“I have paid my dues long enough to become a guru,” grins Atul Kasbekar as one catches up with the ace fashion photographer just after the press conference of Colors Infinity’s new show Top Model India, where Kasbekar is one of the judges. Once upon a time modelling was a highly aspirational career but over the years its appeal has diminished among youngsters. “Somewhere along the line, we ended up killing the supermodel,” says Kasbekar over a telephonic conversation. “There was an era in the beginning of my career when there were models – male and female – who were genuine supermodels on their own accord. Models like Sheetal Mallar, Mehr Jessia, Arjun Rampal and Rahul Dev were making a very good living just as models. They were paid top dollar equivalents. Every advanced advertising market has its separate, television, film and modelling stars. Cindy Crawford, I don’t think, ever played a role in a movie, but she made a fortune out of modelling. Here, somehow inexplicably, we killed the supermodel concept because of a variety of reasons. Young models look at it only as a stepping stone for a career in films. I would be very happy to be part of a process that can bring the concept back.”
Poached by Bollywood
Indeed. Deepika Padukone could have easily been a supermodel for a decade had she not been poached by the film industry. “It proved to be beneficial for the film industry as well as her bank balance. There is no nepotism involved in her case and she has put in the hard yards. It is all about economics. I worked with a top male model for a shoot in 1996. At that time he was getting paid seven lakh rupees a year. For the same suiting client, today, a top model is getting one lakh a day, and they shoot no more than three to four days a year. So there is no motivation to remain only a model,” reasons Kasbekar who also runs a celebrity management company.
Unlike film industry where the economics is skewed in favour of male actors, Kasbekar says, female models are paid more than male models. “Nevertheless, their remuneration has also remained static if it has not gone down over the years.” No wonder, he adds, some of the models who are in their 40s, could be seen walking the ramp.
Another reason for the declining interest is the entry of foreign models from East European countries, whom Kasbekar calls “fashion gypsies” in India’s fashion scene. “They come for a far lesser amount. It is again just a function of economics. Recently, I shot for a client in Mauritius and somebody asked me to stay for one extra day and complete his work as well. Now I am not that concerned about the rights and long term usage of this ‘extra’ work. Similarly, when these model take a circuit – it could be from Dubai to Bangkok via Cape Town and Mumbai – India is a just a stop over for them for three-four months where they make money and move on.”
As for fashion designers showing interest in using Bollywood stars as showstoppers, Kasbekar says media also has role to play in creating a perception. “Some time back, we had a photography exhibition which showcased personal works of India’s famous photographers. Called Exhibit A, it was about their love for photography and had nothing to do with their commercial work. When we invited the media to cover, the first question that was asked was who was coming. I said how did it matter. The sense we got was that our media coverage would be thin if we didn’t call a star.”
Kasbekar, however, doesn’t feel that today’s generation consider modelling as a shallow vocation. “I don’t like to be judgemental just because somebody is good looking. Becoming an underwear model is not rocket science but then he is not expected to create rockets. It is just that somebody is trying to better his or her genes,” argues Kasbekar, known for shooting Kingfisher calendars. Quality might have come down, but, Kasbekar says, the number of aspirants has not. “This year we needed four models and we had about 45 applicants. It is a big number considering for a swim suit model you don’t just need to be thin; you got to have a strong athletic body and a certain height.”
Kasbekar underlines good looking doesn’t necessarily mean photogenic and this “X factor”, which makes a supermodel, can’t be described in words. “It is only something that you discover when out of 100 models on the ramp, one becomes the darling of the media.”
Changing parameters
Having co-produced content-driven films like Neerja and Tumhari Sullu, Kasbekar is very much part of the film industry as well. Perhaps, the acting parameters have changed. Now the word wooden is hardly used for model-turned-actors. It is only that some actors are meant for providing us fitness goals rather than emotional uplift. “There was a certain definition of a good male body earlier which focussed on large biceps. Nobody bothered about six packs. Today, if you throw a stone in Lokhandwala, you will hit a six-pack. The general standard of what is called a good body has changed. The point is requirement of a good body is not a substitute to acting skills. Globally, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt don’t rely only on their muscles. We know things get increasingly tough for those who only have a good body.”
With smartphones getting smarter and Instagram always hungry for more, it seems we won’t get to see another Kasbekar. “The process has indeed become more democratic and accessible. On a given day my heart surgeon or my lawyer can make a great photo and I cannot fight a case in the Supreme Court or hold a scalpel. But I have always believed that no typewriter can write a novel by itself. Photography is a function of what you have between your ears, how much you have travelled, what culture you have imbibed. A lot of people take snaps, a word that irritates me no end, some make photos and only a very few create images . So if you want to be a professional, you should be able to create images on a consistent basis.”
Kasbekar doesn’t have a moral issue with using technology to correct flaws. “I am a great believer in less is more but I do use Photoshop. There is a distinct line between photojournalism and advertising. If it is overly done, any consumer, including my mother who is well into her 70s, will figure it out,” signs off Kasbekar.
Between the lines
On the show
What is really nice about this hunt is that both male and female models can participate and there will be only one winner. We don’t want anybody to bring world peace or become a Mother Teresa! It is basically about how well you show up in your photographs and as a model on the ramp.
On the biases
I don’t think they have gone away completely but on my part, in my entire career, I made it a point not to shoot for fairness creams and I have routinely promoted duskier models.
On his next film
It is called Cheat India . It is co-production with Emraan Hashmi and T-Series. It is about scams in the education system. There are many experts in the rom-com business; I want to take a different path.
