Actor and model Himani Shah, who starred in Falguni’s 1999 music video Maine Payal Hai Chhankai, recently shared a clip from the song, joking that it was the peak of her career that she has been unable to surpass since. Navratri and garba festivities are incomplete without Falguni Pathak’s iconic numbers.
Vivan went on to become a familiar face on television and appeared in films such as Dangal (2016), Judwaa 2 (2017) and Raja the Great (2017). She also made a cameo in the 2001 Bollywood film Yaadein and acted in the 2005 film Rehle Rehle Na. Himani played one of the key characters in the music video Maine Payal Hai Chhankai. Set against the backdrop of a college arts and puppet show, the video featured Himani as a popular girl who mocks a simple girl who performs puppet shows with Falguni Pathak. The latter was played by Anita Pradhan Kharkar. The video also featured Vivan Bhatena as the male lead. Beyond her appearance in Falguni Pathak’s hit, Himani was a prominent MTV India VJ and model. She has 118K followers on Instagram and is followed by celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan. She is married to Rajiv Shah, the son of prominent Mumbai diamond merchant and film financier Bharat Shah. The couple are parents to two kids. Falguni Pathak, meanwhile, remains one of India’s most popular voices associated with Navratri and dandiya celebrations. Often called the ‘Dandiya Queen’, she rose to fame in the 1990s with her distinctive Gujarati folk-inspired pop music. Songs such as Maine Payal Hai Chhankai, Chudi Jo Khanki Haathon Mein and Meri Chunar Udd Udd Jaye became chartbusters. Decades later, her songs remain a staple at garba nights.
Today, Himani, who goes by her married name Himani Rajiv Shah, works as a beauty, fashion and luxury lifestyle digital creator based in Mumbai.
