What might have been just another catchy music video on the YouTube website is about to blow up big time for Surrey musician Dal Hothi.

A mainstay on Metro Vancouver’s music scene for over 15 years, Hothi had no idea when he cast the female lead of his latest video that she would be soon catapulted to fame on the coat tails of Slumdog Millionaire, an eight-time Oscar winner at the recent 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Last spring, Hothi flew to Mumbai to shoot a video for a single from his latest Bhangra-rock album, Indian Groove, recorded under the name Dilvog.

Several women auditioned for the role of Hothi’s "lover" in the video for "I Promise You," with Freida Pinto making the final cut.

The video was released quietly Sunday on YouTube, and has already garnered nearly 7,000 hits.

It wasn’t until a co-worker at Surrey Now, the community newspaper where Hothi works as a sales rep, made the connection for him that Hothi realized the beautiful woman in his video was also the red carpet darling of this year’s Oscars.

"I thought she had a bit role, a smaller part," Hothi told the Surrey Now, "and then I looked it up online and wow, she’s the star, she’s become a big deal."

Also the lead singer with The Headlines, a rock ‘n’ roll cover band, Hothi scrambled re-edit an English version of "I Promise You" to give star Pinto more play.

Too busy at the time to take Pinto up on an offer to visit the set of Slumdog Millionaire last year, Hothi is now kicking himself at that missed opportunity – but is not missing the chance now to bask in the glow of the movie that swept the Oscars.

"Being associated with that movie in any way is a huge thrill, and the opportunities I think it’ll open up down the road should be fantastic," he said.