moths to the flame

They have impossibly va va voom physique,endorse,designers,and get photographed.Yet , most of our models' lives and careers endup falling by the wayside.What dogs our models and celebrities ? Society wipes off the glitter and uncovers the true picture

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no,, no' Yes I've been black hut when I come back you'll know know know, this Amy Winehouse's anthem of rehab glam croons into the head as I dissect lives and .careers of some of our models. For a layman, our celebrities are defined by terms like glitz, gusto and glamour. For the starry eyed common man, the globetrotting and brand flashing celebrities live picture perfect lives. Unfortunately, the reality is a far cry and is more often than not a web of scandals and insecurities—a dark life of loneliness and a barrage of broken relationships. In an industry riddled with cut throat competition and short term memory loss, shelf life gets as slippery as an eel. While most of our runway wonders are prudent enough to move to other professions, some unfortunate ones fall. prey to vices like alcohol and substance abuse: Who is to be blamed? Is it the industry that puts pressures on a model or is it a wrong choice? Defending the stance, model turned actor Arjan Bajwa says, "It's a very individual choice because there is nothing wrong with the .field of work. I can understand there are pressures, especially in this field of performing arts because here you are the instrument as well as the player; there is no replacement for yourself. There is a lot of physical pressure, but at the same time, I feel this kind of pressure is very subjective. Be it a model or . anybody from any other work sphere, it's purely your individual approach to life." However, Model Freddy Daruwala seems more forthcoming. "Models have a lot of free time, especially :,..... the male models. Also, Mumbai's lifestyle can be very stressful because many models are not from this city. People get alcoholic because of reasons like emotional breakdown, loneliness and financial stress. Models are more Vulnerable because there are also a lot of events where we have to show our presence, and in such places alcohol is freely available. The general scenario is then that we just keep having more and more alcohol. As for substance, it is something that is widely available now," he admits.

It is not easy to become famous. It takes a lot of hard work, struggle, years and investment of your time and energies and to keep your reality in check that you are there to work and not for anything else. "A lot of strong ambition goes in and only after all these things fall rightly in place, do you become famous. It is clearly not an overnight success story as it is presumed to be. There are millions and millions of people who are trying their luck in this field, but everyone does not necessarily get everything at the press of a button," says Arjan. The entertainment industry is one where the success rate is just one per cent and not everyone is well-equipped to take failure in their stride. So if it's not success that gets them dizzy, it is the bitterness of failure that causes their downfall. Freddy reasons, "A lot of times models cannot handle the fame. But to be very honest, models are not so famous. I mean they are working professionals; it's just that their schedules and lifestyles are different. They have to maintain a lifestyle and look good and that's what attracts people to them. It is difficult to be an on-going model.

Arlan Bajwa

"It is clearly not an overnight success story as it is presumed to be. There are millions of people who are tryi their luck in this fie! but everyone does not necessarily get everything at the press of a button," Arian Bal
It's very difficult to sustain. Drinking prevails in the newer lot that thinks it's cool or this is how models live. I smoking because I thought it was c smoke as a model. But selfrea happens at some point and that's wh must quit." Speaking of popularity, ex-Miss Queenie Singh told a daily newspaper concept of supermodel doesn't exist like today. Modelling is an open ended with Bollywood on one side and a sea on the other. Bollywood aspiration

The West Side Story

high pressure
While we know that alcoholism and drug abuse is not a fad of today, here is a list of Hollywood celebs who's illustrious lives were cut short due to their addiction and improper flames

consumption of prescribed drugs.
Marilyn Monroe The late 40s sex symbol Marilyn Monroe was found dead at age 36 in her Los Angeles home. Her toxicology report showed high levels of two barbiturates in her blood, Nembutal and chloral hydrate. Recorded as acute barbiturate poisoning, her death is listed as a probable suicide. But many people believe that it was an accidental overdose. Bruce Lee The iconiC martial artist died in Hong Kong at the age of 32 from 'swelling Of the brain ('acute cerebral edema') caused by an allergic reaction to the prescription painkiller equagesic. Containing aspirin and a muscle relaxant, meprobamate the pill was given to him by an actress friend after he complained of a headache. Michael Jackson King of Pop Michael Jackson's death was shrouded with controversies. While its not news to people that Michael Jackson had undergone a horde of surgeries .in a bid to improvise and immortalise his image, he is believed to have been addicted to a number of sleep inducing pills. Though he suffered from a cardiac arrest, the prime cause of his death is believed to be acute propofol intoxication. Anna Nicole Smith The controversial Playboy model was found dead in her hotel room in Florida. Her autopsy revealed the cause of her death as an accidental combined drug intoxication, although chloral hydrate was specifically listed as the 'toxic/lethal' drug. Just five months prior to her death, her son Daniel had died after consuming a combination of the antidepressants sertraline and escitalopram, along with methadone. Heath Ledger Acclaimed The Dark Knight actor Heath Ledger met with an untimely death after he accidentally consumed prescription medications. The autopsy revealed the presence of six prescription medicines in Ledger's body. Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, was found dead by her manager. From what was diagnosed, the cause of her death was concluded as acute drug intoxication. It was ruled to be an accidental overdose of TofraniLaantidepressant.

flame

Well known model Shivani Kapur, the one time face of Lakme, too put an end to a flourishing career with substance abuse.
be the additional spoke in the wheel. As if a struggle to sustain a career strutting on the ramp was not enough, most models take to modelling to gratify an underlying ambition to act on the silver screen. While there are exceptions like Deepika Padukone and Arjun Rampal who got their their due in the industry, the list of failures, including the likes of Muzammil Ibrahim, Shawar Ali, Upen Patel and Dino Morea is endless. While some of them get back to modelling, others don't have the courage to do so. They either remain side-kicks or just vanish. A clear case of Bollywoul aspirations gone wrong was the case of model Renu Rathi who was found on the streets of a Mumbai suburb around two years ago. In a mentally unstable condition, she wanted to meet the Bhatts and act in their film. In another case, model Geetanjali Nagpal was found on the streets of Delhi in a bizarre condition, with no stability. Well known model Shivani Kapur, the one time face of Lakme, too put an end to a flourishing career with substance abuse. And though she did try hard to bounce back after a stint at a rehab abroad, her career couldn't take off with the same force with which it had started. So what is it that makes life so cruel for these once beautiful people? Columnist Simi Chandoke, in an interview to a daily, had said, "Once ousted from the scene, the girls have no education or job to fall back on, and when they don't find an anchor in a financially stable man, they break and turn to drugs and drinking. Short-lived romances and flings and keeping the wrong company are also part of the culture.

•"About the ones who commit suicide, I would say they become news because they are models." Vijay Balhara
It's a vicious circle. Bollywood, on the other hand, is more grounded and surrounded by family and a strong circle of friends. There is less scope for loneliness." Echoing similar feelings, event organiser Sharmilla Khanna insists that having a wayward life is a matter of personal choice. She however reiterates that it is very important to have a strong support system when ode lives alone. Model-turned-fashion designer Vijay Balhara insists that he performs better under pressure. "There are so many models who are very successful and I think they have handled success very well. About the ones who commit suicide, I would say they become news because they are models. I have seen so many mentally deranged people, but nobody bothers about
Viveka Babajee with Gautam Vora .

Vijay Balhar

them because they are not models. Th( interesting stories to make a big deal out o general things that can happen to anybod In the past, VJ-turned-model Nafisa suicide allegedly due to a I: with her beau. Kuljeet Randh of Nafisa, mentioned in her si took the extreme step bec handle the pressures in hei killing herself was easier pressure. And the most recet up the modelling industry an suicide of famed model Viveka was the ended her life allegedly due to strains in hi her boyfriend Gautam Vora. Those who live by glamour, die by have the heart and the mind in the righ strong circle of close friends and family c in overcoming the tinsel town hurdles.