The Starry-Eyed Dreams Of 14-Year-Old Aspiring Model Maleesha Kharwa

Maleesha Kharwa’s Instagram page which boasts of over two lakh followers so far is filled with videos of her twirling and posing for the camera. Ask Maleesha the meaning of her name and she’ll smile and say, “Malum nahi (I don’t know)”. But there’s one thing she’s fairly certain of. “I want to be a model and a dancer,” she declares confidently.

Maleesha, who resides in a slum with her family in Bandra, Mumbai, rose to fame after being spotted by Step Up 2 actor Robert Hoffman. The actor had come to India to shoot a music video that starred Maleesha’s cousin. But then he got stranded here as the borders were closed during the pandemic. That’s exactly what got him to meet Maleesha who shared her dreams with Hollywood Star. Soon after, Robert set out to materialise her ambitions just before leaving and made an entire Instagram page. He also set her up a GoFundMe Page.

Who is Maleesha Kharwa?

The 14-year-old slum-dweller who dreams of becoming a model and dancer when she grows up was recently featured on the cover of a leading fashion magazine.

Maleesha had once shared that she was just five years old when the sight of Priyanka Chopra sashaying down the ramp at a fashion show — something that she watched on YouTube — made such an impact on her impressionable mind that she decided that this is a world she wants to be a part of.

The actor in an interview with the magazine told that she dreams big, “I find it strange when people ask me how I am such a happy person; they don’t think it is normal to be happy because I am poor…but I love my life. Right now, my life is taking me on adventures that I cannot believe. I am thrilled that so many people are reaching out to me and telling me that my journey has inspired them to be unafraid and chase their dreams—no matter how big or small,” she added.

She was also the subject of a short film documentary titled Live Your Fairytale by Jas Sagu and Arsala Qureishi. It highlights the life of Maleesha and her friends, her endearing relationship with her father Mukesh – a clown impersonator at children’s parties – and her younger brother.

Suggested Reading: Meet Maleesha Kharwa, 14-Year-Old ‘Slum Princess Of India’ And Aspiring Model