MOHSIN AKHTAR takes a quick drag of a cigarette, pacing up and down, memorising lines from a sheet of paper. The tension is palpable, but then he breaks into a smile. ‘‘Hindi theek thak bol leta hoon,’’ he says. And it has to be ‘‘theek thak’’ because this may just be his big break. At the Elite Modeling Agency in New Delhi, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms has just wrapped up its latest auditions for yet another soap. So what was the role? A son who has not seen his parents for years. ‘‘Easy for me to identify with,’’ says Mohsin, ‘‘as I haven’t seen my folks for a while now.’’ The 22-year-old Kashmiri is one of five signed up by Elite. His ambition? ‘‘To be the biggest sex symbol in India.’’ Younger brother Muzamil has auditioned for—what else—younger brother. With only 18 months separating the two, the brothers have plenty in common, including the dream of Bollywood success. Twenty-four-year-old Nabeel Malik flicks his jaw-length hair back, and drains his coffee cup. The son of a Kashmir University art professor, Malik dreams of ‘‘fame and fortune in the glamour world’’.The tension in the Valley over the last 15 years has left its mark. ‘‘There’s no future there for young Kashmiris,’’ he says, explaining why he doesn’t plan to return to Kashmir. Mumbai, he hopes, will be his next port of call. MOHSIN AKHTAR, 22 Height 6’2’’ Chest 41’’ Waist 32’’ Hips 39’’ In Vijay Arora’s latest show and BridalAsia 2004. In print ads and shows for Ranna Gill. Fave model: John Abraham Sexiest woman: Lara Dutta MUZAMIL AKHTAR, 21 Height 6’ Chest 40” Waist 32” Hips 38” Spotted at the Ermene gildo Zegna launch in the capital. Fave model: Dino Morea (‘‘I look like him’’) Sexiest woman: Bipasha Basu Majid Tunda is more ambitious. ‘‘Mumbai, then Manhattan,’’ he says. The son of a fairly successful travel agent who owns several houseboats, Majid has always had itchy feet, which prompted his move out of the Valley. His two younger brothers are studying in Srinagar; Majid says he is hopeful one of them will take over theirfather’s business. Hopeful, one asks, curious about the choice of word. ‘‘I was never interested in the family business, and neither was I academically inclined,’’ he admits. Interested or not, the travel bug is clearly in his genes; in his teens, Majid, a national level swimmer, went off to Goa to specialise in the sport. The Jat-Punjabi fraternity has always dominated the male modelling circuit in the capital. And Kashmiris, despite their sharp features and conventional good looks, somehow never broke through in the entertainment business. In fact, the only Kashmiri to achieve a modicum of success is Iqbal Khan, who started his career with modelling, and managed to get a lead role in Funtoosh, which sank without a trace. While the boys may be starry-eyed, the road to success is rocky. The Akhtars are house-hunting, which is proving extremely difficult. ‘‘We are turned down the moment prospective landlords hear that we’re Kashmiri Muslims.’’ The two are adamant about not looking for accommodation in Lajpat Nagar and Nizamuddin, both of which have a high concentration of Kashmiri migrants. ‘‘Whenever there is any incident, the police raid these areas. We’d rather keep our distance,’’ says Mohsin. Majid recalls that even opening a bank account proved tough because he had no permanent residence in Delhi. His passport, issued in Srinagar, was not good enough for, ironically, the Jammu & Kashmir Bank. Sushma Puri, CEO of Elite Modeling, has issued identity cards to minimise police harassment. Elite has, in fact, sponsored many of the boys. But the infectious enthusiasm of youth cannot be suppressed. The friendly ribbing is reminiscent of a college canteen. The role models are, not unexpectedly, big-time models, with Bipasha Basu coming out tops. Muzamil eggs Majid on to audition, recommending he keep his mouth shut lest he betray his strong Kashmiri accent. The four young men are excited about walking the ramp for a Valentino show in the capital this month. For the Akhtars, the high point is having their mother visit from Srinagar to watch them catwalk. ‘‘Inshallah, we’ll have found a home by then, so that our mom has a kitchen to cook for us,’’ says Muzamil, dreaming of home-made Rogan Josh.
