14-yr-old Maleesha Kharwa's rise from Mumbai slums to luxury brand model

Maleesha Kharwa is breaking barriers and how! The 14-year-old slum-dweller from Mumbai’s Bandra has become the face of the luxury Ayurveda brand Forest Essentials. The teen model and content creator already has a following of more than two lakhs on Instagram. As per her profile, she aims to become a supermodel to “help my family eat”. Let’s take a look at her journey. ‘The Slum Princess’ It was a chance encounter between Kharwa and Hollywood actor Robert Hoffman in 2020 that marked the beginning of her modelling career. The Step Up 2 actor described his first meeting with Kharwa as “something out of a movie”. “There she stood among a group of slum residents just like any other in the city. But her face was so remarkable I don’t know how anyone could have overlooked her before”, Hoffman told Hindustan Times (HT) at the time. He talked to her family and told them “if they were interested, there was a huge potential for her life to change”. Hoffman then set up her social media accounts and started a GoFundMe page. Since then, she has already bagged two Hollywood movie offers, as per Mid-Day newspaper. Kharwa has also featured in the short film, titled Live Your Fairytale, by Arsala Qureishi and Jas Sagu. “I am very happy with where I am right now. There are times when people see me somewhere and recognise me because of social media. They actually tell me that they are fans, which makes me extremely proud and happy”, she told the newspaper. Kharwa has also graced the covers of fashion magazines Cosmopolitan India and The Peacock.

On what she liked about modelling, Kharwa, whose favourite hobby is dance, told HT in 2020, “I like to pose for the camera and put my hands on my waist”. ALSO READ: Who is the 106-year-old from Philippines, who became Vogue's oldest-ever cover model? The face of a luxury brand Forest Essentials has roped in the teen model for its new campaign Yuvati Selection. As per Vogue India magazine, the luxury brand will contribute towards Project Paathshala to educate underprivileged children through its new campaign which focuses on the idea of dreams. “While Maleesha is the face of this campaign, what Forest Essentials is bringing to the forefront is the idea of dreams. The undercurrent here is that no matter where you come from, how big or small your dream is, dreams are for everyone, and all dreams matter,” Mira Kulkarni, founder and chief managing director of Forest Essentials, was quoted as saying by the magazine. In a video posted on Instagram in April, the content creator could be seen visiting a Forest Essentials store that had her campaign photos. “Her face lit up with pure delight, To see her dreams in front of her in sight. Maleesha’s story is a beautiful reminder that dreams really do come true. #BecauseYourDreamsMatter”, the post read.

Speaking to _Vogue_ , Kharwa said about the campaign, “This is my biggest job till date, and it has changed my life so much. I want to be a model, but education will always come first for me”. Realising goals  Kharwa’s Instagram posts provide insight into her vivacious personality and spirit while capturing her reality. One of her earlier posts showed her home, a tent set up supported by bamboo sticks and cloth pieces. “This is my home. Many people ask me how I like living here and I absolutely love my home,” the post had read.

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In an interview with Cosmopolitan India last October, Kharwa opened up about her living conditions, saying sometimes they do not even have clean water or food. “Then there are times when the municipal corporation breaks our house because we live by the sea. When it is very hot in Mumbai, we have to sleep on the rocks by the water. But none of these things could deter me from going after what brings me joy”. Kharwa said people thought she could not become a model because of her “dark skin”, however, she has proven those “naysayers wrong”. The teen model said she believes that anything can be achieved if you work hard. “I find it strange when people ask me how I am such a happy person; they don’t think it is normal to be happy because I am poor…but I love my life. You can be happy even if you do not have a big house or a nice car because, to me, having a family that loves and supports me, and good friends that care about me, is more important. As for realising your goals, if you work hard, there is nothing you can’t achieve,” Kharwa was quoted as saying by Cosmopolitan India.  As Kharwa told HT in 2020, she has faced many problems in life but learnt not to give up and be “resilient”. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.