small beginnigs

Remember the peppy young lad in a yellow singlet, gyrating in the chorus line behind Shahrukh Khan to the Koi Mil Gaya number in Kucch Kucch Hota Hai years ago? Or the girl who appeared with Juhi Chawla in a song in Gang just as long ago?

Chances are you won't. But the good news is that these young aspirants with stars in their eyes didn't just fade away into junior artiste oblivion. The young lad is now the star of Sony's Friday prime time Batliwalla House No 43, playing another Shahrukh - Shahrukh Batliwalla! And the bit girl in the Juhi song is crafty Pallavi of Kahaani… - Shweta Kawatraa!

Television teems with similar stories. Humble beginnings in Bollywood that morphed into success sagas on the small screen. "I myself didn't remember that, forget about people remembering me!" laughs Shweta. But there are no qualms. "I had no reputation to guard. I didn't mind doing short but good acts. In fact, it paid me really well. It was nothing cheap at all," she shrugs.

Kuch Kuch… apart, Bhaktiar also danced in the background when Manish Goel did the music video of Dil Le Gayee Kudi…."I had done music videos, ads and even served as air attendant with Air Sahara," he admits candidly. Bhaktiar has featured in Mumbai ekdam danger place with Javed Jaffrey for Bombay Boys, and most of Nitin Bali's videos. Roll On, Band Aid, Percy Sweets and Rasna Cola Cola --- Bakhtiar has worked as a child model too.

Then there's Jasveer Kaur aka Smriti of K.Street, Pali Hill who also danced behind leads in films. She was a part of Pyar mujhe hone laga, the shadi number from the film Kuch to hai, and a cameo in Shah Rukh starrer Badshah apart from others. Remember?

Jasvir doesn't mind that no one does. "I live for the day. I was happy doing it because dancing is my passion. I did my part and went home."

Now, of course, it's a different story. "I got mobbed recently in Kolkata and at Ansal Plaza in Delhi. It feels nice now. The reaction has been very different. Now I have more friends and I always have a hand on my shoulder," laughs Bhaktiar.

"I had a Maruti 800. Now I have a lancer and a Gypsy," beams Jasvir with pride.

The list of those who started small but persisted till they hit big time on the telly is long. Eizaj Khan (Kavya of Kavyanjali) did a bit role in the sizzler Delhi Ki Sardi with Amrita Arora and Bhanu Uday (Aryan of Special Squad) played one of the soldiers in Lakshya.

Life may have started big and turned small, but it's the small screen where they have hit big time!