
She was perhaps Bollywood's best kept secret till Saif Ali Khan's Love Aaj Kal' actually hit the theatres.
When 19-year-old Brazilian model Giselle Monteiro first hit B-town, she couldn't speak Hindi or dance to save her life
However that small problem didn't stop her from making a name for herself as Harleen Kaur.
Giselle told media she was destined to come to India and play a role. "My dad used to call me Indian when I was a kid and sing songs for me on India.
But the actual inspiration started from an Opera (Caminho das Indias) that we have in Brazil.
The soap opera has sparked a mini India boom in Brazil," she was quoted as saying in an interview.
Interestingly, Giselle auditioned to play Jo, Saif's girlfriend in the second half of Love Aaj Kal.
It was director Imtiaz Ali's wife who actually thought Giselle fit the bill for the 1965-girl-next-door Harleen.
And rest, as they say, is history.




