From flaunting trendy clothes on the ramp to featuring in glossy ad campaigns, modelling has always been viewed as glamorous. Among the more starry-eyed, modelling is also seen as a stepping stone to a career in acting. And we have plenty of evidence in our very own B-town to substantiate that line of thought! Let us take a look at some faces that made the successful leap from modelling to acting:
Deepika Padukone
From badminton to Bollywood, this fashion trendsetter has come a long way. She began her glitzy career by modelling in TV commercials. She shot to fame when Kingfisher named her ‘model of the year’ and featured her as the cover girl on the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar in 2006. Her effortless way of carrying off hot fashion trends led to several endorsement deals. She began her acting career with Aishwarya, a Kannada movie, followed by Om Shanti Om. Today she is one of the top reigning actors in Bollywood, consistently churning out hit after hit and featuring regularly in fashion blogs.
Picture courtesy – itimes.com and newindianexpress.com
Anushka Sharma
Known for her laidback yet fiercely feminist approach to life, this army kid first made fashion news in 2007, when she walked the ramp for designer Wendell Rodricks. She also featured in a number of ad campaigns for a variety of brands like Silk and Shine, Whisper and Fiat. Her acting debut happened in 2008, when she was cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The movie went on to be the second highest grosser that year in Bollywood. Fashion trendsetter status soon followed, as did a successful acting career. She established her own production company in 2015.
Picture courtesy – itimes.com and dnaindia.com
Bipasha Basu
Famous for her dedication to fitness that lets her present hot fashion trends in the most delectable way possible, she began modelling at the age of 17 under the tutelage of model Mehr Jesia. Her career took off when she won a couple of supermodel contests and was signed by a New York based modelling agency. The always-in-fashion newsmaker entered Bollywood in 2001 when she starred opposite Akshay Kumar in Ajnabee. Her first taste of commercial success came the following year with Raaz. Besides acting and flaunting the latest trends in fashion, she has also released a series of fitness DVDs.
Picture courtesy – celebrityshotpic22 and lightscamerabollywood.com
Priyanka Chopra
Long before she gained global recognition as the lead of American TV series Quantico, this Bollywood fashion trendsetter started out with small-time modelling assignments. She made her way up by winning a local pageant called ‘May Queen’, and then the not-so-local Miss India and Miss World. She made her screen debut in 2002 with the Tamil movie Thamizhan, which was followed by Hero – The Love Story Of A Spy. Her first commercial hit came in 2004, when she played the antagonist in Aitraaz. The always-in-fashion newsmaker has come a long way from then, having been a part of everything from international music albums to Bollywood super hits.
Picture courtesy – missmalini.com and hngn.com
Lisa Haydon
The Indian-Australian beauty is a regular in fashion blogs. She began modelling at the age of 18 to pay for her studies, soon growing to be one of the top models on the ramp. Renowned for her flawless approach to fashion styles, she has received several prestigious awards in the field. She was first seen on the big screen in the movie Aisha, which also starred Sonam Kapoor. Her most acclaimed role was in the 2014 Kangna Ranaut starrer Queen. Besides Bollywood movies, she also features as a judge on the reality TV show India’s Next Top Model.
Picture courtesy – cineforest.com and rediff.com
