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‘Risk-taking is considered professional’
Updated On: 07 June, 2026 07:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Akshita Maheshwari
Last week, model Divyanshu Joshi died during a recce at an off-limits location. The modelling industry mourns the loss of the 26-year-old, even as it tells us that ‘guerrilla’ shoots are common, safety norms scarce, and that going the extra mile is considered part of the package
Gahan Nimmala, who has been a model for close to a decade now, had worked with Divyanshu Joshi. He says worker rights are close to non-existent for models with no union, governing body, or health insurance. “Forget accident coverage, you aren’t even paid extra to be in dangerous environments,” he says. Pic/Nishad Alam
Would you risk your life for a shot?
Modelling has not left the imagination of small-town India even today. Any girl who is above 5’ 7” in height dreams of being on magazine covers and any boy with a buff build dreams of walking the runway. The 1990s gave that dream an address. Liberalisation flooded Indian television and newsstands with advertisements, and suddenly the industry needed faces — ordinary faces, from anywhere. Contests like Femina Miss India and Kingfisher Calendar sent a clear signal to small-town India: you don’t need a godfather in Bollywood, just a good face and a bus ticket to Mumbai.
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