Gul Panag is an Indian actress, voice actress, model, and former beauty queen who competed in the Miss Universe pageant. She is definitely someone who has a fantasy to take the road less travelled, making her own path. Her notable films include Dor, Dhoop, Manorama Six Feet Under, Hello, and Straight. She has elements other than just glamour, which bring dynamism and vibrancy to her demeanour. She has an opinion, doesn`t shy away from voicing it.
Early Life of Gul Panag
Gul was born on January 3, 1979 Panag started her education in Sangrur, in Punjab. Her father had been in Army and as an obvious result her family moved to different places across India and abroad. She studied in 14 different schools including Kendriya Vidyalayas (Chandigarh, Mhow, Leh and Wellington, Tamil Nadu), The Lawrence School, Lovedale and the International School of Lusaka, Zambia. She did her Bachelors in Mathematics from Punjabi University, Patiala, and Masters in Political Science from Panjab University, Chandigarh. As a student, Panag was interested in sports and public speaking. She won numerous state and national level debate competitions, including two gold medals at the Annual National Inter University Debate competition.
Career of Gul Panag
She happened to audition for a theatrical part in a theatre exchange program. She was chosen and her work was appreciated, she believed this is something she could do. Entering the Miss India Pageant was a mere extension of her multitalented personality. It came as no surprise when she was crowned Miss India Universe in 1999, at twenty years of age while in third year of her college.
Panag had been the proud possessor of the most coveted Miss India title in 1999, and was crowned Miss Beautiful Smile at the same pageant. Later as she won the contest she even participated in the Miss Universe 1999 pageant. Her journey in the roads of Bollywood started with the 2003 film Dhoop. Though the film failed to earn commercial encores, the critical acclamation was duly received and since then, she has worked in films like Jurm and the TV series Kashmir. She played a commoner, fighting hard to save her husband from going to the gallows, in the 2006 Nagesh Kukunoor film, Dor. In 2008, she acted in the films Hello and Summer 2007. In 2009, she appeared in the movie Straight. She featured in Rann in a role attempting to stop her boy friend from doing the right thing. Panag appeared on the front page of Maxim with whom she did a photo shoot in September 2008. She is debuting in Punjabi movies with `Sarsa Movie`.
She has appeared in numerous advertisements on television and print media and is the brand ambassador for Tata Sky, along with Aamir Khan.
Works of Gul Panag
An Actor and Producer who has been part of the Entertainment Industry for the last 13 years Gul has always travelled the less travelled ways. As she evolved with time and emerged as a thinking actor; her choice of work had set her apart from her contemporaries. The film fraternity respects her for her ability to render diverse characters with ease in multiples languages. She has attained critical acclaim for each of her roles, winning awards, nominations and adulation.
Her role is not being confined to an Actor rather Gul is a responsible activist and powerful opinion maker known to articulate her mind intrepidly on numerous topics covering a spectrum from strategic & foreign affairs to safety of women and citizen responsibility that mainly titillates her sensitive mind and soul. She uses her Twitter platform to facilitate debates, discussions and discourses on topical matters, and endeavours to amplify causes with a solution oriented approach. Gul runs an NGO - The Colonel Shamsher Singh Foundation that works towards promoting citizen-government partnership towards gender equality, addiction awareness, education, employment and disaster management. The Foundation also runs an online volunteering portal the Social Outreach and Accreditation Program. She is dangerously passionate about automobiles, fitness, technology and aviation. She is a freelance columnist writing on automobiles, travel, fitness and technology and; has been on the jury of various Automobile and Technology Awards. She is well known for being supremely fit, is a serial half-marathon runner and has now been approached to do a fitness DVD showcasing her philosophy of strength, endurance and flexibility. Gul is currently pursuing her Private Pilot License with the ultimate aim of doing a round the world trip in a single engine plane. She is also has plans of pursuing a Law Degree in the near future.