Remember the girl who played the stylish, popular college student in Falguni Pathak’s iconic music video Maine Payal Hai Chhankai? For many viewers who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Himani Shah remains one of the most memorable faces from the song. Decades later, the music video is still a nostalgic favourite, and Shah is back in the spotlight after sharing a playful throwback on social media.
Shah recently posted a clip from the 1999 music video with the text, “I fear I already peaked.” She captioned it, “You guys listen to Falguni Pathak during Navratri. I have receipts.”
The post prompted nostalgic reactions from viewers, with one commenter calling her a “baddie before the term was coined”. The description fits the confident, fashionable character she played in the video, who looked down on a fellow student performing a puppet show with Falguni Pathak. But what happened to Himani Shah after the song became a defining part of her public image? Her career did not end with the music video.
Who Is Himani Shah From ‘Maine Payal Hai Chhankai’?
Released in 1999, ‘Maine Payal Hai Chhankai’ turned out to be one of Falguni Pathak’s most popular music videos. The video’s popularity was enhanced due to its college theme, interesting characters and a love story.
Shah acted in the role of a popular girl who mockes a simpler girl, played by Anita Pradhan Kharkar, when they were performing in an arts and puppet show in a college. Vivan Bhatena played the male lead in the video. While Falguni Pathak’s music became an integral part of Navratri festivities, Shah left her mark too through her music video.
From MTV India VJ To Actor And Model
Shah was not just an actress in a widely seen music video; she has done modeling as well as worked as a video jockey at MTV India during their musical television era. She also appeared in Bollywood films later on, having a cameo role in Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein (2001) and a role in the film Rehle Rehle Na in 2005.
Despite not making her widely known as she did with her music video, these roles are included in Shah’s career as a model and entertainer.
Where Is Himani Shah Today?
Currently, Himani Shah, who goes by the name Himani Rajiv Shah, is a digital content creator residing in Mumbai. As a content creator, she is more concerned about beauty, fashion, and luxurious living compared to the earlier days when she was making her mark in the world of music television and modelling. In an interview in June 2026 with The Nod, Shah spoke about her skincare regimen, working life, and her work as a content creator. This interview was an indication of what she loves at the moment and includes beauty products, fashion, and lifestyle content creation.
Himani Shah’s recent social media post also confirms her link with the music video which made her famous to a lot of people. Instead of ignoring the video, she chose to make fun out of her character and the lasting impact of the song. Himani Shah is the wife of Rajiv Shah, son of Mumbai-based diamond businessman and film producer Bharat Shah.The couple have two children.
Why Is Himani Shah Back In The Spotlight?
The comeback of Shah into the spotlight is yet another example of the extent to which the music videos from the ’90s continue to be ingrained into the cultural fabric of our lives. While audiences relive the Falguni Pathak songs on Navratri each year, some of the faces from those music videos take them down memory lane, back to an entirely different era of Bollywood.
Close to 27 years since the release of Maine Payal Hai Chhankai, Himani Shah continues to be known for the iconic character she created back then. Yet today, her life and profession as a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle influencer marks a different era of her journey.