From ruling fashion runways in the 90s to clinching a National Award for Rock On!!, Arjun Rampal's journey practically demands a biography!

Supermodel first, Bollywood hunk later - but somewhere between Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat's lukewarm debut and Rock On!!'s guitar-smashing glory, Arjun Rampal rewrote his own script. I mean, how many folks ditch a cushy modeling throne (Rohit Bal spotted him at a Delhi party in the 90s, and guess what, he became the instant poster boy) to stumble through forgettable flicks before landing gold?. It's messy. It's unexpected. And sure is inspiring if you squint past the flops.

Ramp God to Screen Newbie - Rocky Start

1994: "Society's Face Of The Year." Arjun’s swagger owned catwalks before Instagram made everyone a model. Then director Ashok Mehta saw something raw, cast him in Moksha (eventually shelved till 2001), followed by Rajiv Rai who signed him for Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat, his actual debut. That film tanked. So did Deewaanapan, and Dil Hai Tumhaara. Critics sniffed: pretty face, zero chops.

Arjun Rampal in his debut film ‘Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat

But here's where it gets juicy - Arjun didn't bail. He stuck around, grinding through forgettable projects till 2002's Aankhen, his first real pulse-check. Not a smash, but enough eyeballs turned. Then silence again. You almost forget he exists.

Om Shanti Om, Don, and That Guitar

2006-2007 flipped everything. Shah Rukh Khan's Don - The Chase Begins Again, portrayed Arjun as the sleek sidekick. Then Farah Khan hands him Mukesh Mehra in Om Shanti Om - villain territory, which made him sweat initially. "I was uncomfortable," he admitted later, but nailed the slimy producer vibe so hard you kinda hated him onscreen. 

Arjun Rampal in Om Shanti Om

Then 2008 drops Rock On!! Arjun plays Joe Mascarenhas - a brooding guitarist nursing dreams deferred by corporate cubicles. It's not just acting - it's lived-in, raw, the kind where you forget he's the guy from fashion mags.

Arjun Rampal in Rock On!!

Arjun won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Filmfare too. "Complete surprise... pleasant one," he told Hindustan Times years later when asked about his winning moment. "The film gave me confidence about my abilities," he added - like he'd been doubting himself till then.

Highs, Lows, and a Telugu Antagonist?

Arjun Rampal in Ra.One

Post-Rock On!!, he rode Raajneeti, Housefull, Ra.One - commercial hits where he's the cool guy with the baritone. Then? Another slide. Odd picks like Chakravyuh, D-Day (decent but niche), and Daddy, playing gangster Arun Gawli with grit nobody asked for. At the age of 52,  Arjun made his Telugu debut in Bhagavanth Kesari as the bad guy.

Arjun's arc isn't clean. Model to mocked newbie to National laureate to a Telugu villain? It's all over the map. Yet maybe that's the point - survival's rarely linear. Wishing a very Happy birthday to you, Arjun. May your next surprise be as unexpected as Joe's guitar solo.