Now, it’s a given that the era that you are born in has a special spot in your heart, for obvious reasons but I'm ready to risk a limb here by declaring that there cannot be a better period than the 90s. It was during that very period when technology and digital age was at an onset. We were the last ones to have experienced life on both sides of the fence. From box like TVs to dial up internet, we learned to value each and every thing at its own sweet time.
It was during that very time when VJs used to be the coolest people around. Models were worshiped and looked upon for sartorial inspiration. Pop stars hung on our bedroom walls in the form of posters. Just the other day, during my drive back home with nothing else but my thoughts to keep me company, it just struck me that we didn’t value the content that we were served and our lack of 'wokeness' is to be blamed for that. With no means of instant discussions/debates, we weren’t able to express our opinions or even record important information in our archives for future viewing purposes. As opposed to the present, where we collectively whine about everything under the sun, especially spoilers because people are that quick.
To commemorate the spirit of the uber cool 90s and 00s, let’s take a look at 11 celebs who had 'swag' when the word wasn’t even invented!
1. Cyrus Broacha
I remember vividly, when most of our pop culture talks used to revolve around the Bakra guy! India’s first ever prankster, Broacha started the trend even before Punk’d of the West. The gags that he pulled on unsuspecting victims used to be a hot topic of discussion for days. Even his show Chuppa Rustam used to be the ‘it’ thing to watch back then. The Bakra was so loved that even the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray messaged Cyrus saying that he loved it! And who can forget the epic Rahul Dravid prank?!
More than two decades later, he now does satirical spoofs on TV and also writes columns in leading dailies. In fact, he and his best friend who is also a fellow comedian and his creative partner, Kunal Vijaykar are also trying to enter the web space. Besides. They perform stage shows every now and then.
2. Nikhil Chinapa
It was back in 1992 when the lanky guy with a different voice and spiked hair entered our lives with MTV Select. It won’t be wrong to say that after watching this very show, many of us aspired to be a VJ or video jockey, if you may.
He made the job look so damn cool! He used to juggle records, shoot hoops and do all kinds of random stuff while talking to his callers. From music, pop culture to current affairs, sometimes even relationship troubles, Chinapa used to talk about anything and everything. It was him and his show that introduced us to English pop, Country and Underground Rock music among other genres. As he and us grew up (together), we looked up to him as one of the most reputed DJs who didn’t take the conventional route of cheap remixes.
Instead, he helped us transition into the whole electronic music scene successfully. In between the music spectrum and DJ/VJ-ing, Chinapa also rose to fame for his temperament and many outbursts as the agro Roadies judge. However, the format of the show was such that we let it slide and enjoyed it while we were at it. At present, Chinapa juggles between his DJ gigs and Roadies (yes, it is still around). Interestingly, Nikhil also co-founded Sunburn. He is now the Festival Curator and partner of Vh1 Supersonic, Goa’s brand new beach music festival.
3. Cyrus Sahukar
At the age of 18, Cyrus Sahukar took part in MTV’s VJ Hunt and won it along with Mini Mathur. His entry into the VJs circuit came towards the end of 90s. He was one of the youngest employees of MTV back then. He shot to fame with his very own spoof show called MTV Fully Faltoo where he poked fun at everything - films, ads, TV shows - the likes. During this stint, he also had parallel spoofs on Navjot Singh Sidhu and Simi Garewal in the running. Titled Piddhu, The Great and Simi Girebaal, both the acts received a lot of positive reviews and were much loved by the audiences. So much so, that the latter recorded a higher rating that the original show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. With mockumentary as the latest addition by MTV, he then went on to anchor Kickass Mornings, in which he played 25 different characters. Yes, 25!
Putting his VJ-ing days behind him, he went on to do small yet noticeable roles in a few Bollywood films including Khoobsurat, Aisha and Love Breakups Zindagi. At present, he is all set to entertain us once again with a web series on urban relationships. What’s more, for this show he has reunited with his fellow VJ Mini Mathur. Called Mind The Malhotras, the early reviews have been calling it an impressive show.
4. Anuradha Menon aka Lola Kutty
Call me biased, but Lola Kutty used to be the best VJ, circa 90s! Dressed up in heavy Kanjivaram sarees, curly locks with Gajra in her hair and her impeccable English in thick Malayali accent, used to tickle our funny bones every single time. Her sidekick Alex, used to give us bouts of giggles every now and then with his small appearances. For a long time, I used to believe that Lola Kutty was her real name and she looked the way she did, in real life as well. Interestingly, she did explain that Lola Kutty was her alter ego and she would interview many celebrities in that very get-up.
Her favourite was Abhishek Bachchan, who she would obsess over all the time! Her fan-base wasn’t just huge in the country but she had a massive following in the middle east and the UK as well. Despite criticism over her character, where many people called it offensive, Loly Kutty boosted Channel V’s ratings considerably.
Anuradha Menon now does stand up comedy without her alter ego gear. Her videos on Youtube have a lot of traction, thanks to her superb content and kickass comic timing.
5. Vishal Malhotra
Called the Disney boy by his loving fans, Vishal Malhotra started his career in Doordarshan. He used to host Disney Hour. He then went on to host Disney Time on Sony. He was quite loved, especially by the kids for he brought along a cartoon extravaganza! Malhotra then starred in a popular serial Hip Hip Hurray which targeted the teenagers. He then got his big break in the movies when he played Shahid Kapoor’s best friend in his debut movie Ishq Vishk. Since then, he has been doing small yet interesting roles in many films. Apart from that, he is also the brand ambassador of Harpic along with Hussain Kuwajerwala.
6. Shenaz Treasurywala
The super cute and adorable Shenaz Treasurywala started her career as a model and did several ad films. She was then hired by MTV as a VJ and she went on to host MTV Most Wanted. While many touted her to be the bubbly girl-next-door, our lady had more to showcase than just her charm and good looks. She went on to do movies including Ishq Vishk and Delhi Belly but unfortunately, couldn’t find her footing in the film industry. She then made waves for her powerful yet moving letter to the Indian Prime Minister citing concerns over women safety in the country in 2014. Shenaz Treasury was a regular contributor at America's 'The Nightly Show' with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central. She has been a successful Travel Blogger and has written several blogs for leading publications.
Last seen in Saif Ali Khan’s Kaalakaandi, Shenaz has also been hosting WWE shows.