By: Kunaal Chauhan
Fashion — passion for some, need for others or just a reason to avoid faux pas for the rest. A multimillion dollar industry in itself, modelling, is just another profession to die for. With a successful modelling career come glamour, popularity and money, which would definitely be the turn-on for millions of modelling aspirants that we have in our country.
But what is the scope of commercial modelling in our own Himachal Pradesh? 
Boasting of some big silver screen names like Preity Zinta, Anupam Kher, Pankaj Kapoor and more recently of Rubina Dilaik (Choti Bahu) and Priya Chauhan (Tele shopping), models from Shimla have never made it big on the national circuit. What might be the reason for this inability?
The normal procedure to become a model is that you have to create your own portfolio (which consists of a photoshoot form a decent photographer), then forward it to different modelling agencies. In case you are lucky you get noticed by the right people at the right times, otherwise your dream to make it big may be only limited to local fashion shows and brand promotion. The normal procedure can take years for an aspirant to achieve some celebrity status, in the other case you just need to be extremely lucky and have some good contacts with influential people.
Good looks and a good body are not the most important things when it comes to becoming a successful model. I am not saying that these things do not matter, but you also need proper grooming to become successful. And we all know that an uncut diamond does not possess the value of a polished stone.
Then is it that girls/guys from Himachal possess inadequacies, which hinder their success, as compared to the neighbouring state of Punjab, who have done reasonably well in this field? When it comes to looks, I don’t think good looks or great genes, is the reason. When the same question was asked to ex-Miss Shimla and emerging actor, Priya Chauhan, she retorted back by saying: “There are various deterrents such as lack of exposure, correct sources, guidance, etc which delay the onset of success for a while for people hailing from Himachal”. She also said “it’s a very insecure platform where success isn’t always guaranteed. The risk part always outweighs an aspirant and one loses the confidence of taking a chance even when he/she is full of talent. No offence meant, but only a handful of families would permit their kids to venture out and live their dreams especially girls.”
The major reason for lack of success stories is that there is no modelling school in all of Himachal. We do have talent, but that is of no use unless, the talented ones are shown the correct path. In the same context it can be said that popular modelling agencies have not realized the talent portal of our state, nor has the government done enough to invite such agencies.
” Another one bites the dust…!” Not the famous Prince song but the harsh reality of HP which doesn’t have the industry for similar ventures.Go out and seek the world!
@ Vivek – Since u made u’re point by stating a song…… i’ll reply to u’re comment with a song too & it’s called “Why Don’t You Get A Job” by the offsprings.
The author of this post & the soon to be big but right now “no one knows” model Priya Chauhan are definitely inflicted with what can only be called the ” Sub-Conscious Inferiority Complex “.
I can’t believe the editor of this site published this non-sense .First of all lets get the basics right, you don’t become a successful actor or a model by only depending upon how you look or are groomed. I don’t want to state the obvious but it’s a well know fact in Himachal how the likes of Priety Zinta & Kangana Ranaut have got their films!!!!!! & talent has very little to do about it.
One doesn’t need to go to “punjab”( as acc. to the author) to get groomed or should i say to get over the “Sub -Conscious Inferiority Complex”. The most simple and easiest way to get over this “complex” is EDUCATION.And EDUCATION on anything can be sought even in the remotest of areas of Himachal (that too for free) thanks to the internet.
but it’s a well know fact in Himachal how the likes of Priety Zinta & Kangana Ranaut have got their films!!!!!! & talent has very little to do about it.
Being a Himachali myself, I still don’t know how these two got into films… Can you tell us how they did?
Narad, my friend, I don’t know if u’re being sarcastic here or if u really don’t know.. but i’ll still try to explain it to u as gently as I can.
We live in a cynical world, there are no free rides here!.. Once you get out of Himachal u relize
that nobody is willing to help you unless they are going to get something in return.
Having spent my share of time in bombay i can tell u that
IF u’re a pretty looking girl…. then its really not that hard for u to get into films or modelling or TV shows.
All one has to be is pretty and willing to sleep around with the influential guys like the producers,actors, directors etc.. etc.. u get the point. if one does that then she’ll/he’ll atleast get a film and from then on it just becomes how many more influential of influential people in the film business are u wiling to sleep around with to get more films!!!
NOw i understand that i’ve painted quite a discouraging,grim and dark picture of how things are out there … but weather u like to admit it or not ….it’s the Truth man. That’s how things roll out there unless ofcourse u’re son or daughter of some well connected famous person….
if u’re just a regular guy then … i told u how it works. So all the best !
dats why we need a modelling school….
What I gather from your reply is that Zinta and Kangana got movies because they were sleeping around. Is it??
u sure r quick ! and i can’t get clearer than that.
As for Miss Priya Chauhan’s Statement that “only a handful of families would permit their kids to venture out and live their dreams especially girls.”.. well Priya the reason for families reluctance is not ’cause people are Himachal are still stuck in the middle ages (as you have subtly suggested ) but ’cause they don’t want their kids (especially girls) to go thorough the filth and dirty business of the glamor world. Not everyone here would have the resources available with them as with you or would like their children to follow the “empty dreams” which have a total life span of 10 years at most !
No matter how much we try to “Americanize ” our thinking…. the simple fact remains that we have a way of life followed here(i.e. hinduism) with variations of course since 2000 BC & we can’t just overlook that fact just in the name of ” modernization, economy of free thought” all which is the manifestation of the western world imposed upon the others.
What kids in Himachal need to understand & remember is that “It’s not about what people think about you that matters but what you do with yourself and others around you that matters”.
Rest of it …… is all bullshit.
PEACE.
Thank you Mr. Aayush. All I can say is that different people have different opinions.
You do have one, but it doesnt change anything. Secondly I would request you to not use harsh words as you have used in ur 3rd comment.
Well u’re right Kunal , everybody has an opinion !.. I realize I might have put across my point a bit forcibly but there was no intention for being harsh in it.
The reason I felt compelled to comment on u’re post was because u’re post in a way (weather u intended it to be or not) encouraged the thought that there’s not much scope to do things in HImachal while all the opportunities lie outside of HImachal. Me & my friends felt exactly the same way when we were 15-16 years old. We thought that if we had to do something or become something in life then we had to get out of HImachal cuz all the opportunities lied outside. But now after almost 10 years of living outside of himachal and in various cities across India we realise how immature and naive we were to think like that.
NObody gives u opportunities in u’re lap. one has to make his own opportunities and u can make ’em anywhere.One doesn’t necessarily has to be in Bombay,Delhi or Bangalore to do what he wants to do.Plus with the natural beauty and environment of Himachal , it makes it the most ideal place for one to be at his innovative best.
Sadly I see kids in Himachal even today thinking the same way like we did when we were their age and waste their time dreaming or trying just to get out South of here instead of using their brains. So they have a “Sub Conscious Inferiority complex” of being from a “small town” and probably that’s the reason why most of them are hooked on drugs.
Brother dats wat i said…we DO have the talent…
But dont u think that if we had a Modelling school/agency in HP, it could be of much more help. Dats the point of the article..No one is doubting any talent portal of our state..we lack guidance and grooming..
dats why same is the case of No himachali player in the Indian cricket team…I
There are many more fields for girls to venture into after what has been pointed out by some of the readers. Call me backward or old fashioned or whatever you will, modelling is not the field for our girls , there being casting couches around in abundance.
Ther’s not even a single modelling school in Mumbai…though there are many acting schools…Actor Prepares by our own Anupam Kher is one – title of a theatre personality bio). And please leave the poor Govt. out of it … they’ve lot more to do … you might have quotas there too ! Its one’s personality including a photogenic face(camera / mirror doesn’t lie!) and chances which earn you a small or big shelf space.
After free-lance writing i started in India’s top-notch ad agency as an Agency Producer/Films Executive in LINTAS(Levers In-house Ads) handling multi crore soaps apart from many others and Madras branch(then) MRF Tyres.Liril,Rexona,Lifebuoy…Shield from UK later discontinued(Pooja Bhatt’s 1st ad!).We did many many model / screen tests regularly including for the new Liril girl under shower in 2 piece blikni(Preity Zinta came later when i had moved on).In all my stint we never came acroos “casting couches”.There are black sheep every where its just that glamour catches the attention faster and more! Sonali Bendre was my room mates off asstt. b4 i met her and she got a Surf Bengali poster.In my ineractions as and when i come to Shimla for my screenings i make it a point to dispell unwarrnted fears in Govt. job mentality Shimla…mostly.Don’t blame the knife…it depends on whose hands does it fall…surgeon or the murderer!
I’m coming again with a big award winning Nat and Int film Festival(18/19/20 Mar in Gaiety) with Films Division of GOI,Min of I&B.Mumbai. We are also having a workshop on ‘Careers in Fillms’…please join us and spread the word ! Ignorance is not always bliss and little knowledge is very dangerous.
There are no uncles and aunties to push you forward.AB jr. is a case in point…i hope his Big dad has run out of “IDEAS”(PUN INTENDED).Heard of Uday Chopra???!!!???
Also as far as popularity of some ‘Chauhan’ is concerned…there are places in the world who don’t even know Big B and SRK! One is nearby…Guess? M A L A N A ! In North America Irrfan Khan is more known than Akshay Kumar ! I can go on and on but for now this is sufficient.Period.
We all love Himachal so such healthy debates are welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful and enlighting comment. Even i feel that the “Casting Couch” is a term, whcih just shows the current narrow mentality of the society. How can people point a finger at some one and say rubbish stuff. Professionalism is the key to success these days in every field. Whenever a girl from Himachal becomes successful, unneccesarily people start commenting on her character. I just hate such people. And it just shows how fickle minded they are.
Hey vivek , YOU’re telling these kids stories they’d rather believe, use and confuse them they’re numb and naive…. all because u want them to join u’re highly doubtful “careers in films” workshop!!! Common… no “Casting Couches” in u’re line of work…. who’re u kidding!!
Give them the true picture ..
Atleast admit what happens and don’t give kids here false hope and aspirations only to have them used in the end.
India is a Country of over a billion people… here everything happens with a “JUGAD”.. even that Ratan Tata of Tata tea( with the slogan-“khilana band karo ,pilana shuru karo”)uses his “JUGAD.. to get his work done.,so what off the common man…
IN BOmBay there are literally millions of girls and boys from all across the country trying to get a break and they’re willing to do anything… anything for their 15 secs of fame…
and I don’t say all this with my intuitions….. I know people in ad agency’s/ film making/ event management etc etc.. in bombay and other places & i’ve been to their parties,their work culture or whatever u wanna call it so u’re point doesn’t hold much good in front of me.
and.. it’s somebody’s kids we’re talking abt here not a slice of meat for your ” Don’t blame the knife…it depends on whose hands does it fall…surgeon or the murderer!” comment. how would u feel if u’re kid fell on the knife ???? would u still be talking abt surgeons or murderers!!!
Well that’s lovely and informative 🙂
i dont see any problem in having a modelling school in HP. it’ll be good for the young people of our state.
Only thing left for me to say is ….
I don’t want to be mean but i guess that’s all i can be when I see what’s happening to this place and the people here ,who are all set on their way to become “Americanized Whores”.
“Aayushman bhav !” I love your misdirected passion…may be we all can help H.P. stand on its 2 feet and not and take care of the ‘model’ schools for basic edu than worry about ‘model schools!
Modelling is not a respectable career choice for any young lady. And the casting couch is a sad reality. No need to try to disprove its existence. The only actors that get by without it are those that come from famous acting families. The last thing HP needs to spend money on is to further the misguided dreams of star struck teens.
@ Veronika- your description is ‘real picture’ of the industry. Though i haven’t got the chance to go through all being discussed, but my friends who have gone through (both male and female) share the same views.
Sadly ‘casting couch’ has spread its good in hospitality and corporate sector too (well thats also from first hand experiences of people i know closely). So we can imagine the situation, where casting couch has its roots!
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