More challenging to endorse brands as a model: Ankita Shorey

Mumbai: Former Miss India International Ankita Shorey, who recently walked the ramp for French European Indian Fashion Week, believes that it is more challenging to walk the ramp and endorse brands as a model than being an actress.

“If you are a famous actress in Bollywood, it is very easy to get a brand endorsement or walk the ramp as a showstopper; but doing it as a model is always challenging. So when I won the Miss India beauty pageant, I aimed to achieve that as a model before entering the Bollywood industry,” said Ankita.

The beauty queen, who has been modelling for last five years and has walked the ramp for iconic fashion designers like Anju Modi, Tarun Tehlani, Rina Dhaka, Rocky S, is very happy to have participated in French European IndIan Fashion Week at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

“As a model I always wanted to walk the ramp for Narendra Kumar. Therefore, when I came to know I would be the showstopper for his collection, that too on such a special occasion, I could not have asked more. It is a dream come true and spirited moment for me,” she said.

Ankita is the first Indian model to have walked the ramp at the Eiffel Tower.

Expressing her joy, she said: “Isn’t it so wonderful to see among all the top designers across the globe, our Indian designer Narendra Kumar got the opportunity to participate in the grand finale of such a big fashion show? And I represent India there again! Such a joy!”

Coming from an army family, where discipline plays a very important role in daily life, it was a little difficult for Ankita to deal with a certain attitude of entertainment industry. However, she learned to deal with it, in her own terms.

“For instance, unpunctuality is one of the problems that I faced when I entered the industry, no one comes on time.

However, I didn’t change myself. Initially I went on sets on time and called up people saying I have arrived and waiting for everyone. Now they are aware of my punctuality. So people around me have become punctual with me! You see, I am changing things for better (she laughs),” Ankita said.

The model, who has shared the stage with Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor as a host at Filmfare Awards in 2012 and wishes to work with her favourite Salman Khan, said that she is open to the idea of doing content-driven films and meaningful roles.

IANS