Ameesha Patel was slated to be successful no matter which line she chose.  She was  successful student, and all geared up to look after her parents business.  She had obtained a degree in Economics from Tuffts University in Massachusetts, USA.  She did work for her parent's finance firm for a while.  But she drifted into modelling and took some classes in acting.  She got involved with the theatre of Satyadev Dubey and opted out of her job.  She took to theatre full time.  Around the same time, Rakesh Roshan was casting for his son's debut movie.  He was a friend of her father's and met her at a party.  He offered to audition Ameesha for the leading role.  This is how history is made at times. Ameesha switched from a career in business to glamour effortlessly.

LOVE IS ALL AROUND YOU

Kaho na .. Pyaar Hai was a blockbuster hit, despite two fresh faces in the lead.  Girls were swooning left right and centre over handsome Hritik.  Ameesha too, as the tortured young girl who loses her first love, was superb.  She looked like a young college girl that she played in the movie.  She brought out the angst of a young girl dealing with loss, and amazed by meeting a lookalike of her boyfriend in a land so far away. The movie was very well made and smashed all records at the BO. Ameesha not only had a smooth switch over of careers, she did it with a big bang.

Later we heard accusations in press by a bewildered Ameesha who felt that the Roshan spotlight was too much on Hritik and ignored her more or less.  She was miffed when Hritik and Rakesh took the entire credit of the movie, and Hritik became such a heartthrob that she felt sidelined.  The off shoot of that was, Ameesha and Hritik did not sign any more movies together.

ANOTHER LOVE STORY

But if Ameesha felt sidelined here, she was to have the last laugh, even if it was for a short while. Gadar - Ek Prem Katha was signed first, though it released later in 2001.  This Anil Sharma movie was a surprise surprise mega hit.  It was based on the true love story of Buta Singh who married a muslim fugitive during partition.  Later his wife was spirited away by her  brothers and the lovers seperated.  A distraught Buta Singh went over to Pakistan to bring back his wife, but was beaten and thrown away by her brothers.  He died in Pakistan, broken hearted.  However a larger than life hero like Sunny Deol doesnt 'just die'.  He delivered a rousing speech, when thwarted by his Pakistani-in-laws and so to say - unke daant khatte kar diye.  In a typical bollywood hero ishtyle, he defeated his wife's Pakistani relatives and snatched back his loving wife.

The crowds were pleased and made the movie a mega blockbuster hit.  Ameesha had the distinction of sweeping the box office on both her innings.  To her credit, she looked very credible as a convent educated muslim girl who falls for a rough and tough sikh driver.

DOWNSLIDE

Then came a spate of indifferent movies.  Her debut co-star Hritik, despite a huge fan following, was not doing too good either. His later hits did not keep pace with his first movie.  Ameesha too, after KNPH and Gadar, found her movies flopping.
Yeh zindagi ka Safar, Kranti, Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai were all box office duds and she went unseen and unappreciated by the moviegoers.  Hritik and Ameesha tried to revive their KNPH magic by working together in Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage, but the viewer did not concur.  They did not like the movie enough to make it a hit, leave alone a blockbuster.

THRILLING TIMES

Abbas Mastan came up with a thriller Humraaz with Bobby Deol, Akshay Khanna and Ameesha Patel.  The movie was slick, taut and a good movie with genuine suspense.  The three lead actors put in a great performance, this well made movie was a hit.  It was called one of the more believable hindi movies, almost hollywoodian.  Ameesha could breathe easy, she could deliver a hit despite a very strong male lead.

Other movies by Ameesha failed to live up to their promise. Parwana, Vaada, Elaan and Zameer all flopped.  Ameesha was getting the tag of a jinxed heroine.

SIDE CANDY

Ameesha got an opportunity to play 'important' and 'parallel' roles.  She was in Mangal Pandey, the love interest of Toby Stephans. The movie was eagerly awaited being an Amir Khan starrer. Though the lead heroine was Rani Mukherjee, Ameesha was appreciated for her important role. The movie, despite being critically attacked, was a hit.

After some more duds like Tathastu, Saathi.lkc">Mere Jeevan Saathi and Ankahee, she played a side lead in Aap Ki Khatir.  In this movie she played a sweet older sister who is engaged to Suniel Shetty.  After a long time she was appreciated in a good role, even though it wasnt the lead.

HONEYMOON BEGINS

Ameesha bagged a role in Reema Kagti's debut movie, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.  This offbeat movie was about a honeymoon package shared by several oddball couples.  Ameesha played Pinky, a total feminine Penelope Pitstop kind of a character who loves pink and candyfloss.  She is able to hold her husband who has gay leanings mainly because she is so sweet and vulnerable.  It was a fabulous role and Ameesha did full justice to it as the blabbermouth Pinky from Delhi.  The movie was a success too.

In fact 2007 has been good to Ameesha.  She had another big hit Bhool Bhulaiyaa where she played the mysterious Radha who could be the person trying to disrupt the marriage of her childhood crush.  Ameesha looked fabulous in sarees and long hair.  And the best part.. she gets to snag Akshay Kumar the mega hunk at the end of the movie.

RIGHT MOVES

When her solo movies were not doing well, Ameesha made a wise move by moving to the parallel heroine slot.  This way the pressure is eased off her and she gets to be part of hit, prestigious projects, and make a name for herself.  Her two big hits of 2007 are sure to do wonders to her career.

GOSSSSSIP

Ameesha is the granddaughter of famous advocate and activist Rajni Patel.  Her parents Asha and Amit Patel mingled their names to call her Ameesha and her brother Ashmit.  They run a successful finance company that Ameesha was also a part of.

Ameesha got miffed by her parents mismanaging her career and sued them.  It was seen as a bad move in India where parents are revered no matter what.

She is seen as a kind of a memsahib thanks to her accented hindi.  She also enjoys having trappings of luxury around her.  In between shots, she prefers to while away time by reading.

She is dating Vikram Bhatt at the moment.  She has worked in his dud Ankahee which was based allegedly on the love affair Vikram had with Sushmita Sen.
 
FILMOGRAPHY
        

•   Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) .... Radha
•  Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007) .... Pinky
•  Aap Ki Khatir (2006) .... Shirani A. Khanna
•  Ankahee (2006) .... Mrs. Nandita Saxena
•  Teesri Aankh (2006) .... Ammu
•  Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai (2006) (as Ameesha Patel) .... Durga
•  Saathi.lkc">Mere Jeevan Saathi (2006) .... Anjali
•  Tathastu (2006) .... Saru R. Rajput
•  The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005) (as Ameesha Patel) .... Jwala
•  Narasimhudu (2005) .... Subba Lakshmi
•  Zameer (2005) .... Pooja D. Khanna/Pooja S. Chauhan
•  Elaan (2005) .... Priya
•  Vaada (2005) .... Pooja Sharma/Pooja R. Verma
•  Naani (2004)
•  Suno Sasurjee (2004) .... Kiran Saxena
•  Parwana (2003) .... Pooja
•  Puthiya Geethai (2003) .... Jo
•  Humraaz (2002) .... Priya
•  Yeh Hai Jalwa (2002) .... Sonia Singh
•  Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage (2002) .... Sapna
•  Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai (2002) .... Sandhya Patil
•  Kranti (2002) .... Sanjana Roy
•  Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001) .... Sarina V. Devan
•  Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) .... Sakina
•  Badri (2000) .... Sarayu
•  Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000) .... Sonia Saxena
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