Maleesha Kharwa: How an Indian teen influencer went from humble roots to star model career

The teenage skin care model wants to use her fame to help others leave poverty

Young Indian female model, Maleesha. Photo: Maleesha Kharwa

A teenager from an underprivileged community in Mumbai has become an overnight sensation after being chosen as the face for a luxury skincare brand.

Maleesha Kharwa, 15, has lived her whole life in a makeshift shanty in Bandra in the financial capital of India, but a chance meeting changed everything.

She has now appeared on the covers of fashion magazines including Vogue and Cosmopolitan and has recently been chosen as the face for Forest Essentials, an Indian skincare brand, for their teenage products campaign.

The young model has earned a massive fan following on social media – more than 318,000 followers – where she posts snippets from her personal and professional life and tries to inspire others.

“My life has changed,” Ms Kharwa told The National. "Before I was not on posters, newspapers or on TV channels but now I am all over the world. Everyone recognises me and asks me for selfies. I feel proud of myself.

“I always wanted to become a model. I started dreaming of becoming a model when I was five years old. I am very happy. I dream of becoming a supermodel one day."

Many on social media have drawn comparisons between her and the main character of Oscar-winning 2008 Hollywood film Slumdog Millionaire that portrays the rags-to-riches story of a boy from an Indian shanty town.

From shanty town to poster girl

Ms Kharwa was born to Gujarati parents in Mumbai. Her father works as a clown at children’s events to support the family.

It was three years ago when she serendipitously met the Step Up 2: The Streets and Grey’s Anatomy actor Robert Hoffman – and she says he changed her life.

Hoffman was in Mumbai to shoot a music video when he met the young model through an acquaintance.

The actor then set up a crowdfunding page to help with her education and fuel her dreams of becoming a model.

“I was fascinated when I met her, she was sitting on a mattress in a makeshift tent. She was so striking,” Hoffman told The National.

The actor helped Ms Kharwa with a profile video and posted it on social media. She soon started getting noticed and landed her first modelling assignment with a magazine.

“We made a profile video of her and audition opportunities started coming,” Hoffman said.

The recognition has helped the young girl transform both her and her family’s life.

With the earnings from modelling assignments, Maleesha has bought a one-room flat in a tenement in the city.

“Earlier, we did not have proper electricity, we had to go far to fetch water but now we have a power connection, there is a ceiling fan, we have tap water," she said.

“The municipality would often demolish our huts but now we have a safer roof over our heads. My father is proud of me."

Breaking barriers

Ms Kharwa’s journey is not only extraordinary due to her socio-economic background but also because she is slowly eroding the myth that only light-skinned girls are considered beautiful in India.

The country has an obsession for fair skin – even though the majority of the population is dark-skinned – perhaps a hangover from the colonial period. A woman’s beauty is often measured by her skin tone.

The World Health Organisation found skin-lightening products take up 50 per cent of the skincare market in India and firm StrategyR estimate the global market for such lighteners will be worth $15.7 billion by 2030.

But Ms Kharwa wants to encourage young girls like her to embrace their natural beauty.

“I see beauty in everything," she said. "Many people think that only light skin is beautiful … I just think it is silly. It is not how I see the world. Beautiful faces are nice but beauty is more important on the inside. I love my complexion and I feel perfect.

“I am very happy that I can share the message that there is no proper rule for girls and women to follow. They can do whatever they want to do. I am happy that I can inspire other girls and tell them that they are special."

Other than modelling assignments, Ms Kharwa has plans to start a platform called Maleesha People. where she intends to interact with similar children and encourage them to dream big.

“All people, women and children should know how to chase their dreams,” she said. "This is why I wish to help with our idea of the Maleesha People. I can help people like me who deserve to dream and make the world better."