Given his career longevity, Rampal sets an excellent example as a model-turned-actor in Bollywood. With over 50 titles under his belt, Rampal conquered the early 2000s with films like Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001), Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002), Don (2006) and Om Shanti Om (2007). The Indian-Dutch actor was discovered in a nightclub by designer Rohit Bahl and started modelling at the age of 17. While his fame on the runway always seemed guaranteed, his film career did take a few stumbles. He nevertheless got back on track by carving a more niche career out of experimental roles in titles like Rock On!! (2008), Daddy (2017) and the latest Zee5 Premium web film, Nail Polish (2021).

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John Abraham

His chiselled figure and boyish dimples saw Abraham crowned Gladrags magazine’s Manhunt and Megamodel Contest winner in 1999, but within a few years he’d moved into acting. The 182cm-tall (six feet) model made his debut in erotic thriller Jism (2003), followed by the blockbuster hit Dhoom in 2004. He later did a stint in comedies (Garam Masala, Dostana), but eventually made successful turns as a serious actor in Shootout at Wadala (2013), Parmanu (2018) and Batla House (2019). Not stopping there, the Iranian-Indian actor also earned success as a film producer with Vicky Donor (2012).

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Randeep Hooda

Since Monsoon Wedding, Randeep Hooda has tried to be more selective about his film roles. Photo: @randeephooda/Instagram
Tall, dark and handsome Hooda returned to India after a stint studying in Australia and took up modelling and amateur theatre. It was while he was rehearsing a play that Mira Nair spotted him and asked him to be in her upcoming project – the critically acclaimed Monsoon Wedding (2001). However he chose to wait four years to play his second role in D (2005). While he mostly switched between indie films and blockbusters, Hooda surprised the world when he starred opposite Chris Hemsworth in Netflix’s Extraction (2020). “I’ve been offered a couple of these big Hollywood films, but the roles have been rather derogatory,” he told Looper, explaining why his Hollywood debut didn’t come sooner.

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Dino Morea

Dino Morea first became famous for a racy underwear ad, but managed to turn his fame into a successful career that’s still going. Photo: @thedinomorea/Instagram

Italian-Indian Morea was a familiar face on the 90s fashion runways, but it was perhaps his risqué ad for undergarment brand Calida – with his ex Bipasha Basu – in 1998, that propelled him to real stardom. After that, Morea starred in several hit Bollywood films including Raaz (2002), Plan (2004) and Acid Factory (2009). These days, he can be seen in the new web series’ Hostages (2020) on Hotstar, and Tandav (2021) on Amazon Prime.

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Milind Soman

National heartthrob Milind Soman began his modelling career in 1988 before making several films. Photo: @milindrunning/Instagram

It’s impossible not to include India’s national heartthrob. The 55-year-old Soman started his prolific modelling career in 1988 and has often been dubbed India’s first male supermodel. Soman earned his first big break in Alisha Chinai’s iconic 1995 music video Made in India. He then took a risk by posing nude with Madhu Sapre for a Turf Shoes print advert. The campaign caused huge controversy, but it sparked India’s lifelong infatuation with him.

He forayed into acting with Tarkieb (2000), Agni Varsha (2002) and earned a place on the global stage by playing Saladin in the Swedish epic Arn: The Knight Templar (2007). Later on, Soman appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani (2016) and the successful web series, Four More Shots Please!

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