Many of the stars we love have a special place in our lives because we grew up watching them. They may be at the top of their industries right now but quite a few started small - and were not too big at the time to do advertisements.
Looking back at these ads evokes a sense of nostalgia. While some of the actors were already popular by then, others look very new to the camera. Here are 10 such ads that you may have forgotten about or wish to revisit!
Samantha: The actor is ruling the roost in the Tamil and Telugu industries currently. She's near unrecognisable in this ad for Girijan Turmeric Powder, a beauty product.
Fahadh and Nithya Menen: We saw the two of them play a couple for a brief while in Anjali Menon's Bangalore Days. But before that came this Titan ad where Fahadh proposes to Nithya with a watch!
Sai Pallavi: Sai Pallavi made a name for herself on dance shows before she made her big debut as the lead in Premam. In this old ad for Profit, a nutritional drink, she plays tug of war and wins against her opponents. And of course, she also dances.
Nazriya: The actor was a child star before she turned heroine in the Tamil and Malayalam industry. In this old ad for Fashion Asia, a clothing store, she plays a burqa-clad woman who wears Western clothes after stepping into the shop (yes, we're as puzzled as you are).
Tovino Thomas: The versatile Tovino Thomas, who's currently one of the most sought after actors in the Malayalam industry, has also tried his hand in advertisements. In this ad for Indulekha Hair Oil, he plays an employee who'd rather quit his job than get a haircut!
Dulquer Salmaan: You may miss him in this ad if you blink your eyes, but that's Dulquer Salmaan you see around the 5 second Funskool ad for GI Joe. The actor, who is the son of Malayalam superstar Mammootty, has done films in multiple languages and we're sure fans will be happy to see his child version on screen.
Nayanthara: Nayanthara, like Samantha, looked very different before she made it big in the film industry. In this ad for Manshire, a clothing store, she plays a young woman stunned by the fashionable clothes of her peers.
Taapsee Pannu: In this old ad for Lakshmi Jewellery, Taapsee Pannu, one of Bollywood's biggest stars who also has a fanbase in the south, is dressed in a Kerala saree and dancing the traditional kaikotti kali.
Andrea Jeremiah: Andrea is known to pick films where she has substantial roles. In this old Leo coffee ad, which has music by AR Rahman, she is dressed traditionally and shown to be playing in the veena.
Ajith: Ajith barely makes public appearances to promote his films these days, let alone appear in ads. However, the actor did an ad for Hawai Chappals when he was quite young.