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Model-actor-producer Milind Soman has a lot on his platter — films, television and health foods

BEST OF EVERYTHING Milind Soman

Not long ago, he created ripples in the glamour world — a face that launched haute labels, lent scorching looks to music videos (for Alisha Chinai's Made In India), rocked the ad world with the Tuff campaign and added star appeal to A Mouthful of Sky, the English soap on the Indian TV. But he continues to be the heartthrob of most women.

"I am 40 years old," chuckles the model-turned-actor-turned producer. From Scotland to amchi Mumbai, it has been a long journey but Milind has created milestones all along. "I was swimming till I was 23. I was a national champion for four years. In 1987, I didn't know that modelling could be a profession. I came from an academic family. Now our models can take on the international industry, that's the only sector of the Indian fashion that has grown in these years. I think among designers, Manish Arora and Rohit Bal are doing well. I was glad to see Manish's collection receiving rave reviews in Paris during my recent visit there," he says.

Ask the Marithe et Francois Girbaud buff, on his participation in Lakme India Fashion Week, "I have been reading about it. That's news to me. Why would I. Maybe, if they give me lots of money," he says.

Keeping him occupied are his television and motion picture houses. His one-year-old Phase Entertainment has brought a whiff of freshness to small screen programmes — Just Pooja, After Hours with Nina Manuel and more. "We are trying to convince the channels to do more contemporary and urban programmes. People are stuck with saas bahu and saat pheras. There is lots of money there but unfortunately I can't think like that," he says. The other venture, e-motion, he started with director Parvati Balagopalan produced Rules: Pyar Ka Super Hit Formula, with Phir Zindagi on the anvil.

"Phir Zindagi is a funny film about a girl who wants to kill herself. Then there's a Marathi film that we are producing, in which I will be acting as well. I liked the script. This will have an all-Marathi star cast that includes Urmila Matondkar and Nana Patekar."

Also on his platter is an organic food venture. "There are many organic farms today. Star hotels have special organic restaurants. It's healthy but not accessible. So you have international celebrities promoting various causes — Bryan Adams (organic food), Richard Gere (HIV awareness) and Madonna (Kaballah), because they believe in it and not for fashion," says Milind.

Way to go!

SYEDA FARIDA

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