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Hot hunk, hotter girls

Haute host MILIND SOMAN

Sun, sand, sea, swim wear and Milind Soman. Did I just say all that in the same sentence? Hold your breath, for this hot and not-so-young man is back on television with a new show — “Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar Girl”. Do I see the men smiling now? Milind will host as well as judge the show with co-judges Shobhaa De and Atul Kasbekar.

“The show has a unique concept. I wouldn’t have done it if I was not producing it.

Because then, I wouldn’t be able to control many aspects of the show. And, it’s great to be around beautiful girls in bikinis,” smiles Milind. The show will see 12 short-listed participants battling it out in the beautiful locales of Goa, to win the coveted title of the ‘Kingfisher Calendar girl’. The girls are aged between 19 and 24. “Legal age,” as Milind puts it, “with great bodies and a range of personalities.”

The participants should also possess poise, elegance, sensuality, team spirit and the right temperament. According to him, the job isn’t easy, and the tasks in the show are going to be gruelling.

The girls should to be able to handle stress and be ready to perform every moment. They have to get used to shooting at any time of the day, because, sometimes, you have to wait for the perfect lighting for a particular shot, no matter what the surrounding is like. Giving an example, he says: “They’ll have to wear bikinis in the snow and look elegant. Can’t just say ‘Oh! I am tired. My feet are aching’.”

So, what does the winner get apart from an opportunity to pose for the calendar, which has had glam queens such as Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Vidhisha Pavate on it?

“The prizes don’t interest me. Be it a car or a travel holiday…it is the experience that is a rarity,” adds the former supermodel, who has the responsibility of breaking the elimination results to the contestants.

Of course, the young things’ only solace is that they get to kiss their host good-bye and sob on his well-toned shoulders. “That’s subjective,” he laughs, and adds: “In a competition, everybody wins, because you take something away from it. It’s a great opportunity.”

Ask him why we have more such shows for women, and not for men, and he promptly replies: “That’s because people love women. And women are interested in what other women are doing,” he grins.

How about having a swimwear calendar competition for men too? “Would love to. Male models today are really good, and can model for any country. Dino Morea has one of the best bodies in Bollywood to model for swimwear,” he replies.

Which brings us to the question — what will Milind wear on the show? He rattles off a few designers’ names. No! That’s not what we are talking about.

What about swimwear? “There is a lot of underwater stuff, so yes, I will be wearing one,’ he smiles and signs off.

(The show was launched on NDTV Good Times on October 30, and will be aired every Friday at 10.30 p.m.)

PRIYADARSHINI PAITANDY

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