان كا خيلادي أمام ريخا ورافينا تاندون. وأصبح الفيلم واحدا من الأفلام التي حققت أعلى الايرادات لهذا العام.

انه قام بظهور موسع كضيف في ياش شوبرا الفيلم الناجح ديل تو باجال هاي في عام 1997، الذي جعله يحصل على ترشيح لجائزة الفيلم فير لأفضل ممثل مساعد. وفي نفس العام فانه شرع لدور كوميدي في فيلمه الخامس في سلسلة خيلادي، السيد والسيدة خيلادي. على عكس أفلامه السابقة التي تحمل خيلادي في العنوان، فإن الفيلم فشل تجاريا. وكما لقى هذا الفيلم الفشل فان أفلامه التالية لإصدارات خيلادي في السنوات التالية لقت الفشل أيضاً في شباك التذاكر. وتلقى كومار في عام 1999 اشادة من النقاد لأدواره في أفلام سانغارش وجانوار. بينما الفيلم المذكور أولاً لم يحقق أرباحا في شباك التذاكر، بينما الفيلم المذكور الثاني فقد حقق نجاح.

قام ببطولة الفيلم الكوميدي هيرا فيري (في عام 2000) الذي حقق كلا من النجاح النقدي والتجاري، ، وأظهرت قدرته على القيام بأدوار الكوميديا مثلما فعل في أدواره الأكشن والرومانسية. كما أنه لعب دور البطولة في الفيلم الرومانسي نبض القلب في وقت لاحق من ذلك العام، والذي حصل أيضا على أرباح معقولة في شباك التذاكر. ان كومار في عام 2001 لعب دورا سلبيا في فيلم أجنبي. وفاز الفيلم بالكثير من المديح وكذلك حصل على جائزة الفيلم فيلا وهي كانت الأولى له كأفضل وغد. وكان لكومار نقد بالتقدير لدوره كرجل أعمى في آنخن الذي حقق نجاح في شباك التذاكر لهذا العام.

بعد نجاح هيرا فيري فان كومار قام بدور البطولة في عدد من الأفلام الكوميدية، بما في ذلك أوارا باجال دييوانا (2002)، موجهسي شادي كاروجي (2004) وجارام ماسالا (2005). الأفلام نجحت في شباك التذاكر، وأدائه في الفيلم الأخير حصل له على جائزته الثانية من جوائز الفيلم فير لأفضل كوميديان.

فضلاً عن أعماله في أدوار الأكشن، الكوميديا والرومانسية، فقام كومار بعرض ميله لذوق الأدوار الدرامية في أفلام مثل إيك ريشتا (2001)، آنخن (2002)، بيوافاء (2005)، ووقت: السباق ضد الساعة (2005).

في عام 2006 قام ببطولة فيلم مكمل لهيرا فيري بعنوان فير هيرا فيري وحقق الفيل نجاحاً كما حقق الفيلم السابق نجاحاً كبيرا في شباك التذاكر. في وقت لاحق من ذلك العام قام ببطولة جنبا إلى جنب مع سلمان خان في فيلم رومانسي موسيقي جان اي مان.الفيلم كان إصداره من المنتظر وبالرغم من النقد الايجابي من النقاد لكنه لم يحقق النجاح المتوقع في شباك التذاكر. على الرغم من أن الفيلم كان الأداء فيه أقل لكن الدور الذي قام به كطالب خجول يذاكر كثيراً ومحبوب تم المدح فيه. وانه أنهى العام بالفيلم الكوميدي بهاجام بهاج، والذي كان ناجحاً. وفي تلك السنة فانه قاد جولة عامية هيت 2006 برفقة زملائه النجوم سيف علي خان، بريتي زينتا، سوشميتا سين وسيلينا جايتلي.

2007 ثبت أن عام 2007 هو أنجح عام بالنسبة لكومار خلال مسيرته في هذه الصناعة، وكما وصفها محللون شباك التذاكر، "وربما أفضل معدل سجله فنان في أي وقت مضى، مع أربعة أعمال ناجحة بدون أي فشل". أول إصدار له ناماستي لندن فانه كان ناجحاً نقديا وتجاريا، وحصل له أدائه على ترشيح أفضل ممثل في الفيلم فير. وكتب الناقد تاران أدارش عن أدائه في الفيلم "انه متأكدأنه سيكسب قلوب الملايين من رواد السينما مع تصوير رائع في هذا الفيلم."  وان أفلامه التالية هيي بابي، وبهول بهالايا كذلك حققوا نجاحات في شباك التذاكر. وان فيلم كومار الأخير من السنة مرحبا يعد انه كان جيد للغاية في شباك التذاكر، وتلقى مركز ناجح جدا في وقت واحد مع تحقيق نجاح لفيلمه للمرة الخامسة على التوالي. جميع أفلام كومار التي أصدرت في تلك السنة كذلك حققت نجاح في السوق الخارجي.

ان فيلم كومار الأول لعام 2008 طاشان كان علامة لعودته إلى أفلام ياش راج الناجحة بعد 11 عاما. على الرغم من أن الجمهور كان متوقع كثيراً،  لكن الفيلم كان فاشلا نقدياً وتجارياً. ان فيلمه الثاني سينغ از كينج كان حقق نجاحا كبيرا في شباك التذاكر وحطم الرقم القياسي في الاسبوع الأول في جميع أنحاء العالم وكان أعلى من الرقم السابق لفيلم أوم شانتي أوم. وفيلمه التالي كان فيلم الرسوم المتحركة جامبو.

وفي عام 2009 ظهر كومار أمام ديبيكا بودكون في فيلم تشاندنى تشوك إلى الصين وكان إنتاج وارنر برازر -- روهان سيبي. وإخراج نيخيل أدفاني، والفيلم كان فاشلا نقدياً وتجارياً في شباك التذاكر.

وكان أول ظهور له على الشاشة الصغيرة مع شانيل كولورز كمقدم لبرنامج فيير فاكتور - خاترون كي خيلادي.وحاليا انه يقدم الموسم الثاني خاترون كي خيلادي -- المستوى الثاني وكان الإصدار التالي بوس أنتوني دي سوزا جنبا إلى جنب مع شيف بانديت وأديتي راو Hydari. الفيلم تلقى متوسط إلى مراجعات جيدة [164] [165] [166] ولكن اتضح أن فشل في شباك التذاكر محققا 54 كرور صاف محليا جاء [167] كومار يعود بقوة مع عطلة: الجندي لا يتوقف أبدا عن واجب. حصل هذه الدراما العمل النجاح على حد سواء نقديا وتجاريا دخول 100 مليار روبية نادي النخبة وأصبح أعلى إجمالي عام 2014. [168] الفيلم تلقى اشادة من النقاد وهو فيلم كومار الثالث لالإجمالي أكثر من ₹ 1000000000 (15 مليون $) في المربع المكتب. [169] [170] [171] [172] كومار وقد غنى أغنية لفيلمه الأخير انها الترفيه. وقد تم تحميل صنع الأغنية على موقع يوتيوب، وكان [173] فيلمه الأخير من عام 2014 Shaukeens. ظهر على النحو نفسه وإنتاجه. [174] ولعب دور البطولة في فيلم الطفل وجبار هو العودة. [175] [176] أول تعاون كومار مع كاران جوهار، وأطلق سراح الإخوة في 14 آب عام 2015. [177] صاحب كان الإصدار التالي سينغ صدر بلينغ في 2 أكتوبر 2015 والتي تنتجها رعي الماعز صور. [178] واعتبارا من أكتوبر عام 2015، وإطلاق النار على النقل الجوي، [179] وHousefull 3. [180] Namastey لإنجلترا، تتمة لNamastey ل وقد أعلنت لندن. [181] مشروعه القادم هو رستم إلى أن يتم إنتاجها من قبل نيراج باندي، [182] وفيلم بلغة التاميل 2.0، من إخراج س. شانكار. [183]

حياته الشخصية
خلال السنوات التي قضاها في بوليوود، كان كومار مرتبط عاطفيا مع عدد من رفيقاته من الممثلات النجمات مثل عائشة جهولكا، بوجا باترا، رافينا تاندون، وشيلبا شيتي. بعد أن تمت خطبته مرتين من الممثلة توينكل خانا، ابنة الممثلين المحنكين راجيش خانا ودمبل كاباديا، وانه في النهاية تزوجها في 14 يناير 2001. وابنهما اسمه آراف ولد في 15 سبتمبر 2002.

إحدى الصحف الشعبية الرائدة في مومباي في عام 2007، نشرت قصة تقول ان كومار وزوجته قد اختلفوا وأن كومار انتقل إلى خارج منزله، ويقيم في فندق. في 26 يوليو 2007 قام الزوجين بارسال اخطارا قانوني إلى الصحيفة الشعبية معلنا أن الشائعات كاذبة. قال كومار :

   أكشاي كومار The article is a clear representation of careless and irresponsible journalism. The freedom of press comes with responsibilities, which seems to have been put aside to give way to shock value journalism.    أكشاي كومار
تم تسجيل FIR من قبل شرطة فولكا في أبريل 2009 ضد أكشاي كومار وتوينكل خانا تحت Setion 294 من قانون العقوبات الهندي عن فعل خلال أكمي أسبوع الموضة الذي أحلت فيه توينكل أزرار الجينز الخاص بأكشاي.

Akshay Kumar

Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967),[3] known professionally as Akshay Kumar, is an Indian-born Canadian actor, producer and television personality who works in Bollywood films. In a career spanning over 29 years, Kumar has appeared in over 100 films and has won several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Rustom (2016), and two Filmfare Awards for Ajnabee (2001) and Garam Masala (2005).

Kumar is one of the most prolific actors of Indian cinema, having starred in 110 films, of which many were commercially successful. He was the first Bollywood actor whose films' domestic net lifetime collections crossed ₹20 billion (US$290 million) by 2013,[4] and ₹30 billion (US$430 million) by 2016.[5] Having done so, he has established himself as one of the prominent actors of Hindi cinema.[6][7] When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films. Later, Kumar also gained fame for his drama, romantic and comic roles.

Apart from acting, Kumar has worked as a stunt actor; he has often performed many dangerous stunts in his films, which has earned him the sobriquet "Indian Jackie Chan".[8][9] In 2008, he hosted the show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. In 2009, he founded the Hari Om Entertainment production company[10] and Grazing Goat Pictures production company in 2012. In 2014, Kumar launched the TV reality show Dare 2 Dance. He also owns the team Khalsa Warriors in the World Kabaddi League. As of 2019, according to Forbes, Akshay was the fourth highest paid actor in the world [11] and the highest paid in India [12].

In 2008, the University of Windsor conferred an honorary Doctorate on Kumar in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema. In 2009, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 2011, The Asian Awards honoured Kumar for his outstanding achievement in cinema.
Early life and background
Kumar was born in Amritsar, Punjab, India,[3] to Hari Om Bhatia and Aruna Bhatia in a Punjabi family.[13][14] His father was an army officer.[15] From a young age, Kumar was very interested in sports. His father too enjoyed wrestling. He lived and grew up in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and later he moved to Mumbai when his father left Army to become an accountant with UNICEF.[16] Soon, his sister was born and the family lived in Koliwada, a Punjabi dominated area of Central Mumbai.[13] He received his school education from Don Bosco School, simultaneously learning Karate. He enrolled in Mumbai's Guru Nanak Khalsa College for higher education, but dropped out as he was not much interested in studies. He requested his father that he wanted to learn martial arts further, and his father somehow saved money to send him to Thailand. Kumar went to Bangkok to learn martial arts and lived in Thailand for five years learning Thai Boxing.[13][17] Kumar also has a sister, Alka Bhatia.[18] When Kumar was a teenager, his father asked him what he aspired to be. Kumar expressed his desire to become an actor.[19]

After having obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India,[20] he studied martial arts in Bangkok, Thailand, where he learned Muay Thai and worked as a chef and waiter.[21] After Thailand, Kumar went to work in Kolkata in a travel agency, in Dhaka in a hotel and Delhi where he sold Kundan jewellery. Upon his return to Mumbai, he commenced the teaching of martial arts.[16]

During this time, the father of one of his students, himself a model co-ordinator, recommended Kumar into modelling which ultimately led to a modelling assignment for a furniture showroom. Kumar effectively made more money within the first two days of shooting than in his entire month's salary, and therefore chose a modelling career path. He worked as an assistant for photographer Jayesh Sheth for 18 months without payment to shoot his first portfolio.[22][23] He also worked as a background dancer in various films.[24] One morning, he missed his flight for an ad-shoot in Bangalore. Disappointed with himself, he visited a film studio along with his portfolio. That evening, Kumar was signed for a lead role by producer Pramod Chakravarthy for the movie Deedar.[25][26][27]

Film career
1991–99
See also: Khiladi (film series)
Kumar made his first appearance as the lead actor opposite Raakhee and Shantipriya in Saugandh (1991). In the same year, he acted in Kishore Vyas-directed Dancer, which received poor reviews.[28] The following year he starred in Abbas Mustan-directed suspense thriller, Khiladi, widely considered his breakthrough role.[29][30][31] His next release was the Raj Sippy-directed detective film Mr. Bond, based on James Bond.[32] His last release of 1992 was Deedar. It failed to perform well at the box office.[33] In 1993, he acted in the Keshu Ramsay-directed bilingual film Ashaant (released in Kannada as Vishnu-Vijaya) and starring Dr. Vishnuvardhan, Ashwini Bhave and Ashutosh Rana. All of his films released during 1993, including Dil Ki Baazi, Kayda Kanoon, Waqt Hamara Hai and Sainik did not perform well commercially.[34] In 1994, he played a police inspector in two films: Sameer Malkan-directed remake of Hollywood film The Hard Way, Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Rajiv Rai-directed Mohra which were among the highest-grossing films of the year.[35] Later that year, he starred in Yash Chopra-produced romance, Yeh Dillagi opposite Kajol. His role in the film earned Kumar his first nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards[36] and Star Screen award.[34] During the same year, Kumar also had success with films like Suhaag and the low budget action film Elaan. All these achievements, promoted Kumar as one of the most successful actors of the year.[37] In 1994, he appeared in 11 feature films.[38]

The following year, Kumar played dual role in Umesh Mehra-directed action thriller, Sabse Bada Khiladi, which was a commercial success.[39] He proved to have success with the Khiladi series, as in the next year he starred in the fourth film of the Khiladi series, Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi opposite Rekha and Raveena Tandon. The film was a commercial success.[40] During the film's shooting Kumar was injured. He received treatment in United States.[41]

Kumar played a supporting role in Yash Chopra-directed romance, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), co-starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor, for which he received his first nomination for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.[42] In the same year, he starred opposite Juhi Chawla in David Dhawan-directed comedy Mr. and Mrs. Khiladi, fifth instalment of the Khiladi series. Unlike his previous films of the series, it failed commercially.[43] His following releases failed commercial and this caused a setback to his film career.[44] In 1999, Kumar played opposite Twinkle Khanna in International Khiladi. The film turned out to be an average grosser at the box office.[31] He received critical acclaim for his roles in the films Sangharsh and Jaanwar. Whilst the former did not make a profit at the box office, the latter turned out to be a commercial success and marked his comeback.[45][46][47]

2000–06
In 2000, Kumar starred in the Priyadarshan-directed comedy Hera Pheri alongside Paresh Rawal and Sunil Shetty. The film which was a remake of Malayalam film Ramji Rao Speaking,[48] became a commercial success[49] and proved to be a turning point in Kumar's career.[50] He also starred in the Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Dhadkan later that same year. The film performed moderately at the box office[49] but Kumar was praised for his acting. Rediff.com's review stated that he had proved that he is "director's actor" and that "he has worked hard on his role is apparent."[51] That same year, he performed some of his most dangerous stunts in Neeraj Vora-directed action thriller Khiladi 420, where he climbed a running plane, stood on top of the plane flying a thousand feet in the air, and jumped from the plane onto a hot air balloon. In a later scene, he is also seen being chased by a car, dodging bullets, jumping off buildings, and climbing walls.[52] His character in the film had two names and his role received mixed reviews. In his review, Taran Adarsh wrote that "The actor does a great job in a role that has negative shades, but as a softie in the second half, he is just about okay. And that's mainly because he has been asked to do what he has been doing in film after film. Nevertheless, Khiladi 420 is amongst his finest performances."[53] Sukanya Verma wrote "Negative roles and Akshay Kumar don't go hand-in-hand. [...] Akshay is ridiculously over the top and irritating to the core. However, he manages a decent performance as the sober and suave Anand."[54] His first release in 2001 was Suneel Darshan-directed drama Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love. Kumar was praised for his performance in the film.[55] Next, he played a negative role in the Abbas Mustan-directed film Ajnabee.[56][57] While reviewing the film for Rediff.com, Sarita Tanwar termed Kumar the "surprise package" of the film. She added that he was "in total control as the bad guy."[58] The film won him critical acclaim as well as his first Filmfare Award for Best Villain and IIFA award 2002 for Performance in a Negative Role
His first release in 2002 was Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya. He played the role as a blind man in Vipul Amrutlal Shah and Shaarang Dev Pandit-directed heist film Aankhen, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Aditya Pancholi, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed.[61][62][63] Next, he starred in the Vikram Bhatt-directed comedy Awara Paagal Deewana. Rediff.com's review of the film mentioned that his sincerity and intensity seen in Hera Pheri, Ek Rishtaa – The Bond of Love and Aankhen "seems missing".[64] His last film of the year was Rajkumar Kohli-directed supernatural horror film Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani alongside Manisha Koirala, Sunil Shetty, Sunny Deol, Aftab Shivdasani, Arshad Warsi, Aditya Pancholi and Armaan Kohli. The film was a remake of Kohli's former film Naagin and received mostly negative reviews from critics.[65][66] Taran Adarsh wrote "only Munish[Armaan] Kohli and Akshay Kumar leave an impact."[67] In 2003 he starred in Suneel Darshan's action film Talaash: The Hunt Begins... opposite Kareena Kapoor. While reviewing the film, Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar is plain mediocre. The role hardly offers him scope to try out anything different."[68] Next, he starred in Raj Kanwar-directed romantic drama Andaaz alongside Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta. The film received mixed reviews from critics,[69][70] but turned out to be a commercial success at the box office and the first universal hit of 2003.[71][72]

In 2004 Kumar starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's action drama thriller Khakee alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai. Kumar played the role of Inspector Shekhar Verma, a corrupt, morally bankrupt cop who changes himself during a mission to transfer an accused Pakistani spy Dr. Iqbal Ansari (played by Atul Kulkarni) from a remote town in Maharashtra to Mumbai. The film and Kumar's acting were positively reviewed by critics.[73][74][75] He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the film.[76] His other releases included Dileep Shukla's crime film Police Force: An Inside Story. He starred alongside Raveena Tandon, Amrish Puri and Raj Babbar. The film's production was delayed following the break-up of the lead actors Tandon and Kumar.[77] Upon release it received negative reviews from critics.[78] Next, Kumar played Hari Om Patnaik, an IPS officer in Madhur Bhandarkar-directed Aan: Men at Work.[79] He starred in David Dhawan-directed romantic comedy Mujhse Shaadi Karogi alongside Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra. He played the role of Sunny, Sameer (played by Khan)'s roommate who pursuits Rani (played by Chopra)-Sameer's love interest. The film received positive reviews.[80] Taran Adarsh praised Kumar and wrote "Akshay Kumar is a revelation [...] he surpasses his previous work. His timing is fantastic and the conviction with which he carries off the evil streak in his personality is bound to be talked-about in days to come."[81] His performance in the film earned him his third nomination for supporting actor at the Filmfare Awards as well as a nomination for best comic role.[82] His other films included Abbas-Mustan directed Aitraaz and S M Iqbal's Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin. In the former, Kumar played against type as a worker wrongly accused of sexual harassment by his female boss played by Chopra. According to the directors, Aitraaz was inspired by National Basketball Association player Kobe Bryant (who was accused of rape by a fan);[83] and the film's development began when they read about his sexual-assault case in the newspapers.[84] Talking about the character Kumar said that it is realistic and could be described as a "new-age metrosexual" man. He added that Aitraaz was the boldest film he had done.[85] In the latter he starred opposite Sridevi. The film was shot in 1994 but was released in 2004 after a delay of 10 years.

The next year Kumar starred in Dharmesh Darshan-directed romantic drama musical film Bewafaa opposite Kareena Kapoor. He played the role of Raja, an aspiring musician who pursues his love interest Anjali (played by Kareena Kapoor) even after she is married to Aditya Sahai (played by Anil Kapoor). The film received mixed reviews from film critic but Kumar was praised for his acting. Anupama Chopra of India Today wrote that "Kareena Kapoor and Kumar stand out." Taran Adarsh wrote "Akshay Kumar does well in a role that fits him like a glove."[86][87] Later that year he acted in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's family drama Waqt: The Race Against Time alongside Amitabh Bachchan, another Priyadarshan-directed comedy Garam Masala alongside John Abraham. Waqt: The Race Against Time was a family drama film. The film and Kumar's acting received mixed reviews.[88] Vishal D'Souza wrote "Akshay shoulders an author-backed role, carrying more of the film's emotional baggage though he is distinctly uncomfortable in the soppy-weepy scenes."[89] The films succeeded at the box office[90][91] and his performance in the latter earned him his second Filmfare Award, for Best Comedian.[14] His other films included Vikram Bhatt-directed action comedy romance film Deewane Huye Paagal and Suneel Darshan directed romantic drama Dosti: Friends Forever. In the former he starred alongside Shahid Kapoor, Sunil Shetty and Rimi Sen while in the latter he starred alongside Kareena Kapoor and Bobby Deol. Both of these films received positive reviews.[92][93]

Kumar's first release of 2006 was Rajkumar Santoshi-directed drama Family - Ties of Blood followed by Suneel Darshan's Mere Jeevan Saathi and Raj Kanwar's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Next, he starred in a sequel to Hera Pheri titled Phir Hera Pheri. As was the former, the sequel became a huge success at the box office.[94] Later that year he starred alongside Salman Khan and Preity Zinta in the Shirish Kunder-directed romantic musical film Jaan-E-Mann. The film was a well anticipated release, and despite receiving positive reviews from critics, did not do as well as expected at the box office.[94] The film received mostly negatively reviews. Vidya Pradhan of Rediff.com called it a "bizarre movie."[95] Though the film under-performed, his role as a shy, lovable nerd was praised.[96] He ended the year with Priyadarshan's comedy murder mystery film Bhagam Bhag. He starred alongside Lara Dutta, Govinda and Paresh Rawal and played the character of a theatre actor. The film received mixed reviews and Rediff.com called Kumar the real hero of the film.[97][98] The film was commercially successful.[94] The same year, he led the Heat 2006 world tour along with fellow stars Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen and Celina Jaitley.[99]

2007–11
007 proved to be Kumar's most successful year during his career in the industry, and as described by box office analysts, "probably the best ever recorded by an actor, with four outright hits and no flops."[100][101][102][103][104] His first release, Vipul Amrutlal Shah-directed Namastey London, was critically and commercially successful, and his performance earned him a Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare. Critic Taran Adarsh wrote of his performance in the film, "he's sure to win the hearts of millions of moviegoers with a terrific portrayal in this film."[105] Kumar's chemistry with lead actress Katrina Kaif also generated immense appreciation, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India describing their pairing as "refreshing."[106] His next two releases, Sajid Khan-directed Heyy Babyy and Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa, were box office successes as well.[107][108] In both of these films he starred opposite Vidya Balan. Kumar's last release of the year, the Anees Bazmee-directed Welcome, did extremely well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster status and simultaneously becoming his fifth successive hit.[109] All of Kumar's films which released that year did well in the overseas market as well.[110] Kumar appeared in a cameo role in Farah Khan directed Om Shanti Om. His role was listed as no. 3 on the Top 10 Cameos in Bollywood list of MensXP.com.[111]

Kumar's first film of 2008, Vijay Krishna Acharya-directed action thriller Tashan, marked his comeback to the Yash Raj Films banner after 11 years. Although a poll (conducted by Bollywood Hungama) named it the most anticipated release of the year,[112] the film under-performed at the box office grossing ₹279 million (US$4.0 million) in India.[113] His second film, Bazmee-directed Singh Is Kinng in which he starred opposite Kaif was a huge success at the box office and broke the first-week worldwide record of Om Shanti Om, the previous highest figure.[114] His next film was the animated film Jumbo, directed by Kompin Kemgumnird. The year also saw Kumar making his small screen debut as the host of the successful show Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi. He later returned to host the show's second season in 2009.[115][116]

In 2009, Kumar featured opposite Deepika Padukone in the Warner Bros. and Rohan Sippy production Chandni Chowk to China. Directed by Nikhil Advani, the film was a critical and commercial failure at the box office.[117][118][119] Kumar's next release was 8 x 10 Tasveer. Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film was a commercially failure however Akshay Kumar won the Stardust Best Actor Award for his controlled and restrained performance. His next release was Sabbir Khan's battle-of-the-sexes comedy Kambakkht Ishq. Set in Los Angeles, it was the first Indian film to be shot at Universal Studios and featured cameo appearances by Hollywood actors.[120] The film was poorly received by critics but became an economic success, earning over ₹840 million (US$12 million) worldwide. Kumar's film Blue was released on 16 October 2009. Blue received negative reviews and collected about ₹ 420 million at the box office.[121][122][123] His last release in 2009 was Priyadarshan's De Dana Dan. He starred alongside Katrina Kaif, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal. Kumar played a servant who plans to kidnap his owner's dog. The film received mixed reviews.[124][125][126]

He then appeared in the 2010 comedy, Housefull, directed by Sajid Khan which garnered the second-highest opening weekend collection of all time.[127] Kumar's next release was Khatta Meetha, directed by Priyadarshan which was an average grosser. The film received negative reviews.[128] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN called it a schizophrenic film.[129] He also appeared in Vipul Shah's Action Replayy, which was a box office failure.[130] The film received mostly negative reviews.[131][132] His last film of 2010 was Tees Maar Khan. Directed by Farah Khan, the film received poor critical reviews and turned out to be a commercial failure.[133][134][135]

In 2011 he starred in Patiala House and Thank You. His last film of 2011 was Rohit Dhawan-directed Desi Boyz (2011), which co-starred John Abraham, Chitrangada Singh and Deepika Padukone. He also co-produced a film with Russell Peters titled Breakaway (dubbed into Hindi as Speedy Singhs) which is reminiscent of his own Patiala House.[136] Breakaway became the highest-grossing cross-cultural movie of 2011 in Canada. Kumar dubbed for the role of Optimus Prime in the Hindi version of Hollywood, action blockbuster, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. He took the dubbing role for his son, Aarav, and did so for free.

Dr Ruth Pfau

Dr. Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau HI, RM, HP, NQA, SQA[1] (9 September 1929 – 10 August 2017) was a German-born Pakistani[2] Catholic nun of the Society of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary [de; fr; it], and a physician.[3] She moved from Germany to Pakistan in 1961 and devoted more than 55 years of her life to fighting leprosy in Pakistan. Pakistan honoured her with a range of awards including the Hilal-i-Pakistan, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam, and the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam.

Known as "Pakistan's Mother Teresa", Pfau contributed to the establishment of 157 leprosy clinics across Pakistan,[4] that treated over 56,780 people.
Early life
Pfau was born on 9 September 1929[6] in Leipzig, Germany, to Lutheran Christian parents.[7][8] She had four sisters and one brother. Her home was destroyed by bombing during World War II.[9] Following the post-war Soviet occupation of East Germany she escaped to West Germany along with her family, and chose medicine as her future career.[10] During the 1950s, she studied medicine at the University of Mainz.[11] During this period Pfau frequently met a Dutch Christian woman who was a concentration camp survivor and was dedicating her life to "preaching love and forgiveness". After "her life-changing experience", Pfau left "a romantic association" with a fellow student and became involved in discussions in Mainz's philosophy and classical literature department.[8] After completing her clinical examination, Pfau moved to Marburg to carry on her clinical studies. She was baptised as an Evangelical Protestant in 1951, before her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1953.[12][13] Pfau stated that she learned the "courage of being human" from Saint Thomas Aquinas through Josef Pieper's writing.[14] She joined a Catholic parish, and she was greatly influenced by Romano Guardini's The Lord in this period.[8]

In 1957,[13] Pfau travelled to Paris and joined the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, a Catholic order.[8] She said, "When you receive such a calling, you cannot turn it down, for it is not you who has made the choice. ... God has chosen you for himself."[13] The order later sent her to southern India; however, in 1960,[13] a visa issue meant she had to stay in Karachi.[15] She travelled to various parts of Pakistan[16] and across the border to Afghanistan[17] to rescue patients who were abandoned by their families or locked in small rooms for a lifetime.

Life in Pakistan
Not all of us can prevent a war; but most of us can help ease sufferings—of the body and the soul.

— Ruth Pfau[10]
In 1960, aged 31, Pfau decided to dedicate the rest of her life to the people of Pakistan and their battle against leprosy outbreaks. While in Karachi, by chance she visited the Lepers’ Colony behind McLeod Road (now I. I. Chundrigar Road) near the City Railway Station.[18] Here she decided that the care of patients would be her life's calling. She started medical treatment for the leprosy patients in a hut in this area. The Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre[19] was founded (which later branched out into tuberculosis and blindness prevention programmes)[18] and social work for the leprosy patients and their family members was started by Dr I K Gill. A leprosy clinic was bought in April 1963 and patients from all over Karachi, from elsewhere in Pakistan, and even from Afghanistan came for treatment.[20]

In 1979, she was appointed as the Federal Advisor on Leprosy to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Government of Pakistan.[11] Pfau went to distant areas of Pakistan where there were no medical facilities for leprosy patients. She collected donations in Germany and Pakistan and co-operated with hospitals in Rawalpindi and Karachi. In recognition of her service to the country, she was awarded Pakistani citizenship in 1988.[21]

Due to her continued efforts, in 1996 the World Health Organization declared Pakistan one of the first countries in Asia to have controlled leprosy.[22] According to the Dawn, the number of leprosy cases nationwide dropped significantly from 19,398 in the early 1980s to 531 in 2016.[18]

On 9 September 1999, the Archbishop of Karachi, Simeon Anthony Pereira, celebrated a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate Pfau’s 70th birthday, which was attended by both Christians and Muslims.[21]

Death
In the early morning on 10 August 2017, around 4:00 a.m. PST, Pfau died at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi after being admitted there due to respiratory problems on 4 August 2017. She was put on a ventilator after her condition worsened on 6 August.[23][24][25] She refused life support, which her doctors removed the next day,[25] according to her wish for "living a natural life".[26] Pfau had been dealing with several health problems due to her advanced age, including kidney and heart disease,[13] for which she had been undergoing treatment for several years.[25]

Reaction
President Mamnoon Hussain issued the statement: “Dr Pfau’s services to end leprosy in Pakistan cannot be forgotten. She left her homeland and made Pakistan her home to serve humanity. The Pakistani nation salutes Dr Pfau and her great tradition to serve humanity will be continued.”[27]

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said: “Dr Ruth Pfau may have been born in Germany, [but] her heart was always in Pakistan.” He further added that, “she came here at the dawn of a young nation looking to make lives better for those afflicted by disease and in doing so found herself a home. We will remember her for her courage, her loyalty, her service to the eradication of leprosy and most of all her patriotism.”[27] He also announced that a state funeral would be held for her.[28][29]

Chief of Army Staff Qamar Bajwa referred to Pfau as an "ambassador of humanity".[25]

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Amaan named a medical college, being built at an airbase in Karachi, in her name. The college is now named as "Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College". Its first classes are expected to commence in December 2019.

State funeral
On 19 September 2017, Pfau's body lay in state at the Holy Family Hospital in Karachi ahead of the funeral.[30] The state funeral for Pfau was held at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, in front of which the flags of Pakistan and Vatican City were flown at half mast,[4] with Archbishop Joseph Coutts presiding over the Requiem.[31] The Pakistani flag was draped over her coffin and a 19-gun salute was offered by contingents of all three wings of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The ceremony was broadcast live on Pakistan Television.[32] Pfau was reportedly the first Christian and first non-Muslim to have a state funeral in Pakistan.[33] She was then buried at Gora Qabaristan, a Christian cemetery in Karachi.[31]

Legacy
Pfau is well respected by Muslims in Pakistan who were the majority of patients at the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre.[34] Saleem Maseh Amir says that she never talked about religion, yet "her faith, service, and love" were demonstrations of the spirit that inspired inter-religious dialogue.[34]

In 2018, Pfau's private residence in Karachi was converted into a museum to showcase some of her personal possessions.[35]

Awards and recognition
Pfau is recognised in Pakistan and abroad as a distinguished human being, and had been awarded many awards and medals. On 23 March 1989, Pfau received the Hilal-i-Pakistan award presented by the then-President of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan at the President House for her work with leprosy patients.[36]

Speaking at a function in Islamabad on 30 January 2000 to mark the 47th World Leprosy Day, the then-President Rafiq Tarar praised Pfau, who built up the National Leprosy Control Program in Pakistan, for working not only for those afflicted with leprosy but also for those with tuberculosis.[37] In 2006, Pfau was honoured as the 'Woman of the Year 2006' by City FM89.[38]

On 14 August 2010, on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day, the then-President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari awarded Pfau the Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam for public service.[39] She was hailed as Pakistan's "Mother Teresa" after her work towards helping people displaced by the 2010 Pakistan floods.[9] In 2015, Pfau was awarded the Staufer Medal, the highest award of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.[40]

On 19 August 2017, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced renaming of the Civil Hospital Karachi to Dr Ruth Pfau Hospital as an acknowledgment of "selfless services of the late social servant".[41]

Honours
1969: Order of Merit (Germany)[1]
1969: Sitara i Quaid i Azam[1]
1979: Hilal-e-Imtiaz[1]
1989: Hilal-i-Pakistan[1]
2002: Ramon Magsaysay Award[42]
2003: Jinnah Award from the Jinnah Society[43]
2004: Doctor of Science (DSc), honoris causa. Aga Khan University, Karachi.[1]
2010: Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam for public service.[44]
2017: Civil Hospital, Karachi renamed to Dr Ruth K.M. Pfau Hospital
The Pakistan Mint will issue 50,000 commemorative coins in honor of Dr Pfau.

Kelvin Fletcher

Kelvin Warren Fletcher (born 17 January 1984) is an English award-winning actor, writer, model and racing driver who played Andy Sugden for 20 years in the long-running television soap opera Emmerdale from 1996–2016. He left the show in 2016 to pursue other acting opportunities. Alongside acting Kelvin is also a professional racing driver currently racing in the prestigious British GT Championship.
Career
He attended Mayfield Primary School in Derker for his primary school education, and North Chadderton School for his secondary education.

Born the oldest of three boys, his youngest brother Brayden fletcher also acts. At the age of six, Fletcher started attending drama classes at the Oldham Theatre Workshop and was first seen on television on a Saturday Disney report when he was starring as Charlie in Charlie Is My Darling, which he also performed in a special show at the London Palladium. From there he went on to star in a string of television shows, in programmes such as In Suspicious Circumstances, Cracker, Heartbeat and Chiller. He also co-presented an episode of You've Been Framed with Jeremy Beadle. He also had a bit part in another famous British soap opera, Coronation Street. With a prolific CV Kelvin was fast becoming one of Britain's most promising young actors and in 1996 he was selected to audition for Emmerdale for the part of tearaway 'Andy Hopwood'. The character was originally only scripted to appear in 3 episodes but was soon offered a longer contract. Fletcher went on to become one of the leading and most popular characters in the show as his character 'Andy Sugden' won the hearts of the nation and was widely regarded as one of the standout actors in the show thanks to some profound performances, regularly involved in some of the show's biggest storylines, winning Best Actor and Best Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards.

Kelvin was once a National Champion in the minority sport Inline Hockey. He played for local club 'Chaddy' Wildsharks. He was a national champion in 1998 when he and his team travelled to Newcastle and won the tournament over a weekend. Whilst playing for the 'Chaddy' Wildsharks he gained many young fans who knew him from Emmerdale fame. They would turn out to watch him play, giving the 'Chaddy' Wildsharks junior team a larger than average audience.

On 8 September 2019, it was announced that Fletcher will be joining the cast of the TV competition Strictly Come Dancing, as a replacement for Jamie Laing, who had to withdraw from the show prior to airing due to a foot injury.

Italian Grand Prix

The Italian Grand Prix (Italian: Gran Premio d'Italia) is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the American Grand Prize, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921. In 2013 it became the most held (the 2018 edition was the number 88). It is one of the two Grand Prix (along with the British) which has run as an event of the Formula One World Championship Grands Prix every season, continuously since the championship was introduced in 1950. Every Formula One Italian Grand Prix in the World Championship era has been held at Monza except in 1980, when it was held at Imola.

The Italian Grand Prix counted toward the World Manufacturers' Championship from 1925 to 1928 and toward the European Championship from 1931 to 1932 and from 1935 to 1938. It was designated the European Grand Prix seven times between 1923 and 1967, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe. Four editions before the World Championship were held in Montichiari (1921), Livorno (1937), Milan (1947) and Turin (1948).
Origins
Motor racing has always been extremely popular in Italy, the first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at a 10.7-mile (17.3 km) circuit near Montichiari, which had been the site of the Gordon Bennett races in the early 1900s.[1] However, the race is more closely associated with the course at Monza, a racing facility just outside the northern city of Milan, which was built in 1922 in time for that year's race, and has been the location for most of the races over the years.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Further information: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza was completed in 1922 and was just the third permanent autodrome in the world at that time; Brooklands in England and Indianapolis in the United States were the two others. European motor racing pioneers Vincenzo Lancia and Felice Nazzaro laid the last two bricks at Monza. The circuit was 10 km (6.25 miles) long, with a flat banked section and a road circuit combined into one. It was fast, and always provided excitement. The 1923 race included one of Harry A. Miller's rare European appearances with his single seat "American Miller 122" driven by Count Louis Zborowski of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame.

The 1928 race was the first of many tragedies that befell this venue. Italians Emilio Materassi in a Talbot and Giulio Foresti in a Bugatti were battling around the fast circuit. As they came off the banking onto the left side of the pit straight, one of the front wheels of Materassi's overtaking Talbot touched one of the rear wheels of the Bugatti. Materassi lost control of the car, swerved left, cleared a 10-foot wide ditch and ploughed into the unprotected grandstand opposite the pits, killing himself and 27 spectators, and injuring another 26.

It was the worst accident in motor racing history and remained so until the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Italian Grand Prix went on a three-year hiatus (but the alternative non-championship Monza Grand Prix was run in 1929 and 1930) until the 1931 race, held in late May instead of the traditional early September, was won by Giuseppe Campari and Tazio Nuvolari, sharing an Alfa Romeo. The race was something of an endurance race in those days; it took ten hours to complete the race. The great Nuvolari won again in a shortened 1932 race, this time held in early June.

In 1933, with the race being held this time at the traditional timeframe of early September, disaster struck again. Three top drivers were killed during three heat races. There was a reported patch of oil on the south banking that had come from a Duesenberg, driven by Count Carlo Felice Trossi, and Giuseppe Campari in a Ferrari-entered Alfa Romeo and his protege Baconin Borzacchini in a Maserati were already battling ferociously; and Borzacchini and Campari went through the south banking on the first lap, wheel to wheel. Borzacchini went through the oily patch, lost control, spun wildly and the Maserati then overturned and violently flipped multiple times, and by the time the wrecked car came to a stop, Borzacchini was pinned underneath and was being crushed by his car, not having been thrown out. And while Borzacchini's Maserati had been crashing all over the track, Campari swerved to avoid him, and by doing this, his car went up and flew off the banking and crashed into trees situated right next to the track. Campari broke his neck and was killed instantly, and Borzacchini died later that day in a Monza hospital.
Prior to the third heat, there was a drivers meeting to discuss the oil patch and it was cleaned up. on the eighth lap, Polish aristocrat Count Stanislas Czaykowski was on the south banking when his Bugatti's engine blew up, and a fuel line then broke. The fuel from the Bugatti's tank caught fire after touching the very hot front section of the Bugatti where the engine and gearbox were and the burning fuel sprayed onto Czaykowski. Blinded by the smoke and flames on him, he went up and flew off the banking- at the same spot where Campari and Borzacchini had crashed. The Polish driver, unable to put out the flames on his body which was fuelled by the fuel from his wrecked Bugatti, then burned to death. Italian Luigi Fagioli was declared the winner of the event.

Enzo Ferrari, who had been close to Campari and Borzacchini; the former deciding to defect from Ferrari's team to Maserati, became hardened by this tragedy. Today, racing historians conclude that the events of this race marked a watershed, notably for Enzo Ferrari. It was the end to the joyful era of racing and the beginning of a harsher new age. Safety in those days was completely non-existent. The circuit's condition was virtually identical of that to an ordinary town and country road, except instead of the surface being made of dirt and/or tarmac, it was made of tarmac, concrete and/or bricks. Spectators often stood very close to or even next to the track and they had no protection of any kind other than common sense. What was particularly tragic about Campari's death was that he had announced his retirement at the French Grand Prix two months earlier, to focus on his opera singing exploits.[2]

The Florio circuit and other locations
After the disastrous 1933 race, something had to be done to Monza. In 1934 a short version of Florio Circuit (introduced in 1930 for Monza Grand Prix) was used: the drivers had to start from the main straight but taking the south curve of the high speed ring (interrupted by a double chicane) in the opposite direction compared to the usual one; then, through the connection introduced a few years before by Florio, they took the central straight, the south curve (also interrupted by a chicane) and the main straight; finally a 180 ° hairpin turned back to the finish line. This configuration was considered too slow and since the following year Florio circuit (with five chicanes) was used. These races were at a time when Mercedes and Auto Union became involved in motor racing; the German Silver Arrows won all of these races; with superstar Rudolf Caracciola winning in 1934 and in 1937 when the Italian Grand Prix was held at a street circuit in Livorno. 1938 saw a return to Monza, which was won by Nuvolari driving a mid-engined Auto Union; just after the race renovation works began but in 1939 World War II broke out and the Italian Grand Prix did not return until 1947.

1947 saw the Italian Grand Prix being held at a fairgrounds park in the city of Milan's district of Portello , and this race was won by Italian Carlo Felice Trossi driving an Alfa Romeo. Italian Giovanni Bracco went off the road in his Delage and crashed into a group of spectators, killing five. This venue was never used again for racing, and 1948 saw it being held in Valentino Park, a public park in Turin. The 1949 race returned to Monza where it stayed for the next 30 years with the configuration ready before the war but never used yet.

Monza's redevelopments (1949–1979)
Monza's banking had been built over and only the road circuit was used, which had been modified slightly. The new long, fluid final corner was now two around 90-degree corners. 1949 saw Italian new-boy Alberto Ascari, son of the late 1924 Italian Grand Prix winner Antonio Ascari, win in his Ferrari; Enzo Ferrari was now building his own cars instead of running Alfa Romeos. 1950 saw the new Formula One Championship being established. The race and the first championship was won by Giuseppe "Nino" Farina, driving a supercharged Alfa Romeo 158. 1951 saw Ascari win again, after the competitive Alfas of Farina and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio ran into engine problems. 1952 saw Ascari complete his domination of that season. 1953 Fangio won in a Maserati; although Ascari had already won the championship at the Swiss Grand Prix. 1954 turned out to be an interesting race; as up-and-comer Stirling Moss in a Maserati passed both Fangio's Mercedes and Ascari's Ferrari. The furious pace saw the retirement of Moss and Ascari and Fangio went on to win while Moss pushed his Maserati 250F over the line.
After the 1954 running, work began on entirely revamping the circuit. New facilities were built and a new corner, the Parabolica, was built right before the pits. Extra track used for a short course was eliminated. The biggest change was the construction of the new Monza banking. Built on top of where the almost flat, narrow original banking was, these huge concrete bankings, called the sopraelevata curves, were built in the same shape as the original banking had been. The only significant difference was that the Curva Sud was moved slightly to the north. This course was combined with the road course for the 1955 event, which was won by Fangio and was the last race contested by a full-fledged Mercedes factory effort in Formula One until 2010. The 10 km Monza circuit was now so fast that F1 cars were averaging 135+ mph per lap- though rather unremarkable by today's standards, these average speeds were even faster than the Indianapolis Speedway oval in the United States. 1956 saw an exciting race, with championship contenders Fangio, Briton Peter Collins (both in Ferraris) and Frenchman Jean Behra in a Maserati fight over the win. Stirling Moss was already out of championship contention; and Fangio retired with a broken steering arm. The Ferrari team called for Italian Luigi Musso to hand his car over to Fangio. Musso ignored the order so Collins came in and handed his car and his championship chances to Fangio. Behra had retired early with a magneto problem in his own car and took over his teammate Umberto Maglioli's car; but he retired that car, too. Musso ended up leading after Moss ran out of fuel coming through Vialone. Moss was able to refuel his car and storm off after Musso and eventually the Italian retired with steering problems, and Moss, with Fangio catching him up fast, stormed round the track to take victory. Fangio took second and his fourth Drivers' Championship.

1957 saw the organizers choose to use the road circuit only, as the rough, poorly constructed banking had caused problems for the Ferrari and Maserati cars the year before. Moss won again in a Vanwall, and Briton Tony Brooks won next year's race, and Moss won the 1959 event in a Cooper-Climax. 1960, however was not so straightforward. Ferrari with their front-engined cars, had lost out to the advanced mid-engined British cars. Seeing an opportunity, the Italian organizers decided to re-include the banking with the road circuit, making Monza even faster and more in favour to the powerful Ferraris. The British teams were unhappy as they cited the fragility of the banking, which was extremely rough and was supported by stilts rather than earth surface; and that it was too dangerous for Formula One cars. The British teams boycotted the race, so Ferrari had no competition. American Phil Hill took victory, in what was the last victory for a front-engined Formula One car.

1961 saw a return to the combined circuit, but it was to see yet another tragedy. Two Ferrari drivers, Hill and German count Wolfgang von Trips, came into the race with a chance at winning the championship. Fighting for fourth place while Hill was leading and while von Trips approached the Parabolica, the Briton Jim Clark slightly moved over into the path of the German and the two collided. Von Trips crashed into an embankment next to the road and then went flying into a crowd of people standing on it. Von Trips was thrown out of his car and was killed, as were 14 spectators. Clark survived but was hounded by Italian police for months after the incident. Hill won the race and the championship by one point. The race was not stopped, allegedly to assist rescue work for the injured.

Jesy Nelson

Little Mix are a British girl group formed in 2011 during the eighth series of the UK version of The X Factor. They were the first group to win the competition, and following their victory, they signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Music and released a cover of Damien Rice's "Cannonball" as their winner's single. The members are Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson.[1]

Little Mix released their debut album DNA in 2012, which peaked inside the top 10 in ten countries including the UK and US. This made Little Mix the first girl group since the Pussycat Dolls to reach the US top five with their debut album, as well as earning the highest debut US chart position for a British girl group's first release, breaking the record previously held by the Spice Girls.[2] The group's second album Salute (2013) became their second album to debut inside the top 10 in both the UK and US.[3] Their third album Get Weird was released in 2015.[4] Their fourth album Glory Days (2016) became their first number one album in the UK, and also achieved the longest-reigning girl group number one album since the Spice Girls' debut album 20 years earlier, and the highest first week UK album sales for a girl band since 1997.[5] In the UK, the group has earned four number-one singles, including "Wings", "Black Magic" and "Shout Out to My Ex". Their fifth studio album LM5 was released in 2018 to generally favourable reviews. The group have sold 50 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.[6][7]

The group won Best British Single for "Shout Out to My Ex" at the 2017 Brit Awards and they won Best British Video for "Woman Like Me" at the 2019 Brit Awards; they have also received several other awards during their career, including three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and two Glamour Awards. As of August 2018, the group has achieved four platinum certified albums and sixteen certified singles in the UK.[8] Little Mix appeared on Debrett's 2017 list of the most influential people in the UK.
2011–2012: Formation and The X Factor
In 2011, Edwards, Thirlwall, Pinnock, and Nelson individually auditioned successfully as soloists for the eighth series of the UK version of The X Factor,[10] but failed the first challenge of the "bootcamp" section.[11] They were allowed another chance to compete when they were placed in two separate ensembles by the judges during the "group bootcamp" stage, with Edwards and Nelson in four-member group Faux Pas and Thirlwall and Pinnock in three-member group Orion.[11][12] Both groups failed to make it through to the next stage. A later decision by the judge, Kelly Rowland,[13] recalled two members from each group to form the four-piece group Rhythmix, sending them through to the "judges' houses" section
They reached the live shows section and were mentored by Tulisa Contostavlos.[15] During the first live show on 8 October 2011, Rhythmix performed "Super Bass" by American recording artist Nicki Minaj. Their rendition was praised by the judges with Gary Barlow calling them the "best girl band that's ever been on The X Factor."[16] On 26 October 2011, the band announced that they would change their name following a dispute with Rhythmix, a Brighton-based children's music charity of the same name, after the programme tried to trademark "Rhythmix".[17][18] A spokesman for The X Factor said, "At the request of the charity Rhythmix, the members of the girl group Rhythmix have decided to change their name, a decision which has the support of Syco and TalkbackTHAMES."[19] It was reported that the group decided to make the change, with no legal requirement to do so, to avoid any difficulties for the charity.[19] On 28 October 2011, it was announced that the group's new name would be "Little Mix".[20]

On 20 November 2011, Little Mix became the first girl group in the show's eight-year history to progress past the seventh live show. The previous longest-surviving girl groups were The Conway Sisters (series 2) and Hope (series 4), who had both lasted until week 7. Through the remaining course of the competition the group generally received positive feedback. During the semi-final stage of the show, Little Mix performed The Supremes's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" as well as Beyoncé's hit "If I Were a Boy". Their performance of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" received mostly negative feedback from the judges with Louis Walsh stating that they "lost their mojo" and Kelly Rowland telling the girl group she had seen them do "better vocal performances." Their second performance of the night, "If I Were a Boy", was generally acclaimed by the judges with Walsh telling them they have "amazing potential" and calling them the "next big girl band." Rowland also told them they could be "incredibly dynamic" and "change the world" when they find the strength within each other. The group advanced through to the final live shows along with Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily following the public vote.

On 11 December, Little Mix were announced as the winners, the first time a group had won the British version of the show and the second (of five) in the worldwide franchise (after Random on the first series of the Australian version,[21] Alex & Sierra on the third series of the United States version, Rak-Su on the fourteenth series of the UK version and 4 Magic on the fifth series of the Bulgarian version).[22] Their winner's single was a cover of Damien Rice's song "Cannonball", which was released via digital download on 11 December 2011, and on CD on 14 December 2011.[23][24] The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story was shown on ITV2 on 17 December 2011.[25] Their debut single topped the UK Singles Chart on 18 December 2011.[26] They made the Christmas number one spot on the Irish Singles Chart, beating novelty songs by The Saw Doctors and Ryan Sheridan.
On 25 January 2012, Little Mix made an appearance at the National Television Awards and performed the En Vogue song "Don't Let Go (Love)". They also accompanied fellow judges Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos on stage to receive the Best Talent Show award that had been won by The X Factor.[31] In May 2012, Little Mix reportedly signed a deal with Vivid and Bravado to release signature products including dolls, puzzles, accessories and games.[32] Prior to their debut single release, the band covered an a cappella version of Beyoncé's "End of Time" and uploaded it on YouTube; the cover was publicly praised, especially for the group's impressive harmonies.[33] Later in August, they also uploaded another cover, this time an acoustic cover of "We Are Young" by Fun ft. Janelle Monáe which again received positive feedback, generally, for the group's harmonies. On 1 June, a snippet of their debut single "Wings" previewed on chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man before its later release date in August.[34]

Little Mix performed their debut single "Wings" for the first time at the T4 on the Beach concert on 1 July.[35] The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart.[36] On 31 August 2012, the group's autobiography, titled Ready to Fly, was released by Harper Collins.[37][38][39][40] In October 2012, the group went on a promotional visit to Australia due to their expanding fan base there, destinations included Melbourne and Sydney. The trip lasted a week and the group visited radio stations to promote the single and debut album. They performed their single "Wings" on The X Factor Australia and on Australian breakfast-television show Sunrise. "Wings" subsequently reached number 2 on the Australian iTunes chart and number 3 on the ARIA charts.[41] Their debut album, DNA, was released in November 2012. Nicola Roberts co-penned a track called "Going Nowhere" on the DNA album.[42] The album reached number 3 in both Ireland and the UK. A second single, "DNA", was released in October,[43] and in January 2013 they signed a record deal with Columbia Records in North America.[44] "Wings" was released as their debut single in America on 5 February 2013. In the US, the single reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while the album reached number 4 on the Billboard 200.[45] On 3 February 2013, they released "Change Your Life" as the album's third single, which charted at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[46] On 4 March 2013, it was announced that "How Ya Doin'?" would be released as the fourth and final single from their debut album.[47]

On 21 March, they announced that their next single, "How Ya Doin'?", would feature Grammy Award-winning musician Missy Elliott.[48] On 4 April 2013, the group revealed that Schwarzkopf hair dye Live Colour XXL would be promoted through their music video for "How Ya Doin'?" in a new sponsorship deal.[49] "How Ya Doin'?" debuted at number 57 on the UK Singles Chart on 20 April 2013, before ascending to number 23 the week after.[50] In its third week, the song peaked at number 16,[51] marking Little Mix's fifth consecutive UK top 20 hit.[52] It charted for a further seven weeks.[52] "How Ya Doin'?" sold 120,000 copies in the UK. The single debuted at number 55 on the Irish Singles Chart on 11 April 2013.[53] It then climbed the chart to peak at number 26. Consequently, "How Ya Doin'?" became Little Mix's first single to miss the top 20 in Ireland, but spent a total of seven weeks on the chart.[54] The single peaked at number 16 on the Scottish Singles Chart on 11 May 2013,[55] marking the group's fifth consecutive top 20 hit in Scotland.[56]

2013–2014: Salute and "Word Up!"
In March 2013, Little Mix began their first promotional campaign in the US. In an interview with Digital Spy in March 2013, they stated that they wanted their second album to have a more R&B sound.[57] Nelson added: "I personally want to put a lot more dancey stuff in there. As in, one of the songs that comes on in a club that makes you want to dance. Not that David Guetta sound, but more R&B – a bit like Eve and Gwen Stefani's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind". They also revealed that they would be starting to write material for the new album in the coming months.[57] On 4 October, they uploaded a video to their official YouTube page, announcing that their second album would be called Salute and would be available for pre-order on 7 October.[58] The album was released on 11 November 2013 in the United Kingdom and was released in the United States on 4 February 2014.[59] Throughout the recording process, Little Mix worked with several producers, including TMS, Future Cut, Fred Ball, Duvall and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The album was largely co-written by Little Mix, who stated that they were more involved in the development of this album than with their debut.
On 23 September 2013, "Move" was premiered on BBC Radio 1. For the single, Little Mix worked with Nathan Duvall, an up-and-coming R&B producer and Maegan Cottone the girl's vocal coach. "Move" was released on 7 October in Australia and New Zealand. It was later released in the UK and Ireland on 3 November. It was sent to Mainstream Radio in the US on 18 February 2014 and reached number 38 on that chart. The song peaked at number three in the UK, number five in Ireland, number 19 in Japan and number 12 in New Zealand. The single also charted in Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia. Since then, "Move" has been certified Gold in Australia for sales of 35,000[60] and Gold in the UK for sales of 400,000.[61] "Little Me" was selected as the second single from the album. The song was co-written by TMS and Iain James, and produced by TMS. On 21 November 2013, Little Mix revealed via a YouTube video message that they decided to release it as the second single because it held a lot meaning to them and was written with their fans in mind.[62] The song reached number 14 in the UK, number fifteen in Iceland and number 16 in the Netherlands. It also charted in Australia, Ireland and Lebanon. The band released a cover version of Cameo's song "Word Up!" as the official single for Sport Relief 2014.[63][64] The song reached number six in the UK and number thirteen in Ireland while also charting in Australia, Austria, Denmark and France.

Little Mix announced on 5 April 2014 that the title track "Salute" will be released as the album's third single. It impacted UK radio on 28 April 2014.[65] The official music video premiered on 2 May and received over one million views within 24 hours.[66] It was released on 1 June. In December 2013, the group announced the UK and Ireland dates for their second headlining concert tour, The Salute Tour, North American dates were added in April 2014. The tour began on 16 May 2014 in Birmingham, England at the LG Arena and ended on 27 July 2014 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire at the Scarborough Open Air Theatre. Little Mix were expected to begin the North American leg of the tour in September 2014, but it was cancelled due to them wanting to work on their next album.[67]

2015–2016: Get Weird
At the 2015 Brit Awards, the group confirmed that their album was completed, describing it as having a "whole new sound" and projecting the release for sometime in 2015.[68] Having written over 100 songs for their forthcoming album,[69] In May 2015 Little Mix released the lead single "Black Magic" from their third studio album. The song debuted at number one in the UK and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks, becoming the first single by a girl group to do so since Sugababes's "About You Now" in October 2007.[70][71] The single also reached number 3 in Ireland, number 4 in Belgium (Flanders), number 5 in Israel, number 8 in Australia and number 67 in the US, becoming their highest peaking single on Billboard Hot 100. The group performed the song for the first time in June 2015 for Capital's Summertime Ball at the Wembley Stadium along with some of their previous hits. "Black Magic" was also performed the song at the Teen Choice Awards in August 2015, after they received the award as Breakout Artist. Since then, "Black Magic" has been certified Gold in the US for sales of 500,000,[72] Platinum in Canada for sales of 80,000 and double Platinum both in Australia and the UK for sales of 140,000[73] and 1,200,000[74] respectively. Little Mix also co-wrote Britney Spears' single "Pretty Girls", which was also released in May 2015.[75]

On 15 July 2015 Little Mix officially announced on Twitter that their third studio album would be titled Get Weird, and would be available for pre-order in the UK from the following day, with a global release date set for 6 November 2015.[76] On 25 September the group released "Love Me Like You" as the second single from the album, it was released as a single only in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The group performed the song for the first time at X Factor Australia in October 2015, then at the Royal Albert Hall in December 2015 and at the Capital Jingle Bell Ball. The group's third studio album Get Weird debuted at number 2 in the UK becoming their highest charting album there.[77] In the US, the album peaked at number 13 on Billboard 200, making Little Mix the only girl group from the UK to have their first three albums debut in the top fifteen of the Billboard 200.[78] The album has been certified double platinum in the UK and has sold over 600,000 units there as of August 2016, making it their best selling album yet.[79] The group performed a medley of "Black Magic" and "Sax" with the former UK X Factor contestant Fleur East on the season finale of X Factor. On 5 December the group announced on Twitter that "Secret Love Song" featuring the American R&B singer Jason Derulo would be released as the albums third single. The single reached number six on the UK Singles Chart. On 24 February 2016 the group performed "Black Magic" at the 2016 Brit Awards, where they were nominated for Best British Single and British Artist Video.

On 13 March 2016 Little Mix embarked on The Get Weird Tour to promote the album, the arena tour consist of 60 dates across Europe, Australia and Asia. The Get Weird tour holds the record for being the highest selling UK arena tour of 2016 with over 300,000 tickets sold in the UK alone.[80][81] On 11 April 2016, the group announced that "Hair" would serve as the fourth single from Get Weird, and would feature newly recorded guest vocals from reggae pop recording artist Sean Paul. The single was released on 15 April 2016 and reached number 11 on the UK chart while peaking at number 10 in Australia making it their fourth top 10 single there

Great North Run

The Great North Run (branded the Simplyhealth Great North Run for sponsorship purposes) is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September.[1] Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.

The first Great North Run was staged on 28 June 1981, when 12,000 runners participated. By 2011, the number of participants had risen to 54,000. For the first year it was advertised as a local fun run; nearly thirty years on it has become one of the biggest running events in the world, and the biggest in the UK. Only the Great Manchester Run and London Marathon come close to attracting similar numbers of athletes each year.

The 1992 edition of the race incorporated the 1st IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. Martin Mathathi holds the current men's course record with his run of 58:56 minutes in 2011. Brigid Kosgei's women's course record of 64:28 minutes was set in 2019[2], breaking the previous course record by over a minute. In 2019, Mo Farah won a record sixth consecutive Great North Run
The Great North Run starts in Newcastle upon Tyne on the A167 road (the central motorway), on the edge of both the city centre and the Town Moor. The route heads east and south down the motorway section, around the eastern side of the city centre, then crosses the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead. It heads around the eastern side of Gateshead town centre, then at a roundabout turns east and heads down the A184 (the Felling Bypass) in the direction of Sunderland. After 3.5 miles, the route turns off the A184 and heads north-east towards South Shields down the A194 (Leam Lane). 2.5 miles later, the route reaches the southern side of Jarrow and it turns east down the A1300 (John Reid Road). The route passes through the south of South Shields (through Harton and Marsden) until it reaches the seafront just over 3.5 miles later, where it turns north up the A183. The last mile of the route runs along the seafront road to the finishing line at South Shields.[4] All roads on the course are closed several hours before the race begins, however multiple vehicles including TV crews, emergency services, event staff, and a fleet of buses carrying participants' belongings are authorised to travel between Newcastle and South Shields on the closed course roads ahead of and following the participants.

History
The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster. Foster was inspired after running in the Round the Bays Race in New Zealand in 1979, and has built upon the Great North Run with a series of other Great Run road races.

The first Great North Run was staged on 28 June 1981, when 12,000 runners participated. By 2003, the number of participants had risen to 47,000. The 2011 event saw an announced field of 54,000. The number of finishers was 35,777 in 2007, the largest half marathon and the 13th largest running race that year.[5] In 2014, the event had 41,615 finishers, making it the largest half-marathon in the world as certified by Guinness World Records in 2016.[6]

For the first nine races, eight of them were held in June. Since 1990, the race has instead been held in the autumn, usually in September but occasionally in October instead.[7] Since 1990, the earliest date the race has been held on is 7 September (2014) and the latest is 22 October (2000). Bupa was the title partner of the Great North Run from the early 1990s until 2014, one of Britain’s longest ever sports sponsorship agreements. In 2015 Morrisons announced their sponsorship of the Great Run series.[8] In November 2015, the Great Run Company announced it was searching for a new title sponsor which includes the Great North Run. The 2016 Great North Run was the first staging of the event without a title sponsor.[9] Simplyhealth became the new lead sponsor for 2017.[10]

Events
In 2004 a runner died (the eighth death in the event's then 24 year history). [11]

The 2005 Great North Run was the twenty-fifth edition of the race. Events to mark the anniversary included the launch of the Great North Run Cultural Programme at the Sage Gateshead. The race was started by Mike McLeod, the winner of the inaugural race in 1981. During the race, four participants died en route to South Shields.[12] [13] An inquest into the four deaths from 2005 began on Monday 5 June 2006 at Gateshead Council Chambers.[14] [15] [16] [17] In subsequent events, more emergency service personnel were brought in to ensure there was adequate cover.

In spite of increased medical provision at the 2006 race, a man in his twenties died.[18] [19]

The 2007 Great North Run was held on 30 September and was started by former England and Newcastle United manager Sir Bobby Robson. Kara Goucher defeated Paula Radcliffe in an impressive victory for the American. Goucher's winning time was 1:06:57.

The 2008 Great North Run was held on 5 October and was started by former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair.

The 2009 Great North Run was held on 20 September[20] and was started by the musician Sting.

The 2010 Great North Run was the 30th running of the event and was held on 19 September and was started by TV presenters Ant & Dec. The number of finishers (half marathon only) was 39,459.[21]

The 2011 Great North Run took place on the morning of Sunday, 18 September 2011. The race was started by World 5,000 metre champion Mo Farah.[22]

In 2013 the 33rd Great North Run had 56000 participants, most of whom were raising money for charity. The elite races had Olympic Gold Medalists and World Champion long distance runners participating including in the men's race, Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele and a regular supporter of the event, Haile Gebrselassie. Ethiopian Bekele won the men's event just ahead of Farah. Kenya's Priscah Jeptoo came first the women's race and multi Olympic Gold Medalist David Weir won the wheelchair event.[23]

In 2014 the 34th Great North Run had 57000 participants, celebrated the 1 millionth runner to cross the finish line, and was the first to have a British man win in 29 years. Mo Farah completed the race in exactly 1 hour, while Mary Keitany completed in 1:05:39 seconds - surpassing the previous course record of 1:05:40 by 1 second, a record held by Paula Radcliffe. Tracey Cramond, who was raising money for Butterwick Hospices, was the 1 millionth person to complete the run, stating she was "gobsmacked" and that it was her "moment of fame".[24][25] The Great North Run was the first International Athletics Association Event (IAAF) event in the world to reach such a milestone.

In 2015 a 58-year-old male runner died