M HYDERI

At 19, when he tried his luck as an amateur at country’s biggest model hunt, many ridiculed him of being a kid who should strive for some ‘child hunt’. But as the fate had it, he emerged as the youngest ever winner at the Gladrags Manhunt 2003. Since then there has been no looking back. But when it comes to a trip to homeland, Muzamil Ibrahim wants to rediscover the youth in him the way it was when he left Kashmir as an ordinary man

DONNING brown designer jacket and denim jeans with a cap covering his black eyes, this six-feet-tall walks into a small but popular mutton steak shop in the Srinagar’s congested old City. For the steak seller (the Tujji Wala in vernacular), he is just another old customer who doesn’t miss to kosher the yummy chops with Chutneys during his short trip to the homeland. But little does the owner of this 10X12 shop know that the man sitting on the bench is the celebrity whose life size hoardings grace most big fashion streets across the world. This is how supermodel Muzammil Ibrahim behaves during his short trips to Srinagar –trying his best to behave as an ordinary man.

Why a low profile in homeland? “Kashmir is the most emotional memory I have. It’s in my veins, it’s in my blood,” Ibrahim says while enjoying a plum cake at his hotel room. In the same breath, he adds that the Kashmiris are affectionate towards each other irrespective of their status.

And with this the Biscoe Boy goes nostalgic of his childhood days. “Whenever we would go to friends’ place, their parents treated us like princes…It’s a but natural about we the Kashmiris… We truly overfeed each other out of love and affection,” he hails.

But outside the Valley, he says, its altogether a different story. “When I went to Mumbai somebody didn’t offer even a glass of water… That time it was a big cultural shock to me till I got used to their culture.”

 

FROM UNKNOWN TO HOTTEST ICON

Ibrahim, rated by leading dailies as best model for many consecutive years, has often been termed as the hottest face in the subcontinent. But to rule the ramps didn’t come as a cakewalk.

In 2003, Ibrahim had just started pursuing his Mechanical Engineering at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi when he tried his luck for the Gladrags Manhunt as an “amateur walk-in” having no prior knowledge of the modeling world.

But this wasn’t the only issue. Finding this 19-year-old too young for the contest, many of his co-competitors, ridiculed him as a kid. “Guys used to bully me…Go for a kid hunt,” he recaps.

But good looks of this Kashmiri hunk proved all other faces wrong when he emerged as the winner –the first Kashmiri to ever win an international modeling contest.

Since then there was no looking back. He walked the ramps of a 1000 odd fashion shows including those for elite brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zegnia, Hugo Boss, Just Cavali and Guess.

 

CHANGE AT PEAK

Since childhood, Ibrahim, is known for taking risks at least when it comes to save lives of others. But then in the latest he seems to have taken a daredevil move towards his career as well.

This is what critics say about the man who has shifted towards Bollywood at the peak of his modeling career.

Why so? “It adds value to what you are doing. It shows your liking and confidence,” replies the man who played the lead role in Pooja Bhatt’s much debated Dhooka.

“Modeling is not a long lasting career. But then it’s also like a home for me,” Ibrahim adds.

 

WILL YOU MARRY ME

His latest, Will You Marry Me, is expected to hit the silverscreen in April. But what are the bachelor’s real life plans on marriage?

“Well, it’s a long way to go,” he replies. And with a smile he quickly adds: “Abhi Mein Salman Khan Nahin Bana Hun. Jab Banunga tab Dekhaingay.”

 

ON YOUTH

How does the fashion world’s youth icon look towards the ones in his homeland.

“See when I was a student, there used to be only two options: Engineering or Medical. But now there’s a lot of change. The horizons are broadening,” he opines.

“It’s a good sign that youth now look beyond the routine two. Socially we are reciprocating towards the outer world,” he adds.

Ibrahim says apart from being intelligent, Kashmiri youth are intellectually bright was well.

“Its one thing to be intelligent but its different to be intellectual… They are blessed with genius from God,” he explains.

 

BOTTOMLINE

During the exclusive chat with Greater Kashmir, the celebrity intermittently takes a small bite of the plum cake.

“This (local) plum cake is my favorite. So after a Tujji lunch at Imran’s cafeteria, I got a pair of plum from the bakery shop. I just love it,” he adds and takes another bite.

But you might be getting a more tasty lot outside?

“I never tasted that because it contains Rum and I happen to be a nondrinker and nonsmoker,” he says.

And this has logic. Being a regular Musalee Ibrahim needs to stay away from such things forbidden in Islam, he says. But then he doesn’t shy to make a confession.

“I miss the Fajr Salah at times but I try my best to offer the other four,” he confides adding when out for shootings he doesn’t miss to carry Salah mat in his vanity man.

A reference to the Holy Month of Ramazan, makes him nostalgic of the childhood.

“It used to be winters. After Fajr, I would recite a complete Para of Holy Quran taking out my finger from the Phiran collar,” he recaps looking towards his fingers and breaks the plum slice for another favourite bite in the native City.

 

THE FAME LINE

* Winner of Gladrags Manhunt 2003 at 19.  First Kasmiri to ever win an international modeling contest.

* Walked around 1000 fashion shows with famed designers like Rohit Bal, Rohit Gandhi, Tarun Tahiliani, Rocky S and Manish Malhotra

* Walked for India Fashion Week 2003/04/05,  Seagrams fashion tour 2005/06/07.

* Best Model of the Year for three consecutive years (2004/05/06)

* Awarded the most glamorous model by Zoom Television

* Featured in three music videos including one by Lucky Ali

* Walked the ramps for international designers and brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Zegnia, Hugo Boss, Just Cavali, Guess, Nautica, Levis and Gas.

*  International Face for the launch of India Mens fashion week in 2009

* First face at Tommy Hilfiger launch show in India

* First Face Hugo Boss show in Singapore

* Celebrity face for Tommy Hilfiger across all stores in India(6 cities)

* Listed in India’s top 10 most desirable men

* Awarded Presidents award for the act of bravery at the age of 12 for saving a fellow student from drowning in roaring Chenab

*Awarded Godfrey Philips National Award for Bravery in the 2007 for saving an old british lady from drowning in the Arabian sea.

*As a Biscoe Boy crossed the Dal lake twice

(Source Agencies)

 

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Feb/13/when-supermodel-longs-to-be-ordinary-srinagarite-27.asp