Imran Khan: The Greatest or the Most Famous?

There can be a healthy debate on whether or not Imran Khan Niazi, former Pakistani captain is the all times greatest all rounder. Is he on top of the quartet of all-rounders leaving Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev behind? Maybe his critics can oppose that just comparing the number of wickets or the runs. But if you consider Imran’s ability to lead the team (a team like Pakistan!) from the front, his enviable success story or even his off the field performance, no doubt he is steps ahead from his three other companions in terms of being famous and celebrity.

Imran’s way to the world cricket was like a story. He hardly played any domestic cricket in Pakistan. But he had a cousin like Majid Khan who played for Pakistan team and could back him up to the competitive level. Also Imran went to England for his higher studies from where he excelled his cricket life. In fact, that helped him a lot to be a world class cricketer. When Imran Khan started his career in 1971 he was merely a medium fast bowler. But he became faster with time which is completely unusual with the craft of fast bowling. Khan mastered the art of reverse swing with his real fast deliveries. With that lethal weapon he actually rattled many world class batsmen. And he was always a batsman who you could rely on. There were many occasions when Imran in the crunch moment of his team hit back the opponent bowling attack.

Imran was made the captain of Pakistan in 1982. He was successful to infiltrate his own attacking spirit inside his team-mates instead of the desire of individual achievement. He led his team against the Aussies and beat them three times in a row in 1982-83 series. He also had the victory against India on their home soil. In 1987 under Imran’s leadership Pakistan saw their first series victory in England. Finally in 1992 despite the topsy-turvy start in the world cup Imran led his team to be the world champion.

Off the field Imran Khan always was on focus of media. He married Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of the late multi millionaire, Sir James Goldsmith in 1995. The marriage incurred a lot of criticism in the western media. And in the end on June 22, 2004 Imran Khan and Jemima divorced, ending their nine-year marriage life. Imran also became controversial after his fight with Ian Botham regarding the ball tampering case. His alleged affairs with socialite ladies in UK also made him prominent.

In 1996 in Lahore Imran opened his cancer hospital Shaukat Khanum memorial hospital which was built after his mother’s name. Imran just after the 92 world cup vowed to build this hospital after seeing his mother dying from cancer. He traveled countries and collected 4 million dollars in just 45 days which clearly reflected his popularity.

The success of Imran Khan in the cricket field was not quite transformed in the field of politics when he founded his own political party called the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 1996. Khan and members of his party were universally defeated at the polls in the 1997 general elections. In 2002, the party won 0.8% of the popular vote and only one out of 272 open seats. In 2007, Khan joined 85 other MPs to resign from Parliament in protest of the Presidential election scheduled for October 6.

Imran Khan was one of the finest cricketers Pakistan has ever produced but he was the biggest heart-throb that is for sure. He gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. Not only in the subcontinent, was Khan also a regular subject of the British tabloids because of his activities in UK. He produced a lot of controversies and rumors during those days that eventually made him a CELEBRITY in real sense
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Italian Beauty in Hollywood

“As a European, I need to stay in Europe and I make Italian movies, French movies. Then to come to America is something interesting for me”

Who said that? A European actress and also a Hollywood star. The reason, you can easily assume that if you want world wide fame then fly Hollywood. Hollywood has always been a dream for many actresses from all around the world. Especially many heroines from countries in Europe flew in to Hollywood and became celebrity. But how many of them were rewarded with global fame? The most famous would be the Italian beauty Sophia Loren. But then on, not many European actresses could consolidate them in such a position in Hollywood. Isabelle Adjani despite her French blockbusters could not really comfort herself in American film industry. The Spanish enchantress Penélope Cruz is more famous in eastern part of the world for her relationship with Tom Cruise rather than her success in Vanilla Sky. Right now the only representative from Europe who is illuminating Hollywood is the Italian actress and fashion model Monica Bellucci and the statement above is from her.

Born in 1964 in the Italian village of Città di Castello, Umbria, Bellucci originally pursued a career in the legal profession. Initially pursuing a career as a lawyer, by modeling Bellucci helped finance her tuition while at the University of Perugia, but the glamorous lifestyle tempted Monica away from her law studies. In 1988, she moved to one of Europe's fashion centers, Milan, and joined Elite Model Management. She instantly became the face of celebrated brands such as Elle and Dolce and Gabbana. Perhaps, wanting more than just the face of famous labels, she took up different workshops and classes in acting. Her first film was entitled "Bandits: Love and Liberty."

She made her acting debut on TV in 1990, and her American film debut in 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). She became known and popular with English-speaking audiences following her lead role in the acclaimed Italian film Malèna, as well as through the portrayal of a rape victim in the highly controversial Irréversible, though is perhaps best known for her role as Persephone in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions followed by her portrayal of Mary Magdelene in The Passion of the Christ.
In 2003, Bellucci starred in Tears of the Sun as a doctor in Nigeria being rescued by the US and in the 2005 fantasy film The Brothers Grimm as a beautiful evil queen. Her latest films are The Stone Council, directed by the Frenchman Guillaume Nicloux (2006) and Manuale d'amore 2 (2007) where she portrays a physiotherapist in the first segment of the film who is object of the desire of her patient. She was supposed to be seen portraying Indian politician Sonia Gandhi in the biopic Sonia, originally planned for release in 2007 but now shelved. September 2007 saw the release of Shoot 'Em Up, where she plays a prostitute opposite Clive Owen.
As a fashion model she was ranked no. 6 in Maxim's '50 Sexiest Women' in 1999 and no. 9 in 2002 in Maxim's '100 Sexiest Women.

"My body is so important to me... my face, my arms, my legs, my hands, my eyes, everything. I use everything I have." - Monica Bellucci.