It might sound rather unbelievable that ANU AGARWAL first caught the attention of  SUNNY DEOL when she did the Marvel Soap campaign where she played an air-hostess so convincingly that a lot many people including SUNNY DEOL actually believed that she was indeed an air-hostess and that was her real name. This was long before ANU had even dreamt of being an actress and MAHESH BHATT was nowhere on the horizon.

In fact it is strongly believed that SUNNY was so impressed by her dusky looks and sultry charms that he actually started flying the airlines that was named in the Marvel campaign hoping to bump into the dusky sizzler on some flight on some possible sector but alas there was no such luck. The simple reason for that being that the screen name used was not actually hers and thus SUNNY was trailing a false lead.

Actually the sultry beauty in question was ANU(RADHA)AGGARWAL a theater artiste who dabbled in some non-serious modeling to get extra pocket money while she was doing her Masters in Psychology from Delhi University. At that point of time she was more serious about being a Social Worker more  than anything else. Born on Jan.11th 1969.she spent a good years of her early life in Madras but returned to Delhi to finish her college.It is hardly known that ANURADHA was actually a gold medalist topped from Delhi University.

It was a few years down the line that she caught the attention of MAHESH BHATT who virtually had to coax and cajole her to do Aashique even if it meant doing just one film as an experiment and if she did not enjoy the experience she could pack her bags and return to Delhi. Hesitatingly and rather reluctantly she consented to do Aashique opposte RAHUL ROY and the rest like they say is Bollywood history as ANU(RADHA) was transformed as ANU AGARWAL and presented to Bollywood as the hottest flavor of the season.

Even ANU found it rather hard to believe the kind of warm welcome she recieved in films.Much as she wanted to pack her bags and return she realised it would be unwise to do so when destiny had given her such a major chance and Lady Luck was smiling upon her. So better sense prevailed and she hesitatingly agreed to linger on in films. Infact she signed her second film for Ranjeet's banner almost as late as an year after the success of Aashique and that too simply because RAHUL ROY-her Aashique hero was in this project too.

In the same span of time that ANU AGGARWAL consented to sign her second film RAHUL ROY had actually signed on almost half a dozen films and half of those had been released before ANU could make up her mind and pick up the pen to sign her second film.

Once producers knew that she was here to stay(even reluctantly)they started making a bee line to her doorstep. Even the fact that she rejected almost a dozen films to sign one film hardly detered them as each one felt that it would be their film she would consent to do eventually.So if right through her career ANU AGGARWAL had very limited films on her plate it was out of her own choice and not because the offers did not trickle in.

Apart from Aashique the films ANU AGGARWAL made her present felt include King Uncle, Return of Jewel Thief, Khalnaika,Ghazab Tamasha, Janam Kundli & Kanyadaan. Two films that virtually became the talk of the film industry were Mani Kaul's international project the Cloud Door where she actually consented to go topless and another was also an international film that was based on the Kamasutra and had some real torrid and steamy love making scenes. Both the films were made for a global audience and were only screened at International Film Festivals so not many people got to see either of them.

Seeing herself sink into the rut of commercial cinema ANU decided to take a break more so because her torrid romance with SAIF ALI KHAN in 1995 hit the headlines and things got real bitter between AMRITA SINGH & her so she decided to take a break and headed South. During this period she did several Tamil films including MANI RATNAM's 'THIRUDa THIRUDA'  that paved the way for several more films.

It was a few year down the line when she was still much in demand and her career was going just the way she wanted to that tradegy struck on the personal front. While the official version put out was that ANU AGARWAL had met with a major road accident that damaged her face terribly and shattered her emotionally and thus she simply vanished and went out of circulation.However if the unofficial version is to be believed then it was apparent that ANU AGGARWAL was travelling early morning from a filmland party having had a few drinks too many when her car was intercepted by anti-social elements and she was not only assaulted but even molested and left half dead.

The physical scars healed but the personal trauma simply shattered her and she crumbled under the pressure and that was what made her vanish from not just Bollywood alone but even Mumbai and Chennai. It was only a few years back that she ws spotted as a yoga instructor in an American fitness center and once again the gentle cajoling and persuasion to get her back to Bollywood for a second inning began. Even though ANU AGARWAL does keep jetting between Bangalore and Mumbai she has not shown any positive inclination to do films again though she is always open to do in-depth interviews with the Mumbai media to keep her presence alive though when if she does say yes to a second innings in films remains a mute question!!!!

                              "ANU(RADHA) AGGARWAL QUOTE MARTIAL!!!" 

"Much as they would want to women simply cannot get physical until the feeling is mutual. That way men are far more lecherous and can force themselves upon a woman even without her consent. I mean a woman cannot jump upon you. Quite frankly I’ve never had a woman eve-tease me in the crude manner that men have attempted to…Or maybe I’ve just been plain lucky not to have met that variety of women in which case I could actually be wrong!!!”

“I have never, I repeat I have never regarded myself as a sex-symbol. I think there is much more to me when you probe than just being any kind of symbol sex or otherwise!!!”

“Only real men attract me those who have firm beliefs and are willing to stand up to what they believe in. I adore men who are honest about what their life is all about .For me looks are not at all important. I can only go for a man who can stand up and face life squarely in the face-the way life is!!!”

“Of late a lot of woman are taking to me and that too very heavily. They are making a show of their fondness for me.. that too in public!!!”

“Why does Rahul(Roy)dislike me? That is something you shall have to ask him and not me and shud you ask him then do let me know also. I’d like to know as well what he thinks of me and why? I however think he is cool not that I’ve ever been crazy about him. But that does not mean that I dislike him either!!!”

BY:THE LIP