, the film not only redefined romantic musicals in Bollywood but also catapulted its debutant stars to instant fame. But even before the film’s release, one mysterious poster had already turned heads across Mumbai—and quite literally, brought the city to a halt, including superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Anu Aggarwal, the former model-turned-actor who starred in Aashiqui, recently reflected on the unusual buzz around the film’s marketing. In an interview with Pinkvilla, she shared that even before audiences saw her on screen, Anu’s close-up was plastered across Mumbai on giant hoardings. One particular campaign featured her face with a bold tagline: “This face can stop a crowd.” And apparently, it did. The frenzy around these posters caused such intense curiosity and distraction that they disrupted traffic across the city. It even made the famously punctual Amitabh Bachchan late for a shoot.

During a magazine cover shoot with the legendary actor, Anu recalled how she arrived on time, but Amitabh arrived 20 minutes late, an unusual delay for the superstar. The reason? He had been caught in the traffic jams caused by hoardings featuring Anu’s iconic image. It was a surreal moment of validation for the young actor, who had already gained massive recognition from her modelling career and was on the verge of cinematic stardom at that point.

Aashiqui went on to become a cult classic, known not only for its evergreen music but also for redefining how new faces could dominate the screen and even the streets. She later starred in films like King Uncle, Khal-Naaikaa and Janam Kundli. She was last seen in the film Return of Jewel Thief.