ساتياجيت راي

ساتياجيت راي

ساتيا جيت راي (بالبنغالية: সত্যজিৎ রায়)‏‏ (2 مايو 1921 - 23 أبريل 1992) هو مخرج هندي من القومية البنغالية، يُعتبر من بين أشهر المخرجين السينمائيين الهنود داخل الهند وخارجها حيث اكتشفه العالم من خلال أفلام كبيرة منها أغنية الطريق وعدو الشعب وصالون الموسيقى وفيلمه الأخير الزائر. توفي راي يوم 23 ابريل 1992.

سيرة شخصية

الحياة المبكرة والتعليم

إن سلالة المخرج "ساتياجيت راي" معروفة في البلاد قبل ما لا يقل عن عشرة أجيال مضت. جده "أوبندكريشار راي تشودري" كان كاتبا ورساما وفيلسوفا وناشرا وعالم فلك. فضلا عن أنه كان الزعيم الديني لتيار "براهمو ساماج". كان والده "سوكومار راي" (ابن أوبيندراكيشور)، شاعرا وقاصا معروفا له قصائد فكاهية مشهورة باللغة البنغالية. وكان في العائلة أيضا رسامون ونقاد. المخرج "ساتياجيت راي" هو ابن "سوكومار" ووالدته "سوبرافا راي". ولد في مدينة كلكتا. عندما كان "ساتياجيت" بعمر ثلاث سنوات فقط، توفي والده. وكان على أمه "سوبرافا" أن تنفق على الأسرة وتعيلها.

درس "راي" الاقتصاد في "كلية الرئاسة" في كلكتا، ولكن اهتمامه ظل دائما هو الفنون الجميلة. في عام 1940، أصرت والدته على أن يكمل دراسته في "جامعة بهاراتيا" الحكومية التي أنشأها غوروديف رابيندراناث طاغور عام 1921. أحب "راي" بيئة كلكتا البسيطة، ولم يكن متحمسا لعالم "شانتينيكيتان" الفكري الراقي. بسبب إصرار والدته واحترامه لطاغور، قرر أخيرا الذهاب إلى بلدة "شانتينيكيتان" (160 كم شمال كلكتا) حيث الجامعة المسماة فيسفا-بهاراتي (التي تخرج منها أمارتيا سن وغيره). كانت الثقافة الفنية في "شانتينيكيتان" شرقية بحتة. يذكر "راي" في وقت لاحق أنه تعلم الكثير من الرسامين الشهيرين "ناندلال بوس" و"بينود بيهاري موخرجي". وقد قدم "راي" في وقت لاحق فيلما وثائقيا عن حياة الرسام "موخرجي" عنوانه "العين الداخلية". بعد رؤيته للمعالم الفنية الهندية مثل كهوف إليفانتا في قرية أجانتا، ومغارات إلورا أصبح من محبي الفن الهندي.

الرسم

قبل الانتهاء من الدراسة التي كانت مدتها خمس سنوات، قطع "راي" دراسته في عام 1943، وغادر "شانتينيكيتان" وعاد إلى كلكتا حيث تم تعيينه في وكالة إعلان بريطانية. بدأت في وظيفة كان مسماها "مشرف تصاميم مبتدئ" وكان راتبها ثمانين روبية شهريا فقط. على الرغم من أنه أحب العمل على تصميم الإعلانات وكان يلقى معاملة جيدة إلى حد ما، كان هناك بعض الحزازيات بين موظفي الوكالة البريطانيين والهنود، لأن الموظفين البريطانيين حصلوا على أجور أعلى. إلى جانب ذلك، رأى "راي" أن "عملاء الوكالة كانوا في الغالب أغبياء". حوالي عام 1943، أسس "دك غوبتا" دار نشر "مطبوعات البصمة". طلب "غوبتا" من "راي" العمل لديه وتصميم أغلفة الكتب الجديدة التي تنشرها الدار، وأعطى الحرية الفنية الكاملة.

صمم "راي" أغلفة الكثير من الكتب المعروفة، من ذلك: كتاب جيم كوربت "آكلوا لحوم البشر في كومون"، وكتاب جواهر لال نهرو "اكتشاف الهند" كتاب التاريخ المعروف. كما عمل على تصميم غلاف نسخة الأطفال من الرواية البنغالية الشهيرة "أغاني على الطريق"، التي سميت في نسخة الأطفال "صفارة المانجو". كان "راي" معجبا جدا بهذه الرواية. حتى أنه قدم أول فيلم له مقتبسا من هذه الرواية. بالإضافة إلى تصميم غلاف الرواية، رسم أيضا الصور الداخلية لهذا الكتاب. العديد من هذه الصور أظهرها لاحقا في مشاهد الفيلم.

كما قدم "راي" خطين جديدين هما "راي رومان" و "راي بيجار". فاز روي بجائزة في مسابقة دولية في عام 1970. في كلكتا، كان "راي" يعتبر رساما ماهرا. كان "راي" يرسم الصور في كتبه ويصمم أغلفتها بنفسه، كما أنه كان يقوم برسم المواد الدعائية لأفلامه وكان يرسم قفيشاتها.

Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray

Satyajit Ray (Bengali pronunciation: [ˈʃɔtːodʒit ˈrai̯] (About this soundlisten); 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, music composer, graphic artist, lyricist and author, widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.[2][3][4] Ray was born in Calcutta into a Bengali family which was prominent in the field of arts and literature. Starting his career as a commercial artist, Ray was drawn into independent filmmaking after meeting French filmmaker Jean Renoir and viewing Vittorio De Sica's Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves (1948) during a visit to London.

Ray directed 36 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He was also a fiction writer, publisher, illustrator, calligrapher, music composer, graphic designer and film critic. He authored several short stories and novels, meant primarily for young children and teenagers. Feluda, the sleuth, and Professor Shonku, the scientist in his science fiction stories, are popular fictional characters created by him. He was awarded an honorary degree by Oxford University.

Ray's first film, Pather Panchali (1955), won eleven international prizes, including the inaugural Best Human Document award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. This film, along with Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959), form The Apu Trilogy. Ray did the scripting, casting, scoring, and editing, and designed his own credit titles and publicity material. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, a Golden Bear, 2 Silver Bears, a number of additional awards at international film festivals and award ceremonies, and an Academy Honorary Award in 1992. The Government of India honored him with the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award, in 1992. Ray had received many noticeable awards and gained a prestigious position over his life time.

Family history

From the history of the Ray family, it is known that one of their earlier ancestors Shri Ramsunder Deo (Deb) was a native of Chakdah, Nadia District, Bengal (now in West Bengal, India). From there he migrated to Sherpur in East Bengal in search of fate. The Zamindar of Jashodal, Raja Gunichandra met him in the Zamindar House of Sherpur and was immediately impressed by him. He took Ramsunder with him to his estate in Jashodal, gave him a part of his Zamindari and made him his son-in-law.[5][6]

Early life and background

Satyajit Ray's ancestry can be traced back for at least ten generations.[7] Ray's grandfather, Upendrakishore Ray was a writer, illustrator, philosopher, publisher, amateur astronomer and a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious and social movement in nineteenth century Bengal. He also set up a printing press by the name of U. Ray and Sons, which formed a crucial backdrop to Satyajit's life. Sukumar Ray, Upendrakishore's son and father of Satyajit, was a pioneering Bengali writer of nonsense rhyme (Abol tabol) and children's literature, an illustrator and a critic. Ray was born to Sukumar and Suprabha Ray in Calcutta.[citation needed]

Satyajit Ray's family had acquired the name 'Ray'(originally 'Rai') from the Mughals. Although they were Bengali Kayasthas, the Rays were 'Vaishnavas' (worshippers of Vishnu) as against majority Bengali Kayasthas who were 'Shaktos' (worshippers of the Shakti or Shiva) .[8]

Sukumar Ray died when Satyajit was barely three, and the family survived on Suprabha Ray's meager income. Ray studied at Ballygunge Government High School, Calcutta, (now Kolkata) and completed his BA in economics at Presidency College, Calcutta then affiliated with the University of Calcutta , though his interest was always in the fine arts. In 1940, his mother insisted that he study at Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore. Ray was reluctant to go, due to his fondness for Calcutta and the low regard for the intellectual life at Santiniketan.[9] His mother's persuasiveness and his respect for Tagore finally convinced him to try. In Santiniketan, Ray came to appreciate Oriental art. He later admitted that he learned much from the famous painters Nandalal Bose[10] and Benode Behari Mukherjee. Later he produced a documentary film, The Inner Eye, about Mukherjee. His visits to Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta stimulated his admiration for Indian art.

In 1943, Ray started work at D.J. Keymer, a British-run advertising agency, as a "junior visualiser," earning eighty rupees a month. Although he liked visual design (graphic design) and he was mostly treated well, there was tension between the British and Indian employees of the firm. The British were better paid, and Ray felt that "the clients were generally stupid."[12] Later, Ray worked for Signet Press, a new publishing house started by D. K. Gupta. Gupta asked Ray to create cover designs for books to be published by Signet Press and gave him complete artistic freedom. Ray designed covers for many books, including Jibanananda Das's Banalata Sen, and Rupasi Bangla, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's Chander Pahar, Jim Corbett's Maneaters of Kumaon, and Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India. He worked on a children's version of Pather Panchali, a classic Bengali novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, renamed as Aam Antir Bhepu (The mango-seed whistle). Designing the cover and illustrating the book, Ray was deeply influenced by the work. He used it as the subject of his first film, and featured his illustrations as shots in his ground-breaking film.[13]

Along with Chidananda Dasgupta and others, Ray founded the Calcutta Film Society in 1947. They screened many foreign films, many of which Ray watched and seriously studied. He befriended the American GIs stationed in Calcutta during World War II, who kept him informed about the latest American films showing in the city. He came to know a RAF employee, Norman Clare, who shared Ray's passion for films, chess and western classical music.[14]

In 1949, Ray married Bijoya Das, his first cousin and long-time sweetheart.[15] The couple had a son, Sandip Ray, who is now a film director. In the same year, French director Jean Renoir came to Calcutta to shoot his film The River. Ray helped him to find locations in the countryside. Ray told Renoir about his idea of filming Pather Panchali, which had long been on his mind, and Renoir encouraged him in the project.[16] In 1950, D.J. Keymer sent Ray to London to work at its headquarters office. During his six months in London, Ray watched 99 films. Among these was the neorealist film Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) (1948) by Vittorio De Sica, which had a profound impact on him. Ray later said that he came out of the theater determined to become a film-maker.[17]

Career

The Apu years (1950–59)

ديفيد بيكهام

ديفيد بيكهام

ديفيد بيكهام (بالإنجليزية: David Beckham)‏، (مواليد 2 مايو 1975) لاعب كرة قدم وقد كان يلعب في ريال مدريد الإسباني بعد أن انتقل إليه قادما من مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي، لعب في نادي لوس أنجلوس جلاكسي وقام النادي بإعارته إلى نادي اي سي ميلان عام 2009. تزوج من مغنية البوب فكتوريا بيكهام التي كانت مع فرقة سبايس غيرلز. محترفا مع مانشستر عام 1993 واستمر معهم لمدة 10 سنوات حقق فيها العديد من البطولات المحلية والقارية. في عام 2003، انتقل إلى نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني وحقق معهم بطولة الدوري الأسباني لموسم 2006 - 2007. وقد اختاره بيليه ضمن قائمة أفضل 125 لاعب حي في مارس 2004. وُصِف في 2002 بأنه أكثر رجل "متروسكشوال" بواسطة الرجل الذي اخترع هذا المصطلح. كما وصف بهذا المصطلح بواسطة مقالات كثيرة بعدها.

مولده و نشأته

ولد ديفيد روبيرت جوزيف بيكهام في الثاني من مايو 1975 بمدينة ليتونسون شرق لندن وهو المكان الذي نشأ وتربى فيه مع عائلته حيث تلقى تعليمه الأولى وتعلم مبادئ كرة القدم وأساسيته. يمتاز بيكهام بتسديداته الصاروخية وكراته العرضية الدقيقة وسرعته ومهاراته العالية في التمرير. والده كان "ميكانيكياً" صاحب ورشة لكن حبه الشديد لكرة القدم جعله يحلم بأن يدخل أحد أبنائه مجال هذه اللعبة. بدأت شمس بيكهام بالإشراق كلاعب كرة قدم في سن مبكرة جداً وذلك من خلال أهدافه ومهاراته وهذا لم يكن وليد الصدفة حيث أن الموهبة متأصلة فيه منذ طفولته وكل ما يذكره بيكهام في صغره هو مساعدة والده له ورفع معنوياته ودفعه لاكتساب المزيد من الخبرة والمهارة في عالم كرة القدم. مثل ديفيد بيكهام في صغره العديد من الفرق ومنها فريق مدرسته رغم صغر سنه وكان متألقاً بتسديداته ومهارته ، وأول لقاء تم بين ديفيد بيكهام وناديه السابق مانشستر يونايتد كان في ديسمبر 1986 في مسابقة لاكتشاف المواهب والمهارات حيث برز هذا النجم الصغير وتميز بين أقرآنه ولفت الأنظار بمستواه وموهبته وكان عمره وقتها 11 عاماً. وحصل على جائزة من قبل اللجنة وانضم للناشئين في رحلة تدريبية بالقطار إلى مدينة برشلونة الإسبانية استمرت لمدة أسبوعين بهدف اكسابه هو وزملائه المزيد من الخبرة وتعويده على أجواء كرة القدم. التحق بيكهام بالمان يونايتد أو الشياطين الحمر رسمياً في عام 1991 بعد نجاحه بتفوق في تدريبات مدرسة توتنهام هوتسبير ، وبذلك يكون حقق حلم حياته بالسير على خطى النجوم الكبار الذين كان يتابعهم ويحترمهم.

أول ظهور له عام 92

كان أول ظهور له في البطولة الودية لكأس كوبا عام 1992 وشارك مع فريقه وحقق كأس إف إي لفئة الشباب مع زملائه رايان جيجز وبول سكولز وغاري نيفيل وساهم في فوز الفريق عندما سجل هدفاً في الشوط الثاني بمرمى كريستال بالاس ليثبت بأنه نجم قادم وبقوة لملاعب كرة القدم. قاده هذا للظهور لأول مرة مع الفريق الأول في الموسم التالي ، وأصبح لاعباً محترفاً بعد أربعة أشهر فقط من أول مشاركة رسمية له مع الفريق الأول .

مشواره الاحترافي

بدأ بيكهام مشواره الاحترافي مع المان يونايتد عام 1994 وكان أول ظهور له في الدوري الإنجليزي ضد فريق ليدز يونايتد على أرضه وشارك في ذلك الموسم في أربعة لقاءات ثم أعير لنادي بريستون الإنجليزي وشارك معه في العديد من المباريات وسجل هدفين. وفي العام التالي عاد بيكهام لمانشستر بعد المستويات القوية التي قدمها مع بريستون وضمن له مكاناً في التشكيل الأساسي كلاعب خط وسط وشارك في 33 مباراة سجل خلالها 7 أهداف. بدأ بيكهام يثبت خطاه في مسيرته نحو عالم النجومية حيث لعب 36 مباراة سجل خلالها 7 أهداف موسم 96-97 ونتيجة لهذا التألق تم استدعاؤه للمنتخب الإنجليزي وشارك معه في التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس العالم وساهم في وصول منتخب بلاده للنهائيات وحصل على جائزة أفضل لاعب شاب في إنجلترا وعلى المركز الثاني في التصويت السنوي لأفضل لاعب وساهم بشكل قوي وفعال في تحقيق بطولة الدوري لفريقه. وأصبح النجم الأول في المان يونايتد ، وشارك مع منتخب بلاده في نهائيات كأس العالم بفرنسا عام 1998 بقيادة المدرب جرين هودل الذي أبقى ديفيد أسيراً لدكة الاحتياط في أول لقائين للمنتخب الإنجليزي في البطولة. وعند إشراكه في اللقاء الثالث أمام كولومبيا سجل هدفاً من ضربة حرة رائعة أهلت منتخب بلاده للدور الثاني من البطولة واعتبرته الصحافة بطلاً وطنياً. بعد ذلك شارك بيكهام أمام المنتخب الأرجنتيني ولكن طرده في المباراة بعد الخدعة التي قام بها دييقو سيموني الدولي الأرجنتيني جعل من بيكهام أحد أكبر أسباب خروج إنجلترا من كأس العالم في عيون الشارع الرياضي في بريطانيا بعد خسارتهم من الأرجنتين بركلات الترجيح. وتوقع خبراء كرة القدم بأن يغادر النجم الموهوب الملاعب الإنجليزية نظراً لما تعرض له من انتقادات ولكنه سرعان ما أثبت للجميع بأنهم مخطئون في حقه وفي نجوميته عندما لعب أول مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي واستقبلته الجماهير بصافرات الاستهجان ورد بهدف خرافي لا يحرزه إلا نجم كبير من طراز ديفيد بيكهام وذلك عندما انبرى لتسديد ضربة حرة أمام فريق ليستر أسكنها في الزاوية العلوية لحارس المرمى وسط دهشة الجميع.

أكبر فرحة كروية لديفد

في عام 98-99 لعب 34 مباراة وسجل 6 أهداف وساهم في تحقيق الدوري والكأس وبطولة أوروبا أبطال الدوري للمان يونايتد ولا أحد ينسى النهائي المثير في بطولة أوروبا حينما كان مانشستر مهزوماً من بايرن ميونيخ بهدف ليقلب النتيجة رأساً على عقب والمباراة تلفظ أنفاسها الأخيرة ويحصل على الكأس. في العام التالي لعب 31 مباراة وسجل 7 أهداف وكان موسماً ناجحاً بكل المقاييس للنجم الإنجليزي وواجه اللاعب العديد من المشاكل من قبل الصحافة والإعلام بسبب قصة شعره المميزة مما دفعه لحلاقة شعر رأسه ليتخلص من الأسئلة والمشاكل الصحفية بخصوصها إلا أن شركات الدعاية والإعلان التي وقعت معه عقوداً وصورت معه إعلانات لشامبو الشعر قامت برفع دعاوي قضائية لمحاسبة النجم على حلق رأسه وتغيير شكله ولكنها لم تقبل لعدم وجود شروط تمنع بيكهام من حلق شعر رأسه.

تألقه

وواصل التألق محلياً وعلى الساحة الدولية وساهم بشكل كبير ومؤثر في تأهل إنجلترا لنهائيات كأس العالم بكوريا واليابان عام 2002 بقيادته للمنتخب وبأهدافه الصاروخية. وفي عام 2001/2002 لعب 28 مباراة وسجل خلالها 11 هدفاً وشارك في نهائيات كأس العالم صفع بيكهام فيرون و ديساييه و غيرهم كثير من قادة المنتخبات صفعة موجعة عندما تأهل إلى دور الثمانية بينما لم يتجاوزوا هم الدور الأول إلا أن حلمه لم يتحقق بعد خروج منتخب إنجلترا أمام المنتخب البرازيلي في دور الثمانية عن طريق هدف صدفة 100% للاعب رونالدينهو ويبقى الحلم بأن يحقق كأس العالم مع إنجلترا قائماً وسيسعى إلى تحقيقه مستقبلاً. وفي آخر موسم له مع مانشستر واصل النجم ديفيد بيكهام ابداعه وتألقه المعهود إلا أنه تعرض لكسر في الضلع أبعده عن الملاعب أسابيع وغيابه ترك أثراً كبيراً في وسط ميدان الشياطين الحمر.

مع ريال مدريد

في الموسم التالي قدمت لديفيد مجموعة من العروض الرائعة والمغرية لتأتي الفاجعة ويعلن انتقاله للريال في وسط غضب جماهير مانشستر و بقدومه إلى ريال مدريد حصل على الرقم 23 و كانت بدايته مع الريال قوية جدا و الجدير بالذكر ان القميص 23 الذي طرحه ريال مدريد حقق مبيعات قياسية تجاوزت نصف مليون يورو في أول 8 ساعات من توقيع العقد.

تألقه مع ريال مدريد

استطاع بيكهام ان يحصل مع ريال مدريد على كأس الانتركونتينانتال و كأس السوبر الأسباني 2003 و الدوري الأسباني 2007.

اغنى لاعب في العالم

لم يبدأ بيكهام من القمة بل كان لاعباً مغموراً وبدايته متواضعة وصنع أمجاده وشهرته بنفسه من خلال بروزه مع مانشستر يونايتد ومنتخب إنجلترا ليصبح من أغنى لاعبي العالم ، وأكثرهم دخلاً . ولعل أكبر قفزة في حياة ديفيد وأقوى قرار قام باتخاذه هو زواجه بمغنية فرقة التوابل (سبايس جيرل) فكتوريا آدمز (فكتوريا بيكهام حالياً) حيث توجهت جميع الأنظار وبدأ الجمهور والصحافة والإعلام يتهافتون على أخبار نجمة البوب ونجم كرة القدم حتى بدأوا يهتمون بأدق تفاصيل حياتهم الخاصة وفي مارس 1999 انجبا طفلهما الأول بروكلين وبعد سنتين تقريباً أنجبا ابنهما الثاني روميو.

أسباب اختيار بيكهام لأرقامه 7 و 23

عندما احترف بيكهام مع مانشستر يونايتد اختار الرقم 10 بدلاً من 7 الذي كان يشغله قائد الفريق، آنذاك اريك كانتونا وعند اعتزاله ارتدى بيكهام القميص رقم 7 بسبب توافق هذا الرقم مع عدد حروف اسمه BECKHAM، وقد كان الرقم المفضل لديه، لكن عندما انتقل للريال كان الرقم 7 يشغله راؤول وكان بيكهام قريب من اتخاذ الرقم 77، لكنّه فضل الرقم 23 إعجاباً بأسطورة كرة السلة الأمريكية مايكل جوردان

لكن البعض رجّح ذلك لعدة أسباب

ولادة ابنه الأكبر بروكلين عندما دخل بيكهام عامه الثالث والعشرين

أول ظهور له مع المان يونايتد كان في 23 من سبتمبر 1992

الهدف الذي سجله ضد اليونان وأهل منتخب بلاده إلى كأس العالم كان على بعد 23 ياردة.

إعجاب اللاعب الإنجليزي بيكهام بأسطورة كرة السلة الأمريكية مايكل جوردان الذي يحمل الرقم 23.

إنجازات بيكهام

مع مانشستر يونايتد

بطولة الدوري مواسم(95\96، 96\97، 98\99، 99\2000 ,2000\2001، 2002\2003

كأس الإتحاد الإنجليزي سنة 96، 99

دوري أبطال أوروبا 98\99

كأس الإنتركونتيننتال سنة 1999

الدرع سنة 1993، 94، 96، 97

كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي لفئة الشباب سنة 1992

مع ريال مدريد

السوبر الإسباني سنة 2003

الدوري الإسباني موسم 2006\07

الإنجازات الشخصية

لاعب السنة الشاب موسم 96\97

جائزة السير مات بوسبي للاعب السنة موسم 96\97

لاعب أوروبا لسنة 1999

لاعب السنة عام 2001 من الـ BBC

في قائمة أفضل 100 لاعب من الفيفاوالكره الذهيبه

وسام الامبراطورية البريطانية برتبة ضابط عام 2003

David Beckham

David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE[4] (UK: /ˈbɛkəm/;[5] born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.[6] He played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and the England national team, for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016. He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries: England, Spain, the United States and France. He retired in May 2013 after a 20-year career, during which he won 19 major trophies.[7][8]

Beckham's professional club career began with Manchester United, where he made his first-team debut in 1992 at age 17.[9] With United, he won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.[9] He then played four seasons with Real Madrid,[10] winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club.[11] In July 2007, Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy.[12] While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010. He was the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games.[9] In international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996 at the age of 21. He was captain for six years, earning 58 caps during his tenure.[13][14] He made 115 career appearances in total, appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 1998, 2002 and 2006, and two UEFA European Championship tournaments, in 2000 and 2004.

Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending free-kicks as a right winger, Beckham has been hailed as one of the greatest and most recognisable midfielders of his generation, as well as one of the best set-piece specialists of all time.[15][16] He was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or in 1999, twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[17][18][19] He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008. A global ambassador for the sport, Beckham is regarded as a British cultural icon.[20][21]

Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football, and in 2013 was listed as the highest-paid player in the world, having earned over $50 million in the previous 12 months.[22] He has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999 and they have four children.[23] He has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005, and in 2015 he launched 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund.[24] In 2014, MLS announced that Beckham and a group of investors would own Inter Miami CF, which began play in 2020.

Early life

Beckham was born at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, England.[26] He is the son of Sandra Georgina (née West; b. 1949), a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham (b. Edmonton, London, 1948), a kitchen fitter, who married in the London Borough of Hackney in 1969.[27] He has an older sister, Lynne Georgina, and a younger sister, Joanne Louise. He regularly played football in Ridgeway Park, Chingford, as a child, and attended Chase Lane Primary School and Chingford County High School.[28] In a 2007 interview, Beckham said that, "At school whenever the teachers asked, 'What do you want to do when you're older?' I'd say, 'I want to be a footballer.' And they'd say, 'No, what do you really want to do, for a job?' But that was the only thing I ever wanted to do."[29] Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish,[30] and Beckham has referred to himself as "half Jewish"[31] and wrote in his autobiography "I've probably had more contact with Judaism than with any other religion".[32] In his book Both Feet on the Ground, he stated that growing up he attended church every week with his parents, because that was the only way he could play football for their team.[33]

His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who frequently travelled to Old Trafford from London to attend the team's home matches. David inherited his parents' love of Manchester United, and his main sporting passion was football. He attended one of Bobby Charlton's football schools in Manchester and won the chance to take part in a training session with Barcelona, as part of a talent competition. He played for a local youth team called Ridgeway Rovers, which was coached by his father, Stuart Underwood, and Steve Kirby. Beckham was a Manchester United mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986. Young Beckham had trials with his local club Leyton Orient, Norwich City and attended Tottenham Hotspur's school of excellence. Tottenham Hotspur was the first club he played for. During a two-year period in which Beckham played for Brimsdown Rovers' youth team, he was named Under-15 Player of the Year in 1990.[34] He also attended Bradenton Preparatory Academy, but signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his 14th birthday, and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991.[35]

Club career

Manchester United

1991–1994: Youth and early career

Having signed for Manchester United as a trainee on 8 July 1991,[36] Beckham was part of a group of young players, including Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who were coached by Eric Harrison, and helped the club win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992. Beckham scored Manchester United's second goal in the 30th minute of their 3–1 first-leg win of the final against Crystal Palace on 14 April 1992. In the second leg on 15 May, Beckham played a full 90-minutes of the fixture which ended 3–2 in favour of Manchester United and 6–3 on aggregate. Beckham's impact led to a first-team debut on 23 September 1992, as a substitute for Andrei Kanchelskis in a League Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion. Shortly afterwards, Beckham signed as a professional on 23 January 1993.[36]

Manchester United again reached the final of the FA Youth Cup, where they faced Leeds United. The first leg was played on 10 May 1993, where Beckham started in Manchester United's 2–0 home loss but was replaced by substitute Robbie Savage. In the second leg on 13 May 1993, Beckham played the full 90 minutes of Manchester United's 2–1 defeat, which gave Leeds United a 4–1 aggregate score. Beckham also received honours with the club's reserve team when the squad won the league in 1994. In September 1994, Beckham made his first full appearance in the club's first team against Port Vale in a League Cup fixture. On 7 December 1994, Beckham made his UEFA Champions League debut, scoring a goal in a 4–0 victory at home to Galatasaray in the final game of the group stage. Despite the victory, however, they finished third out of four in their group, behind Barcelona.[37]

1994–1995: Loan to Preston North End

Beckham then went to Preston North End on loan for part of the 1994–95 season to get some first team experience. He impressed, scoring two goals in five appearances, notably scoring directly from a corner kick.[38]

1995–1996: Return to United and first Championship

Beckham returned to Manchester and made his Premier League debut for Manchester United on 2 April 1995, in a goalless draw against Leeds United. He played four times for United in the league that season, as they finished second behind Blackburn Rovers, missing out on a third successive Premier League title by a single point. He was not in the squad for the FA Cup final with Everton on 20 May, which United lost 1–0, leaving the club without a major trophy for the first time since 1989.[39]

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had a great deal of confidence in the club's young players. Beckham was part of a group of young talents Ferguson brought into United in the 1990s (known as "Fergie's Fledglings"), which included Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville. When experienced players Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, and Andrei Kanchelskis left the club after the end of the 1994–95 season, his decision to let youth team players replace them instead of buying star players from other clubs (United had been linked with moves for players including Darren Anderton, Marc Overmars and Roberto Baggio, but no major signings were made that summer), drew a great deal of criticism. The criticism increased when United started the season with a 3–1 defeat at Aston Villa,[40] with Beckham scoring United's only goal of the game. However, United recovered from this early season defeat and the young players performed well.[41]

Beckham swiftly established himself as United's right-sided midfielder (rather than a right-winger in the style of his predecessor Andrei Kanchelskis) and helped them to win the Premier League title and FA Cup double that season, scoring the winner in the semi-final against Chelsea and also providing the corner from which Eric Cantona scored in the FA Cup Final. Beckham's first title medal had, for a while, looked like it would not be coming that season, as United were still 10 points adrift of leaders Newcastle United at the turn of the new year, but Beckham and his teammates had overhauled the Tynesiders at the top of the league by mid March and they remained top until the end of the season. Despite playing regularly and to a consistently high standard for Manchester United, Beckham did not break into the England squad before Euro 1996.[42]

1996–1998: First-choice and inheriting No. 7 shirt

At the beginning of the 1996–97 season, Beckham was given the number 10 shirt that had most recently been worn by Mark Hughes. On 17 August 1996 (the first day of the Premier League season), Beckham became something of a household name when he scored a spectacular goal in a match against Wimbledon. With United leading 2–0, Beckham noticed that Wimbledon's goalkeeper Neil Sullivan was standing a long way out of his goal, and hit a shot from the halfway line – 60 yards out – that floated over the goalkeeper and into the net.[45]

His goal celebration for the 60-yard strike saw him raise his arms and walk away smiling rather than run as he often would.[46] In a UK poll conducted by Channel 4 in 2002, the British public voted the goal No.18 in the list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.[44] In a 2016 Sky Sports poll it was ranked the best opening day goal in Premier League history.[46] During the 1996–97 season, Beckham became an automatic first-choice player at Manchester United, helping them to retain the Premier League title, and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year by his peers.[47] Prior to the 1997–98 season, Beckham inherited the number 7 shirt, a number previously worn by such United legends as George Best and Eric Cantona.[48] Manchester United started the season well but erratic performances in the second half of the season saw United finish second behind Arsenal.[49]

1998–1999: Treble

To ensure they would win the Premier League title, United needed to win their final league match of the season, at home to Tottenham. There were reports suggesting that the opposition would allow themselves to be beaten to prevent their local rivals Arsenal from retaining the title, but Tottenham took an early lead in the match.[50] Beckham scored the equaliser with a curling strike from 12 yards out, after receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area, placing the ball into the top left corner of the goal; United went on to win the match 2–1 and the league.[50][52]

Beckham played in central midfield in United's win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, as United's first string centre-midfielders Paul Scholes and Roy Keane were suspended for the match.[50] United were losing the match 1–0 at the end of normal time, but won the trophy by scoring two goals in injury time. Both of the goals came from corners taken by Beckham.[50] Those crucial assists, coupled with great performances over the rest of the season, led to him finishing runner up to Rivaldo for 1999's European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.[53]

1999–2000: Another Championship

Despite Beckham's achievements in the 1998–99 season, he was still unpopular among some opposition fans and journalists, and he was criticised after being sent off for a deliberate foul in Manchester United's World Club Championship match against Necaxa. It was suggested in the press that his wife was a bad influence on him, and that it might be in United's interests to sell him,[54] but his manager publicly backed him and he stayed at the club. During the 1999–2000 season, there was a talk of a transfer to Juventus in Italy, but this never happened. Beckham helped United retain the Premier League title in 1999–2000 by an 18-point margin, after being pushed by Arsenal and Leeds United for much of the season. United won their final 11 league games of the season, with Beckham scoring five goals during this run, with his last goal coming from a swerving shot from the edge of the penalty area in their final home game against Tottenham Hotspur.[55]

2000–2001: Troubled relationship with Ferguson

By the early 2000s, the relationship between Ferguson and Beckham had begun to deteriorate, possibly as a result of Beckham's fame and commitments away from football. In 2000, Beckham was given permission to miss training to look after his son Brooklyn, who had gastroenteritis, but Ferguson was furious when Victoria Beckham was photographed at a London Fashion Week event on the same night, claiming that Beckham would have been able to train if Victoria had looked after Brooklyn that day. He responded by fining Beckham the maximum amount that was permitted (two weeks' wages – then £50,000) and dropping him for a crucial match against United's rivals Leeds United. He later criticised Beckham for this in his autobiography, claiming he had not been "fair to his teammates"[56] Beckham had a good season for his club, though, and helped United to win the Premier League by a record margin.

"He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad. Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment, his life was never going to be the same. He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part."' – Alex Ferguson speaking about Beckham's marriage in 2007.[57]

He was a key player in United's third successive league title in 2000–01, only the fourth time that any club had achieved three league titles in a row. He scored nine goals that season, all in the Premier League.

2001–2002: Contract extension

On 10 April 2002, Beckham was injured during a Champions League match against Deportivo de La Coruña, breaking the second metatarsal bone in his left foot. There was speculation in the British media that the injury might have been caused deliberately, as the player who had injured Beckham was Argentine Aldo Duscher, and England and Argentina were due to meet in that year's World Cup.[58] The injury prevented Beckham from playing for United for the rest of the season and they missed out on the Premier League title to Arsenal (also being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayer Leverkusen on away goals in the semi-finals), but he signed a three-year contract in May, following months of negotiations with the club, mostly concerning extra payments for his image rights. The income from his new contract, and his many endorsement deals, made him the highest-paid player in the world at the time.[59] Despite the injury, 2001–02 was arguably Beckham's best season as a United player; he scored 11 goals in 28 league games, and a total of 16 goals in 42 games in all competitions, the best of his career.

2002–2003: Boot incident and United exit

Following an injury early in the 2002–03 season, Beckham was unable to regain his place on the Manchester United team, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær having replaced him on the right side of midfield. His relationship with his manager deteriorated further on 15 February 2003 when, in the changing room following an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, a furious Alex Ferguson threw[60][61][62][63][64][65] or kicked a boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches. The incident led to a great deal of transfer speculation involving Beckham, with bookmakers offering odds on whether he or Ferguson would be first to leave the club.[66] Although the team had started the season badly, their results improved greatly from December onwards and they won the league, with Beckham managing a total of 11 goals in 52 games in all competitions. He was still a first-choice player for England, however, and was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to football on 13 June 2003.[67]

Beckham had made 265 Premier league appearances for United and scored 61 goals. He also made 81 Champions league appearances, scoring 15 goals. Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one European Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one FA Youth Cup in the space of 12 years. By this stage, he was their joint second longest serving player behind Ryan Giggs (having joined them at the same time as Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes).

Real Madrid

2003–2004: Becoming a Galáctico

As the summer 2003 transfer window approached, Manchester United appeared keen to sell Beckham to Barcelona[69] and the two clubs even announced that they reached a deal for Beckham's transfer,[70] but instead he joined reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid for €37 million on a four-year contract.[71] Beckham was the latest signing in the Galácticos era of global stars signed by club president Florentino Pérez every summer.[72] The news came as a bitter blow to the newly elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who based much of his presidential campaign on signing Beckham.[73] Though announced in mid-June, the transfer was completed on 1 July 2003, making him the third Englishman to play for the club, after Laurie Cunningham and Steve McManaman. Following a successful medical on 2 July, Beckham was unveiled in front of 500 accredited journalists from 25 countries at Real's basketball facility, where he was handed the famous white shirt by club legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.[74] Although Beckham had worn the number seven shirt for Manchester United and England, he was unable to wear it at Madrid as it was assigned to club captain Raúl. He decided to wear number 23 instead, citing his admiration of basketball player Michael Jordan, who also wore the number 23 shirt, as the reason behind his decision

In the week before Beckham's presentation, Real named Carlos Queiroz as their new head coach, meaning that Beckham was reunited with a familiar face upon arriving to Madrid, since Queiroz had spent the previous season as Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United. In late July 2003, the club went on a tour of the Far East as part of pre-season training, but also to cash in on Beckham's huge marketing appeal in Asia, where he enjoyed tremendous following. Real's brand recognition in that part of the globe was already well established as the club made financially successful trips to Asia during previous off-seasons. The presence of a global marketing icon such as Beckham, however, made this particular tour a financial smash for los Merengues.[76]

Shortly after his transfer to Real, Beckham also ended his relationship with agent Tony Stephens of SFX Europe, who had guided him through his career until that point, including helping to engineer Beckham's move from Manchester to Madrid. Beckham signed on with Simon Fuller and his company 19 Entertainment, which already managed the career of Victoria.[77] Beckham also appointed close friend Terry Byrne to be his personal manager

In late August 2003, Real Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup over two legs versus RCD Mallorca, with Beckham scoring the final goal in a 3–0 return leg win at home, thus setting the stage for the start of the league season. Playing in a star-laden team which included three former FIFA World Player of the Year recipients, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and Luís Figo, in addition to Roberto Carlos, Raúl and Iker Casillas, Beckham did not require much time to settle in, scoring five times in his first 16 matches (including a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut). Queiroz mostly favoured the adaptable 5–3–2 formation, with two fullbacks Míchel Salgado and Roberto Carlos, often joining the attack down the wings, while Beckham played on the right of the three-man midfield, alongside Zidane and Figo.[81]

Real Madrid were runners-up in the Copa del Rey, were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage and finished the league season in fourth place, meaning the team, whose president Pérez expected them to win either the Spanish league or the Champions League each season, did not match expectations. In July 2004, while Beckham was in pre-season training in Spain, an intruder scaled a wall at the Beckham home while carrying a can of petrol. Victoria and their children were in the house at the time, but security guards apprehended the man before he reached the house.[82]

2004–2005: Managerial changes

The league season began with new head coach José Antonio Camacho at the helm, but he ended up lasting only three matches, handing in his resignation as Real dropped to eighth spot in the La Liga standings. Camacho's assistant Mariano García Remón took over on temporary basis as Real's leadership scrambled to find a permanent replacement. Beckham made more headlines on 9 October 2004 when he admitted intentionally fouling Ben Thatcher in an England match against Wales to get himself booked. Beckham was due to receive a one-match suspension for his next caution, and had picked up an injury which he knew would keep him out of England's next match, so he deliberately fouled Thatcher to serve his suspension in a match that he would have had to miss anyway. The Football Association asked Beckham for an explanation of his actions and he admitted that he had "made a mistake" and apologised.[83] He was sent off shortly afterwards, this time in a league match for Real Madrid against Valencia. Having received a yellow card, he was judged to have sarcastically applauded the referee and was given a second yellow card, causing an automatic dismissal, although the suspension was cancelled on appeal.

By Christmas 2004, with the team sitting in second position in the league, García Remón was dismissed, and Vanderlei Luxemburgo became the new head coach. However, the well-travelled Brazilian failed to inspire the team to the title as Real again finished the season in second position. On 3 December 2005, Beckham was sent off for the third time that season in a league match against Getafe CF. A day later Luxemburgo was sacked and was replaced by Juan Ramón López Caro. By the end of that season, Beckham led La Liga in number of assists.

2005–2006: Another unsuccessful season

During the season, Beckham established football academies in Los Angeles and east London and was named a judge for the 2006 British Book Awards.[84] Real Madrid finished second to Barcelona in the 2005–06 La Liga, albeit with a large 12-point gap, and only reached the last 16 in the Champions League after losing to Arsenal. The season also marked the end of an era for the club as Pérez resigned his post as president in January 2006, with Vicente Boluda named as replacement on an interim basis until the end of the season.

2006–2007: Real Madrid exit

The summer 2006 off-season marked a turbulent time as the club's presidential elections were held. Ramón Calderón became the new Real president. As expected, none of the club officials who served under the previous president was kept, including head coach López Caro. Initially out of favour with newly arrived head coach Fabio Capello, Beckham started only a few games at the beginning of the season, as the speedier José Antonio Reyes was normally preferred on the right wing. Of the first nine matches Beckham started, Real lost seven. On 10 January 2007, after prolonged contractual negotiations, Real Madrid's sporting director Predrag Mijatović announced that Beckham would not remain at Real Madrid after the end of the season. However, he later claimed that he was mistranslated and that he actually said that Beckham's contract had not yet been renewed.[85]

On 11 January 2007, Beckham announced that he had signed a five-year deal to play for the LA Galaxy beginning 1 July 2007. On 13 January 2007, Fabio Capello said that Beckham had played his last game for Real Madrid, although he continued to train with the team.[86] A few days later, while speaking to the students at Villanueva University Center in Madrid, Calderón said that Beckham is "going to Hollywood to be half a film star", adding "our technical staff were right not to extend his contract, which has been proved by the fact that no other technical staff in the world wanted him except Los Angeles".[87]

About a month later, however, Capello backtracked on his earlier statement, allowing Beckham to rejoin the team for the match against Real Sociedad on 10 February 2007. The player immediately repaid his head coach's trust by scoring the equalising goal from a 27-yard free kick, as Real Madrid eventually recorded a 2–1 victory.[88] In his final UEFA Champions League appearance for the club, Real Madrid were knocked out of the competition by Bayern Munich at the round-of-16 stage (on the away goals rule) on 7 March 2007. Beckham played a pivotal role in all three Madrid goals in the home game, with Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn describing his performance as "world class"

On 17 June 2007, the last day of the La Liga season, Beckham started in his final match for the club, a 3–1 win over Mallorca which saw them clinch the title from Barcelona. With Real down 0–1, Beckham limped off the field and was replaced by José Antonio Reyes, who scored two goals, leading the team to that season's La Liga title, their first since Beckham had signed with them and 30th overall in the club's history. Although Real and Barçelona both finished level on points, Madrid took the title because of their superior head-to-head record, capping a remarkable six-month turnaround for Beckham.[90] With his wife and children, along with celebrity friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, watching from a luxury box at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, it was only Beckham's second piece of silverware since he joined the famous club.[90]

Towards the end of the season, as Beckham was getting back into Capello's good books after successfully fighting his way back into the first team, Real Madrid announced they would try to untie his transfer to LA Galaxy, but were ultimately unsuccessful.[91] Several weeks before Beckham's scheduled arrival in the United States, Real's management contacted LA Galaxy's ownership group about reacquiring the player, but were quickly turned down.[92]

A month after the conclusion of Beckham's Real career, Forbes magazine reported that he had been the party primarily responsible for the team's huge increase in merchandise sales, a total reported to top US$600 million during Beckham's four years at the club.[93]

LA Galaxy

2007: The American Dream

Beckham's involvement with Major League Soccer (MLS) began while he was still a Real Madrid player when it was confirmed on 11 January 2007 that he would be leaving Madrid in six months to join MLS side LA Galaxy. The speculation about his new contract in Madrid was thus put to an end and the following day Beckham's official press conference was held in conjunction with the 2007 MLS SuperDraft

The announcement made global headlines and elevated the league's profile. Though many worldwide media outlets reported the deal to be worth US$250 million,[96] the astronomical figure was soon revealed to be something of a PR stunt engineered by Beckham's media handlers (British representative agency 19 Entertainment).[97] To maximise the media effect, in the press release they decided to list the potential sum that Beckham could make over the five-year period from all his revenue sources, which in addition to his Galaxy pay also include his personal endorsements. Beckham's actual deal with the Galaxy was a five-year contract worth US$32.5 million in total or $6.5 million per year.[78][98]

The high-profile acquisition paid immediate financial dividends for Galaxy long before Beckham joined the team. On the strength of the signing and the media frenzy it created, the club was able to pull off a new five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Herbalife nutrition company worth US$20 million. The gate revenue peaked as well with 11,000 new season tickets holders and sold-out luxury suites (each one of the 42 inside the team's home stadium, the Home Depot Center).[99] LA Galaxy owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) also reported an immediate spike in business. Involved on many business fronts worldwide, AEG was already leveraging its Beckham association in places such as Shanghai and Beijing, where the company had been working aggressively for years to receive clearance to build arenas and stadiums. The company's CEO Tim Leiweke put it as follows: "Suddenly, we're known as the company that owns the team that David Beckham is going to play for, so our world changed".[100]

In the months following the announcement, the additional terms of Beckham's contract became public knowledge. One unique contract provision was giving him the option of buying an MLS expansion franchise in any market except New York City at the fixed price of $25 million whenever he stopped playing in the league[101] – an allowance that the league's owners had never given to a player before. Another provision was the opt-out clause after the 2009 season, meaning that should he decide so, Beckham was free to leave the club after completing year three of his five-year contract.[99] The league had a salary cap in place, requiring the creation of the Designated Player Rule for Beckham to bypass the cap; the rule was later nicknamed in his honor. In April 2007, he and wife Victoria bought an $18.2 million home on San Ysidro Drive in Beverly Hills.

Beckham's contract with LA Galaxy took effect on 11 July, and on 13 July, the Englishman was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player at the Home Depot Center to much fanfare and world media interest in front of more than 5,000 gathered fans and some 700 accredited media members.[103] Beckham chose to wear number 23. It was announced that Galaxy jersey sales had already reached a record figure of over 250,000 prior to this formal introduction.[104]

In parallel, Beckham's handlers at 19 Entertainment succeeded in putting together an unprecedented US media rollout designed to expand his carefully crafted personal brand in America. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated, a few weeks earlier Adidas launched the extensive 13-part ad campaign "Fútbol meets Football" starring Beckham and NFL running back Reggie Bush, and W magazine published a racy photo spread featuring David and wife Victoria photographed by Steven Klein. Meanwhile, ESPN sports network was running a promotional campaign and it also agreed to air David Beckham: New Beginnings documentary produced by 19 Entertainment before the friendly match versus Chelsea, which was expected to be Beckham's American debut. In addition to popularising soccer, Beckham's arrival was used as platform for entertainment industry endeavours. Since both Beckham's and his wife's often overlapping careers were handled by 19 Entertainment, which is owned by Simon Fuller, who in turn has a business relationship with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of Hollywood's most powerful talent agencies, it was important also for CAA that the Beckhams made as big an impact as possible upon their arrival in the United States. On 16 July, CAA had hosted a welcoming bash for David at its new eight-storey, $400 million headquarters in Century City with CAA employees reportedly instructed beforehand to line the staircase and clap for Beckham upon his arrival.[105] That night Victoria's reality show prime-time special Victoria Beckham: Coming to America aired on NBC, drawing negative reviews in the press and poor viewership ratings.

On Saturday afternoon, 21 July, despite still nursing the injured left ankle that he picked up a month earlier during the final match of La Liga's season, Beckham made his Galaxy debut, coming on for Alan Gordon in the 78th minute of a 0–1 friendly loss to Chelsea as part of the World Series of Soccer.[107] With a capacity crowd, along with a long Hollywood celebrity list featuring Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Eva Longoria, Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Drew Carey among others, present at the Home Depot Center, the match was broadcast live on ESPN's main network. However, the proceedings on the field of play took a back seat to the Beckham spectacle, and despite the presence of worldwide football stars such as Andriy Shevchenko, Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, and Frank Lampard, the US television cameras were firmly focused on Beckham who spent most of the match on the bench. The match's added time featured a scare for already injured Beckham when he got tackled by Steve Sidwell whose cleats struck Beckham's right foot, sending him airborne before he crumpled hard to the ground. Though the existing injury was not aggravated too much, Beckham's recovery process was set back by about a week. ESPN's presentation of Beckham's debut earned a 1.0 TV rating, meaning it was seen in an average of 947,000 television homes in the US – a disappointing figure given the national media buzz and two weeks of constant promotion by ESPN.[102] As far as sporting events that were televised that weekend in the United States, Beckham's much publicised debut drew fewer TV viewers than British Open golf tournament, a regular-season national baseball game, and even the Indy Racing League's Honda 200 motor race.[102]

The day after the made-for-TV debut was reserved for the welcoming party for the Beckhams at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art, formally billed as being hosted by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith though in actuality a CAA-organized event. Attended by many Hollywood A-listers, the lavish bash was big news in the US celebrity tabloid media, including daily entertainment TV magazines such as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood.[108]

Beckham missed the next four LA Galaxy matches – three in the North American SuperLiga and an MLS game away at Toronto FC though he still made the trip with his teammates, sitting on the bench in street clothes. It was in Toronto on 5 August that the team got its first taste of what life would be like on the road with Beckham on the roster. Due to security concerns, it was the first time the team flew on a charter for a road match, rather than flying commercial (MLS normally forbids charter flights for away matches, claiming they provide competitive advantage, but in this case they made an exception due to the frenzy created around Beckham and resulting security issues). Also, instead of the usual MLS-mandated modest hotels, LA Galaxy stayed at the five-star Le Méridien King Edward in downtown Toronto (an expense paid for by the local Toronto promoter), while the glitz and glamour continued with the velvet rope, red carpet party at the Ultra Supper Club with Beckham as the centerpiece guest.

Two weeks after his 12-minute appearance against Chelsea, Beckham made his league debut as a substitute on 9 August away versus D.C. United in front of the sellout crowd of 46,686 (nearly three times the average D.C. United home crowd) at the RFK Stadium, coming on for Quavas Kirk in the 71st minute.[110] Coming into the nationally televised match on ESPN, played under a heavy downpour with his team down a man and down a goal, Beckham left a mark during the remaining 20-plus minutes. He hit a long free kick that Carlos Pavón failed to finish on for the equaliser, and then in the final minutes Beckham served a weighted through ball into Landon Donovan's path that United's keeper Troy Perkins managed to break up in the last moment – the Galaxy lost 1–0. The next match on the road trip was at New England Revolution and Beckham decided to sit it out, fearing further aggravating his ankle injury on the Gillette Stadium's artificial surface.

Beckham returned to the pitch the following week, again facing D.C. United, in the SuperLiga semi-final on 15 August. During this game he had many firsts with the Galaxy; his first start, first yellow card and first game as team captain.[111] He also scored his first goal for the team, from a free kick, and also made his first assist, for Landon Donovan in the second half. These goals gave the team a 2–0 victory, and a place in the North American SuperLiga final versus Pachuca on 29 August.

During the SuperLiga final against Pachuca, Beckham injured his right knee, with an MRI scan revealing that he had sprained his medial collateral ligament and would be out for six weeks. He returned to play in the final home match of the season. The Galaxy were eliminated from playoff contention on 21 October, in the final MLS match of the season, a 1–0 loss to the Chicago Fire. Beckham played as a substitute in the match, bringing his season totals to eight matches played (5 league); one goal scored (0 league); and three assists (2 league).

2008

Beckham trained with Arsenal from 4 January 2008 for three weeks until he returned to the Galaxy for pre-season training.[112] Beckham scored his first league goal with the Galaxy on 3 April against the San Jose Earthquakes in the ninth minute.[113] On 24 May 2008, the Galaxy defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3–1, giving the Galaxy their first winning record in two years and moving the club into first place in the Western Conference. In the match, Beckham scored an empty-net goal from 70 yards out. The goal marked the second time in Beckham's career that he had scored from his own half, the other being a 1996-goal from the half-way line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.[114] Overall, however, the Galaxy had a disappointing year, failing to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.

ICC Test Ranking

ICC Test Ranking

The ICC Test Championship is an international competition run by the International Cricket Council for the 12 teams that play Test cricket. The competition is notional in the sense that it is simply a ranking scheme overlaid on all international matches that are otherwise played as part of regular Test cricket scheduling with no consideration of home or away status.

In essence, after every Test series, the two teams involved receive points based on a mathematical formula. Each team's points total from matches over the last 3−4 years is divided by a figure based on their total number of matches and series played, to give a 'rating'. The teams are ranked by order of rating, which is shown in a table.

A drawn match between higher and lower rated teams will benefit the lower-rated team at the expense of the higher-rated team. An 'average' team that wins as often as it loses, while playing a mix of stronger and weaker teams, will have a rating of 100.

The ICC awards a trophy, the ICC Test Championship mace, to the team holding the highest rating. The mace is transferred whenever a new team moves to the top of the rating list.[1] The team that is top of the ratings table on 1 April each year also wins a cash prize, currently $1 million.[2]

Australia are currently the highest-ranked team in the ICC Test Championship, as per the latest annual ranking update published on 1 May 2020.

Australia have won the ICC Test Championship Mace 9 times, India 6 times, South Africa 3 times. England have won on one occasion.

Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan is a public interest lawyer in the Supreme Court of India and an activist. He was a member of the faction of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement known as Team Anna which supported Anna Hazare's campaign for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill. After a split in IAC, he helped Team Anna form the Aam Aadmi Party. In 2015, he made several allegations against the party's leadership, its functioning and its deviation from the core ideology, values and commitments. He is one of the founders of Swaraj Abhiyan and Sambhaavnaa, an Institute of Public Policy and Politics.

Early life

Prashant Bhushan is the oldest of the four children of Shanti Bhushan and Kumud Bhushan. His father is a lawyer-activist and a former Union Law Minister in the Morarji Desai government.[1] Bhushan, who briefly attended IIT Madras and Princeton University has a degree in law from Allahabad University. While still a student, Bhushan wrote The Case that Shook India, a book on the case that set aside Indira Gandhi's election in 1974.[2][3]

Legal activism

Bhushan was drawn to public activism, influenced by his father. His main areas of interest have been human rights, environmental protection and accountability of the public servants. He is associated with various organisations including the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and Transparency International (India).[4] He is also the convenor of the Working Committee of the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Judicial Reforms.[5]

Bhushan states that he has taken up about 500 cases dealing with "good causes". His family background allowed him to work on a pro-bono basis for such cases: according to him, he effectively spends only 25 per cent of his time on paid cases, charging 5 per cent of what other lawyers charge. He has criticised the other professional lawyers as "amoral", and claims that he never takes up a case unless he feels that his client is "morally right". His critics have accused him of being a self-righteous publicity-seeker who pursues sensationalist cases, and an anarchist.[1]

Judicial accountability

Bhushan says that he envisages a transparent and honest legal system, where people can negotiate their own cases without the need of any lawyers. In 1990, he and his father formed the Committee on Judicial Accountability (CJA) to fight corruption in the judiciary. The organisation comprised some lawyers and ex-judges. Prashant Bhushan started focusing more on this issue in 1993, after the Supreme Court Justice V. Ramaswami was not impeached by parliament on corruption charges. In 2007, the Bhushans expanded CJA to include citizens and form the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform (CJAR).[6]

In 2009, Prashant Bhushan represented activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal, asking for the Supreme Court and High Court judges to be brought under RTI. The judges were forced to declare their assets and post it on the court websites.[7]

In a 2009 interview, Bhushan alleged that at least half of the 16 former Chief Justices in the Supreme Court were corrupt. Harish Salve filed a contempt case against him in 2010, and the Supreme Court asked Bhushan to apologise. In response, Bhushan submitted an explanation stating why he felt those judges were corrupt.[7][8] The Bhushans noted the difficulty of getting documentary evidence because judges are immune from investigation.[9] Krishna Iyer, a former Supreme Court judge, said that either the Bhushans should be punished for making "false charges" or an independent authority should be set up to scrutinise their allegations.[10]

Bhushan has recommended amendment to the Contempt of Court Act clause, stating that some of its clauses effectively prevent the press from exposing the corruption in the judiciary. He has also opposed the rule which prevents people from registering a First Information Report against a judge without the permission of the Chief Justice of India.[11]

Government accountability

In 1990, Bhushan wrote a book Bofors, the selling of a nation (1990) on the Bofors scandal.[3]

CPIL won a major victory in 2003 when the Supreme Court restrained the Union government from privatising Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum without the approval of Parliament.[12] As counsel for the CPIL, Rajinder Sachar and Bhushan argued that the only way to disinvest in the companies would be to repeal or amend the Acts by which they were nationalised in the 1970s.[13]

Bhushan represented the CPIL in a petition asking for the removal of Neera Yadav from office as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh for alleged corruption. Yadav had been named in five CBI corruption cases and 23 departmental proceedings. In October 2005 the Supreme Court directed the Mulayam Singh state government to remove her from her position.[14] The case became the first in which an Indian Administrative Service officer in Uttar Pradesh was convicted of corruption.[15]

In February 2006, as counsel for Lok Sevak Sangh, Bhushan submitted to the Supreme Court that the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) might not be constitutionally valid. A TV channel had recently aired video of a sting in which it appeared that some MPs had taken bribes under the scheme. Bhushan said none of the normal controls were being applied, and the scheme was breeding corruption.[16] The same year, Bhushan also represented the CPIL in a petition alleging that Pepsico and Coca-Cola were failing to warn the public of harmful ingredients in their beverages, and were luring young children through misleading advertising.[17]

Bhushan filed a PIL challenging the appointment of P.J. Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner, after Thomas had been charged in the Palmolein Oil Import Scam. In March 2011, SC struck down the appointment.[7]

Prashant Bhushan acted for the CPIL when it took the lead in filing a suit against the Government of India for irregularities in a major award of spectrum for 2G mobile telephones. The CPIL petition alleged that the government had lost $15.53 billion by issuing spectrum in 2008 based on 2001 prices, and by not following a competitive bidding process.[18] The Supreme Court asked the CBI to probe the irregularities in the auction of 2G spectrum. The inquiry resulted in the resignation of the telecom minister A. Raja, who was later arrested along with others including the DMK MP Kanimozhi, officials of Unitech wireless and officials of Reliance ADAG.[7] In September 2011 Bhushan presented evidence that appeared to disprove the claim by the CBI that Dayanidhi Maran, the former telecom minister, had not applied undue pressure to the owner of Aircel to sell to the Maxis group of Malaysia. Bhushan said the CBI's investigation had been "less than honest".[19] In January 2012 Bhushan questioned why the CBI had failed to lay charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act against companies such as Essar Group and Loop Mobile despite strong evidence against them.[20] In February 2012 the Supreme Court declared the allocation of spectrum had been illegal.[21]

In 2012, Bhushan filed a PIL seeking cancelation of coal block allocations by the government on the grounds that certain companies had been illegally favoured by the politicians. In response to the PIL, the Supreme Court (SC) scrutinised coal block allocation since 1993. Bhushan also filed a PIL against illegal iron ore extraction in Goa, which led to the Supreme Court halting all the mining operations in the state.[7]

He successfully challenged the Prime Minister and Home Minister's decision to appoint PJ Thomas as the head of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).[1] Acting on his PIL, SC directed the CVC to apprise it of actions taken on complaints by whistleblowers in the country.[7]

Prashant Bhushan also represents whisteblower Anand Rai in the ongoing PIL regarding Vyapam scam in the Supreme Court.

Before K V Chowdary's appointment Prashant Bhushan raised a red flag,[22][23] asking the Prime Minister not to go ahead with his appointment, raising severe objections on Chowdary's tenure as CBDT Chief. After Chowdary being appointed, NGO Common Cause represented by Prashant Bhushan has filed a petition in Supreme Court of India challenging K V Chowdary's appointment as CVC and T M Bhasin's appointment as VC on 22 July.[24]

Naxalism

Prashant Bhushan has criticised the use of violence against the Naxal insurgents in the tribal-dominated areas. He has alleged that the actual intention of the Operation Green Hunt was to clear the tribal lands for mining operations and industrialisation. According to him, the rapid industrialization has led to "destructive development" in the tribal areas through pollution and displacement of people.[25]

After the April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada, which led to the death of 76 policemen, he stated that such "retaliation" was expected because the government had declared the anti-Naxal operations as a war. He stated that to de-escalate the situation, the government should suspend the armed operations against the Naxals, and instead focus on providing food and infrastructure to the tribals.[26]

In April 2012 Bhushan drew criticism from Congress leaders when he refused to act as a mediator in negotiating with Maoists who were holding a District Collector hostage. He appealed to the Maoists to release the Govt. officer without conditions. He also said that the government should investigate and address legitimate demands.[27]

Death penalty

Bhushan is against death penalty, and spoke against the hanging of Ajmal Kasab, who was the lone captured terrorist in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.[28] Along with Nitya Ramakrishnan, he was the counsel for the Banned documentary December 13, which is a reconstruction of the events that led to the attacks on Parliament, based on the chargesheet filed by the special police cell.[29]

Other issues

In 1990, he successfully got the criminal liability aspect in the Bhopal gas tragedy reopened by SC, by challenging the settlement in the case of compensation to the victims. This reopened the case against the former Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation Warren Anderson (now deceased).[7]

Bhushan assisted the Narmada Bachao Andolan activists opposed to the Sardar Sarovar Dam.[4] After six years of hearings, in October 2000 the Supreme court ruled to allow the massive project to recommence. Bhushan criticised the decision for having been made "without any evidence of the facts [being presented] before the judges".[30] In February 2001 a criminal petition was filed with the Supreme Court of India accusing Medha Patkar, Prashant Bhushan and Arundhati Roy of contempt of court for having demonstrated in front of the Supreme court in protest against the judgement on the Sardar Sarovar dam.[31] Bhushan defended Arundhati Roy when she was charged with contempt of court for publicly criticising judges in the dam hearings. In March 2002 she was sentenced to one day in jail. According to Bhushan the judges were "just affronted by the fact that somebody has dared to criticise them".[32]

Bhushan is opposed to the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.[6] He is opposed to nuclear energy, and supported the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy against establishment of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.[33]

In August 2015, Bhushan filed a PIL in the Supreme Court against the alleged corruption and nepotism in the selection of lower court judges in the Delhi Judicial Services Examination conducted in October 2014. As a result of the PIL, the Supreme Court ordered that the papers be checked by P. V. Reddi, a former SC judge and former Law Commission Chairman Justice. He subsequently recommended that 12 more judges should be inducted into the services. The Supreme Court has to issue guidelines for long-term systemic reform such as increasing transparency in the recruitment procedures.[34]

The Attorney General of India and the Government of India have initiated contempt proceedings against advocate Bhushan for his tweets on February 1, 2019 in relation to the hearings before the Supreme Court of India in the case involving appointment of CBI chief.[35]

Team Anna and Jan Lokpal movement

In 2010, there were a series of anti-corruption demonstrations in India, after high-profile cases like Commonwealth Games scam and Adarsh scam were highlighted in the media. An anti-corruption crusade which included a demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill took place and became known as the India Against Corruption movement.[36] Prashant Bhushan was one of the several activists who participated in the anti-corruption crusade.[37]

In March, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) invited Hazare, the most prominent leader of the movement, for talks. Prashant Bhushan and his father Shanti Bhushan, along with Swami Agnivesh and Kiran Bedi, accompanied Hazare to the meeting.[38] Subsequently, in April 2011, Hazare nominated the Bhushans as members of the joint committee constituted to draft a final version of the Lokpal Bill.[39]

A few days after the committee began work, a CD was released that appeared to be a recording of conversation between Shanti Bhushan and Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party. The recording, related to 2G spectrum case, would discredit Shanti Bhushan, if found to be genuine. Prashant Bhushan stated that labs had shown the CD was doctored, and that its purpose was to obstruct the anti-corruption movement.[40] Later, Singh claimed that Bhushan telephoned him and tried to stop him from talking, a charge which Bhushan denied.[41]

The committee met the government representatives several times to discuss the proposed bill. Prashant Bhushan stated that the Lokpal should have full autonomy and power to prosecute all public servants, and that this principle was non-negotiable.[42] Team Anna activists disagreed with the government's attempt to keep the Prime Minister out of the Lokpal's purview. The government did not want the Lokpal to have the power to investigate the Prime Minister, the higher judiciary, the defence services, the CBI and the CVC and the conduct of MPs inside Parliament.[43] The government's draft of the bill also excluded several other Lokpal powers proposed by Team Anna's draft such as the powers to tap phones.[44]

On 4 August 2011, the government's version of the Lokpal bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha. Prashant Bhushan and other IAC activists criticised the bill as weak, stating that it would provide protection to the corrupt officials.[45] Hazare staged a demonstration against the government's version of the bill, but was detained. The other activists, including Prashant Bhushan, then organised peaceful protests across the country.[46] Following a hunger strike by Hazare and more failed negotiations with the government representatives, a section of Team Anna activists led by Kejriwal and Bhushan decided to enter politics to pass the bill themselves.

Himachal land controversy

In 2011, the Congress leader Digvijaya Singh alleged that the two Bhushans had failed to pay taxes due when they bought an investment property in Allahabad. Bhushan denied the charge, calling it a "very organised and concerted attempt to smear members of the civil society in the Lokpal drafting committee with allegations".[47]

In a similar accusation, the former BJP Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, had rejected those charges, defending the grant of relaxations to the educational trust.[48]

Kashmir issue controversy

In 2011, at a press conference in Varanasi, Bhushan stated that he wanted the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to be revoked in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the government should try to persuade the people of the Kashmir valley to align with India but that they should be allowed to separate if they wish to do so.[49] On 12 October 2011, he was attacked by the members of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena inside the Supreme Court complex, for these remarks. The group accused him of trying to break up India. He was dragged out of his chair, and repeatedly kicked and punched.[7][50] Bhushan described his attackers as having a "fascist mindset" and stood by his statements.[51] Several politicians and activists condemend the attack on Bhushan, while some others criticised him. The Shiv Sena called for a police case to be registered against Bhushan, accusing him of supporting the anti-national elements.[52] Hazare distanced Team Anna from Bhushan's remarks, saying that these were his personal views.[53]

Aam Aadmi Party

Bhushan had long been a critic of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. In 2012, he co-founded the Aam Aadmi Party, stating that the other political parties were corrupt.[7]

Bhushan accused BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of being corrupt and a "puppet" of Reliance Industries.[54] He also accused RSS of supporting terror activities, and criticised BJP for its links with the RSS.[55][56]

Before the 2015 Delhi elections, Bhushan accused party's chief Arvind Kejriwal of selecting candidates of his own choice.[57] After the elections, on 4 March 2015, Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav were voted out of Political Affairs Committee of Aam Aadmi Party for alleged anti-party activities and for working toward the party's defeat in the Delhi elections. Both Bhushan and Yadav denied the charges. On 28 March 2015, they were dropped from the National Executive Council of the AAP following a vote, at a meeting the conduct of which was afterwards disputed by Bhushan. He and Yadav then formed a new political movement called Swaraj Abhiyan.[58] In April 2015, they were expelled from the party by AAP's disciplinary committee

Naseeruddin Shah

Naseeruddin Shah

Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1949) is an Indian film and stage actor and director in the Hindi language film industry. He is notable in Indian parallel cinema.[1] He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards and an award at the Venice Film Festival. The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his contributions to Indian cinema

Early life

Naseeruddin Shah was born in Barabanki town of Uttar Pradesh, into a Muslim family that originally came from Meerut.[3] He is one of the three sons of Aley Mohammed Shah and his wife Farrukh Sultan.

Shah did his schooling at St. Anselm's Ajmer and St Joseph's College, Nainital. He graduated in arts from Aligarh Muslim University in 1971 and attended National School of Drama in Delhi.

His elder brother, Lt. General Zameerud-din Shah[4] (Retd.) PVSM, SM, VSM, was Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.[5][6]

Career

Shah has acted in movies such as Nishant, Aakrosh, Sparsh, Mirch Masala, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai, Trikal, Bhavni Bhavai, Junoon, Mandi, Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!, Ardh Satya, Katha, and Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.[7]He made his debut with a small role in film Aman (1967) starring Rajendra kumar and Saira Banu.

Shah became active in mainstream Bollywood cinema with the 1980 film Hum Paanch. In 1982, he acted in the film Dil Aakhir Dil Hai directed by Ismail Shroff, opposite Rakhee. One of his most important films, Masoom, was released in 1983 and was shot at St Joseph's College, Nainital. His next major success in mainstream films was the 1986 multi-star film Karma where he acted alongside veteran Dilip Kumar. Starring roles for films such as Ijaazat (1987), Jalwa (1988) and Hero Hiralal (1989) followed. In 1988 he played opposite his wife Ratna Pathak as Inspector Ghote, the fictional detective of H. R. F. Keating's novels in the Merchant-Ivory English language film The Perfect Murder. He acted with Aditya Pancholi in films like Maalamaal (1988) and Game (1993).

He has acted in several multi-star Bollywood films as well, such as Ghulami (1985), Tridev (1989) and Vishwatma (1992). In 1994, he acted as the villain in Mohra, his 100th film as an actor. He forayed into Malayalam cinema the same year, through T. V. Chandran's drama Ponthan Mada. The film portrayed the irrational bonding of a feudal serf (played by Mammootty) and a colonial landlord (played by Shah). He strongly believed that the distinction between art and commercial films had largely reduced, especially with the directors of the former also making commercial films. In 2000, Shah played Mahatma Gandhi in Kamal Hassan's Hey Ram[8] which focused on the assassination of Gandhi from the assailant's point of view.

Shah played Mohit, the drunken coach to a deaf and mute boy in Iqbal, which was written by Vipul K Rawal with Shah in mind. Shah was noted for his roles in the 1999 Aamir Khan-starrer Sarfarosh, where he played Gulfam Hassan – a ghazal singer-cum-terrorist mastermind — and in Neeraj Pandey's A Wednesday (2008).

Shah has also starred in international projects, such as Monsoon Wedding in 2001 and a Hollywood adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003 (co-starring Sean Connery), where he played Captain Nemo. His portrayal of Nemo was very close to the design of the graphic novel, although his Nemo was far less manic. He worked in Vishal Bhardwaj's Indian adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, titled Maqbool, in 2003, and Rajiv Rai's Asambhav opposite Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra in 2004. He then went on to work in The Great New Wonderful (2005). In 2011, Shah was seen in The Dirty Picture. He acted in Anup Kurian's The Blueberry Hunt, playing a recluse growing marijuana in his forest retreat, and in Waiting, starring opposite Kalki Koechlin, both of which were released in 2016.

Shah made his Pakistani film debut in Khuda Ke Liye by Shoaib Mansoor, where he played a short cameo. His second Pakistani film Zinda Bhaag was selected as the country's official entry to the 86th Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film award.

As a director

Naseeruddin Shah has been giving performances with his theatre troupe at places such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Lahore. He has directed plays written by Lavender Kumar, Ismat Chughtai and Saadat Hasan Manto.

His directorial debut in movies, Yun Hota To Kya Hota, was released in 2006. It stars several established actors such as Konkona Sen Sharma, Paresh Rawal, Irrfan Khan, then-newcomer Ayesha Takia, his son Imaad Shah and his old friend Ravi Baswani.[9]

Other media and art forms

In 1977, Shah, Tom Alter and Benjamin Gilani formed a theatre group called Motley Productions. Their first play was Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, which was staged at the Prithvi Theatre on 29 July 1979.[10]

In 1988, he acted in the eponymous television series based on the life and times of Mirza Ghalib, directed by Gulzar and telecast on DD National.[11]

In 1989, he acted as the Maratha King Shivaji in another eponymous television series Bharat Ek Khoj based on Jawaharlal Nehru's book The Discovery of India.[12]

In mid 1990s, Shah also hosted some episodes of science magazine programme Turning Point.[13]

In 1999, he acted as a special agent in the TV series Tarkash on Zee TV. He played a retired agent haunted by nightmares who is re-inducted as he apparently knows something about a dreaded terrorist somehow connected with his past. He played the villain with the dual identity of a ghazal singer and a Pakistani spy who supports terrorism in India in Sarfarosh (1999).[14]He was the first of several celebrity actors, who played narrator in the popular audiobook series for kids Karadi Tales.[15] He was the narrator in the film Paheli — the Indian entry to the 2006 Academy Awards.[16]

In 2017, Shah returned to film, starring in Shakespearean adaption The Hungry, screened under special presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival 2017.[17]

Personal life

In the 1970s, Shah met and fell in love with Ratna Pathak, the daughter of Dina Pathak, a well-respected character actress. Ratna's sister, the actress Supriya Pathak, is married to the actor Pankaj Kapoor, who is the father of Shahid Kapoor by his first marriage. During the 70s and 80s, Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak co-starred in several films including Mirch Masala and The Perfect Murder.[18][19] They were in a live-in relationship for many years, while Shah put together the mehr required to divorce Manara. Shah and Pathak were finally married in 1982.[20] By his second marriage, Shah has two sons, Imaad and Vivaan, both of whom are aspiring actors. The couple lives in Mumbai with Heeba, Imaad and Vivaan.[21]

Autobiography

Shah's memoir is titled And Then One Day, and was published by Hamish Hamilton.[22]

Controversies

Naseeruddin has been frequently involved in controversy with his criticism of senior actors like Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, fellow actors like Anupam Kher, juniors like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, cricketer Virat Kohli and politician and Prime minister Narendra Modi. Shah once said that people watching movies of Shahrukh and Salman should not watch his movies.[23] In July 2016 Shah blamed late Rajesh Khanna for mediocrity in movies with his poor acting during the 1970s. He also stated that the veteran actor was not an alert person whom he had met. However, later after criticism from several people in the Bollywood fraternity including Rajesh Khanna's daughter Twinkle, Naseeruddin apologized about his views.[24] On December 18, 2018, he sparked a controversy by calling Virat Kohli as the worst behaved cricketer in the world.[25] Shah was at the centre of a communal controversy after he reacted to an incident of communal violence in December 2018. He stated that he felt unsafe in current day India and was worried about the safety of his children if they were caught in a mob violence situation.[26] In January 2020, Shah got into a political controversy by criticising his co-actor colleague Anupam Kher for his views supporting the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Act, calling him a clown and sycophant