'I get easily sick of my own face'

First Indian male to be picked by Models 1, Shayan Munshi likes to experiment with his look
If the beauty of Indian women has impressed the world, model Shayan Munshi is all set to prove that Indian men aren’t far behind. The strapping lad has just returned from Europe, where he enjoys the distinction of being the first Indian male model to be signed up by UK’s biggest and the world’s best-known modelling agency, Models 1, responsible for launching the careers of industry greats like Yasmin Le Bon, Jerry Hall, Greta Scaatchi, Gerard Smith and Charley Speed.
Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre were rumouredly rejected by the agency at one point. “That was probably because they’re classically goodlooking and the flamboyant funk-punk look was in at the time,� says Shayan. “With me, it all began with Japanese-American designer Michiko Koshino selecting me for her show in London in January last year. A meeting with representatives of Models 1 resulted in me getting signed up for a year and participating in Fashion Weeks in Paris, Milan and London.�
People didn’t quite take this Kolkata boy to be Indian. “People thought I was Italian or South American,� says Shayan, “because the world has a very different perception of what Indian men look like. I feel the Indian male is as goodlooking, if not better, than the women. Have you seen the rural Rajasthani men pulling camels? Their light eyes and strong jawlines are something top models would die for!�
Amongst the masses, Shayan is still best known for his role in Jhankar Beats. He announces, “I’m set to hit Bollywood big time.� Shayan reveals he has signed up with Suneil Shetty’s production house and four big movies are on the cards. Is it worth chucking up a career on the international ramp for Hindi films? “Bollywood’s pretty big there, and my agency thinks it’ll help if I’m a Bollywood star.�
Shayan’s always been a rebel, left home at the age of 18 and has supported himself since, has umpteen tattoos all over his body, and he never likes to keep one look for more than a few weeks. “I get sick of my own face, how can I subject anyone else to it?� he asks.
jamal.shaikh@timesgroup.com