‘Thought I’d be out in the first round’

Danielle Canute, the winner of the first season of India’s Next Top Model has been performing quite the balancing act at college and on the ramp. A B.A. student of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, the 18-year-old says all the effort was worth it. “It has been crazy because my college is very particular about attendance. I’ve always been clear that I won’t sacrifice my studies for modelling and this was my time to shine in the world of modelling, so I had to strike a balance.”

Danielle admits that her dusky complexion did bother her on the show. “In the beginning, I did feel a certain way about it, but as I saw my photo shoots, I realised that it added to my uniqueness and made me stand out,” she says.

Luckily for Danielle, convincing parents was never an ordeal. She adds, “I never had to argue or explain to my family about why I wanted to do the show. I honestly thought that I would be out in the first round itself. I didn’t know that I had so much to offer, as I am a shy

person. My best friend and biggest competitor on the show was Gloria. When she was out, it came as a big shock. When my name was announced as winner, I didn’t know how to react. I was dumbstruck and didn’t know what was happening!”

Recalling the journey she says, “I’ve been lucky that I had a great set of people to guide me. Lisa Haydon is a beauty with brains. Anusha Dandekar has been our best friend, Mr Gaba was strict but gave good advice and so did Dabboo Ratnani. Akash Sharma moulded us into professional models. And I also got to walk at the Lakme Fashion week.”