Finalists of Grasim Mr India 2006 at Taj Bengal on Monday. Picture by Pabitra Das

There have been groans and grumbles galore about the quality of ramp beauties being churned out by the city of late. Model maker Maureen Wadia had even dubbed the Calcutta participants for the Bombay Dyeing Gladrags Mrs India contest “the poorest” in India. But if girls from Calcutta have been failing to impress on the national ramp for quite sometime now, three men from the city are all set to make a mark at the 12th Grasim Mr India 2006 contest.

Model Neeraj Surana and aspirants Anshuman Gupta and Anuj Kumar are among the 30 finalists who will vie for the crown this year ? in Calcutta.

Yes, the mega finals will be held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium ? and not in Mumbai ? on February 25.

The high-profile glam show returns to Calcutta after a gap of five years. “There were some internal problems due to which we had to change the venue from Mumbai to Calcutta at the last moment,” revealed Sonia Swami, event director.

And the reason for choosing Calcutta over other metros? The galloping growth of of the fashion industry here. “We chose Calcutta because it is the most happening city at the moment. The fashion industry is growing at a faster pace than ever before with designers making a mark in the international arena in a big way. People are waking up to the city’s immense potential. There couldn’t have been a better time to bring this event back to the city,” added Sonia.

She was all praise for the Calcutta finalists as well. “The fashion industry here is still in its formative years. So, the young models of the city have potential but they lack proper exposure and organisation. All the three finalists from Calcutta are very promising.”

Other contestants include 13 boys from Delhi, 13 from Mumbai and one from Pune. The final 30 have been selected from about 15,000 entries, handpicked from regional rounds in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Calcutta.

The Grasim Mr India contest is not just about good looks. It is more a personality pageant where the emphasis is on the “perfect blending of intelligence and attitude with good looks”.

“Grasim is a fashion statement for the youth with style and dynamism. The winner of the title should essentially be someone who the youth of the country can look up to. A person who is modern, refined and relaxed in any situation,” explained Sonia.

In the run-up to the contest, the finalists will undergo a strict grooming regimen, from physical fitness sessions, day-to-day beauty care tips and speaking workshops to training in ramp walking and choreography by Sheetal Sharma and Raful Sojka.

“It really feels great to be a part of the final 30,” said Neeraj, one of the Calcutta finalists. “From now on, every day will be a learning experience. We will be working closely with some of the big names of the industry. Whether I win the title is not really the big question, what matters most is the exposure that such contests give.”

Apart from the Grasim Mr India crown, the contest will award five other titles: Best Smile, Best Physique, Mr Photogenic, Best Talent and Mr Popular.