Back in 2003, when cable TV and music channels ruled every living room, India was obsessed with remix culture. Classic Bollywood hits were reborn with modern beats, flashy videos, and bold styling. Among them, one song stood out — ‘Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani’. This sizzling track broke all popularity records and introduced three mysterious girls in white who instantly became national sensations.
The song, originally from the 1971 film Caravan, starred Jeetendra and Aruna Irani. But when composer Harry Anand recreated it, the focus shifted to the music video’s boldness and glamour. The remix featured three women — Nigar Khan, Nisha Kothari, and another unnamed model — whose chemistry and style became the talk of the nation.
Nigar Khan: The Most Talked-About Face
Born on July 18, 1984, in Iran and raised in Norway, Nigar Khan spoke Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and Norwegian. Her big break came in India with Chadti Jawani, which catapulted her to overnight fame. Soon, she appeared in several other remix videos and Bollywood films.
In Rudraksh (2004), she played a pole dancer, a role for which she trained in London. That same year, she met actor Sahil Khan — the two married soon after but divorced within a short span.
Nigar’s fame, however, came with controversies. In 2005, she was deported from India for allegedly using fake documents for her work permit. She was also accused of doing a topless photoshoot, which she denied. Today, Nigar lives a quiet life in London, away from films and media.
Nisha Kothari: The Glam Girl Who Vanished
The second face from the remix, Nisha Kothari (also known as Priyanka Kothari), was born in West Bengal and raised in Delhi. She began modeling during her college days and was cast in Chadti Jawani soon after — the video became her ticket to fame.
Her career took off when she starred opposite R. Madhavan in the Tamil film Jay Jay. Later, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma noticed her and launched her in James, followed by Sarkar, Shiva, Aag, and Psycho. In 2006, she played the lead in The Killer alongside Emraan Hashmi and Irrfan Khan.
Despite early success, her stardom faded. Nisha later married a Delhi-based businessman and now goes by the name Anjali Verma, living a private, peaceful life away from Bollywood.
The Mystery of the Third Girl
While Nigar and Nisha became known names, the third girl in the remix video remains a mystery. Little information is available about her identity or what path she chose after the video. Her brief brush with fame seems to have disappeared into obscurity — just like many stars of the early remix era.
The Remix Era Legacy
The early 2000s remix wave gave Bollywood fans a new taste of nostalgia, style, and glamour. Chadti Jawani remains one of the boldest and most memorable videos of that era — and even today, fans occasionally revisit it, wondering what happened to the three faces that once mesmerized a nation.
