Arjun Rampal - Biography

Tall, dark and handsome, Arjun Rampal is one of India’s best known male supermodels. His move to films was quite natural and though the start was shaky, post Om Shanthi Om and Rock On, he has proved that he isn’t one to be written off. Before Fame      Arjun Rampal kicked up a wail on the 26th November 1972. He was born to Gwen and Amarjeet Rampal. He has a younger sister. He studied at the Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu after which his college years were spent in the Hindu College, New Delhi. He tied the knot with the svelte Mehr Jessia, a former Miss India and a supermodel. They have two daughters, Mahikaa and Myra. He is actress Kim Sharma’s cousin. Discovered!      He was discovered by designer Rohit Bal while he was hanging out in a discotheque in Mumbai. He tasted success as one of the first male supermodels India had seen after Milind Soman. Rock On!      Ashok Mehta’s Moksha, released in 2001, was supposed to be Arjun Rampal’s debut. However, Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat was released first, in which he starred with Suniel Shetty and Aftab Shivdasani. Both films performed badly at the box office. In 2002, Arjun received the Award of the International Indian Film Academy for Face of the Year.      Through 2001-2006, Arjun acted in several films like Aankhen, Dil Ka Rishta, Tehzeeb, Elaan, Ek Ajnabee and Darna Zaroori Hai. Most were average or below average performers at the box office.    In 2006, he made a special appearance in Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. He landed the role of Jasjit, played by Pran, in the remake of Don. The year also saw the release of I See You, which was produced by his production company Chasing Ganesha Films. It was a remake of the Hollywood film Just Like Heaven and had special appearances by Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. Besides producing it with his wife Mehr Jessia, he also starred in the film but it failed at the box office.       In 2007, he made a brief appearance in Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd. He then played the villainous Mukesh ‘Mikey’ Mehra in Farah Khan’s Om Shanthi Om. His performance received great reviews. This streak of good reviews followed him into 2008.   Arjun played the part of Siddharth a director, in Rituparno Ghosh’s English language film The Last Lear with Amitabh Bacchan and Preity Zinta. Though the film did not fare well, Arjun Rampal’s performance was again noticed and appreciated. And then there he was, as Joe Mascarenhas, the lead guitarist in Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On! which was an instant hit all around, leaving one wanting to see more of Rampal.