What are the requirements to become a successful model?
You must first and foremost be beautiful, thin, and tall.

And you can hear every supermodel nodding her head in agreement. But what it does not say that you can be non-white, or as Newsweek calls it “coffee colored” and become one of the most popular and new it-faces of the new millenium. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Saira Mohan who is Indian-Irish-French-Canadian blend. (Bad Foldgers coffee is forcing me to use all these java metaphors!)

Newsweek calls the 25-year-old the “new global standard of beauty”. She has modelled for brands like Versace, Wonderbra, L’Oreal, Victoria’s Secrets, Marks and Spencer and Mercedes, according to BBC Online. And if that is not enough, the beautiful Manhattan-based model has penned a book called, How to seduce and (marry) the woman of your dreams. And she paints as well. Here is a quick peek into her various modelling assignments.

bq.

bq. The 25-year-old diva was born in the Canadian Rockies. “I’m 24 years old, 5′ 10 1/2” tall. I have beautiful long fingers and no dogs or cats. I love to create art, using acrylics, a canvas, my body, and my mind. I love to read books about things that are true and have a love for life that intoxicates me. I tend to fill my spare time painting, staying current on the news, or reading a great, non-fiction book. Some shows I just love to watch: Six Feet Under, 60 Minutes, Dateline, Cheaters, Sex and the City, DisMissed, Frontline, Biography, and anything on the Discovery Channel. (TiVo makes all this possible). As for music: anything with a melody always appeals — from Madonna, to Mozart — and I’m a sucker for a person’s reasonable point-of-view. I also have a passion for (if you can possibly believe this) stock market analytics. I’ve been successfully investing for many years in both up and down markets. (Read more on her website)

One thing which has impressed me about her is that despite being one third Indian, she has not dismissed her heritage but instead has embraced it. Without throwing it in your face, though I feel the ethnic media will paint her in overtly Indian light. (They like to do that – Indianize fucking everything from Kalpana Chawla’s death or Bobby Jindal’s campaign.)

bq. To not like India is to not like yourself. I have a great slogan for [tourism] to India: Visit India – and meet yourself for the first time.
“I feel like an Indian goddess when I am wearing a sari.” (BBC Online)

And like everyone of Indian heritage she is thinking about Bollywood. Now that is the first stupid thing she has said. Don’t you agree? After all with her looks and wit, she could be the next Penelope Cruz. Hollywood needs some evil faces to portray as terrorists and their molls. Think about it Ms. Mohan!