Tomorrow's Bollywood star?

Upcoming model Aaradhna Buragohian's mantras for fitness, and for life, are pretty simple, discovers Jahnavi Patel.

Photographs: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com

Aaradhna Buragohian could not be more excited.

"All this chaos and hustle… it's amazing," grins the Assam-born model. Clearly, her first season at Lakme Fashion Week is "fun"!

"You get to enjoy every designer, everything that you're wearing.  I love the garments. They are all so comfortable."

Does she think the models from abroad have an edge over the Indian models?

"It works both ways," she says. "Indian models have a better opportunity outside and the foreigners have a better opportunity here. That's fine. There are so many different looks in India. I think it's good.'

She has been living in Mumbai since a few months and is loving the experience.

She finds Mumbai "safe" but says the same can't be said of Delhi. 'I am from north-east and, when I go there, I feel a little unsafe. It depends on the place and people.'

What about India? Does she feel India safe for women? 'That's a tricky question,' she says. "It depends on where you are. For me, Mumbai has been very safe. I travel here late at night and early in the morning.'

She misses home and home food, but she's here to explore! And we're just not talking about the city.

While Aaradhna would love to concentrate on modelling, she wants to try her hand at acting as well.

When she started off as a model, it was difficult for her. "I didn't know anybody in this industry. I didn't know how to get along with it," she says.

Now, she has signed up with an agency – an arrangement that is working well for her.

"It's a struggle initially for models but, if you are good at what you do, you will get noticed," she says.

Her parents are very supportive. "They got the shock of their lives when I told them I wanted to get into this line; I was a journalist earlier. They told me to figure out my own way. I am adult enough."

Aaradhna had completed her masters in English and was working as a sub-editor in a newspaper in Assam before she decided to switch to modelling. She was also working as a research assistant for the governor of Meghalaya.

Food mantras

"I am a foodie,' she says, 'I don't believe in crash diets. People have this misconception that healthy food is not tasty but trust me it is if you know how to make it."

She adds, 'I don't like spices, so it helps. I don't like oil. I love butter. I eat properly, I eat on time, I work out. I meditate sometimes; it helps to keep you calm.'

Fashion fundas

"Women nowadays are so busy that they look for comfort in their clothes. Even if it's a sari, it should be easy-going. You can wear it with a crop top or something like that. I love that trend.'

For Aaradhna, fashion is about comfort. Even today, she has combined a palazzo with a shirt.

And fashion trends? "Designers give you ideas; you have to build the trend on your own.'