When Maz Makhani told Chhavi Mittal that she was beautiful, it meant more than a compliment to her. For Maz, having freeze-framed the likes of Mariah Carey's Dream Lover sequence and Destiny's Child, is not only a lensman of great repute, but also the person who captured Chhavi's 'Indian' self for Bon Jovi's latest (yet untitled) album.
''I was very excited when I got to know that I was part of Bon Jovi's album. They were looking for an Indian face and approved of my pictures, which were sent to the Indian producers of the album through a modelling agency,'' recalls Chhavi, who stays in Gurgaon. Of course, when the American crew landed in Agra, where the album was shot, Chhavi's dreams moved one step closer to coming true.
''The album features TV sets falling all over the place with Bon Jovi, on the screen, seen in three countries: India, Japan and Egypt. I am the model for the Indian sequence with the song I appear in being titled Everyday,'' informs Chhavi. In the album, Chhavi sports an exquisite red lehenga and does everything from walking along the marketplaces of Agra to taking a seat opposite the Taj Mahal. ''All in all, the shooting experience was a whole lot of fun. The producers were professional to the core and made me feel comfortable,'' says the 21-year-old. But even as she looks forward to the release of project perfect, Chhavi's only regret is that she hasn't been able to meet Jon Bon Jovi in person. ''I have always admired him and just love the way he sings,'' she gushes, ''Unfortunately, despite my appearing in his album, I didn't get to meet him. But then, maybe I will get to meet him some day.''
For the moment, however, Chhavi is busy cashing in on the many opportunities which have been opened up for her. ''Although I have been into modelling right from my college days at LSR, I have started looking at things more professionally now. In around 10 days' time, I propose to shift base to Mumbai.''
The world is her oyster as Chhavi sets out to make waves in the spheres of acting and singing. ''I am a professionally-trained Indian classical music artiste and have received a few acting offers. And I am certainly looking forward to making my mark.'' For Chhavi Mittal, the best is yet to come. But then, it's not Everyday that an Indian girl's life tunes in to Jon Bon Jovi.
Anupamaa
