The Hindu Business Line : Channel V models a new route to success

FIVE VJs, a reputed modelling agency, a whirlwind six-city tour of the country and the opportunity to mingle with some of the most beautiful faces in these places. Channel V is gearing up for some fresh action in the youth segment with its latest venture, Get Gorgeous. "It is the baap of all hunts and when we are through we hope to put four of the country's most gorgeous faces firmly on a career path in modelling," says channel head Amar Deb.

Promos for the model hunt went on air just over a month ago and Deb says the response has been more than enthusiastic with 300-400 girls turning up for auditions at Delhi and Kolkata where Channel V talent scouts, including VJ Amit and a representative of Elite Modeling Agency have already been and chosen four faces in each city. On location in Pune in time for the Pune leg of the event, Deb says it is a tough job shortlisting prospectives for this particular hunt. "Unlike the Pop Stars 1 and 2 hunts where the candidates needed to have a talent for singing, here all they have to do is look good. There are too many gorgeous faces out there and we still have not touched Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore."

While one would think this is one job most people would not mind being involved with, Deb says the Get Gorgeous hunt is serious business for the channel.

"When we kicked off the Pop Stars hunt, it was because we realised that there is nothing being done about our youngsters and their talents and aspirations. The only music scene in this country is Bollywood music and this despite the fact that there are so many bands of talented youngsters playing great music. We decided to cut all the red tape that these guys had to go through just to get a break and presented them with a platform where all they needed was to sing," he recalls.

Pop Stars 1 brought the channel, which was a distant second to MTV, into the reckoning and Pop Stars 2, says Deb, sent their ratings rocketing through the roof and put it way ahead of the nearest competitor. The Pop Stars project ended in October 2003 and the channel, says Deb, was on the job again, scouting for another area in which the country's youth have both the potential and a huge aspirations.

"We hit upon modelling because there is not a single model hunt in the country barring Gladrags. We wanted to democratise the business and give a platform to the large numbers of youngsters who aspire for a career in modelling but just don't have the mega bucks that it requires," says Deb.

While the Channel V scouts hit the hot spots such as coffee bars and pubs in various locations in the city to scout for faces, the Get Gorgeous hunt also allows candidates to send their pictures directly to the channel. Deb is convinced this is how the maximum number of wannabe models get a chance to at least be in the race. The first phase of the contest will see 20 hopefuls being shortlisted for the finals, which, Deb says, will be held after the candidates are taught every trick in the trade.

"The four faces that we select will get modelling contracts with Channel V and Elite. We will manage their careers for that period and get them all the access to business," he says. Reality TV has proved to be a success for the channel in the past. When the Pop Stars audition went to Lucknow, the channel had to actually call in the police to disperse the huge crowd gathered there. Deb is hoping the response to the Get Gorgeous project is as enthusiastic. "Innovative programming which strikes a chord in the heart of the youth is the key to the business and with this project we are hoping that we are doing just that," he says.