Stars from the ramp
Shama Rana takes a look at the beauties and hunks of Bollywood who have made a smooth transition from the ramp to the silver screen

It is often said that beauty pageants and Bollywood can’t exist without each other. Winning a beauty contest is a ticket to Bollywood, or even Tollywood (South India’s film industry). Modelling, a pre-requisite to these contests, is also a stepping-stone to the film industry.

The present-day Bollywood seems full of these beauties and hunks, who have made a smooth transition from the ramp to the silver screen. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, John Abraham, Dino Morea, Arjun Rampal are a select few who have tasted success in the film industry, as have some more.

Aishwarya Rai, who won the Miss World crown in 1994, made a debut with Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar. Being branded a plastic beauty in her initial years in the industry, she soon proved her critics wrong with hits like Taal, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Guru, Guzaarish etc.

Yet another beauty Sushmita Sen, won the coveted title of Miss Universe in the same year (1994). She entered Hindi films with Vikram Bhatt’s Dastak. But the movie failed miserably. Though she did some lead roles, she made quite a name with item numbers in movies like Sirf Tum and Fiza, which rejuvenated her almost flaccid film career. Her performances in Kyun ki Main Jhooth Nahi Bolta, Biwi No. 1, Main Hoon Na, Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya etc earned her appreciation, both from the audiences and the critics.

Lara Dutta, who became Miss Universe in 2000, started of with Andaaz and went on to do films like Partner, Blue, and Housefull. Lara has now donned the producer’s cap with Chalo Dilli starring herself and Vinay Pathak.

Priyanka Chopra, who was crowned Miss World in 2000, also debuted with Andaaz, along with Lara Dutta. Slow and steady, she is now the undisputed number one actor in the country. She has many successful movies to her credit, including Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Aitraaz, Don, Dostana, Fashion, Kaminey etc. Priyanka recently pulled off seven different characters in Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf with `E9lan.

Film directors have always been partial to these long-legged beauties. When Zeenat Aman, an ex-Miss Asia Pacific, entered the Hindi film industry, a benchmark was set by filmmakers of the 1970s. Zeenat started as a journalist with Femina.`A0After a stint in modelling and winning a beauty contest, she entered Bollywood with Manoj Kumar’s Roti Kapda Aur Makaan. But she only tasted success in 1972 with Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Zeenat was credited with bringing the western look to Hindi films’ heroine.

After Zeenat, came Tina Munim (who won the International Teen Princess title in the 1970s), also a Dev Anand discovery. Poonam Dhillon was yet another titleholder to enter films after she won Miss Young India in the 1970s at the age of 16. She debuted with Trishul and is best remembered for her role in Noorie (1979).

The eighties and the nineties saw many a beauties follow suit. Juhi Chawla, Sangeeta Bijlani and Sonu Walia are some of the sensational beauties of that era. Sangeeta Bijlani, who won the title of Miss India in 1980, acted in Tridev, Hatimtai, Hathyar, Jurm, Vishnu Devaa amongst others.

Queen of smiles, Juhi Chawla, who won the Miss India title in 1984, made her Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. It made her a star overnight. After a successful stint in movies like Darr, she now runs a film production company Dreams Unlimited with Shah Rukh`A0Khan and filmmaker Aziz Mirza.

Priyanka Chopra, who was crowned Miss World in 2000, is Bollywood’s number one actor

Another Miss India (1992), the leggy Madhu Sapre, made her debut with Boom co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff, though it did not bring her success as it did to her co-star Katrina Kaif.

Namrata Shirodkar, Miss India 1993, was launched in Bollywood opposite Salman Khan in Jab Pyar Kissi Se Hota Hai. She won rave reviews in Vaastav featuring Sanjay Dutt and in Pukar alongside Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. The long-legged Pooja Batra, Miss India second runner-up 1993, was introduced in Virasat opposite Anil Kapoor. But she, too, had to pack up.

Dia Mirza walked away with three titles in 2000 of Miss Beautiful Smile, the Sony Viewer's Choice Award and Femina Miss India-Asia Pacific at the Miss India contest. Dia was the second Indian contestant to be crowned Miss Asia Pacific after a long spell of 29 years.`A0Her first film Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein opposite Madhavan, however,`A0did not make a splash. Likewise, Neha Dhupia, a 2002 Femina Miss India Universe, debuted with Harry Baweja’s`A0Qayamat,`A0which was an action-packed thriller.`A0

Bipasha Basu came into the limelight when she won the famous Ford Supermodels Contest at the age of 17. She also won the title of Tulips Miss Super Vivacious in the same contest. Besides doing innumerable prestigious ads, Bipasha did the famous video Tu for Sonu Nigam’s album Kismat. Her debut role in Ajnabee won her much praise. Then came Raaz, which was an overnight box-office hit. This Bengali bombshell has retained her ground in the industry to this day.

Koena Mitra, winner of the Gladrags Supermodel Contest, did numerous music videos like Stereo Nation`B4s Ishq, Aaj Ki Raat, Akh Teri, Channo by Jassi and commercials before joining the film industry. Her gyrating item number in Ram Gopal Varma`B4s flick Road did not go unnoticed. Another Miss India 2001 Celina Jaitely debuted with Janasheen`A0opposite`A0Fardeen Khan. But the movie sank without a trace.

Despite his Raaz being a boxoffice hit, success has eluded Dino Morea

Diana Hayden, who won the Miss World title in 1997 and Yukta Mookhey, who was crowned Miss World in 1999, too, tried their luck in movies but were rejected by both the film makers and the audience. Yukta Mookhey started of with an item number in 2001 in a Tamil movie Poovellam Un Vasam. Her first major Bollywood release was in 2002, Pyaasa, opposite Aftab Shivdasani.

The dimpled Punjaban, Gul Panag who was won the Miss India title in 1999 debuted with the movie, Dhoop, a`A0hard-hitting movie based on rampant vices in the Indian bureaucracy. Her other notable films include`A0Dor, Manorama Six Feet Under,`A0Hello, and`A0Straight. Her acting prowess in Dor was widely acclaimed. The response to her recent flick Turning 30 was, however, lukewarm.

Besides these beauties, male personality contest winners, too, have not lagged behind in the film industry. Over the years, several male models have succeeded in Bollywood. Winners like Arjun Rampal`A0and`A0John Abraham`A0have carved a niche for themselves. We have also had the likes of`A0Dino Morea,`A0Upen Patel`A0and`A0Rahul Dev who have not been a much of a hit with the audiences.

Born to a Syrian Christian father and a Parsi mother, John Abraham did have what it takes to set the world of modelling on fire. Revolutionary looks, macho body and those to-die-for dimples, had made him the highest-paid supermodel in India. He started as a media planner in Enterprises-Nexus, an ad agency; and went on to win the Gladrags Manhunt Contest. In 2003, came his debut movie Jism opposite Bipasha Basu. However, his first blockbuster smash hit was Dhoom in 2004.

Arjun Rampal, who is often called a Greek God for his chiselled looks, was discovered in a discotheque by ace designer Rohit Bal. He was proclaimed Society’s Face of the year in 1994. His debut movie, Moksha was released in 2001. There was another film`A0Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, with Suniel Shetty and Aftab Shivdasani. Although both films bombed, his performances in both films were lauded by the critics.

In 2002, Arjun won the Face of the Year Award from the`A0International Indian Film Academy. He made a comeback with a villainous role in Om Shanti Om (2007), which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Bollywood. Arjun has more ambitious projects like Ra.One, Jai Ramji, Rascals, Durbar lined up in recent times.

Milind Soman, the first Indian male supermodel and still one of the hottest men of India, faced rejection by Graviera Suitings because he supposedly had boyish looks. However, the distinctive actor went on do some remarkable performances in movies like 16th December, Rules, Pachaikili Muthucharam, Agni Varsha,`A0Asoka and Bheja Fry. He has also acted in a number of foreign films, including`A0Valley of Flowers,`A0The Flag`A0and the Swedish film,`A0Arn – The Knight Templar.

Bikram Saluja, a successful model, and a not-so-successful actor was Graviera Man of the Year (1994) and Grasim Mr India. He stepped off the ramp to do insignificant roles in movies such as Fiza (2000), LOC Kargil (2003) and Page 3 (2005).

Aryan Vaid, better known as Grasim Mr India and Mr International, is another handsome, suave and well-known model-turned-actor. He debuted in 2002 with Be-lagaam and has starred in films like Market (2003), White Noise (2004), Chaahat — Ek Nasha (2005), Fun (2005) etc but none of these films did good business.

Dino Morea, Gladrags Supermodel of 1999, entered the industry with Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. Though the movie fell flat on the box office, Dino was cast in Raaz, a romantic thriller opposite Bipasha Basu. The movie was a success but Dino did not turn out be successful as his contemporaries and instead switched to his restaurant business.