Vintage ads, before Salman, Ash became superstars

Image: Salman Khan in Limca ad
Raja Sen in Mumbai

One thing our stars have always been good at is selling. No, much as marketers would have you believe, celebrity endorsements don't sell as many more products as they should, but our stars can't be doubted for selling themselves strongly enough to agencies and clients to draw out top dollar.

And they've had years of practice. Here's a quick and amusing look at 10 old commercials featuring stars looking significantly different than they do right now:

Salman Khan -- Limca

The truly fascinating thing about this ad isn't Salman Khan looking fresh as a pre-Maine Pyar Kiya daisy, but the fact that he features in just the first one-third of the commercial.

Having said that, there is a buoyancy about the young Khan that is worth looking at, energy and rawness and not a hint of the larger-than-life behemoth he's now become.

Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Pepsi

Image: Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Pepsi

It was a simpler time. Aamir Khan sold Pepsi and didn't feel the need to dress up as an old man or a loud housewife, Mahima Chaudhary tried hard to mouth words like 'are you okay in there?' and Aishwarya Rai memorably entered our lives as Sanjana.

Khan is perfect in the ad as is Rai, whose MeganFoxistic pose misleadingly promised us so much heat we never really saw.

Shah Rukh Khan, Hero Puch

Image: Shah Rukh Khan, Hero Puch

We all remember Khan's Pepsi ads, ads that worked for the Cola giant as well as the superstar, bolstering the drink's cool image while giving Khan enormous visibility.

An amateurish outing like this Hero Puch commercial, however, Khan would probably now want to forget. Then again, one can't argue with it being clutterbreaking.

Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor, Pepsi

Image: Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor, Pepsi

Back in Bollywood circa Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, this Pepsi ad brought us Pankaj Kapur's teenaged son Shahid being babied by industry superstars Rani Mukerji, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Yes, the very same Rani Mukerji he starred with in Dil Bole Hadippa a little over a decade later. Well, at least the ad did well.

Ayesha Takia and Shahid Kapoor, Complan

Image: Ayesha Takia and Shahid Kapoor, Complan

And if you thought that was young Shahid, take a look here as he unrecognisably plays supporting fiddle to a young Ayesha Takia.

Takia grew up and filled out -- enough that Complan ought consider another "look, we work!" ad featuring her as she is now -- but that delightful smile is just the same as we've come to know it in recent years.

Preity Zinta, Liril

Image: Preity Zinta, Liril

Some things never change, however, and while Preity of today might not be quite as minty-fresh as the one in this commercial, the sparkle in her eyes and her natural exuberance are still the same.

Granted we don't get to see it in full flow in her recent films, but on a cricket ground she's one helluva cheerleader. Maybe she just needs to go back to the big green bar of soap.

Pooja Batra, Liril

Image: Pooja Batra, Liril

The Liril adverts always gave us very attractive women, but Batra -- reportedly, like in the Beatles song, "just 17" (you know what I mean), at the time it was shot -- clearly raised the bar enough to make us all want more commercial breaks in our DD Metro.

This leggy stunner not being around anymore is clearly Bollywood's loss.

Vinod Khanna, Cinthol

Image: Vinod Khanna, Cinthol

We each have our favourite films from Vinod Khanna's not-so-varied filmography, but one enduring image comes from this simple but effective soap ad, with Khanna riding a black steed.

There's no cowboy hat, there's no moustache, and it's a bar of deodorised soap instead of a cigarette, but this is as close as Indian advertising got to a Marlboro man.

Rajkumar Hirani, Fevicol

Image: Rajkumar Hirani, Fevicol

Many many years before he became one of the finest and most successful film directors in Hindi cinema, Rajkumar Hirani was an ad-man and here we see him as the consummate schlock-merchant, eagerly and enthusiastically plying his wares and insisting that we buy the brand with the elephant logo.

As always when it comes to Hirani, we listened.

Sridevi, Dabur Amla Hair Oil

Image: Sridevi, Dabur Amla Hair Oil

Going the montage route, the Dabur Amla guys didn't even seem to try too hard with this Sridevi commercial, as we see her window-shopping and wrapping up a Chandni-themed photo shoot.

Until, that is, we abruptly see the actress frown and then smile at a letter, the jingle singing "he's coming home," followed by "toss your hair and welcome him." Sri obeys, pricelessly.

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