Sharing her experiences is Shivani who went to the same college as Aishwarya Rai
I studied for a year at Jaihind College, Mumbai [ Images ], in the science stream.
Aishwarya joined the college later, as she had initially joined KC College. Since KC College was quite close to my college, guys struck by her beauty in that college would come and stand at our college gates!
She was strikingly beautiful even then. She would travel by train, and would board at Khar station. If we happened to be together, we would walk to college, which is a few minutes from Churchgate. Boys (and girls) would just stop to look at her in awe!
She had a big group of friends and they would enter class at the last moment, and would always sit on the last bench. But they would sit in the first bench for the Physics lectures because we had a very strict teacher, and because Aishwarya wanted to impress the teacher!
She was the apple of all the teachers' eyes, especially the Physics lecturer who was the one to encourage her to appear in the college magazines, I think.
She was very down-to-earth and good at her studies. Everyone called her the most beautiful girl in college and soon, she proved to be the most beautiful girl in the world!
Sharing her experiences is Anjali Kapoor, who studied with Mallika Sherawat [ Images ].Over to Anjali:
Mallika Sherawat, then Reema Lamba, was in my class at Miranda House (a well known college in Delhi [ Images ]) for three years, when we were studying Philosophy Honours together.
Most of the time she would stand outside college and eat bhelpuri with her friends or stand outside Hansraj College to chat with her friends. She got good marks until the second year but did not appear in one of the papers in third year. She was a down-to-earth person and would never make fun of anyone.
She would mostly wear jeans and T-shirt and a salwar kameez once in a while. Her favourite earrings are still the same -- big hoops.
Unlike her friends, she was a non-smoker.
In the begining of third year, she became an air hostess and wouldn't attend college as much. Once I heard her talking about Sushmita Sen [ Images ] and Aishwarya Rai [ Images ]. I didn't know then what was going on in her mind. And she didn't look that bold as much as she does now in the movies.
Sharing her experiences is Sunaina Yadav, who lived in the same neighbourhood as Sushmita Sen [ Images ].
Over to Sunaina:
Sushmita Sen and I lived in Vasant Kunj, south Delhi [ Images ]. We would travel in the same school bus for four years -- we studied in the Air Force School, New Delhi.
She was an extremely striking young girl, who stood out even in school. I remember her as a very good looking, bright extrovert. Sushmita was really friendly and bubbly and would talk to everyone around her. She was not only good in studies but also in sports. She was the sports captain of our school.
I recall that her then boyfriend, Rajat Tara, would come to the bus stop to pick her up in the afternoons. She was always happy to see him.
On special occasions, Sushmita wore dhoti salwars, which apparently her mom designed. I was five years junior to Sushmita and my friends and I would look at her in awe and admire her clothes and confidence.
When Vidya Balan played a prank on me!
Over to Arijit:
I went to St Xavier's College, Mumbai [ Images ]. I was studying Science, and she was in the Arts section. We had mutual friends and travelled by the same harbour line (train service) to college.
A funny incident that happened with Vidya was when I first met her on the train. A friend introduced us and soon, Vidya and I got chatting in the first class compartment. She said her family had moved to India recently from Iraq. She gave me this real 'dardbhari kahani' (sad tale) of how they had lost everything in the war and had to cross several countries' borders on a rough ride home. She even shed a tear.
At the time, she had had an accident and her hand was in a cast. I was overcome by sympathy for her. Soon, when we got off, I told her if she ever needed help, I'd do my best.
Later, I learnt that she was an actress, and in the television serial, Hum Paanch. The next time I met her in the train, I told her she was a great actress for having pulled the wool over my eyes so effectively! We had a good laugh.
Vidya would be dressed in very stylish salwar kameezes, as opposed to her tank top clad friends. She also had plenty of cool bindis. I think she was trying to rock the Shanti (Mandira Bedi's [ Images ] popular telly soap) look. She was active in the college festival, Malhar, and took part in college plays. I always think she is more beautiful in person that when I saw her inLage Raho Munnabhai [ Images ].
The last time we met was in a dubbing studio in Bandra, a Mumbai suburb, where I was recording an ad jingle for a client. We chatted and she said she was dubbing for a film in which she was starring. I asked her the name and she saidParineeta [ Images ]. I asked her if it was about a fairy called Neeta. Her look was something to see! :)
Soon, I left for further studies in the US. One day, I read on rediff.com that a funnily-named movie was a big success back home. The movie starred Saif Ali Khan [ Images ], Sanjay Dutt [ Images ] and a newcomer called Vidya. Vidya Balan -- the girl who had pranked me on a local train -- had become a star. I remembered the incident and smiled. She was designed to be a fine actress.
Members Lounge
Anupamaa
13