Model Zulfi Syed, who was in Indore recently to participate in a private event, spoke to HT about Bigg Boss, his plans to start a modelling academy and more. Here are excerpts from an interview.

You have been a part of reality show Bigg Boss. What do you have to say about the ongoing season of the show?
I find the format a bit different now. Our season was more or less based on an international format. Now there is more contact with the outside world and even the number of wildcard entries have gone up. The audiences have better access to housemates as they can talk to them over phone. This wasn’t possible when Bigg Boss started initially.

We heard you are planning to start a modelling academy. Is that true?
I am starting an academy for people who want to get into modelling. There are hardly any schools to mentor aspiring models in India. I am planning to open such a school. We would be visiting cities like Indore and Bhopal and hold workshops for aspiring models. I have a team of experts which includes models like Rahul Dev, Alisia Raut, Praveen Sirohi, Amrita Patki, Shahwar Ali and Aanchal Kumar to guide them. There will be a makeup artist and a fitness trainer. Shakir Sheikh would be imparting training in choreography. We will train them on how to walk the ramp among other things. We will be doing portfolio shoots and if they have potential, we will handle their work in Mumbai. The institute would be called Smoke and we plan to start the project by February, 2015.

What inspired you to start such an institute?
I have been a part of the modelling industry for several years. I felt the need for such an institute. There are a lot of people who come from small towns to Mumbai and they don’t know where to start if they want to become a model.

Many male models have gone missing from the industry.
There is obviously more work for girls. Designers for women have increased in the recent past. Even a lot of male designers have ventured into creating outfits for women. The industry was always ruled by women and I think it will be this way.

What are your upcoming projects?
I am working on a Bulgarian venture which contains a mix of Indian as well as Bulgarian actors. Portions of the film will be shot in Bulgaria. It’s an action-thriller movie. I can’t talk much about it right now.

Which designer’s outfits do you prefer wearing?
I follow a lot of designers. Of late, a lot of interesting names have crept in the market. I like Asif Shah from Indore for his style of suits. Rohit Bal is really good. I also admire Ravi Bajaj, Suneet Verma and Manish Malhotra.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India-News> Indore / by Husain Malvi, Hindustan Times / Indore – November 29th, 2014