Not many on campus perhaps recall the winner of Mr Elegant and Best Model Awards at the Gladrags Mega Model and Manhunt contests last year. Gladrags it should be recalled is the only one of its kind unisex contest in the world.The judges at the contest had big names that included Gladrags founder Maureen Wadia, actor Ritesh Deshmukh, model and actor Arjun Rampal, actor and former Gladragswinner John Abraham, Star One's Paritosh Jyoti, Lakme's Sabina Chopra, actress and anchor Pooja Bedi, director Siddharth and Anju Timbloke. The show was compered by Sajjid Khan and choreographed by Benhur. Meat Brothers, Shibani Kashyap and the previous year's finalist Rachna Maurya did put up colourful performances on the stage.

Any guesses? The model was a young Bhutanese alumnus of Garden City College, Paljor Gyabak. It was a homecoming of sorts recently when the college rolled out a red carpet welcome for one of its own who dreamt, has achieved a lot, and continues to win million of hearts across the country and beyond. Model Paljor Gyabak, insists without GCC, perhaps he could not have made it to the ramp. Reminiscing over the days spent at the campus, the former Microbiology student has Gardenia to thank. That is because it was at the fest that he discovered his inclination towards modelling. Today, he is finding his feet in the competitive modeling industry, and has gone beyond two landmark awards to work with some of Bollywood's big wigs like John Abraham.Amidst the grandeur and bonhomie marking his return to his former college, Rahul Devnath and Shampa Saha got down to chat the celebrity and returned charmed by his gentle demeanour.

 Excerpts from the tête-à-tête:

GCC World: You have been in the news of late, obviously for all the good reasons. What makes you tick?

Model Paljor: (Smiles) I am from Bhutan. I was born and brought up in Phuntsholing. As you may be aware, I was a graduate of microbiology from GCC and proud to be back here. Although I enrolled for Microbiology and deed exceedingly well, my future was destined to in another field. My life as a model started at this very place when I got selected as the Best Model during the college fest, Gardenia, the first time I took part. If it not for GCC, I might not have made it to where I find myself today.

GCC World: Gardenia surely was a platform for you, but how was the transition from a field of microbiology to a model been completed?

Model Paljor: Well, it seems strange but Gardenia paved way for me. My portfolio was made by Kingfisher and later sent for the Gladrags Manhunt 2006. It came as a pleasant surprise when I was selected for the initial rounds. And guess what? It was Maureen Wadia herself posing the question to me -Women are smarter than men, do you agree with the statement? My reply was in the affirmative. Because behind every successful man there is a woman, I replied. I made it to the top five and the rest is history. After,Gladrags, life has been quite eventful. I have walked the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW), India Fashion Week (IFW) and many more. I have also got the opportunity to work with Bollywood star John Abraham, in a fast track commercial that went on air a year back.

GCC World: Wow, it must have been a wonderful experience. I am sure from being a student to becoming a celebrity in the modelling world in itself calls for a lot of hard work. Any particular instances that is worthy of recall?

Model Paljor: A. Well, there have been many. But one particular incidence that took me by surprise was the day I went out for movie with a friend when a bunch of girls came up to me to ask if I was the face they see on television. When I replied in the affirmative, they were too excited and asked to pose for photographs with me. It was a humbling experience. I had not anticipated I had become a householdname.

GCC World: Any untoward experiences in showbiz you have encountered?

Model Paljor: Nothing as such but people think being a celebrity is fun and girls will keep flocking to you. Although there is a lot of fun in the industry, the job is time bound. There are times you may have lot of work, and at times there is nothing in hand. In fact there was a time, when I was working at a call centre to make a living. It turned my biological clock upside down. I was sleeping during the day and working at night.

Shampa Saha & Rahul Devnath

BA(Journo, Pay & Eng)