India's first male supermodels: Then and now
At some point of time in the 90s, after our country opened its gates for economic liberalisation and before the runway merged with Bollywood, Indian fashion was all about four men – Arjun Rampal, Milind Soman, Marc Robinson and Rahul Dev – the first and also the last of their kind.
Of course there was John Abraham, whom Atul Kasbekar regarded as a ‘combination of all the aforementioned models’; subsequently, the breed of male supermodels sort of died out in India.
Today the lines that define masculinity have become more or less blurred, with the assimilation of metrosexual and androgynous; on the other extreme, stands the brawny men, and individuality got pushed into the periphery somewhere along the way.
There is an abundance of models, but dearth of characters, contrary to the days when Milind Soman, Arjun Rampal, etc., were household names.
The highlight of any fashion shows these days are the Bollywood stars, whose roles have extended to that of a show stopper. Even brands resort to the big screen when they are looking for a face to sell their products.
Change is inevitable and good, but it also brings a sense of loss; all we can do is reminisce the good old era of male supermodels.
In pics: How the Big Four – Arjun Rampal, Milind Soman, Marc Robinson and Rahul Dev – have changed through the years.
Image credit: Yogen Shah, AFP, AP, facebook.
