Anupama Chopra is an Indian author, journalist, and film critic who is popular for giving film reviews. She is known by the name, ‘Miss Congeniality.’
Wiki/Biography
Anupama Chopra was born on 23 February 1967 (age 52 years; as in 2019) in Kolkata, West Bengal. Her zodiac sign is Pisces.
Anupama Chopra With Her Siblings In Her Childhood
During her teenage years, she stayed in Hong Kong. In 1987, she graduated from st. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, with a B.A in English Literature. She then attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism to earn her Master’s degree in Journalism. While at Medill, she won the Harrington Award for “academic excellence and promise for success in the field of magazine journalism.”
Physical Appearance
Height: 5′ 3″
Weight: 50 kg
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Hair Colour: Black
Family, Caste & Husband
Her father, Navin Chandra, is an ex-executive of Union Carbide. Her mother Kamna Chandra is a scriptwriter.
Anupama Chopra’s Parents
Her brother Vikram Chandra is an American-Indian writer.
Anupama Chopra’s Brother, Vikram Chandra
Her sister Tanuja Chandra is a director and a writer.
Anupama Chopra’s Sister, Tanuja Chandra
She got married to Vidhu Vinod Chopra. She is his third wife. The couple has a son named Agni Dev Chopra, who is a cricketer, daughter named Zuni Chopra, who is a writer. She has a step-daughter named Ishaa Chopra.
Anupama Chopra With Her Children Zuni And Agni And Her Husband, Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Career
She started her career as a journalist in New York with the magazine ‘Harper’s Bazaar.’ There she worked for a while and came back to India. She then joined “Sunday Magazine” and got into limelight when she wrote a detailed story about the mafia-culture in Bollywood. She wrote her first book “Sholay: The Making of a Classic” in 2000 and released it on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Sholay.
Sholay: The Making of a Classic
Her work has been published in several national and international magazines and publications such as India Today, The New York Times, the Lost Angeles Times and Vogue. She hosted a film review show on NDTV 24X7 channel named ‘Picture This.’ She started her weekly review show on Star World called ‘Front Row With Anupama Chopra.’
Front Row With Anupama Chopra
She is the founder and editor of the digital platform ‘Film Companion’ and hosts it on YouTube, which gives a critical review of the films.
Awards
She has won National Award for the Best Book on Cinema for the book “Sholay: The Making of a Classic” in 2001.
Favourite Things
- Filmmaker: Ang Lee, Rajkumar Hirani
- Film: Sholay, Anand, Guide, Pyaasa, Lagaan, Pulp Fiction, Lagaan
- Critic: Pauline Kael, Anthony Lane, A. O. Scott, Manohla Dargis
Facts
- Though she was born in an era where people did not watch films in theatres, she was interested in movies and grew up to become a film critic.
- She is a gold medallist in English Literature from the University of Mumbai, Mumbai.
- Her rise in journalism came up after the 1993 Mumbai serial blast when she wrote a detailed write-up and took interview of the people in the mafia.
- It took her almost five months to convince Shah Rukh Khan to let her write a book on him. In 2007, she wrote “King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema.” The book was featured on the annual ‘Editor’s Choice’ list of the New York Times Book Review.
- Her favourite celebrity interview was for the actress Kangana Ranaut on her talk show ‘The Front Row.’
- In 2014, she became the chairperson of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival by replacing Shyam Benegal.
Logo Of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
- She is a gluten-free vegetarian.