Pursuing a passion

She’s been the face of many brands and she’s set many a ramp afire. But supermodel Sheetal Mallar, who was in the city to launch a bridal line-up, was a breath of fresh air with her cool composure. “I’m very used to wearing ghagra cholis, but saris are my favourite, especially when it comes to special occasions like weddings,” she starts out. “I find them more easy to handle and airy.I like vibrant colours with simple embellishments; I’m not a big fan of crystals,” she confesses.
She may be any photographer’s dream in front of the lens, but the leggy lass is quite something behind the lens as well. “Photography is my passion and career and I’m very excited about it,” she says, “I took up photography because sooner or later I have to get out of the spotlight; I can’t do modelling for ever. That aside, I was hungry for some creative stimulation. I felt like I should do something new.”
Her favourite subject being people, what she loves most about wielding the camera is the friendships it builds. “Shooting landscapes is fine, but I like working with people over anything else. Real people are always more interesting; as you interact with them, the connections you make enrich yourself.”
And, she says that she works visually and doesn’t get hung up with f-stops and shutter speeds. “As a photographer, I know whatever I need to know about the technical side of the art, but I don’t let it preoccupy my thought process. I’m not into working with poses. I like to be in the moment and capture the emotions”
Chennai is part of her travel itinerary very often, but she confesses that she doesn’t know too much of the city. “I’m here mostly on work, so I’m familiar with the airport and many of the hotels, but other than that, I haven’t had the opportunity to explore the city. I’ve hear that it’s a very nice city, so I’m waiting to explore it a bit. The problem is that I don’t know many people here and if I’m to explore the place, it’s important to know people here.” She says that although she usually heads out right after work, this time, she’s planning to linger on a get a better feel of the city’s night life.
Although she enjoys being in the limelight, she insists that she’s a very private person. “I was always the back-bencher; I never liked to be in the front. But when I’m on the ramp, I see it as a job - I switch off and do my job and go back to being me after work. Although I like the attention and adoration I get, I don’t thrive on it,” she signs off.
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