Nayanthara to Rajeev Pillai, model turned actors in M-Town

Malayalam cinema has a handful of talented actors. Among the many stars who currently dominate the industry, most of them have roots back in modeling. From Rajeev Pillai who has also made it to Bollywood to superstar Nayanthara, who is one of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, here is a list of M-Town celebrities who did modeling before entering the movie industry.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Rima Kallingal was very much fond of arts from a young age. She began taking dance lessons at the age of three and was a professional dancer before venturing into showbiz. During her college days, she started modeling, taking small gigs, and eventually making it to the Miss Kerala pageant. After becoming the first runner-up in Miss Kerala in 2008, Rima Kalingal was flooded with movie offers. She marked her debut with the 2009 Shyamaprasad film ‘Ritu’.

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Rajeev Pillai did struggle a bit before finding his groove. After completing school, he enrolled in a college in London in the dentistry department. He was a fashionista, and during his college days, he realized that he should take fashion seriously. Rajeev Pillai left dental school halfway and flew down to Mumbai to pursue a career in the fashion industry. He not only found his groove but also walked for some prestigious brands and ruled the runway. It was during that time he received film offers, and he eventually stepped into cinema. Rajeev Pillai is a popular name in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu movie industries as well as Bollywood today.

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A doctor by profession, Aishwarya Lekshmi started modeling to find some pocket money. She started getting small gigs, which eventually widened her horizon. Aishwarya Lekshmi signed with some leading brands, and it was during that time she came across a casting call. “I have been modeling for a few years but wasn't keen about acting. Now that I am done with studies, I thought of giving it a try. Moreover, I knew the film's director Althaf earlier. When I accidentally chanced upon the casting call, I went for the auditions,” the actress earlier told Kochi Times. Aishwarya Lekshmi bagged the role in ‘Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela’ and now she is one of the popular actors in South cinema.

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Though Asif Ali did graduation in Business Administration, he always knew that he wanted to do something in media. After graduating, Asif Ali started taking modeling gigs, and eventually became a video jockey. Acting in movies was one of his dreams, and he bagged one of the leading roles in the 2009 release ‘Ritu’ directed by Shyamaprasad.

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It was during her college days in Bangalore, that Nayanthara decided to do modeling gigs. She also started appearing as an anchor for music on-demand television show. Veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad, who was looking for a new heroine, happened to see a Nayanthara as a cover girl for a leading magazine. And that’s how she bagged her debut role in the 2003 release ‘Manassinakkare’.

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