JOIN US'The fashion industry has not moved on at all'
Milind Soman isn’t just another good-looking face on the silver screen. The model-cum-actor does not hesitate to stand up for the cause of women. In fact, he is open about his support and appreciation of the fairer sex. In a candid chat with Metrolife, he talks about running marathons, his ambitions and more.
“My love and appreciation for women perhaps come from the fact that I have grown up with so many women around me and they have been an essential part of my life. I have three sisters. I feel that sometimes, women don’t have the opportunity to express themselves very openly — they don’t get that chance. I have tried my best to give them that pedestal so that they can come out in the open and express themselves in the way they want to,” he says.
He’s often been asked to share the secret behind his fit body but Milind dismisses any suggestions that he is a ‘fitness freak’. “I am a national-level swimmer and that is how I stay fit. I exercise on a regular basis but I have never visited a gym. I am fit because I want to be fit. I’ve never had those protein shakes but I do run a lot,” he asserts.
Talking about films, he says that he does plan to take on a few more projects. But as of now, his hands are full.
“Yes, I have done a few films and I plan on doing some more. But right now, I have four companies and all of them do different kinds of work. It really requires a lot of concentration,” he adds. He has tried his hand at acting and modelling and understands both industries.
“In the hundred years of Indian cinema, methods of story-telling have evolved and life has changed. Unfortunately, the fashion industry has not moved on at all. Designers today are content doing wedding fashion — they are more worried about maintaining their brand than creating something new.
In international markets, the audience demands something innovative and exclusive. But here, no one demands anything new,” he says.
Milind is quick to add that the only aspect of the modelling industry that has improved are the models.
“The models today are so well-groomed and built. They are toned and have a good physique too. The standard of models is very high today — even the women are tall and slim and they really put a lot of effort into grooming and taking care of themselves. But when it comes to photography and fashion designing, nothing has improved,” he concludes.