Sushree Shreya Mishra

The fashion industry has caught the imagination of youngsters in the state. While we can see the likes of Bibhu Mohapatra and Manas Dash rubbing shoulders with best in the textile designing industry, the question that arises is — where are Odisha’s very own Carol Gracias, Indrani Dasgupta, Muzamil Ibrahim and Rajneesh Duggal?

A large number of youths in the state are interested to work in the modelling industry, but the lack of training institutes comes in the way of their dreams. Observers say that in the last decade, a handful of private grooming institutes did open but they had to shut shop due to lack of students. Aspirants also break into cold sweat because of the fees charged by training schools. Support from the families of aspirants is also an issue because many older people dismiss it as a “non-serious profession”.

Also, there are not even any government institutes to train aspiring models.

The mindset has changed, but we still have miles to go says Sanjay Mohanty, a fashion photographer who has been creating portfolios for aspiring models since 1999. A number of successful models and actors of the Odia film industry owe their success to Mohanty.

“Most youngsters fail to make it big primarily because of two reasons —s the absence of dedication and family support. The industry can test your nerves but impatient models want to taste success as soon as possible. They get heartbroken when hit by setbacks. Moreover, their parents are not ready to invest Rs 3 lakh or 4 lakh in a modelling course, which they would do happily for an MBA degree. The acceptance of modelling as a profession has increased by leaps and bounds. But parents still shy away from investing the fee that the industry demands because of the risk involved,” said Mohanty, who runs a grooming academy that charges Rs 35,000 for a three-month course. At present, 15-odd students are enrolled in the programme.

The course covers spoken English, swimming, dining etiquettes, dance classes, voice modulation, personality development and preparation of portfolios. “The definition of fashion and modelling is very skewed. The aspiring model must know that it’s not just the clothes. Fashion is reflected in the attitude,” he said.

Sponsorship by private firms is also hard to come by.

Indrani Dasgupta

Gayatri Mahapatra has been modelling for shows for eight years now. But her remuneration is just around Rs 2,000 a show. “There is neither any private firm to sponsor Odia models nor any known agency that can arrange shows for us outside the state,” said Gayatri.

Sisir Barik, a part-time model, said: “I took up modelling in my college days. Through modelling, I got a chance to act in music albums. But one must always have a back-up plan. Without sheer dedication, making the cut in the industry is next to impossible.” Barik also works as a lecturer in a private engineering college.

Top models from Odisha can’t help but agree. “I believe it is just the lack of opportunities in Odisha in terms of modelling which is why we don’t see many people pursuing it as a career. Modelling is not really seen as a career by people because they fail to understand and see the dynamics and hard work that goes into it,” said Sushree Shreya Mishra, who has won titles such as Asian Super Model India 2010, Model Star Award in Asia Models Festival Award 2011 (Korea), Miss Friendship International in Asian Models Festivals Award (China) and I Am Popular subtitle in I Am She, Miss Universe India 2010.

Another successful model from the state, Ankita Mahapatra, takes up assignments only when she feels that would add zing to her career and help her get closer to the bigger goal of becoming a successful actress. “There is certainly no doubt that it takes a lot of poise and dedication to become a top model. I have come across many Odias walking the ramp at national-level fashion shows. Aspiring models just need to mail their pictures to modelling agencies,” said Ankita, who will soon be seen in a big-banner Bollywood film.

Both Sushree Shreya and Ankita learnt the tricks of the trade outside the state. While Sushree received her training from grooming expert Ritika Ramtri Kumar and diction expert Nalini Ramtri, Ankita took guidance from an institute in Pune.

Ankita believes that one’s own culture always adds to creativity. “I guess it has got more to do with personal choice. The upcoming talent agencies and grooming institutes must guide the aspiring models and encourage them. The idea is to be open-minded and achieve your dreams with an open heart,” she said.