1 / 7 Advertisement Nina Sarkar became an overnight sensation at 17 with the hit song Leja Leja Re, remembered for her striking look and expressive eyes. Let us tell you everything about Nina.
Who is Nina Sarkar? 2 / 7 In 2006, the music video of Leja Leja Re, sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Ustad Sultan Khan, became a huge hit and turned young model Nina Sarkar into an overnight sensation. She was just 17 when she shot the video, and her expressive eyes and chemistry with co‑star Varun Toorkey made the song a timeless favourite for Indipop fans.
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Why were her looks in the video so talked about? 3 / 7 Nina’s eyes became the highlight of the video, and many people still remember her for them. Interestingly, she has now revealed that her “unforgettable” eyes in the song were enhanced with additional contact lenses during the shoot. Her short boy‑cut hair was also styled using hair extensions, not a full wig as many assumed, giving her a very unique look for that time.
What is Nina Sarkar doing now? 4 / 7 Today, Nina Sarkar lives in Bengaluru and has built a different kind of career for herself. She is the CEO, co‑founder and content strategist at Quillixir Content Solutions, a content services firm. Her Instagram and LinkedIn bios introduce her as a writer, creator, business owner and “dog mom,” showing how her life has moved far beyond just being the “Leja Leja girl.”
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When did she return to the limelight? 5 / 7 On April 9, 2026, Nina marked 20 years of Leja Leja Re by posting a video on Instagram, and it immediately went viral. Within hours, people started recognising her as the girl from the iconic music video, flooding her page with love and nostalgic comments. In one of her posts, she wrote that she had “never felt such warmth and gratitude” for her work before, because back in 2006 there was no social media for instant reactions.
Why did Nina stay away from the spotlight for so long? 6 / 7 Nina has shared that she stayed away from public life for years because she was worried that putting everything on camera might steal the simplicity from her everyday life. She often questioned whether life remains truly authentic once it is constantly recorded and displayed online. That is why she jokingly calls herself “famously reclusive (until 2026)” in her bio, acknowledging both her long absence and her quiet comeback.
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