"I Want Milind Soman": What Alisha Chinai Told Made In India Director

Milind Soman in a still from Made In India. (courtesy: YouTube)

Let's face it, there is no one who could have done a better job in the 1995 hit song Made In India than Milind Soman. Turns out, Alisha Chinai only wanted Milind Soman to feature in the video and the rest, as they say, is history. In a recent interview with  Indian Express, the singer, who also featured in the Made In India music video, said, "Ken Ghosh conceptualised the video. I had to catch him at the collar and tell him I want Milind Soman, I want the snakes, the astrologer, the elephant, all the Indian elements. Then he made the whole story. The colours, the Indian-ness looked so magical."

Alisha Chinai put everything into perspective when she said, "It revolutionised the whole pop scene on television. This was the first time they were seeing a singer who's being herself and not lip-syncing. It became a pop anthem and it still is." It would be fair to say that the song redefined the pop culture scene in India in those times and resonates with today's generation as well. Alisha Chinai told Indian Express, "It was the perfect song at a time when everyone's morale was down, because anything Indian wasn't regarded as very good. So, this made every Indian very proud. The Made In India brought out the whole patriotic feeling."

Milind Soman, who became a household name after featuring in the video, is a supermodel, a marathon runner and now an author. He was last seen in the web-series Paurashpur. He has featured in films like Chef, Bajirao Mastani and 16th December among many others. He also featured in the second season of Amazon Prime Video's web-series Four More Shots Please!.