When Aishwarya Rai Called Sudhanshu Pandey 'The Next Big Thing' During Ad Shoot

News18

6 days ago

Aishwarya Rai called Sudhanshu Pandey the 'next supermodel,' back in the 90s – an endorsement that solidified his status in the industry.
Anupamaa fame Sudhanshu Pandey has long been a favourite of many, earning praises for his incredible talent both as an actor and singer. Even Aishwarya Rai recognised his talent and called him the 'next supermodel," back in the 90s – an endorsement that solidified his status in the industry. In a recent chat, Sudhanshu recalled meeting Aishwarya before the actress was crowned Miss World and also elaborated on his reaction upon receiving praise from her.
Talking to Varinder Chawla's team, Sudhanshu took a trip down memory lane and shared his first meeting with Aishwarya Rai. She said, 'I had met Aishwarya I think, in Bombay when I had visited Ashok Salim's studio. He was a very big photographer in Bombay. I had visited his studio just after my first campaign and I had come to shoot my second campaign, which was for Nivea Cream. And I met Aishwarya and Mahima both; they were shooting for Pepsi. Also, another iconic brand, Nivea."
According to Sudhanshu Pandey, Aishwarya Rai asked him to shift to Mumbai during the meeting. The actor recalled, 'She was very appreciative and I remember seeing some interview where she said that, you know, somebody asked, so who do you think is the next big thing? And she said, Sudhanshu, you know, I feel is the next big thing which was a very good thing because she was, she had started before I did. She was a little senior to me, maybe a year or two."
Sudhanshu Pandey recently won hearts with his stint in The Traitors. The reality show, hosted by Karan Johar, brought together an ensemble cast including Uorfi Javed, Harsh Gujral, Purav Jha, Karan Kundrra, Apoorva Mukhija, Raj Kundra, Nikita Luther, Elnaz Norouzi, Sufi Motiwala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Maheep Kapoor, Lakshmi Manchu, Mukesh Chhabra, Raftaar, Janvee Gaur, Sahil Salathia, Jannat Zubair and Anshula Kapoor.
Besides his television and OTT career, Sudhanshu Pandey has been a part of many Bollywood movies, including Khiladi 420, Dus Kahaniyaan and Singh Is Kinng, among others. However, it was his role as Vanraj in Star Plus show Anupamaa that brought him critical acclaim, solidifying his status as one of the most compelling male leads in Indian television.
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