Calcutta: Five women from the red-light areas in and around Kalighat broke away from their daily lives to turn models for a sari brand on Wednesday.
Decked out in Benarasi saris designed by Joydeep Roy and woven by master-weavers from Varanasi, Seema, 26, Rupa, 24, Kajal, 26, Shiuli, 28, and Pratima, 28, were living proof of what the initiative, Lavanyashakti, aims at- marriage of beauty and courage.
"I feel beautiful," said Seema, whose three-year-old daughter is with New Light, the NGO that launched Lavanyashakti in November last year with a wellness and beauty workshop.
The women were up working till late but didn't miss the 8am call-time for a grooming and make-up session with Abhijit Chanda. Pinky Kenworthy took care of the styling. They modelled two saris each from brand Coloroso, sashaying in front of the camera and oozing confidence at every step.
"It was fun posing in front of the camera. We usually wear saris, but never anything this beautiful or expensive," said Pratima, who was forced into prostitution by her husband 12 years ago. A mother of two teenage boys, this opportunity opened her heart to more dreams. "I would really like to do some more modelling," she smiled, resplendent in a bright pink Benarasi, a huge red bindi on her forehead.
Lavanyashakti 2 came about when Urmi Basu, the founder of New Light, met Roy and the talk turned to how his saris could benefit the women.
"These women are in extreme life situations but they have the courage to conquer that every single day. We want to encourage people to look at them as individuals and help them make that transition from abuse to freedom," Basu said.
All five women want to begin anew, some like Seema and Rupa have already bought land and are waiting to save enough to build a house where they can move with their children. Others like Shiuli and Pratima are hoping to save enough to make their bid for freedom.
The compensation the women get for the project will take them a step closer to their dream. "We will give them an empowerment fund that can help start a small business. We will monitor the funds and give financial advice too," Basu promised.
Coloroso will do its bit by borrowing the girls' names for labels, with 10 saris under each. "The sales proceeds will help women like them," said Roy.