Swaalina
Swaalina | |
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| Born | Halina Kuchey 1 July 1995 |
| Known for | |
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Halina Kuchey (born 1 July 1995), known by her stage name Swaalina, is a Finnish actress, singer and model in India.[1][2] She has starred in numerous Punjabi and Hindi music videos such as "Prada" by Jass Manak and "Firse Machayenge" by Emiway Bantai.[3] She was also in the 2022 action film Shooter.
Early life and education
Kuchey is from an Afghan family who moved to Ylöjärvi, Finland, when she was three years old.[3] She was the youngest in the family.[3] She attended secondary and high school in Tampere, where she got involved in theatre.[3] She moved to Mumbai, India, at the age of 19, hoping to pursue a career in Bollywood.[3]
Career
Early in her career, Kuchey appeared in more than a hundred television commercials for brands such as Tata Tea, Snapdeal, and Nescafé.[3][1]
Music videos
One of her first music videos was for the Hindi song "Ik Kahani" (2017).[4]
Her first hit music video as Swaalina was "Prada" with Punjabi singer Jass Manak, released in May 2018.[3] The song climbed the Billboard charts and by February 2020, and the video had 550 million views on YouTube alone.[3] Her other music videos with Manak include "Suit Punjabi" and "Billian Billian".[5]
Another hit music video was "Firse Machayenge" by rapper Emiway Bantai, which was the 7th most-watched YouTube video in 2020, with 315 million views by the end of the year.[3][6][7] In 2023, they appeared together in the music video for "Kudi".[8]
Other music videos include "Thaa Karke" by B Mohit featuring Karan Aujla and Swaalina, which was filmed before the COVID-19 lockdown and released in September 2020.[5]
Film
Swaalina's movie credits include the female lead role in the action film Shooter, with Jayy Randhawa playing the Punjabi gangster Sukha Khalon.[3][9][10] According to Swaalina, she studied Punjabi day and night for 15 days in order to get the part, despite not speaking the language previously.[9]
The film was made in Punjab, India, making it a Pollywood film.[11] Originally scheduled for release in 2020, it was banned by the premier of the Punjab, and then in Haryana; the reason given was that the film was feared to glorify violence, even though the film's main message was to condemn it.[11]
Personal life
Swaalina is married to hip-hop artist Emiway Bantai.[8] Their wedding photos were shared on Instagram on 24 January 2025.[1] Fluent in Finnish and English, she is learning Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Who is Swaalina? Model-Actress Who Married Mumbai-Based Rapper Emiway Bantai". Lokma Times. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ Tirronen, Mika (21 January 2022). "Turun yliopisto ja suomalainen Bollywood-tähti, laulaja ja tanssija Swaalina osaamisen mahdollisuuksia luomassa". Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Vuorinen, Terho (27 February 2020). "Ylöjärveläinen Halina, 24, muutti Intiaan ja pian hän olikin Bollywood-tähti – elää nyt tarkasti suojeltua luksuselämää". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Who Is Swaalina? All About Rapper Emiway Bantai's Actress Wife". Free Press Journal. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via ProQuest.
- 1 2 "Mohit's track with Aujla & Swaalina was made before lockdown". Times Entertainment. The Times of India. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Badshah, Carry Minati, BB Ki Vines: YouTube reveals top 10 creators, videos of 2020". Business Today. 14 December 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
- ↑ "Check out 2020's most viewed Hindi songs on YouTube". Radioandmusic.com. 30 December 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2026 – via ProQuest.
- 1 2 "Pics: Rapper Emiway Bantai marries singer-actor Swaalina". India Today. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 Vashist, Neha (4 July 2021). "#BigInterview! Swaalina on 'Shooter'". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "Gal Sun: The third song from 'Shooter' is a love ballad [Punjabi Music]". The Times of India. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via ProQuest.
- 1 2 Vuorinen, Terho (28 February 2020). "Suomalaisen Halinan, 24, tähdittämä Bollywood-elokuva oli liikaa – hyllytettiin Intiassa sisältönsä vuoksi". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 July 2026.