Actors who started their careers as models

From Zeenat Amaan to Deepika Padukone, the modelling industry has churned out many stars for Bollywood. While many reached stardom, others vanished soon after their debut. It may not be a fair race, but starting out as a model has helped many achieve their dream. Here is a list of those actors who started out as a model and now are some of the biggest names in Bollywood.

1. Salman Khan: Salman Khan appeared in a soft drink commercial made by veteran ad filmmaker Kailash Surendranath at the age of 15. In 1988, after his debut in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi in a supporting role, he got his breakthrough in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama Maine Pyar Kiya. It also became one of the highest grossing films of that time in Bollywood. 

   
   

2. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: It is hard to put her beauty in words. Before her win in the Miss World pageant in 1994, she established herself as a successful model. Though her acting debut in 1997 with Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar was not as successful, she still worked harder and made a breakthrough with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999.

   
   

3. John Abraham: John Abraham was a famous name in the modelling industry. His fame amplified after he won the Gladrags Manhunt in 1999. Following which he made his debut in 2003 with Jism, earning a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut nomination. He later stepped into film production with Vicky Donor in 2012 under his production house J. A. Entertainment.

   
   

4. Bipasha Basu: Bipasha Basu won Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest in 1996 and the Ford Supermodel Contest in 1999. She then made her acting debut in 2001 thriller film Ajnabee. She went on to win Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her role in the movie.

   
   

5. Priyanka Chopra: From winning Miss World 2000 pageant to becoming a Padma Shri awardee, Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and Forbes World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Priyanka Chopra has come a long way. She made her Bollywood debut in 2003 with The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She received her breakthrough in 2004 thriller Aitraaz. 

   
   

6. Sidharth Malhotra: Dissatisfied with his modelling career, Sidharth Malhotra went on to work as a trainee assistant director to Karan Johar for the film My Name is Khan. He made his acting debut alongside Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan in 2012 film Student of the Year. From his role is Abhimanyu Singh to Capt. Vikram Batra, Siddharth Malhotra have received fame and stardom.

   
   

7. Deepika Padukone: She is best at what she does. From a badminton player to model of the year at Kingfisher Fashion Awards and then one of the best actors in the Indian Film Industry, Deepika has established herself in the hearts of her fans. Although she was praised and received Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut for Om Shanti Om in 2007, Cocktail (2012) became a turning point in her career, the rest is history.

   
   

8. Katrina Kaif: At a young age of 14, Katrina started out as a fashion model. She was spotted by Indian filmmaker Kaizad Gustad, in 2003 at a fashion show in London who decided to cast her in Boom. Thus, she made her acting debut in Bollywood. Although she did a number of box office hits, she received criticism for repetitive roles. The year 2007 proved to be a turning point in her career when she did four Bollywood hits, after which she won several awards and recognition.

   
   

The road to stardom in Bollywood may be hard, but the hard work surely pays off. These actors who started out as models proved to be an inspiration to many others.