25 June,2010- Another supermodel Viveka Babajee's suicide at her flat in Mumbai- left the seamier side of the glamour industry wide open for the nation to witness. It was just another reminder of the stark reality that chilled the fashion industry as well.
Viveka's suicide is not the only one of its kind. The modelling world has been a silent spectator to the suicides of many mannequins including the yesteryear Bollywood queen Parveen Babi and the famous model VJ Nafisa Joseph as well as the downward spiral in the careers of others. A sneak peak into the nuances of the industry would probably speak volumes of the reasons that trigger such tragic incidents.
This industry, no doubt, is plagued by fakeness, cut-throat competition, a mad rat race to prove one's superiority over the rest, jealousy as well as insecurity arising out of a constant need to excel at the expense of others. Rampant cat- fights and back-biting do take a toll on the new entrants and the budding models who aim to carve a niche in this industry. Sensationalisation of each issue, irrespective of its relevance, has become the norm of the industry. Women abuse and molestation cases crop up every now and then. The girls easily tend to get into relationships to get work. In the wake of such circumstances, it hardly surprises one to see these aspiring "super-models" succumbing to professional failures and failed relationships. Consequently,they toil hard to escape the grim reality through substance abuse, thereby entering into a self-destructive mode.
Though the road to fame and gamour overnight seems crystal clear, the downward path is equally steep and one wrong step can muck up one's entire career as well as life.
