February 20th, 2009
Smokin' hot, sultry, leggy and with gorgeous hair are the words that describe Jiah Khan. The dusky beauty from London turns 21 today. Let's get to know her better.
She was born in New York and raised in Chelsea, London, which is why she has a delicious British accent. Her parents, father Ali Rizvi Khan and mother, actress Rabiya Khan, separated when she was very young and her mother worked very hard to raise her three daughters. Jiah was born Nafisa, but changed her name to Jiah after watching the Angelina Jolie movie titled Gia.
Before becoming an actress, Jiah worked in a perfume store in the UK. Thus she can identify different scents perfectly. She has completed her 'A' Levels in Film Studies and English Literature and went to the prestigious Lee Strasberg's Institute to hone her acting skills- acting was always her passion. While she was there, she got an offer from Bollywood. Mahesh Bhatt's Tumsa Nahin Dekha was supposed to be her debut film opposite Emraan Hashmi, but she backed out of the project and was replaced by Dia Mirza.
She had her dream debut in the form of Ram Gopal Varma's Lolita-inspired Nishabd opposite superstar Amitabh Bachchan. The debutante held her own against the actor in the love story between a sixty-year-old man and eighteen-year-old girl. Jiah was extremely confident and sexy, her performance absolutely natural, like the role was tailor-made for her. The film was controversial, not only because of its subject but also because Jiah shared a kiss with her costar. Though critically-acclaimed, the film didn't do well at the box-office. Luckily for Jiah, she got noticed by the right people in Bollywood. She has a British accent, but her Hindi is perfect.
After Nishabd, Jiah kept shuttling between London and Mumbai. She is now settled here and resides in Juhu. Aamir Khan helped her buy a flat there. Jiah then bagged the role of a second lead in Bollywood's biggest hit, Ghajini. She was overshadowed by Asin and felt cheated due to it. Nevertheless, she got a lot of exposure and attention due to the film's success. Apart from films, Jiah and John Abraham did a sizzling hot campaign for Wrangler Jeans, huge hoardings of which were put up all over the city.
Most Bollywood actresses have few interests other than acting. Jiah Khan, on the other hand, is pretty talented. She studies astronomy in her free time and loves reading. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is her all-time favourite book and Paulo Coelho is one of her favourite authors. She has also been trained in various styles of dance such as Kathak, street jazz, hip-hop, samba, belly dancing and salsa. She plays the piano and is a trained opera singer. She showed off these talents in the song Take Lite from Nishabd, which she wrote, composed, sung and choreographed herself. Whew! The song is an extension of her character's favourite phase, 'Take lite, ok?" in the film and reflects Jiah's philosophy in life. Her video Lattoo, from Ghajini, has also become quite popular. Jiah worked really hard on getting all the steps right for the song. She isn't too much of an outdoors person and likes to stay in, reading and spending time with her dog and cat. Sushi and biryani are her favourite food. Maintaining her sexy frame is not a big task for her; she keeps changing her exercise routines and is currently into break dancing. She misses her mother and sisters the most when she is here. She also misses the streets and shops of London.
Though Jiah has been linked to several people, from Emraan Hashmi to Ram Gopal Varma, she hasn't officially dated anyone in Bollywood. She is one of the few lucky girls to have enjoyed a date with heartthrob Orlando Bloom. The two went out when she was holidaying in Venice and he complimented her on her long and lovely tresses.
On the work front, Jiah has Ken Ghosh's Yahoo! which is a dance musical opposite Shahid Kapoor. She will begin filming for Sajid Khan's Housefull in mid-2009. Sajid Khan promises that this film will showcase how hot and talented Jiah is and will reinvent her career. We hope so. Here's wishing Jiah a very Happy Birthday and many joyful and successful years to come.
