Mumbai Girl Living in Slums Becomes Supermodel
Maleesha Kharwa, a 15-year-old girl from Mumbai’s Dharavi, has become the face of “Forest Essentials”, a luxury skincare brand
In the past, children from slums have become famous only after being cast in films, such as ‘Salaam Bombay!’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. However now social media has offered an even platform for everyone.
Maleesha Kharwa, a 15-year-old girl from Mumbai’s Dharavi, has become the face of “Forest Essentials”, a luxury skincare brand. Forest Essentials introduced her to the world in March 2023 as their new ‘Yuvati Recently, Forest Essentials posted a clip of Kharwa visiting a store that had her campaign photos. The caption read, “Her face lit up with pure delight. To see her dreams in front of her insight. Maleesha's story is a beautiful reminder that dreams really do come true. #BecauseYourDreamsMatter." After introducing her as the face of their new campaign, the brand even interviewed her, where she answered 13 questions.
Kharwa revealed that Priyanka Chopra is her inspiration. She admired Nora Fatehi’s dancing skills. She even showcased her dance move and sang her favourite song. Kharwa aspires to be a supermodel. She regularly shares snippets from her life with her 2.3 lakh Instagram followers. She often uses the hashtag #theprincessfromtheslum with her posts. She said, “At the age of 5, after I saw a ramp show on TV, I wanted to become a model. But I never realized that the dream would come true. So I forgot about it. Incidentally, when she was about 10 years old, Maleesha was 'discovered' by Hollywood actor Robert Hoffman during the shoot of a music video in Mumbai where Maleesha’s cousin was selected. Maleesha was too tall so she did not fit that role. But Hoffman suggested she give modeling a try and created an Instagram page for her. Later, he started a 'GoFundMe' page for Maleesha, which soon built up over nearly 300,000 followers, with many becoming her fans.
On 21st May, BMC education officer, said that he had contacted Maleesha to express happiness over her recent endeavors. If she needs any help, the government will not shy away from supporting her.
