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A
savvy performer at 14 months, Aftab, the Farex baby became a
part of modern consumerist lore. His parents had named him
after Guru Dutt's song "Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho, Ya Aftab
Ho...". If there was ever a chance that kids' names reflected
their adult personalities, Aftab couldn't have been anything
but a Star. Aftab featured in a lot of adverts in his growing
years and supported Anil Kapoor with an able performance as
Jugal in Mr. India.As a child he didn't have a thriving
acting career which left him with enough time to pursue
academic interests. Just as he was all set to leave for an
MBA in London he was spotted by Ramgopal Verma. The rest is
History.
At 21 he was comfortably ensconced into stardom with Ramgopal
Verma's Mast. The initial promos teased the audiences with
flashes of his cute dimpled smile. Even before the film was
released, he had a busy schedule and a large fan following,
mainly female. Mast did not do well at the box office. A few
months of lean period followed. Then offers started coming in
and suddenly Aftab was everywhere- killing, kidnapping,
wooing; in thrillers, comedies and romantic multistarrers.
Recently, Vikram Bhatt's Kasoor and E.Niwas' Love Kay Liye
Kuch Bhi Karega have brought him back into the reckoning and
this time he seems to have grabbed a firm foothold.
In Mast, his debut film as an adult actor, he plays Kittu, a
starstruck fan of Urmila, a filmstar. Fantasy blurs with
reality as he rescues the woman of her dreams from
exploitative filmi guardians. In Kasoor he is accused of
murdering his wife. His lawyer and eventually lover Lisa Ray,
defends him with utmost belief till she discovers that the
charge is true. Pyar Ishq aurMohabbat has him playing one of
the three lovers wooing Kirti Reddy. Friend and confidant
Aftab wins. Love Kay Liye Kuch Bhi Karega, a breezy comedy
directed by Ramgopal Verma's protegee E.Niwas again had Aftab
playing one of the three main roles, while Saif and Fardeen
played the other two. Although his latest films have only
been mild hits, Aftab has been playing in all the theatres in
varied roles. There are as many films in his diary as there
are films playing in the halls currently. In his forthcoming
films he stars with Ameesha Patel in Suno Sasurjee and with
Yukta Mookhey in Pyaasa (not a remake of the Guru Dutt
classic),with Preity Zinta in Jo Chaho Ho Jaye, Vikram
Bhatt's Awara Pagal Deewana, Eesha Deol in Koi Mere Dil Se
Pooche and Rajkumar Kohli's Jaani Dushman.