Music videos have launched a thousand stars. From Deepika Padukone to Riya Sen, meet the actors who started their careers on a musical note before Bollywood came calling
Bollywood actress
How often do you find yourself humming to a tune from an indie music album? It might be rare to do so today, but if you are a ’90s kid, you probably still cherish the memory of listening to Palash Sen and his band’s euphoric tunes.
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There was also pop singer Alisha Chinai’s Made in India, which set the nation’s collective pulse soaring. The bestselling album was noteworthy for reasons other than the money it raked in and its anthemic tunes. It also, very memorably, introduced Milind Soman.
Vidya Balan (above) recently featured in a music video on women’s rights. File Pic
Last week, Vidya Balan featured in a music video about women’s rights, but she is hardly the first actor to do so. A-listers Deepika Padukone and Malaika Arora Khan have all acted in music videos, before Bollywood came calling.
We take a trip down memory lane by recalling Bollywood celebrities’ memorable appearances in music videos.
Celina Jaitley
Remixes and fusion songs continue to rule the charts, although at one point, sometime in the early 2000s, songs such as Kaanta Laga, Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar and Pardesiya had everyone swaying to their beats.
The song Zara nazron se kehdo, originally sung by Hemant Kumar, also tasted such success when it was remixed by Bombay Vikings, starring a relatively-unknown Celina Jaitley.
The model and actress impressed viewers with her cute-girl-meets-sultry siren looks and dance moves. She also starred in Jazzy B’s music video, Oh Kehri in 2001. In the year 2003, she landed a role in Janasheen which failed at the box-office.
Deepika Padukone
The actress was a force to reckon with in the world of modelling, stunning everyone with her stellar looks and poise on ramp.
But her appearance in Himesh Reshammiya’s music video in 2006, Naam Hai Tera, got Bollywood to sit up and take notice.
Deepika Padukone
Reshammiya, himself a rage at the time, saw the video turn into the perfect launchpad for the actress. A dream debut with Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om (2007) followed and the rest, as they say, is history.
Milind Soman
Long before he became the country’s Ironman and poster boy for fitness, Milind Soman was noticed during his appearance in the title song of singer Alisha Chinai’s Made in India.
The album, and Soman, went on to become a huge hit, putting both the singer and the model on the map.
The video saw a chiselled Soman, who played a prince from India, emerge from a box to woo Chinai. There were scores of women who wished they were in Chinai’s shoes.
John Abraham
When ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas wasn’t too busy writing haunting melodies, he sang another number, Chupke Chupke, starring a little-known model John Abraham, with cute dimples and long, floppy hair.
The actor, more recently, was appreciated for his role as producer in the small budget 2012 movie, Vicky Donor.
Bipasha Basu
As an established model, Bipasha Basu garnered much attention when she starred in Sonu Nigam’s Tu Kab Ye Janegi.
The pop singer was at the peak of his career. She made her Bollywood debut in Ajnabee in 2001 in a supporting role. What followed were a spate of some good and some cringe-worthy movies.
But one can’t deny that the Bengali beauty has climbed the ladder quite well.
Riya Sen
Singer Falguni Pathak sang her way into the hearts of listeners with her 1998 song, Yaad piya ki aane lagi.
The song gained cult status and fetched Pathak her status as Dandiya Queen.
The song also launched actress Riya Sen, who went on to act in Hindi as well as regional films.
Ayesha Takia
Falguni Pathak introduced Ayesha Takia to the audience through her hit song, Meri chunnar udd udd jaye.
The song also featured south Indian actress Trisha Krishnan, whose role added an element of fantasy to the video. The soulful song was picturised on two lovers, one of them played by Takia.
Dia Mirza
Actors and actresses rarely get the chance to star in a music video that features the versatile and legendary Asha Bhonsle, before their big Bollywood break.
Actress and model Dia Mirza is among the lucky few. Long before the movies, advertisements and international titles, Mirza starred in Asha Bhonsle’s melodious track, Na marte hum in 2001.
Mirza and television actor Aashish Chaudhary starred as lead characters in the song. The song rose up the popularity charts and was even featured regularly on radio and television programmes. Mirza, who is half-German, also acted in the title song of the album, Khoya Khoya Chand, before she landed the lead role in her debut Hindi movie, Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein in the year 2001.
Malaika Arora
Gur naal ishq mitha continues to be a popular song played at weddings when it’s time to hit the dance floor.
Part of the video’s charm came from its lead actors, Malaika Arora and Jas Arora.
Malaika, who is married to Arbaaz Khan, was a popular VJ, now a reality show judge, host, model and dancer as well.
Shahid Kapoor
Before bowling us over with his performances in Haider and Kaminey, Shahid was seen as a scrawny, love-struck teenager in the song Aankhon mein tera hi chehra by the band Aryans.
Kapoor went on to wow audiences with his dancing prowess on stage and acting in praise-worthy movies.
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