What was your first thought as and when your name was announced?
I was obviously very thrilled, I had been working on this (Gladrags) for a long time and all that hard work paid off.

Tell us something about yourself, your background etc?
I did my schooling from Springdales Dhaula Kuan (New Delhi) and then did my college from IIFA Meerut. Before becoming a model I worked as a full-time graphic designer. Around 7-8 months back, I decided to focus on modelling and so I became a freelancer, took my work home and started working on myself to become a model. I didn’t quit my job, because it would be very foolish to quit a stable job for modelling, I only took the work home.

How did you prepare for the event?
I began body-building, grooming etc and then before the Gladrags event there is of course a month-long training session where they work on all our aspects. You have dancing lessons, the right way to walk the ramp, diction, grooming, they even give you tips on the right kind of diet and all that.

Do you remember your first modelling assignment?
Yes, it was a national campaign for Airtel

What are your plans for the future?
I definitely plan to carry this forward, do more modelling. I will have to shift base to Mumbai.

You have a pretty illustrious line of predecessors – John Abraham, Dino Morea etc. How does that feel? Is there this feeling that you’ve got to live up to them?
Well, there is definitely this feeling that I have to live up to the name Gladrags. And the fact that people expect me to reach up to the level of these guys is a challenge that I work towards.

What was the best part about the Gladrags experience? Did you meet any of these famous names?
We met the judges and all the big names on the day of the final event itself. There was of course Mrs Maureen Wadia, Ness Wadia, some of the sponsors, Arjun Rampal etc. The best part would be of course all these big names coming up to us (the participants) and giving us tips and words of encouragement.. That was really great.

That was Gladrags, what is it that you find so exciting about modelling in general. Any special experience that you’d want to recount?
I’ll tell you a story. This first campaign that I did, it didn’t come out immediately after we shot for it. So one day I was out with my friends for my birthday, and as I walked out of a restaurant I saw my face staring at me out of a hoarding and there was this feeling of seeing my face out there. People were walking past that board, looking at the picture then looking back at me with the look of recognition on their face. That is the pull of modelling, of seeing your face across different mediums, of people recognising your face. That is why I came to it. Modelling gave me my best birthday present.

The world of modelling is considered a heady world where it’s very easy to fall into a trap. What’s your take on that?
See it all depends on you. You have to keep a firm head on your shoulders, think at least ten, no, a hundred times before doing anything – and don’t ever quit your job for modelling!

Did you yourself have any apprehensions while starting out? Or your family?
Well, modelling is a field where everyday ten other guys stand up and decide to be a model. So I too thought a hundred times for this, but then in life you have to take some risks at some time. I’m glad my risk paid off. My family did have some initial resistance to the idea. My dad used to model earlier, just as a hobby, so he knew the kind of world it is out there and he too was a bit reluctant, but once I started working and they saw that I was going somewhere, they too agreed.

To someone who wants to be the next Gladrags mega model, what would be your advice?
You have to be intelligent. Don’t fake it, be yourself, if you are simple, be simple. Don’t try to be over smart or jazzy or anything like that. Don’t copy anyone.

It is kind of strange advice in the modelling world, where appearances are everything...
No, appearances are important but whether you are on the ramp or in front of the camera, what you are will ultimately come out, so it’s better to be who you are from the start.

Who do you look to as role model? Someone you admire or aspire to be yourself?
I do admire John Abraham and Arjun Rampal a lot for how they’ve handled their career. And Shah Rukh Khan too, he is a self-made man no one from television has gone as far as he has.

Have you had any offers from Bollywood?
No, not yet

Anybody you’d like to thank for your position?
There’s definitely Mrs Maureen Wadia for actually recognising and then polishing the talent.