MTV came up with a brand new show last year “India’s Next Top Model” which featured glam, sexy models from all over India competing to prove that modeling is not just about pretty faces. It’s much more than that…….and yes, you guessed it right! It requires as much if not more, talent than any other profession. The show’s tagline “You Wanna Be On Top?” reminds you with every episode that this isn’t just any other modeling competition. Rather, it’s a fight among the most talented girls from all over India to come and dabble into the “Real” thing. The type of show that takes you out of all your expected dimensions of comfort zone- testing your creativity skills, presence of mind, strategy making, crisis management and real technical knowledge about fashion. Let’s look at some of the factors which make this show so memorable:
- The Varied Kind Of Contestants
Models are not just about pretty faces and definitely “Not” just cloth hangers. And the contestants of this season just proved that. Each belonging to a different cultural background brought in a fresh perspective and a powerful personality beneath the glossy bundle of clothes. As much as it was fun watching the unexpected and challenging tasks, what was even mind opening was watching each girl making through her own journey, battling her own demons out her way!
- The Judges
And the celebrity judges. From Admaker Prahlad Kakkar to Actor Gautam Gulati, each brought their own expertise to the table. Be it Dabu Ratnani guiding the girls on giving their best shot, Anushka turning the girls into Style Queens or Lisa Haydon, pointing out the common pitfalls of models (as well as keeping the girls right on toes), each had pearls of wisdom which helped us understand the fashion industry much better.
- The Mind bending Tasks
The underwater shoot
“And” task/ dual character portrayal shoot
The crazy ramp walk
The shocking “street” catwalk
The sensuous Boudoir (The Lipstick Challenge)!
The Mannequin Challenge
The Rooftop Photo shoot challenge
The Superhero Photo shoot
The Face Photo shoot (the most intriguing and challenging one!)
And the Grand Finale- The Lakme Fashion Week!!!
The tasks were very cleverly designed and checked the creative prowess and spontaneity of the girls. They weren’t as much about preparation. But the ability to stay grounded even in tensed situations and being able to think out a strategy to wriggle of the messy bits is what made watching these tasks an altogether a different experience.
- The drama……and then there was the melodrama!
The bitchiness, the bullying, the emotional outpour. The fun times, the bad times. They were all but a part of a model’s journey. The girls were pitted against each other- but they were all each others’ rock when they lacked any guidance or emotional support.
- The transformation
From the pretty face Aditi proving her prowess, to the misfit Naga beauty Gloria becoming the most competitive participant, the sweet and shy, dusky skinned Danielle showing her mettle (and actually winning the show!), to the USA beauty Monica showing her moves in Umrao Jaan outfit. The transformation was nothing like we ever imagined. From the sweet “girl next doors” to “smart, confident women”, this show was as much about modeling as it was about self-confidence and personal grooming.
You name it…..and the girls braved it. Modeling isn’t all fun and games. And the journey on this show definitely proved that fashion is no monkey business.
© 2016 Mind Pickles
P.S. I don’t own any of the pics
mindpickles 