It's a soap saga that has starred some of the most desirable women (and men) of tinsel town. After Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, it's now Bollywood glam gal Katrina Kaif's turn to model for Lux, the brand that has built its reputation as the 'beauty soap of film stars'.
It's a soap saga that has starred some of the most desirable women (and men) of tinseltown. After Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, it's now Bollywood glam gal Katrina Kaif's turn to model for Lux, the brand that has built its reputation as the 'beauty soap of film stars'.
Katrina certainly has reason to celebrate. She joins an illustrious list men and women who have promoted Lux in India and abroad. Lux soap, which began life in the UK in 1899 as a flaked version of Sunlight soap, made its debut in India in 1929. Leela Chitnis became the first Indian film star to endorse the brand, an honour till then granted only to top Hollywood heroines, and since then Lux has continued its strong association with the silver screen.
Katrina certainly has reason to celebrate. She joins an illustrious list of women who have promoted Lux in India and abroad. Lux soap, which began life in the UK in 1899 as a flaked version of Sunlight soap, made its debut in India in 1929.
Leela Chitnis became the first Indian film star to endorse the brand, an honour till then granted only to top Hollywood heroines, and since then Lux has continued its strong association with the silver screen.
Nanda, the star of films like Gumnaam and Jab Jab Phool Khile, also modelled for Lux.
Shakila, the star of Guru Dutt's films Aar Paar (1954) and C.I.D. (1956), was a Lux beauty.
In the short time that she graced the silver screen in India, Madhubala achieved the kind of iconic status that many actors can only dream of. She endorsed Lux in the 1950s.
Actor Manoj Kumar narrated a less than happy tale of his brush with his co-star Mala Sinha and Lux flakes. 'Mr Bharat' reportedly ingested many of the soap particles that were supposed to recreate a snowfall during the shooting of Hariyali Aur Raasta. The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of Kumar's career and Mala Sinha had a successful stint as a Lux model.
Besides lighting up the silver screen with films like Kashmir Ki Kali, An Evening in Paris and Chupke Chupke, Sharmila Tagore's dimpled smile also helped sell Lux soap during her heyday.
Waheeda Rehman: When the classic beauties who modelled for Lux are remembered, Waheeda Rehman's name will be right up there with the rest.
For Saira Banu, it was a matter of carrying on a family tradition. Her mother Naseem Banu had endorsed the brand before her, and Saira Banu did the same in the 1960s. "I did Lux out of bonhomie and camaraderie. I have never endorsed another product, but am happy about Lux. It's a nice mother-daughter story and I continued the legacy of Naseem Banu," she was quoted as saying in an Economic Times story in 2008.
Zeenat Aman modelled for Lux in the 1970s and then in the '80s. The ad copy changed, but Zeenat's charm was as potent as ever.
Considered a sex symbol in her time, Parveen Babi's image fitted right in with the everlasting appeal of Lux.
"Lux keeps my complexion soft and pretty. I trust LUX because it's really pure and mild." - Prema Narayan
"One of the turning points in my career was when I was signed up by Lux. It was then that I knew I had made my mark in Indian cinema as a leading lady. To be a Lux star is a much sought after honour amongst leading ladies and it truly means a lot to me." - Hema Malini (Courtesy: KreativeAccess)
A sex symbol of the '70s, Rekha is known today as much for her brilliant performances in films like Khubsoorat, Khoon Bhari Maang, Silsila and Umrao Jaan as her fabled romance with Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. A woman of sophistication, class, appeal and grace, she proved to be just the right choice for Lux.
"Lux and my association is very special and to be a part of the Lux family is a great feeling. When I started out in my acting career, the stars featured in the Lux commercials were in the position I aspired to be. In fact I won't be surprised if star rankings are determined by whether you are a Lux star." - Sridevi (Courtesy: KreativeAccess)
Interesting but true - invoking Madhuri Dixit's dance steps in Tees Maar directed by Farah Khan isn't the only way Katrina Kaif is paying tribute to the 'Dhak Dhak' girl. Like Katrina now, Madhuri was also the face of Lux at one point of time.
"It is an honour to be a part of the Lux campaign. I do believe that the a significant recognition that I have received other than winning the Miss India crown has been the achievement of being named a Lux star. This, to me, means that I share the honour that was bestowed in the past to some of the biggest stars such as Leela Chitnis, Madhubala and many other leading ladies. To share a platform with legends like Hema Malini, Sridevi and Kareena from the current generation is truly a beautiful feeling." - Juhi Chawla (Courtesy: KreativeAccess)
Karisma Kapoor: The granddaughter of actor and filmmaker Raj Kapoor, Karisma was one of most popular actresses of her generation. She won hearts and huge box office success with films like Raja Hindustani, Dil To Pagal Hai, Fiza and Zubeidaa. Her mother Babita had been a model for Lux and Karisma followed in her footsteps.
Rani Mukherjee: Rani's film career has not quite lived up to the expectations raised by her masterful performance as a blind girl in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. Dil Bole Hadippa - her latest attempt at salvaging her position in Bollywood also ended in dismal failure. However she continues to be acknowledged for her prodiguous acting talents and many hope to see the flash of brilliance back soon.
Amisha Patel was seen taking a languid bath in a Lux commercial considered one of the hottest ever.
After mother Babita and sister Karisma, it was natural for Kareena Kapoor to turn a Lux beauty in her own right. "My association with Lux has a very personal significance since my mother Babita and sister Karisma have also been Lux stars. I am humbled to share the stage with leading industry ladies like Hema Malini, Sridevi and Juhi Chawla. While the awards and the recognitions certainly help in establishing an actor, I think being a Lux star is the final endorsement of your star appeal. I am proud of my association with Lux," she has been quoted as saying. (Courtesy: KreativeAccess)
Tabu: The enormously talented and fabulously good looking Tabu stands out among the newer stars who have promoted Lux in India.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been a Lux brand ambassador for a long time now and has been seen in campaigns like 'Lux Provocateur' and 'White Glow'.
The world's most beautiful woman brought a certain zing to the 'beauty soap of film stars' that any other leading lady would have found difficult to produce.
After her marriage, Ash roped in husband Abhishek Bachchan for a Lux ad. Directed by Stephen Mead, the ad has music composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. Bollywood's Golden Couple were reportedly paid a whopping Rs 25 crore for flirting on screen.
Like a number of leading ladies before her, Priyanka Chopra announced her arrival in the big league by becoming the face of Lux. Her promotional campaigns with the brand include 'Lux Strawberry' and 'Lux Crystals' among others.
When Lux turned 75, the idea was to do something different. And how better to create a spalsh then launch Shah Rukh Khan as the first Indian male celebrity to endorse the beauty bar? The Bollywood Badshah later admitted he had enjoyed breaking the mould in a bath tub, surrounded by four gorgeous women who had modelled for the brand at some time or the other. "Some people think it's a girlie ad, that it questions my sexuality. But I love the idea of getting into the tub, just as I had seen all my lovely leading ladies do," he said in an interview.
Sexy singer-turned-Tollywood actress Mamatha Mohandas has also hit the bath tub for a Lux ad.
Shriya Saran is another South Siren who has endorsed Lux.
Lux has featured the most stunning women in every country it has gone to. Take for instance, neighbouring Pakistan. Among the several Pakistani head-turners who endorse the brand, Indians would be most familiar with Meera, the actress who sparked a controversy by kissing Ashmit Patel in Mahesh Bhatt's Nazar. She was seen in a Lux commercial shot in a very filmy style. The jingle, sung by Shabnam Majeed, was reportedly lifted from an old Pakistani song and given a new touch.
One of Pakistan's top most and highest paid models, Amina Haq became a Lux girl in 1997 and still is a Lux girl making her the only model who has never been changed in 10 years from the Lux ad campaign.
Beautiful Iman Ali is rated among the top models in Pakistan by fashion critics. She has been associated with Lux for some years now and also co-hosted the Lux Style Awards in 2005.
Crowned Miss Nepal in 1997, at the age of sixteen, Jharana Bajracharya appeared as the Nepali brand ambassador for Lux soap in 2003.
Since the 1930s, many well-known Hollywood actresses have marketed Lux to women as a beauty enhancer. Among them, American film actress Dorothy Lamour, who is probably best-remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies co-starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
Ginger Rogers: In her long career as a film and stage actress, dancer and singer, Rogers made a total of 73 films. She achieved success in a variety of roles and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kitty Foyle (1940).
Sophia Loren: The second most awarded actress in cinema history beside Meryl Streep, Italian beauty Sophia Loren is a legend in her own lifetime. She has over 50 international awards to her credit. These include two Oscars, five Golden Globe Awards, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA Award.
Ava Gardner: Gardner shot to fame with The Killers in 1946. Some of her other memorable films include Mogambo (1953) The Night of the Iguana, The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952), The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and Bhowani Junction (1956).
Brigitte Bardot: The French actress is known for many things - Sauerkraut hairstyle, sexy smoldering eyes and the hot bikini look. It was natural for an iconic figure like her to model for an iconic brand like Lux.
Joan Crawford: American film, television and theatre actress Crawford might be known for the Pepsi product placements in her films during and after her marriage to Pepsi president Alfred Steele, but she did a number of endorsements besides that. Among the brands that she sold were Coca Cola, RC and of course...Lux.
Laurette Luez: Hawaii-born Luez owed as much of her fame to her work on screen as to her whirlwind romances and social life. Discovered at the tender age of 16, she went on to feature in the Esquire magazine. She achieved success as a model, appearing in photographs and artwork for national brands such as Lux soap.
Judy Garland: Garland distinguished herself both as an actress and a singer, even winning a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Although she was plagued by personal problems all through her life and died of an accidental drug overdose, Garland was the face of several prestigious brands, including Lux Toilet Soap, Max Factor and General Electric Radios.
Jennifer Lopez: Surprise! surprise! American actress and singer Jennifer is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo...in Japan of all places. She has appeared in several Lux commercials aimed at the Japanese market.
Elizabeth Taylor: One of the greatest Hollywood star of all times, Liz Taylor was seen in this 1950 Lux ad that had a picture of her with actor Don Taylor taken from the movie Father of the Bride.
Demi Moore: Lux has always associated itself with some of the most glamorous and sensual women of our times, and who better to continue this association than actress Demi Moore? (Photo Courtesy: W Magazine)
Sarah Jessica Parker: The 'Sex and The City' star's racy ad for Lux certainly caused a stir, but perhaps not in a way she would have wanted. Ultra-orthodox Jews in Isreal took strong exception to the billboards, which showed Parker laying on her stomach in a skimpy spaghetti-strap dress. Faced with a threat of boycott of their products, Lux had to replace the ads with images of a suitably-covered up Parker.
Catherine Zeta-Jones: Welsh beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones starred in a seven-minute Hollywood-style mini film called 'Alchemist' to promote Lux shampoo in China and Japan. Zeta-Jones, whose film credits include The Mask of Zorro, Ocean's Twelve and Chicago, has appeared in Lux ads since 2008.
Marilyn Monroe: Which line-up of beautiful women in the world would be complete without the ethereal Marilyn Monroe? The iconic actress, singer, and model also featured in ads for Lux.
Olivia de Havilland: Now 93, Havilland is the last living lead from Gone with the Wind. She appeared in a Lux ad that had step-by-step instructions on how to acquire a filmstar like complexion!
Rita Hayworth: Rita Hayworth, who attained fame during the 1940s not only as one of the era's top stars, but also as the era's greatest sex symbol, appeared in a Lux Soap ad that had reference to the movie Pal Joey.
Kim Novak: With a bombshell like Novak endorsing it, there was no reason for the gold foil Lux not to become an instant hit.
Raveena Tandon: In 2001, Lux announced its popular offer of the year 2000-the Lux 22 Carat Gold Star, themed 'Chance hai', in which consumers had a chance to find a gold coin inside their Lux soaps. While Rani Mukherjee endorsed the promotion in 2000, film star Raveena Tandon was roped in for 2001. (Courtesy: BrandGarage)
