Aanchal Kumar

Some Lesser Known Facts About Aanchal Kumar

• Aanchal Kumar is a well-known Indian model, actress, and wife of Anupam Mittal, the founder of Shaadi.com.

• Growing up in Chandigarh, she first got interested in modelling during her school days. Due to her model-like physique, she was encouraged by her sisters to participate in modelling contests at school.

• Beauty with Brains, Aanchal was a topper at school who scored 91% in her board examinations. ^[9]The Tribune

• Apart from being a scholar and model, Aanchal was also a basketball player, a member of her school basketball team.

• She moved to Mumbai, Maharastra, to live with her two elder sisters during her teens.

• Aanchal Kumar began her journey as a model at a very young age. At 17, she bagged various ad commercials, print as well as television.

• Two years later, Aanchal was contacted by the renowned Indian model maker Maureen Wadia, who is known for organizing the beauty pageant Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest. Maureen Wadia’s husband, Nusli Wadia, is the chairman of the Wadia Group. Then, Maureen was looking for a model to feature in the commercial for Bombay Dyeing, the flagship company of the Wadia Group, therefore, she had approached Aanchal. Not only did Aanchal secure the Bombay Dyeing commercial, but she was also introduced to the Gladrags’ beauty contest by Maureen.

  

• In 1999, Aanchal Kumar came into the spotlight when she won the Gladrags Manhunt and Megamodel Contest alongside the Indian actor John Abraham, who won the title among men.

  

• Consequently, she bagged numerous modelling assignments from reputable brands like Rexona, Sunsilk, Coke, etc. A rising model, she earned Rs 1.25 lakh for the 1999 diet coke advertisement. Other Popular brands with which she has collaborated as a model include Marks & Spencer and Shoppers Stop.

  

• After her win in the Gladrags beauty contest, she took part in an intercontinental contest held in Germany. Although she didn’t win the pageant, she was among the top five contestants.

• In 2002, she appeared as a contestant on the 2001 Indian game show ‘Baazi Kiski,’ telecast on Zee TV and hosted by Bollywood actor Ashutosh Rana. Beating celebrities like cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Waheed Akram and model Dipannita Sharma, Aanchal won the celebrity segment of the quiz show bagging the jackpot cash prize and a Maruti car. ^[10]The Tribune

• Previously, Aanchal had made a booking for a Hyundai Santro car, but after she won a Maruti car in Baazi Kiski, she cancelled her booking for Santro.

• An international model, she was featured in the 2006 music videos of English-language songs ‘Back In Bed,’ ‘Blind,’ and ‘The Holy Rollers’ by the band Dragonfly. The videos were produced by Red Star Entertainment Productions.

• She won the Best Female Model of the Year Award at the Bollywood Fashion & Music Awards (2007) held in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

• She appeared in a cameo role, as a model, in the 2008 Indian drama film ‘Fashion.’
  

• She became a household name in 2010 when she appeared in Colors TV’s Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss 4 as a contestant. She was evicted out of the Bigg Boss house in the sixth week of the show.

  

• The celebrated model has walked the ramp at prestigious events like India International Jewelry Week (2010), Pune Fashion Week (2014), and Lakmé Fashion Week (2015) modelling for ace Indian fashion designers like Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani, Delna Poonawalla, and Manish Malhotra.

  

• She has also modelled for her sister’s clothing store, Primme Up, Mumbai.

  

• She is also the featured model in various songs like Jagjit Singh‘s ‘Aaina’ (2000) Hans Raj Hans‘s ‘Mukhra Tumahra,’ and Surjit Bindrakhia’s ‘Dupatta Tera Satrang Da’ (1994).

  

• After dating for seven years, Anupam proposed Aanchal for marriage in January 2013.

• She was given the 27 ranks in Webindia123’s list of ‘Top 100 Beautiful Women 2021.’

• Before Aanchal ventured into the modelling industry, her father aspired to the profession of IAS officer for her.

• Aanchal Kumar consumes alcoholic beverages occasionally. ^[11]Aanchal Kumar- Instagram

• In an interview, Aanchal talked about her fitness regime and said,
  

  I like waking up early and doing yoga. Then, I do a bunch of chores, hit the gym thrice a week, swim twice a week and lounge.”

• Chicken soup and Parathas with white butter are her favourite food.