Star attraction

Govinda,who was part of the celebrity crowd at the Being Human show on Tuesday,explains,“We would not do it for commercial reasons. We did it because Salman,a good friend,requested us. Also,it’s for a good cause.”

Neil Nitin Mukesh agrees with Govinda but adds that sometimes,when one’s movie is up for release,one has to do a lot to publicise the project. This involves walking the ramp for a designer.

“At IIFA awards,I walked the ramp for Manav Gangwani. That we did because Jail’s release was around the corner.”

Of course,there are actors,like Bipasha Basu,Celina Jaitly and John Abraham,who get paid for it.

Some designers stress it’s less about grabbing eyeballs any which way than about finding suitable brand representation. Gangwani,who had actor and good friend Zayed Khan walk the ramp for him at the HDIL India Couture Week on Thursday,says,“

Zayed has the style and the edge required to carry off my clothes. That’s exactly the kind of clientele that I want to attract,so it makes sense that I would have him modeling my clothes.” Designer Mandira Wirk,however adds,“Sometimes it becomes rather difficult when you have a celebrity showstopper. You never know whether they’ll keep their word or back out. But it makes sense to have a well-known person showing your clothes—it’s a great way to attract media attention,even if you’d rather do it on the merit of your designs.”

Couturier Pallavi Jaikishan,who’s never gone the Bollywood way,doesn’t approve of the trend. “I’m not one of those who need the crutch of a celebrity to get noticed. If your work is good,it speaks for itself.” She kept up the tradition by having model Nayanika Chatterjee as her showstopper at the ICW,and three cheers to her.

Chatterjee too says,“I think it defeats the purpose of a fashion show if you get a celebrity showstopper,instead of a professional model—it would only distract the public away from the clothes.”

The propensity for actors to walk the runway could be seen partly as wish fulfillment. Mukesh agrees. “It is not an easy job,but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun,” he says. Zayed Khan,however,disagrees and declares,“Why would any actor want to become a model? It would be like moving backwards.” Ouch.