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Destiny’s Child – Aman Dhaliwal

Dreams are like stars that act as guiding lights. Though we may not be able to touch them, they surely guide us to our destiny. We seldom end up where we want to go, but almost always end up where we need to be, because the good Lord above knows what is best for us. He thus guides us towards what we deserve rather than what we desire. This surely is true for Aman Dhaliwal – one of India’s finest Model-turned-Actors. Born to teacher parents, father – Mithu Singh Kahneke and a homely and pious mother Gurtej Kaur on 24th July 1981, with sheer grit and determination, he has carved a comfortable niche for himself in the colossal and most competitive world out there. Hailing from Mansa, a lesser known town of Punjab which was founded by Bhai Gurdas, this shy doe-eyed boy has made his rural town truly global.

Some people are destined to succeed, but he was determined to succeed and make it big in life. “Aman” is often used as a synonym for peace and harmony and as they often say that humanity runs in the family and flows in the blood, and genesis of nobility finds its roots in the heredity, he too was inspired by his father who often said that past is for inspiration, not imitation; for continuation, not repetition. When asked about his father, this 28-year old boy narrates a story about how gentle and kind hearted his father has always been. Right from his student years he worked towards the betterment of the community, uprising the not so educated gentry of Mansa and adjoining towns to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. He promoted and carried forward the beliefs and practices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and wanted to curb the tendency of rich becoming richer and poor becoming poorer, which was in turn leading to the expansion of the gap between the rich and poor. He tried and toiled hard by enacting plays to awaken the people in and around the humble areas of Mansa to realize their full potential. For these reasons Aman’s father was jailed during the most critical phase in his life for a period of five long years. However, this was not enough to deter his spirit or mar his urge to succeed in life. He used it as a stepping stone and did his Bachelor’s in Science and Bachelor’s in Education from the jail and came out far more adroit and proficient to take on the challenges of life head on. He began teaching in a Government school in Mansa to educate the masses and share his experience and knowledge, thus becoming a force to reckon with.

Highly inspired by his father and brimming with fire in his belly, Aman too wanted to replicate these philosophies and do something for his native land. Since educational facilities beyond high school were highly in Mansa and the neighboring areas, he set his foot forward and moved to the capital city of India – Delhi to study Radiology and Nuclear Sciences. He aspired to become a doctor to treat the ailing and downtrodden who often died due to lack of funds or dearth of proper medical facilities.

Innocent, unblemished and virtuous, he was least aware of the lifestyle in metropolitan cities of the country. With no relations in Delhi and no one to guide or support him, Aman found shelter in a Gurudwara (religious place for the Sikhs). He would study for hours together to clear the entrance examination and find a seat for himself in the Medical College of his choice. While Aman was plodding hard to succeed in Academics, God was silently writing a completely different story for him, thereby sending a number of signals his way.

One fine day, while crossing a famous salon, he was spotted by one of India’s leading choreographers who introduced him to a grand show organizer. Absolutely ignorant of his hidden talent, Aman proved to be a blessing in disguise for them. Gifted with a handsome face and charming personality, his Italian features fetched him a chance to walk the ramp for a world famous brand, filling the gap for a renowned Italian model who was forced to give the event a miss due to last moment cancellation of  flights. Least aware of the mannerisms and semblance of the models and modeling world, he sought guidance and styling, thereby stunning the audience and proving to be an asset for the brand. This four day long show was a resounding success and won him a lot of applause and appreciation. This was God’s first signal, but, Aman was determined to study further. However, this was not the end of his troubles and sorrows. Since the Gurudwara populace was clueless about his whereabouts for four days, he was asked to leave the religious place with his bag and baggage. No place to go, no friends or folks to guide and no knowledge of the city, Dhaliwal made footpath his abode and studied under street lights for days together until the cops added to his misery by moving him from there for security reasons.

Luck favored him when a religious priest spotted him in that state of pain and agony and took him home. The mantra that kept Aman going was his faith in the fact that just as appetite comes from eating, success comes from struggle and strife. Burning with desire to fetch a seat in the Medical College, he burned the midnight oil and put in hours of labor. His faith in Waheguru, belief in himself and backbreaking efforts helped him win a seat in the institute and course of his choice, but affording the expenses of the hostel was yet another blockade he had to find a solution for. While Aman was running from pillar to post searching for a reasonable place to reside, God was penning a new chapter. In the market place, he was spotted by an Assistant photographer who had witnessed his finesse at the ramp show. He wanted to click his photographs and get him introduced in the modeling world. In return he offered him free lodging at his residence. Aman instantly grasped the opportunity and began his studies at the Medical College. As a result of his brilliance, wit and chastity, he struck an instant rapport with his professors and became particularly close to one who Dhaliwal still considers to be his mentor. Impressed with his Aristocratic looks and pleasing disposition, this mentor of his suggested him to take a plunge into the World of glamour alongside. This was when Aman got a break with a Punjabi Video – “Jogiya” and its success was God’s second signal.

The fruition of Jogiya fetched him an offer from one of the World’s biggest Music companies, T-Series. It was a music video for a veteran Punjabi singer Balkar Sidhu and the album was named “Jaan”. This time he was to feature opposite Indian supermodel Maushmi Udeshi. The victory was grand and fame far more than Aman had ever dreamt of. He became one of the most sought after models and this was God’s third signal. Not getting carried away by the glitzy world of glamour and ever increasing fan following, Aman, after completing his course in Radiology and Nuclear Sciences, cleared the American Radiology Technician examination and proceeded to the U.S.A to work in a recognized hospital there.

However, God’s fourth signal was so loud and clear that Aman Dhaliwal was forced to accept the career path that the Almighty had chosen for him. It came in the form of an offer from one of Bollywood’s most respected Directors, Ashutosh Gowarikar to play a significant role in his dream project “Jodha Akbar”. Aman was selected to play the role of Rajkumar Ratan Singh, the fiancé of Jodha, enacted by Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai. Akbar was personated by Hrithik Roshan, known for his looks and often referred to as the ‘Greek God’. The film went on to become a Blockbuster, making Aman Dhaliwal a household name and causing frenzy among Directors and producers to cast him in their films. This is where Aman felt that everything in life happens for a reason and difficult situations only make us stronger and wiser to deal with the challenges of life more practically.

Very early in his career he was offered the lead role in a film called “Coffee House” featuring him opposite established stars. The story of the film reminded Aman of his father’s ideologies and he grasped the offer with both hands. A super hit across the globe, he proved it to the critics that his talent was not limited to his Godly looks alone. He showed it to the world that he could act well and match up to the very best in the Industry with his acting skills.

The showcasing of his talent was not reserved for Bollywood alone. He bagged significant roles in Short English films like Tracker, God’s own devil, The dying Man and many more. He preached a fact that actions are seeds of fate and deeds more often than not help us fetch rich dividends. His films bagged nominations at the San Francisco Film Festival and Aman Dhaliwal had fans throughout the world drooling over him. Work is worship for this “Khuda ka Banda” (God’s own man) and location, language or genre has never been a barrier for him. He was flooded with offers for regional films and he went on to sign Mega budget films in Punjab like “Ik Kudi Punjab di” and down South. Currently he is shooting for a number of Tamil and Telugu films also starring the Actor of the Millennium Rajnikant. Besides films, he is continuing with Music Videos, Ramp shows and Advertisements as he feels that is where he started from and does not wish to forget his roots. His soon to be released flick “Virsa” was the first ever Punjabi film to be chosen for the 2010 Dallas Film festival, causing a rage among one and all.

It is tough for a young boy from a small town like Mansa to make a mark for himself in the World of Cinema. When asked about his Godfather, Aman Dhaliwal promptly spoke about a few men who he virtually worships, for life would not have been so simple without their significant contribution. To start with, he says that he cannot proceed without mentioning Amardeep Gill, a noted poet, lyricist and film writer from Punjab. He is someone who understood his past and believed in his future. He sums up Gill’s contribution by referring to him as his friend, philosopher and guide – Someone who has been more like a part of his family and rendered assured assistance by helping him fetch meaningful roles in his career. As he aspired to tread the path, life introduced him to Manmohan Singh, a renowned Punjabi Film Maker, also the Director of his upcoming movie, Ik Kudi Punjab Di, who gave Aman the lesson of a lifetime, that Life is a grindstone; whether we let it grind us or polish us up depends entirely upon our attitude and hard work. Gurbir Grewal, Director of the successful Hindi film “Coffee House” is yet another person who has had a considerable impact on his life. Aman is grateful to him for having faith in his abilities and for giving him a break in his film; a role that brought him to the forefront of Indian Cinema. Vishavdeep Brar and G.S Mann, popularly referred to as Bobby Bhaji in the areas of Punjab have been rock solid with their support and have stood by Aman through life’s stress and strife, through his thick and thin.

Where does he see himself five years down the line? He reveals a secret known to very few close compatriots. He believes in simple living and high thinking super stardom has not changed this down to earth and noble soul. He is on his way to setting up an NGO named “A man with helping hands” to utilize his education in treating the Oncology patients in his home town Mansa. Due to improper water supply and lack of medical skills in his area, extra radiations given via X-Ray machines and the like have increased the number of Cancer patients. He thus aspires to set up an institute to treat these patients without charging a penny. Besides, he is all set to open a rehabilitation centre under the same name for treating and de-addicting people on drugs. He also has plans to open Old Age homes for the Old and destitute.

He is a humble and God fearing man who believes in living life King size and treating each day as the very first in his life, for he opines that today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. His message to the Generation next is that every man has his own destiny and the only imperative is to accept it and follow it no matter where it leads us, because at the end of it, God has something good in store for all of us and hard work can never go unrewarded.

About the Author

REETICA M SINGH

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