If his face looks familiar and you wondering where you have seen him before, think adverts on your silver screen.
Airtel montage, Café Coffee Day, Hyundai, Nivea, Sprite, Pepsi and the most recent Lenskart will ring a bell.
All of 24, spotting a cheeky grin, his trademark head band and a cool attitude, ‘Ziyus Contractor’ Bandra’s very own unconventional model kid, who has made quite a name for himself in the competitive world of ad films, shares some of himself with us….
When did you start modelling?
Well properly only a year and half ago, that’s when things really took off for me.
What was your inspiration to get in front of the camera?
None really, I never really thought about it. I wasn’t doing anything much those days, and then a friend and me started going for auditions. I bagged MTV Rush where I played the nerd. At one ad audition I met someone who I passed on my number too and next I know he came up to me and said that they wanted someone who looked like me as the one they finalized had cancelled out and there I bagged the Airtel ad!
And much to my delight both MTV Rush and that one released on the same day, that was my birthday August 5th. My mom was very excited.
Your looks are different from the normal Choco types, wouldn’t you be afraid it would get monotonous?
I don’t think so. First I played the nerd in ads then I played the cool guy, both have worked for me. I have a goal of hundred ads, I want to come on TV so much that people are totally fed up of seeing me (laughs)
Which are the famous ads you have appeared in so far?
The most memorable were ‘Alto’ with Rashi Khanna of Madras Café and ‘Lays’ and ‘Lenskart’ where I play the lead. Then there was ‘Pepsi’ with Virat, Raina, Ranbir Kapoor and Dhoni. And I enjoyed doing the music video for Lost Stories ‘How you like me now’ which made it to VH1 top chart (yes we checked it out on YouTube, it’s pretty cool)
What about you really clicked on television while others are still struggling?
I am persuasive like really pushy at times, so that works. But saying that I need to work on my Hindi, being a Parsi you know how that is. Also am quite focused like I would go to another audition the moment I finish one shoot, I don’t sit around waiting. For me it’s like live it now. I don’t compromise like I wouldn’t do anything to get to the top, I have my ethics and that’s why if movies are the next thing for me, they would be done with my self respect intact if you know what I mean.
Also I don’t have a professional portfolio, people advice me to get one, but this is my way….
And anything else you like doing besides modelling?
I would love to go scuba diving and deep sea diving as a hobby and also travel abroad for shoots, and fingers crossed someday I will. I am pretty easy to work with so am sure that would happen. I like hanging out with my friends, they are from school and also some mutual ones, I had got out of the party scene for a while and now I plan to ride back on it.
What would you like to tell the other hopefuls who want to step in your shoes?
Focus on your goal, don’t get lost in relationships and women or you just get side tracked ……(grins)
Kainaz Jussawalla
