Aseem Ali Khan, Bollywood bound

Strings attached: Being the nephew of music maestro Amjad Ali Khan didn't seem to give him an edge above the rest in the industry. Instead, it levied a burden on this aspirant to proceed with the family tradition, a thought that caught little interest. His brothers took to music, which gave him the liberty to swing to his 'calling'.

En route: Walking the ramp for Grasim Mr India and several international brands was just some grooming the newcomer needed. MTV Style Check and the two music videos he's been part of ('Ishq ki bahar' and 'Baje payal cham cham') are events he treats as stepping stones to tinseltown. Now, Bollywood is all that this young model can dream of!

Warming up: Strangely though, the miniscule role in 'Dus' opposite Dia Mirza is something he isn't too happy talking about. "That's passé! It was more like a warm-up exercise for me," he says, weaving his way out of the topic craftily. Having two films on his plate putting him in the lead role, he definitely has enough reason to smile now.

Life in Mumbai: A Bhopal denizen, most Mumbaikars would advise the dream-catcher to return to his hometown. But he chooses to stay and enjoy the struggle. "It was difficult right from the beginning to live in Mumbai. But Bhopal has given birth to personas like Javed Akhtar and Jaya Bachchan. So the fast pace isn't a deterrent anymore!" he claims. What else can we say but way to go, boy!