Ex-Tunbridge wells schoolgirl now Bollywood beauty

Ex-Tunbridge wells schoolgirl now Bollywood beauty

A former Tunbridge Wells schoolgirl is taking the Bollywood film industry by storm.

Hazel Crowney, who grew up in Grosvenor Park, hit the big time in Mumbai with her first major film role, Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar, where she played a teenager in love.

Famous as an "English beauty", Hazel – known in India simply by her Christian name – had already been working in Mumbai for three years as a model for commercials and a film extra when she landed the part in 2007.

The former Bennett Memorial School pupil, whose parents Karin and Phil now live in Morocco, also had to fend off "casting couch" advances from unscrupulous film bosses keen to exploit her dreams of becoming an actress.

"She has always been very careful to keep her image wholesome," said her younger sister Robyn, who plans to visit Mumbai this summer. "She didn't want to be vampy or typecast in traditional Western roles, and she has worked so hard to learn Hindi that she is practically fluent now. We are all really proud of her."

Hazel's entry into the glittering world of Bollywood came by chance when she was backpacking in Thailand and stumbled upon an Indian film being shot there. With little prior knowledge of the sub-continent, she was attracted by the music and dance, and decided to try her luck in Mumbai.

She admitted: "I'm basically a show-off and like attention!"

Hazel found her pale skin and Home Counties prettiness quickly brought in modelling work, and before long she was using her dance skills too.

"You can lead such a great lifestyle in India. My career is going from strength to strength, and I can earn up to 2,000 a night for shows, too," said Hazel, who studied fashion and textiles at West Kent College.

She added: "I definitely miss Tunbridge Wells and have learned to appreciate how stunningly beautiful and picturesque it is after moving to the polluted, over-populated and poverty-stricken Mumbai. But life's good here, there's passion and energy in the air and I have no regrets."

With shooting about to begin on a new film in Goa and the fashion for Western looks showing no signs of abating, she joked: "I'm almost famous!"

Artist Erika Richmond, of Granville Road, Tunbridge Wells, who grew up with Hazel and her two younger sisters, said: "I'm really pleased for her. She has worked so hard to achieve this."

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